Are Consumers Becoming Too Touchy?

It's back to school season and the advertising has begun. Kids need school supplies and new clothes to start the year and every business wants your bucks. But, will JCPenney be left out in the cold because of the backlash on their latest back to school ad?

This week, consumers cried foul as a television spot insinuated that not wearing the brands that JCP carries could make or break your year. The ad then cuts to all the kids disappearing and one young boy by himself. If you haven't seen the spot, check it out here:

* Can't see the video? Click here.

Frankly, I think the uproar is ridiculous. I'm sorry, but no matter how politically correct our world becomes, kids are kids and school is school. Children will always notice other kids' folders, lunchboxes, backpacks, and clothes. It's how kids are.

When I was growing up, if you had a Trapper Keeper you were cool. That sound of Velcro as you got your homework assignment out constantly reminder the other kids that you had one. It was the must-have item. I remember when I got a lunchbox that I was really excited about and the feeling it gave me when another kid said she liked it. I also remember the horrible year that my mom got me a hideous backpack and how I'd try to hid it coming and going from school. Boy, I hated that thing. The year I got my first pair of Nike's just like all the other kids had was a landmark. Were they amazing shoes? No. But all the other kids had them and the reality is that kids like to fit in (something as a grown-up I try to avoid at all costs).

As adults, most of use know better than to judge people based on the clothing they wear. This is something that comes with age, experience, and maturity. And, as much as we can try to teach our kids not to judge others based on superficial things like the jeans they wear, the fact is that school is a universe unto itself.

I'm not making excuses for bad behavior, but the critics who are saying the JCPenney ad promotes bullying are just silly. It does no such thing. It simply is reminding parents how important back to school purchases are to our kids. No kid will ever say they want the knock-off instead of the name brand. That's just not how kids are. And, although, not every parent will be able to buy their child ever item they'd prefer (I know my mom couldn't afford to), don't think that what your kid wears or takes to school doesn't matter to them. It does.

So, cut JCPenney some slack. There's nothing wrong with their ad in the least. It just depicts the world as it is. Don't like that world? Change it.

Attract Customers with Interactive Video

Humans are visual people. I mean, c'mon, how many hours do we waste each week watching videos online? Be honest (yes, I'm looking at you).

People frequently like to consume information in the easiest way possible. And watching is less effort than reading. So how, as a business person, do you capitalize on that? Be more interactive!

A video doesn't just have to be video these days. With the tools that are out there, there's no reason you can't jazz up your videos to better sell your message (and make more money). For example, check out this great video from the people at PEEPS:


The brilliant folks at PEEPS have overlayed nearly 30 clickable links on their video, all boasting cool things you can do with their tasty, marshmallow birdies and bunnies. Chances are extremely high that customers will click on at least one of those links to learn about something neat they can do with a PEEP. And, of course, to execute that fun project...you gotta buy some PEEPS!

The next time you create a video to promote yourself or your business, keep the end user in mind. Is your video memorable? Engaging? Interactive? If not, go back to the drawing board. People don't share boring ads; but they do share things they love. 

Make it easy for people to learn more about you or your product--and they'll soon become customers.

Can cats improve your business model?

We all have a direction that we want to go in life and in business. However, despite our goals, the world around us is changing every day. If we don't change with it, we won't succeed. It's that simple.

Consumer trends shape the business decisions we make. What was hot yesterday may not even be a blip on the radar in three months. Do you listen to what the world is saying? Do you watch trends? Are you giving your customers, your clients, or boss what they want--or what they need?



The next time you start to write a new, business proposal or embark upon a new project, ask yourself if you're creating for today or the future. Are you incorporating the latest stats, trends, and research? Are you being progressive or complacent? And, most importantly, can you have more cattitude? 

Gotcha: The captcha meets advertising

You never know where advertising or product placement will rear its ugly head these days. Sometimes It’s benign and other times it’s slap you in the face with a handful of linguini obvious. Today, I’ve got a linguini story.

I hate captchas, but I hate spam more. So, I begrudgingly put the squiggly letters and numbers into the box when I’m asked to do so. Imagine my surprise when Mapquest used the captcha to advertise Verizon FiOS (see below).

It’s one thing to make me see an ad for FiOS, but it’s totally another thing to make me have a prolonged relationship with the ad. As a consumer, I see the advertiser name, I commit it to memory, and then I type it. That’s three times the product infiltrates my mind.  Sure, it’s a little over the top. However, I think it’s pretty brilliant.

I’m frequently the first to complain when advertising or product placement goes too far. But, utilizing the captcha is too darn clever for me to ignore. As users, we’d have to jump through the captcha hurdle anyway. So, if Mapquest can find a way to monetize it, more power to ‘em!

What do you think? Are you more inclined to remember a product if you’re forced to interact with it in this way?

The business of bums, breasts, and butt cleavage

Some things make me scratch my head. Others make me fear for the future of the human race. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but these things get a big thumbs down from me. How about you?
 

1) QR codes on women's butts

As part of a new advertising campaign, the British women's beach volleyball team will now be sporting QR codes on their bums. Yep, as if men didn't stare at women's butts enough, now they're being encouraged to zoom in and take a photo! The codes will appear on women's derrieres starting today.

2) Little girls strapping on boobies

Spanish toy company Berjuan has introduced a new doll that breastfeeds. Little girls just need to strap on the halter with petal-covered nipples and they're ready to nestle their doll's face into their non-existent breasts.

Yes, I know some women will say that this toy will help breastfeeding in public become more acceptable or help kids better understand their bodies, but I say let little girls be little girls! Part of the joy of childhood is being blissfully unaware of the adult responsibilities of life (I'm also anti toy vaccuum, but that's another story).

Let's leave breastfeeding to the grown ups with real nipples, eh?

3) Event photographers with butt cleavage

This month I went to an event for journalists, sponsored by Facebook. Lots of professionals on the panel and in the audience. I was in the front row and, much to my dismay, was exposed to massive amounts of butt crack. Yep, you read right. Butt crack.

A guy was there taking photos for his company (a photo collective in Los Angeles) and every time he kneeled down to take a shot, he mooned the audience. Consider this free advice: if you're going to take photos at an event, wear pants and underwear that cover your rump (I can't believe things have gotten so casual in business that I even need to say something so ridiculous!).

So what say you? Is this all just too much? Are you fed up with droopy drawers, sexually-charged advertising, and inappropriate kids' toys? Or, do I need a chill pill?

Let's hear it!

Have jingles gone the way of the polyester leisure suit?

When I was growing up, every product had a jingle. A catchy, little ditty that stuck in your head long after you wanted it to. But, nowadays, hardly any products use jingles. Companies just buy the rights to a popular song and use that. Charlie Sheen's character on Two and a Half Men was a jingle writer, but he had to move to children's music when the jingle game tried up. What ever happened to jingle writing? Am I the only one who liked jingles?

The thing is, regardless if you like jingles or not--they work! I know the toll-free number to the United States Postal Service by heart thanks to a jingle. I always remember where to exit the Long Beach Freeway to find Pete Ellis Dodge, due to a jingle. I know the world would be a better place if I'd buy the world a Coke, because a jingle told me so. I'm empowered by the fact that nothing will ever get to me as long as I have a Mentos to save the day! And, I know Tab is for beautiful people:



It's a basic fact that people remember things more easily when they're set to music. So what if the newest sports car commercial has a great Rolling Stones song in it. Will I be able to sing about the features of the new car and its gas mileage? If not, why in the world would a company use it?

Does anyone else miss jingles or have a favorite one that brings back memories? Or, am I starting to sound like somebody's great-grandma reminiscing about the olden days? Could it be, sadly, that am I the only one who remembers my bologna has a first name?

Old-fashioned food sampling taps into social media

I love out of the box thinking. Better yet, I really dig it when companies stomp up and down on the box and then run away from it at lightening speed. This month, I was delighted to see a brand that was shaking up things big time. 

The team at Pretzel Crisps is giving out tons of free food. Forget setting up a sampling table at the local market, this is guerrilla marketing at its best. They're monitoring people's tweets and then responding with an offer that cannot be refused. Below is a typical exchange from the company's Twitter account (click the image to enlarge it). Notice that the woman isn't even talking about Pretzel Crisps; that is the beauty of this conversation.

Not only is Pretzel Crisp offering people free product, they deliver it right to your front door! No coupons to redeem. No shipping. A cheery, peppy person brings the goodies to your home or office within 24 hours. How cool is that?

Luckily, I was on the receiving end of a Pretzel Crisps delivery. Paige showed up with three big bags of snacks; each tote stuffed with seven different flavors. The idea being that I would keep one bag and give away the other two so my friends and family could sample the product (I particularly enjoyed the Garlic Parmesan and the Cinnamon Toast varieties).

I was so impressed with the brand's promotional campaign, I asked Paige a bit more about it. Apparently, free delivery is offered in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Orange County, Boston, New Jersey, and New York. The marketing folks realize the power of social media and that people rely on their friends and networks for personal recommendations. They know the product would benefit from some good word of mouth, and what better way to do that than to let people sample the low-cal, baked snacks themselves.

Is the campaign working? Well, you know this isn't a food blog, but I'm writing about pretzels. Pretzels! But, more than that, I'm writing about a brand that really gets it. Pretzel Crisps is steering online conversations, creating buzz, fostering goodwill, and establishing relationships.

With the economy still bad, spending down, and many businesses in a tailspin, the folks at Pretzel Crisps are making a bold move by breaking from traditional marketing and advertising. Who needs to buy an ad in Family Circle or Shape, when regular people can talk about their first-hand experience with your product? Booyah!

Red tag sale today! Everything full price!

As a consumer, I hate to be mislead. Don't lie to me, trick me, or otherwise try to pull one over on me. I'm a smart cookie and I'll notice. Worse yet, I'll remember and won't trust you going forward.

Take this "special deal" from Target that I saw today:

Ten containers of Cesar dog food for seven dollars. Target had sale stickers all over the stuff, so I peaked behind the sale tags to see what the usual price was.

Hmmm, seventy cents each. Yeah, the everyday price would be ten containers for seven bucks. So what's the special deal? News flash: there is no sale price here at all.

Whether you operate your own small business or a mega-chain, here's my two cents of free advice (let's actually make that seventy cents!). Be honest and maintain your integrity. Regardless if you offer a product or a service, the relationship you create with your customer is a key part of your success. Much like a cheating girlfriend or husband, once trust is lost it's hard to regain it. 

The truth is, I would probably have bought some Cesar today because my dogs like it and I'm running low. However, there was no way I was buying it at Target when the sale stickers did nothing but offer the dog food for the regular price. I certainly wouldn't want them to think I was duped into the purchase. I'm a lot of things, but dumb isn't one of them.

How do you feel when you're mislead as a customer? All warm and fuzzy inside with a fierce sense of loyalty? Or, annoyed and cautious?

Let's hear it!

Shakespeare would make a lousy advertising executive

"A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet." William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, 1600

This is a lovely sentiment, but I can't think of anything less true in the advertising industry! What you say and how you say it counts in today's world. Your product or company's name, the font you choose for your packaging, the look of your logo, the colors, the slogan--it all counts. You could have the sweetest smelling rose in the world, so to speak, but if you name it the wrong thing or marketed it poorly it will quickly wilt. Take these two products below, for example.

They're both established brands, but at a glance, one is way more appealing to me as a consumer. Can you guess which one? Do you have a preference? How about if we go one step further and look at the envelopes in which the hot chocolate is packaged?

To me, the Nestle packaging and wording is far superior. "Making Warm Chocolately Memories"? That's fantastic! How delightfully cozy and inviting. Talk about conjuring up an image. As for the Swiss Miss envelope? It's a wasted opportunity. The stark blue and white feels generic and cold in comparison.

Now, take a moment to think of yourself or your business. Are you making the most of your words and images? Are you telling and showing customers about the satisfaction they'll get from using your product or purchasing your services? Or, is your rose really a stink weed?

Is Suri Cruise Baskin-Robbins' new poster child?

While I was standing in line at CVS, I happened to see this issue of Star in the magazine rack.

The cover features Katie Holmes with her daughter Suri. Now, I didn't intentionally look at it. It was more of a glance as my eyes were headed to the candy bars, but what I couldn't help being blindsided by was the Baskin-Robbins cup.

Notice how the logo is front and center? See how Suri's little fingers do nothing to obscure the big "BR" logo? Now, maybe I'm a skeptic, but within two seconds I was wondering if this was flat out product placement.

Sure, paparazzi do their fair share of photo taking, but in this day and age celebrities have been known to submit their own photos to magazines. As such, I couldn't help but to question whether the Cruise-Holmes family had sold the image to Star. And, if Baskin-Robbins had paid Mrs. Tom Cruise to plant the cup, perfectly mind you, in lil' Suri's clutches.

Ok, I can accept the fact that this is starting to sound a little like a conspiracy theory (and I won't even talk about how Suri's top is pink and matches the Baskin-Robbins' color palate). However, don't underestimate the power of Corporate America, people. Product placement is an art. The goal of this multi-million dollar industry is to subtly make you want something you probably don't need.

Surely, I'm not the only one who thinks that the Baskin-Robbins cup is featured just a little too prominently and a little too perfectly. Or, am I?

Let me hear it, folks! Am I crazy? Or crazy smart? I'll defer to the majority on this one.*

* I can be swayed one way or the other on this topic with a scoop of Baskin-Robbins Cotton Candy ice cream. No, I wasn't paid to say that. But, I suddenly have a craving for it. Weird.

A bad case of tunnel vision

I love a smart ad. I watched the video below and after I answered the first question correctly, I was feeling pretty cocky. When the second question came, I felt more dense than cheesecake made with double cream cheese.

Let me know how you do...

Sink your teeth into THIS online ad!

When I see a good ad, I like to share it (the last one I blogged about was a print ad for Drumsticks ice cream which had a great interactive component). The ad you see below includes two buttons to attract clickthroughs, but the great part of it is really just the very smart design. Memorable and eye-catching. The double row of shark teeth is fantastic! (To increase the size of the jaws, pun intended, just click on the image to make it bigger.)

Have you seen an ad lately that you think is particularly effective? If not, what do you think about the state of advertising today?

Product placement meets Bridezilla

This weekend, my girlfriends and I enjoyed a good, old-fashioned night of chick flicks. One of the films on the playbill was Bride Wars, starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. The premise is two best friends get married on the same day and battle each other for guests, entertainment, and all the other wedding necessities (bear with me, gentleman, the girl talk is almost over). Kate's character spends an entire scene mooning over a Vera Wang dress and there is much talk about how crucial the gown is to ensure the wedding is perfect. Enter product placement.

Now, it's not uncommon in the least to have a product receive such obvious attention in a film. What is unusual, however, was the Vera Wang bonus feature on the DVD.

"The Perfect White Dress" selection is a seven-minute piece on the history and prestige of the Vera Wang empire. We learn how Vera started out creating wedding gowns, then went on to designer couture for celebrities, and has now added housewares to her inventory. It doesn't have a 1-800 number at the bottom of the screen, but aside from that it is a infomercial through and through.

I watch a lot of films on DVD and this is the first time I've seen a product from a movie get its own bonus feature. Movie studios pay millions of dollars to get a film onto the silver screen, and having product placement seep over onto the DVD extras is a really smart way to secure additional monies. The advertiser gets to build on the exposure already given in the movie, and the consumer can choose whether or not to consume this extra bit of advertising. Win-win, right?

Although I'm not a fan of product placement, I really like this new approach. I suspect this is just the beginning of a shift in how products are shared with audiences. Oh, and by the way, I used a Kensington keyboard to write this post. If you like how my words look, you can learn more about Kensington products HERE (sorry, I couldn't resist!).

This is one coupon I'll actually redeem

Isn't it satisfying when you see a company implement a smart idea? Something that makes you wonder why someone didn't do it before? Well, I had that very thought as I took my receipt from the cashier at Vons today.

Usually when you get your supermarket receipt, it is accompanied with a store coupon that entices you to return to the market and buy a specific item. Well, today, as I started to stash the store coupon in my purse, I noticed it wasn't a store coupon at all. What was it? It was a coupon for 20% off girl's best friend. Yes, I mean shoes.

In fact, the coupon was not for Vons at all; it was for Payless Shoe Source. It seems as though my local market isn't going to annoy me any longer with a 25¢ off coupon for generic peanut butter that expires in three days. It's actually realized that disseminating third-party coupons to its customers can be a revenue source. Wow!

Now, it's this kind of thinking that more businesses should implement. It helps the company, or supermarket in this case, bring in additional revenue without raising prices for its customers. This is the kind revenue strategy that I like and I wish more companies would explore.

Now enough blogging. I have shoes to buy!

Child labor comes to social media

I recently read an article in a publication from England about kids being used to hock product. Children as young as seven years old are being recruited to talk about Sprite, Barbie-themed MP3 players, Nintendo, snack foods, and specific musical artists on their Facebook pages, on message boards, and in instant messages. Apparently, marketing firms coach these "mini marketeers" on how to insert products into everyday conversations without sounding rehearsed. For their time, the kids earn about $37 U.S. dollars a week.

I don't know about you, but this just seems wrong on all kinds of levels. Yes, I completely get that marketing professionals need to constantly find new ways to reach their audiences, but using kids to pimp string cheese and Lady Gaga records? There has got to be a better way...

The yuck factor of Toyota's ad competition

I recently came across the winning entry in The Clever Film Competition, sponsored by Toyota's Australia division and the PR agency Saatchi and Saatchi. The video below won top honors, with the creators taking away $7,000 in prize money. The judges were people from Toyota, the agency, and those in the target demo of the Yaris. The words running through my head while I watched this award-winning piece? Yuck. Eww. Crass. Tasteless. Tacky. Vulgar. And, yuck, again.

No sooner than this winning entry, entitled "Clean Getaways", was placed around the web, Toyota suffered a huge backlash. Their response? This is not a spot which will air on TV. It's simply user-generated content (UGC) which the jury thought was funny and well made.

Do you think companies bear responsibility for promoting tasteless UGC? Because they didn't produce it, do you think that gives them a pass from any negative publicity? To me, anything that a company promotes is a reflection of its brand--regardless if it's UGC. If your company puts it out, you should be prepared to own it. Too harsh?

Does Google Adsense make any sense?

Recently, I attended a networking event that tackles different issues pertaining to startups. The topic for this month's session was Google Adsense. Corporate America is all about monetizing, especially these days, so I wanted to see what I could learn.

In a nutshell, here's what I walked away with: the Training and Development folks at Google really need to give their people some guidance on how to give good presentations. Lots of talking, but not one visual. They described drop-down boxes, points on webpages, services forms, layout violations, but not one lousy slide. The two reps also frequently had a "deer in the headlights" look when asked a pointed question. It was almost like a presidential debate where candidates skirt the issue. Frankly, it was a bit strange.

Now, I understand there are variables in most every situation. And, yes, sometimes answers might not always be black or white. However, I can't really say I know any more about Google Adsense now than before I attended the session.

So, as with most things, you almost always learn more from actual users. And, that makes you the expert (if you use Google Adsense, that is). What do you think about Google's text ads? Do you find them to be a worthwhile way to earn significant money? What do you like? What do you dislike?

Not a Google Adsense client? Well then, I'd be curious to know if you've ever clicked on a Google text ad. I haven't. Am I in the minority?

Let's hear it!

Domino's Pizza finally makes edible food

I have to give props when props are due, so kudos to Domino's Pizza!

For the last two weeks, I've seen the TV commercials claiming that Domino's finally realized their pizza was sub-par (a much too kind word for really bad!). The spots boast more flavorful sauce, a garlicy crust, and better cheeses. However, I'm sure many shared my thoughts: "Yeah, right!".

Well, last night I found myself at a networking mixer and, thanks to a day gone wild, I hadn't had a chance to eat lunch or dinner. To my delight, the room had a nice spread with food and drinks, so I scampered on over. There were cookies, deli sandwiches, chips...and Domino's pizza. I would have gone for the sandwich, but it was ham (and I'm a vegetarian). I hesitantly looked at the Domino's box and opened it up. Mushroom! Score! But, it was Domino's pizza so my excitement diminished. Truth be told, I don't think I've had their pizza in at least five years; vowing never to waste my money again on something so horrible.

Remembering the TV spots promising a better pizza, I opened the box back up and grabbed a slice. "Heck, I'll give it a try. Let's see if you can really taste a change." And, to my amazement, it was actually good! Let me repeat, my slice of Domino's pizza was downright tasty!

Yes, I know you're probably skeptical, but I highly encourage you to give it a shot. It has undoubtedly taken much too long for Domino's to make a desperately needed change to their recipe, but better late than never. Believe it or not, I'm actually gonna add the local Domino's to my speed dial now. Good pizza for $5.99? Now, that's what makes America great!

UPDATE May 4, 1010: Here's an interesting story from USA Today that says Domino's sales have gone up 14.3% since the new recipe was introduced.

Is international KFC commercial racist?

This commercial for KFC was recently shown in Australia during a cricket match. Many in the U.S. are outraged, calling the piece racist. However, KFC reps abroad say that there would be no negative connotation in Australian culture.

What do you think?

No nap time for these crazy babies!

The #1 spot of the Viral Video Chart this week goes to the great ad by Evian water. The product's new tagline, Live Young, launched this summer and lays the groundwork for a fun and memorable commercial which features rollerskating toddlers. Kind of like Anne Geddes babies on steroids.

Check it out below (and go get yourself some Evian; everyone needs to have this much energy!):