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.
Showing posts with label consumers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label consumers. Show all posts
Why shop when you can swap?
Today, I took a stand against consumerism. Instead of putting cash into the belly of corporate America, I traded something I no longer wanted, for something I did want.
Russell Brand (you know, the British comic who's dating Katy Perry, played the rockstar in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and is in the upcoming film Get Him to the Greek), hosted a one-day only pop-up and exchange shop in one of Los Angeles' swankiest malls, The Beverly Center. From 2pm until 6pm, people lined up to shop in the Buy Love Here store. The drill: find something you want and then tell Russell what you'll trade him for it. The idea was to promote the re-use of products in a surplus society.
Once you were allowed into the store (they only allowed a few shoppers in at a time), you could select one item to swap. The inventory included a random assortment of wares, including: clothes, shoes, brooms, a tri-cycle, a toaster, a microscope, shower curtains, vases, and my personal favorite, an unused pregnancy test. Over the course of the day, the items changed as people exchanged their item for a store item.
My mom found an old-fashioned box purse she wanted and I found a brand new Guess purse (girls and their purses, right?). By the time we got to the front of the line, the gal said Russell would be busy for 15 minutes and asked if we wanted to wait or just check out with one of the girls. My mom opted for the latter. Big mistake. The girls kept asking my mom to put up more and more of her things to get the purse. She ended up having to trade a bottle of wine, a brand new pair of Crocs, and Gloria Vanderbilt designer jeans for her purse.
No sooner than I was about to step forward, Russell came back and asked what I had found and why I wanted it. Then, he wanted to know what I was prepared to give up and why. I started conservatively and held up a wooden theatrical mask which a neighbor had left behind when he moved. Russell loved my mask and the story I had made up about wearing it to hide my face for two years because I was embarrassed about not having a fancy Guess purse to carry around town. Russell stopped me at my first offering, held the mask up to his face for the cameras, and sent me on my way. Deal made! Obviously, the girls were much harder to please than Russell.
Today's pop-up shop was a one-time deal, but organizers told me it's likely Russell will bring the Buy Love Here store to other cities. Hopefully, they will iron out the kinks to improve the shopping process, though (e.g. I waited more than two hours to get into the store). The event will also be featured in a documentary about happiness that Russell is producing.
So, since Russell let me off easy, I still have a bike helmet, some DVDs, and a beautiful beaded necklace to trade. Who wants to make a deal?
Russell Brand (you know, the British comic who's dating Katy Perry, played the rockstar in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and is in the upcoming film Get Him to the Greek), hosted a one-day only pop-up and exchange shop in one of Los Angeles' swankiest malls, The Beverly Center. From 2pm until 6pm, people lined up to shop in the Buy Love Here store. The drill: find something you want and then tell Russell what you'll trade him for it. The idea was to promote the re-use of products in a surplus society.
Once you were allowed into the store (they only allowed a few shoppers in at a time), you could select one item to swap. The inventory included a random assortment of wares, including: clothes, shoes, brooms, a tri-cycle, a toaster, a microscope, shower curtains, vases, and my personal favorite, an unused pregnancy test. Over the course of the day, the items changed as people exchanged their item for a store item.
My mom found an old-fashioned box purse she wanted and I found a brand new Guess purse (girls and their purses, right?). By the time we got to the front of the line, the gal said Russell would be busy for 15 minutes and asked if we wanted to wait or just check out with one of the girls. My mom opted for the latter. Big mistake. The girls kept asking my mom to put up more and more of her things to get the purse. She ended up having to trade a bottle of wine, a brand new pair of Crocs, and Gloria Vanderbilt designer jeans for her purse.
No sooner than I was about to step forward, Russell came back and asked what I had found and why I wanted it. Then, he wanted to know what I was prepared to give up and why. I started conservatively and held up a wooden theatrical mask which a neighbor had left behind when he moved. Russell loved my mask and the story I had made up about wearing it to hide my face for two years because I was embarrassed about not having a fancy Guess purse to carry around town. Russell stopped me at my first offering, held the mask up to his face for the cameras, and sent me on my way. Deal made! Obviously, the girls were much harder to please than Russell.
Today's pop-up shop was a one-time deal, but organizers told me it's likely Russell will bring the Buy Love Here store to other cities. Hopefully, they will iron out the kinks to improve the shopping process, though (e.g. I waited more than two hours to get into the store). The event will also be featured in a documentary about happiness that Russell is producing.
So, since Russell let me off easy, I still have a bike helmet, some DVDs, and a beautiful beaded necklace to trade. Who wants to make a deal?
NOTE: Thanks to the always hip JessieBR for posting the event on her Facebook page. If it weren't for Jessie, I'd have no idea how hopelessly un-hip I really am!
Nothing tastes better than FREE food
So, if you try something for free and you like it (and, heck, doesn't everything taste better when it's free?), will you come back in the future and pay for it? Will that freebie create enough goodwill to increase your loyalty to that business all together? As for myself, I have to say yes (although, my encounter at Baskin-Robbins is a stellar example of how not to do freebies).
So, what say you, oh hungry compadres? Is the free food craze a smart move for restaurants?
I am a consumer, hear me roar
Not too long ago, I wrote about My Starbucks Idea. A Web 2.0 version of the old-fashioned suggestion box. If you like the concept of submitting your ideas and having peers vote on them, and if you're a fan (or critic!) of Dell computer products, you should like IdeaStorm just as much.
Submit your suggestion on how Dell can improve its customer experience or product catalog, encourage your friends to vote for your idea, vote on other ideas you like, and see if your suggestion gets put into action. So far, more than 13,000 ideas have been submitted, and more than 400 have been implemented.
Dell has also expanded on the concept by creating Storm Sessions. Essentially, it's timed and targeted crowdsourcing. Dell will share a current business challenge and ask the community for input (more in the video below).
Companies can learn so much from its customers, so why not take an active role in enhancing your own user experience? Whether it's coffee or computers, it's the consumer who knows best.
Submit your suggestion on how Dell can improve its customer experience or product catalog, encourage your friends to vote for your idea, vote on other ideas you like, and see if your suggestion gets put into action. So far, more than 13,000 ideas have been submitted, and more than 400 have been implemented.
Dell has also expanded on the concept by creating Storm Sessions. Essentially, it's timed and targeted crowdsourcing. Dell will share a current business challenge and ask the community for input (more in the video below).
Companies can learn so much from its customers, so why not take an active role in enhancing your own user experience? Whether it's coffee or computers, it's the consumer who knows best.
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...
Is sugar bad for corn farmers?
These days many consumers are asking for, and subsequently purchasing, more foods with all-natural ingredients. Consumer buying habits are changing, whether it's due to education or, in some cases, new government-mandated laws (e.g. the war on trans fat). I don't know about you, but I never really thought about the ripple effect here. Who's getting more business because of these changes? Who's getting the shaft?Well, the Corn Refiners Association's stance is that the resurgence of sugar sodas is bad news for corn farmers. Surely, you've seen the limited-edition Pepsi Throwback which boasted real sugar. Even some Costco stores are selling Mexican-made Coca-Cola with sugar. Sugar is making a comeback. But where does that leave the corn farmers and their vats of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)?
To combat the surge in popularity of real sugar sodas (and the reduction of HFCS in salad dressings, barbecue sauces, juice drinks, and more), the Corn Refiners Association is launching an all out PR campaign. It spent $12 million in media buys in just the first half of this year. New commercials defending the value of high-fructose corn syrup are on their way to female-focused and family-friendly networks. The Association is even reaching out to mommy bloggers to tell them that HFCS is pretty much the same as sugar, with a similar calorie count.
High-fructose corn syrup has been the sweetener of choice for soda makers in America since 1984. It is, after all, much cheaper than sugar. However, with the "full calorie" soda category flat to slightly down in recent years, the Association is acting quickly to prevent further revenue declines.
And, I can't help but to see the irony. I think it's the consumers who are making a point to buy groceries with all-natural ingredients who are probably the ones who are most sympathetic to the plight of the American farmer. No right or wrong answer on this one (after all, sugar does come from farmers, too!), just something to think about next time you make your selection at the office soda machine.
Skip the taste tests, the vending machine knows all
Coca-Cola has just unveiled new machines in a handful of Southern California fast food joints that dispense up to 100 different beverages. They offer unheard of new flavors of soda (e.g. Raspberry Coke, Peach Fanta, etc.), fruity waters and juices, and you can also add vitamins to your beverage of choice. I recently heard about the machines on the news and you may have, too. However, what hasn't been widely reported is how these machines are being used to gauge consumer tastes in an amazingly high-tech way.The dispenser, called the Coca-Cola Freestyle, isn't just playing bartender; it's an uber-researcher. It's collecting all the data on these taste combinations that consumers are purchasing and communicating the results back to headquarters in real time. It will then use these results to market new flavors to specific regions. Talk about a great way to integrate technology and market research!
Currently, there are only 15 machines in the marketplace, but another 60 will be in stores by the end of September. For a list of current locations, visit the Coca-Cola Freestyle fansite on Facebook.
Drink up, folks! Big Brother is paying attention.
P.S. For those of you who are Lost fans, is it just me or does the video above look like something the Dharma Initiative would produce?
I'd like a fudgy bar and a pink pump, please
Make no doubt about it, women love shoes. As someone with more than 100 pairs, I can attest to that. So it's no surprise that the latest ad campaign from Famous Footwear caught my attention.The second video on their microsite* doesn't do anything for me; it doesn't ring true (kids don't get excited about shoes like we gals do). However, video #1 with the women, now that's real to me (click on the player below to see it).
In essence, the familiar ice cream truck is transformed into a shoe truck. The driver, dressed in a crisp, white uniform, drives through the neighborhood, playing that hypnotic music that alerts women near and far that fancy pumps and athletic shoes are approaching. Women scurry out of their homes, abandoning their families and household chores. They chase after the truck with the same unbridled enthusiasm we all had when we were seven and the ice cream man came ambling down our street.
It's a fun and memorable spot that captures the joy that we girly-girls experience when we get new shoes. Personally, I'd drop the footage of the kids and husbands chasing the wayward women as they pursue cute heels, but no one asked me.
* Note: Since this original post, the microsite has been taken down.
Give that ad guy a raise
Not too long ago, I said there was nothing innovative happening in the print ad arena. Today, I stand corrected.
I was flipping though a magazine this weekend and came across this great, two-sided ad for Drumsticks. As you can see, there are holes for you to put your fingers through so it actually looks as though you're holding the cone. What a clever way to get consumers to interact with the ad and remember the product. Really, you can't help but to want to do it. I tried it and it's a great effect.
Whoever came up with this concept deserves a raise and a "pink slip pass" he or she can use during the next round of layoffs. Good job!
Going green makes cashiers mean
Each month, I take two elderly neighbors to Wal-mart to do their grocery shopping. They buy their meals for the month, along with supplies for their canine and feline companions. The nearest Super Center is more than a half-hour away, so the whole excursion (e.g. driving, shopping, and unloading) is a 4-hour ordeal. It's a long day, but we get a lot accomplished. However, there is one thing that happens during each outing that makes for a very unpleasant experience: the checkout.
I was green before green was even a movement. I bought my first canvas bags from an online catalog and paid $10 each. Now, you can find them for a buck or two at most grocery or drug stores. And, for our Wal-mart shop-o-rama days, I bought dozens of canvas bags for all the groceries. I even made sure to purchase Wal-mart's specially-branded, reusable bags for our trips so there wouldn't be a problem.
Unfortunately, although Wal-mart talks green, that talk isn't making it to their front line workers. Each time we set our canvas bags at the bagging station, the attitude begins. Cashiers start slamming things around and making sour faces. Many try to only put a few items in each bag so they'll use up our bags faster and be able to revert to the familiarity of their usual plastic bags. However, this week, the unhappiness reached a downright unacceptable level.
"I hate these bags," the cashier said. "These make extra work for us. I can't stand using these." And on, and on, and on. I kid you not. We spent nearly $500 dollars on groceries and had to endure a non-stop rant about what annoying customers we were.
Lots of marketing dollars are being tossed around these days so companies can hop on the green bandwagon. However, unless businesses throw an employee engagement component into the mix, the message is doomed.
Employees are the ones who are ultimately responsible for delivering and enforcing the message. And when an employee says, and I quote, "I don't care about the environment, I'll be dead before there's a problem," how can I believe that a company is really advocating environmental change and responsibility?
I was green before green was even a movement. I bought my first canvas bags from an online catalog and paid $10 each. Now, you can find them for a buck or two at most grocery or drug stores. And, for our Wal-mart shop-o-rama days, I bought dozens of canvas bags for all the groceries. I even made sure to purchase Wal-mart's specially-branded, reusable bags for our trips so there wouldn't be a problem.
Unfortunately, although Wal-mart talks green, that talk isn't making it to their front line workers. Each time we set our canvas bags at the bagging station, the attitude begins. Cashiers start slamming things around and making sour faces. Many try to only put a few items in each bag so they'll use up our bags faster and be able to revert to the familiarity of their usual plastic bags. However, this week, the unhappiness reached a downright unacceptable level.
"I hate these bags," the cashier said. "These make extra work for us. I can't stand using these." And on, and on, and on. I kid you not. We spent nearly $500 dollars on groceries and had to endure a non-stop rant about what annoying customers we were.
Lots of marketing dollars are being tossed around these days so companies can hop on the green bandwagon. However, unless businesses throw an employee engagement component into the mix, the message is doomed.
Employees are the ones who are ultimately responsible for delivering and enforcing the message. And when an employee says, and I quote, "I don't care about the environment, I'll be dead before there's a problem," how can I believe that a company is really advocating environmental change and responsibility?
Organic farmers need a PR firm
Yesterday, it was all over the news. Organic food is not more nutritional than "normal" food. Who thought it was? Well, apparently many people did.
What makes food organic is that it is free of artificial food additives, pesticides, and other processes that do not occur in nature (e.g. chemical ripening, genetic modification, etc.). Many organic farmers also take the extra step to ensure all their food is produced using energy-efficient technologies or packaged in biodegradable materials. If any animals are involved, they are allowed to live comfortable, natural lives instead of enduring the misery that comes with today's factory farm. The motto of the organic food enthusiast: know your farmer, know your food.
Organic food gives consumers the chance to purchase products that are produced with a conscience—showing respect for our planet and the animals with whom we share the Earth. That is what makes food organic. And, although, organically-produced food isn't more nutritional, per se; it definitely doesn't hurt that consumers can avoid the ingestion of chemicals that may not fully wash off their food.
These are all great selling points. The organic farmers have a great story to tell, but apparently they need a little help from Corporate America to do it. A good PR firm could clarify the message to consumers and tout the real benefits of organic food. It's not a hard sell. Who wouldn't want to buy food that was produced in an ethical, safe, and compassionate manner?
What makes food organic is that it is free of artificial food additives, pesticides, and other processes that do not occur in nature (e.g. chemical ripening, genetic modification, etc.). Many organic farmers also take the extra step to ensure all their food is produced using energy-efficient technologies or packaged in biodegradable materials. If any animals are involved, they are allowed to live comfortable, natural lives instead of enduring the misery that comes with today's factory farm. The motto of the organic food enthusiast: know your farmer, know your food.
Organic food gives consumers the chance to purchase products that are produced with a conscience—showing respect for our planet and the animals with whom we share the Earth. That is what makes food organic. And, although, organically-produced food isn't more nutritional, per se; it definitely doesn't hurt that consumers can avoid the ingestion of chemicals that may not fully wash off their food.
These are all great selling points. The organic farmers have a great story to tell, but apparently they need a little help from Corporate America to do it. A good PR firm could clarify the message to consumers and tout the real benefits of organic food. It's not a hard sell. Who wouldn't want to buy food that was produced in an ethical, safe, and compassionate manner?
When the birthday freebie fails to deliver
Many restaurants readily embrace the birthday discount. Some give you a free dessert and others give you a BOGO (buy one, get one) coupon. Not everyone does it, but the ones who do generally understand the value of goodwill and positive word of mouth. Creating a good memory at their establishment on your birthday will only make you want to return for another special occasion, right? The answer should be yes, but my answer is an unequivocal no.
One of the sweetest freebies you can get on your birthday is a free ice cream cone at Baskin-Robbins. You have to sign up in advance on their website, but after that they send you a coupon for a cone. Last year, I got a scoop of Cotton Candy ice cream at my local 31 Flavors. The clerk said, "Happy birthday!" and handed it to me with a big smile. Mission accomplished—a warm and fuzzy feeling about Baskin-Robbins and the desire to encourage everyone I knew to go try the new flavor. This year, however, was a much different story.
I went to another store in my neighborhood and ordered a new flavor of sherbet. I took my cone and handed the woman the coupon before she approached the cash register. She promptly said, "Why didn't you show me this before? The cone I gave you is too big." I replied, "I'm sorry, it says a free scoop and I only got a scoop. What do you mean it's too big?" She snapped that the coupon was for a 2.5 ounce scoop and she gave me 4 ounces. "Huh?" I said. "It says a scoop and that's what I ordered. If you think you gave me too much, I guess you can take this back and give me less." The woman did just that.
She returned to the counter with my cone, however, instead of giving me a new scoop, she had scraped away sherbet from the sides and the top of my original ice cream cone. It was all lopsided and looked like someone already had their way with it. I said to her, "You know, this is supposed to be good PR for you. It's stupid to alienate a customer by giving me something that looks like this." Her response? "You're stupid for not telling me." Excuse me???? I'm stupid? Wow, happy birthday to me!
In short, I vowed never to return.
The moral of the story: Birthday promotions are smart marketing and can create brand loyalty that lasts a lifetime. Scolding a customer and calling her stupid can cause you to lose that customer and dozens more who will undoubtedly hear the tale. It's Marketing 101. I suggest you teach that to your franchisees, Baskin-Robbins.
The legacy of Billy Mays
I know it has been two weeks since Billy Mays passed away, but I still miss him. He was the most credible and captivating pitchman that ever was. If Billy said a product worked, I knew it did. Today TMZ released a copy of a yet-to-be-seen Billy Mays commercial. It was so good to see Billy in action again as he trumpeted the benefits of Mighty Tape, a self-fusing, silicone rubber tape that withstands heat, cold, and whatever Billy throws at it. It even works underwater! Now if anyone besides Billy told me that, I'd call them a liar.
With Billy gone, who will the world turn to for the latest cleaning and maintenance products? The only other guy out there pitching stuff is the ShamWow guy, Vince Shlomi. However, Vince is hardly the voice of authority and his recent arrest for punching a hooker didn't really help his image. But, in his defense, she was trying to bite off his tongue.
Billy Mays was one-of-a-kind and I doubt any of us with drawers full of Fix-it and Mighty Mendit will ever embrace another pitchman the way we did Billy. He was even buried in a shirt with the OxiClean logo on it. Now, that's loyalty. That's Billy Mays.
Does sex sell?
Today, ABC News wrote an article about sex being used to sell food. We've all seen the TV commercials laden with innuendo. Do people really want a burger because Paris Hilton is washing a car or Audrina Patridge is wearing a shiny bathing suit? I mean, she's fake eating. The only thing she really puts in her mouth is the pineapple.
I know these commercials aren't aimed at me. They're trying to target the single bachelor who is motivated by this approach. But, interestingly enough, I read not too long ago that Carl Karcher, Carl's Jr.'s conservative and religious founder who was ousted as CEO in 1993, had become dismayed over how the company was being marketed. Not that he had any say at that point (and certainly not now, since he passed away in 2008).
Although "Happy Star" is still on the Carl's Jr. logo, I suppose his time as a working mascot is long gone. I mean, how hot can Happy look in a skimpy bikini?
I know these commercials aren't aimed at me. They're trying to target the single bachelor who is motivated by this approach. But, interestingly enough, I read not too long ago that Carl Karcher, Carl's Jr.'s conservative and religious founder who was ousted as CEO in 1993, had become dismayed over how the company was being marketed. Not that he had any say at that point (and certainly not now, since he passed away in 2008).
Although "Happy Star" is still on the Carl's Jr. logo, I suppose his time as a working mascot is long gone. I mean, how hot can Happy look in a skimpy bikini?
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