Back Talk: What’s Your Super Bowl Game Plan?

January 31, 2012

As the Patriots look to avenge the upset to the Giants in the 2008 Super Bowl, for both brands and consumers, the action off the field could be as exciting as in the stadium. An estimated 171 million viewers are expected to tune-in to Sunday’s game, which will see Super Bowl legends such as Anheuser-Busch InBev, Coca-Cola, General Motors and PepsiCo sharing airtime with newcomers including Vertical Marketing Network client Dannon (the first-ever Super Bowl commercial in the yogurt category will feature John Stamos). Besides Mr. Stamos, celebrities making appearances in Super Bowl commercials this year range from David Beckham to Apolo Ohno, Mötley Crüe and even Joan Rivers. Some companies pay as much as $3.5 million for a 30-second Super Bowl spot, but the entertainment need not stop there; Chevy is extending its TV spots this year with a mobile Game Time app, which will feature trivia relevant to the game and the commercials. Yes, there will be prizes, too. And while some brands skip commercial advertising altogether, the “big game” still provides opportunities for promotions and in-store merchandising. Perhaps the best news is that consumer spending is up. According to a new survey by the National Retail Federation, spending related to Super Bowl XLVI is expected to reach an all-time high this year; it’s projected that the average viewer will spend $63.87, up from $59.33 in 2011. While the majority of consumer spending goes toward food and drink, apparel, electronics, even home furnishings see a boost around game day. Thinking about buying a new flat screen? There’s no better excuse…

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems like marketers should treat every day like Super Bowl Sunday. Creativity, energy and hype are the major players, and they win consumer dollars every time.

Which prompts the questions: What’s on your Super Bowl game plan? Has an early promotion inspired your game day spirit? What will you take away?

As always, please leave your comments below, or join the conversation on the Vertical Marketing Network Facebook page.

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo: Creative Commons

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Posted by JJ Nelson

What Would A Brand Builder Award Winner Say?

January 24, 2012

5 Questions for CKE Restaurants CMO and visionary Brad Haley.

Our industry is teeming with experienced leaders and visionaries, people from whom we all have much to learn. In continuing with our series highlighting some of these leaders, today Blogging Out Loud speaks with Brad Haley. Brad has served as Chief Marketing Officer for CKE Restaurants, Inc. since 2011. He joined the company as executive vice president of marketing for Hardee’s in 2000, and he took on the marketing responsibility for Carl’s Jr. in January 2004. Before joining CKE, Haley’s experience included marketing stints for companies such as Clorox, Foster Farms and the California Lottery. While working for Jack in the Box in the 1990s, Haley received the Brand Builder Award from Brandweek magazine for his work that helped the chain’s turnaround following an E. coli outbreak. Blogging Out Loud caught up with Brad to discuss the lessons he’s learned and what he sees in the future for his brands and for all marketers.

What do you see as the biggest challenge marketers currently face and why?

We’ve had a long protracted recession, and that sort of redefined “value” as “affordability”. We’ve weathered the storm but I think that’s been the biggest challenge for marketers in recent years, and I think it will be a challenge for many more. The key is finding the way consumers define quality, so that it’s something they’ll be willing to pay for despite the tough times they face.

You recently changed advertising agencies for the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s businesses, and you’ve been part of the team that has made changes in your brands’ outside resources in the past. Can you describe the tangible and intangible factors when deciding it’s time to look for a new agency?

Obviously a lot of factors come into play. One is the relationship itself. Do you find your agency partner is one you enjoy? The creative process is one that needs to be nurtured and developed, and that doesn’t happen if the relationship is not an open and trusting one. Then, there’s the quality of the work. The biggest challenge clients have with creative agencies isn’t in dialing them back. They either have it or they don’t. You want to find someone who understands the brand and the target audience. Some people can do great work for certain categories, but they may not be able to do that for others. It’s key to find a partner who understands your specific business.

It seems the real worth of a working relationship is tested during periods of turmoil. Earlier in your career, you were tossed into the perfect storm when an E. Coli outbreak occurred. What did you learn from that experience? Did it affect how you currently work with both internal and external resources?

I had a little experience with crisis management from my Foster Farms days, because, while I was there, there was a salmonella outbreak — not at Foster Farms, but nonetheless, it made big news. It was a terrible time. You have to remain calm. You have to boil the problems down to their essence and articulate them to the rest of the organization. When people are under pressure, they develop tunnel vision. Focusing on one or two things is key.

What are your go-to resources — whether they be on the streets, in print or online — for keeping up with trends?

We do a lot of our own proprietary research. Our agency partners are huge resources for that. They track the pulse of our customers through a variety of channels. One of the most valuable: I get copied on every guest comment — it’s a time sponge, but it’s worth it. It’s a real-time feel for what our consumers are experiencing, how they’re reacting to products, how they’re reacting to ads. It gives me a real world look at what our customers are thinking and feeling all the time.

What marketing and promotional campaigns and tools are you most excited about now? How has new and social media — namely YouTube — helped your campaigns?

Mobile is huge. It isn’t new for us but it’s continuing and still growing. We were one of the first in the industry to launch a location-based loyalty app, and we’re continuing to expand the penetration of that app. The [smartphone] screen is always with consumers, it’s what they have closest to them at the point of purchase.

We put a lot of effort and energy into social media, although traditional media is still the most powerful one we use. The majority of our focus is on Facebook, because everyone’s there, and it allows for a conversation that not all media affords. YouTube is part of our digital outreach because we make an effort to produce media that’s edgier and appeals to a younger male demographic. YouTube is a great medium for that.

“5 Questions For” is a new and occasional feature in which Blogging Out Loud interviews influential industry leaders on current and future marketing trends.

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo: Brian Corll

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Posted by JJ Nelson

R U Ready 4 Mobile Marketing?

January 17, 2012

Consumers prefer SMS to email when receiving promotional deals.

The past decade has seen cell phones grow sleeker and “smarter”; most boast bells and whistles such as cameras, email, Internet accessibility and even video cameras. Yet for all the technological advancements, one cell phone feature has remained virtually the same: the text message. In November 2011, ComScore estimated 234 million Americans ages 13 and older own mobile devices (globally, that number is at 5.3 billion). Of the U.S. subscribers, 72.6% send and receive text messages. According to CTIA, the mobile industry trade group, some 3-5 billion text messages are sent and received every year, and 97% of those messages are opened. When compared to the 33% of U.S. mobile users who use their devices to access social media websites and blogs, the obvious is revealed: it might not be the fanciest trick in the bag, but SMS, or text messaging is an effective and popular way to engage consumers. Or, as Naushad Huda, from Vertical Marketing Network’s mobile marketing partner agency Textopoly adds: SMS should be part of every brand’s mobile strategy. “It’s more of a promotional tool than a branding tool,” he concedes, but “it’s a driver. It drives consumers to a mobile campaign.

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems like cell phones and mobile marketing campaigns have a lot in common. While once they were accessories, now they are necessities.

SMS (short message service) enables cell phone users to exchange information, but it also can act as a gateway for consumers to learn more about a brand or promotion. Huda used last year’s VitaminWater campaign featuring none other than Gary Busey playing Fantasy Football lawyer Norman Tugwater as an example of how far a SMS campaign can reach. The VitaminWater campaign launched with a billboard in Times Square, which prompted fans to text message a code to receive a reward. That “reward” was a phone call from Tugwater himself, followed by a text message back that contained a link to an online video featuring Busey as the fictional Tugwater and real-life football star Adrian Peterson (there’s even a cameo from Shaq). At the close of the video, consumers had the option of sharing the video on social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. In other words, the SMS was a gateway to a multi-faceted mobile marketing campaign. It created brand awareness, it entertained, it engaged consumers and it prompted them to share their enthusiasm, all via their cell phones. But not all mobile marketing campaigns need be so involved. Vertical Marketing Network is currently working on a client campaign that will be more basic in structure, but suits the needs of the brand by promoting retail and special events. Research shows that SMS promotions such as these are effective. The Direct Marketing Association recently conducted a study that found that among mobile users text messaging remains the preferred vehicle for receiving promotional offers: 33% prefer text messaging; 21% prefer the Internet; 11% prefer mobile apps; and 8% prefer voice mail.

Mobile marketing: 160-character messaging, and a clutter-free marketer’s dream.

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo: Anthony Dodd

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Posted by JJ Nelson

Back Talk: What Marketing Trends Make Your Radar?

January 10, 2012

Trends come and go, but these days, more trends seem to be coming – and staying – than going. Case in point: the marketing buzz building as we head into 2012 leans heavily to the mobile and social side of things. It makes sense: last year, Pew Research Center estimated 42% of consumers use smartphones to stay connected. And no longer are they only using Facebook. Burgeoning social networks such as Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and even Google+ continue to generate fuss among consumers and marketers alike, as they create new ways to document and share information. Meanwhile, savvy brands ranging from Chik-Fil-A and Oreo to Sephora and Walgreen’s have given themselves modern makeovers, complete with mobile apps, interesting social media campaigns and – perhaps most importantly – an obvious commitment to engage consumers in meaningful (read: personal) ways. My Vertical Marketing Network colleagues and I have pointed to some trends we think matter most now, but there will surely be others. Is your marketing radar ready?

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems like today’s trendsetters are tomorrow’s marketing tools. Never underestimate the potential of a new product.

Which begs the question: What marketing trends are on your radar for the near — and distant — future? What trends would you like to see take off this year?

As always, we encourage your comments in the section below. Or, head to Vertical Marketing Network’s Facebook page to join the conversation.

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo: freeimages.co.uk

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Posted by JJ Nelson

5 Marketing Predictions For 2012.

January 4, 2012

Keeping track of the ever-changing course leads to new success.

Marketers start your engines; if 2011 was any indicator (and surely, it was), 2012 is going to be a stellar year. Digital media, social media, the livelihood of traditional media — my Vertical Marketing Network colleagues and I wound down last year reflecting on these trends and more. And while we’d be remiss to predict whether this will be the year Google+ makes headway on Facebook, or whether 2012 will be the year QR codes really connect with the consumer consciousness, it’s hard to ignore what’s being said. It’s also safe to assume that certain talking points from yesteryear will build momentum going into the future, and they could help redefine what it means to be a marketer now. To ready you for the new year, Blogging Out Loud spent the waning weeks of 2011 compiling the below list of trends that we think will matter most in the coming days and months. Are you on your mark?

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems as if successful marketing doesn’t necessarily mean winning the race, but rather, success means keeping pace with the ever-changing course. A new year is the perfect time for a tune up.

With that in mind, here are the top 5 marketing predictions for 2012:

1. Mobile Money Makes Sense — Sure, mobile money apps were a marketing hit in 2011, but 2012 will really be their year. While apps like Google Wallet and the AT&T/T-Mobile/Verizon-backed Isis allow consumers to shop — and pay — with the aid of their smartphones, other apps — like Mint — aim to help consumers keep money in the bank. Consumers are buying it; marketers should, too.

2. Pictures Make a Push – Pinterest — the bulletin-board themed social networking site — has generated a lot of, well, interest, from curious Facebook users, media writers and venture capitalists, who’ve invested $27 million in the project. In August 2011, the site had 1.2 million users. Today, it has over 4 million, and they are changing the ways consumers — and brands — share visual information.

3. Apple Turns Square  — Rumors popped up late last week that 2012 could see the release of Apple’s “iTV”, which could drastically rock the way content is distributed. As of press time, the rumors remained just that, but the potential for the medium is as exciting as it is vast. And knowing Apple, it will have major cultural impact, to boot.

4. Brands Branch Out — Many are speculating 2012 will see the face-off between the world’s largest social network and the world’s biggest Internet company get serious. With 800 million users worldwide, we think Facebook still rules the numbers game — especially for brands and businesses. But Google’s trying to change that, and some think it can ultimately succeed. Whether or not that’s true remains unseen. But for marketers, the implications are clear: it’s never a bad time to expand your social circle beyond the obvious Facebook and Twitter, even if it means learning other lingo. Circles, anyone?

5. Optimism Reigns Supreme — Between this summer’s Olympic games in London and the upcoming Presidential election, opportunities will abound this year for marketers to tap the emotions and excitement of the public. Consider now how you can be involved, and plan something meaningful. Affiliations aside, events such as these rally people. For consumers, they inspire passion, and for brands, they create opportunities. Be aware.

And be ready. These are just a few of the many exciting changes we’ll see this year. Hopefully, they’ll fuel your thinking for a better — and more profitable — 2012. See you at the races!

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo: ph-stop

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Posted by JJ Nelson

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