Posted by Rahna on September 23, 2010 under Branding, Consumer Engagement, Media, Personal Branding | 
Click to Watch Ad
Sun Life Financial is a fairly unknown insurance company that has been around for 144 years. They have recently launched a campaign to expand their exposure, using humor to try to build relevancy with consumers. There are some very funny ads about “the Sun Life guys,” two company advocates who are traveling the country to try to convince various people to change their names to somehow include “Sun Life.” It’s a really fun campaign that executes on some very strong branding principles: You can check out their ads here.
The campaign is creating relevancy where none existed before. Among other things, the two guys try to convince the Florida tourism board to change its name from the “Sunshine State” to the “Sun Life State” and to convince KC and the Sunshine Band to “KC and the Sun Life Band.”
Humor works well here, because insurance is boring and an unbelievably low-interest category. By aligning themselves with something totally random they are building relevancy with their audience. It doesn’t matter that they are not talking about how stable the company is or how secure their holdings are (although they do manage to weave those solid points in to the commercials in the end). Their strategy is to build awareness, and that’s what this campaign does.
There is also a social media campaign that is closely tied to the commercials which shows more places where the they have tried to convince others to alter their names. They are very consistent in the execution of this campaign, which has video, digital and print that is all reinforcing their primary strategic messages. You can check out the campaign particulars at the Get To Know Sun Life website.
Last week, I conducted a training session for their employees to inspire them to think differently about their personal brands. This is a company that is in the process of strengthening its corporate brand and felt that it is important invest in its people, to help them strengthen their personal brands. There was a wide range of titles, responsibilities and experience levels in the room, but everyone walked away thinking more clearly about how they can express their brands more fully in their jobs.
So in looking at your personal brand, how are you creating brand relevance with your desired audience? Look for ways that may, at face value, be totally random and impossible, but may in fact make strong strategic sense. Build rapport and commonalities to help further a desired relationship with a desired client.
And don’t think for a moment that if you are in a corporate staff position that you do not need to think about this! We all have clients. They may be internal clients, a boss or another department that we serve. Look to build relevancy and points of commonality in order to strethen your brand!
Posted by Rahna on July 1, 2010 under Consumer Engagement, New Product Development, Strategy |
As part of a new product development project I worked on recently, we looked at current and upcoming trends to spur our imaginations and see what new product ideas could be generated with those trends in mind. In your new product development, make sure you include some trend work in your ideation session, as the combination of a few random trends could make for some really inspired new product ideas!
To spark your thinking, I am including a few trends–from American Tea Parties to American Idol, from the appeal of the latest technological toys to a yearning for simplicity–that may have implications for your industry:
Recessionary Reset
How has the shift in American spending impacted your industry? What will healthcare reform mean for you (personally and professionally)? What do you see ahead? As the media argues over a double-dip recession versus a slow return to prosperity, marketers must evaluate the permanent mindset change that has impacted consumers over the past two years—the loss of jobs that is forcing greater entrepreneurialism, exploding direct selling industries, and causing the belt-tightening that has led to a struggle for middle tier brands to prove their value amidst the resurgence of private label brands, the staycation phenomenon, the rise of DIY décor, and the inconspicuous consumption of those who still have jobs and money now tiptoeing out to spend money without anyone noticing, not bringing in their designer shopping bags from the car until after dark.
Empowered Narcissism
The rise of the social media allows everyone to shine a spotlight on everyone’s favorite topic…themselves. Now that people can tweet about what they had for lunch today and blog about their opinions on the latest celebrity scandal, it means that everyone’s an expert and everyone is media (see blog post from April for more on this topic). Crowd-sourcing on-line has empowered everyone, given each person an opportunity to contribute a potential SuperBowl ad idea, speak up and let their voices be heard, from American Tea Parties to giving their rating on the latest novel at Amazon, voting on who should win American Idol, America’s Got Talent, Dancing with the Stars or any of the other “audience participation” shows on prime time.
Authentic Environ-mentality
Green efforts continue to build, as more Americans are gravitating to products and services that can boast environmental friendliness. However, buying green must be easy, and authenticity matters —DON’T bother to “greenwash” your product; such efforts will eventually backfire.”Buy local” is a watchword that goes along with those efforts, with many just now discovering the delights of the weekend farmer’s market.
Technological Touchpoints
Whether you are an individual consumer or a multinational retailer, technology still rules. With M-commerce on the rise as now 32% of Americans using mobil phones and mobil apps to access email, text or shop on-line, technology is changing how and when we communicate, while web-based training programs at the office and do-it-yourself scanners minimizes the need for human interaction—even at the hardware store. While some argue that today’s mobile-empowered consumers cannot communicate “properly” (meaning that they can’t carry on a conversation of more than 160 characters at a time), others will argue that technology is only enhancing how that social interaction happens, with tweet-ups and meet-ups organized on twitter.com or eharmony.com.
Take some time with each of these ideas (and many others that you can see in your own industry) and discuss how they are impacting or could impact your business moving forward. Looking at these trends slightly differently could yield a whole new stream of revenue one year, three years, even ten years down the road!
Posted by jos on April 26, 2010 under Branding, Consumer Engagement, Media, Strategy |
Advertising works.
That’s something that not many people will dispute. The question becomes, “What should we say in our advertising?” And there are many schools of thought to answer that question.
Last August, I read a discussion about whether drug advertising should be regulated or abolished in the New York Times “Room for Debate” article (which can be read here). Marcia Angell, a senior lecturer in social medicine at Harvard Medical School was quoted, “Direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising does exactly what it is intended to do — increase sales for drug companies. Increasingly, it does that by promoting medical conditions, as well as drugs. If the industry can convince essentially normal people that minor complaints require long-term drug treatment, its market will grow.”
Some advertising sells pain; some sells pleasure. That “pleasure” is referred to in advertising circles as the “end benefit” to the consumer. I’ve always been a positive person, so I am drawn (both as a marketer and as a consumer) to that which sells pleasure. At Miracle-Gro, we always showed the amazing results and beautiful gardens achieved with product use; with LEGO, the advertising celebrated and highlighted for kids the joy of building. I am bothered by the barrage of negativity ever put before us, as I believe pharmaceutical ads simply sell sickness. Yes, I am one of those people who push the mute button every time the TV starts talking about restless leg syndrome, prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction. I choose not to fill my head with such negative images.
I am watching, as many Americans are, our country’s struggles to deal with healthcare issues. One productive answer might lie in the same premise, that advertising works. Maybe the insurance companies should be advertising wellness—the joys of exercise, the fun of not smoking, the confidence inspired by good eating habits.
But what does this have to do with your brand and your business? Well, my question to you is, “What images are you putting top-of-mind with your consumers?”
Maybe you don’t have a multi-million dollar budget, but every company (large or small) has ways to heighten awareness of something—through an online video, a TV ad, a windshield flyer or even in a simple email communication. Everyone can bring a product/service/problem/solution to the forefront of someone’s mind in order to move them to action.
If you’d like help strategizing the best messages to keep top of mind with your customers, give us a call. We’re experts at identifying the compelling, motivating, get-them-off-the-couch end benefits so that you can highlight them in your marketing efforts. We’d love to help you.
Posted by Rahna on March 18, 2010 under Branding, Consumer Engagement, Strategy |
If you’ve been keeping up on your business and marketing news recently, you already know that the HUMMER brand is dead. General Motors has decided to retire this iconic brand. They tried to sell it to a Japanese company, but in the end, they found no takers.
What happened?
The market shifted and HUMMER did not.
The funny thing is, the brand enjoys very strong recognition levels–so much so that it is number one in mass-market brand scores for the latest J.D. Power & Associates Consumer Service Index. Branding without relevance doesn’t work, as this case study clearly shows. With the seismic shifts in the global economy, the “bling bling” era came to a crashing halt in 2007 and with that, HUMMER sales plummeted (50% decline in both 2008 AND 2009-Yikes!). The age of conspicuous consumption, gone. Mix in with that America’s increasing emphasis on environmentally friendly solutions and “green marketing,” millions of people laid off from work, and it’s easy to see why it died.
The tragic thing from a marketer’s perspective is that it didn’t have to die. Those brand managers could had figured out a way to bridge the legacy that it had built up into an area where it would still have some viability and perhaps the brand could’ve survived. For several years, I was involved in the development and marketing of HUMMER vehicles, so I know the strength of the brand, one part ostentation and two parts rugged individualism. HUMMER brand managers could have leveraged that brand’s affinity into more niche markets — perhaps snowmobiles, ATVs or some other extreme sports. Who knows … maybe it will get resurrected somewhere, somehow.
To me, it’s a lesson in staying relevant. You must stay on top of consumer trends and know where your customers are going. You cannot simply rest on your laurels or you will become as irrelevant as an Edsel, a Pontiac, Oldsmobile or now, a HUMMER.
Don’t let that happen to you! If you’re looking for consumer insights or trends, let us help you! With over 25 years in building and rebuilding brands, keeping top brands on top and expanding brands into new product categories successfully, we can help you to stay relevant to today’s consumers in today’s markets.
Posted by Rahna on January 4, 2010 under Consumer Engagement, Consumer Research |
Is this the year of innovation for you? Or is your product development process stuck in mediocrity?
January is always a time for resolutions, fresh starts, good intentions and big plans, and this year perhaps more than other years, companies are looking expectantly towards a promising future (eager to leave 2009 in the dust).
Are you ready for 2010? Are you up to the challenge of this year? Perhaps you worried your way through 2008, optimized operations, cut your staff and limped your way through 2009. But, as the saying goes, “What got you here won’t get you there.” You need to be prepared with an action plan in place to meet the growth demands and expectations that everyone has—from the stockholders to senior management (and even you!). Cost-cutting measures can save a lot, but they are not the engine of growth.
Innovation is.
Typically, innovation comes from your current assets & expertise, whether that be operational excellence, technological savvy or marketplace relationships. But to grow your business significantly, you need two things:
- Consumer-based perspectives
- Fresh Thinking
Consumer-Based Perspectives
While anyone with a bit of creativity can develop a short-term promotion or slap a new flavor on an existing product to respond to a hot trend, what you really want is sustainable growth that you can bank on. That growth can come from new product development, new market development or new business development. Regardless of where it comes from, I guarantee that the most sustainable growth still answers a consumer need, provides something compelling for consumers, and resonates with them.
But you can’t just go ask them what they want…because most times, they don’t know themselves. It takes a certain skill to hear what they are not saying, to read between the lines, to “tease” out a wish list from consumers that they didn’t even know they had.
That’s where Beacon Marketing’s expertise comes in. We’ll ask the “what if’s?”, the “why nots?” and the “Whaddya think?” type questions that may sound like “chit-chat” to the untrained ear but will bubble up into multi-million dollar business opportunities for you.
Fresh thinking
I hear this over and over again; this is what is desperately needed. Most companies have internal product development teams who approach business development with a certain bias. They are so deeply into the business that sometimes they cannot see opportunities that are right before them. By adding an outside perspective and embracing some challenges to the standard “that’s the way we’ve always done it” mentality, huge breakthroughs can happen!
But if you are looking for real growth—I’m talking about real innovation that adds to your overall business—then ground that innovation in consumer thinking and invite a fresh perspective.
Our proprietary process helps identify the strengths and weaknesses of you, your competitors and the category, as well as the likes, dislikes and other consumer perspectives that can turn consumer dreams into profitable realities for you.
We can’t wait to help you; give us a call!
Posted by Rahna on September 14, 2009 under Consumer Engagement, Consumer Research |
I was speaking to a team of kid marketers for one of the biggest brands in America about the process of innovation–in particular, the communication that takes place between those in engineering (scientists, product engineers, product designers, etc.) and marketers during the process of the development of new innovations.
The toy industry is very trend driven, with new toys coming out at least every six months (if not more). Kids always want to know “what’s hot” and “what’s new” in toys. Manufacturers want to deliver on that desire for freshness and newness because it’s good for business. However, this puts a strain on those who must constantly innovate. Some have product design specialists, and some have technology experts. Some have trend watch teams. Each toy manufacturer finds unique ways to bring innovation to the marketplace.
In my work, I’ve had lots of opportunities to work with product designers, engineers and scientists in many different fields. The process of innovation is a combination of looking at consumer wants & consumer desires and figuring out how to meet those desires, while at the same time being alert to new technologies that might deliver new benefits to the consumer. Especially at Texaco, and Scotts Miracle Gro, I had regular contact with chemists and scientists developing state-of-the-art technologies to bring innovation to the automotive industry and to America’s gardens. Scientists were always a vital part of our team.
Sometimes the communication was from the consumer back to the scientists through the marketers. We would research what kinds of problems consumers had, as well as what kind of desires they had– what was on their wish list. We would take this information back to the scientists to say, “Do you have a technology that could solve that problem?” Other times, we would work with the scientists, discussing new technologies, and then, based on our understanding of consumers, determine the best applications for those new technologies. Once we had a few ideas, we would take that back to the consumer for testing and ultimately, new product launch.
Notice that in each case, the consumer must be a part of the conversation. If you work with scientists on emerging technologies and how to leverage those emerging technologies, congratulations! It’s fun work, isn’t it? Just make sure you don’t forget the consumer. No matter what cool technologies you come up with, it must be relevant to a consumer. Consumer must see what’s in it for them. So don’t forget to include the consumer in the conversation!
Posted by Rahna on September 3, 2009 under Consumer Engagement, Consumer Research |
Earlier this week, I was sharing research results at Marvel’s headquarters in New York City. This was the day after the announcement of Disney’s intent to purchase Marvel for $4 billion, so the whole office was abuzz about that….exciting news that should do good things for both parties involved … but I digress. That is not the purpose of this post.
The purpose of this post is to talk about how we receive information, even supposedly “bad” information. It is a gift… just like feedback (or criticism) is a gift. It’s all in how you look at it.
In the discussion of the research, there were some results that were not in line with Marvel’s current thinking, information presented that challenged their current view of their target audience and their beliefs. I was concerned that this information might not be received very well. The question becomes, “How do we react to information that challenges our current thinking?” There can be a tendency to dismiss it out of hand as irrelevant or flawed in some way. That is only human nature…
Or we can choose to find the nugget of learning in it. While reviewing the learning with Marvel’s Research Manager, we talked about the insights to be gained and the guidance the information provided. It turned out to be a very fruitful conversation and sparked some great discussion.
Are you skeptical about some information that has crossed your desk? Certainly check the credibility of the source, but make sure that you give the information its due. What is the information telling you that might be helpful in your future planning? Be open-minded. It may just be the catalyst to your greatest out-of-the-box thinking yet!
Posted by Rahna on August 27, 2009 under Consumer Engagement, Consumer Research, Strategy |
We are releasing results of our new study that discusses the economic impact on today’s suburban mom. This qualitative research explored how the changes in the economy have impacted a wide spectrum of life activities, including shopping behaviors, vacation planning, daily family activities and parenting. In addition, the study reports on the underlying emotional shifts occurring for both moms and kids. The study focused on moms of children aged five through 12 years old in households with normal incomes ranging from $60,000 to $125,000 annually.
Key Findings
While everyone has been impacted in some way by this economy, there seems to be two camps that are emerging: the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots.’ The “haves” have a stable income. These are the people with salaried jobs who received a regular paycheck. The economic impact has been more of an inconvenience, with minor setbacks, such as a small number of forced furlough days or a salary freeze or a small reduction in salary.
The “Have-Nots” do not. These are the people that have been slammed by the economy. These people are corporate workers who have been laid off, or small business owners who were doing fine and have seen their revenues cut in half (or more), commission-only salespeople who were thriving before and are now barely able to get by.
Changing Dynamics
The impact of all this economic change on family dynamics has been HUGE. Whether you are a “Have” or a “Have-Not,” all moms shopping behaviors and associated family purchases have changed. The prominence of the economic situation has given all moms a heightened awareness of what they purchase, and everyone is looking for ways to preserve cash, with the increased use of coupons, waiting for the inevitable sales, or forgoing “luxury” activities such as summer vacations and piano lessons for the kids. Dinners out have been cut by 75%.
The upside for everyone is that, out of necessity and then, true desire, we are seeing a yearning for and appreciation of “simple.” Going for a walk or playing by the pool has replaced going out to dinner or going to a movie as the family activity.
Underlying Emotions
Moms recognize that their world (and their kids’ worlds) have been permanently changed, and the emotional baggage associated with these changes is tremendous. This economy has created a strange emotional cocktail of guilt and fear, anger and self-loathing mixed with gratitude for what they have, a simpler appreciation for their families, and an acknowledgment that a return to simple is actually good for them and their families. This is hard for many to process, especially for the “Have-Nots.”
Impact on Kids
Although younger and more sensitive kids are being shielded from the effects of this economy, most are not. Moms are either using the current environment as an opportunity to teach their kids about good financial practices, or they are, of necessity, explaining their revised situation with their kids.
Why Did We Do This?
There have been so many quantitative studies on changing behaviors, but, in order to really serve our kid- and parent-oriented client base, we felt we really wanted to dig deeper, to go beyond the numbers of women using coupons and get to the deeper issues and uncover the rich data for how and why it’s impacting family dynamics.
If you’d like to see a more thorough report on Moms and The Great Recession, please contact Rahna@Beacon-Marketing.com.
Posted by Rahna on July 27, 2009 under Branding, Consumer Engagement, Strategy |
On Friday, I was interviewed as a “kid expert” by members of the marketing team for a major packaged goods brand, talking about trends in kid marketing, what is influencing kids (and moms) today and providing advice for what the marketing team should be thinking about in their marketing and innovation efforts.
One of the interesting questions was, “What is fun?” Having worked in the toy industry for over seven years now, I have a good sense of some of the major elements of fun, and it made me wonder how other brands (that are not outright toys) embody “fun.” Is your brand fun?
One of the points that I raised had to do with the concept of “hard fun.” Now, hard fun is a vital element of every video, every sport, every board game, every card game, and many toys (certainly it is a key aspect of LEGO toys).
Hard fun is the idea that challenge is good.
Everyone enjoys gaining a sense of mastery, a sense of a job well done, a game well-played, a challenge overcome, success achieved. Video games provide levels so that you can feel the thrill and the challenge of “getting to the next level.” That’s an integral part of the fun.
Would you want to play tennis with a two-year old? Probably not (unless it was your own child, a niece or nephew—and that’s a whole different aspect of fun)! You want to be well-matched on the court, to play with someone who will give you a run for your money. Even if you are just watching, you want it to be hard on both sides. The nail-biter, down-to-the-wire Superbowl games are much more fun to watch, even if you are a diehard fan! The triumph is that much sweeter if the challenge is strong.
Ever build a LEGO creation? It’s not easy. Taking a pile a bricks and turning it into a spaceship, or a fire truck or a skyscraper or an alien super-bug takes creativity, thought, and a sense of spatial relations. The pride and accomplishment are an integral part of the fun!
Of course, the trick is to develop something that is hard enough to be a challenge, yet not so hard as to shatter self-esteem. That pride, that sense of accomplishment must be there, whether using a Wii Remote, a deck of cards, or a ball of some sort.
What kind of “hard fun” have you built into your brand? Into your life? If you need more fun in your world, if you want your consumers to see your brand as fun, find a way to add more challenge. I guarantee it will be more fun!
If you’d like more advice on what you should be thinking about for your marketing efforts, give us a call. We promise, it won’t be too hard! J
Posted by Rahna on June 15, 2009 under Consumer Engagement, Consumer Research, Strategy |
Everyone in the media has a different take on the economy, how people are responding to it, and what its lasting impact will be. Certainly, “The Great Recession” is distressing millions who have lost their jobs and small and large businesses alike who are impacted by the new frugality of American consumers.
At Beacon Marketing, we have conducted research to see what the short—and potential long-term— implications of this economic climate will be. People are sacrificing dinners out, planning “staycations” and reaffirming their core values as they reconnect to families in non-monetary ways. Over the past year, our country has gone through an amazing shift in thinking, from vaguely being aware that the AIG issues would somehow affect them, to being horrified to open their 401K statements and find almost half of their savings gone, to experiencing the panic of the neighbors, the sister-in-law, the husband out of a job, to then adjusting to the necessary budgetary changes and finding the good in the materialistic cleansing taking place in this country.
Recently, in a discussion on MSNBC’s program Morning Joe with Joe Scarborough, Donny Deustch predicted that people would go back to their spending ways once we came out of this current turmoil. That’s not what our research indicates! In the same way that The Great Depression forever changed our grandparents into frugal savers who reused bits of tinfoil in the kitchen, our country will never be the same. Our preconceived notions that the stock market would always be a good place to invest, and that real estate always increased in value are forever gone. The research that we have done indicates that a much more permanent shift has occurred.
How is this impacting your industry? Your company? Your product line? If you are to understand how to market to this new mindset, you need to understand it. Find out how by calling Beacon Marketing today. We’d love to help you understand your consumer better so that you can refine your marketing efforts and navigate safely through these economic waters. Just as with our other high-profile clients, trust us to satisfy your research needs.
