75% Off Bunion Removal in Manhattan

by Lauren on Tuesday, May 29th, 2012 in brand | loyalty | Marketing | product - (0 Comments)

From a fancy dinner for two to a luxurious mani/pedi, I’ve taken advantage of the fantastic deals that Groupon highlights each day. However, while I sipped my morning coffee this morning, I stumbled upon the latest offering from the e-coupon giant: 75% off bunion removal in Manhattan.

Sure, New Yorkers do walk a lot and many likely suffer from foot ailments from time to time. However, I see a major problem with this: a hip, e-couponing company like Groupon is missing an opportunity to build its brand by curating deals that will resonate with its audience and show that they understand their needs. If Groupon knew its audience better, I wouldn’t have spilled my coffee in a fit of disgust and confusion this morning.

It wouldn’t be difficult for the company to learn a bit about me. I’d like to receive offers for discounted theater tickets or passes to a museum or a special tasting menu at an exclusive restaurant in Greenwich Village. By paying attention to my search history on the website, it is guaranteed that Groupon would see that I frequently peruse deals related to restaurants and events. I stay away from “deals” related to teeth drilling, skin biopsies, eye exams, etc.

In this case, the data was available but Groupon failed to listen to its customer. Perhaps I’ll see what Living Social has available today.

 

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Back to School

by Melissa on Monday, May 21st, 2012 in brand | Marketing | media | moms | product - (0 Comments)

Recently I had the pleasure of attending the Word of Mouth Marketing Association’s WOMM-U conference in Chicago.  I joined several sessions on different topics ranging from content marketing tools and an approach to content creation by Second City that uses improv, to strategies for embedding social across the enterprise and various ways to drive engagement (contests, reviews, etc.).

Overall, a very interesting if somewhat predictable couple of days.  The speakers were smart, for the most part engaging and focused on topics of use for those in attendance – other marketers.  Highlights include:

  • A session on content marketing tools which played out a bit too much like a sales pitch.
  • A look into how Whole Foods manages employee ownership of and participation in social media at a local and regional level.  The approach is organic and refreshing.
  • A sweepstakes case study from Jackson Hewitt – This is how they do it!
  • An honest and engaging session featuring the Whirlpool Moms/Mom Central laundry review program (disclosure: this is a Peppercom client)
  • Finally, we listened to Paul Adams of Facebook describe five major shifts that are affecting marketing.

Interestingly, no matter what the topic the key takeaway was this: driving consideration and advocacy is still all about connections and building relationships.  We here at About You wholeheartedly agree. No matter the platform, the topic or the audience, establishing that common ground is the key to success. Now go make some friends.

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Moms to Advertisers: The Shoe Don’t Fit

by Maggie on Friday, May 4th, 2012 in brand | children | loyalty | moms - (0 Comments)

Fifty years ago, Marketing to Moms was perceivably simple. Based on historic icons and a few episodes of Mad Men, reaching moms was one dimensional and focused purely on making June Cleaver’s life easier. Now, the women of that time may disagree about the singular dimension approach, but it worked. And it worked well for large ad agencies relying on piles of research to identify the singular mom audience. Not anymore.

According to a recent blog from EmpowHER, 91% of women feel that advertisers do not understand her. The problem here is that “her” is more multi-dimensional than ever, and old research methods and blanket ad campaigns are just not getting it. Marketers today need to be more nimble and have honest dialogues with their female consumers. The secret sauce that worked to sell home appliances to the perfect housewife now involves 25+ recipes to reach the moms of today. Let’s start with the basics – there are single moms, divorced moms, married moms, moms by mistake, grandmoms being moms, moms to pets, etc. Then we get into situation analysis like the miserable moms, the perfect moms (or they think they are), the active moms and more. So how can one brand or agency claim to be able to reach this moving target?

Listening is the first step and recognizing that no amount of expensive research can uncover what honest conversations can. Second is having these conversations where your consumer is and not forcing them to come to your sandbox. For example, last year Frito-Lay made great strides communicating their healthy brand promise by partnering with Farmville to let social gamers learn about the ingredients in their products. And it worked. And finally, it has to be authentic. Let’s be honest, Kelly Ripa doing laundry and cooking with her Electrolux appliances is about as un-authentic as you can get (at least in this blogger’s mind). Why not show real women – and all types– struggling with daily chores, re-heating the takeout and running to Home Depot to fix things herself.

Agencies that continue to target just June Cleaver are not only getting left behind, but ignored by moms and trampled on by other, more authentic brands. They can’t see themselves in June’s shoes and they are letting brands know this loud and clear. Remember, hell hath no fury…

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Customer Service Whack-a-Mole

by Lauren on Monday, April 30th, 2012 in airlines | brand - (0 Comments)

As a PR practitioner and a consumer, I have had the opportunity to experience customer service issues from both sides of the fence. What I’ve seen over the past few years is a major shift in the ways people complain and the ways brands respond, particularly through social media. Rather than sitting on the customer service 1-800 line, customers are taking to Twitter, Facebook or other online platforms to make their dissatisfaction known. In return, brands jump through hoops to quiet the complaints by hitting them with discounts, coupons or other incentives. In the words of JetBlue’s Morgan Johnston, “It’s like playing customer service Whack-a-Mole.”

When dealing with a stressful issue – like a broken oven hours before a dinner party or a delayed flight when trying to make a business meeting — it is easy to turn to your smart phone to send a tweet demanding an immediate response and solution. It’s human nature to vent, but social media has made it easy to turn your complaint into an announcement through a bull horn.

On the other hand, brands often have communications or marketing professionals manning the social media channels. These folks are sometimes unequipped to provide immediate help depending on the complaint. To appease the customer in the meantime, brands dole out coupon codes or a special perk in hopes of quieting the complaints or, better yet, generating a positive response from the customer to their followers and friends.

Brands have set the expectation for consumers who now think that if they shout the loudest online, they will receive extra special treatment. The problem here is twofold. First, brands have forgotten that the customer doesn’t distinguish the marketing department from the customer service department from the CEO. When they engage with a brand either in store, through the customer service line or the Twitter account, they see a singular entity. Second, some brands have lost sight of the fact that they must treat the illness not the symptom. Organizations need to track customer service issues, no matter if they come from in-store, call centers, social media or otherwise, and make an effort to correct issues internally. This will ensure far fewer complaints overall because the root of the problem will no longer be an issue.

It is essential for brands and organizations to keep their audiences’ experience in mind when engaging with them online. When customer service issues arise, make sure that you are asking the right questions to gather as much information as possible and let the individual know that they are being taken care of. Have a solid communications policy and process in place for circulating customer service issues internally. When possible, provide status updates; this can help curb any follow-up questions and will show how the brand is a valuable resource. Ultimately, both brands and consumers will need to rethink the role of social media in the customer service process.

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The “Place” to Stay

by Melissa on Monday, April 16th, 2012 in airlines | brand | food/bev | loyalty | travel - (0 Comments)

Last week I traveled to a small town in Tennessee.  The easiest way to get there was to fly into Atlanta and drive two and a half hours. Fun right?  On the night we were to fly home  home, we were delayed departing said small town
and had to stay overnight at a hotel close to the airport in Atlanta.  My only request?  That we stay at a “real” hotel.  By real hotel, I mean a hotel with dining and imbibing options that extend beyond powdered continental breakfast eggs and vending machines.  Someone back in the office booked us into the Hyatt which was much appreciated.  I was thrilled – until we pulled up and saw that this was a Hyatt Place. Now, I do not have anything against convenient and affordable options a la Holiday Inn Express and Comfort Suites but it had been a long two days and I was looking forward to a decent meal and a glass or two of drinkable vino.  Well imagine my delight when I walked into a shockingly stylish lobby which boasted 24 hour food options and a small bar. Who knew? Someone apparently did because the place was packed and a post stay search revealed that Hyatt Place boasts more than 58,000 likes on Facebook.

Perhaps I just haven’t noticed the marketing associated with Hyatt Place before, but I was not only satisfied with what I found, but feel that the brand’s messaging was spot on – Welcome to a different place. Because you deserve to have access to everything you need 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The café’s signage and menus catered to the business traveler touting that just because you arrive and depart at off-peak hours you don’t have to eat chips from the vending machine, dream about a cold beer or wait until you arrive at the airport for a hot cup of coffee on your way to a 6am flight.

Keep up the good work, Hyatt Place – I will be back!  Two suggestions:

  1. While the front desk/wait staff are personable and efficient, managing front desk duties, take-out orders and the bar can be challenging and somewhat frustrating for bar/café patrons.  Give these guys some help!
  2. Continue to differentiate yourselves from the pack with great amenities, stylish surroundings and your marketing communications. As a frequent business traveler, I was unaware of what was available to me and wrongly assumed you were just like everyone else.
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Depend Diapers – The New SPANX?

by Kaitlin on Friday, April 13th, 2012 in brand | entertainment | product | retail | wellness - (0 Comments)

Can Lisa Rinna and Patriots Football players actually make the taboo adult diaper sexy? Well Kimberly-Clarke seems to think so! To market their new line of Depend® diapers, appropriately being called Depend® Silhouette for Women and Real Fit for Men, Kimberly-Clarke has enlisted the help of 48-year-old Rinna and 3 (young) Patriots Football players to appear in their new ad campaigns.

Here’s the catch, none of these celebrity spokespeople actually suffer from urinary incontinence and have no medical need to be wearing the diaper, but all agreed to participate in a stunt campaign to benefit select charities.

The ads also encourage consumers to go to Depend’s website, The Great American Try-On, to request a free sample; not that you actually need to order one. By going to the site and answering a few basic questions about the new diapers, Depend will support The V Foundation for Cancer Research and Dress For Success women’s charity by donating money in return.

So will this marketing ploy actually help reach a new type of audience that, according to the Today Show (see video), has needed help for a while? Baby Boomers, like Kris Jenner,  are rapidly reaching the age where this product could be a necessity. So, the answer is probably yes, I mean they got me talking about it! However, it is also a bit disturbing. Kimberly-Clarke is marketing this diaper as a SPANX-type product, which will serve a younger, cooler audience and not just your grandparents. But the question remains, if you’re not wetting your pants yet, why would you need a diaper? I think I’ll stick with SPANX for now.

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BeCAUSE it speaks to you

by Sara on Wednesday, April 11th, 2012 in brand | loyalty | media - (1 Comments)

Cause marketing spending continues to rise as more and more brands recognize that consumers want to support a company that does good. That’s a strong phrase and one that’s left to interpretation.
I love cause marketing and I love helping my clients find the right cause for their brand. What I don’t love is a common phrase I hear, “We want to support the right cause. But it can’t be too depressing…too heavy.”

This bothers me on many levels, and reminds me of a great blog post I read on The Huffington Post written by Joe Waters of Selfishgiving.com. Joe offers some well-aimed advice on how to choose the right cause. His point to avoid being too matchy-matchy in choosing a cause is refreshing.

And while I do think the cause should align with the brand persona and the core values of the organization, there are two things I’d like brands to also consider:

1. Look Within: The key to an effective cause program is authenticity. Sure, being authentic to the brand is important, but being authentic to the culture of the organization – which is made up of its employees – should also weigh into the decision-making process. Especially if you’re hoping this will resonate with customers AND engage employees. Prior to latching onto a cause, it’s good form to find out what your employees care about; what they want to champion and what they will rally around.

2. Don’t Shy Away from “Unpopular” Causes: Part of the definition of authentic is realistic. And the truth is that heavy and depressing things happen. It’s impossible to know exactly what life circumstances every one of your customers has experienced. But, there are a whole slew of people who would champion a brand that is championing an unpopular or heavy cause, because ultimately it’s about doing good. If that cause also happens to hold meaning with the organization’s employees, all the better.
Other CSR and cause research shows that while consumers are willing to support brands that fight for a cause, they also find it hard to understand or – in some cases – believe what the organization is doing. If more brands follow the tenets above, and the advice of Joe Waters, that tide just might change.

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2 Days in Seattle

by Rebecca on Monday, April 9th, 2012 in travel | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

I recently spent some time in Seattle. While there (and actually, while on my way there via some lovely outdoor advertising at the Montgomery Street BART station) I noticed a new tourism campaign called 2 Days in Seattle. As someone who enjoys traveling, I’ve always thought it would be interesting to work on a marketing campaign for a destination: a resort, city or country. If you look closely, though, you may notice that two destinations can be completely different – but promote themselves in almost the exact same way.

Go on. Take a look.

What did you see? You likely came across a beautiful website with stunning photography, a rave review from an elected official or celebrity (ahem, California. You know I love you, but it’s time for a re-fresh) and an exhaustive list of hotels, restaurants and attractions. Before your vacation has begun, it’s possible the folks trying to get you there have already overwhelmed you.

Then there’s Seattle. The crew in charge of getting people like you to visit created a new way to let people explore the city on their own. It’s all about being able to customize your own itinerary by hearing from other visitors. The site centers on an interactive map that features not only selected hot spots but tweets, photos and other feedback from real visitors. Sure, these visitors were food, wine, arts and culture experts who received a free trip to the Emerald City, but according to the site there were no organized events, press junkets or other forced tours anywhere. The goal is that this interactive map acts as a “living, breathing insiders’ guide to Seattle.” You can scroll through previous visitors’ tweets and take inspiration from previous visitors’ experiences. When you’re ready, you can jump to Seattle’s official tourism site at VisitSeattle.org and look at the shiny pictures and get more information. And, what’s really cool is that you can add your own tweets after your visit.

I like this idea and hope some of the destinations I have on my list soon follow suit.

2 (more) days in Seattle? Yes, please.

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The New ‘Ranch Dressing’

by Jason on Friday, April 6th, 2012 in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

It’s more versatile than salad dressing and more processed than pink slime; it’s Velveeta. And it could be (read: hopefully not) lurking around the corner to club ranch dressing over the head.

As a consumer, this is a nightmare scenario that became all too real after reading about ranch dressing-producer Hidden Valley’s new ad campaign. The slogan emblazoned on each bottle of Hidden Valley ranch is “The New ‘Ketchup’.” I, for one, am hoping that no one in the Velveeta science lab caught wind of Hidden Valley’s entirely unsurprising reasoning for its coup on America’s favorite condiment. Hidden Valley says about 15% of ranch dressing is used on foods other than salad and vegetables. Moreover, market research firm, NPD Group, pinpointed chicken, potatoes (including French fries), sandwiches, chips, and pizza as the most popular items to be smothered with a combination of dry seasonings, milk and mayonnaise.

After years of guerrilla warfare, Hidden Valley has taken ranch dressing’s battle for condiment supremacy to the front lines. Putting the clear consequences associated with a more broad use of ranch dressing aside, you have to credit Hidden Valley for zeroing in on and exploiting their audiences’ perception of its product. Their ad campaign speaks to experiences that consumers, mostly in the south, have every day and it proves the company is listening. I won’t be ordering a side of ranch with my Belgian frites, but it is a brilliant campaign.

Any communications or marketing campaign that resonates with a company’s customers, while attracting new ones, has to be grounded in genuine feedback. And my guess is that current Velveeta customers are eager to ladle or squirt its product onto more meals. Data consistently shows Americans care less and less about their health and what they eat. Velveeta has to see this as an opportunity!

Why stop at Velveeta Cheesy skillets – boxes of dried pasta, seasonings and pouches of liquid Velveeta sauce to which consumers can add meat and cook over the stove? Is what I would be thinking after the first major Velveeta product since 1984, against all odds and sound logic, has not coagulated since arriving on supermarket shelves in July. According to the Wall Street Journal, “the skillets captured more than 8% of the overall $138 million dry dinner mix category” after three months and Kraft’s Velveeta convenient meals business has realized a 40% bounce over the same time span.

If Kraft starts paying more attention to customer experiences and pairs that knowledge with its market research, then you may find yourself reaching for a bottle of molten pasteurized prepared cheese product with “The New ‘Ranch Dressing’” on the label sooner than you think.

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Visual Blast in a Glass

by Sarah on Thursday, April 5th, 2012 in brand | media | product | retail - (0 Comments)

Yesterday, Google unveiled its latest project: glasses.  But these are not just any old glasses; they are futuristic augmented reality glasses.  By slipping these bad boys on you are able to keep your hands free from technology devices like a smartphone or tablet, but still stay connected as graphics pop up on a small screen a few inches from your right eye.

Google is a big believer that technology should work for you, the consumer, to be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don’t.  With that being said the glasses have a built-in camera to record what the wearer is looking at and then uses the images to find relevant information about what is being observed, which is then displayed on the glasses’ lens. So say you head to the subway but it is out of service, you can ask for walking directions and the glasses will pull up a 3-D map and provide you with step by step directions.

Want to check in on FourSquare, Skype with you friend or take a picture of what you are currently looking at and upload to Twitter? Well, you can do that too, and you won’t have long to wait.  Google expects the glasses to hit the market by end of year and will only set you back $250-$600.

These glasses sound great and all, but when does technology become too much and, have we really become that lazy, that we would rather be bombarded by images all day than hold our cell phone? Others seem to agree, judging by the amount of spoofs on YouTube today.

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