Browsing Tag

shopping

Old School Marketing for Social Media Type Stuff

So I went to check the mail the other day and yet again some random person put something in my “please pick my mail, OH Mr. Attentive Postman Person flag”.    Normally all of the unwanted hang tags and cards go straight to the trash.   The main driver is these are typically for services I already have a vendor of choice for or I don’t need any trees trimmed, wouldn’t even imagine why painting my walls with toddlers/kids and I am pretty sure I don’t need any more Pampered Chef items, but this one was different – it was for a blog (http://www.theredneckreview.com/).  So I didn’t throw it away instead I took a photo and decided to write a little.

Promotion is Hard Work

photo.jpg

Who WOULDN’T give this sorry little cartoon character a minute and turn over the card, so I did on the way to the garbage can – stop not a service provider, a writer!  Come to find out it is a blogger, trying to sell his wares sorta door-to-door in a bad economy.  How bad?  Well apparently beef jerky bad.

photo.jpg by you.

In the end, social media isn’t killing old ways of doing things it is only changing how/where we do it.    As marketers, we will continue to create content, continue to advertise and we will continue to be challenged to covert interest into motivation to buy.   Buyers are people and the more you can touch them the better, so integrating your online channels with the real-world marketing is an imperative for your brand.   I know this is pretty self-evident, but I’m always a little amazed at how hard it is find a product’s website on their advertising and packaging, but Brent Basham gets it – no single channel is independent or works in today’s marketplace.

So a brand managers, find a way to get your online identity on packaging and all advertising.  As product owners we need to find a way to get your product’s story integrated into as many of the online activities/channels as possible.

April 9, 2009 by
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MiniCarts: Thank you smart person

photo.jpg by you.

I’ve seen the half carts in numerous places, I vaguely remember them from a European shopping experience or I imagined it.  I for some reason always equate useful, small and smart with European not sure why.  Regardless it is perfect for a quick trip which has awkward sized items not good for a basket – like 2 gallons of milk, 1 gallon of Soy Milk, 1 big apple juice a, bananas and cereal.

From a financial perspective, I’m pretty sure I spent more than I would have with a basket so it appears to be a good share of wallet decision as well.  Give ’em a shot – easier to maneuver and better than the little baskets without a doubt.

February 4, 2009 by
(3)

Brand Damage? A Wal-Mart use case

Wal-Mart is a great brand which seems impervious to damage, almost Teflon coated like the skillets you can find in aisle 6 in housewares.  Low Prices as a brand promise appears to not only be valid in tough economic times, but also in not so tough.  I know their tagline is different, but the promise is the same.

The recent Black Friday death and miscarriage in a Wal-Mart store more than likely will have no impact on the choices consumers make, neither will the numerous YouTube videos about the incident.  Wonder why that is? Is consumerism solely price based?  A professor I had would say that price is the biggest P, as a product guy I think Product is, but we all have our own view.

Can a Wal-Mart avoid damage to their brand over the recent events?  Sure they can – the brand’s value has to be like eleventy billion dollars and most folks care only about what is in it for them more so than how things are working out overall.   Think about it – Wal-Mart has had a Wal-Mart sucks movie made about it, nasty t-shirts abound and countless discussions have been had about the ruining of main street America based on it’s geographic focused site selection and extended assortment of goods which no mom and pop retailer can counter, in price, service or in value.

photo by you.

As an aside, service doesn’t appear to be that important to the US shopper, but in other markets it does and the Wal-Mart brand doesn’t “live” in other markets.  Wonder why?

What is kind of interesting is that in more conscious based markets, like the EU, Wal-Mart is a different brand – ASDA and their message is more or less – We are your friend, let’s do good together.  In fact their tagline is People, Prices, Planet – completely different promise than Wal-Mart, below are some shots I took about a year ago while in the UK to back it up.  I knew I took these for some reason…

IMG00134 by you.

ASDA is also service focused, there are more associates in any given ASDA I have been in that most Wal-Mart’s I’ve entered and they even want to make sure your car works, as you can see from this sign from the car park of an ASDA in Preston, UK:

IMG00133 by you.

I guess in the end, a well developed brand can avoid most situational brand blights, as long as they deliver on the promise they make to the marketplace.  Wal-mart never said they were going to help your town, keep you safe while shopping or provide you assistance in the parking lot – only that you Save Money and Live Better.

PLEASE NOTE: Live Better apparently doesn’t mean you will survive a shopping experience/day at work.

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November 29, 2008 by
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