Cause Marketing Expected to Show Growth
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on August 20th, 2009
By Aaron Baar
The economy may be causing marketers to scale back on expensive, high-production efforts, but one area is still likely to see some growth this year: cause marketing.
According to IEG, North American companies will spend about $1.55 billion on cause marketing efforts in 2009, a roughly 2% increase over 2008. That is down from previous year-on-year increases in the cause marketing arena, but in the current economic climate, any increase in a marketing program is worth noting, says Dan Kowitz, vice president of IEG Sponsorship Consulting.
“As consumers, if there’s anything we want to see a company spend money on, it’s a cause that’s important to us,” Kowitz tells Marketing Daily. “And marketers know that.”
As evidence of consumer interest in sponsorship, Kowitz cited a Performance Research survey from February 2009 in which 41% of Americans said companies should increase their spending on cause marketing, compared with 13% who said they should increase spending on sports sponsorships and 20% who said they should increase sponsorship of cultural events.
Plus, cause marketing is generally cheaper than sports sponsorships, Kowitz says. Mott’s, for instance, has said it will contribute up to $134,000 (the equivalent of feeding one million people through the Feeding America non-profit), which is much less expensive than the many millions it might cost to put a company’s name on a sports arena.
“When you talk about subjects outside of sports, they come at a much more cost-effective price-point,” Kowitz says.
Cause marketing, however, can be tricky, particularly among a public that has grown jaded and cynical, Kowitz says. The key for marketers boils down to one thing: authenticity.”
“Companies have to do this in an authentic way,” he says. “You can’t claim to be a green sponsor just by putting your logo on a recycling bin.”
And with consumers more empowered than ever to find and call out companies on how their business practices don’t live up to their cause-marketing initiative, companies have to put a lot of time and effort into their chosen programs, Kowitz says. The good news is that many marketers have caught on and are living up to their promises.
“Companies have done a better job [with cause marketing] than in the past 12 months,” Kowitz says. “What they could have gotten away with six years ago, for instance, was to throw money at something and say they’re supporting it.”
Google Caffeine: Some Big Brands Will Gain, Some Will Lose
Posted by c.a.k. + associates in Uncategorized on August 20th, 2009
Great article by Rob Garner (strategy director for iCrossing) about changes in Google’s search results – must read for anyone involved with SEO.
Last week Google informally gave a heads-up that we should all be expecting a change in its main Web search results, based on a new update to search technology that mostly affects its indexing process. Dubbed Google Caffeine, it is a “secret project” considered to be next-generation architecture for Google Web search. And in addition to shaking up the results a bit, it may also pave new roads toward the goal of real-time search results. Early reviews in preview SERPs indicate that there will be noticeable differences in the results pages for many terms and brands, so those paying close attention to their SEO campaigns are advised to watch this update closely. Overall, here are some observations as Caffeine prepares to roll out:
Significant displacement is revealed among big brands for some broad terms. After reviewing a number of high-volume category level terms, we found many big brands have swapped places in the results for individual key terms, while others have risen to new heights, and others have gone down to new lows. This is no small news to either the winners or losers, as some of these category-level terms may be generating millions of dollars per year in revenue, per term, alone.
Less emphasis on universal results. While it appears that universal results like video and images may be displaced by more blue text links in this update, don’t expect them to go away, and don’t stop optimizing various digital assets types. In fact, they may eventually come back at a greater frequency in future updates, as Google continues to test the right balance of universal in paid placements. Google has reported previously in interviews that organic universal results were cannibalizing paid results, and a future rollout of universal paid placements may help offset this issue until video and images can reappear more prominently without as much impact to revenue.
Some social media sites may gain in favor, while others decline. If there is any consistency in search updates like this, it’s that positive and negative favor toward certain sites changes constantly. While big brands will eventually feel the algorithmic impact of the shift, sites like Facebook and Technorati generally seemed to have benefited, while Wikipedia may be slightly less emphasized throughout the results. Twitter may also get dialed up a notch or two in this update.
For enterprise marketers, the same SEO principles still apply. At the end of the day, what enterprise marketers get from natural search is impacted by 1) how you maintain your digital assets (things marketers control on- and off- site); 2) user behavior; and 3) the level of algorithmic bias toward your site. Number three can’t be controlled, and I would advise readers to stay away from any SEO who says it can be; two is also not fully in our control, as evidenced by the major massive changes in search behavior as a result of the economy. But number one is in our control, and at the end of the day, best practices still apply. Staying focused on this area keeps your program focused on gaining sustainable long-term natural search benefits, and not taking a reactionary approach that might jeopardize future returns for the sake of trying to spare last week’s positive algorithmic bias. This means staying focused on core elements like content, link structure, site architecture and structure, promotion in the right offsite networks, and all other general best practices.
So for those who are already taking the best-practices approach, step back and prepare to observe the change. For those shifting with the wind, I would strongly recommend moving to best practices, and also taking this update somewhat in stride. While the best-practices strategy is always subject to good days and bad, it is still the best and most sustainable long-term approach. Again, note that the observations above come from previewing results, and may be subject to change upon final rollout. Just be ready to analyze the impact when this happens — which, for your business, could end up meaning nothing, a little, or a lot.
9 Marketing Tips from a 6-Year Old’s Lemonade Stand
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on August 3rd, 2009
I was reading some marketing articles the other day and ran across this one by Jim Lodico, a freelance commercial copywriter and marketing consultant. It talks about the basics of marketing and how business owners can apply the principles to help increase sales. It is a little “self-help” approach to what c.a.k.+associates does for businesses every day.
What marketing tips can you get from your child's lemonade stand?
“The other day my daughter, Sophia, announced that she wanted to set up a lemonade stand.
Seeing as how I didn’t really want to spend the better part of my weekend selling lemonade, I tried to talk her out of it by showing her how much she’d need to spend to buy the lemonade mix, get the cups, that sort of thing.
Regardless of my best efforts, there was no changing her mind. She wanted to go into business and there wasn’t anything I was going to do to stop her.
So as I succumbed to my role as venture capitalist in her first business startup. I decided that at the very least, this would be a great chance to teach my daughter about counting money, basic business principals, that sort of thing.
We sat down with a pad of paper and started writing the business plan.
It didn’t take long before Sophia, becoming completely exasperated with my efforts to teach her about price structure and ROI, looked up at me and said:
“But Daddy, I just want to give it away. Our neighbors are so nice, I just want to give them the lemonade.”
Wow! What do you say to that? She hit me with a complete game changer that I didn’t expect.
Suddenly, the lemonade stand had taken on an entirely different meaning.
So we put away the business plan, she drew up a sign and my wife helped her mix a pitcher of lemonade.
Just as we were about to open for business, Sophia came in from the back porch with a sprig of mint she had cut from a pot.
“Can we put mint in the lemonade?” she asked. “I want to make it extra special.”
And with that, on a Sunday afternoon in a quiet neighborhood, she was open for business.
Within a few minutes, one of our neighbors who had heard about the project came over with 50 cents to buy a glass of lemonade. Twice the price my daughter was originally planning to charge.
“But it’s free” Sophia told her.
“That’s OK. I want to pay you for the lemonade”, she replied.
Not knowing what to do with the money, Sophia put it in a cup and set the cup on the table (where everyone could see it).
Before long, more neighbors came by, each one giving her at least 50 cents. When a car would pass, she would jump up and down and scream, “Free lemonade” hoping they would stop.
For the most part they didn’t. However, at one point, one did and the driver handed her three dollars for his glass of lemonade – 1,100 percent more then if she’d gone with her father’s suggestion of 25 cents per cup.
By the end of the day, Sophia had made a whopping eight dollars at her “free” lemonade stand.
When it was all said and done, I realized that although my original business lessons didn’t stick with my daughter, I learned a lot about marketing.
Here are nine lemonade stand tips that you can use to market your services:
1. Give people something for free and they will feel obligated to return the favor
When you help someone, it creates a natural desire to return the favor. As a web designer, provide helpful tips on your blog, participate in forums offering advice and helping non-designers, share ideas on Twitter. In doing so, you’ll not only build trust, but also develop relationships with potential clients.
2. Give potential customers a taste of your offerings
Offer free themes or templates with an easy upgrade to “pro” versions. Provide free stock graphics that hint at potential identity or branding packages while demonstrating your creativity. Just be sure to make it good. When users are excited about the base product, they are much more likely to upgrade.
3. Make it “Extra Special”
Don’t just offer lemonade. Put in that extra sprig of mint. Make everything you do something “extra special” and clients will take notice. Not only will they come back for more, they’ll tell their friends.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Tell Your “Neighbors” (Network!)
One of the first things my daughter did when she opened her stand was run next door and tell the neighbor. After getting his lemonade, he called two other neighbors to tell them about the lemonade stand – both of whom came right over with “donations”. Don’t be afraid to tell friends and colleagues about your services. You never know, they may talk to your next big client later that day.
5. Do What You Need to Do to Be Seen
It wasn’t enough to just put up a sign. My daughter’s advertising consisted of jumping up and down screaming “free lemonade” at passing cars. While it might seem extreme, it worked. How are you “screaming” about your business?
6. Be Persistent
Even though most of the cars passed by, my daughter didn’t give up. Finally, after many failed attempts, one of them did stop—doubling her income for the day.
7. Build Anticipation
My daughter’s first customer knew about her project and was there as soon as it opened. Don’t just launch your new web site, let people know it’s coming. Drop hints, show them screen shots, make them look forward to the big day.
8. Find Good Partners
My daughter’s little brother kept drinking the lemonade – not the best partner. However, her friend from down the street was out there with her jumping up and down screaming, doubling their advertising efforts.
9. Advertise Your Popularity
Once my daughter’s cup started filling with coins, people were more likely to “donate”. Don’t be afraid to advertise your popularity. Place download counters, comment counts and subscriber numbers in prominent places. Just make sure the stats are high enough to warrant a little bragging.”
Written exclusively for WDD by Jim Lodico. He is a freelance commercial copywriter and marketing consultant. You can learn more about his services at his website www.jalcommunications.com
The Most Engaged Brands on the Web
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on July 21st, 2009
Most Engaged Brands on the WEb
If your company doesn’t have a Social Media Plan, perhaps this post will help you take the digital step. We invite you to contact us today to get your Social Media Plan started.
Recently, analyst Charlene Li of the Altimeter Group and Wetpaint conducted a study and ranked the top 100 brands by their social media engagement. The report highlighted best practices in use by brands and identified four types of Social Media groups:
- Mavens – most engaged
- Butterflies – engaged, but spread too thin
- Selectives – somewhat engaged, limited scope
- Wallflowers – just dipping their toes in
The surprising conclusion of this study found that “socially engaged companies are in fact more financially successful.” More Tweets = more bucks.
Yes it pays to be social but by being social in the wrong or uninformed way could have reverse affects on your business’ growth. Setting up a Facebook page or Twitter account isn’t enough to see the dollars flow in. You need a consistent and focused approach to how you use social media as a way to inform your customers, and potential customers, about your business.
Here are some best practices used by Starbucks (has a social media team of only six people):
- Deputize people in your organization – ensure that everyone is “bought in” prior to launching your social media plan, there will be better follow through and better results.
- Understand how each social media channel provides a different dimension of engagement.
- Centralize coordination – protect your brand, ensure the right people are communicating in the right way.
- Find champions who can explain and mitigate risk – make sure you have someone who “gets” social media and can communicate it to your organization.
In starting your Social Media plan, emphasize the quality of your engagement, not just the quantity of outlets you participate in. Build your base deep, learn from your mistakes and make sure everything you do is done with a goal in mind.
The full report can be found below. If you are ready to create your Social Media plan, we’re here to help.
7 Tips for Email Marketing
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on July 10th, 2009
As written by Kristin Marquet (km@marquet-communications.com):
Has email marketing become obsolete? Even though we are bombarded with thousands of emails per week, email marketing has not become obsolete. In fact, email marketing is one of the most effective ways to stay in touch with existing customers as well as attract new customers if it used correctly.
However, many business owners waste countless hours putting together email marketing campaigns with weak copy, bad graphics, and inadequate offers, which end up in the trash bin. So what’s the point of spending countless hours and money on marketing that isn’t going to work?
To prevent your emails from getting tossed in the trash bin, keep the following tips in mind:
1. Build a subscriber list. To get started collecting email addresses, offer a sign up page on every page your website or blog. Offer a newsletter, a promotion, or an exclusive offer. Once you develop a robust list of subscribers, you can send as many offers as you want. You can also offer affiliate products to increase scalability.
2. Deliver thought-provoking and informative content- People don’t like to feel like they are being sold to, so it is important that to provide resourceful and valuable information. The whole point is to differentiate your business from the rest of the competition.
3. Don’t get in trouble for SPAM. To make prospective and existing subscribers feel like they are protected, post a privacy policy. Prospects may get turned off if they feel that you might sell their information.
4. Personalization – Personalizing your emails makes your subscribers feel special. You can customize emails by greeting subscribers by their first name. You can personalize the layout – with pictures, the header of the email and the colors of the background. Most auto responders (email marketing companies) offer a variety of template options for no additional cost. However, if you want to have a template customized, these companies will design the template to match your brand for an additional cost. (Check out www.aweber.com, www.constantcontact.com and www.getresponse.com for more information).
5. Call to Action/ Special offer- If you are pushing a promotion or special offer, a strong call to action is necessary. Make it clear and simple such as “Click here for a 25% discount off your next purchase.” You have to tell your subscribers exactly what they should do in order to join in on the special offer or promotion.
6. Unsubscribe – Make the unsubscribe button visible in every email. You don’t want to frustrate your readers by making it difficult to unsubscribe to your newsletter or email promotions.
7. Getting Prospects to Subscribe – Offer a bonus if they sign up. Offer an e-book or coupon for their first purchase.
If email marketing is used correctly, you can keep existing customers in the know of the latest trends or styles; offer your latest promotions and sales, and anything else that is relevant, just as long as prospects and customers don’t feel like they are being sold.
For help designing and launching your email campaign, contact us today.
You have to ask the right questions if you want the right answers.
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on July 2nd, 2009
At c.a.k., we’ve been fortunate to host numerous focus groups and conduct intercept surveys for a variety of clients over the years. With subjects ranging from women’s reproductive health to best real estate development areas and yields, we have developed a science behind not only what kind of questions we ask, but rather how we ask the questions. Although the difference may seem trivial, it allows for the accurate analysis of the data received and better results for our clients.
Before you begin a market research endeavor, here are some general tips on preparing your questions (source: ragan.com, Robert J Holland):
- Begin with the end in mind. Stephen Covey’s advice applies to measurement. It’s important to be clear about how you will use the data you collect from a survey. What’s the purpose of asking each question? Could the resulting data be acted upon? Ask only about things you intend to address. If you don’t foresee using the information in some way, don’t ask for it.
For example, a popular question on readership surveys goes something like this: “How much of the employee magazine do you read? All / Most / Some / None.”One problem with this question is that it would yield data of limited value. What if you learned that 60 percent of employees read “most” of the publication? Does reading “most” of the publication help them in their work? And what parts of the publication do they read? Even if you knew what parts they read, how would that help you improve the parts they don’t read?
A better question would be: “From the list below, select the publication features you find most relevant to your everyday work.” A list would help you pinpoint what people read, and the phrasing of the question asks them to rate the relevance of the features in the specific context of their everyday work.
- Discern between outcome-oriented and output-oriented questions. Outcome-oriented questions address the impact of communication, the difference it makes in the achievement of goals. Output-oriented questions deal with how communication vehicles work and their tactical effectiveness. What are you attempting to measure? It could be one or the other or both, but be clear about it up front.
Output-oriented questions provide information than can help you improve the mechanics of communication. For example, asking for the reasons behind low attendance at a quarterly business update meeting might reveal that the meeting’s time or location was inconvenient or that adequate notice was not given.
Outcome-oriented questions are the most powerful because they measure the business impact of communication. If one of the goals for a town-hall meeting is to help employees understand the impact of product quality on job performance, you might ask participants to rate their agreement with this statement: “Today’s town-hall meeting included information about product quality that will help me do my job better.”
- Keep the Big Three in mind. When it comes to measuring outcomes, it all comes down to three things: knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. When deciding what to ask, think about organizing questions around what people know, how they feel about what they know, and what they do as a result.
An example of a knowledge-focused question is asking employees to rate their agreement with this statement: “As a result of the webcast, I have a better working knowledge of the company’s financial situation this quarter.”
Attitude questions ask people how they feel about an issue as a result of communication about it: “After attending today’s meeting, I feel confident that the company can achieve its goals for the year.”
Behavior questions are a bit trickier because they must hone in on what people do or might do as a result of a communication effort: “After reading this story, I understand the three things I must do to help improve customer satisfaction.”
Take your time determining the right questions to ask and then refine the questions so they yield the data you need. “Asking questions is the ABC of diagnosis.”
Make Your Employees the Voice of Your Brand Online
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on July 1st, 2009
We’ve all heard about the power of social media when it comes to getting a message out to your customers quickly and easily. It is a trend that is sure to evolve and become increasingly engrained in business owners’ standard operating procedures. Even today, large companies are beginning to establish Social Media Policies that identify what the goal is for a social media campaign and what vehicles will be used to attain that goal.
I recently read this article in Advertising Age, written by Emily Bryson York, that speaks to how one BBQ chain involved its employees in building a massive online following.
“CHICAGO (AdAge.com) — While many marketers are starting to understand that their employees can be their greatest asset, one small barbecue chain has taken it to an entirely new level. Smokey Bones, a 68-unit franchise concentrated in Florida and on the Eastern seaboard, has given some of its employees second jobs — as its social marketers.
The concept is the brainchild of Smokey’s agency of record, Push, Orlando, Fla. Push was tasked with rebranding the chain last year after it was divested by Darden Restaurants, which owns Red Lobster and Olive Garden. Smokey had previously sported a log-cabin, summer-camp look and catered to an older, barbecue-centric crowd. New owner Sun Capital, a buyout firm that also owns Boston Market, wanted to reinvigorate online communication and build a younger, hipper persona on a limited budget. The chain’s sharper new look, both online and in restaurants, emphasizes the bar and shows activities by location.
A ‘fantastic army’
“Essentially it kind of snowballed out of much bigger top-line idea of basically localizing a website,” said Mark Unger, new-media creative director for Push. For each location, the chain selected someone who worked there to be a “web host.” Each restaurant-employee-cum-spokesperson runs a web page for his or her particular location and communicates with that location’s “Smokey Bones family” members (what one might call fans or friends on a social-media site). Each web host or hostess has a mirror site on Facebook and MySpace. Some restaurants have between 5,000 and 10,000 followers.
“It almost created this really fantastic army that’s out there working hard on a local level,” Mr. Unger said. “It’s really changed the brand from being a very Darden establishment to be a very exciting place that’s really relevant right now.”
The specific restaurant pages, which consumers reach by entering a zip code at smokeybones.com, list events coming to the location, games that might be on at the bar, drink specials or photos from recent events.
Since the new website and associated features went live in February, web traffic is up 50% and the chain’s e-mail list has increased 30%, “to the six-figure range,” Mr. Unger said. Building the e-mail database was critical for the agency, which will rely heavily on e-mail blasts for future marketing efforts. Across the Facebook, MySpace and corporate pages, Mr. Unger said, the chain is adding about 2,200 followers each month. The web launch was accompanied by limited print and outdoor support.
“Let’s give them points — they’re doing something a whole lot of small restaurants aren’t doing,” said Chris Brogan, president of Boston-based New Marketing Labs. He added that while the initial e-mail list and fan base are encouraging signs, they don’t necessarily equate to new customers, or repeat customers. He suggested building on the initial success with measures that will foster “true engagement,” such as discounts associated with signing up online.
Perks of hosting
To get this far, Push and Smokey Bones identified staff members who were already web-savvy and put them through social-media training, complete with a handbook. The company owns its local social-network pages, which are distinct from the web hosts’ personal Facebook or MySpace pages.
While each Facebook page carries the host’s likeness, it may be called something like “Julie Web Hostess.” The pages are monitored at the agency, corporate and franchisee levels. Since the chain, like any other in the restaurant business, has relatively high turnover, web hosts who leave the company surrender access to their pages so another staff member can take over. But Smokey Bones probably won’t have trouble finding replacements, as it pays the web hosts over and above their regular salaries to run the pages.
Getting social: Four easy tips
So you want your employees to be your social-media advocates?
It’s surprising more companies don’t do this, noted Josh Bernoff, co-author of Groundswell and senior VP-idea development at Forrester Research, in an e-mail interview. “Employees speak for the company often at conferences, on sales calls and the like,” he said. “Companies need to extend their policies to social media, but the principles are the same.”
Whether you have a structured program like Smokey Bones or are just facing the reality that your employees are out there — and talking about you — here are a few pointers.
WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW. This is a tip cribbed from Intel’s employee social-media guidelines. The company encourages full-timers and contractors to have a social-media presence but urges them to “stick to your area of expertise and provide unique, individual perspectives on what’s going on at Intel and in the world.”
BE HUMAN. If a big reason for social communication is to “humanize” a brand, for goodness sakes don’t babble on in marketing speak and inside lingo. Encourage employees to speak in first person and be real.
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRANSPARENCY AND ANGST. Everything an employee says could be heard by a customer, including the last one. So remember, being transparent and authentic doesn’t mean they have to say everything on their mind. It’s the difference between ‘It’s so hot outside,” or “Do you think we should paint?” and “I hated those guys who just ordered lemonade,” said Terry Dry, president of Fanscape, a Los Angeles-based digital word-of-mouth marketing agency.
BUILD AN ARMY. Make it part of people’s jobs, said Forrester’s Mr. Bernoff. “It’s great for somebody to have a job as a tweeter. [It's] much better if tweeting, Facebook, blogging, etc. is part of lots of employees’ jobs.”
Say what you mean and mean what you say.
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on June 29th, 2009
Grin of the Cheshire Cat
For years now I have been subscribing to The Wizard of Ads’ Monday Morning Message. They are always to the point and seemingly timed perfectly with the random thoughts that enter my mind weekly.
This week’s message speaks about your customers’ last mental image of you, your company or your message and why it’s important to ensure that you’ve thought about it as well. Hiring a marketing/advertising firm to help you identify the most important “last mental image” for your company may help save you from becoming a Cheshire Cat.
From the Monday Morning Memo:
“It [the Cheshire Cat] vanished quite slowly, beginning with the end of the tail, and ending with the grin, which remained some time after the rest of it had gone.” – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland(1865)
I never ask the graduates of Wizard Academy, “What could we have done differently? How might we improve?” To do so would be to ask them to search their memories for disappointing moments. These are not the images I want to cement in their minds.
Instead, I ask, “What was your favorite moment during your time with us?” This causes the students to recall each of the high-impact moments during of their time on campus and relive those moments in their mind. It doesn’t matter what they choose as their favorite, I just want to flood their minds with happy memories.
The grin will remain after the rest of it is gone.
It is important to control the Last Mental Image (LMI.) What procedures do you employ to make sure your customer has a positive LMI of their experience with you?
Today the world is forming its LMI of Michael Jackson. So far, the stories and comments have centered on his impact as a performer and his contributions to music. The foibles and flaws that interested us yesterday no longer seem important. Michael Jackson is dead and the world seems a tiny bit smaller.
Toyota Dangles Social Element For Prius
Posted by c.a.k. + associates in Uncategorized on June 18th, 2009
This is a terrific article about how influential social media is as a component of any marketing strategy. Karl Greenberg’s piece should really make you think about your online strategies. Contact us today if you want to chat a little about this.
“Toyota’s launch campaign for the 2010 Prius includes an unusual media channel that links community-centric social media to gas-pump television.
“Prius Neighborhood” centers on consumer-generated content with a local flavor running through October on Gas Station TV (GSTV), comprising pump-top TV screens at 13 national gasoline retail chains in 100 markets. In addition to ad content, the TVs carry news and entertainment segments from CBS, sports from ESPN and updates from AccuWeather.
Toyota will tout Prius with 15- and 30-second ads on GSTV, but the more integrated element — the neighborhood part — is TV segments directing consumers filling their cars to visit http://event. gstv.com/, where they can upload content on local happenings. The submissions are reviewed, put in rotation, and become searchable by ZIP code on the Web site.
The events are also posted to regional Twitter pages @GSTVevents, and to the “Prius Neighborhood” area on Toyota’s Facebook page, where people can also post events, view posted events, interact with others and link to the event submission page through a custom-developed Prius Neighborhood application.
Doug Frisbie, Toyota national media manager, tells Marketing Daily that gas-pump television is, for several reasons, an ideal platform to talk about Prius.
“Certainly, the time at pump is a period where there aren’t other things to focus on, so it’s a good time to provide people with ad content but also with unique content about their communities,” he says. “And all our research about the Prius consumer shows they are active in their communities; they want to connect with other people. Thirdly, the Prius’ advantage is that it gets 50 miles per gallon, and finally, with this launch we are trying to extend the Prius to be a car for everyone, and this program reaches a million people per day.”
He says that while there is not direct dealership tie-in on the Facebook site, “one benefit of connecting social media with GSTV is [that] there is natural path to the lower part of purchase funnel: One could see the event listings on GSTV, then go to Facebook, submit events in their area, become a friend of Prius and find a local dealer in their areas, so it’s more connected than in traditional media.”
Toyota’s effort aligns with the broader Prius ad and marketing campaign which carries the theme, “Harmony between man, nature and machine.” In addition to traditional ads, it includes other place-specific efforts: installations of solar panels on bus shelters in cities like Los Angeles and Boston, and flower-shaped installations with built-in recharging stations for personal devices.”
Portals, Reveals, and Partial Reveals
Posted by c.a.k. + associates in Uncategorized on June 15th, 2009
I am an avid reader of The Wizard of Ads’ Monday Morning Messages. Today he talks about How to Get Customers to Give You Their Time. Very interesting and spot on!
“Portals create intrigue in paintings, photographs, literature and movies. Architects use them to lengthen the time we spend in landmark stores and theme parks. Portals say, “Come on in. Stay awhile.”
Dr. Nick Grant, a close friend, was examining a group of photographs in my Accidental Magic collection when he said, “Oh! You’re a portal person. I should have known.”
“A what?”
Pointing with his finger to each of the portals in the photographs, he explained, “Portals in art help us move from one state of consciousness to another.” Dr. Grant, I should mention, is a clinical psychologist.
And thus my study of portals began.
Doorways, windows, tunnels, bridges and stairs are portals. Each of these whispers a promise of change, “Things beyond here are different than where you are.”
I’m teaching you about portals and partial reveals because customers prefer to spend their time in places where there’s more to explore, the lure of discovery, a promise of adventure.
Do you offer these things? In your store, your offices, your landscaping?
Go to the mall and you’ll see that most of the stores have no entry portal, no doorway. They stand wide open, naked, with nothing hidden or obscured. This makes it easy for you to wander into them and just as easy to wander out. Stores without doors see a lot of traffic with low curiosity and no commitment.
A door creates a threshold barrier, but once you’ve passed through it you’re insulated from the world you left outside. Customers spend more time in stores with doors.
An open portal offers a partial reveal. Notice the image at the top of this page. If the window were closed it would still be a portal though it would no longer offer a partial reveal.
A partial reveal is a glimpse, an enticement, a tease. Occasionally it’s offered through an open portal, but more often through a space between impediments. The more partial reveals you display, the longer the customer stays in your store.
Curiosity is stimulated by a partial reveal. If this were not true, there would be no long skirts with slits up the side and men would not buy their wives negligees.
A full reveal delivers the promise of the partial reveal. You catch a glimpse – the partial reveal – and are drawn toward the carefully crafted full reveal. BAM! Your world is rocked.”