January

Let The Barrage Of Super Bowl Ads Begin! We’ll Start With “A” For Audi.

2012 at 01:15 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

I have never seen any of the Twilight or Underworld movies, watched True Blood or any other vampire-themed entertainment. (I will admit I do love me some zombies on AMC's "The Walking Dead", though.) I don't have anything against vampires but they're currently very ubiquitous - that's why I like this Super Bowl spot from Audi promoting their LED headlight system with 5,000 Kelvin light power. The ad became available after Facebook users solved the brand's Race the Light social media contest. Whether you have an affinity for the dark side or not, this ad does a good job capitalizing on the vampire craze driving their product attribute.

Posted in: Media

January

Priceline Boots The Negotiator - Is Flo Next?

2012 at 04:06 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

AdRants' Steve Hall reports today that after 14 years, Priceline has decided it's time for a new direction and in a spot that will debut Monday, Shatner's Negotiator character will plunge to his death in a bus after telling a couple to "save yourselves...some money!" Shatner, in the bus, then tumbles off a cliff and dies an explosive death. Shatner's Captain Kirk character died in the 1994 film Star Trek: Generations.

Of the decision, Shatner said, "I'm in grief mode. It's not the first time I've had an iconic character die off. It was a great run. If the management says this is the end, this is the end." Better to go out on top then be seen as a hanger on.

The move is part of a planned new direction for Priceline which will have less to do with the site's well known price negotiation feature and more to do with its newer fixed price, discount-booking focused approach. There may even be a spot in this year's Super Bowl.

Shatner will be missed but things change, companies change and that means their ad campaigns have to as well. Can we get a ceremonial "Khaaaaaaaaan!" ?

Posted in: Media

September

Maybe The General Mills Marketing Team Was Eating The Brownies?

2011 at 02:11 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

From Steve Hall at AdRants, this is a great story about a missed opportunity on a couple of angles.

By now, you've all seen the Cheech and Chong Magic Brownie movie in which the two stoners embark upon a road trip to Flaming Pole. If not, watch it below. What you might not know is that General Mills may have let an interesting opportunity pass them by as this video gains traction.

The video promotes the brand's 90 calorie Fiber One bar. But a big part of the video is the quest to reach Flaming Pole. Sounds like the marketer could and should have done something with Flaming Pole. Well they didn't. But someone did. Head over to FlamingPole.com.

On the site it's pointed out Generals Mills did SEO their way to the top of "magic brownies" search results but they neglected to capitalize on Flaming Pole. Perhaps it's irrelevant but we think they could have had a lot of fun building out Flaming Pole to Burning Man-esque greatness.

Posted in: Food Marketing

September

This Free Lunch Comes With a Side of PR Backlash Slaw - Food Bloggers Complain About Free Food

2011 at 02:46 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

Here at Sharp Marketing, we have a lot of food blogger friends we work with in helping promote our clients' brands and this story from Steve Hall at AdRants made me wonder what our group of folks might say about this. In August, ConAgra Foods, parent to the Marie Callender's brand of frozen foods, invited food bloggers to a New York restaurant they were told was owned by TLC Ultimate Cake Off Host George Duran and where they would receive a special, four course meal.

But instead of a meal cooked by George Duran, the bloggers were served frozen lasagna from Marie Callender's. Hidden cameras were in place to record their reactions. As it turned out, about 62 percent of the food bloggers actually liked the dish. But they were miffed and claimed they had been misled.

It's not like this was any sort of new stunt. Folgers Coffee, Pizza Hut and Domino's have done similar food replacement stunts. But somehow this time it all went awry. Several food bloggers including FoodMayhem and Mom Confessionals slammed the event. These "truth-seeking journalists," a term the New York Times used to describe how these food bloggers see themselves, called the stunt a sham and complained about being served highly caloric, sodium-infused processed food.

The brand has apologized saying, "It was never our intention to put any bloggers or their guests in an uncomfortable position and for that we are sorry." As well, ConAgra has offered to pay the bloggers any cab fare of baby-sitting expenses they may have incurred.

Knowing how serious food bloggers are about the food and establishments they write about it makes me wonder if ConAgra's agency, Ketchum PR, should have known there could have been backlash and cautioned the brand there might be a response like this. Maybe they should have put their money where their mouth is.

Posted in: Marketing Musings

July

So What Happens If The Dead Ad Guy Likes My Idea?

2011 at 02:03 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

To continue the centennial celebration of Ogilvy & Mather founder David Ogilvy, the agency launches a new iPhone app that invites the public to pitch their "big ideas" to the ad man "himself". I find myself having a bit of a problem with this app. First of all, Ogilvy is one of my favorite advertising icons, "Confessions of an Advertising Man" is still a must-read today and this cartoony-creepy version of him seems a bit disrespectful to me. Second, what is the agency's motivation in creating this app? They could have done so much more to honor the man that ad students will still be studying 100 years from now - is this a smarmy ploy to get fresh new ideas on the cheap? What happens if Dead David likes my idea? Do I get a plane ticket to come visit the agency and pitch my idea in person? Do I get compensated if the agency decides to use it or pitch it to one of their clients? I haven't found the answer yet. Maybe I'll download the app and ask David himself.

Posted in: Marketing Pet-Peeves

May

Is The Friskies Marketing Team Smoking Catnip?

2011 at 12:43 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

OK - I thought an iPad for my 11 year old niece was a bit much, but Holy Hairballs Batman, an app for cats?! Yes, Friskies has developed a line of tablet-optimized gaming apps for cats. Soon to be available for iPad and Android, these Games for Cats feature shapes, movements and colors that are meant to appeal specifically to kitties' senses.The apps invite felines to engage with the tablet's touch screen and bob for digital fish, paw at moving treats and more.

My first thought while I watched the video was what if your cat isn't declawed, but Friskies claims that the iPad and Android screens are sturdy enough to withstand scratches from cats' claws. Right...

Games include "Cat Fishing," "Tasty Treasure Hunt" and "Party Mix-up." Friskies has also developed an iPhone app called "Here Kitty Kitty" that calls cats with sounds like a tin can opening, a food bag rustling, a bird chirping, and more.

From a marketing standpoint, is this genius or ludicrous? Sure, we spend a lot of money on our pets - $48 billion to be exact in 2010 - and cats rank second in pets per household at 86 million (surpassed by fresh water fish), but is a Friskies app going to make you stop buying generic cat food for your favorite feline and switch brands? And once your cat learns to turn your iPad on, how long before it hacks your bank account to buy luxury kitty condos online? Wonder if these Friskies marketing execs have ever read Animal Farm?

Posted in: Marketing Musings

May

1.1 Trillion Display Ads Delivered in Q1 2011

2011 at 10:45 am Posted by Sherri Sharp

comScore has released an overview of the U.S. online display advertising market for Q1 2011 based on data from comScore Ad Metrix, indicating nearly 1.11 trillion display ads were delivered to U.S. Internet users during the quarter. Facebook accounted for 346 billion impressions, nearly double the number it delivered in Q1 2010, and accounting for nearly one third of all display ad impressions delivered.

Facebook led all online publishers in Q1 2011 with 346 billion display ad impressions, representing 31.2 percent market share. Facebook's market share has increased 15 percentage points from 16.2 percent in Q1 2010. Yahoo! Sites ranked second during the most recent quarter with 112 billion impressions (10.1 percent), followed by Microsoft Sites with 54 billion impressions (4.8 percent) and AOL, Inc. with 33 billion impressions (3.0 percent).

AT&T ranked as the top online display advertiser in the first quarter with 19.5 billion impressions, accounting for 1.8 percent of display ads. Experian Interactive ranked second with 16.6 billion impressions (1.5 percent), followed by Scottrade ranked third with 11.2 billion (1.0 percent) and Intuit with 11 billion (1.0 percent). Groupon entered the top ten display advertisers at #7 with 7.7 billion impressions (0.7 percent).

Posted in: Internet Marketing

April

Never Worry About Making a Mortgage Payment Again. Or Your Neighbors Ever Speaking To You Again.

2011 at 04:16 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

Mobile ad network AdZookie plans to turn houses into gigantic billboards by painting a brand's message on them. As payment to the homeowner, AdZookie will pay the homeowner's mortgage each month for as long as the house remains painted with the message. Here are a few things they're looking for. You must own your home. It cannot be rented or leased. They'll paint the entire outside of the house, minus the roof, the windows and any awnings. Painting will take approximately 3 - 5 days. Your house must remain painted for at least three months and may be extended up to a year. If, for any reason, you decide to cancel after three months or if AdZookie cancels the agreement with you, they'll repaint your house back to the original colors.

Little pink Pepto Bismol houses for you and me.

Posted in: Marketing Tactics

March

Chrysler Puts The Brakes On Grassroots Jeep ‘Imported from Toledo’ Ad Campaign

2011 at 12:25 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

One of the ad industry's biggest grievances is when someone steals your creative concept. Especially if you spent $3 million to air your brainchild during the Super Bowl. So Chrysler took action from their own copy from the Eminem 200 commercial. This is the Motor City and this is what we do. AutoGuide.com reports that in an attempt to capitalize on Chrysler’s ‘Imported from Detroit,’ ad slogan, a group of Jeep Dealers made up their own printed slogan ‘Imported from Toledo,’ complete with a stylized image of a classic Jeep nose.

One dealer even placed the logo on the doors of a Wrangler and drove it onto the ice during the Toledo, Walleyes minor league hockey game. Needless to say, Chrysler brass weren’t too impressed with this unofficial idea and have now put the kybosh on the campaign, fearing that it will detract from their original slogan and cause confusion among buyers.

The ‘Made in Toledo’ idea is said to have originated at Monroe Dodge/Jeep in Monroe, Michigan (just across the state line from Toledo), where store owner Ralph Mahalak Jr. made up some 600 shirts with the logo, designed to celebrate the iconic Jeep brand’s 70th anniversary.

Said shirts were reportedly selling for $19.41 a piece, but now to prevent a trademark battle, Mahalak has elected to give the shirts away, offering one to each customer that comes into his store to test drive a Jeep vehicle.

Posted in: Marketing Pet-Peeves

February

Super Bowl Predictions According To Ad Age and Brokaw Agency

2011 at 04:11 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

According to Ad Age:

Almost two-thirds of Super Bowl viewers age 18-34 will be using a smartphone, while watching the game this Sunday.

• 59% will be sending emails or texts about the game.
• 18% will be checking out ads online from their phones.
• 18% will visit advertiser websites--including this infamous one.
• 32% will be posting comments about the game or the ads on a social network.

According to Cleveland-based ad agency Brokaw:

• 6% will make an inappropriate Ben Roethlisberger joke in front of mixed company.
• 45% will avoid that "mystery dip" by saying they're "stuffed," then secretly double-fist Cool Ranch in the corner.
• 21% will make small talk about the blizzard in Chicago to fill the uncomfortable silence following the new Go Daddy spot.
• 37% will be surprised and somewhat saddened to learn that another aging rock band isn't performing at this year's halftime show.

And there you have it.

Posted in: Marketing Musings

January

Three Great Principles for Engaging Your Customer Today - Because They Really Don’t Trust Marketing

2011 at 11:24 am Posted by Sherri Sharp

While this article by Katya Andresen was directed toward toward marketing in the non-profit sector, these are three very applicable truths for marketing in today's communication overload environment.

1. People don’t trust marketers. They trust each other. Only 6% of people say they believe marketer’s claims, according to Forrester. I’m not sure who those last true believers are, but if you find them, send them an appeal saying you can save the world for $100. So whom do we trust? Each other. Nielsen says 90% of consumers trust recommendations from acquaintances. So what does this mean to you? It’s not enough for you to say your cause is worthy. Your credibility only goes so far. You need someone else to say your cause is worthy – especially online, where people are accustomed to looking to third parties to decide which actions to take. Feature ratings from charity watchdogs, quotes from community leaders, stories from beneficiaries of your programs and the endorsement of your biggest supporters. People are more likely to believe them than you.

2. Spray and pray marketing fails. Personal outreach prevails. Back in the era of mass advertising portrayed in the cable TV show Mad Men, people didn’t just have great clothes. They had an easier job. Everyone watched the same few TV stations or read Life magazine. You could spray out a generic message to everyone and pray someone would listen and buy. Ah, those were the days. Great dresses, cool cocktails and blanket messaging. Does anyone have a time machine handy? In an era of hundreds of channels, social media and message overload, targeting the general public is futile unless you have the budget of Coca-Cola. It’s also ineffective. People expect a more personalized experience when they interact with a brand, including yours. So don’t think “spray and pray” – think “concentrate and inundate.” Build small, passionate committed groups of supporters with the power to spread the word in various communities rather than focusing on one big faceless prospect file doomed to receive the same generic messaging.

3. Marketing monologues don’t work. Conversations do. Let’s review: Trust in marketers has given way to trust in each other. Mass communication has given way to masses of communicators. So people are listening to each other and talking to each other and forming their own communities. Where do you fit in? You’re just another party in communication with everyone else. You can’t simply be a marketer with a message. You need to be a marketer committed to conversation. Our role is not to talk at people but to engage with them, listen to them, and build a rapport and relationship around what mutually matters.

The bottom line? We used to crank out the self-serving copy, tell people to trust us and hit them for money. That era is over. Change your message, your messengers and your goals. This isn’t about extracting money from people. It’s about making great things happen – together.

Posted in: Marketing Musings

December

Local TV is the Preferred News Source - Brian Sterling Beats Brian Williams by 1%.

2010 at 12:33 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

US consumers prefer local TV as a source of news compared to other forms of media by a wide margin, according to a new study from Frank M. Magid Associates, Inc. and Hearst Television, Inc.

• More than Half of Consumers Prefer Local TV News When asked their preferred media for news, more than half of consumers (55%) cited local TV. Websites/internet came in a distant second, mentioned by 19% of consumers. No other type of media even received a double-digit answer. Cable TV came in third with an 8% response rate, tied with print newspapers. Broadcast network news only scored a 5% response rate, and no respondents selected print magazines.

• Local TV News Leads in Importance Consumers consider local TV the most important form of news media for a variety of uses. Sixty-one percent say it is essential to keeping them informed, trailed by print newspapers (54%) and websites (43%). In terms of being the most important source of community news, local TV was selected by 61% of respondents, followed closely by print newspapers (57%), with websites in a distant third (21%). Seventy-one percent consider local TV news to be their most important source of weather information, with mobile web apps earning a strong 35% response rate considering their relative newness, followed by websites (32%). Local TV news also received the highest response rate as an important source of political news (57%), followed by print newspapers (44%) and websites (37%).

• Local TV News Ads Keep Consumers Up to Date Twenty-four percent of respondents say local TV news ads keep them up-to-date with new products and services, trailing only print newspapers (38%) and leading other media such as radio (18%) and print magazines (16%).

• Local TV News Ads Get High Marks for Trust, Respectability While the 18% of consumers saying ads that run during local TV news programs are trustworthy may seem low, it ties print magazines for second place, barely behind leading medium print newspapers (19%). Local TV news ads also received the second-highest ranking for being a respectable place to advertise (48%), just behind the 49% respectability rating of print newspapers and edging out the 47% rating of print magazines. Radio came in fourth with 37% of respondents calling radio a respectable advertising medium.

• Local News Personalities More Trusted, Engaging When asked about news personalities, 50% of respondents say local news has anchors/personalities they trust and 42% say local news has anchors/personalities who make them want to spend more time watching the news, according to other survey results. In comparison, 49% of respondents of respondents say broadcast network news has anchors/personalities they trust and 40% say local news has anchors/personalities who make them want to spend more time watching the news. Local news personalities have a slightly higher lead on cable news personalities, who were mentioned by 39% and 37% of respondents respectively. Furthermore, a higher percentage of respondents say local news is a good source of information on products and services (30%) than say broadcast network news (24%) or cable news (23%).

Posted in: Trends in Media

November

I Think Kraft Cheesy Explosion Mac and Cheese Would Have Been a Better Product

2010 at 02:39 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

The first real memory I have of actualizing product placement was for Reese's Pieces in ET, and this was some time before I had college professors discussing the merits or pitfalls of the tactic. One of my favorite articles about product placement is by Erwin Ephron - he talks about the fact it is not scalable and works only for established brand names that are well identified. Lesser-known brands are "dummy" brands to the viewer. My favorite is his discussion of the paradox of product placement. If you notice, it’s bad. But if you don’t notice, it’s worthless. Such a narrow line that either the viewer or the advertiser feels betrayed.

How true, Erwin. When I had the time to watch day-time drama, I would have probably thrown something at the small black and white, rabbit-eared television in the dorm room if I had seen this. Please - who is the General Mils Product Manager that signed off on this hurl-worthy (double pun intended) mess of product placement?? Kraft, I think it's time to step up your game.

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Posted in: Marketing Pet-Peeves

October

Have a Food Product Idea You’d Like to Turn Into a Viable Business? Don’t Miss This Conference!

2010 at 11:47 am Posted by Sherri Sharp

For individuals thinking about starting a business from a product idea or even an old family recipe, the third annual Making It In Michigan conference can help bring concept to fruition. Hosted by the Michigan State University (MSU) Product Center, the conference is designed with budding entrepreneurs in mind and features multiple educational sessions, a keynote address from a nationally renowned expert on consumer food trends and the opportunity to network with over 130 vendors of Michigan specialty food products.

Conference attendees will leave the conference equipped with the practical knowledge and industry resources needed to move an idea from the concept stage to a finished and marketable product. Attendees will be able to corroborate and refine business concepts with a virtual market validation test. Industry experts will offer insight and tips on managing the common hurdles often encountered by entrepreneurs, including food safety, working with co-packers, marketing and food safety issues in the dairy, meat, bakery and beverage areas.

“The conference was designed to help those people that have an idea in their head for a business, but have no idea what to do or where to start in making their dream a reality,” states Matthew Birbeck, MSU Product Center Counselor. “Especially considering the state of Michigan’s economy, someone without a job can fulfill the aspiration of launching Grandma’s spaghetti sauce into an income-generating venture,” says Birbeck.

The Making It In Michigan conference will be held Tuesday, October 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing.

The educational sessions will bring together leading Michigan experts to help guide attendees through starting businesses in the following areas:

• Product and Recipe Development

• Scientific and Regulatory Criteria Used For Evaluating Products

• Creating Product Inventory and Distribution

• Identifying Target Market and Customer Profiling

• Preparing For and Working With Co-Packers

• Shelf-stable Food Processing

Conference participants will also have time to network with the winners of this year’s MSU Product Center awards and learn from their success stories. Awards will be presented for the Best Barrier Buster, Most Successful Business Transition and Best Innovative Business Idea. MSU Product Center innovation counselors and staff members, Product Center clients, business consultants, regulatory officials and food and farming groups will also be available to provide in-depth information and counseling.

The Marketplace trade show in the afternoon will feature over 130 entrepreneurs who will be showcasing their new food products to buyers and conference attendees who can taste and purchase items. In addition, the Michigan Grocers Association will have store directors and department managers, buyers and category managers and manufacturer retail account managers walking the trade show after their seminar to support buying local Michigan food. The $60 per person conference registration fee includes breakfast, lunch, educational sessions and admission to the Marketplace trade show.

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Posted in: Food Marketing

September

This Sunday - Church, Football, Check Email?? Why Sundays Might Be The New Tuesday.

2010 at 12:22 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

In my household, we have a very polarized practice on what our iPhones are used for on the weekend. My husband in the entertainment industry almost always has something going on that prohibits him from taking a break from emailing, texting and taking calls. I, on the other hand, primarily turn mine on for Pandora and iTunes. But this blog post from Caroline Ruggiero at Marketo has me thinking a little differently about ongoing client email blast campaigns. While most experts will say there's no such thing as the perfect time to send your email offer or newsletter, conventional wisdom holds that Tuesday—generally speaking—is the best day for a campaign, and Friday the worst.

"The theory behind the rule of thumb makes sense," notes Ruggiero. "Email too early in the week and people are too busy with their actual work to open or focus on your message. Email end of the week and your message will get buried in a barrage of messages everyone has to dig out of come Monday morning."

But her own preference for browsing work email on Sundays made her wonder if Sunday could be the new Tuesday for email marketers. Although the weekend is a time to unwind, she explains, "it's also a time to catch up on newsletters, lower-priority messages, and feeds without the distraction of, well, work. I am absolutely more open to reading marketing messages in this quieter, more relaxed setting."

There's some evidence that she's not alone in her habit:

• An AOL survey found that 62% of respondents checked their work email over the weekend.

• According to a Pew study, two thirds of Americans do work-related research at home.

The only way to know whether your B2B audience reads email on weekends is—of course—to test it. "Perhaps," says Ruggiero, "your key target might be guilty of indulging in some Sunday work email, just like me."

Sunday might work. Don't just assume that weekdays are the best time to reach your customers. If you check your email over the weekend, it stands to reason that they might, too.

Posted in: Internet Marketing

September

Two Google Posts in Two Days! A Is for AOL: The Alphabet According to Google

2010 at 02:43 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

Very interesting. I wonder if this is tied to Google's revenue stream in any way. Hmmm. Ken Wheaton from Advertising Age just posted an article about the fact they have discovered Google's new Insta-Search function pulls up major marketers:

Today Google unveiled its latest advance: search results show up as you type. This strikes us as slightly more useful than, say, Google Wave -- especially if this rolls out for mobile. But we want to give props to Jeff Jarvis who tweeted earlier today the results of a little experiment he started. The Buzz Machine blogger typed one letter into Google and see what turned up. Intrigued, we did the entire alphabet. And it's heavy on marketers! We're unsure how personalized or localized this is. Our first few results matched up with Jarvis' results. Let us know in comments if you get anything different (and where you're located).

* A = AOL
* B = Bank of America
* C = Craigslist
* D = dictionary
* E = eBay
* F = Facebook
* G = Google
* H = Hotmail
* I = Ikea
* J = Jet Blue
* K = Kmart
* L = LIRR (Long Island Railroad)
* M = Mapquest
* N = Netflix
* O = Orbitz
* P = Pandora
* Q = Quotes
* R = realtor
* S = Staples
* T = Target
* U = UPS
* V = Verizon
* W = weather (with Walmart as second)
* X = Xbox
* Y = Yahoo
* Z = Z100 (a radio station in New York)

Posted in: Internet Marketing

August

Michigan Is The Toughest State In Which To Find A Job? Really?

2010 at 01:21 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

In today's Grand Rapids Press email, Jackie Headapohl informs us that Michigan is the most difficult state in which to find a job, according to Juju.com's Job Search Difficulty Index for US States. Which, for all the folks that live and work in Michigan, we pretty much already knew that. Even if you're having a bad day, but you're AT WORK, AT YOUR DESK, you should probably be a little more grateful.

In Michigan, there are 8.24 job seekers for each available job. Nevada is the second-toughest place to find a job, with 6.90 unemployed people per job. Mississippi, Idaho and Kentucky round out the bottom five.

The best place to look for a job is Washington, D.C., where there is less than one unemployed person per available job. Virginia, Maryland, North Dakota and Nebraska complete the top five least competitive job markets.

The Index is calculated by dividing the number of unemployed workers in each state, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by the number of jobs in Juju's index of millions of online jobs in the United States.

Posted in: Marketing Musings

July

Take Pictures of People at Wal-Mart and Swipe Your Armor All Wipes in One Fell Swoop.

2010 at 01:28 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

Think the person on their phone swerving in the lane ahead of you is annoying? Wait until you're behind them in the grocery aisle. Smartphones may be the self-service kiosks of the future. Progressive Grocer is reporting North American consumers continue to embrace self-service technology, as transactions at self-service kiosks are set to surpass $740 billion in 2010, according to a new research study conducted by retail technology consulting firm IHL Group.

However, the rate of growth going forward may be tempered in favor of enabling consumer smartphones in the future. “Self-service continues to grow, and clearly, DVD kiosks are driving huge increases in the number of units in the market,” said Greg Buzek, president of Franklin, Tenn.-based IHL. “However, the rise of consumer mobile devices will have an adverse effect on many new kiosk installations within the next two years.”

“The information kiosks will soon give way to the kiosk in the consumer’s pocket, with many consumers already doing price comparison shopping and reading reviews while at the shelf,” added Buzek. “In addition, what is particularly interesting looking forward is that Apple has patents in loyalty and payment technologies. It is foreseeable that transactions even in the retail environment could be scanned and transacted through the mobile device rather than a stationary self-checkout.”

In the market study, “2010 North American Self-Service Kiosks,” IHL examines the increasing use of six types of self-service kiosks where payment is accepted: self-checkout systems, ticketing kiosks, check-in kiosks, food ordering, postal and other retail kiosks.

The report covers self-service kiosks in the United States and Canada, detailing the number and type of kiosks shipped historically. It also provides forecasts for each type of kiosk, both in terms of units shipped and revenue transacted. In addition, the report highlights best practices and best-in-class machines for each class of kiosk.

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Posted in: Trends in Marketing

July

Seeing is Believing - Proof to all Designers Who Insist On Using The Smallest Font Possible

2010 at 10:39 am Posted by Sherri Sharp

If I had a dollar for every time I sent a print piece back to the designer with a note to increase the font size...I think I can get behind this initiative.

Writing at the Retail Email blog, Chad White offers some interesting facts about the Baby-Boomer generation. First, by 2015, nearly half of the US population will be age 50 or older (AARP). Second, Boomers currently control over 80% of personal financial assets and account for more than 50% of the country's discretionary spending power (ThirdAge).

According to White, marketers have failed to address a simple issue critical to continued patronage from this growing, affluent audience: readable font sizes. "[They] regularly use small text on their websites and in their emails and other marketing materials," he says, "creating unnecessary legibility issues for some of their most valuable customers."

With this in mind, he has created the acronym-friendly Boomer Legibility Initiative for a New Decade (BLIND). Its mission? To increase font size by one point in 2010, by another in 2015 and by one more in 2020.

"Increasing font sizes is also becoming vital as more email and websites are viewed on mobile devices, which often scale content down, making text even harder to read," he notes at the initiative's LinkedIn page, where he also recommends limiting the use of:

• Reverse type, with a lighter text on a darker background.

• Low-contrast pages, with little difference between colors used for text and background.

• Background images with a text overlay.

"Not considering the needs of Boomers when designing marketing materials means lost revenue for marketers and a poor user experience for many Boomers," he concludes, "not to mention other visually challenged people like myself."

When it comes to selling Boomer customers, the eyes have it.

Posted in: Design That Sells

June

Happy Father’s Day!

2010 at 11:04 am Posted by Sherri Sharp

In honor of all of you dads, here's a little something from T•Mobile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXR_Pqjx9iA

Posted in: Media

May

Who Comes Up With This Stuff - Another Case In The Series of ????

2010 at 11:29 am Posted by Sherri Sharp

When I see ads like this, I like to pretend I'm on the client side and I'm listening to the creative director pitch me on the concept:

CD: We need a larger than life, toned young attractive man to embody our brand image. And, I mean the focus is on "body", you see?

ME: Uh, why does he look like he's forgotten where he put his car keys and he's late for a pool party?

CD: He's pensive - he's thinking about what an exciting time this is for his generation He's hot, he's a Foursquare mayor and he's got 679 Facebook friends. He OWNS it!!

ME: But we're trying to sell apparel and the majority of our budget is directed toward that product category.

CD: Think Crystal Cove Body Mist - He's going beyond the bluffs and canyons to see the natural beauty of Crystal Cove. It's the place where his spirit is free!!

ME: I appreciate your team wholeheartedly embracing the Hollister culture, but do we actually want people standing under hairy armpits?

CD: Fine, you don't want hair. We'll Photoshop it out.

ME: That's not my point.

CD: I don't expect you to get it. Do you want to see the preliminary recall research? Bring me that AE, what's her name.

Posted in: Marketing Musings

April

Musical Maniac or Marketing Genius?

2010 at 01:55 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

I have watched Lady Gaga go from relative obscurity to international music phenomenon in a very short time. For anyone that has seen her perform or follows her fashion antics, you would probably agree she has done an amazing job of creating a very unique brand. (I love the comment about this get-up from my favorite fashion bloggers, GoFugYourself - "This reminds me I'm out of coffee filters.") Well,according to Jackie Huba at the Church of the Customer Blog, marketers can learn quite a bit about loyalty marketing from Lady Gaga. It seems she is doing a whole lot of things right to build brand loyalty among her followers. Here are Huba's five lessons about building brand loyalty Lady Gaga-style:

1. Give fans a name. "Gaga doesn't like the word 'fan,' so she calls them her 'Little Monsters,' named after her album 'The Fame Monster,'" Huba writes. "She even tattooed 'Little Monsters' on her arm and tweeted the pic to fans professing love for them."

2. Make it about something bigger than you. During her concert tour, Gaga recites a "Manifesto of Little Monsters," Huba says. The Little Monsters see it as a dedication to them.

3. Develop shared symbols. The official Little Monster greeting is the outstretched "monster claw" hand. As all Little Monsters know, the clawed hand is part of Gaga's choreography, Huba notes.

4. Make your customers feel like rock stars. "One staple of Gaga's 'Monster Ball' tour is to call a fan in the audience during the show," Huba reports. "She dials the number onstage, the fan screams out, and is put up on a big screen." She then invites that fan for a drink after the show.

5. Leverage social media. Gaga tweeted her fans before she opened the Grammy Awards. She also tweeted to fans that she was buying them pizza for waiting overnight at an album signing.

Whether Lady Gaga will leave a musical legacy like Madonna, Stevie Nicks or Janice Joplin, she is rocking brand loyalty and we should all learn to find cool new ways to show appreciation to loyal customers. Don't know if I could sit at the desk all day wearing wire hoops, though.

Posted in: Marketing Innovation

April

The E*Trade Babies as a Movie?? Would You Watch?

2010 at 11:57 am Posted by Sherri Sharp

OK - I like these commercials. I wouldn't want to sit in an editing booth trying to match voice overs, but that's one reason I admire editors. But, seriously, a movie? Erik Davis from Cinematical is reporting that one is actually being planned. Remember the Geico Caveman TV series? Nope. Apparently Hollywood didn't learn that taking funny TV commercial gimmicks and trying to turn them into something bigger really doesn't work. The plot supposedly involves a group of talking babies as they make their way across a playground. I don't know how many parents would shell out money to see this when can they see this for free everyday - and babies are just naturally funny. Unless this is some brilliant move by ETrade to infiltrate our minds with subliminal messaging about living the broker high life, then Hollywood should learn from its mistakes and leave good advertising alone.

Posted in: Marketing Pet-Peeves

February

No Soup Spoon For You!

2010 at 12:19 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

Campbell Soup is changing the design of its iconic soup-can labels and store displays. For two years, the company studied consumer reactions such as changes in heart rate to various images of Campbell logos and bowls of soup, using the results to create labels with larger bowls and no spoons. Ilan Brat reports in the Wall Street Journal that the Campbell Soup Co. is relying on new neuromarketing studies to guide the redesign of its condensed-soup packaging. The research looks at physiological responses -- such as perspiration and increased heart rate -- to marketing. Campbell researchers studied microscopic changes in skin moisture, heart rate and other biometrics to see how consumers react to everything from pictures of bowls of soup to logo design.

The company hopes the label and display changes will help shoppers connect on a deeper level to the products and boost its condensed soup sales by 2% over the next two years. For years, Campbell's researchers asked consumers whether they remembered an ad and whether it made them more likely to buy a product. But a 2005 Campbell analysis revealed that, overall, ads deemed more effective in surveys had little relation to changes in Campbell sales. Another round of research showed that Campbell's large logo at the top of shelf displays draws more attention than necessary. At first glance, the logo's bright red background makes all varieties of soups—from the classic chicken noodle to the jazzier Italian Wedding Soup—seem to blend together, the company learned.

In interviews, participants also said the soup pictured on the can and shelf labels didn't look warm. And the big spoon holding a sample of soup on each label provoked little emotional response.

Campbell's three biggest sellers—chicken noodle, tomato and cream of mushroom, the soup can labels immortalized by Andy Warhol—will remain the same. But on other labels, steam will rise from larger, more vibrant pictures of soup in more modern, white bowls. And those unemotional spoons will disappear.

Posted in: Food Marketing

January

A New Year - Time to Capitalize on Your Marketing Messaging

2010 at 11:37 am Posted by Sherri Sharp

Happy New Year! It's a brand-new day—especially when it comes to the American consumer. And that may be good or bad news for marketers, depending on the products they sell and the marketing strategies they deploy.

New research released late last year by McKinsey & Company suggests that the downturn may have "fundamentally altered the behavior of numerous US consumers, who are now learning to live without expensive products." Among their findings, from an article at the McKinsey Quarterly website:

• In any given category, an average of 18 percent of packaged-goods consumers bought lower-priced brands in the past two years. • Of the consumers who switched to cheaper products, 46 percent said those products performed better than expected, and the large majority said the performance of such products was much better than expected. • 34 percent of the switchers said they no longer preferred higher-priced products, and an additional 41 percent said that while they preferred the premium brand, it was not worth the money.

McKinsey is quick to point out, however, that consumers' choices of cheaper brands vary by the products involved. For example:

• Only 12 percent of beer buyers switched to cheaper brands. • More than 20 percent of buyers of cold-and-allergy medicines tried a lower-priced option.

Overall, McKinsey advises caution. "Many companies with strong premium brands are anticipating a rapid rebound in consumer behavior—a return to normality, as after previous recessions," the company reports. "They are likely to be disappointed," it concludes.

The message to marketers - Tell them what's in it for them. Regardless of the product or service you offer, it's important to stress value and dependability in your marketing messages of 2010—to reassure the new breed of cautious consumer.

Posted in: Marketing Musings

December

Have a Very Mommy Christmas!

2009 at 03:15 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

A new study by the Marketing to Moms Coalition—a not-for-profit group that seeks to share insights about moms to help marketers better engage with them—shows just how much American moms are sacrificing so their families can stay afloat during the downturn. The survey results reveal that "mothers are sacrificing purchases for their own use in order to ensure their families get what they need," according to a report at the Brandeo blog. A couple of examples, as cited in the blog:

• 72% of survey respondents lowered the quality of new clothes they buy.

• 51% cut back on health-and-beauty product quality.

"Yet the majority of mothers say they are not scrimping on the quality of their children's food, medical needs and clothing," the post notes.

The annual State of the American Mom Report is a nationally representative sample of moms with kids under 18 living in the home. Among its other findings:

• 78% of moms have cut back on household spending this year.

• More than half of all moms are making special trips to retailers that offer the best price.

• 61% are focused more on the environment this year.

• 39% are on Facebook, while 11% are on Twitter.

• Most moms plan to spend more than $600 on holiday gifts this year.

What does that mean for advertisers targeting moms this holiday season? Try stressing the quality of the products you offer for their family members and the value of products they may grab for themselves.

Posted in: Trends in Marketing

November

Wonder What Customers Think About Your Website? Find Out With Google Sidewiki.

2009 at 11:43 am Posted by Sherri Sharp

I ask a lot of people for their opinion of social-media tools like Twitter and I always get a lot of different responses—ranging from 100% commitment to curiosity to utter disdain. However you feel about social media, here is one simple fact: Even if you're one who considers these tools inane and a waste of time, a large number of your most influential customers do not. And that means you must at least monitor the conversation for possible signs of trouble. In a Premium article at MarketingProfs, Mack Collier outlines five such tools you simply cannot ignore. They include Google Sidewiki, a new add-on for Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers. Once installed, it can open a side panel where visitors are able to read other visitors' feedback—and leave their own—on any page at any website.

"Every webpage now can be commented on," explains Collier. "Every. Single. One. Potentially, your competitor could comment on your company's website criticizing your products and services. So can your customers. Did you launch a blog and turn off comments? Now your readers can still comment 'on' your blog." "You need to familiarize your company with what this tool can do," says Collier, "so that you can react to feedback left for your company and, hopefully, become proactive in using Sidewiki to connect with current and potential customers."

In other words, you can no longer control the conversation, even on your own homepage—because for those with the Sidewiki tool, every site is a social-media site.

sidewiki.pdf

Posted in: Social Media

September

Boy, where did summer go? It’s time to get those creative juices flowing.

2009 at 01:11 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

And Cossette Atlantic had a great idea for McDonald's.

Posted in: Marketing Innovation

July

Emotionally Unvailable?

2009 at 02:29 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

Most of us have had a brush in life with someone that just wasn’t there for us – a parent, spouse, a friend going through a hard time of their own – but do we really have to deal with this experience with our customers?

Now, the term “emotionally unsubscribed” is being used to describe those who never seem to open your email messages, but continue to receive your campaigns because they never ask to be taken off your list. In a post at the UK DMA Email Marketing blog, however, Dela Quist argues for an alternative term that relocates the negative prefix—unemotionally subscribed. In other words, these recipients remain interested in your product or service, but they just don't need it right now. "They would prefer to ignore your messages until they are ready to buy," he says, "because it is easier than unsubscribing and having to remember your URL, or Google you at a later date."

To make his point, Quist cites some interesting client results:

• Ten percent of one company's revenue in 2008 came from subscribers who opened not a single email in 2007.

• An outstanding offer from another company generated approximately $113,000 in sales from subscribers who had not opened the previous 25 to 40 email messages.

"With very few exceptions," Quist says, "when it comes to sales and marketing, long-term inactivity is perfectly normal. After all, how often do you actively interact with marketing communications of any kind from a car dealer, insurance company, estate agent, bank, consumer electronics retailer, hotel chain, etc.?"

So, how do we deal with these recipients? Let them take their time. Some of your inactives may well have checked out, but Quist suggests that many more linger for a reason: "They don't need you—yet!"

Posted in: Internet Marketing

July

Generational Differences

2009 at 10:21 pm Posted by Colin Warner

A few weeks ago, my Father, a 56 year old entrepreneur, asked if I could throw together a brand identity and some marketing materials for his most recent endeavor: a small sandwich/concession/ice cream shop. After due conceptualization, research, and a few hours tinkering around in InDesign (I am not exactly "trained" as a graphic designer), I developed three logo concepts for him to review and incorporated each into a complementary, basic tri-fold menu. When I presented him the fruits of my labor, the only thing he said in response was "I hate those menus and I don't know why."

Great. Not only was this project pro-bono; I had to play the ever-so-familiar guessing game of "what do I do now?" You know; you've been there. So, I changed my focus and asked myself "what would he be looking for as a consumer?" I wanted to know why he made that face before even reading the copy of the menu. While doing a little research, I came accross a very interesting empirical study regarding the instantaneous impact of typeface aesthetics on a consumer's perception and emotional response which can be found HERE. Within the results of this study, I discovered the answer I was looking for. The participants of the study consisted of mainly hospital employees or students between the ages of 21 to 40 years (all within my age bracket and below my fathers). After exposing these participants to a number of typefaces, they found that "Georgia" font (the font I used in the menu) is congruent with the trait words practical, formal, and assertive, while Arial (my dad's prefernce) is congruent with the trait words stable, conformist, and unimaginative.

Hmm. Does this make baby boomers more conformists or unimaginative when it comes to typeface? I won't go that far but I will say this: there is definitely an underlying, distinct difference between generations and typeface/graphic design.

Posted in: Design That Sells

June

An Online Marketer’s Dilemma

2009 at 02:18 pm Posted by Colin Warner

This is my first shot at a blog entry for our Agency...hope you enjoy!

In today's business climate, it is well known that you cannot go far in the online community without utilizing the appropriate tools for your marketing strategy. That being said, Google has emerged as the king of the tool shed, with programs like AdWords and Analytics geared towards optimizing your brand’s presence online.

As a marketer, these programs are absolutely fantastic. The information available to me is unbelievable. To give a simple example, I can see how many people from Grand Rapids have accessed our website (http://www.sharpmkt.com), which browser they were using, how long they spent on the site, which pages they viewed, which site they came from, if it was their first time visiting the site or not, as well as pull all of the usual demographic suspects (age, sex, income) etc. It is truly, any marketer's dream. However while I was coming up with this example, I stopped for a second and shifted gears into consumer mode asking myself, ''how much information does Google give out about me?''

So I developed a little experiment. I wanted to see how well I could profile myself as a consumer using both Google Analytics and Quantcast (another awesome website analytics software). First step: access our website from home. I logged on five times to the site, each time erasing my entire browser history. Then, I began to dig. I created a Custom Report in Analytics for the day I had accessed the site. My reporting tree was as follows: All visits, broken down by the hour of the day, then by city, medium (how visitors found the website), operating system (I use a MAC at home), and browser (I used Firefox to access the site).

Total visits: 6.

I also ran a Quantcast report for the same day, singling out males between the ages of 18 and 24, Caucasian, with no kids, an income of $25,000 or less (no comments please), and a Bachelors degree.

Total visits: 6.

There I was, naked as the day I was born. All five visits showed up along with one other person…most likely our graphic designer. Scary how I can tell, isn't it?

Posted in: Internet Marketing

June

Who Knew I Am Personally Helping Drive The Economy?

2009 at 10:48 am Posted by Sherri Sharp

For all the gloom and doom I hear about the economy every morning on CNN, I read an article today based on a report just out in AOL Money and Finance that makes me feel a little better about things. And it seems I am even contributing to bucking the recession in some product categories. The report gives an overview of the changes in consumer behavior since everything went belly-up on Wall Street. It seems that consumers are still living their lives and not giving up the things they like, but are merely scaling down on choices. Lets see how I rate with these changes in consumer behavior:

• Wine drinkers are still imbibing—but they're looking more closely at cheaper selections. Check. You can't beat $3 bottles of Jackeroo Australian Chardonnay.

• Used car sales are on the rise, as are parts at auto stores. Check. Just last night my husband and I were talking about our next "new used vehicle" and who gets one first.

• Sales at Goodwill Industries are booming—while those at luxury retailers like Saks have plummeted. Check! Not only do I find some incredible deals on great brands, I'm helping to recycle.

• Comfort food is king: Chocolate-maker Hershey's sales were up 20 percent in the first three months of 2009; sales of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese have gone through the roof. Double check!! A glass of Jackeroo and mac and cheese are the ultimate comfort food after a long day.

• Do-it-yourself is tops. Consumers are buying things that they can use themselves such as fishing equipment and seeds for at-home vegetable gardens. Check. I have a sore back 3 days after planting new seeds over the weekend.

• DIY fitness is booming. Sales of running shoes are robust, as are those of bicycle helmets. Does a new pair of walking shoes count? If so, then Check!

So I can tell clients firsthand that it's not all gloom and doom. Customers are buying products that resonate with their new focus on thrift, on the home and on indulging just a little.

Source: Deb Riechmann, AP

Posted in: Marketing Musings

June

Small Business – The Ultimate Balancing Act

2009 at 11:59 am Posted by Sherri Sharp

Do you know how the Flying Wallendas got started? The patriarch, Karl, answered an ad for a “hand balancer with courage”. Sometimes running a small service business seems like walking a tightrope straddling a giant bar. (And for someone that doesn’t like heights, that analogy is pretty scary.) A small business is, by definition, imbalanced. Because 80% of all small businesses (i.e. defined as businesses with under 100 employees) have fewer than 10 employees and as many as 50% have fewer than 4 employees.In most small businesses, the owner(s) usually sell, serve customers and do all the support work, creating an imbalance. It can be a struggle trying to determine what area of the business to focus on: sales, operations or support.

In an article by Chaitanya Sagar who writes a lot for American Express, he describes how to keep that balancing act in check.

• Create an On-Demand Model – find other companies who deliver similar services and establish a referral/reciprocal work agreement. It helps not only with cash flow, but with time and resource allocation.

• Hire the True Multi-Taskers – Especially in these times, it’s critical to have employees that can effectively handle more than one activity.

• Outsource Non-Core Activities – Find quality providers who want to and can understand your business and support you.

While the Wallendas didn’t use a safety net, it’s critical for small business to create their own utilizing smart practices.

Posted in: Marketing Musings

May

Why do people want your stuff?

2009 at 03:44 pm Posted by Sherri Sharp

Recently CNN had a report about what people consider luxury versus necessity with often surprising answers - high speed Internet is considered a necessity but a dishwasher is a luxury product. In analyzing three weeks of May lead reports for a client we posed this question to ourselves about some of their products and services against one of my favorite books about why people buy – “Rapid Response Advertising” by Geoff Ayling. Here are just a few reasons to try on yourselves:

• To make more money (Had to use that one on the CPA to justify the sweet new iMacs.)

• To look younger (Just look at all those skin creams that cost as much as a dishwasher!)

• To be trendy (Who knew a cross between a plastic spatula and a gardening shoe would be such a hit?)

• To escape or avoid pain (Reason #16 why bars should never go out of business.)

• To feel safe (Hey, who wouldn’t feel safer driving around in a Hummer?)

• To satisfy an impulse (How else do the blinking rosebud manufacturers stay in business?)

• To become more fit and healthy (Is this why the ab machine, dumbbells, giant rubber bands and deflated exercise ball are still under the bed?)

• To protect their reputation (3 initials: B-M-W)

• To escape stress (Where can I buy some more?)

• To buy friendship (So I guess it IS for sale.)

There isn’t really one industry that can capitalize on all of the 51 reasons people buy, but if we can define and apply just a few, it makes winning over customers’ hearts and wallets just a little easier.

Posted in: Marketing Musings

May

Marketing Rationale For Why I Loathe Purse Parties

2009 at 11:18 am Posted by Sherri Sharp

One of my girlfriends is headed to NYC in a couple of weeks and is thrilled about the prospect of finding this season's new fake Prada bag. I pretended to be excited for her sake. Today I read an article, "Why Do Consumers Buy Counterfeit Luxury Brands?" by Keith Wilcox, Hyeong Min Kim and Sankar Sen, which actually makes me feel better as a consumer because I wonder why women go nuts to buy these worthless copies. The article sites a recent study that explains this behavior.

Researchers did one experiment focused on buyer attitudes that serve two distinct "social functions" - the "social-adjustive" (this will help me fit in) and the "value-expressive"(this will help me stand out). The researchers showed two different images of a "fake" Louis Vuitton handbag to two randomly chosen groups of women. One group saw the bag with a conspicuous logo, and the other saw the bag without it. The women then answered a questionnaire that classified their attitudes and their willingness to buy the fake.

Results showed that those subjects classified as "social-adjustive" were the most likely to buy the fake bag, especially when it had a conspicuous logo. The appeal of seeming to fit in with an elite group was strong enough to make these shoppers risk buying the flashy fake. The researchers' doled out this advice to luxury goods manufacturers: tout the in-crowd status of owning the real luxury item and depict the shame of being discovered with a knockoff.

I just wonder if my girlfriend would have participated in the study if she'd still be up all night googling street corners in NYC.

Posted in: Retail Marketing