To the 2012 Toy Fair, and Beyond.

February 7, 2012

Augmented reality technology gives classics a modern makeover.

Sometimes, it’s best for marketers to “think small.” After all, plenty of good things come in small packages. Take kids, for example. Long considered by marketers to be a complex demographic and an ethical challenge, kids often provide marketing inspiration. Next week’s 2012 Toy Fair in New York City should prove to be that, and more. Featuring some 100,000 products from more than 1,200 exhibitors, the fair — the largest of its kind — will parade the best of classic toys and interactive entertainment for young people. And while the majority of attendees will be of age, marketers know that the trends that emerge at the annual Toy Fair impact everything from products and packaging to promotional content and displays. One brand already generating buzz (thanks to the recent London Toy Fair) is Bandai America, whose forthcoming Ben10, Power Rangers and Thundercats action figures boast a packaging boost from Aurasma augmented reality technology. Here’s how it works: Bandai fans can download the Aurasma app for their Androids, iPads and iPhones. Then, using the app’s toy store feature, fans aim their device’s camera at the action figure packaging and watch as a 3-D model of said action figure comes to life on their screens. Flip the package over, and the AR technology launches a video advertisement for similar Bandai products. And the fun doesn’t stop there. Everything from books to trading cards to Legos are using AR technology to enhance their brands and appeal to tech savvy consumers.

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems like children, or at least products targeted to children, offer a glimpse of the future. Marketers would do well to let them lead the way.

But not all promotions need to have flashy packaging and tricks. In 2010, Vertical Marketing Network worked with Bandai America and handled a good old-fashioned sweepstakes that encouraged brand interaction on multiple levels. It started with a game that could be played online, and once the activity was completed, kids — nay, players — could enter to win a trip to the 2010 Toy Fair to serve as the official Bandai Kid Reporter and get a sneak peek of the upcoming hottest toys. Also up for grabs were weekly shopping sprees at Toys ‘R’ Us, coupons and a mail-in offer for an exclusive Ben10 action figure. The promotion was supported with broadcast and online media, as well as in-store, and proved that — with kids — a little imagination goes a long way. Of course, with this new crop of kids being christened “Generation App”, we’ll likely be seeing that imagination take on many shapes and sizes. The possibilities are as varied as the toys themselves, and just as much fun to consider.

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo: capl@washjeff.edu

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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

5 Marketing Hits & Misses From 2011.

December 13, 2011

Not every trend turns out to be a hit, but even this "misses" can inspire. From Foursquare and Google+ to digital media and mobile money apps, 2011 was good for brands and marketers.

Deeper discounts, QR codes, web video. Many of the trends that emerged this year will continue to bewitch consumers and inspire marketers in 2012, while many we’ll be happy to take a break from (fingers crossed) in the coming weeks and new year. At the top of that list is Facebook, the social networking party that’s become so big it can no longer be described as one party, but rather several miniature mixers inside one gigantic rec room, albeit a virtual one. Google+ continues to attract consumer attention; Google boasts that its social media answer to Facebook attracted more followers this year than LinkedIn and Twitter combined, which sounds more impressive than it is. At press time, user numbers looked like this: Facebook: 800 million, Google+: 43.3 million (as of mid-October), LinkedIn: 135 million, and Twitter: 380 million. For my colleagues and me at Vertical Marketing Network, a little competition is a good thing, and no matter the social network, brands and businesses will continue to log on and engage. After all, it seems engagement is the marketing buzzword of the moment. Whether it’s in stores, online or via television, marketers are forever challenged to connect with their brand demographic in meaningful and authentic ways. And with so many tools at our disposal, we have plenty to look forward to.

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems like yesterday’s micro trends are tomorrow’s everyday occurrences. Marketers can learn plenty from cultural hits and misses, and possibly influence a little sway.

Below, Blogging Out Loud’s Top 5 Marketing Hits & Misses from 2011 (OK, maybe not misses, but we’ve certainly had our fill):

Hit: Foursquare – The darling of the location-based social networking scene has redefined what is means to “check-in” and check businesses out. More than 10 million users can’t be wrong.

Miss: Google+ – No matter that they say (see above), the little social network that could has a long way to go before playing with the big boys.

Hit: Digital Media – Television may still be the preferred medium for old school adverts, but this year saw online advertising outnumber print for the first time ever. And it’s going to continue.

Miss: Augmented Reality – Not so much a miss, but rather: Let’s stop predicting its future and make AR what it’s going to be — not just the Next Big Thing, but the future.

Hit: Mobile Money – New mobile apps enable consumers to shop with ease and empower small businesses to operate like big ones with little to no cost. Will mobile money render the paper stuff a thing of the past?

Miss: Recession Marketing – Since we’re in the midst of the biggest holiday shopping season in recent memory, let’s stop talking “recession” and adopt a new and necessary sensitivity to the needs of average consumers.

Hit: QR Codes – Since we explored their potential a mere 3 months ago, Quick Response codes have gone from being “those bar code thing-ys” consumers barely understand, to stand-alone advertisements that connect brands and consumers on multiple levels, all with the help of a smartphone.

Miss: QR Codes – Still, has anyone seen a campaign that really truly works? And, more importantly, just how many consumers are using them?

Hit: Crowdsourcing — Thanks to the Internet and social media, never before have consumers had so much influence over brands and businesses. The trend will surely continue, but how will it shift?

Miss: Green Marketing – Everybody wants to save the planet, but we still have a long way to go in reducing media waste. Have any green campaigns caught your eye?

Blogging Out Loud will return Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012. From our family to yours, happy holidays and best wishes for a safe and prosperous 2012.

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

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Posted by JJ Nelson

Back Talk: What Can We Learn From Small Business?

December 6, 2011

Many small businesses do things differently than big box retailers. Do marketers have something to learn from them? Chime in below in the comments section.

By all appearances, the holiday shopping season keeps getting bigger and better; by lunchtime on Cyber Monday, news of this year’s record sales numbers were circulating widely to the tune of “For the Love of Money.” But the Ghost of Christmas Future is singing another carol. It’s message: think small business. While the National Retail Federation was reporting a record $52.4 billion in spending over the four-day Thanksgiving weekend (that’s Thursday through Sunday), and Cyber Monday sales were up 15% over last year, the American Express-sponsored Small Business Saturday was celebrating its own tiny victories. This year’s event, which encourages consumers to shop local, saw the credit giant offering card members a $25 credit for any $25 spent at qualifying small businesses nationwide, and the event’s Facebook page boasted 2.6 million “likes,” more than double last year’s numbers. In the spirit of the season, leading software developer Intuit finally jumped on the e-commerce trend; yesterday, the company announced Intuit SimpleStore for Facebook, which allows small business owners to accept debit and credit payments via the social network, and perhaps more impressively, automatically syncs a merchant’s website with its Facebook page. In August, the company partnered with Verizon Wireless to sell its smartphone credit card reader GoPayment, another nod for small businesses.

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems like Small is the new Big. With more ways for small businesses to engage consumers, marketers best take stock and adapt accordingly.

Which prompts the question: What can marketers learn from small businesses? Has a recent campaign or effort inspired your marketing mind?

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

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Posted by JJ Nelson

5 Social Media Platforms Worth Thanksgiving.

November 15, 2011

Top brands go online to promote their name, spirit of the season.

The Thanksgiving "place mat" of social media platforms is as varied as our celebrations. Below, Blogging Out Loud shares 5 platforms worthy of Thanksgiving and your marketing consideration.

For the next 10 days, many U.S. consumers will forgo visions of sugar plums in favor of Thanksgiving, that delicious kick off to the holiday season’s biggest shopping events — Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Both in stores and online, social media is proving to be Santa’s preferred little helper, with smart brands promoting coupons, incentives and sales via Facebook and Twitter. According to a recent study by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research, 58% of Fortune 500 companies have an active Facebook presence and 62% are utilizing Twitter. Still, some surprising brands are turning to social media to promote both their name and the spirit of the season. John Deere, long associated with farming and, in recent years, trucker caps sporting their iconic green and gold logo, has used social media to launch Project Can Do, a food drive of sorts in which 300,000 cans of food will be used to construct a model of a John Deere tractor before turning to stock a food bank in Illinois. The campaign — designed to raise awareness of the role farmers and ranchers play in producing healthy food for the growing population — largely uses Facebook to engage both consumers and the agriculture businesses it celebrates. The brand’s Facebook page features a “design a can app” and other features such as live streaming, photos and forums to engage farmers, who John Deere notes, are eager to engage consumers in new ways. That “can-do” attitude inspired my Vertical Marketing Network coworkers and me to consider other social media platforms that celebrate the season’s most social holiday.

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems like the potential of social media is as diverse as the brands the consumers who use them. A greater number of platforms can only mean more ways to inspire and engage.

Below, 5 social media platforms worthy of your Thanksgiving and marketing consideration:

1. The Ever-Expanding Twitter-sphere – Social media’s equivalent of a chat room has reached more than 100 million global active followers, with an additional 400 million unique monthly browsers, up 70% since the beginning of the year. Just as impressive, 55% of Twitter’s active users rely on cell phones to engage.

 2. Tumblr, minus the “e” – The micro-blogging site is said to be the best thing since WordPress, and millions of users agree. Brands are starting to jump on board, too.

3. Sonar Power – Our favorite new mobile app  shows hidden connections we share with strangers nearby. Whether they be friends, friends of friends or like-minded strangers, Sonar connects consumers using shared connections, such as mutual Facebook friends and fan pages, common Twitter interests and more.

4. The Plus-side of Google+ – Social media’s NBT hasn’t proved to be quite that, logging 40 million users to Facebook’s 800 million. Still, Google+ and its +1 feature are maintaining interest and redefining the ways consumers talk about media contact. No wonder experts say the battle’s not over.

5. Vimeo, for other video – Just like Google+ is no Facebook, Vimeo is no YouTube. Last week, the video-sharing website reported 150,000 paid subscribers, making it the 13th online video destination according to comScore. Still, the platform continues to draw a highbrow creative audience who share an interest in both video making and community.

Now that’s something marketers should be thankful for.

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

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Posted by JJ Nelson

Mobile Money Goes Mainstream.

August 30, 2011

New applications promise to change the ways we spend forever.

Forget cash. Soon-to-be-released platforms from Google, Isis, Visa and others will allow consumers to leave their cash, plastic and coupons at home, and spend and save with the wave of a smartphone.

After last week’s smattering of seasonal storms, “change” is a term likely to remain closely associated with the climate. That is until next month, when Google is expected to release its highly anticipated Google Wallet application, one in a series of apps from commerce and media outlets rumored to be coming soon to a smartphone near you. Smartphone use and m-commerce continue to grow rapidly; recent numbers from Forrester Research suggest U.S. m-commerce will reach $31 billion by 2016 (that’s quite an increase from the $2.2 billion Americans spent on m-commerce in 2010). For brands and marketers, the only thing more exciting than this projected growth is m-commerce’s imminent makeover, as Google, Isis (a joint venture between AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon) and even Visa prepare to unveil platforms that will allow consumers to abandon cash, plastic and coupons completely, in favor of their trusty smartphones. In its early stages, m-commerce was an alternative to home computer and in-store shopping, allowing smartphone consumers to browse and make purchases by either surfing the web or using site-specific applications, such as those from eBay and Fandango. But this new wave of technology, and the new face of mobile money — which will allow consumers to do all that, and more — promises to redefine the ways in which consumers spend forever. And while the effects on marketers remain to be seen, one thing is certain: change is taking us all by storm, and smart brands and marketers should get prepared.

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems as if mobile money enables brands to shine and consumers to spend in new and exciting ways. Tech-savvy marketers should make the most of changing technologies.

The fact that much of that change has yet to be seen hasn’t stopped my Vertical Marketing Network coworkers and I from buzzing with anticipation. When Google revealed its Wallet app in the spring, it merely promised the service was coming soon; rumors have pinned “soon” as September. Google’s recent acquisition of Motorola certainly seems a relevant precursor to the company’s ambitious mobile technology rollout. In addition to buying Motorola Mobility, which runs Google’s Android operating system, Google plans to manage Motorola Mobility separately and keep Android open for use by competing mobile brands. This, no doubt, was part of what inspired the Isis venture, which will launch in Austin and Salt Lake City in early 2012. Like Google Wallet, Isis technology will allow consumers to pay for goods using their smartphones; abandon their cash, cards and coupons; set up alerts for online deals; and track their spending. In addition, Google Wallet plans to offer businesses various types of purchase data, and plans to incorporate location-based advertising and personalized promotional content. And Google’s not just stopping there. Two weeks ago, the company announced the expansion of its Google+ social network to include gaming applications, which drum up interest as well as dollars. No doubt this onslaught of change will redefine the landscape, be it mobile, monetary, online or otherwise.

Finally, change to be excited about.

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

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Posted by JJ Nelson

Kidfluence: A Marketing Challenge.

May 24, 2011

Modernity dictates the ways marketers approach future buyers.

Kids have purchasing power and influence the way their parents spend. Marketers should not deny this demographic.

Children are not only bundles of joy, but also an undeniably important marketing demographic, with a purchasing power estimated to exceed $30 billion each year. They have sway over their parents’ spending (one estimate suggests children between the ages of 8 and 12 influence their parents to spend some $150 billion a year), and – perhaps most importantly – they are the consumers of the future. With research from the Center for a New American Dream suggesting 6-month-old babies can form mental images of corporate logos and mascots, and brand loyalties can form as early as age 2, marketers would be remiss to dismiss the power of “kidfluence.” But targeting children today isn’t so much the issue as the ways in which they are targeted. It’s not just shaping tomorrow’s consumers, but also the future of marketing.

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems like, when marketing to children, the line between careful and careless is fine. Savvy brands exercise accountability, and they show children and their cash wielding, gatekeeping parents R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

When a marketing campaign goes awry, the media’s quick to point fingers at the brand and the advertisers and marketers who support it. When Abercrombie & Fitch introduced a padded swimsuit top for pre-teen girls, parents across the Internet expressed emotions ranging from outrage to sadness. The same occurred when Sketchers unveiled its most recent Shape-ups line, targeted for girls young enough to still be wearing Velcro. But statistics suggest we long ago passed the blame game of marketing to children and are now toying with the inevitable consequences of modernity. Today’s young people are “connected” – to brands, ideas, news and each other – in ways like never before. Not only would it be foolish for marketers to ignore them, it’s seemingly impossible. But like my Vertical Marketing Network colleagues often say, accessibility does not negate accountability. Manufacturers and marketers need to put children and the needs of children first in order to succeed. And they must act responsibly. The Kaiser Family Foundation says young people are multitasking their way through a wide variety of electronic media every day, juggling iPods and SMS with cell phones, television and the Internet. It’s estimated that young people cram 8.5 hours of media exposure into 6.5 hours of each day, every day, meaning they spend more time “plugged in” than they do in school. Cell phones and credit cards are no longer just for mom and dad; credit cards are frequently featured in games for kids, as well as toys such as Barbie, and we already know that Smartphones are creating a new kind of m-commerce. The Internet – it seems – is to young people today what television was for Generation X. The challenge for brands and marketers alike is to employ these various tools without sacrificing their product image and compromising their relationships to consumers both young and old. One noteworthy example of a brand doing just that is Los Angeles-based Jr Imagination, which recently launched the mobile application Creative Genius On-The-Go! Featuring some 150 scenarios that challenge young people to think creatively and critically, it’s getting rave reviews. Kids love it because it’s fun, and parents love it because it enhances their children’s lives.

A marketer who truly understands a child’s needs and a parent’s concerns is a marketer on top of their game. In a way, good marketing is a lot like good parenting – not without challenge, but full of reward.

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

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Posted by JJ Nelson

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