What Marketers Can Learn From The Oscars.

February 22, 2011

Brands — like movies — aim to stand out, attract buzz and shine.

An Academy Award is the film industry's most prestigious nod, and more than 40 million viewers are expected to tune in Sunday to catch the winners. Marketers, too, can employ movie-quality magic to engage consumers.

For some, the only thing better than the movies is the awards shows that celebrate them. And with the 83rd Annual Academy Awards set to air this Sunday, Feb. 27, theaters this week are sure to be packed, as movie buffs catch the last of this year’s nominated films (the Academy isn’t making this easy since they re-upped the Best Picture nominees to 10 last year). Talking to a Vertical Marketing Network coworker this week, I got to thinking that in many ways, film fans are like your average consumer: informed, opinionated and always ready for the next big thing. ABC reported last year’s Oscars averaged 41.3 million viewers, and while that number seems almost lame compared to this month’s record-breaking Super Bowl broadcast (which reported a whopping 111 million viewers), marketers can’t deny the facts: where there are stars, there are viewers, and where there are viewers, there are opportunities to engage consumers in both classic and innovative ways. In the grand scheme of things, perhaps it’s not the awards that matter at all, but the efforts that are made for a movie — or even a brand — to stand out from the rest, to attract buzz and ultimately to shine long after the red carpet has been rolled up ’til next year.

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems like effective marketing is a lot like movie making. Sure, everybody wants to be “the best,” but it’s more important to be memorable and “moving.”

Like all savvy consumers, film fans like to stay current, not just to keep up with the Joneses, but to have an informed opinion. Striving for an award — whether it’s an Oscar, a Reggie Award, or a ChefsBest Award — is worth our while; recognition is a good thing, as it motivates, creates awareness and just feels good. No one can deny the power of winning an award. But marketers are in the business of selling consumer goods and services; to not think beyond the immediate reward would be foolish. Thus, when creating a campaign, it’s important to think beyond industry recognition and consider the real objectives:

  • brand loyalty
  • product awareness
  • new product introduction
  • retailer support, etc.

Think less Oscars and more People’s Choice. Some may consider the latter less prestigious, but if we consider the difference between a select few judging the end product (as in the Oscars) versus the body politic (power to the people), the concept of the Everyday Consumer as Judge is a powerful one. Statistics on the matter are sadly lacking, but the theory is no less easy to grasp: of the winners of this year’s People Choice Awards for movies, very few were nominated for the industry-coveted Academy Award. Still, the names that did win at January’s People’s Choice Awards — not just in film categories, but across the entertainment spectrum — are likely to be both remembered and revered (Glee, Zac Efron, Rachel Ray, The Simpsons, and The Twilight Saga, to name a few), than say an important Spanish art-house film. Do they both serve a place in the cultural mainstream? Absolutely, because they resonate with audiences albeit in different ways. But how many consumers actually use an award as the basis for consumption? When it comes to movies, plenty. The Oscars pack theaters all year long, and then some. But in the marketing world, a good campaign is rewarded because it meets its objective, ultimately sales and profits. Yet, that’s not why consumers buy. As one film blogger pointed out, “The films [nay, products] that will be remembered are the ones that people personally enjoy, and regardless of whether it won best screenplay, or best director, there are people out there that will remember them for the enjoyment they get when they watch [or, use] them.” At Vertical Marketing Network, we couldn’t agree more. And so we applaud the creators, directors, teams and visionaries of memorable marketing campaigns, whether they’ve won awards, or not.

We “move” consumers to buy, and that’s worth its weight in Oscar gold.

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo credit: indieridley

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Posted by JJ Nelson

Think Like A Shopper: 4 Marketing Takeaways.

February 15, 2011

Contrast between consumers, shoppers seems small; but is vast.

To shop or not to shop? For most. it's not a question. Thus, marketers need to recognize the vast difference between consumer and shopper marketing.

Last week was Social Media Week, and with all the coverage Blogging Out Loud was giving the topic, I was beginning to feel like the unofficial spokesperson for it all. While Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter and the likes have seen a lot of screen time here, we’d be remiss to think marketing has been reduced solely to a virtual experience. So, it was refreshing to revisit the concept of “shopper marketing” with my Vertical Marketing Network coworkers. There’s no shortage of numbers to help marketers understand consumers, but with shoppers, things can be different. One example considers the average consumer and shoppers of pet food. They are likely to be a pretty diverse demographic, right? Now, consider the average consumer and the shoppers of high-end toothpaste, or something like butter, and we can get an understanding of how complicated shopper marketing can be. The difference between consumers and shoppers seems slight, but the range broadens when we recognize that not all consumers are shoppers, and not all shoppers shop alike. Thus, we have shopper marketing, which targets specific groups of consumers based not just on their age, education and income level, but the ways they shop. Understanding the different ways shoppers shop not only benefits the shopper (nay, consumer), it also strengthens brands and certainly benefits retailers.

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems like marketers run the risk of being bogged down by consumer data analysis paralysis. Focusing on the shopper — even the one inside — is factual, fun and full of surprises.

Brushing up on shopper marketing gave me more than a few things to think about. Consider:

1. The basic principles of consumer marketing can be applied to shopper marketing. That is, the Four Ps: Product, Price, Placement and Promotion. Engaged marketers need to think like a shopper of a specific brand or product. What would you want? What makes you want to purchase Brand X over Brands Y or Z?

2. Shoppers are constantly being bombarded with messages to buy, whether it’s via a TV commercial, billboard, newspaper advertisement, or increasingly likely, an email or online ads. If you’re reading this blog post at the end of a day, you’ve likely been the target of over 3,000 marketing messages since waking up. What’s the difference between being an intrusive and relevant marketing message, versus being a consistent barrage of irrelevant communications? Is your brand saying something significant to your shopper demographic? If it does, great! But isn’t it more powerful when a brand’s message translates into a rewarding shopping experience?

3. Shopper marketing should be a complete package, and effective shopper marketing will engage a shopper before, during and after their buying spree. Connecting with a shopper before the point of sale could mean an informative ad, but it could also mean running a great online promotion or offering a coupon via one of those social networks I’m reporting on. In September 2010, the In-Store Marketing Institute reported 73 percent of U.S. shoppers used printable Web coupons; 63 percent used online circulars; 58 percent used direct emails from brands; 57 percent used Facebook promotions; and 53 percent took advantage of promotions via a retailers website. Engage shoppers during the shopping experience with any number of coupons or promotions, interesting displays and informative packaging. Think about the post-shopping experience: how do we make them want more?

4. In April 2010, The Retail Commission on Shopper Marketing declared “shopper marketing is the next evolutionary stage in strategic retail marketing, and a mandatory component of effective consumer marketing in general.” They also recognize that “the most essential and effective form of shopper marketing involves collaboration between retailers and product manufacturers.” How can savvy marketers facilitate this, or even be involved?

It’s a jungle out there. Shoppers have difficult — and sometimes overwhelming — decisions to make, and marketers want to aid that process while being true to their brands. Successful shopper marketing should benefit all players involved, and while we see this play out online, it’s in stores that the overall marketing experience can truly be felt.

Disconnect. Go shopping. It’s good for you.

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo credit: Paul Keller

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Posted by JJ Nelson

Point. Click. Promo.

February 8, 2011

Web exclusives extend brands, inspire word of mouth marketing.

Online discounts and exclusives are just a point and click away for brands and consumers alike. Mobile coupons and deal-a-day websites continue to define "Generation Q."

In a world where “Let’s Make A Deal” websites have taken to advertising during the Super Bowl, marketers can rest easy knowing that no matter how much socializing has and will continue to change, consumers — whether Web savvy or otherwise — will always love to feel like they belong to the in-crowd and get a bargain in the process. How else can we explain the seemingly overnight sensation that has redefined the coupon: Groupon? In two years time, the deal-of-the-day website has spread its paper-saving wings globally, servicing some 27 countries and an estimated 44 million subscribers. In North America alone, Groupon has established itself in 150 markets. Groupon’s much-talked about Super Bowl spots featured formerly famous celebrities Cuba Gooding Jr., Elizabeth Hurley and Timothy Hutton hocking example deals ranging from entertaining (whale watching) to luxurious (body waxing) to practical (lunch specials). Groupon’s biggest competitor, LivingSocial, is considerably smaller but made headlines late last year when Amazon invested $175 million, not only a sign of support for the company’s founders — creators of Facebook’s popular Visual Bookshelf application — but for the steal slinging industry, as well. LivingSocial’s Super Bowl spot’s message might as well be a pitch for discount shopping in general: “LivingSocial changed my life; it can change yours, too.” As I noted last year, coupons may no longer be for clipping, but that doesn’t mean brands aren’t targeting “Generation Q” online and on the mobile go.

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems like it pays big to offer online exclusives and discounts. Web-based promotions reward existing customers, attract new ones and create instant (and free) word of mouth marketing campaigns.

My Vertical Marketing Network coworkers and I find that opportunities for brands and consumers hungry for deals abound, and it’s not just websites such as Groupon and Living Social (or even location-based social networking sites such as Facebook and Foursquare, which also offer businesses opportunities to engage consumers) that are making headlines. In December, The New York Times reported on digital coupons, both the kind consumers receive via email and coupons Smartphone users can take advantage of via mobile applications such as GroceryiQ and Grocery Gadget (there are others), which can do everything from allowing Smartphone users to save coupons in a mobile app for later to alerting consumers to deals nearby. According to the CEO of Coupons.com, more than 3 billion coupons are redeemed in the United States each year. Of those, half are from FSIs, and roughly 10 percent were distributed online. That may sound like a small number, but when you consider that in 2006 online coupon redemption was roughly 1 percent, it puts things in perspective. And of course, that number is expected to grow as new technology takes the paper out of the coupon business completely. Interestingly, The Times reports that the demographics for digital coupon users “skew younger and also more male,” which changes the ways marketers tend to think about bargain shoppers. Heavy coupon users — defined in The Wall Street Journal last year as consumers who redeem 104 or more coupons within the span of six months — “tend to be females under the age of 54 with college degrees and household incomes above $70,000.” Similarly, Groupon’s average subscriber is between the ages of 18 and 34, female, single, and makes more than $70,000 a year.

Why, then, did both Groupon and Living Social head to the Super Bowl? Surely, it was not only to keep up with each other, but also to extend their brands in a way that blocks and tackles a whole new audience. Offline media — and mediums, such as coupons — have cultural significance, but the action…the action is all in the ether.

Has a particularly smart Web or mobile-based promotion caught your eye? Share it with us in the comments section.
Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo credit: Clip art

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Posted by JJ Nelson

Score 7 Points For Super Bowl Sunday.

February 1, 2011

Lessons from Sunday’s game can be applied throughout the year.

The Budweiser Clydesdales will see Super Bowl competition this year from sibling brand Stella Artois. Marketers tune in before, during and after the game to keep up with the cultural pulse.

With the clock ticking down to the kickoff of all things Super Bowl, the marketing industry is abuzz with excitement for and speculation over what we will see between touchdowns on Sunday. But smart marketers know the game starts well before the actual game, and can last long after the champagne runs dry. Super Bowl XLV will air on Fox, and AdAge reported last week that the network’s advertising roster is sold out. As details of the game’s major commercial players continue to leak online, we can rest assured that the usual suspects — Anheuser-Busch InBev, Bridgestone and PepsiCo’s Doritos to name a few — are gearing up. But so, too, are some new faces. Electronics megastore Best Buy will make its first ever Super Bowl appearance (so will Kim Kardashian), and it’s promising to deliver news that will “revolutionize” retailing. The brand has made no secret of its desire to enter “more iconic” ad spaces, and the Super Bowl — considered by most to be the Grand Poobah of commercial advertising due to the game’s impressive viewership numbers (last year, Nielsen reported 106.5 million viewers tuned in) — is also greasing the tracks for the 83rd Academy Awards (to air Feb. 27). Speaking of, on Sunday major studios will air several highly anticipated trailers, such as “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,”  “Thor” and “Transformers: The Dark Of The Moon.” Other would-be surprises include the unveiling of the third Go Daddy Girl, and Kardashian’s Sketcher’s spot (“What will she wear?!”). Football, it seems, is almost secondary (especially if you’re anything but a Packers or Steelers fan).

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems as if the Super Bowl sets the stage for marketers to gauge the current cultural pulse. As brands gear up both on- and off-screen to engage consumers, savvy ideas, lessons and opportunities abound.

Marketers know that most of the action takes place pre- and post-game, in stores and — increasingly — online. Below are 7 things to tune into on Super Bowl Sunday, many lessons to be learned for your game plan for the coming year. How can they work for your brand?

1. Creative Consumers – My Vertical Marketing Network coworkers and I have discussed the power of Web video, and on Sunday we’ll see a twist on the medium, when PepsiCo’s PepsiMax and sibling brand Doritos unveil the winning submissions for the fifth-annual “Crash The Super Bowl” contest (above is last year’s winner).

2. Global Influence – For the first time, fan favorite Anheuser-Busch InBev will plug an import brand: Belgian beer Stella Artois. The move is meant to “enhance” — or call wider attention to — the brand at a time when all eyes are onscreen, and early reports of the Stella spot sound promising. Don’t worry: the Budweiser Clydesdales will still make an appearance.

3. Online Goes Off – With Facebook, Google and Living Social making an aggressive play with daily online deal campaigns, groundbreaking Groupon will go offline and onscreen to capture consumer attention.

4. Major Minorities – Hispanic outreach was a major player in the NFL’s 2010 Super Bowl marketing strategy, and it paid off. African American and Hispanic viewership was up the past two seasons, and both will likely continue to rise. Let’s see what brands put these statistics to use. Smart ones certainly should.

5. Hashtag Hashtag – Audi of America’s fourth consecutive entry in the big game promises to contain a hashtag — i.e., #audi, #superbowl — which will allow consumers to engage in online conversation regarding the brand and its advertising on social media site Twitter.

6. Social Sidelines – In 2009 and 2010, only one brand — E-Trade — closed its Super Bowl ad (above, an ad from 2010) with a teaser to its social media outlets. With social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube becoming major marketing players, smart brands should want them as teammates. The social sidelines are the only sidelines worth gracing.

7. Cultural Coattails – There have always been brands that take advantage of the Super Bowl without shelling out millions on advertising. But never before have we had so many tools to connect with consumers. This week — before the game — keep an eye out for brands making the most of the madness. And after Sunday, consider ways this cultural phenomenon will continue to play out.

The powerful impact of the Super Bowl is undeniable, and it carries with it countless opportunities for brand exposure. On Sunday, consumers will be focused on the Super Bowl XLV experience, while experienced marketers should focus on which brands are gaining the most yards with the most creative game plans.

Are you ready for some football?

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo credit: Paul Keleher

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Posted by JJ Nelson

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