When I read it, I was shocked. Even depressed.
Metropolitan Home Magazine closed up shop.
The announcement appeared in the editor’s page of Elle Décor Magazine. Metropolitan Home and Elle Décor are both published by Hachette Filipacchi Media US.
Metropolitan Home premièred 28 years ago just about the same time I got out of college and moved into my first apartment. Just about then, a good number of my fellow Baby Boomers were purchasing their first houses.
The closing of Metropolitan Home is not a simple stand-alone.
The editor of Elle Décor cited the bigger picture of the change.
As Margaret Russell, the editor-in-chief, commented, “Truth be told, I too sorely miss House & Garden, Domino, Southern Accents and Cottage Living – as does anyone who is passionate about interiors and design.”
Add to that list Country Home, O At Home (Oprah), Home, Gourmet and Hallmark magazines.
All closed those doors and stopped the press in 2009!
While the economy and the growth of Web publishing has a lot to do with the doors closing, there is indeed a bigger factor impacting housing as we know it.
It can all be summed up in one word… Millennials!
Sure, aging Boomers are more focused today on saving whatever is left of their retirement funds. Gen Xers are more focused on cocooning with the kids and getting those kids off to college.
But, it is the Millennials that now are driving the housing market.
If you have your doubts… go look at the stats of just what segment of the housing market is showing some positive growth...houses in the $150k-$200K ranges.
Furthermore, go tune into HGTV starting at 8:00pm and watch My First Place and Property Virgins that now dominates Prime Time. And by the way, those Millennials are also representing a growing share of the folks on House Hunters.
Dwell Magazine and ReadyMade Magazine are still selling strong showcasing everything from the eco-green small space home to the trendy changes you can make in a “mid-century” 1960s tract home.
And if you skim through the pages of Better Homes & Gardens, you will see a bunch more Millennials than Boomers whether decorating their home office, renovating their “man rooms,” planting their first gardens or showcasing their favorite quick-cook recipes.
If you are still in doubt, tune in this weekend as HGTV premiers the new show The Antonio Treatment hosted by the tattoo, multi-body pierced, street-talk 2009 HGTV Design Star winner.
I just can’t see Antonio showcasing well in Metropolitan Home or House & Garden Magazines.
Several of the trends we cited in the 2010 Trendcast are all here at work.
Whether driven by “Mid-Century Suburban Rehab” or “The Family Value of Couplehood” or “Grassroots Stardom,” the New York-to-Paris-metro-chic-country-estate-designer space is a now history.
Get ready to embrace the Millennials…they are coming on strong in 2010!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
The BV 2010 Trendcast!
Change is change…and change is here to stay! In 2010, we are going to experience the true affects of generational evolution, the economic recession, technology advancement and new political powers.
It’s a longer Blog-logue than average, but its powerful stuff and will affect how we do business and build brands over the next year or two!
If you want more information about the trends in general, the stats behind them and how they are influencing brands like yours, call me at 404.245.9378 and I will share more with you!
2010 BV Trendcast
“Business As Unusual”
Not only are the MBAs joining the ranks of the unemployed, but the economy has driven home the message “Build It And They Will Come Is Dead!” Bigger is no longer better and suits and ties are no longer the signature marks of business success.
Innovation, creativity and experimentation are the words now of the management boardrooms. And physical buildings are no longer the requirements of hanging up your business shingle!
Past business paradigms are out and new business paradigms are in!
In 2010, new ways are going to emerge in terms of business management, manufacturing, personnel staffing, marketing and product delivery. The idea that once the economy comes back, business in its conventional set will come back as well is a faded hope of the past!
“Togethering”
“Friends” as a word has taken on new meaning and more than half of all adults believe that the friends they have met and interfaced with online are even deeper friendships than the ones they have made in person.
In 2010, we are going to see online connections transfer to real world planned events. The “Togetherings” will be themed and channeled around the connection point of interest…activities, events, hobbies, topics…and even Brands!
And the "friends" that are meeting are the crème de la crème of Brand Ambassadors!
“Trans Tech”
Not only has the mobile computer replaced the desktop, but the computer today is quickly becoming interchangeable with everything from iPhones to Blackberries to Kindles to Netbooks to Crunchpads to Android Tables to Dashboard built-ins.
In 2010, how we communicate, write documents, do calculations and prepare presentations will not only be fluid and transportable, but so will the operational and organizational models of business.
Heck…Work-from-Home will be rephrased as Work-From-Anywhere-Anytime.
“Locality”
In the early 2000’s it was "Think Global/Act Local" and in 2009, it was about the juxtaposition of "Mass Mingling" and "Home Cocooning."
Whether driven by the economy, politics, networking overload, gas prices or all of the above, "locality" is expected to become HOT in 2010 and be around for at least the next several years.
Not only will "Buy Local" and "Local Sustainability" be on the top of the list of buzz words, but also will the focus on community identity, local business start-ups and local community press.
The LSM (Local Store Marketing) plans of the past will become even a greater focus in the year ahead and while local daily newspapers may fade into the past, local alternative media is likely to rise!
“The Family Value of Couplehood”
Anyone seen any news flashes in 2009 about the new baby boom? There was a set of stories published in 2008 about baby births being on the rise. But with economic factors and employment uncertainty, fewer of the Millennials produced babies as the demographers expected.
In 2010, singles and couples will represent more than three-quarters of US Households and the conventional family of “Mom, Dad and the Kids” will dwindle down to less than 1 out of every 4 households in America.
The changes to watch involve everything from conventional family values to family discount plans to family menus to family rooms being redefined around Couplehood and occasional family extensions.
Not only will the market seek out Couplehood values, but also brands that paint the picture of the conventional family of the past, will be at risk of being perceived as out-of-date with the current times!
“Grassroots Stardom”
Reality TV may have been the spark that ignited the trend, but the continued demise of the stars and athletes has diverted the Millennial headset from the masses to the grassroots rooted.
YouTube is replacing the networks and the Indies are replacing Hollywood. College sports and minor league teams are not only more affordable, but also approachable. HGTV’s Don and Mary who just redesigned their kitchen are quickly replacing the New York designers and chefs featured in Gourmet magazine (now gone as well!).
In 2010, reality TV will expand across the broadcast genre and the high Q-Score spokesperson of the past will be replaced by a the person with the highest Facebook Friend-Score and the average number of daily “thumbs ups” they receive!
“Embedded Generosity”
Home Depot may have it half right in their revised tagline… More Doing!
Whether it is the effect of multi-tasking or not, consumers are placing value on ways to reach out to others and help them if the giving is made easier.
In the past, it was through the organized campaigns and the door-to-door personal requests that generated the donor dollars. Today, it is all about finding a way to create a sustainable, humanitarian motivation that will drive a donor base and get those who participate to be the sales team to their friends.
This past October, pink was the new fall color of the season!
In 2010, more and more Brands will become aligned with causes and concerns, as part of their social responsibility. And the consumer marketing will extend an invitation to be part of the cause through the convenience of simply purchasing the Brand.
“The Rise Of The Concierge”
You would think that Concierges would be a BGO -- Blinding Glimpse of the Obvious – of a service driven economy, but not so…until now.
Growing in popularity among the Inns and boutique hotels, the role of the concierge is emerging more and more as a competitive point of difference.
In 2010, as Brands fight for market share and value-adds become more important, personal service, customized information and even handholding will emerge across product and service lines.
Even in business-to-business, receptionists are emerging quickly as a special service for small businesses whether working in an office suite or a virtual office.
Travel agents, real estate agents, banking brand managers – many feeling the technology pinch – will take on new roles in service delivery, sales closures, customer relations and brand relations.
“Mid-Century Suburban Rehab”
While “urban gentrification” continues in some circles, it is both time consuming and money draining for many in the current economic times – especially for the new first-time DINK (dual-income-no-kids) home buyers.
And if you read the hip home pubs like Dwell, Metro Home and Ready-Made magazines, you know that “Mid-Century” is the hot new design trend and suburbia is emerging as the new forum of rehab!
In 2010, suburban rehab and re-invention will spread like wild fire as an affordable, less time consuming, more “eco-green” footprint way of settling in and making one’s local dwelling space a better place to live.
And get ready, because this is a trend sure to stay as the next wave will be hitting the rehab and re-invention of everything from the strip shopping centers and the retail malls.
“Wellness”
The national healthcare debate is a sure carry-over from 2009 into 2010. And with Boomers quickly moving into their 60s, health related issues are becoming more and more of an issue for many.
Wellness … physical, mental and emotional… is not only going to be a HOT topic in 2010, but new and novel ways of addressing it from electronic files to holistic health to doc-online will be emerging and expanding.
Conventional hospitals will give way to generational and conditional-driven facilities. In-home care already employs a staggering 1.33 million people, and revenue is expected to grow beyond $72 billion by 2011. New neighborhood, stay-at-home continual care retirement communities are expected to surge.
Even the conventional work out gyms that are posting record levels of membership in a down-economy will evolve with more comprehensive health and wellness programs.
It’s a longer Blog-logue than average, but its powerful stuff and will affect how we do business and build brands over the next year or two!
If you want more information about the trends in general, the stats behind them and how they are influencing brands like yours, call me at 404.245.9378 and I will share more with you!
2010 BV Trendcast
“Business As Unusual”
Not only are the MBAs joining the ranks of the unemployed, but the economy has driven home the message “Build It And They Will Come Is Dead!” Bigger is no longer better and suits and ties are no longer the signature marks of business success.
Innovation, creativity and experimentation are the words now of the management boardrooms. And physical buildings are no longer the requirements of hanging up your business shingle!
Past business paradigms are out and new business paradigms are in!
In 2010, new ways are going to emerge in terms of business management, manufacturing, personnel staffing, marketing and product delivery. The idea that once the economy comes back, business in its conventional set will come back as well is a faded hope of the past!
“Togethering”
“Friends” as a word has taken on new meaning and more than half of all adults believe that the friends they have met and interfaced with online are even deeper friendships than the ones they have made in person.
In 2010, we are going to see online connections transfer to real world planned events. The “Togetherings” will be themed and channeled around the connection point of interest…activities, events, hobbies, topics…and even Brands!
And the "friends" that are meeting are the crème de la crème of Brand Ambassadors!
“Trans Tech”
Not only has the mobile computer replaced the desktop, but the computer today is quickly becoming interchangeable with everything from iPhones to Blackberries to Kindles to Netbooks to Crunchpads to Android Tables to Dashboard built-ins.
In 2010, how we communicate, write documents, do calculations and prepare presentations will not only be fluid and transportable, but so will the operational and organizational models of business.
Heck…Work-from-Home will be rephrased as Work-From-Anywhere-Anytime.
“Locality”
In the early 2000’s it was "Think Global/Act Local" and in 2009, it was about the juxtaposition of "Mass Mingling" and "Home Cocooning."
Whether driven by the economy, politics, networking overload, gas prices or all of the above, "locality" is expected to become HOT in 2010 and be around for at least the next several years.
Not only will "Buy Local" and "Local Sustainability" be on the top of the list of buzz words, but also will the focus on community identity, local business start-ups and local community press.
The LSM (Local Store Marketing) plans of the past will become even a greater focus in the year ahead and while local daily newspapers may fade into the past, local alternative media is likely to rise!
“The Family Value of Couplehood”
Anyone seen any news flashes in 2009 about the new baby boom? There was a set of stories published in 2008 about baby births being on the rise. But with economic factors and employment uncertainty, fewer of the Millennials produced babies as the demographers expected.
In 2010, singles and couples will represent more than three-quarters of US Households and the conventional family of “Mom, Dad and the Kids” will dwindle down to less than 1 out of every 4 households in America.
The changes to watch involve everything from conventional family values to family discount plans to family menus to family rooms being redefined around Couplehood and occasional family extensions.
Not only will the market seek out Couplehood values, but also brands that paint the picture of the conventional family of the past, will be at risk of being perceived as out-of-date with the current times!
“Grassroots Stardom”
Reality TV may have been the spark that ignited the trend, but the continued demise of the stars and athletes has diverted the Millennial headset from the masses to the grassroots rooted.
YouTube is replacing the networks and the Indies are replacing Hollywood. College sports and minor league teams are not only more affordable, but also approachable. HGTV’s Don and Mary who just redesigned their kitchen are quickly replacing the New York designers and chefs featured in Gourmet magazine (now gone as well!).
In 2010, reality TV will expand across the broadcast genre and the high Q-Score spokesperson of the past will be replaced by a the person with the highest Facebook Friend-Score and the average number of daily “thumbs ups” they receive!
“Embedded Generosity”
Home Depot may have it half right in their revised tagline… More Doing!
Whether it is the effect of multi-tasking or not, consumers are placing value on ways to reach out to others and help them if the giving is made easier.
In the past, it was through the organized campaigns and the door-to-door personal requests that generated the donor dollars. Today, it is all about finding a way to create a sustainable, humanitarian motivation that will drive a donor base and get those who participate to be the sales team to their friends.
This past October, pink was the new fall color of the season!
In 2010, more and more Brands will become aligned with causes and concerns, as part of their social responsibility. And the consumer marketing will extend an invitation to be part of the cause through the convenience of simply purchasing the Brand.
“The Rise Of The Concierge”
You would think that Concierges would be a BGO -- Blinding Glimpse of the Obvious – of a service driven economy, but not so…until now.
Growing in popularity among the Inns and boutique hotels, the role of the concierge is emerging more and more as a competitive point of difference.
In 2010, as Brands fight for market share and value-adds become more important, personal service, customized information and even handholding will emerge across product and service lines.
Even in business-to-business, receptionists are emerging quickly as a special service for small businesses whether working in an office suite or a virtual office.
Travel agents, real estate agents, banking brand managers – many feeling the technology pinch – will take on new roles in service delivery, sales closures, customer relations and brand relations.
“Mid-Century Suburban Rehab”
While “urban gentrification” continues in some circles, it is both time consuming and money draining for many in the current economic times – especially for the new first-time DINK (dual-income-no-kids) home buyers.
And if you read the hip home pubs like Dwell, Metro Home and Ready-Made magazines, you know that “Mid-Century” is the hot new design trend and suburbia is emerging as the new forum of rehab!
In 2010, suburban rehab and re-invention will spread like wild fire as an affordable, less time consuming, more “eco-green” footprint way of settling in and making one’s local dwelling space a better place to live.
And get ready, because this is a trend sure to stay as the next wave will be hitting the rehab and re-invention of everything from the strip shopping centers and the retail malls.
“Wellness”
The national healthcare debate is a sure carry-over from 2009 into 2010. And with Boomers quickly moving into their 60s, health related issues are becoming more and more of an issue for many.
Wellness … physical, mental and emotional… is not only going to be a HOT topic in 2010, but new and novel ways of addressing it from electronic files to holistic health to doc-online will be emerging and expanding.
Conventional hospitals will give way to generational and conditional-driven facilities. In-home care already employs a staggering 1.33 million people, and revenue is expected to grow beyond $72 billion by 2011. New neighborhood, stay-at-home continual care retirement communities are expected to surge.
Even the conventional work out gyms that are posting record levels of membership in a down-economy will evolve with more comprehensive health and wellness programs.
Monday, November 23, 2009
The Core Product of K.I.S.S.
Okay, I know that I often take on the role of an armchair critic of the MBA mindset and perspective.
BUT… in the context of this Blog-Logue, I will give them credit for part of what they call the Key Product Benefit.
Yes, I know that I am passionate instead about a Brand’s EIP -- the Emotional Ignition Point of the Brand Experience -- and declare that the USP and Core Product Benefits are historic relics of the 1980s.
What part of the Core Product Benefits do I give them credit?
The first two words… Core Product.
In the current issue of Business Week, there are two articles side by side.
One is titled “What’s Eating McDonald’s” and the other is titled “The Steam At Starbucks.”
I actually like McDonalds. They have some good quick food that has both good flavor and spice and fills the tummy nice.
The article is all about how McDonald’s posted some great growth during 2006 through the end of last year. They added Lattes, restyled a number of the stores and reached out to touch the new Millennials entering the workforce.
However, McDonalds did some price hikes during 2008 to counter the soaring costs for core ingredients like meat and cheese. And as the article says…”McDonald’s like other fast-food chains out there, has kept its prices steady in an effort to maintain margins.”
In addition to McCafe Coffee, they also expanded their menu more.
So what’s happening now? Sales are stagnant and, in some cases, slipping downward.
Starbucks?
It’s summarized quickly in one word…Via (their new instant coffee).
There’s a Starbucks around the corner from my house. I truly was shocked the day I went in and saw large Point-of-Purchase displays of instant coffee.
There were posters in the store windows and the Baristas were wearing buttons promoting the stuff.
The Business Week article notes one Barista as saying “This is the most stressful promotion I have ever experienced, and I’ve been with the company for seven years.”
Apparently, there is an internal revolt taking place among the Starbucks Baristas, but customers are lashing out as well.
The article sites one customer as saying “Please no more Via sales pitches. It’s annoying and so completely out of line with Starbucks’ vibe.”
All I want to ask is what does instant coffee have to do with Howard Schultz’s concept of the “Third Place?”
The sales of Via are not posting at the levels predicted.
While challenging to management right now… it’s hard to feel much sympathy.
McDonald’s started with a key product: Simple hamburgers and French fries delivered fast at a cheap price.
Today, McDonald’s offers everything from breakfasts to salads to chicken dippers to burritos to healthy apple dippers.
What happened to the simple, cheap hamburgers and French fries?
Starbucks started with a key product: an alternative place to gather with family and friends, some good music and a nice warm cup of coffee.
Back in the days when we gathered around the kitchen table, did your mother showcase the instant coffee?
I don’t think so.
I could go on and on with the lines…
Build it and they will come!
Product extensions drive sales!
Hire more MBAs to drive brand sales!
But I won’t.
In simple terms, it’s all about the Core Product.
It’s all about defining the Emotional Ignition Point of the Brand Experience and taking on the management role of being the steward of that EIP.
According to Business Week, McDonald’s is planning to concentrate efforts in 2010 on reviving its Dollar Menu on its core product line.
As far as Starbucks is concerned, Business Week notes no 2010 strategy yet on how to deal with ticked off Baristas and confused customers.
Maybe Wall Street has to take on the parental role and financially redirect the new Starbuck’s MBA management to refocus around that “Third Place.”
Well with the holidays now upon us… perhaps its best to end this Blog-Logue with a simple hug and a K.I.S.S.
And to deliver it to the customers that today define the Core Product and the Emotional Ignition Point of the Brand that drives the success of the Brand Experience!
BUT… in the context of this Blog-Logue, I will give them credit for part of what they call the Key Product Benefit.
Yes, I know that I am passionate instead about a Brand’s EIP -- the Emotional Ignition Point of the Brand Experience -- and declare that the USP and Core Product Benefits are historic relics of the 1980s.
What part of the Core Product Benefits do I give them credit?
The first two words… Core Product.
In the current issue of Business Week, there are two articles side by side.
One is titled “What’s Eating McDonald’s” and the other is titled “The Steam At Starbucks.”
I actually like McDonalds. They have some good quick food that has both good flavor and spice and fills the tummy nice.
The article is all about how McDonald’s posted some great growth during 2006 through the end of last year. They added Lattes, restyled a number of the stores and reached out to touch the new Millennials entering the workforce.
However, McDonalds did some price hikes during 2008 to counter the soaring costs for core ingredients like meat and cheese. And as the article says…”McDonald’s like other fast-food chains out there, has kept its prices steady in an effort to maintain margins.”
In addition to McCafe Coffee, they also expanded their menu more.
So what’s happening now? Sales are stagnant and, in some cases, slipping downward.
Starbucks?
It’s summarized quickly in one word…Via (their new instant coffee).
There’s a Starbucks around the corner from my house. I truly was shocked the day I went in and saw large Point-of-Purchase displays of instant coffee.
There were posters in the store windows and the Baristas were wearing buttons promoting the stuff.
The Business Week article notes one Barista as saying “This is the most stressful promotion I have ever experienced, and I’ve been with the company for seven years.”
Apparently, there is an internal revolt taking place among the Starbucks Baristas, but customers are lashing out as well.
The article sites one customer as saying “Please no more Via sales pitches. It’s annoying and so completely out of line with Starbucks’ vibe.”
All I want to ask is what does instant coffee have to do with Howard Schultz’s concept of the “Third Place?”
The sales of Via are not posting at the levels predicted.
While challenging to management right now… it’s hard to feel much sympathy.
McDonald’s started with a key product: Simple hamburgers and French fries delivered fast at a cheap price.
Today, McDonald’s offers everything from breakfasts to salads to chicken dippers to burritos to healthy apple dippers.
What happened to the simple, cheap hamburgers and French fries?
Starbucks started with a key product: an alternative place to gather with family and friends, some good music and a nice warm cup of coffee.
Back in the days when we gathered around the kitchen table, did your mother showcase the instant coffee?
I don’t think so.
I could go on and on with the lines…
Build it and they will come!
Product extensions drive sales!
Hire more MBAs to drive brand sales!
But I won’t.
In simple terms, it’s all about the Core Product.
It’s all about defining the Emotional Ignition Point of the Brand Experience and taking on the management role of being the steward of that EIP.
According to Business Week, McDonald’s is planning to concentrate efforts in 2010 on reviving its Dollar Menu on its core product line.
As far as Starbucks is concerned, Business Week notes no 2010 strategy yet on how to deal with ticked off Baristas and confused customers.
Maybe Wall Street has to take on the parental role and financially redirect the new Starbuck’s MBA management to refocus around that “Third Place.”
Well with the holidays now upon us… perhaps its best to end this Blog-Logue with a simple hug and a K.I.S.S.
And to deliver it to the customers that today define the Core Product and the Emotional Ignition Point of the Brand that drives the success of the Brand Experience!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
BIG Media Buys Don't Necessarily Deliver BIG Results!
Over the last several weeks, I have gotten to experience first hand just how goofed up the ad agency community has evolved.
One of my clients who I admire a bunch isn’t into wearing the suits and flaunting his degrees and past brand experience.
He actually is a CEO, but he is a ton smarter than many of the clients I meet that flaunt their Advertising Director, EVP and CMO titles.
Right now he is challenging a lot of conventional thinking by exploring some alternative media strategies and asking for evidence that the advertising media investment is actually paying off.
I like asking questions like that too!
In this week’s Business Week (11/16/2009) there is an article titled “Ask Your Doctor If This Ad Is Right For You.”
It talks about how the drug industry is spending billions of dollars ($4.7 billion to be exact in 2008) on TV ads and high styled agency media plans.
If any of you watch the 6pm news, I am sure that you have seen at least several of these ads.
Problem is… those ads aren’t working…
“New research based on recordings of conversations in physicians’ offices suggests most patents aren’t asking for drugs by name.”
How few are few?
Market researcher Verilogue who conducted the study found out that only 23 individuals out of 12,500 recorded requested for a specific drug.
In another recent study conducted by Verilouge, the most expensive campaigns in terms of media weight and spending – most on the network news shows – did not prompt the greatest number of inquiries.
“Eli Lilly spent $179 million on ads promoting its depression drug Cymbalta in 2008, but the greatest number of inquiries was generated by the Boniva campaign featuring Sally Field and it cost half as much as the Cymbalta blitz”
Is the advertising based on those high agency spending models generating any response at all?
Partly yes… but the drug clients are not happy campers about it.
“The study reports that what consumers are asking about are the scary side effects, which the drug-makers have to include in the ads, often in stomach-turning detail.”
My client is challenging some conventional thinking by finding a way to reduce the media buy by about half and moving the monies to more local store, in-person and social media exchange.
In my past, I have worked with Time-Warner Networks, Discovery Networks, PHD Media and taught media at the university level.
I’ve had the pleasure of averting ROSs and converting TRPs, GRPs and CPMs into viable ROIs.
Three key things I have gleaned out of all of it…
(1) The medium is the message and the message is the medium.
(2) Its not about counting how many people you reach, its about reaching the right people that counts
(3) Age and gender are only the tips of the iceberg of who represents customers and it is unfortunate that in the year 2010 agencies are addicted to ratings that only use those two demographic variables
A client who challenges their agency is the type of client I like… just like an agency that is brave enough to challenge its peers and the dying models of the past!
One of my clients who I admire a bunch isn’t into wearing the suits and flaunting his degrees and past brand experience.
He actually is a CEO, but he is a ton smarter than many of the clients I meet that flaunt their Advertising Director, EVP and CMO titles.
Right now he is challenging a lot of conventional thinking by exploring some alternative media strategies and asking for evidence that the advertising media investment is actually paying off.
I like asking questions like that too!
In this week’s Business Week (11/16/2009) there is an article titled “Ask Your Doctor If This Ad Is Right For You.”
It talks about how the drug industry is spending billions of dollars ($4.7 billion to be exact in 2008) on TV ads and high styled agency media plans.
If any of you watch the 6pm news, I am sure that you have seen at least several of these ads.
Problem is… those ads aren’t working…
“New research based on recordings of conversations in physicians’ offices suggests most patents aren’t asking for drugs by name.”
How few are few?
Market researcher Verilogue who conducted the study found out that only 23 individuals out of 12,500 recorded requested for a specific drug.
In another recent study conducted by Verilouge, the most expensive campaigns in terms of media weight and spending – most on the network news shows – did not prompt the greatest number of inquiries.
“Eli Lilly spent $179 million on ads promoting its depression drug Cymbalta in 2008, but the greatest number of inquiries was generated by the Boniva campaign featuring Sally Field and it cost half as much as the Cymbalta blitz”
Is the advertising based on those high agency spending models generating any response at all?
Partly yes… but the drug clients are not happy campers about it.
“The study reports that what consumers are asking about are the scary side effects, which the drug-makers have to include in the ads, often in stomach-turning detail.”
My client is challenging some conventional thinking by finding a way to reduce the media buy by about half and moving the monies to more local store, in-person and social media exchange.
In my past, I have worked with Time-Warner Networks, Discovery Networks, PHD Media and taught media at the university level.
I’ve had the pleasure of averting ROSs and converting TRPs, GRPs and CPMs into viable ROIs.
Three key things I have gleaned out of all of it…
(1) The medium is the message and the message is the medium.
(2) Its not about counting how many people you reach, its about reaching the right people that counts
(3) Age and gender are only the tips of the iceberg of who represents customers and it is unfortunate that in the year 2010 agencies are addicted to ratings that only use those two demographic variables
A client who challenges their agency is the type of client I like… just like an agency that is brave enough to challenge its peers and the dying models of the past!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Big And Thick Meets Up With High Touch!
Have you seen the new burger commercials yet?
They begin with the old Burger King jingle….but with some editing of the words…
I know you know that jingle… “Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese…”
But they are not for Burger King.
The spots are for Hardee’s New Black Angus Beef Think-Burgers.
“Big Thick Meaty Burgers.”
It looks like BIG Burgers are the new “in” among the quick service burger chains.
I stopped off at a McDonald’s the other night and had one of their new Angus Burgers. They come complete with fresh mushrooms.
McDonald’s is promoting their burgers as being “so thick and juicy you’re gonna need an extra napkin” to eat one.
Gosh, back in the early 1980s, I worked for Wendy’s International and I think we had a tagline in our ads about the burgers being “thick and juicy” and that to eat one, our customers needed “an extra napkin.”
Maybe the trademark of that line has now expired.
Burger King has long marketed the Whopper. To combat the competition you can now get their Whopper Jr.’s for a one-dollar bill.
Denny’s has an ad running in this Sunday’s FSI coupon packs touting their Better Burgers … The “New Burgers That Mean Business.”
They even outdo Burger Kings $1 offer with their offer of Better Burgers for FREE.
BIG, THICK Burgers seem to be the latest hit among the fast food burger joints.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about guys starting to carve out their space in houses. They call that space – “Man-Space.” In about half of the Property Virgin and My First Place shows the guys evaluate houses they see based on whether the houses have “Man-Space” to satisfy their need.
I believe that guys wanting something different from those flat, wimpy burgers offered by the budget-driven fast food chains are driving part of the surge in the Big Burger promotions.
Another part of me says its about making budget meals seem like big time tummy fillers.
And yet, there is another part of me that says it’s the fulfillment of many a quest to carve out something that is truly American. And how more American can you get than a fast food burger, fries and a Coke!
I tell clients often that the old can become new again.
Here we have gone full circle from salad bars to pizza to chicken fingers to sub sandwiches to wraps to burritos to burgers again.
While Subway might have more locations than McDonald’s … burgers are truly what kicked off what we term today as “fast food.”
What gets my right-brain thought waves flowing is truly what all else is coming back from our past… that will be re-defined as new, novel and different?
Tomorrow I am having lunch with some folks from a locally owned bank.
In the midst of the new mega-machines like Bank of America and Wachovia…maybe the indie banks can capitalize on that lack of customer service the mega-machines have long ago abandoned.
Last week I presented to the board of one of the top U.S. literary magazines. Believe it or not, literature that has been on the decline for more than three decades is all of a sudden becoming hip again… especially among age 18-24 year olds!
Those “mid-century” three-bedroom, two-bath sub-division flats are a whole genre of popularity among the new Millennial first time home buyers.
High Tech and the social media was all the news in 2009.
It’s my belief that High Touch is one of the BIG Trends of 2010!
And how much more High Touch can a Big Juicy burger get?
They begin with the old Burger King jingle….but with some editing of the words…
I know you know that jingle… “Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese…”
But they are not for Burger King.
The spots are for Hardee’s New Black Angus Beef Think-Burgers.
“Big Thick Meaty Burgers.”
It looks like BIG Burgers are the new “in” among the quick service burger chains.
I stopped off at a McDonald’s the other night and had one of their new Angus Burgers. They come complete with fresh mushrooms.
McDonald’s is promoting their burgers as being “so thick and juicy you’re gonna need an extra napkin” to eat one.
Gosh, back in the early 1980s, I worked for Wendy’s International and I think we had a tagline in our ads about the burgers being “thick and juicy” and that to eat one, our customers needed “an extra napkin.”
Maybe the trademark of that line has now expired.
Burger King has long marketed the Whopper. To combat the competition you can now get their Whopper Jr.’s for a one-dollar bill.
Denny’s has an ad running in this Sunday’s FSI coupon packs touting their Better Burgers … The “New Burgers That Mean Business.”
They even outdo Burger Kings $1 offer with their offer of Better Burgers for FREE.
BIG, THICK Burgers seem to be the latest hit among the fast food burger joints.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about guys starting to carve out their space in houses. They call that space – “Man-Space.” In about half of the Property Virgin and My First Place shows the guys evaluate houses they see based on whether the houses have “Man-Space” to satisfy their need.
I believe that guys wanting something different from those flat, wimpy burgers offered by the budget-driven fast food chains are driving part of the surge in the Big Burger promotions.
Another part of me says its about making budget meals seem like big time tummy fillers.
And yet, there is another part of me that says it’s the fulfillment of many a quest to carve out something that is truly American. And how more American can you get than a fast food burger, fries and a Coke!
I tell clients often that the old can become new again.
Here we have gone full circle from salad bars to pizza to chicken fingers to sub sandwiches to wraps to burritos to burgers again.
While Subway might have more locations than McDonald’s … burgers are truly what kicked off what we term today as “fast food.”
What gets my right-brain thought waves flowing is truly what all else is coming back from our past… that will be re-defined as new, novel and different?
Tomorrow I am having lunch with some folks from a locally owned bank.
In the midst of the new mega-machines like Bank of America and Wachovia…maybe the indie banks can capitalize on that lack of customer service the mega-machines have long ago abandoned.
Last week I presented to the board of one of the top U.S. literary magazines. Believe it or not, literature that has been on the decline for more than three decades is all of a sudden becoming hip again… especially among age 18-24 year olds!
Those “mid-century” three-bedroom, two-bath sub-division flats are a whole genre of popularity among the new Millennial first time home buyers.
High Tech and the social media was all the news in 2009.
It’s my belief that High Touch is one of the BIG Trends of 2010!
And how much more High Touch can a Big Juicy burger get?
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Heretical Innovation...Now How Cool Is That!
Last week I got to see innovation in action.
I got invited to learn about how some of my new friends and clients are making some money selling their friends on signing up with a new gas company.
I know what you are thinking… none of that makes much sense.
There is an exercise that I take clients through during brainstorming and ideation sessions called “Dogma and Heresy.” It is an exercise that I passionately refer to as “Dog Poop and Hair Spray.”
As part of this exercise I have clients list out the Dogma strategy of the competition and the category. Dogma being the stuff that many of the clients are saying and doing over and over and over again.
For example, how many natural gas ads have you seen that feature that flickering flame and talk about natural gas as the clean energy source?
Next in the exercise, I have clients come up with ideas and strategies that their boss would label as heresy… a challenge of conventional truth.
Some of the client groups I have facilitated have difficulty doing this. Many participants are either afraid that their co-workers will think they are stupid; others go so far as to think they may even get fired if the ideas are too way out there.
This gas company I learned about is actually expanding from Texas to the state of Georgia.
Now the Dogma of this category is one where you probably figure it is mandatory to get on television with brand awareness ads so that people remember your name when they go to select their gas utility company.
How many people that you know can name their energy provider and at least one or two of their other options of choice?
Perhaps part of that is a left over from the public ownership days where most of the organizations were really not that accountable for advertising return because not many of the gas providers had much of a competitive marketplace.
With deregulation, times have changed… but the thinking set of most marketers remains the same.
And let me state right here that this scenario I am sharing today is not unique just to utility companies. It is true across most consumer product categories among many of what I term as the “MBA Leadership Breed.”
So what is this Texas gas provider doing to enter the marketplace and compete?
How are they spreading word about their brand and getting competitive gas customers to switch?
They are getting friends to call friends – ten of them to be exact – and asking them to switch and in doing so, making some cash along the way.
And if some of their friends find it interesting enough to go and convert over ten more of their friends, they make even more cash.
Some call it a pyramid scheme other call it “Tier Marketing”.
Others see it as just a new way to make some extra bucks. Some folks get so wrapped up in it that they believe they can cash in quickly like playing the lottery with a little more luck!
This type of making money is not much of a match with me, but I must admit I am damn impressed by the innovation of a utility company using it to gain market presence and market share.
This utility company has even branded their product around the sell-in method. The company is branded as Stream Energy and their sales team is branded as Ignite.
You may not get too excited pyramid selling.., and that’s okay because its not the tactic that matters, it is the heresy of even considering it that does.
If an energy company can use a heretical approach… just think what it can do for a CPG brand… a restaurant brand… a healthcare brand… a travel/tourism brand…
I know that this goes against what gas companies deliver, but is this cool or what!
I got invited to learn about how some of my new friends and clients are making some money selling their friends on signing up with a new gas company.
I know what you are thinking… none of that makes much sense.
There is an exercise that I take clients through during brainstorming and ideation sessions called “Dogma and Heresy.” It is an exercise that I passionately refer to as “Dog Poop and Hair Spray.”
As part of this exercise I have clients list out the Dogma strategy of the competition and the category. Dogma being the stuff that many of the clients are saying and doing over and over and over again.
For example, how many natural gas ads have you seen that feature that flickering flame and talk about natural gas as the clean energy source?
Next in the exercise, I have clients come up with ideas and strategies that their boss would label as heresy… a challenge of conventional truth.
Some of the client groups I have facilitated have difficulty doing this. Many participants are either afraid that their co-workers will think they are stupid; others go so far as to think they may even get fired if the ideas are too way out there.
This gas company I learned about is actually expanding from Texas to the state of Georgia.
Now the Dogma of this category is one where you probably figure it is mandatory to get on television with brand awareness ads so that people remember your name when they go to select their gas utility company.
How many people that you know can name their energy provider and at least one or two of their other options of choice?
Perhaps part of that is a left over from the public ownership days where most of the organizations were really not that accountable for advertising return because not many of the gas providers had much of a competitive marketplace.
With deregulation, times have changed… but the thinking set of most marketers remains the same.
And let me state right here that this scenario I am sharing today is not unique just to utility companies. It is true across most consumer product categories among many of what I term as the “MBA Leadership Breed.”
So what is this Texas gas provider doing to enter the marketplace and compete?
How are they spreading word about their brand and getting competitive gas customers to switch?
They are getting friends to call friends – ten of them to be exact – and asking them to switch and in doing so, making some cash along the way.
And if some of their friends find it interesting enough to go and convert over ten more of their friends, they make even more cash.
Some call it a pyramid scheme other call it “Tier Marketing”.
Others see it as just a new way to make some extra bucks. Some folks get so wrapped up in it that they believe they can cash in quickly like playing the lottery with a little more luck!
This type of making money is not much of a match with me, but I must admit I am damn impressed by the innovation of a utility company using it to gain market presence and market share.
This utility company has even branded their product around the sell-in method. The company is branded as Stream Energy and their sales team is branded as Ignite.
You may not get too excited pyramid selling.., and that’s okay because its not the tactic that matters, it is the heresy of even considering it that does.
If an energy company can use a heretical approach… just think what it can do for a CPG brand… a restaurant brand… a healthcare brand… a travel/tourism brand…
I know that this goes against what gas companies deliver, but is this cool or what!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The Reality Of The Consumer -- You Can Bank On It!
I ended up having to start the day doing something that I absolutely hate doing.
Talking with my bank.
Why did I have to talk with them?
Because they did something absolutely stupid and I thought I had it resolved, but it wasn’t.
The bank where our business account is housed is Wachovia.
A friend of mine who also has a small business asked me where we had our company account and when I said Wachovia, he replied… “Oh, that is where my business accounts were at…the bank Walk-all-over-ya!”
My friend runs a successful small business.
About a year ago, Wachovia decided to stop offering small businesses business credit card services and transferred all the accounts to Bank of America.
The bank I had to call this morning was Bank of America.
I wish someone would come up with a new way of saying “Bank of America” that also translates into something more descriptive like “Walk-all-over-ya.”
What did Bank of America do?
They had a guy we let go a year ago that was an hourly clerical assistant listed on our corporate Visa account as the owner of the company.
I found out about this when I had questions concerning some charges on the account and was told that there was nothing I could do. Only the person that they had listed as the owner of the company could ask questions like I was asking.
When I told them I was the sole owner and the guy listed was laid-off more than a year ago, I was then told that I had to fill out forms and send them in with a witness also confirming me as the owner of the company.
I am not making this up.
After filling out the forms and getting the letters and witness confirmation all sent in two weeks ago, I received yet another set of forms in the mail yesterday.
I called the Bank of America 1-800 Customer Service and ended up getting a guy on the other end of the phone that proceeded to essentially lecture me and “help me understand” how business issues are handled and corrected.
When I further explained how stupid…and costly a mistake had taken place…he asked me not to be “negative” and “confrontational.”
Our call did not last much longer.
When I tried to call the local Bank of America offices yesterday afternoon, I got routed back to the same 24/7 service number I had called earlier.
I later found out that the banks close down at 4:00pm. I guess the “9-to-5” jobs are history in the banking industry.
This morning, I did get through to a person in the local Athens office who listened and went on to say that she would get back with me later in the morning after she found out more details about the account.
I never heard back from the woman I spoke to this morning and it is now almost 8pm.
Why am I telling this story about the bank?
Tonight on the CBS Evening News, one of the featured stories was all about Bank of America.
What was the focus of the story?
A bank customer who tried repeatedly to get Bank of America to respond to questions and issues concerning her credit card and checking accounts, finally got so exasperated that she told her story in a video that she posted on YouTube.
Within days, more than 256,000 people watched the video and then posted similar Bank of America stories.
Here is the link to the story… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGC1mCS4OVo
Her commentary also got pushed through Facebook and Twitter postings.
In fact, the stories raised so many responses that Bank of America…along with some of the other large banks, finally responded back by changing some of the stupid things that they had been doing to customers.
The older I get, I realize that there are not too many things I can change, but then along comes stories like this that says…”Yes You Can!”
And while I personally feel refueled in the ability to correct stupid stuff, the learnings demonstrate further the importance, value and power of the consumer voice.
As I tell clients… what you define and market may appear to be reality, but it isn’t … and what consumers perceive and believe, how ever different from what you define, is reality.
Hello… And welcome to 2010!
Talking with my bank.
Why did I have to talk with them?
Because they did something absolutely stupid and I thought I had it resolved, but it wasn’t.
The bank where our business account is housed is Wachovia.
A friend of mine who also has a small business asked me where we had our company account and when I said Wachovia, he replied… “Oh, that is where my business accounts were at…the bank Walk-all-over-ya!”
My friend runs a successful small business.
About a year ago, Wachovia decided to stop offering small businesses business credit card services and transferred all the accounts to Bank of America.
The bank I had to call this morning was Bank of America.
I wish someone would come up with a new way of saying “Bank of America” that also translates into something more descriptive like “Walk-all-over-ya.”
What did Bank of America do?
They had a guy we let go a year ago that was an hourly clerical assistant listed on our corporate Visa account as the owner of the company.
I found out about this when I had questions concerning some charges on the account and was told that there was nothing I could do. Only the person that they had listed as the owner of the company could ask questions like I was asking.
When I told them I was the sole owner and the guy listed was laid-off more than a year ago, I was then told that I had to fill out forms and send them in with a witness also confirming me as the owner of the company.
I am not making this up.
After filling out the forms and getting the letters and witness confirmation all sent in two weeks ago, I received yet another set of forms in the mail yesterday.
I called the Bank of America 1-800 Customer Service and ended up getting a guy on the other end of the phone that proceeded to essentially lecture me and “help me understand” how business issues are handled and corrected.
When I further explained how stupid…and costly a mistake had taken place…he asked me not to be “negative” and “confrontational.”
Our call did not last much longer.
When I tried to call the local Bank of America offices yesterday afternoon, I got routed back to the same 24/7 service number I had called earlier.
I later found out that the banks close down at 4:00pm. I guess the “9-to-5” jobs are history in the banking industry.
This morning, I did get through to a person in the local Athens office who listened and went on to say that she would get back with me later in the morning after she found out more details about the account.
I never heard back from the woman I spoke to this morning and it is now almost 8pm.
Why am I telling this story about the bank?
Tonight on the CBS Evening News, one of the featured stories was all about Bank of America.
What was the focus of the story?
A bank customer who tried repeatedly to get Bank of America to respond to questions and issues concerning her credit card and checking accounts, finally got so exasperated that she told her story in a video that she posted on YouTube.
Within days, more than 256,000 people watched the video and then posted similar Bank of America stories.
Here is the link to the story… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGC1mCS4OVo
Her commentary also got pushed through Facebook and Twitter postings.
In fact, the stories raised so many responses that Bank of America…along with some of the other large banks, finally responded back by changing some of the stupid things that they had been doing to customers.
The older I get, I realize that there are not too many things I can change, but then along comes stories like this that says…”Yes You Can!”
And while I personally feel refueled in the ability to correct stupid stuff, the learnings demonstrate further the importance, value and power of the consumer voice.
As I tell clients… what you define and market may appear to be reality, but it isn’t … and what consumers perceive and believe, how ever different from what you define, is reality.
Hello… And welcome to 2010!
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