Trends

2011 trends (part 2 of 4)

December 3, 2010

Yesterday I introduced you to Trendwatching.com's top 11 consumer trends for 2011.

We're exploring them in small sets so we can dig in a little deeper.  You can check out the first three trends (click on the link) or just jump into the discussion on trends 4, 5 and 6.

4. Made for China/Emerging Economies: In 2011, expect an increasing number of ‘Western’ brands to launch new products or even new brands dedicated to consumers in emerging markets.

Growth in consumer spending in emerging markets far outpaces consumer spending in developed markets, and Western brands are favored more than local brands in emerging markets. Western brands including Levi-Strauss, Apple and BMW have already capitalized on this trend.

Question re: trend #4:  For many of us, we aren't global in our reach and we're not going to be in 2011.  So how does this trend affect our organizations?

What's actually most interesting about this trend is that these emerging market consumers love when American products are customizes for them.  (levi's with a slimmer fit, etc.) They have a strong need for recognition and being catered to.  Now that's a trend all of us can sink our teeth into.

How can you allow your consumers to customize or tailor your offerings?  Can you build in tiers or options?  Can you communicate more completely why you designed some aspect of your product/service (we know you like to listen to our podcasts while you work out so we've custom recorded 20, 30 and 45 minute versions, so you can choose the podcast that fits your workout timetable, etc.) showing that you built it with them in mind?

5.Online Status Symbols: In 2011, trendwatching.com recommends that brands supply customers with any kind of symbol, virtual or ‘real world,’ that helps them display to peers their online contributions, interestingness, creations or popularity.

This includes personalized social networking memorabilia as well as location-based games and contests which award virtual or real-world prizes.

Question re: trend #5:  This really ties into my spin on #4.  We like to be accomplished and we like to be able to show off our accomplishments.  Whether they are Gowalla passport stamps, being a Foursquare mayor or having our answer be voted the best of the bunch on LinkedIn — we want a way to show off.  But we don't want to look like we're showing off.  There's the thin line.

How could you help your clients "keep score" or "earn rankings?"  Is there a way to give them a sense of social eliteness?

6.’Wellthy:’ Growing numbers of consumers will expect health products and services in 2011 to prevent misery if not improve their quality of life, rather than merely treating illnesses and ailments. Products such as mobile health monitoring devices, as well as online health apps and health-dedicated social networks, will serve the multichannel wellness needs of consumers.

Question re: trend #6:  There are all kinds of wellness — physical, mental, spiritual, intellectual etc.  Can you tap into this trend by relieving suffering in any of the wellness categories and improving your client's quality of life?

This works very well in the B to B category as well.  There are many pains you can remove from someone with a painstaking boss, or an ROI driven CFO.

By the way, I am not suggesting you get pun crazy with the wellness trend.  I think you speak in your client's language about what is causing them pain and how you can relieve it. This isn't about being cute, it's about being incredibly relevant.

So what do you think?  Any of these trends triggering some marketing ideas for 2011?

2011 trends (part 1 of 4)

December 2, 2010

Our friends at trendwatching.com spend all day, every day, tracking, watching and anticipating trends that will impact us as consumers, as business leaders/owners and certainly as marketing professionals.

They just released their top 11 consumer trends for 2011. Rather than try and shove all 11 into a single blog post, I'm going to break them up into bite-sized posts and dig in that way over the next few days.  Easier to digest!

I've added a question or two after each trend — to get you thinking about how you could capitalize on it.

1.Random acts of kindness: Consumers’ cravings for realness, for the human touch, ensure that everything from brands randomly picking up the tab to sending a surprise gift will be one of the most effective ways to connect with customers and prospects in 2011, especially beleaguered consumers in North America, Europe and Japan.

Question re: trend #1:  This is really about surprising your customers and prospects.  How could you build in (they don't happen accidentally) a little bit of delight?

What could you do in a seemingly random fashion (like Southwest's enthusiastic flight attendants) that would generate some word of mouth buzz and make your customers feel special and appreciated?

2.Urbanization: Urbanization remains one of the absolute mega trends for the coming decade, with about the global population currently living in urban areas. Urban consumers tend to be more daring, more liberal, more tolerant, more experienced, more prone to trying out new products and services. In emerging markets, these effects tend to be even more pronounced, with new arrivals finding themselves distanced from traditional social and familial structures, while constantly exposed to a wider range of alternatives.

Question re: trend #2: The interesting part of this trend to me is the idea that people are longing for traditional social structures but moving away from them.  As humans, we need to belong. 

How could you create a sense of shared interest or goals among your customers?  Could you give them something to band together around?  Maybe this is where your charitable giving comes into play?  Could you create a cause marketing "family" that holds your customers close to you, like Avon has done with with their breast cancer efforts?

3.Pricing Pandemonium: Mobile devices and social networks allow consumers to constantly receive targeted offers and discounts, even at the point of sale from a rival brand, as well as join interest groups. Brands should target consumers with offers and features such as instant mobile coupons and discounts, online group discounts, flash sales, and dynamic pricing based on real-time supply and demand.

Question re: trend #3: Okay…I'm going to buck the trend a little on this one.  What if instead of bombarding your customers with coupons and deals (which always makes me worry that they're going to wonder why you haven't done that before) you create a secret place for where only your best customers (who of course will tell everyone they know) can access special deals?

Remember how much we all love feeling special, being in the know and being able to demonstrate that we're among the elite.  Could your pricing strategy take advantage of this trend combined with those human truths?

Come on back tomorrow and we'll look at the next set of trends!

2 good reads from The Conference Board event

November 17, 2010

Two of the speakers at the recent Conference Board's marketing event also happened to be best selling authors.  As a perk of attending, everyone was given a copy of both of their books.  They were both inspirational speakers — drawing from their own experiences, research data and some good old people watching.

I'd already read Tony Hsieh's Delivering Happiness (click the title to buy the book) but really devoured John Gerzema's Spend Shift (click the title to buy the book) over the past few days.

Rather than do my usual recap, I thought I'd share YouTube presentations from each author. I think you'll feel their passion around their areas of expertise.  The books represent both halves of the whole.

Hsieh's book is mostly about internal culture and the power of building a strong one.

Gerzem'a book is about the consumer and shifts in their attitudes, buying behaviors and aspirations.

Put them together and you're going to be a whole lot smarter.  And both your employees and customers will be the better for it.

But without further ado… let me introduce you to the authors and let them do their own talking. (e-mail subscribers, click here to view the videos)

Meet Tony Hsieh: 

Meet John Gerzema:

Both books are good reads — lots of story telling, lots of tangible examples and plenty for every business, big or small, to steal from! 

Note:  Both book links are Amazon Affiliate links.

Color trends for 2011

November 8, 2010

According to color experts Pantone, no colors ever go completely "out," the colors just “evolve.” Like avocado green may be out, but lime green is in. 

So this is their take on colors for 2011.

Overall, they believe we’ll see cleaner colors that give an emotional uplift. And they predict that colors will be combined in unusual ways.

Here's the scoop:

Black: Black's presence will diminish in 2011. We'll still see black used, but they'll be closer to very dark blues or greens that are nearly black.

Blue: Will be more important next year. It suggests hope, healing, serenity and tranquility.

Red: Attention-getting combinations like red with orange or a pink/red used with a super bright red.

Pink: Used in all forms from aggressive and bright to pale pink.

Green: Becoming overused to suggest ecology. Green will be used in more ways than just for "green" companies or products.

Purple: Diminishing importance in 2011. Will move towards lavender and blue purples.

Orange: Paired combinations like a carrot orange used with white and apricot orange with blue.

Brown: Everything from cocoa brown to nut brown. Organic.

Yellow: Golden yellows will have a strong presence in 2011.  

White: More faded shades of colors like very pale pink, blue, yellow, etc. instead of pure, clean, crisp white.

I'm curious — What do you think?  How might this impact your work?  Or do you think it's just design fluff talk?

Why most companies will lose the search engine war

September 2, 2010

Everyone talks about being on that elusive first page of Google.

It's the pinnacle of success and companies spend thousands of dollars to try and outspend their competitors.

But in the end, it won't be your competitors who trump you.  It will be your consumers.

Today, if you Google one of the 20 largest brands, over 25% of the search results will be links to consumer generated content.

Why does that matter to you? Let's look at these truths:

1. Social media is in its infancy and the volume of content is just going to grow.
2. Websites that welcome consumer feedback and ratings are beginning to go mainstream, which means every Tom, Dick and Harry will be sharing their opinions about every product, service and store pretty soon.
3. Study after study shows that consumers are ranking the reviews, opinions and recommendations of the average Joe blogger or reviewer above those of "official sites."

Note:  The visual above is one of the slides from my "Small Business, I'd Like to Introduce You to Social Media" presentation.

Social media tip #22: Do not overshare just because you can

July 5, 2010

This is one of the toughest marketing truths to swallow.  Just because we have all these ways to connect — does not mean your audience wants to hear from you every hour. You're just not that interesting.

Check out this e-mail I got from a reader.  Pay particular attention to the 4th paragraph:

"Perhaps you could write about how some people engage is relentless posts on LinkedIn–like once an hour, yet say absolutely nothing. I have a LinkedIn connection who works for a major ad agency here in Des Moines, touting himself as an advertising phenomenon, and always shows up #1 on my LinkedIn page every time I log on.

I have to confess that I don't tweet and can't be bothered with it. I am far from being alone in this, by the way. So his blurbs show up and they are mostly gobbledy-gook. Sometimes I click on them thinking they might lead me somewhere interesting, but they don't go anywhere.

So I emailed him saying I would like to be able to see what he has to say at a glance since he's a permanent presence at #1 in my LinkedIn hit parade. Maybe he could be clearer. He didn't answer, but I noticed he didn't post anything for several hours. When he did, he was slightly clearer. Then the more he posted, the more he went back to saying nothing.

So I decided just to hide his posts permanently so I didn't have to be bothered any more. Interestingly, I couldn't figure out how to reactivate someone's post once I turn off their lights. I suspect my reaction was the opposite effect he was attempting to have on people.

Goodbye ad genius–out of sight and out of mind."

Not only are you boring people if you blather on and on — but you gain a reputation for being all talk.  Is that really why you're investing all that effort?

There's a whole lot of "talking at" someone going on in all forms of marketing — traditional and digital.  It's a lot easier to just fire off a statistic, fact or link than it is to actually have a conversation, ask a question or connect with someone.

Confident that you're not guilty?  Check yourself against these:

Are you tweeting, updating your Facebook status or LinkedIn account multiple times a day — spouting resources but never connecting with the people listening?

Do you only Facebook message people when you are having a sale, holding an event or in some other self-serving way?  (Oh…and do you do that in a mass msg sort of way?)

Do you always initiate Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook conversations — as opposed to joining in someone else's?  (In other words…do you only care about what you want to talk about?)

Remember — it's the cocktail party rule of social media that earns credibility and respect online.  And no one wants to hang out at a cocktail party with someone who can't shut up about themselves!

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Has the “transparency craze” killed marketing?

June 9, 2010

One of my favorite TV commercials right now is for Chef Boyardee Ravioli.  The family is sitting around the kitchen island, and the kid is happily eating his ravioli.  The dad is reading the can and marveling that the ravioli actually is jam-packed with healthy ingredients.  

As he tries to tell his wife this good news, demonstrating their tag line, "Obviously delicious, secretly nutritious" she keeps banging the hanging pots and pans with her wooden spoon, clearly not wanting the child to hear that the ravioli is good for him.  (view the spot by clicking here)

The spot cracks me up.  I laugh or at least grin every time I see it.  And, I now know their tagline.  But not once…I swear to you, not once did I actually think that they were a family.  I knew they were actors.  But the spot still worked.

Remember Madge?  She wasn't really a manicurist.  How about Mr. Whipple?  He didn't really work at a grocery store.

So flash forward to 2010.  Best selling author Jennifer Belle launches a new book and she wants to create some buzz.  Authors understand that unless they're John Grisham, they need to take responsibility for a lot of their own marketing.  And Belle did.  She held auditions and hired 40 actresses to situate themselves all over New York City's high traffic areas and "read" her book, laughing hysterically.

This story hit the New York Post and the commenters were, for the most part, aghast and declared with indignation that they'd never buy her book now.  Because she was, in essence, faking it.

So I'm curious about your take on this.  Isn't much of traditional advertising "faking it" with actors?  Do you think we tolerate it because we know it's fake whereas a woman on a subway laughing is in essence tricking us?

Do you think Belle's stunt was brilliant marketing or trickery?  Would hearing this story impact your interest in her new book?

Trends shaping 2010: Dang it, we’re getting old!

March 15, 2010

Back in December, I wrote about some of the trends that would be influencing all of our businesses in 2010.  I thought it might be helpful to look at some of these trends a bit more closely.

Let's dig into the trend that we've actually been anticipating for the past several years.  After all, we've known that the baby boomers are such a huge group — there's no way their crossing into the 65+ category wouldn't throw our society a curve.Look at these facts:

• By 2020, people over 65 worldwide will outnumber children under the age of 5 for the first time.
• By 2020, 22% of western civilization will be 65+.
• The ratio of workers to retirees will continue to fall.  Today it’s 3:1.  By 2030, it will be just over 2:1.

So what does that mean for all of us?

Shifting away from our youth focus :

For so long, mass marketing has been all about the young.  As this trend takes hold, marketers are going to shift their attention to those boomers.  Remember, this group of seniors is tech savvy, active and has quite a bit of disposable income.  Even products that are typically designed for the youth market will be aimed at seniors, like motorbikes and technology.

Simplified, smarter products :

We've already seen companies like Jitterbug simplifying technology for a senior's physical limitations and that's just the beginning. Now, there's going to be a huge new market for smarter products that accommodate senior's needs. 

For example, there are canes and walkers being created with GPS technology built right in.  Wonder what will be next?

Subtle safety products:

This era of seniors isn't ready to slow down or think of themselves as elderly.  Most of them are still quite active and aren't going to see themselves as someone who  needs to be taken care of.   But let's face it, as we get older — we need a little assistance.

Ford and other car manufacturers are working on technology that can detect if the driver is getting drowsy (a major cause of car accidents with seniors behind the wheel).  As soon as the car senses the driver is not alert, it automatically lowers the temperature in the vehicle to wake up the driver.

Here's another one — Thermador is developing a stove top that automatically shuts off as soon as the pot is lifted off the burner.

New problems/opportunities brought on by the volume:

In the good old days, when someone got a little older, their family rallied around and took care of them.  But with families scattered across the land and with fewer offspring per family — many boomers are going to be on their own.

3 of the 10 industries with the fastest employment growth are tied to this trend.

• Home healthcare
• Elderly and disabled services
• Community care facilities

There are also all kinds of senior concierge companies cropping up.  They'll do everything from take someone to the doctor and take notes, to putting up your Christmas decorations or running errands.

How can you take advantage of this?

That's the real question. As with all trends the question is not whether or not they're true but what we're going to do when they come to pass.  How can your business capitalize on what's coming?  How can you be come indispensable to this huge market?

How to create an iPhone or Droid app for your business

February 28, 2010

Last week I announced that the Drew McLellan iPhone and Droid apps were available.  I also promised that I’d walk you through the process I went through to create the apps.

To give you the kind of detail I want to share, this is going to end up being a few blog posts, rather than one novella of a post!  Today, let’s focus on who I was going to partner with to get the app done.

Exploring the options

Once I decided that I had better jump on the mobile bandwagon, I sought out Mike Sansone — who many of you may know, was my blog coach when I got started and is still my Go-To guy when I need to learn something new in the space.

I asked Mike to take me on a tour of the potential vendors and help me gauge the pros and cons of each.  (A side note… there are many brilliant app designers out there but I knew I didn’t need or want something that custom.  So I wanted an off the shelf solution that I could customize a bit to make it my own.)

Mike showed me the following sites:

iSites (http://isites.us):  This is a new player to the space.  

Pros:

• Price was right… One time $25 fee if they got to choose the ads that appeared in your app’s footer banner (all family friendly) or $99 a year if you selected the ads you’d allow.
• They’d do all the work of submission to Apple etc.
• Also would build a Droid version
• Allowed the app user to share your content via Facebook & Twitter
• With the $99 version, you could monetize your app if you wanted

Cons:

• You had to have ads on your footer banner
• They are new in the space…not a lot of feedback (good or bad) about them yet
• No push (send messages to app subscribers) yet

Mother Apps (http://www.motherapp.com/) 

Pros:

• Clearly vetted — Guy Kawasaki and Chris Brogan among others use them
• Free if you allow ads (which you can share in the revenue), $99 a year for the no ad version
• They’d do all the work of submission to Apple etc.
• fast — you could have your app in the Apple Store within 7-10 days of submission

Cons:

• Not a lot of customizing can be done — pretty much your blog feed, your Twitter feed and one other option (most use YouTube it seems)
• No push (send messages to app subscribers) yet
• No Droid or Blackberry versions yet (but their site says they are coming soon)

AppMakr (http://www.appmakr.com/)

Pros:

• Lots of big names are using them (Inc., Seth Godin, AllTop)
• Very fast turnaround (Could be available in a day or two)
• $200 one time fee
• They’d do all the work of submission to Apple etc.
• Phone tech support available ($120/hour)
• Can customize the app’s tabs

Cons:

• No push (send messages to app subscribers)
• No Droid or Blackberry versions yet

Mobile Roadie (http://www.mobileroadie.com/)

Pros:

• Vetted and used by people like Dan Pink and Ashton Kutcher
• Incredibly easy interface and content management tool
• Publishes with built in multi-language support
• Has push capabilities
• Already building Droid apps too
• They do all the work of submission to Apple, Droid, etc.
• Lots of viral features — users can share your content via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail
• No ads

Cons:

• Most expensive of the bunch — $500 set up fee ($200 more if you want push)
• $29/month fee

I’m sure there are other vendors out there — these are just the ones we looked at.  As I learned more about what was available, I was also able to sort out my own priorities.  Here’s how they shook out:

• Ease of use — I wanted a content management system that I could handle on my own
• I wanted to be able to share more than just my blog feed and tweets
• I didn’t want to be limited to iPhone users so I wanted to publish for other platforms like the Droid
• I wanted the push functionality
• I wanted to be able to customize the navigation (both labels and order)
• I wanted users to be able to share (Facebook, Twitter etc.) my content from the app
• I wanted to be able to link to my books (with easy access to buy)

In the end, despite the higher cost — I decided on Mobile Roadie.  They offered more customization and the ability for me to really include a wider variety of content in my app.  But it was their content management system that really won me over.

In another post this week, I’ll give you a tour of just how easy it was for me to add content and create the look/feel of my app.

Drew McLellan iPhone App: In case you want to carry me in your pocket!

February 24, 2010

True confession time….I feel a little silly.  And yet a little smart at the same time.

Let me get to the smart part first.  Here’s what I know to be true:

• Our interaction with the web is shifting very quickly to mobile devices.  It’s predicted by 2020 it will be the prevailing tool we use to access the internet.
• The new iPad (released in March/April) will bring a new slew of people to the Apple platforms, including the world of apps.
• For those who turn up their nose at Apple, the Droid smartphone is taking off like a rocket.
• I create a fair amount of content but it’s tough to find it all in one place.
• Apps are going to be a vital mainstream marketing tool soon and MMG needs to understand that world.
• I am too big to fit into your pocket.

Now the silly part.  I’m not a celebrity, famous or even one of social media’s superstars like Chris Brogan, Seth Godin or Dan Pink.  So to announce that you should download me onto your iPhone or iTouch (or Droid) feels a bit presumptuous.  (BTW — it’s free if that helps!)

But…I predict this will become commonplace shortly and then I’ll just be an early adopter.  Besides, it really is the only way I’ll fit into your pocket!

And to entice you to download it… I’ve started creating some Marketing Minute podcasts.  The easiest way to get them — the app.  Short and sweet — now you can even take my voice along with you.

On my app, you’ll find:

• The new podcasts
• My blog posts
• My posterous journal
• My tweets
• Links to my books
• My guest posts on IowaBiz and Marketing Profs Daily Fix
• Links to my Facebook, LinkedIn and FriendFeed accounts
• God only knows what else!

I hope you’ll indulge me and give it a try.  You can access it here (clicking on this link will launch iTunes).

If you’ve got a Droid, you can see your version of the app here (to download, just search for my name in your apps market.

Other smart marketing folks with iPhone Apps:

Jay Heyman (click here to see his app)

C.C. Chapman (click here to see his app)

Seth Godin (click here to see his app)

Chris Brogan (click here to see his app)

Dan Pink (click here to see his app)

Later this week, I’ll tell you how Mike Sansone helped me figure all of this out and some of the options out there for all of us geeky enough to want our own app.