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Posts Tagged ‘Marketing’
Reversing the Childhood Obesity Trend (is a Big Idea!)
Thursday, June 24th, 2010 by Force 5As a marketer I’m always looking for inspiration, and I’m certain most of us who work in the industry would like nothing more than to conceptually develop and execute the next big idea. Some of you might wonder what I mean – big idea seems slightly vague I assume. In this instance I liken a big idea to something that is life changing, or big enough perhaps to become a movement.
For inspiration I need not look further than my own flesh and blood – enter my 3 (“I’m almost 4 dad, then I’ll be 5”) year old son. Fortunately for my wife and I, our son is an extremely active (perhaps hyperactive) kid who likes to play outside every minute of the day. Reality dictates that he eventually head indoors to take a bath, then our greatest challenge is getting him to unwind before bed time. One tactic we execute sparingly is to reward him with 30 minutes of “cartoon time” if he comes inside with little resistance, and takes a bath and brushes his teeth in a timely matter. That’s when I began to personally experience the power of marketing and advertising, and its effectiveness when geared towards children.
My son already easily identifies with brands such as McDonald’s, Chips Ahoy and Apple Jacks. And when he sees the ads he utters the words “I want that” almost every time. As a parent, I simply laugh (at least I did at first) and within 60 seconds or less we’ve moved on to something else. It’s what transpires next – outside of the home – that was most startling. Now on any given day, when we drive by a McDonald’s, the following exchange usually occurs: [1] “Daddy I want Chicken Nuggets,” [2] Dad (most often) says “No” and [3] for the next several minutes my son’s world comes crashing down around him. This same event will also transpire in the grocery store, with the cereal and cookie aisles being most dreadful.
I understand the power of connecting with your target market emotionally. But as a marketer I’m also wondering if our industry is truly to blame (at least partially) for the prevalent childhood obesity epidemic that has emerged in communities all around our country. From what I’m hearing and reading (and there’s a lot to read), many people seem to agree.
As recent as 24 months ago the Federal Trade Commission reported that “food and beverage marketers are spending $8.4 billion less to target children as initially thought.” The FTC report went on to say “food, fast food and beverage makers spent $1.6 billion marketing to children under 17 in 2006.” Many still think this number is too high.
So – what does all of this have to do with a big idea? For starters, how do we really begin to reverse the childhood obesity trend? From what I’ve read – and I agree – one perspective gaining momentum is that the paradigm shift must start at the local level. It’s easier to affect change in neighborhoods, towns and cities, than it is in states, regions or nations. In this case, the blue print to begin the reversal of fortune for the future of our children starts with individuals in our own communities. Having said that, who in South Bend (Indiana) and/or the surrounding areas is ready to step up?
In future posts (as it’s evident I have a lot to say about this topic), I will look at barriers (the most common being cost and time), popular channels or mediums being used to affect change (like Refresh Everything or Members Project) and potential advocates (local organizations, groups or leaders) who could help lead the charge.
Have a perspective or idea relevant to this topic? If so, hit me up at jeremy@discoverforce5.com or visit discoverforce5.com to learn more about the agency I represent, and how we build communities one brand Soul at a time.
Its Springtime! – Time to dust off that Brand.
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 by David MorganWith spring time comes spring cleaning. Dusting off the shelves, cleaning out the garage (still need to do that!…), and just a general wash down and clean up – it’s work, but it really feels good when you are all done!
Spring is a great time of year. Finally, FINALLY, the color green returns, flowers sprout, and everyone has a little more spring in their step as the sun gradually warms up the world.
So how about spring cleaning your brand? In the winter of 09, (actually all last year) many companies “hunkered down” just to make it through the recession. Amidst the layoffs and reduced sales, marketing and promotional activities also took a hit. Even though studies have shown that those who kept up their marketing activities in bad times come out of recessionary periods earlier and faster than those who didn’t –many companies just couldn’t do what they needed to do in regards to Brand building and marketing.
Now’s the time to get started.
Your brand is you life blood, it’s who you are—the soul of your company. EVERY marketing tactic, whether it’s a web site, a business card, or how you answer the phone is part of your brand.
Dusting off your Brand-
Let’s look at some basics to get you started this spring. We ask the question of our clients—Who are you, What do you do, and Why does it matter? These questions seem simple enough—but sometimes hard to answer—especially that last one.
You’ve heard the phrase “elevator speech”. That’s when someone says “Tell me about your company” when at a party, a trade show, or at lunch—or yeah, on the elevator. Do you have a concise statement that can answer all three questions? Do some work this spring on your elevator speech. The process of thinking through this is invaluable. After the elevator speech, you might be asked—“Wow, tell me more…” That’s when you might want to tell your back story…Back Story-
I really like this concept. Every Brand should have a Back Story. Basically, the premise is that every brand has a story—a story of how they got started, why they do what they do…. Brands don’t start at launch, they’ve been around awhile, and they have a story. And though a brand’s franchise is an important statement that tells us who the brand is, it doesn’t tell how the brand was born, or why it came to be. That’s why every brand needs a back story. Or else, why should anyone trust that brand? After analyzing a few brands’ websites and history, it was easy to see the ingredients in a great brand story: information delivered straight from the source and authentic. With authenticity comes transparency and credibility. The voice of the back story – whether that’s the company president or the employees also lends itself to credibility.
Look at these Stories:
One of my favorite companies is Kashi. Great marketing. Their story is told from both their marketing team and their product developers, inviting consumers to “meet us” on their website. Did you know they only have 70 employees?
Another one is Ocean Spray. Their story is told by a collective of three cranberry growers, citing their history as well as the history of cranberries and grapefruit.And the back story isn’t just a timeline and history of when Grandpa started the company, it’s the story of why.
What our brand samples are doing is a key example of a brand connecting with consumers on their level—a personal level. They’re not talking down to consumers – they’re talking with consumers. And with that approach, it opens up dialogue between the brand and the consumer.So, as part of your spring cleaning, do you have a concise elevator speech and brand back story? Sit out on the porch, watch the season come alive, and dust off your brand. Happy Spring from Force 5!
Generating creative ideas for your brand or company
Monday, April 5th, 2010 by Force 5Lately, we’ve been busy – busy ideating that is.
Ideating – which is a fancier term for brainstorming – is a core necessity or foundational step within an advertising and marketing agency’s process of generating creative ideas.
In almost every case, these creative ideas deliver a need or provide a solution to a client problem. However, good ideas don’t have to be limited to only serving clients (although being paid for good ideas is crucially important). Reinventing the company website, modifying new business collateral materials or working on a pro-bono campaign can be extremely empowering and beneficial in boosting morale. Simply put, creative ideation is an enjoyable way to get lots of fresh ideas out on the table and get everyone thinking and pulling together!
Where do you start? What are best practices? Sounds like a perfect opportunity for another Force 5 – Top 5 list. Without further ado, the following rules serve as our guiding light to productive ideating:
- Come prepared to participate
- The meeting requester should provide a pre-reading assignment (like an initial creative brief or client contact report) so everyone knows the key objective(s) in advance
- Do some preliminary research. Consider the basics like the brand or the company and their competition– but dig deeper
- Independently ideate and bring at least one, well thought-out idea to the meeting
- The moderator is the captain
- Arrange for 75-90 minutes of discussion. I find that one hour is often not enough, but participant’s schedules may dictate the desired duration
- Have a plan! Think about what you must take away from the meeting by scripting key questions in advance
- Keep it moving. Don’t interrupt or cutoff a speaker, but after a specific idea or topic has been exhausted transition to the next discussion point
- All ideas are good ideas
- Withhold criticism. Someone else’s idea may spark a separate idea later in the process – so don’t automatically discard an idea because you don’t think it has merit
- Specifically avoid saying “no” and “we can’t” – these words can derail the session because the people being told no will often shut down and stop contributing to the discussion
- Instead, build on the idea by implementing the “yes, but…” scenario – “Yes (I hear what you’re saying, even though I might not agree) but perhaps we could consider…”
- Capture as many ideas as possible
- Use large post-it notes or a white board to capture all of the ideas in writing, so everyone can see what is being encapsulated and can build on the ideas later in the process
- Try to organize ideas by category but remember the most important thing is to capture as much info as possible – if you can’t easily categorize simply jot-down in chronological order
- If need be, politely stop the person speaking and ask them to succinctly restate their idea to make certain you’ve accurately depicted all of their key points
- You’re done, now what? (post-ideation)
- Immediately following, write up all of the ideas and distribute to everyone who participated. Ask them again to confirm that you’ve accurately captured all of their ideas
- Time permitting, leave the ideas up on the wall – this allows people to come back and build on all of the ideas afterwards (because sometimes it’s good to step away, then come back)
- Determine if another ideation meeting should be scheduled. Perhaps you didn’t’ get as far as you would have liked, or maybe you’d like to drill down even further
Need help generating creative ideas for your brand or company? Let Force 5 play a role in assisting you and your organization in meeting and exceeding your marketing objectives. We’ve love to ideate a solution for you!
Okay…It’s Finally 2010…Now What?
Thursday, February 25th, 2010 by David MorganUnfortunately last year many business’s pulled back on their marketing and advertising efforts. “Well, something had to give”, a business owner told me. Unfortunately, marketing initiatives may have been the last thing he wanted to pull in a bad economy. Study after study has shown that during down times, the companies that continued marketing came back to “the black” quicker and stronger than those who pulled the blanket over their heads and waited for the storm to pass. However, money is money….and when you don’t have it….or want to keep what you have as much as possible, you try to focus on the most effective method for creating ‘awareness’ without breaking the bank. Many of our clients are saying their objective this year is to create awareness of their company and product and grow the business.
“All I need is a new brochure!” my business friend cries. But that approach is tactical. A new web site, a couple of print pieces, maybe a new logo—those are only tactics that need to be driven by a strategy—a marketing plan—and that plan HAS to be driven by brand. Without brand strategy, his brochure is just a waste of a good tree.
It’s all about the brand. At Force 5, we believe that to increase awareness and business, it’s essential to establish a powerful and consistent brand image.
So why is brand development so important, and why now? Brand development is an investment – a proven investment. A good brand sets you apart from the crowd. Your brand is your evidence of distinction, what makes you different and unique from your competitors. Without distinction, you’re just another vendor, brand X. Without distinction, you could be just a commodity. And we all know how commodities are traded—price-the lowest price. When price is the only measurement of value of your company or product-you lose. If you are fighting in the trenches with only the lowest price, you are fighting everyone in the marketplace. And in today’s economy, when everyone is looking to get back on track—the low price game is being played hard.
However, when you have distinction, a proven and defensible brand, you rise above the fray. You can command higher prices, you are a leader.
A good brand means equity –true value to the company. There are examples of proven brand equity on a national and local scale. Coca Cola is ranked number one on Interbrands top 100 global brands of 2009, a spot they’ve held for nine consecutive years, and their brand alone accounts for 51% of the company’s stock market value. That’s millions and millions of dollars. What would it cost you to buy the name Coca Cola—not the plants, not the product—just the name??…That’s brand equity.
Your brand differentiation carries more weight today than ever before.
Fortunately, no matter how young or old your business is, you can still bring your brand to life. You can help an existing brand evolve or you can develop strategies to re-establish your brand.
At Force 5, we ask our clients—Who are you, What do you do, and Why does it matter? On the surface, these are easy questions, but sometimes tough to answer…
Our brand discovery process, called “Soul Searching,” provides the perfect insight into a company’s distinction. When we facilitate a session, we recruit the CEO, VP marketing, marketing managers, sales managers, folks from operations and sales people with the clear pulse on the buyer. We spend hours in a process of distilling information. From simple facts, to identifying unique value propositions, we build in a delivery mechanism by empowerment and incentives like training, technology or new customer service guidelines to assure that the newly created brand distinction is delivered constantly and consistently. The outcome is the foundation for the new or revisited brand strategy and a crystal clear and memorable internal and external brand communication. Why involve the CEO? Because brand development is not a marketing initiative, it is a corporate initiative. It must start at the top, and permeate from the President down to each and every worker. When everyone has shared in the authorship of your brand’s unique distinction, then it becomes the foundation of all production, marketing and sales initiatives.
So, It’s 2010—What’s your brand?
Reduced Advertising in a recession Negatively impacts Consumer Perception
Friday, June 5th, 2009 by David MorganMy Friend A.J. Fox at Ad-ology Research sent me some interesting facts that his firm conducted regarding reducing advertising during this recession—the botton line?—not such a good idea!
Here are some facts from the study:
Nearly half of U.S. adults believe that a lack of advertising by a retail store, bank or auto dealership during a recession indicates the business must be struggling. Likewise, a vast majority perceives businesses that continue to advertise as being competitive or committed to doing business.The latest Ad-ology Research study, “Advertising’s Impact in a Soft Economy,” analyzes consumer perception about businesses that continue to advertise, and those that do not, in the current economy.
The study finds advertising appears to play a key role in consumers’ view of how a business is doing, and by not advertising, businesses may be sending a warning signal to current and potential customers.
“It is critical to advertise in the current economic climate, to maintain long-term positive consumer perception of your brand,” said C. Lee Smith, president and CEO of Ad-ology Research. “Advertising not only assures consumers of a business’ reliability in a soft economy, but it can influence where and what they buy, especially when the ads address concerns about value,” Smith said.
Other key findings:
· 40% of consumers use coupons more now than a year ago
· Most consumers are as willing or more willing to pay more for ‘healthy’ or ‘organic’ products than they were a year ago
· A ‘deeply discounted price’ was the number-one factor that would make consumers more likely to purchase a big-ticket item (+$1,000)
· TV, newspaper, direct mail, and Internet top local media from which consumers saw/heard an ad within the last 30 days that led them to take action. Store Web sites ranked second only to search engines as the way consumers research products and shop online. So be careful out there. All of us, including here at Force 5, are looking at the best ways to economize during these hard times. But consider advertising and marketing as key components in your business plan.
Timidity is not the route to success
Monday, April 20th, 2009 by David MorganIn the past few weeks, we’ve (Force 5 Media) seen several articles on dealing with marketing and advertising in a down economy. In fact, studies have been done since the early 20’s dealing with recessionary times.
The conclusion? Companies should maintain advertising and marketing during a recession.
The studies in the 20’s-40’s-50’s and 60’s shown that during recessions, almost without exception sales and profits dropped off at companies that cut back on advertising.
Doh! That makes sense right? But here’s the catch–The studies also revealed that after the recessions ended, those companies continued to lag behind the ones that had maintained their advertising budgets.
A 1979 study showed similar findings. They found that “companies which did not cut advertising expenditures during the recession years (1974-1975), experienced higher sales and net income during those two years and the two years following than companies which cut ad budgets in either or both recession years.”
All of these study’s present evidence that cutting advertising in times of economic downturns can result in both immediate and long-term negative effects on sales and profit levels. The quote I liked said “I have yet to see any study that proves timidity is the route to success. Studies consistently have proven that companies that have the intelligence and guts to maintain or increase their overall marketing and advertising efforts in times of business downturns will get the edge on their timid competitors.”Obviously, this is a tough thing to do. Cutting the advertising budget seems sensible, but it’s not…. A strong marketing campaign, and a sensible advertising budget might make the upturn a little quicker for you, and leave those a bit more timid still trying to figure it out. - Come prepared to participate