Shopper Marketing....on fire!

Shopper marketing is on fire! Well not literally…but this MediaPost article sums up how cpg, food, and beverage companies continue to increase their spending in shopper marketing. The biggest changes lately have been the way companies interact with the consumers to change their shopping habits. One surprising statistic to note is that “62% of shoppers search for deals digitally before at least half of their shopping trips”. Wow, now that's powerful stuff!

Check out this MediaPost link for more info.

How Hollywood Markets

Alfred Hitchcock revolutionized the idea of self-marketing himself in Hollywood by being one of the first to brand himself with his famous…walk-by-the-camera in the first scene in all of his movies. Everyone knew it was a Hitchcock movie once they saw his appearance in the film.

Today this trend has swayed towards music artists. With so many new artists popping up and becoming top billboard hits without fans knowing who all these new artists are, it can be hard to remember which artists have the big hits. Not anymore! When artists plug their name into songs like…
-Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance “Gaga…ooo…la la!”
-in Break Your Heart “…with Taio Cruz and Ludacris!”
-Jason Derulo’s In My Head where the first words sung are his name
…to name a few mentions…it’s much easier for radio stations and consumers to remember the artist’s name if its plugged into the middle of the song.

Truly a brilliant way to brand yourself in a clutter music market in Hollywood. Looking forward to seeing what the next big thing Hollywood does to keep consumers informed & engaged…

Car Commercials

Car commercials...typically portrayed as being boring by nature with the flashy, fast car speeding around a racetrack or local car dealerships with small budgets to film without much thought going into the script. Although I can't say I'm a huge "car funatic", I was thoroughly impressed with Audi's latest commercial. It positions itself directly against its competitors by reminding people that these brands are what you're told to like...yet the Audi is different. There is a little boy who stares up at a red flashy car poster, a couple staring at their Lexus, a few businessmen outside their gray BMW's, and finally a shot of an Audi which wizzes by and grabs the attention of all these consumers.

All I can say is what a great way to position your brand, Audi. Stand up to your competitors and tell your consumers they don't have to like what they've been told they are supposed to like. Hoping to see some print or outdoor advertising to implement this campaign further.

Santa Claus, Heinz ketchup, Seth Godin, coconut water, Hershey Kisses

So what do these have in common?
• Santa Claus
• Heinz ketchup
• Seth Godin
• coconut water
• Hershey Kisses

2 words. That's all you need to either interest people in your brand or quickly make them turn away. Think about it...every one of these brands, people, or brand categories intrigue you.
.Santa Claus...you know him as a jolly old self down in the North Pole who rides his sleigh and distributes gifts worldwide in a miraculous speed once a year.
.Heinz ketchup...the only brand out there which serves THE best ketchup condiment with not much competition in the category.
.Seth Godin...accomplished author, blogger and a well-known linchpin/marketing god in the business world.
.As for coconut water...this is one of the new and hot all-natural product categories to hit the market positioned as a "natural Gatorade" to serve you electrolytes naturally in the water of a coconut.
.Hershey kisses always bring a smile to your face and who can forget that chocolate-y goodness that melts in your mouth?

You never know what the next two worded brand will be out there…but keep a close watch.

Facebook disables the "Suicide Machine"

Who ever thought up the idea to have an app called the Suicide Machine wasn't thinking so smoothly. Besides the name seeming very scary and threatening the use of it isn't really an app. This program was developed to "delete yourself" from all your social networking places to get you to live life normally before the world of social networking took over. Although it's a nice thought to get people off their computers, it is pretty extreme to get you to give up all your Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections, MySpace connections, and Twitter followers.

Can you IMAGINE life without social media? I sure can't and don't plan on using this app or program any time soon. (Facebook has banned it so you aren't able to test it out currently to get rid of your fb friends at this point.)

LA Times has more info @ latimes.com .

you're been MIA! where's the blog?

First off...it has been TOO long since I've checked in to share the latest & greatest marketing and advertising news! I promise I will jump back into it to share my enthusiasm of marketing for all my readers and followers! Even more so as a pre-New Years Resolution :)

'Nuff said...let's get down to business...

Creativity...in barcodes?

Bet ya didn't think you could ever make a barcode...creative. Wrong! Check out this incredible barcode creative agency site that really will inspire! Bar Code Revolution, you rock!

Thanksgiving checklist...turkey, cranberry sauce...turkey SODA...what!

Yes, you heard it right...Turkey soda may be this year's addition to the Thanksgiving meal in a couple weeks. Most people stick to the traditional fixings like - potatoes, turkey, cranberry sauce...yada yada....but this year there is a new item to add to your checklist.

Surprisingly, this is not the first year Jones Soda has created a crazy/innovative flavor of Turkey soda. The main difference this year is that it is vegan...meaning that Tofurkey brand and gravy flavorings went into the soda.

Is it a hit or a miss? We shall find out after Thanksgiving this year. Until then, drink up the Turkey soda!

Vending Machine: goodbye gumballs...hello face care?

Long are the days when we used to say..."hey mom, can I have 25c for a gumball"? Now the question may be, "mom, can I borrow your credit card to purchase a Proactiv Solution to help my acne"? WOW...talk about innovation for a vending machine! I recently was at a mall in Connecticut and walked by my first Proactiv vending machine and was blown away that they were selling their products in this format.

I mean...we all remember when Jessica Simpson promoted this product and she seemed to be a good fit with her clear skin and all. (Although info-mercials work for some consumers, they definitely don't work for me as I was born a skeptic.) I set out to do more research on the website to see if there was any mention of these new vending machines and was disappointed. From researching prices of Proactiv it looks as though a typical kit costs approx $40 for a 3 piece system...which seems a bit pricey to me especially if you can't test out the product.

Personally, I hope Proactiv adds in low cost/free sampling packs to its vending machines so it allows consumers to test out the products & return with a purchase. Let's see it happen!

The Big Warm Up

The Big Warm Up...and no we're not talking sports teams warming up before a game. Creativity Online has a Land's End video about this cause-marketing program.



Here are the facts:

• Land's End partnered with the National Coalition of the Homeless
  
• Together...they are launching the Big Warm Up
• What is it?
  
• "a national coat drive asking people to donate their gently used coats at Sears-based Land's End shops across the country"

What can you do to help? Watch the video...check out info on the Land's End website, & donate a coat or two to help warm someone else's winter season with your donation of a cozy coat.

Mystery Phone

Everyone wants to know...when will Apple kill its exclusive iPhone/AT&T deal? It's still a debate...but for now hold tight & wait out until the rest of the year. Although, with the latest Verizon commercial for the iDon't aka the Droid...looks pretty neat but it's SO mysterious!

What exactly does it mean to "not have widgets" & "to not customize"? Is this something that the tech-savy consumer wants? Who exactly is the consumer for this product? We are all just as confused as the next person on this one...

In the meantime check out this AdAge article & droiddoes.com for more info until the November release!

Ann Taylor steps it UP!

Ann Taylor is one of those classy, sophisticated stores for middle-aged career women & it seems to have been lost in the mix the past couple years. With nothing to really make it STAND OUT with designs and lines made...it's tough to stand out against rivals Banana Republic & Talbots & J Jill...who also have been hurting throughout the recession.

GOOD NEWS! Ann Taylor designs were recently seen strutting down the aisles of NY Fashion Week's runway. Here is a great quote from the Canadian Press article I found: "We've all been working really hard to reinvent the brand," Lisa Axelson, senior vice-president of design, said in an interview before the show. "We want to get the news out that Ann Taylor is changing. ... We're breaking the myth of what we used to be. A lot of the feedback we heard from market research was that the impression was that we were clothes my mom would wear. Now we're for the crazy, busy stylish working woman."

Read more @ the article in The Canadian Press & looking forward to seeing a more trendy/chic/stylish Ann Taylor soon!

goodbye vending machines...

Who knew the day would come when vending machines would be considered "so old-school"? Check out this CO company which has designed a healthy, sleek replacement for the not-so-healthy vending machines. Boulder Natural Vending has implemented a Bamboo Box & Eco Fridge which customers can store healthy, local products which he sells to their schools.

Currently it's in an elementary school in the Boulder, CO area and is hoping for expansion into other schools in the CO region. Should be interesting to see where they plan to expand this company throughout CO and the US as well as selling to companies as well as schools. Hoping this reaches the East Coast soon & best luck for success in the CO market!

Consumers Trust LESS!

Wonder why? Hmm...shall we go back to the original Enron scandel? GM? Lehman Bros? Ring a bell? It should make you realize why many consumers have lost their trust in companies today. Check out a quick video & article titled The Great Trust Offensive in BusinessWeek.

The video describes how "consumers want to know what the company is doing..." Some ways McD's has risen in the most trusted list because of tying itself to causes like GreenPeace & by not fighting its image as having unhealthy foods by posting its calorie counts in each menu item in some locations.

However not everybody is happy with every company out there... It takes some skill to improve your overall image and not something that is an instant fix. Consumers are very savy and will find ways to switch brands/retailers/options for products & services if they hear or are dissatisfied. Should be interesting to see who can improve their image & gain back the consumer trust needed for their brand to succeed!

mom-made video + Sara Lee = Mama Saga

Social media videos + product placement = brilliant! Take moms stressed out with their back-to-school kids...some product placement with Sara Lee deli meats...add a video camera on your laptop and tada!...you get MAMA SAGA!

Should be interesting to see how this connects with consumers...most likely moms with this interactive & humorous light-hearted take on the trials and tribulations of motherhood responsibilities.

Should be interesting to see if Sara Lee gets positive feedback on this program that also includes coupons available for "friending" them on Facebook & by following their Tweets!

The Way Old People Shop

You've seen senior citizens shopping but have you ever experienced shopping through the eyes & motions as one of these "old people"? WSJ writes up an interesting piece about how Kimberly-Clark is moving forward in the "next frontier in retail".

Ever thought of doing & wearing this..."glasses that blurred his vision, slipping un-popped popcorn into his shoes and adjusting tape that bound his thumbs to his palms"? Todd Vang, a Walgreens VP, explains the different shopping experience he had when shopping like a senior citizen. Check out the limitations that are explained in this article & you'll be surprised about all the problems the 65+ crowd have with everyday shopping.

It will be neat to see what K-C & other companies do to help out this aging population...looking forward to seeing different merchandising strategies implemented in the future!

SONIC in New England...shocking!!

For YEARS we have waited the arrival of SONIC in Mass and throughout New England! What is Sonic, you ask? Well if you have managed to live under a rock for the past few years, you must have been missing out on the nationwide tv ad campaign that has been driving us New England-ers nuts since there aren't any in this area of the US. Until NOW! Still not sure what it is...then here's Sonic's website.

Sonic lets costumers reminisce on the old fashioned drive-up burger joints...order, eat in the car & go! It's a ton of fun beacause of its quick, easy and affordable style of dining. Don't expect the fanciest feast here though since it is based off the idea of a burger joint but trust me, you won't be disappointed as they have a wide variety of wraps, burgers, salads, smoothies, slushies & more.

A vacation last year led me to my first Sonic in VA and it was incredible! The excitement was incredible leading up to the event & have been hoping ever since to see more break out into the New England area. Looks like the 2.5 years of advertising in this region has finally paid off! Boston Globe reports on how they had to turn away customers after they had waited over 2 hours in line. How crazy is that?

Of course there has got to be a way to tie all this back to marketing so one thing I'm wondering is if Sonic has a way to trace zip codes searched on its website to see the top hot spots in New England to consider opening up more locations. Might make for an interesting way to do marketing research...?

MEGA-Brand

BrandWeek describes it...but really the question remains - what is a megabrand? Is it something that "relates to taking a power brand and extending its equity across related product categories to drive growth and efficiencies"? Or is it just a powerful company in general? There seems to be so many large brands out there acquiring different little brands...so I wonder if technically they count as well?

Nielsen also does a nice piece on "How Can a Mega Brand Equal a Mega Success?". The key points made to keep a mega brand a mega hit revolve around the following: cross-over consumption, good practice, sustainable competitive advantage, unique relevance, persuasive actions, credibility carries clout, invest for growth, & distinct direction.

Looking forward to watching to see which companies are considered or not considered mega brands in the near future depending on which successful growth tactics they take!

the Captain has been playing some tricks!

"Calling All Captains!" How catchy is that phrase? More like sneaky if you ask me. Captain Morgan has started a new promo perfectly targeting its male 21-25 segment with free customizable voicemails to send to your male friends.

Brandweek explains more. But don't wait for your phone to ring first...be sure to prank your friends before it's too late & you get pranked first! Here's the site so be sure to test it out.

Social Media Revolution video

A friend of mine forwarded this neat video called Social Media Revolution. Really neat to see how much work someone put into finding statistics of how social media has truly revolutionized the way things work/happen.

Did you know....

• 1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. met through social media
• 34% of bloggers post opinions about products & brand

Seems like there are some interesting points about how social media will TAKE OVER! Can't wait to see what the future brings for these powerful marketing tools.