Marketing in Real Life

Three quotes from Procter & Gamble's Dina Howell about the mindset of today's consumers: "The way people shop is constantly evolving but people don’t just want the next thing, they want the next 'best' thing." “Great brand building can inspire shoppers to do things differently. That's why P & G is focused on engaging consumers in non-sales conversations through microsites, forums, advice, etc." "The consumer is boss."

From one of my favorite shows on TV, Showtime's Weeds, Andy and Doug show that you always need to conduct good research before launching a business. Enjoy!

Yesterday I purchased an LG Voyager - despite my yearning for an iPhone. The iPhone presented a bunch of problems (wrong carrier, not enough storage to replace my ipod) yet I wanted one because I love Apple and I love my iPod. So after three unsuccessful attempts to buy a new phone (stories of bad sales and service for another time) I wound up in a Verizon Wirless located in Circuit City and ended up buying a sweet new LG Voyager. The Voyager and its new brother the LG Dare are clearly meant to cut into iPhone sales. They have a full html browser, music capabilities, and a better phone. The Dare even looks like an iPhone. But the point of my story is that the sales person, Thom, didn't try to sell me an iPhone alternative. He asked what I was looking for and found a solution. I came away excited about my new Voyager and without the feeling that I was "settling" for less than I really wanted. The big takeaway - sell what you have, not what you don't and your shoppers w...

Yesterday I purchased an LG Voyager - despite my yearning for an iPhone. The iPhone presented a bunch of problems (wrong carrier, not enough storage to replace my ipod) yet I wanted one because I love Apple and I love my iPod. So after three unsuccessful attempts to buy a new phone (stories of bad sales and service for another time) I wound up in a Verizon Wirless located in Circuit City and ended up buying a sweet new LG Voyager. The Voyager and its new brother the LG Dare are clearly meant to cut into iPhone sales. They have a full html browser, music capabilities, and a better phone. The Dare even looks like an iPhone. But the point of my story is that the sales person, Thom, didn't try to sell me an iPhone alternative. He asked what I was looking for and found a solution. I came away excited about my new Voyager and without the feeling that I was "settling" for less than I really wanted. The big takeaway - sell what you have, not what you don't and your shoppers w...

Four great lines from an extremely entertaining and informative presentation by Stew Leonard Jr. or Stew Leonard's - the regional grocer known for delivering great customer experiences and phenomenal fresh food in Connecticut and New York. “Always 'Think Yes' instead of why you have to say no” “Look at competitors not to see how you’re better but to see where they are doing something superior” “All of the great customer service companies are dissatisfied with their customer service” “The big don’t eat the small, the fast eat the slow With all of the time spent on the complexities of planning, research, insights, category management, etc. it is refreshing to hear someone apply logic to building a phenomal brand with customers who are also overwhelmingly loyal advocates.

One of the many excellent speakers at IIR's Shopper Insights conference was Bob Thacker, SVP of Marketing and Advertising at Office Max. While his presentation wasn't very insights centric, he did make a number of excellent points. Some of the highlights: “People relate to companies like people” “Look before you leap, but leap!” Office Max is trying to make news not ads. “You have to learn from the mistakes of others, can’t afford to make them all yourself” They need to get $5 of value for every dollar they spend “If you don’t have big bucks, have big ideas” Office Max is trying to transform the lousy state of the American workplace and add some personalization - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC0Nsba1fWQ The OMX brand itself had no personality until the rubber band ball and now their involvement in reality tv and cause marketing (see below) http://officemax.mediaroom.com/index.php/adaymadebetter http://www.worldslargestthings.com/press/newbigball.htm http://officemax.mediaroom...

We recently conducted a study testing branded applications for use with leading social networking and gaming web sites and it occurred to me that knowing online research is different than knowing the online space as it exists today. We spend a lot of time understanding the way people interact with the web and other digital media to help clients maximize their investment there and connect online and offline behaviors. I am not sure that is the case for many people who just conduct research online. We're focused on enhancing consumer engagement, etc. and improving our online applications so next time you're looking for research about online content - ask your provider if they know the online space or just do some work there.