Posts from April, 2010

Are you over age 54, like me?  Then, to many in marketing and media you are simply a part of the forgotten masses.

Why?

Some of this thinking has its roots with my parent’s generation (the depression era) and their view of the world.  By the time they reached their mid-50s their buying patterns were pretty much set. They didn’t try a lot of new things and just stayed with the tried and true. Life was easier that way and product innovation was considerably slower, too!  About the most radical thing to come along was a powdered orange juice called Tang…that debuted in 1959 and gained popularity when NASA added it to the astronauts breakfast menu.

Then along came the baby boomers, the technology explosion and the Internet. Now people well into their 60s are buying iPhones, iPods, iPads, flat screen televisions, running shoes and automobiles (and they aren’t necessarily Buicks anymore).  These same people have Facebook pages; “tweet” regularly, and as a result of more disposal income (remember that?) dine out multiple times a week. Marketing axioms that have existed since dirt are now being called into question. Essentially, the whole marketing world is upside down. Consumers simply don’t behave as they once did.

With 60 deemed to be the new 40, and with the proliferation of such things as “skinny jeans” (Not Your Daughter’s Jeans) for women over age 50, drawing the line on who buys what has become as blurred as ever.  While the typical prospect for Viagra may reside within an older demographic, other consumer products find themselves ubiquitous across almost all demographic lines. The target demo has just become everyone.

The marketing world is suddenly more complex…and most target markets and demographics have evolved into moving targets.  No doubt studying demographic trends helps in the development of creative messaging and how various consumers like to receive communications. But total reliance on the demographic norms may cause us to miss the very consumer our clients want.

Care to join me with a glass of Tang while I tweet from my iPhone?

Here’s a little something to start your Monday off right, or at least produce a small chuckle, while sitting in your cubical.

If you’ve recognized any of the outtakes of the spills, falls, flops and disasters that happen in infomercials either you watch way too much television (like myself) or you’ve experienced DRTV. (No, it’s not some type of senseless TV brainwashing.) DRTV is short for Direct Response Television, and includes any TV advertising that asks consumers to respond directly to the company – usually either by calling an 800 number or by visiting a web site.

There are two types of direct response television, short form and long form. Short form is any DRTV commercial that is two minutes or less in length while long form, just as the name suggests, is lengthier. Overflowing with overdramatic acting styles, outlandish product claims and repetitive call to actions, many consumers see these DRTV advertisements as annoying. But, no matter how entertaining and humorous this approach to advertising may seem to be at times, it can be very effective.

When it first appeared, DRTV was used to market goods and services directly from the manufacturer or wholesaler to the consumer, bypassing retailers. This is a very helpful approach to “cut out the middle man”, ultimately saving money for both the consumer and the product’s company. (Maybe this is why you always get 3 for the price of one.)

Infomercials also tap in to the consumer psych.  These infamous infomercials involve the customer emotionally so they want the product, and then ease the rational side of the consumer when they are shown how others have bought and enjoyed the product. Though these tactics don’t work on all, they have worked on many.  (Myself being one, though, I don’t own a Snuggie®, but I do have a bender ball, and two magic bullets.)

In conclusion, whether you would or wouldn’t be prone to dialing up a 800 number in the wee hours of the morning, DRTV is an effective approach to reaching consumers, whether you “buy it” or not.

Did I really just call myself an old dog?  Believe me, in this age of tweets, met-ups, you-tube, texts, etc….I am feeling like an old dog.

I am of the age group that grew up when we had cassette players in our cars, Madonna was all the rage and we wanted to go to Ridgemont High with Spicoli.  I didn’t get my first cell phone until I was 30 years old and then it was a bag phone that I only used in case of an emergency because it was sooooo expensive.  Being able to text on it?  That would have been like typing on a selectric typewriter.

To use a quote from Bob Dylan, “These times they are a changing”.  In this day and age you either have to change with them or get out of the industry.  I decided that I was going to try to change with them and while I don’t claim to understand or know it all, I will admit that I know enough to get me into trouble.  It’s just like this…me write a blog?  Are you kidding?  What would I ever have to write about except for my great kids, their sports adventures, being a single mom or watching Lee Dewyze on American Idol.  How lame is that?  So, I decided to write about just this….how does an old dog learn new tricks?

First of all, I have done a ton of reading.  I subscribe online to just about every source that I can that talks about anything having to do with any way that this industry is changing.  I also rely on the 20 somethings that roam the halls here to keep me up to date on all the new “stuff”.  Yes, I have a facebook page and am happy to say that I am friends with a girl that I have known since kindergarten.  Yes, I have a twitter account but lost interest in that a while back.  I do sometimes go to you tube and watch a video, but usually after being sent there by my kids.  I have a linked-in account and never use it except when someone asks me to be a part of his or her network.  I can text with the best of them…it just takes me a while to figure out where each key is.  I figured one of the best ways to learn it was to do it.  I also like to think that I am a cool, hip mom who “gets it”.  And for now that is the case. Who knows what it will be like in a few years.

Webinars are another great way to learn.  I signed myself up for every free one that I could find.  After the first two or three I realized that I was hearing the same thing over and over just from different people.  I guess the basics don’t really change.

Seminars are another great way to learn.  If you can’t afford to jet off to NYC for those high-powered lectures then look around your own hometown and see what there is.  See what you local American Marketing Association chapter of your Ad Federation Chapter are talking about each month.  They will sometimes bring in big name speakers that you can hear all for the cost of a lunch.

Find a client that is not afraid to venture into this “new” world and let you start advertising their product/service.  You have to be the expert here and know enough to sell them on the idea that all of these new advertising venues will be great for their branding efforts.  You then to implement the campaign and monitor the results daily.

The biggest way to learn is to ask questions.  I try to talk to everyone I know and pick their brains.  I have a friend that sells online advertising and she has provided me with a wealth of information and knowledge.  Don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t understand…that is the first step in learning.

If you are going to talk the talk you have to at least know how to walk the walk and then surround yourself with others that know it a whole lot better than you do.  “These times they are a changing” and you have to be willing to morph yourself into something new or you will be left behind.  Are you ready to change?

Like most young professionals, I rarely have the time to watch TV. When I do, it’s almost always on my DVR or on Netflix and either way, I’m skipping the commercials. One thing I’ve become more aware of lately, however, is that skipping the commercials doesn’t mean skipping the ads. In fact, it seems that most of today’s popular TV shows and movies contain a lot more product placements than they used to.

The first Sex and the City movie helped make Bag, Borrow, or Steal (BBOS) wildly popular. A recent episode of Modern Family centered solely on the iPad (the same week as its release). And American Idol has practically become an hour long commercial for Ford and Coca Cola, with a few musical acts in between. I could go on and on. Next time you watch your favorite show, watch closely and you may be surprised how many brand name products are woven into the plotline.

Neilson studies show that when used in combination with traditional television ads, product placement in TV boosts brand recognition by 20%. But, with more and more people fast forwarding through commercial breaks, are these product placements as effective alone as they are when paired with traditional forms of advertising?

In the past I have been skeptical of the effectiveness of product placements. I always thought they came across as kind of cheesy, and felt insulted that advertisers really thought placing their product in my favorite TV show could sway my opinion. Recently, I may have changed my mind. I have no scientific evidence to back up my claim, but speaking from personal experience I think product placements really can be an effective means of advertisement, paired with traditional television ads or alone.

Just the other night I was catching up on some old seasons of Weeds on Netflix. In the episode I was watching, Nancy Botwin (the main character) traded in her Range Rover for a brand new Toyota Prius. That episode and many of the ones that followed were a shining endorsement for a hip, new, environmentally responsible, fun- to- drive car. As Nancy showed off the navigation system and blue tooth capabilities of her new car, I couldn’t help but want one too. (Until, of course, I remembered that this show was filmed long before the now infamous sticking gas-pedal fiasco.) This made me stop and think. If one of my favorite TV characters could help alter my perception of such a severely damaged brand, then maybe product placements really are more effective than I once believed.

I suspect that we will only continue to see more and more advertising in the form of product placements, and given the fact that about half of all American television viewers already have DVR I think this is a wise move. Viewers can fast forward through every commercial, but they aren’t going to stop following the lives of their favorite TV characters. And what better way to build brand recognition, than to tie your product to a brand (or show) your customers are already loyal to?

We’re happy to announce that Chad Martin has joined the C+A team as Art Director. He brings almost ten years of agency exprience, working on projects for nationally known brands like Centex Homes and BMW. His advertising background and creative talent, particulary his interactive strengths, round out our team nicely.