Marketing Archives - Page 26 of 67 - McLellan Marketing Group

Trends that will influence 2010 and beyond

December 15, 2009

Ad giant JWT has done a year-end forecast for the past several years and has just released their thoughts on what 2010 will bring.

Here's a glance at the 10 trends they believe will shape this next year.

Searching for Stability
While many indicators point to the beginnings of an economic recovery, consumers will continue to exercise restraint until they see more clear, dependable and closer-to-home signs of stability. Unemployment lifting will be a key barometer for consumers. (Example: People are still delaying big-ticket purchases.)

Reading the Fine Print
Consumers will be working harder than ever, putting more time and energy into finding good values, reading the fine print and learning the ins and outs of nutrition, environmental impact and ethical business practices. (Example: As banks, airlines and other ailing service industries impose a complex raft of fees and conditions on customers, failure to pay close attention will be costly.)

Maximum Disclosure
While manufacturers and retailers have become increasingly transparent in recent years, legal requirements and competitive pressures will force fuller disclosure about everything from ingredients and calorie counts to carbon footprints and sourcing. (Example: Walmart is working with its suppliers to develop a sustainability index for all its products.)

The Devil Wears Packaging
As the eco spotlight focuses on the environmental costs of packaging, brands will increasingly switch to bottles, boxes and other solutions that reduce, reuse, recycle, remove and renew. (Example: Kenco Coffee in the U.K. recently launched Eco Refills, which it says use 97 percent less packaging than its glass jars.)

It's BIC, and It’s Bigger Than Ever
The vaunted BRIC emerging markets are now down to BIC—and while developed nations remain hobbled by the financial crisis, Brazil, India and China are emerging stronger than ever, both economically and politically. (Example: As the appetite for luxury in the developed world wanes, it’s on the rise in China; in October, dozens of French luxury labels, including Christian Dior and Chanel, launched a Web site <http://www.ccolbert.fr/> to promote their brands in the region.)

Trickle-Up Innovation
Products designed for emerging markets are increasingly filtering into the developed world, where consumers are welcoming them as cheaper and simpler alternatives to existing choices. (Example: India’s Mahindra & Mahindra is gaining market share against John Deere, offering suburban lawn-owners in the U.S. a lower-horsepower tractor at lower prices.)

Retooling for an Aging World
As the world’s population grows older than it’s ever been, watch for a proliferation of products and services that cater to this demographic as they strive to live independently for as long as they can. (Example: Thermador has designed a glass cooktop that automatically shuts off when cooking is completed.)

Life in Real Time
The Web is evolving into a constantly updating stream of real-time information, conversation, memes and images. This is creating an increasingly mass culture and shifting perceptions of “current,” moving modern life into the “now.” (Example: During the World Series, the Huffington Post created a real-time hub that collected the Twitter feeds of baseball writers, Yankees mavens and Phillies commenters.)

Location-Based Everything
With more location-based services and advanced mobile and mapping technologies hitting the market, the conversation will become as much about “where I am” as it is about “what I’m doing” and “what’s on my mind.” (Example: Foursquare, a gaming app, uses geo-tagging technology to help users find and share bars, restaurants and other venues with friends.)

Visual Fluency
The ongoing shift from words to images will accelerate, and we’ll see increasingly innovative ways to explain and illuminate complex topics. (Example: The animated online short “The Crisis of Credit Visualized <http://www.crisisofcredit.com/> ” blends storytelling, journalism and analysis to make a complex topic easier to grasp.)

If you'd like to read about each trend in detail, you can purchase the full report by clicking here.

Here's what I am wondering…which of these trends do you think will have the most impact on your business in 2010? And…what are you doing to maximize the opportunity?

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Confused stock boy…or brilliant product placement?

October 27, 2009

So simple…and yet so smart.

Check out where BBDO got grocery stores to stock Campbell Soup's Chicken Noodle soup.

Sometimes you don't have to spend millions on a campaign. You just have to ask a different question.

In this case:

"Would you be willing to stock some soup in your cold meds aisle?"

Smart, smart, smart.

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Grasshopper case study shows you how to create a viral campaign

August 3, 2009

Remember when I told you about getting some chocolate covered grasshoppers in the mail and how effective the 3-D mailing was?

Well, now the Grasshopper team has gone one further. They have documented in a step by step, 8-page case study exactly how they created this brilliantly executed viral campaign.

The case study includes detailed budget numbers and short of their mailing list — pretty much every detail you might want to know.

This idea of freely sharing what you know/did is one of my favorite aspects of social media. Do yourself a favor and go download the case study. It is an excellent example you can use as the framework for your next effort.

Many thanks to Jonathan Kay (Ambassador of Buzz at Grasshopper) and his team for not only creating a smart and buzzworthy campaign but also sharing their secrets so we can all do the same!

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Do you know what you need?

July 28, 2009

Every business wants to generate new business. That’s the commonality. But that’s just about all that’s the same.

Some sell high-ticket or very specialized items and services. They only need a handful of new clients to meet their goals.

Others are all about volume. They have a large ability to deliver quantities of their offerings and they want the pipeline full.

This is where the “one size fits all” marketing theories fall apart.

The high-ticket/specialty client can and should spend more money per client acquisition. Their efforts need to be about honing in on exactly the right prospects. They are likely to spend more money on profiling prospects to make sure they don’t waste a lot of time talking to buyers who have no interest or no ability to buy their wares.

Once they’ve identified “the who,” they can get down to telling their story. Because the numbers are small, the marketing tactics that most often make sense for them are ones that allow them to speak directly to those potential buyers and no one else. Direct mail, opt-in e-zines, topic specific blogs, niche newspapers or TV shows and peer-to-peer referrals are all effective options.

On the flip side, the volume-focused client’s goal is to reach a much wider audience.

They’re willing to catch a few undesirables in their net, as long as they can harvest a lot of prospects all at once. Because a wider group of people fit their target parameters, they don’t need to invest in a lot of prospect profiling. They’re looking for a wide reach and frequency to encourage that initial trial. Tactics that might fit the bill for these marketers include couponing, mass media (newspaper, radio, TV, outdoor) advertising, product placement and sampling.

Which set of tactics fits what you really need?

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com

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Are you listening?

June 14, 2009

I'm a generous tipper — always have been. Because over the years, I've worked several jobs that depended on tips, I've always had a soft spot for those who are doing so now.

With one noted exception. Cab drivers.

I travel a lot. Which means I ride in a lot of cabs. Most trips are uneventful. The cab drivers are a little rude. Typically they are either talking on their cell phone (hands free, of course) or they're listening to a radio station that I do not understand.

Basically, I am invisible.

So I have no inclination to be a good tipper. If only those cab drivers knew how easy it was to get me to open up my wallet….

A few weeks ago, I had an in/out trip to DC. Fly in Wednesday afternoon and out Thursday night, after a day long meeting. But my friend Jean (who owns the excellent agency Fixation) was able to get us Nationals tickets for Wednesday night.

As I got into the cab around 4:30, the driver actually spoke to me. He asked if I was in town for business and I said yes…but I was hoping to get to the baseball game that night, if the rain held off. The conversation could have ended there….and it would have been better than most. But then, the cabbie surprised me. He said, "the weather is on every 10 minutes on XYZ radio station. Let's turn it on and see what they're saying about tonight's weather."

And with that, he turned on the radio and we both listened to the dismaying news. Odds were not good that I was going to get to see Randy Johnson throw his 300th win. (They ended up canceling the game and Johnson recorded the historic win the next night)

I gave the driver one little clue. I was hoping the rain would hold off so I could see the game. He could have ignored it, made a simple comment or just went on with his usual driver behavior.

But he was really listening. And it paid off for him.

I think this happens to every one of us — each and every day. Clients make a casual comment or an aside…and in our rush to get the work done or the information we need, we rush right by it.

We don't ask the follow up question. We don't probe a little more. And we miss incredible opportunities.

I want to challenge you. This week — listen harder. Always ask a follow up question. See where it takes you. Remember all our talk about exceeding expectations and surprising our customers?

This week — do it.

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Word of mouth: What will they talk about?

June 6, 2009

A few weeks ago, I introduced you to Andy Sernovitz's Word of Mouth marketing book and his five T's.

The first T = Talkers
The second T = Topics

You've got to give your customers something to talk about. And guess what…doing a good job is not enough. Customers don't even notice when you meet their expectations. You've got to grab their attention.

This isn't about force-feeding them your tagline. This is about doing something they don't expect or going far beyond their expectations.

We serve warm, homemade cookies at every client meeting. At the first meeting — our guests are floored and delighted. And then, when they become clients…they love the smell of those cookies baking as they walk into our space.

On average, about the third time they're dining on our cookies, they realize that the M&M colors match our logo colors. Purple, green and orange. And that's it. Now…they can't stop talking. And they begin to understand that building a brand is filled with little details that take it to a new level. (It's fun to watch them realize we special order the M&Ms just for their cookies.)

Another excellent topic is anything that lets your customer look like they're connected or the big man/woman. How about a "give your buddy twenty bucks" coupon (make it easy to pass along..maybe they just enter in e-mail addresses)? Or a special invitation that allows them to bring a friend to an exclusive event.

Make your customer look like a star…and they'll take you right along with them.

What do you think your clients are saying about you? What about your business or product gets them talking?

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A little grasshopper told me

June 2, 2009

Thanks to the blog, I get some interesting mail. But I have to say, chocolate covered grasshoppers might just top the list.

When I got it, here's what happened:

It came in a FedEx package, so no one screened it. It actually got to my desk.
I didn't recognize the return address, so my curiosity had me open it right away.
Once I realized that it really was chocolate covered grasshoppers, I started showing my co-workers.
We visited the website on the card to see what the mailing was all about.
We took photos, because I knew sooner or later I'd blog about it.
We're going to have a "who will eat one of these" contest at work. I'll let you know who wins!

Bottom line — it worked. 3-D mailings may cost a little more money — but they deliver big results when they are done well.

The folks at Grasshopper.com decided to send out 5,000 of the attention-hopping packages to entrepreneurs, bloggers, celebrities, journalists and customers. They spent 3 months assembling the list and made sure the packaging and cross promotion (Twitter, YouTube, bloggers, their website, etc.) were all in order.

This was a very well thought out and executed campaign. Bravo to the Grasshopper gang.

P.S. Grasshopper.com is actually an integrated virtual phone system for your company that includes toll free numbers, forwarding capabilities to home, mobile, office… and even online voice mail to email capabilities. Costs range depending on the package you would like – but they start at $9.95 per month and range up to $199 per month.

The URL on the package sent us to this video about the power and potential of being an entrepreneur.

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Are you evolving with your marketplace?

May 13, 2009

One of the challenges for any mature business to to balance the two ideals — staying true to your brand's core and yet still being nimble enough to evolve with your marketplace.

As you may know, I am a bonafide Disneyophile. I have been to Walt Disney World at least once a year since it opened in 1971. Back in the late 70's and 80's, the only real competition to Disney was SeaWorld in Orlando and if you wanted to make the drive, Busch Gardens in Tampa.

I can remember leaving Disney property to head to SeaWorld as a kid. It was a great day — Shamu the whale, feeding the dolphins the dead fish and watching a water skiing show. There were many things to see and watch, but there wasn't a lot to do. As a pre-teen boy, I was full of energy and loved thrill rides, like roller coasters. So after our initial SeaWorld visit, my parents couldn't convince me that going back was worth losing a day of Disney's rides.

In the late 90's, Universal Studios added to the market by building two theme parks, packed with thrill rides. Which I'm sure added even more pressure to Sea World. They had two choices. Stick with just Shamu & gang or branch out and add a thrill ride or two. They opted for #2 and just last week opened The Manta.

Want to see how it might feel to ride the Manta? Check out this POV animation of what the ride will be like.

What do you think? I'm a little torn. They did a good job of keeping the ride tied to their brand. And I'm sure it will help them attract more young families, whose kids want thrill rides.

But on the flip side, their brand is about learning more about sea life and getting up close and personal. Did Orlando really need another roller coaster?

If you were on the planning team at Sea World, would you have recommended the thrill ride or something different to keep up with the marketplace?

Check out Sea World's new Manta roller coaster!

P.S. The logo below tells you that I heard about the Manta from IZEA and because I'm using their link, I'll get paid a whopping 50 cents per click. I use that sort of money to pay for mailing out the free books etc. that we do here on the blog. Pretty sure I'll never break even but you never know! ;-}

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A cost effective and powerful marketing tool

May 4, 2009

Marketing your company during good times is hard enough. But marketing your company while trying to manage expenses can really be tough. So what’s a marketer with one hand tied behind their back to do?

One powerful and cost-effective strategy that generates consistent results is strategic email marketing. When done right, it can generate huge ROI percentages within a reasonable budget.

The following are just some of the strategies to keep in mind when developing email campaigns:

Get to the point—You only have 2–3 seconds to catch their attention. Always provide relevant information that your target wants and avoid the “fluff.”
Keep it short—No more than 15–20 percent of the copy you would include in a traditional printed direct mail letter.
Be conversational—Your email should be an extension of your brand. If your brand is formal, write in a formal style. If your brand is casual, make it casual.
Use bullets and lists—Emails are unique in that the reader wants the info fast. Instead of long sentences, try bullets or lists to convey your points. This is a vehicle of “sound bytes.”
Choose your topics carefully—Always make the information timely and culturally relevant to your target.
Use proven layout strategies—Typically, email readers like to scan first and then go back and read. So make sure that you break up your copy with bullet points, illustrations, photos, or graphs. And make sure to have plenty of “white” space.
It’s not about you—Be sure to spend less time selling your products/services and more time providing useful information to your readers. The more useful your information, the more response you will generate.

If you haven’t done so already, consider adding a strategic email campaign to your arsenal of marketing weapons. It can be a very powerful and cost-efficient strategy that generates impressive returns.

Thanks to my friends at Gumas Advertising for these tips!

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