Borders To Back Customers' Resolutions With Free Events

MediaPost Publications, December 31, 2007 — BORDERS WILL OFFER FREE EVENTS in its stores throughout January that will include wellness fairs, yoga classes, singles nights, fitness and recreation clinics and seminars on diet options.

"Since January and the New Year is a time when people are focused on making changes in their lifestyle, finances, professional life or love life, we thought it's a great time to help our customers by offering the resources and tools to help them reach their goals," says spokesperson Kolleen O'Meara.

From Fashion to Gaming: What's Hot for '08†

Adweek, December 31, 2007 — In a world where Tay Zonday is the best thing to happen to Dr Pepper since its 1970s' "Be a Pepper" campaign, it can be hard to predict which ads consumers will like and which they'll hate. But knowing which trends will take off can help guide you in the right direction. Some have yet to gel, while others—those featured in our "10 Trends of 2007" [Adweek, Dec. 17]—we predict will get even stronger.

Press Releases Designed Without the Press in Mind†

Brandweek, December 31, 2007 — The two-minute video offers a primer on identity theft. As grainy B-roll footage shows a man getting into a car at a dealership, a smooth-talking narrator notes that car dealerships are one area where identity thieves “apply their trade.”

The New Brand Ambassadors†

Adweek, December 31, 2007 — Remember when citizen journalism was a novel idea? Now, average people armed with video cameras, laptops and mobile phones routinely cover everything from flood and fires to violence on the streets of Myanmar. Combine this do-it-yourself movement with the idea that every thought and personal event is Facebook-worthy, and it makes sense that citizen marketing is the newest form of consumer activism—one looked at by marketers as a potential holy grail.

Word-of-mouth Marketing: Budget Increases Speak Volumes About W-O-M†

Brandweek, December 31, 2007 — Pssst. Word-of-mouth marketing is spreading. Pass it on. How "loud" has this category become? W-O-M marketing is projected to hit $1.3 billion this year, up almost 33% from $981 million in 2006, per PQ Media, Stamford, Conn. And the word is definitely spreading: Spending is expected to triple by 2011.

Blogging’s a Low-Cost, High Return Marketing Tool

Although small businesses with blogs are still a distinct minority, blogging can be a low-cost way to market and boost a small company’s brand.

New York Times, December 27, 2007 — To its true believers at small businesses, it is a low-cost, high-return tool that can handle marketing and public relations, raise the company profile and build the brand.

That tool is blogging, though small businesses with blogs are still a distinct minority. A recent American Express survey found that only 5 percent of businesses with fewer than 100 employees have blogs. Other experts put the number slightly higher.

But while blogs may be useful to many more small businesses, even blogging experts do not recommend it for the majority.

Shifting Coupons, From Clip and Save to Point and Click

Coupon lovers, take heart. The era of waiting, scissors in hand, for the Sunday newspaper circular is over.

New York Times, December 27, 2007 — COUPON lovers, take heart. The era of waiting, scissors in hand, for the Sunday newspaper circular is over.

On Jan. 3, Valassis Communications, which distributes paper coupons for products like Eggo waffles and Dr Pepper cola, will take a giant leap onto the Internet by introducing a portal for coupons called RedPlum.com. Until now, Valassis had distributed coupons primarily through newspaper inserts and snail mail envelopes.

Loyalty Points That Buy A Night With John Travolta†

As Guests Build Big Balances, Hotels Expand Their Rewards Way Beyond Free Lodgings

Wall Street Journal, December 26, 2007 — For 124,000 Starwood Hotels & Resorts points, Michael and Georgia Soares might have spent six nights in Paris at Starwood's Hotel Prince de Galles on the Champs-Elysees. Instead, the Southern California couple used their hotel points to spend one night with John Travolta and the cast of the movie "Hairspray" at the film's New York premiere.

10 Ways to Make the New Year Happy†

The Future May Look Bleak for CMOs, but It Doesn't Have to Be

Advertising Age, December 21, 2007 — The start of a new year is always a good time to reflect on the past and think about the future. But for CMOs, this end-of-the-year taking stock quickly puts a damper on holiday celebrations.

CMO tenure remains depressingly low, marketing effectiveness has been disappointing and CEOs are all too quick to notice poor results.

We feel your pain. To help brighten your outlook on the year ahead, we compiled a list of the top 10 things CMOs can do to dramatically help themselves, their brands and their companies

New Marketing Style: Clicks and Mortar†

Web-Style Testimonials Hit Traditional Retail; Cherry-Picking Praise

Wall Street Journal, December 21, 2007 — Among the new features that stores are trotting out this year to help shoppers decide what to buy: testimonials from other customers. Taking a page from the e-commerce world, companies including Cabela's and Staples are featuring endorsements from shoppers in their product displays. People who visit one of Cabela's 26 stores can see a sign for a Texsport combination fan and light.

Kiwi Goes Beyond Shine†

Wall Street Journal, December 20, 2007 — For a century, Kiwi shoe polish remained pretty much the same — just over one ounce of colored wax in a palm-size tin embossed with the image of a kiwi bird.

But about two years ago, Sara Lee Corp., whose predecessor company, Consolidated Foods Corp., acquired the brand in 1984, interviewed 3,500 people in eight countries about their shoe-care needs. What it learned was "a shocker," says Kiwi President Paco Casa: People don't care nearly as much about the shine on their shoes as they do about how fresh and comfortable they are on the inside. On a list of more than 20 attributes people desired in their shoes, shine ranked merely 17th.

Latest Luxury: The Store Concierge†

Retailers Kick It Up a Notch To Coddle Affluent Clientele

Wall Street Journal, December 20, 2007 — Not long ago, Mark Krug, a concierge at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, dealt with a panicked hotel guest who had arrived at 10 p.m. in an irreparably ripped pair of pants.

The executive had an important business meeting the next morning and needed new slacks to match his suit jacket. Mr. Krug knew exactly what to do. He dialed the cell phone of the concierge at the Dallas store of luxury retailer Barneys New York. The concierge, Gary Jackson, who goes by the name Jackson, opened the locked store, scooped up some potential selections and brought them to the hotel by 11 p.m.

"It made us look good and it gave Barneys fantastic customer loyalty," say Mr. Krug. "I call what Jackson does 'making magic.' "

More Teens Create, Share Online Material as "Multichannel Teen" Emerges

Marketing Charts, December 20, 2007 — Content creation by teenagers continues to grow, with 64% of online teenagers ages 12 to 17 engaging in at least one type of content creation, up from 57% of online teens in 2004, according to a new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Outdoor Advertising: A New Look

You ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.

eMarketer, December 20, 2007 — Outdoor advertising has been around as long as advertising itself, but the old medium is showing new life. In fact, as digital, video and wireless technologies redefine the sector over the next few years, out-of-home will rank second only to Internet advertising in ad spending growth.

Social Media Future Bright, Challenging

What's the best way to market to a billion users?

eMarketer, December 19, 2007 — Social media applications will attract over one billion broadband users within five years, according to Strategy Analytics' "The People's Revolution: Implications of Web 2.0 and Social Media Applications" report.

The State of Innovation

It's not just a buzzword—three recent surveys find innovation is still a high priority with a majority of executives across industries and across the world

BusinessWeek, December 19, 2007 — For most business leaders, the dusk of 2007 is a time of transition and, well, uncertainty: Will the U.S. dollar continue its slide? How deeply will the problems of the home mortgage market affect the broader international economy? Do China, Google (GOOG), and the next presidential administration pose threats or opportunities?

But when it comes to "innovation," there is at least some agreement among senior executives. This year, surveys from three leading consultancies—Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey & Company, and Booz Allen Hamilton—show innovation remains a high priority for most corporate leaders around the world. There's consensus across industries that innovation is a key growth driver. Unfortunately, the surveys also reflect a broad belief... continue reading

CMO Issues That Just Won't Die†

Advertising Age, December 18, 2007 — From Tenure to Green Marketing to Consumer Control — Expect More of the Same in '08

Ad Spending On Social Networks Will Continue To Grow In '08

MediaPost Publications, December 17, 2007 — AD SPENDING ON ONLINE SOCIAL networks worldwide will nearly double, to $2.2 billion in 2008 from $1.2 billion this year, according to an eMarketer study being released today.

Most spending will come from the U.S., where social network advertising is projected to grow to $1.6 billion next year, from $920 million in 2007. MySpace and Facebook dominate U.S. social network advertising, claiming 70% of ad dollars.

That's still a fraction of overall U.S. online advertising, which eMarketer estimates will hit $21.4 billion this year.

Stories of the Year†

Plus Marketing Follies

Advertising Age, December 17, 2007 — There were plenty of real, market-shifting stories this year, ranging from Rupert Murdoch's Dow Jones play to Facebook to the unstoppable rise of digital.

Trends to Watch in 2008†

Plus Micro Trends That Will Affect America in 2008

Advertising Age, December 17, 2007 — The ANA's Bob Liodice looks at 10 trends marketers need to stay on top of, from surviving slowing growth, rising fuel costs and tightening credit to evolving compensation models.

Will a Twist on an Old Vow Deliver for Domino's Pizza?†

Wall Street Journal, December 17, 2007 — ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It's been 14 years since Domino's last promised to deliver a pizza to someone's door within 30 minutes, but that pledge is still stuck in many customers' heads. Now, the chain is trying to hearken back to that hardy ad campaign — this time without getting sued.

Narrative Branding Fixes Company In Consumer's Mind

MediaPost Publications, December 14, 2007 — ADVERTISING AGENCIES AND MARKETING FIRMS have stepped back to a Stone Age technique to connect consumers with brands: storytelling. Only this go-round, and with a dash of creative genius and a splash of quantitative analysis to prove the strategy's success, Verse Group co-founders are calling it Narrative Branding. The technique, although not new, aims to replace product positioning and help marketers build an emotional connection between the person and the brand.

Study Identifies Strategies for CMOs to Evolve into Strategic Business Leaders

Marketing Charts, December 14, 2007 — Two-thirds of chief marketing officers (CMOs) want more involvement in business strategy development and increased profit & loss responsibility, according to a joint study conducted by Forrester Research and Heidrick & Struggles International (via BtoB).

The Promise of Social Network Advertising

How much can social networks net?

eMarketer, December 14, 2007 — Social networking is an Internet success story.

This year, 37% of the US adult Internet population used online social networking at least once a month. That figure will rise to 49% in 2011. ”The continued growth of social networking seems assured,” says Debra Aho Williamson, eMarketer Senior Analyst and author of the new report, Social Network Marketing: Ad Spending and Usage, “unless teens stop social networking as they become adults.”

Global Advertising Expenditure Forecast

KenRadio, December 13, 2007 — US advertising growth from the previous 3.3% in 2007 to a now expected 2.5% primarily due to a credit squeeze and continued slump in housing market, according to a new report from ZenithOptimedia. With many challenges that television faces: the spread of PVRs; migration of viewers from premium mass-audience channels to cheaper specialist channels; and competition from the internet, television will increase its share of global ad expenditure from 37.9% in 2007 to 38.2% in 2008, an all-time record.

Refilling Kraft's Cookie Jar

CEO Irene Rosenfeld is banking on a raft of new products to boost sales. Can she whip them up before investors lose patience?

BusinessWeek, December 13, 2007 — Oh, the lunchtime dilemma. That turkey-on-whole-wheat sandwich you brown-bagged from home is properly frugal but so boring. That takeout panini with rosemary chicken, sun-dried tomato, and aioli, on the other hand, is tasty but sure takes a bite out of the paycheck. The chefs at Kraft Foods (KFT) think they've found a middle option: Oscar Mayer Deli Creations. The $2.99 kits, rolled out in grocery stores in August, have the makings of a hot meat-and-cheese sandwich, with bread that even gets toasty in the microwave.

Six Months With Millions Of Moms

MediaPost Publications, December 13, 2007 — It's easy to understand why marketers want to connect with moms: mothers are the largest consumer group in the United States. According to BSM Media, they spend $2.1 trillion annually and control 85% of household spending.

Study: Marketers May Be Banking Too Heavily On New Products

MediaPost Publications, December 13, 2007 — A NEW POLL FINDS THAT 70% of marketers either launched a new line extension or developed a new innovation this year, and most rated that launch as the single most important initiative in their business in 2007. And 64% plan to do so again in 2008, according to Next Level SMG, the brand strategy firm conducted the survey.

Embrace the Edge -- or Perish

The periphery of today's global business environment is where innovation potential is the highest. Ignore it at your peril

BusinessWeek, December 12, 2007 — Most all of us are familiar with the concept of "the edge"—and not only because we're fans of U2's superb guitarist who goes by that name. Edges are the peripheries of the global business environment, the places where innovation potential is the highest. In today's fast-moving business world, playing on the edge increasingly is the best way to gain an edge.

Edges define and describe the borders of companies, markets, industries, geographies, intellectual disciplines, and generations. They are the places where unmet customer needs find unexpected solutions, where disruptive innovations and blue oceans get birthed, and where edge capabilities transform the core competencies of the corporation.

Gift Recommendations Dominate Blog Holiday Discussions, ‘Social Shopping’ Emerges

Marketing Charts, December 11, 2007 — Gift recommendations dominate online holiday discussions on blogs and range from one-off reviews to comprehensive shopping guides, according to (pdf) a Nielsen Online analysis of 1,000 influential blogs* during November. Moreover, a new type of holiday shopping resource is emerging as consumers turn to “social shopping” communities (e.g., ThisNext, Yahoo Shoposphere, Stylehive.com and Crowdstorm.com) that offer interactive, peer-driven product reviews.

A Look Back: Line Extensions That Crossed the Line in '07†

Brandweek, December 10, 2007 — Three words: Precious Moments coffins. The keepsake-maker was one of many brands this year that didn’t know where to draw the line when it came to line extensions, according to the TippingSprung Brand Extension Survey.

CMOs Fast-Tracking Plans To Climb Corporate Ladder†

CEOs be warned: Your CMO wants your job.

Brandweek, December 10, 2007 — In fact, more than a third (34%) of CMOs aspire to become CEOs. Another aspect to consider as you look over your shoulder: Your CMO is more prepared than ever to move up the corporate ladder because she is required to oversee or respond to much broader business strategies in the course of her marketing work.

How the Discounters Hurt Themselves†

Wal-Mart, Dell, Others See Growth Stall as Rivals Learn How to Beat Them

Advertising Age, December 10, 2007 — If one thing defined the marketing landscape of the 1990s, it was the power of cheap.

Wal-Mart Stores, Southwest Airlines and Dell Computer reshaped their industries with low-cost models that forced competitors to adapt or die. Each of the power discounters thrived heading into the 21st century as their competitors often struggled.

But each is now facing a much tougher battle for growth. Wal-Mart's top line has continued to weaken; both its revenue and comparable-store sales — excluding grocery — grew slower than Macy's last quarter. Southwest is cutting expansion plans and revamping its service model. And Dell returned to founder Michael Dell as CEO to reinvigorate growth.

In China, Add a Caterpillar to the Dog and Pony Show†

Wall Street Journal, December 10, 2007 — Selling giant industrial machines in China sometimes feels to Mike Cai like living life in a traveling circus.

A marketer for Caterpillar Inc., Mr. Cai is working to crack the China market for earthmovers called wheel tractor-scrapers. Already a decades-old product in America, these dirt-scoopers, which weigh in at 38 tons, haven't made much headway in China, which still relies on the smaller "hex" — industry jargon for hydraulic excavator — and trucks on most construction sites.

To change that, Mr. Cai and his colleagues have eschewed traditional advertising techniques. Instead they've taken their show on the road, adopting a tactic popular in China's burgeoning market.

Is CBS Trying to Rebrand Couric?†

Latest Ads More Cronkite Than Katie as Newscast Continues to Trail Rivals

Advertising Age, December 10, 2007 — With Katie Couric's perky personality and "Today" background at the ready, her arrival at CBS to anchor the evening newscast was billed as a chance to reinvent the program in a way that would attract more women and younger viewers. That hasn't exactly worked out. Now CBS is promoting the show as if Walter Cronkite still sat behind the desk.

LeBron Inc.

The building of a billion-dollar athlete.

FORTUNE, December 10, 2007 — It's May 31, 2007, in Auburn Hills, Mich., and the Cleveland Cavaliers, a Cinderella team no one expected to get this far, are down 107 to 104 in the crucial game five of the Eastern Conference finals against the Detroit Pistons when LeBron James launches a fadeaway three-pointer to tie with 1:14 to go in the second overtime. One minute and 12 seconds later he seals the game with a vicious drive down the lane to put his team up 109 to 107.

Those were the two finishing flourishes of a feat that NBC anchor Marv Albert crowed would "go down as one of the all-time performances in NBA history." James's play was stunning and described by another announcer as "Jordanesque": He scored 29 of his team's final 30 points, including the last 25.

Watching the... continue reading

Marketers Focus More On Global 'Tribes' Than on Nationalities†

Wall Street Journal, December 10, 2007 — Valentin Chapero, chief executive of Swiss-based Phonak Group, knows that baby boomers around the world dread the thought of needing his company's hearing devices. Whether they live in London, Los Angeles or Lima, Peru, they tend to resist buying a product associated with aging.

Yet tens of millions of people over the age of 50 already have some hearing loss. To woo them, Mr. Chapero and his managers are addressing their common qualms. Phonak's new Audeo device comes in 15 fashionable colors, looks more like a sleek ear phone than an old-fashioned hearing aid and is being marketed as a "personal communication assistant." Advertisements in a dozen languages feature youthful-looking customers who lead interesting lives, such as a hedge-fund manager who is... continue reading

Online Spending Predicted To Surge In 2008

MediaPost Publications, December 10, 2007 — LOCAL ONLINE AD SPENDING WILL surge 48% in 2008 to $12.6 billion, buoyed by demand for paid search and video advertising, according to a new study.

Spending on local search alone is expected to double to $5 billion, while online video will triple to $1.3 billion, predicts local media research firm Borrell Associates. Despite predictions of an economic slowdown next year, the firm's forecast for 2008 exceeds the estimated 44% growth for local media in 2007.

Peter Kim on Consumer-Generated Media: You Have To Measure It To Manage It†

Brandweek, December 10, 2007 — I'll admit it: I stayed as far away from science classes as possible in school. If you're like me, familiar royalty terms may be more Burger King and Dairy Queen than Lord Kelvin. However, today's marketers can apply a lesson from Kelvin to help make sense of today's wild west of consumer-generated media. To paraphrase: if you can measure it, then you can manage it.

The Customer Connection: The Global ­­­Innovation 1000

Booz Allen Hamilton’s annual study of the world’s largest corporate R&D spenders finds two primary success factors: aligning the innovation model to corporate strategy and listening to customers every

Strategy & Business, December 10, 2007 — How do companies innovate successfully? They can spend the most money, hire the best engineers, develop the best technology, and conduct the best market research. But unless their research and development efforts are driven by a thorough understanding of what their customers want, their performance may well fall short — at least compared to that of their more customer-driven competitors. John Schiech, president of the DeWalt division of Black & Decker (the division that makes power tools used by professional contractors), put it simply. When asked what made his com­pany so successful, he responded, “It’s engineers and marketing product managers spending hours and hours on job sites talking to the guys who are trying to make their living with these... continue reading

To Lead Overall Brand Strategy, Digital Shops Have Much to Do†

Forrester Study Says Four Core Capabilities Need to Be Developed

Advertising Age, December 10, 2007 — Digital agencies should take the reins on overall brand strategy for marketers in the next five to 10 years, but they have much to accomplish before than can do so, according to a new report from Forrester Research to be released today.

"Increasingly marketers are realizing that [offline and online] has to be integrated ... but interactive agencies have not yet proven they have the capability to manage brand strategy," said Brian Haven, senior analyst at Forrester Research and the author of "The Forrester Wave: Interactive Marketing Agencies."

Billion Dollar Innovation

A Finnish study profiled twelve U.S. companies to give insight on how successfully applied service innovation can bring in the big bucks

BusinessWeek, December 7, 2007 — Some months ago, I got a call from Peter Westersträhle, science and technology attaché at the Embassy of Finland in the U.S., explaining that his country wanted to become one of the most competitive service economies. Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology & Innovation, and both the thought leader and first mover in the development of European service innovation policy, had established in March, 2006, a €100 million initiative, "Serve," to study and support service innovation. Tekes is now busy sponsoring research, funding projects, and fostering collaborations among business, government, and academia around the world in order to support innovation in Finnish service industries.

Working closely with Tekes staff, our assignment was to... continue reading

Eight business technology trends to watch

Eight emerging trends are transforming many markets and businesses. Executives should learn to shape the outcome rather than just react to it.

McKinsey Quarterly, December 7, 2007 — Technology alone is rarely the key to unlocking economic value: companies create real wealth when they combine technology with new ways of doing business. Through our work and research, we have identified eight technology-enabled trends that will help shape businesses and the economy in coming years. These trends fall within three broad areas of business activity: managing relationships, managing capital and assets, and leveraging information in new ways.

Few Answer Mobile Marketing Call

American Idol votes are just a drop in the bucket.

eMarketer, December 7, 2007 — About one-quarter of mobile users are interested in mobile marketing, according to a November 2007 study by the Mobile Marketing Association. Sweepstakes and voting campaigns (think American Idol) were the most common types of mobile marketing in which respondents had participated.

McD's Newest Ad Platform: Report Cards†

Not Surprisingly, Watchdogs Give Fast-Feeder's Play Failing Marks

Advertising Age, December 6, 2007 — McDonald's has found a nifty way to reach kids even as TV ad options toward the demographic shrink: Advertise on report cards.

The Golden Arches picked up the $1,600 cost of printing report-card jackets for the 2007-2008 school year in Seminole County, Fla., in exchange for a Happy Meal coupon on the card's cover. With 27,000 elementary school kids taking their report-card jackets home to be signed three or four times a year, that's less than 2 cents per impression.

CMOs Must Bring Customer Focus Back to Digital Goals†

Priorities: Technology's Influence Can't Trump Marketing's in Expanding Internet Strategy

Advertising Age, December 5, 2007 — The CMO needs to take control of the corporate internet strategy. Why? To ensure that new technologies initiate and enhance customer relationships. This is going to require the CMO to argue that a major barrier to internet development is the dominant influence of technology over marketing. But it's crucial for company and brand survival.

Word of Mouth for the Masse

"What do YOU think?"

eMarketer, December 5, 2007 — Word of mouth is not limited to cutting-edge influential consumers. The majority of consumers give and get perspective on purchases, according to Forrester Research's "NACTAS Benchmark Survey." Six in 10 US consumers surveyed said they shared product advice with family and friends.

You Will Control 25% of Entertainment by 2012

MobileCrunch, December 5, 2007 — Nokia’s latest study, ‘A Glimpse of the Next Episode’, predicts that within five years a quarter of all entertainment will be created, edited and shared within peer groups rather than coming out of traditional media groups. Trend-setting consumers from 17 countries were asked about their digital behaviors and lifestyles. Nokia also used information gathered from its 900 million customers and views of leading industry figures to reach the conclusion that you will control 25% of the world’s entertainment by 2012.

2008: Eco-Marketing To Take Front And Center Stage

MediaPost Publications, December 3, 2007 — NEXT YEAR, EXPECT TO SEE global marketers pitch consumers' inner ecologist. Sure, there are catalogues like Harmony and Gaia aimed at eco-minded consumers. But Chicago-based consultancy Mintel is predicting a raft of new products from mass-market companies.

Ad Spend to Grow 6.7% in ‘08, Internet to Overtake Radio in ‘08 & Mags in ‘10

Marketing Charts, December 3, 2007 — Ad spending worldwide will near $486 billion in 2008, or 6.7% more than in 2007, while ad spend in North America will total $195 billion, up 4.1%, according to a ZenithOptimedia forecast, writes AdAge. Meanwhile, internet advertising is poised to reach three major milestones in the next three years, according to the forecast.

Optimize Me: A Reporter's Journey into the World of SEO and SEM†

MySpace, Squidoo, Twitter Help Juice Matthew Creamer's Online Presence

Advertising Age, December 3, 2007 — As with many stories about the internet, this one begins with porn.

Deep into an October drinking session with the management team at Reprise Media — a firm you might not have heard of but one that works for huge corporations such as Microsoft and recently sold for a huge bundle of cash — we came to a favorite subject of theirs: what happens when corporations, even those who spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year to craft their brand images, ignore their profiles on search engines.

Silly Brand Names Get Serious Attention†

Brandweek, December 3, 2007 — Wakoopa, Squidoo, Woomp. Renkoo, Eskwela, Zillow, Wega, Wii.

It sounds like an invented children's language or even a magic spell, but the fact is these words are becoming part of the everyday lexicon—for some, at least. They’re brand names that don’t mean anything, well, at first glance.

Teaching an Old Greyhound New Tricks

New York Times, December 3, 2007 — A venerable bus line that once asked travelers to “leave the driving to us” is leaving nothing to chance in a campaign to promote an ambitious makeover.

The campaign, for Greyhound Lines, part of a British company named FirstGroup, takes an upbeat tone with an assertive theme, “We’re on our way.”

Challenges ahead for Bono’s brand†

Financial Times, December 1, 2007 — Twenty months ago, a small start-up run by an Irish rock star and a Californian conscience capitalist set itself an ambitious task: creating a brand that would save thousands of Africans dying from Aids. As the annual World Aids Day comes round, Product Red, the creation of Bono and Bobby Shriver, is taking stock of progress. The verdict seems to be: so far, so reasonably good. Growth has been steady rather than explosively spectacular.

Found In Translation

The financial services industry is pushing hard to tap into the growing Latino market. But making a connection means more than speaking their language

Deliver Magazine, December 1, 2007 — Serving the coffee is only the smallest touch.

Still, when employees at branches of the [1] Eastern Financial Florida Credit Union take breaks during the day to pass out piping-hot Cuban coffee to customers, their efforts are key to a larger marketing strategy aimed at connecting with one of the credit union’s most coveted customer segments - Latino immigrants.

Raising Your Market IQ†

Too many companies gather intelligence on a narrow slice of consumers. They need to think more broadly.

Wall Street Journal, December 1, 2007 — It sounds so obvious: You have to know your market.

Yet when it comes to actual market intelligence, too many companies do it all wrong. Some miss the big picture by focusing on just a slice of their market, or by limiting their studies to transactions and other customer data already in their possession. Others have the opposite problem: They don't look at their customers closely enough, causing them to miss opportunities right under their noses.

Such efforts reveal little about new market opportunities and risk losing current customers to companies with better data. By contrast, obtaining a better understanding of a complete market and what drives customers' purchasing decisions would help companies discover untapped or underserved customers.

The Power of Suggestion

Forget focus groups. These days, big brands are all involving customers in all stages of the marketing process

Deliver Magazine, December 1, 2007 — Whenever Jeff Hayzlett, chief business development officer and vice president at Eastman Kodak Company, goes into retail printer outlets, he’s struck by an absurdity that has become the norm in his industry: In many stores, rows of inkjet printers sit out on open shelves for all to see and touch — while the small ink cartridges that are used to fuel them are secured behind locked cabinets.

As obvious and wrongheaded a message as this sends — that the costly cartridges are more valued than the printers themselves — Hayzlett says consumers have been saying as much for years. Incredibly, he says, many in the industry still aren’t paying attention.

“Our customers were very clear in telling us they were fed up with the cost of inkjet... continue reading