How About Some Dr. Pepper on Your Chicken?

I love Pepsi, but it may be going to far with this. Needing a revenue boost, Cadbury and Pepsi are beginning to license their brand names. So far, No. 3 beverage giant Cadbury Schweppes has been the most aggressive. Last year, it expanded its partnership with Jelly Belly Candy Co. with the Jelly Belly Soda Pop Shoppe collection. And it already has relationships with Unilever's Good Humor for frozen novelties, Popsicle for sugar-free pops and Breyer's for an A&W-branded root-beer-float ice cream.

It appears that Pepsi is ready to follow suit as Dr. Pepper barbecue sauce, Aquafina skin-care products and Mountain Dew smoothies are all in the works. However, I’m not sure if I totally agree with this since it may dilute the brand equity for some of Pepsi's leading products. Look at what happened to Arm & Hammer in its attempt to become all things to all people(i.e. Arm & Hammer Detergent, Toothpaste, cleaning products, etc...). Now Arm & Hammer is not positioned to attract any particular market segment. Anyways, this is just my opinion. The bigger question relates to whether YOU want Dr. Pepper on YOUR chicken. Do you?











Source: Adage

'The 4-Hour Workweek': A Case Study in DIY Marketing

Steve Rubel at Adage reports on the recent success of Timothy Ferriss' best-seller, "The 4-Hour Workweek." Rubel says "Unlike other monster bestsellers, "The 4-Hour Workweek" has had almost no marketing or PR support. Ferriss has not been on Oprah, nor does he have any splashy ads running in business magazines. (He does have a catchy title and an alluring too-good-to-be-true premise that resonates with many in our caffeinated, always-on world.) But more importantly, he reached this orbit by personally getting to know online influencers and being in the right place at the right time."

Additionally, Rubel goes on to say,"There are three tangible lessons in Tim's story: 1) Go where bloggers are. 2) Be there with a message and a story that will appeal to their interests, not yours. 3) Nurture the relationships online and off. Agencies can replicate this success. The challenge is to do so while maintaining margins."

You can find out more about who bloggers are and where they talk by reading my post, Do Marketers Know Who Blogs? How Can They Find Out?

Source: Adage

Volkswagen (VW) Changing Campaigns

Volkswagen's new campaign from Crispin Porter & Bogusky aims to communicate the emotional experience of being inside its cars with the tagline, "When you get into a Volkswagen, it gets into you."

VW's previous campaign, "three V-dubs for under $17,000" launcehd to change consumers perceptions that its vehicles cost too much. Adage reports Adrian Hallmark, exec VP, Volkswagen of America, saying the strategy worked well in some regions (East and West) and for some models (the Rabbit) but not for the Beetle. "We found a drop in the price of a Beetle did not increase desirability," Hallmarkk said, indicating a one-size-fits-all approach wasn't the answer. "Shouting three for under $17,000 hasn't helped, so we are not going to try to compensate for what we are not."

To convey that theme, it has prepared six national TV spots about to break, and each will use a different song from Wilco's new album, "Sky Blue Sky." Andrew Keller, executive creative director at Crispin, said the words line up well with the VW brand.

In one of the first commercials, a tow-truck driver who enters a GTI he intends to tow is so enchanted he moves the car only a few feet -- out of the no-parking zone.

Mr. Keller said the value-model campaign was "an important step along the way," but he maintains that the brand's core value is that it's fun to drive.

Personally, I think VW should be congratulated on recognizing that its current campaign was not working and deciding to switch. It is never an easy decision for a brand to walk away from an unsuccessful campaign. Sometimes a brand manager or advertising agency may ask themselves if they could have done something more. Fortunately, other brands have changed campaigns quickly in the past. For example, American Express recently decided to change its campaign from 'My Life, My Card' to 'Are you a cardmember?'.

Source: Adage

Peformify at UFCJunkie.com Reaches Out

I'm glad say that Performify of UFCJunkie.com showed some concern for my frustration and clarified some issues for me. I just want to thank Performify and let UFCJunkie.com know that I will continue to read their blog as I learn more about Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and International Fight League (IFL).

Here are three recommended blogs to get your MMA fix:

UFCJunkie.com
Fightopinion.com
Sprawl n' Brawl.

I'll leave the MMA reporting to the big boys. However, feel free to let me know if you want additional information regarding MMA, UFC and IFL marketing efforts. I'll do my best to forward any information I may have. You can reach me by e-mail at www.conceptsmarketingresearch@hotmail.com.

Do Marketers Know Who Blogs? How Can They Find Out?

I came across an interesting article a Adage which asks Who Blogs? Additionally, it states that most marketers do not have a clue. The author,Beth Snyder Bulik, says there are over 15 million blogs which are read by 57 million people. I do question Adage's methodology for calculating the number of blogs. The number is probably much higher...unless the criteria they use is a strict "one post a day criteria." The latest estimate from the MySpace is that there are nearly 100 million MySpace page, and it's probably safe to assume that about a fifth are active. There are 48,569,755 blogs according to Blogpulse.com. New blogs are being created every day. Regardless of the actual size of the blogosphere, we can all rest assured that it is growing and becoming a credible source of information for consumers.

"This is simply not a passing fad that can be ignored," said Michael Gartenberg, analyst with Jupiter Research. The author says bloggers have great credibility. They use a recent event as evidence. Engadget reported that Apple's iPhone and Leopard operating system would be seriously delayed. Apple's stock price took an immediate dive, dropping some $4 billion in market capitalization before it was discovered that the information came from a fake leaked memo.

The article goes on to say "Consumers are also taking bloggers' word before they buy. A late 2006 Ipsos MORI survey found that blogs were a more trusted source of information than advertising or e-mail marketing. One-third of respondents said they had decided not to buy a product after reading a negative blog post, while 52% were persuaded to buy after reading a positive review." There is no denying that blogs influence consumers purchase behavior.

Unfortunately, most marketers do not know who is blogging about them. However, I have a few tips which may help them.

1. Type in the name of your company or product in Blogpulse, Technorati, Google Blog Search or any other blog search engine.
2. Collect a list of bloggers talking about your company or product.
3. Read bloggers post to see what they are saying about you. (This may be more important than knowing who they are since some bloggers like to remain anonymous)!
4. Click on a bloggers profile. Many bloggers provide demographic information (i.e. Who they are, Age, Sex, Location, E-mail etc...). This will give you a really good feel about who they are.
5. Determine how much influence a blogger has over other people. Do they post Consumer Generated Media (CGM) in other places (i.e. Discussion boards, Usenet groups, video content on YouTube)?
6. Find out who is in their 'Sphere of Influence'. Do any other bloggers link to them?





I hope these tips can help out some of my fellow marketers. Feel free to leave comments regarding this post.

Up-Branding Has Become Mainstream

I came across an interesting article about "Up-Branding" at Ad Age. There article argues that Up-Branding has become a very common theme among companies and products trying to build brand equity. The articles offers several suggestions to marketers who want to "Up-Brand" their products. They are listed below.

Tips For "Up-Branding"

1. Limiting distribution channels
2. Focusing on small indulgences (i.e. Starbucks targeting consumers looking for premium coffee products).
3. Play from your brands strengths
4. Leverage design
5. Give your brand a "green" label

Personally, I feel some of these ideas are great for "Up-branding," but marketers must be careful how they incorporate them into their marketing strategy. For example, the article at Ad Age mentions playing from your brands strengths. It uses Crest Vivid White. The author, Allen Adamson, says "Crest, for example, has always been associated with a beautiful, healthy smile. Its up-branded product, Crest Vivid White, builds on this well-known brand association by adding whiteness to the beautiful, healthy equation." However, it is important to make sure a brand does not become diluted.

Starbucks is a brand that is suffering from brand dilution. You can find more information about Starbucks' brand dilution at Brand Autopsy.

Blogs That Upset Me (UFCJunkie.com)

I'll admit it, I don't know squat about Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), International Fight League (IFL) and other Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) leagues. However, I am interested in learning about them. I was listening to Lance McAlister's sports show on 1530Homer in Cincinnati one afternoon when he mentioned that UFC received better TV ratings than the NBA playoffs. Therefore, I wanted do some research to see which sports leagues were getting the most online buzz. UFC surpassed the NBA in buzz over Memorial Day weekend 2007. This was a total shocker to me. It got me interested in MMA leagues. I posted the messages over the past week.

I received some good feedback from Adam Morgan at Sprawlnbrawl and Zach Arnold at Fightopinion.com. Also, Cyphron who posts at UFCjunkie.com said "Marketrman, I think your blog is great. I’m actually studying a marketing class right now, so it’s nice to see the UFC and marketing concepts put together. However, why do you keep calling the UFC fighters as “wrestlers?” Please refer to them as fighters instead." [He's right, they're not wrestlers. I have much to learn]!

Unfortunately, I have received some very negative comments from one Dy-no-mite3000. He said "the blog sucks, a non fan trying to sound like he knows how to revolutionize the UFC, however he talks more about the IFL." He left some additional commentary under my post titled "Things IFL Should Do To Create More Buzz." Personally, I'm glad Dy-no-mite3000 commented on my blog. However, he needs to get his facts straight. I don't think he read any of my other posts, or else he would know that I talk a lot about UFC. He's right, I'm a "non-fan" commenting on UFC. But why is he upset over a "non-fan" talking about his sport? He should embrace "non-fans" who talk about MMA and teach them about it. I think having "non-fans" talking about MMA leagues is a fine as long as they are converted into "real-fans" eventually (i.e. sooner than later). I'm not upset with Dy-no-mite3000. He is obviously very passionate about his sport and that's a good thing. I'm not going to remove his comments because his views differ from mine. That is what blogging is about. People post things that others will criticize from time-to-time. However, I don't like it when other blogs remove comments that don't favor their opinions. That is not what blogging is supposed to be about.

I received some good feedback from other UFC fans regarding my data, so I tried to get the word out. I posted a few comments over at UFCJunkie.com. Yeah, I put my link in a few of the comments I left. I got some positive feedback (See Cyphron's comments above) from those who understand marketing. I received some negative feedback. However, I'm really peeved that the moderator removed the majority of my messages (I'm ok with the fact that the moderator removed my comments with links to my site, but the rest of them? Come on!). I called a few of the people out on that blog who were against me because I'm a "non-fan" according to them. Removing comments goes against everything blogging is about. True bloggers embrace criticism and use it to make their blogs better. Personally, UFCJunkie.com isn't doing their part to help MMA leagues grow. They are simply going chase to every "non-fan" away with their close mindedness. True bloggers look at all available data before taking a side. Good luck growing a fan base without current "non-fans!" Also, UFCJunkie.com seems to feel information on my blog isn't good enough for them. I'm sorry to hear that. However, I don't think they are going to find as much in-depth analysis regarding online buzz of UFC and other MMA leagues anywhere else right now. They should let me know otherwise if they do.

Also, I don't understand how UFCJunkie can say "Please help spread word of our arrivial and encourage your friends to send us an "Add Friend" request. Luckily, we're not very picky about the company we keep, so delinquents and ill-breds are not only welcome, but eagerly anticipated" on its Myspace page, but remove my posts for being a "non-fan." This seems a bit hypocritical to me.

I'm not going to tell anyone where to go to get their MMA leagues fix. But there are better blogs than UFCJunkie.com. I know of two blogs that I will be visiting on a regular basis as I convert from a "non-fan" to a "true-fan" of MMA. Make sure to check out Adam Morgan over at Sprawlnbrawl and Zach Arnold at Fightopinion.com.

Toyota Reaches out to Greek Bloggers (Repost from Adverblog)

I've found out about an interesting "blog marketing" campaign carried out by Toyota in Greece. I'm glad to post about it since it extends the coverage on online marketing in Europe.

For the launch of their new hatchback model, the Auris, Toyota Hellas wanted a digital campaign that would promote the new car's interior design and the feel drivers get when sitting inside the Auris' modern "cockpit". The campaign needed to actively engage consumers with the brand, to generate leads and "test-drive" requests.

OgilvyOne Athens decided to think "Web 2.0" and find a way to invite consumers to do most of the talking and promoting. So Greek bloggers were invited to test-drive the car for a week if they would post their findings on their respective blogs, which would also be collected into a central blog, at http://www.aurisblog.gr. At the same time, a banner campaign invited the general public to request a test-drive, which could also win them a 4-star hotel weekend in Greece with of course the Auris at their disposal.

The Auris Blog campaign lasted for 10 weeks. There were 85 requests from Greek Bloggers and the car was given to 15 of them after a careful selection process. 55 different posts were written, most of them including photos and videos. (A digital camera was given as a gift to the bloggers in order to get multimedia content from them). There were 175 comments to the posts.

The Auris Blog had more than 52.000 visits by 41.000 unique visitors and the overall response rate of the banner campaign was at 4.75%. More importantly, 2.000 test-drive requests were submitted from this campaign, accounting for 50% of the total test-drive requests received through all channels (phone, in-store, events or promotions).

Source: Adverblog.com

Things IFL Should Do To Create More Buzz

I mentioned that International Fight League (IFL) receives far less discussion online than UFC. Therefore, I have five tips for IFL if they want to create buzz. These tips can easily be applied to other MMA leagues as well.

1. IFL should shift toward becoming a hybrid league (i.e. one that has both teams and individual fighters). The team concept is one of the key differentiators between IFL and other MMA leagues. I'm not saying to get away from that. However, it should look to develop individual fighters. It can do this by continuing to sign and develop talented fighters on its own or merge with another MMA league (i.e. UFC).
2. IFL could look into creating a reality TV show. Individuals could fight one another on the show and the winner could go on to sign with one of its teams. IFL could even take a similar approach to that of American Idol or Dancing with the Stars where fans vote on who they like. Increasing fan participating is a way help increase buzz.
3. IFL can offer fans the chance to vote for matches they would like to see online. This would help ensure that key matches get good ratings since IFL fans will choose which teams they want to see fight.
4. Each IFL team should create and update a blog periodically. They should use the blog to update and interact with fans by responding to questions and comments. Myspace Pages don't count.
5. IFL members (i.e. IFL president, fighters, marketing department, etc...) should engage with MMA fans online. They should sponsor and participate in online discussion forums which relate to MMA.
6. IFL could offer free tickets to bloggers and consumers posting online in an effort to get them to talk more about its events.

Feel free to leave more ideas if you have them. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Receives Most Buzz Among Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Leagues

I did a little more research about MMA leagues over the past few days. I sampled 34,228 messages between January 1, 2007 and May 31, 2007. UFC receives the most buzz among MMA leagues; however, consumer discussion is more negative toward UFC. But why is this and is it a bad thing?


UFC receives more buzz do to the popularity of its individual fighters (i.e. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture). Consumers frequently discuss competitive matches. Negative discussion toward UFC comes from fans who are upset over their favorite fighter losing. It is important to note negative discussion indirectly affects UFC. Negative discussion shows that its fans are very passionate about the sport. Consumers are not complaining about the quality of UFC's matches or image issues, such as within Major League Baseball (MLB) discussion (i.e. Josh Hancock's death).

IFL (International Fight League) receives the second most buzz and for different reasons. Consumers talking about UFC primarily mention its wrestlers. It's popularity is based on individualism. On the other hand, consumers mentioning the IFL discuss the team concept.

This picture shows some of the leading terms associated with UFC discussion. As you a can see, UFC's wrestlers are brought up quite a bit within its discussion.

In contrast, IFL discussion is concentrated around the team concept.


The trend line below depicts some of the key issues driving online buzz among within MMA discussion. UFC clearly receives the most buzz, which is caused by consumers discussing key matches and wrestlers.


Top Sites For MMA Discussion:
1. www.sherdog.net
2. www.411mania.net
3. www.ls2.com (Do General Motors (GM) enthusiasts like UFC?) I know UFC doesn't have a big sponsor yet. I see a sponsorship / marketing opportunity here! Note to GM - GM enthusiasts like MMA.
4. www.ironmagazineforums.com
5. forums.sohh.com
6. alt.ufc
7. http://community.allhiphop.com
8. http://forums.steroid.com
9. http://www.forums.sportsnet.ca
10. www.wackbag.com
11. forums.sportingnews.com
12. board.spawn.com
13. forums.corvetteforum.com (Another GM site!)


UFC clearly dominates MMA fighting discussion right now. However, I do feel there is room for some of the other leagues to grow. I like the fact the IFL focuses on the team concept; however, they may benefit by merging with one or more of the smaller MMA leagues. They could create a hybrid league where some fighters are members of teams, while others wrestle on their own. This will allow IFL to keep its identity, yet make itself comparable to UFC. And IFL should keep its identity. Focusing on the team concept is a great way to differentiate itself from UFC.

What is up with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)?

I've been hearing all this stuff about the growing popularity of UFC. Therefore, I decided to see for myself. I will say that I found some interesting results in my quest to see what is driving all the buzz.

The UFC is gaining in popularity. It is receiving higher ratings than the NBA. An ESPN poll on their front page, UFC 71 was the most anticipated sporting event of last weekend (Memorial Day weekend 2007), beating out NBA, NHL, and Indy 500. Also, two of its wrestlers were recently featured on the covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine. Interestingly, buzz about the sport surpassed both the NFL and NBA recently. The NBA playoffs are currently in session! This makes it even more compelling.

The trend graph below depicts buzz patterns. The NFL garners a lot of discussion online due to the NFL Draft. However, buzz about UFC eclipses both the NFL and NBA as a result of being featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated toward the end of May 2007.



I would like to point out that the NFL is currently in off-season. As you can see, it still receives a substantial amount of discussion by bloggers talking about the NFL Draft. The interesting finding relates to it getting more discussion in the blogosphere than the NBA. The NBA playoffs are currently underway. Also, a key reason for an increase in discussion relates to UFC getting exposure from being featured on the covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine. A little publicity can sure go a long way!

Personally, I feel UFC should find ways to get its name out in mainstream media more often. Also, some of its wrestlers may want to consider creating blogs and updating them periodically. Wrestlers who blog may help create additional buzz and fan interaction. For example, Curt Schilling of Major League Baseball (MLB) has a blog at http://38pitches.com. I swear that every post Curt makes receives at least 50 comments. It is unreal!



The trend graph below shows similar results to the one above. UFC receives more buzz by consumers posting on their blogs than MLB toward the end of May 2007.

The timeline graph below shows website traffic patterns for the UFC, NFL, NASCAR, NBA and MLB according to Alexa.com. The majority of consumers are visiting the NBA.com and MLB.com. However, it is important to note that there is a recent increase in consumers visiting UFC's website around the end of May 2007. UFC's website traffic still doesn't rival NBA or MLB, which are in season. Also, web traffic for the NFL will pick up considerably once its season is under way. However, it is promising to see the popularity of UFC growing.



The UFC seems very interesting to watch. I haven't been able to watch it yet; however, I will make a valid attempt to look at it over the next few weeks. I am interested to see what other people think about the UFC in the mean time. Feel free to leave a comment telling why you are drawn to the UFC.

Disclaimer: I want to state that these findings only show the amount of discussion in the blogosphere. Discussion about the NBA, MLB and NFL may infact be higher than UFC if all available sources are reviewed (i.e. chatroom discussion, video content, podcasts, discussion forums, Usenet groups, etc...). Also, I haven't compared UFC buzz to any other MMA league (IFL, KOTC, etc.). I will see if I can provide more in-depth analysis at a later date.

You can find out more about UFC by checking out Adam Morgan's blog over at Sprawl N' Brawl.

Companies Focus on Being "Eco-Friendly"

Environmental discssion is on the rise as more consumers become concerned about the environment. It is important for marketers to know if consumers view them as an "Eco-friendly" company. Companies associated with environmental protection give consumers another reason to do business with them. The chart below provides a breakout showing companies mentioned most within "Eco-friendly" and sustainability discussion.



Wal-Mart comes up most frequently among corporations within sustainability discussion. Recent discussion regarding Wal-Mart and the environment relates to it announcing their plans of having their whole operations powered by energy from the sun and other renewable sources of power. Toyota and Lexus are the only Automotive brands mentioned within the Top 10, and are generally perceived as positive in this light.


















The trend chart below shows increasing discussion about Wal-Mart's initiative to use more solar power.

Amex Promotes "The Members Project"

Here is a great idea that American Express has come up with relating to social responsibility. Cardmembers need only register on the site. They have the ability to submit an idea for a social project, such as rebuilding a school in New Orleans. The ideas are voted on by members of the site, and for each member that joins, American Express kicks in money (up to $5 million), with the winning idea getting funded! Overall, this seems like a great idea. Consumer sentiment toward the idea is extremely positive.

Here is what a few consumers have said:

"Kudos to American Express for doing something that's actually engaging, and paints the brand in a positive light. Unlike most advertisers, they actually are putting some real money behind the effort, in a way that makes sense, and certainly provides some incentive to participate." Randomcultureblog

"This morning, I received an invitation from American Express to join The Members Project. American Express cardholders get to submit service project ideas, read about other projects, and in the end, help decide where to direct a $5 million donation. I think it is a brilliant move that has great lessons for Rotary Clubs and other nonprofits. In a busy world, nonprofits work ever harder to get people involved involved with their organizations, build distinctive brand identity and get input on where they can have a real impact. How does American Express branding initiative compare to other successful nonprofit ventures? What can we learn that can help us shape our own projects and campaigns?" Innovate Rotary I highly recommend reading this blog for additional insight about American Express' "Members Project."







The graph above tells a compelling story regarding the buzz about American Express' newest cause marketing initiative. Popularity for "The Members Project" is due to the fact that consumers find the initiative interesting. Additionally, consumers like the celebrity element and the fact they can particpate by submitting their own ideas. Greg Krauska at Innovate Rotary comments on the celebrity aspect of "The Members Project" by comparing it to American Idol. He says, "And just like American Idol, there is a celebrity element to this. The 50 project finalists will be chosen by a diverse Advisory Panel, including Gabrielle Reece, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Wynton Marsalis,Geoff Canada, Ellen DeGeneres, Icon_wynton Dr. Jane Goodall and Dr.Michael Lomax. The diversity of backgrounds and professions of these panelists will make for some really interesting commentary. I can't wait!"


American Express' Members Project Buzz Trend



The project launched May 15, 2007. It will be interesting to see if additional buzz accumulates.

Ray Ban "Guy Catches Glass With Face"

Here is an interesting video I found courtesy of Scott over at Blogger Says What. It is a great example of social media. It was forwarded to him from Kevin at Socially Adept. Kevin is notorious for finding cool things to blog about. I'm insanely jealous since he is the content king (just kidding)! However, I do want to know exactly what Kevin does all day to find this stuff?

Hillary Clinton Needs Your Help

Here is the latest video from Hillary Rodham-Clinton requesting voters to help her select a campaign song. I feel this illustrates the importance that social media is having on the 2008 presidential campaign.

The video posted on May 16, 2007 and there are 4,682 views and 43 comments. People commenting have mixed opinions. Some make fun of her by referencing Bill Clinton's campaign song, "Don't stop thinking about tomorrow!" However, other people offer suggestions such as "Fly Like An Eagle" by Steve Miller.

I have some verbatim comments listed below:

"My Suggestion: Mr. Big - I'm Too Sexy I want you to sing this in public when you win!! LOL!! Go Hillary 2008!" crazychadd

(crazychadd - Right Said Fred sang "I'm Too Sexy," not Mr. Big).


"how about "One Love" by Mary J. Blige & Bono??" soccershorti717

"I'm a Republican and I thought this was a very cool video" EvilShogo

Milford Dental Excellence's Blog

I've been using all of my wonderful marketing knowledge to help a local dental office, Milford Dental Excellence,improve its search engine rankings. Also, I am helping them start a blog. Feel free to take a look and provide feedback. This is my first time consulting with a small business. I'm actually helping them for free in hopes of getting some really good experience with search engine optimization (SEO) while introducing them to the world of consumer generated media (CGM)!

Milford Dental Excellence
Milford Dental Excellence Blog

I have listed current Google rankings for some of our targeted terms below:

milford dentists = # 10
milford dentist = #2
milford dentists ohio = #5

Wish me luck! Feedback is greatly appreciated!

What triggers conversation? What can you control?

It is the goal of every marketer to find out what works? Which marketing initiatives trigger consumers to use your product? What things do you as a marketer have control over? The picture above shows a variety of weapons that marketers have at their disposal. Some generate high consumer acceptance, but you as a marketer have little control over them. Complaint feeback sites, boards / forums and consumer blogs are all examples of things that put consumers in control. They may talk about your product freely and there is little that a marketer can do. However, I'm not saying that all hope is lost. Marketers do have a lot of control over their brands' website, customer service, paid search and adding a human touch.

The graph below illustrates consumers' overall level of trust. As you can see, consumers tend to trust one another. Interesting, consumers also show a high level of trust toward brand websites. This is also one of the key areas that marketers have control over. Therefore, a key component of any marketing strategy should be make sure a brand website is constantly updated with the most recent information. Additionally, a brand website may be used as a launching pad to engage and interact with current or potential customers.




Pete Blackshaw provides a great example about how Volkswagen leverages its website by allowing consumers to find what they need. Look for the post titled "Where Do You Want to Drive (On Our Brand Search Engine) Today?" You can also find it through Technorati Tags: cgm, naked, noah breyer, search, volkswagon

Employees Play Big Part in Brand Innovation

The night before the Association of National Advertisers' first Brand Innovation Forum, four marketing executives gathered; Their hosts for the evening: ANA President-CEO Bob Liodice and Advertising Age Editor Jonah Bloom and CMO Strategy Editor Jennifer Rooney. What drew Clorox VP-Marketing, Laundry and Home Care Tarang Amin, Wells Fargo Senior VP-Brand Strategy Katy Frohling, JetBlue VP-Sales and Marketing Andrea Spiegel and Home Depot Senior VP-CMO Roger Adams. The executives discussed a variety of issues about how to keep both old and new brands relevant. The executives discussed whether it's possible to get a link between marketing and brand equity; and why authenticity in brand messaging is vital. Interestingly, discussion changed to focusing on the role employees play in an organizations efforts to innovate. All four executives said their employees are a critical link to consumer understanding and, in turn, successful innovation.

Katy Frohling, senior VP-brand strategy, Wells Fargo said "our employees are called team members, and we regularly survey not only our customers but our team members on a monthly basis, because we get some amazing ideas -- what we call the "lighting ideas" -- from our front line."

I couldn't agree more with Katy. It is important to regularly survey customers and team members (i.e. employees) to get ideas. I have a few reasons listed below.

Why Survey Employees?

1. Gain significant insight - Employees are on the front line of your business everyday. They know what problems your customers are experiencing with your business. Additionally, they can provide feedback so you may help them become more productive workers.

2. Employees like to be heard - Employees like to see an employer implement some of their ideas. It makes them feel better as an employee, making them more productive and interested in improving themselves and their position within your company.

3. Boost morale - Asking your employees for feedback makes them feel important. It lets them know you care, but remember that you cannot stop there. You must review their feedback and find ways to implement their suggestions. Also, don't forget to reward employees with truly outstanding ideas and remember to thank everyone for their input.

It is very important to include employees in brand innovation. They are the heart and soul of any organization. It is important to let them voice their ideas and concerns to improve their work environment. Besides, happy employees equals happy customers.


Source: Ad Age

Fonbucks Undercuts Starbucks

Wireless community builder, Fonbucks, is becoming a big problem for Starbucks. It is giving away Wi-Fi routers to Starbucks' neighbors around the country. The idea was to get Fon routers close to Starbucks customers trying to connect to a wireless network, giving them a choice between $2-a-day Fon Wi-Fi access or $10 Starbucks T-Mobile access.

A deal with Time Warner Cable will allow any Time Warner customer to set up a Wi-Fi hot spot. That means coffee shops and small businesses, as well as enterprising neighbors, can easily offer low-cost Wi-Fi to customers and friends and make money doing it. "I had gotten e-mails from Foneros saying, 'I wish I lived near a Starbucks; I could make a killing,'" said Joanna Rees, CEO of Fon U.S. Fon's data showed a high correlation between Fon usage and Starbucks locations, hence the "Fonbucks" campaign. "In New York or San Francisco, yes, there are a lot of restaurants and cafes that are Wi-Fi-enabled, but that's not the case in the rest of the country," she said.

T-Mobile's Starbucks contract runs out in 2009, and Fon execs are talking to Starbucks about moving inside. And while I like the ideal of Fonbucks driving the cost of Wi-Fi down, I don't think they should partner up with Starbucks. That would go against everything it stands for up to this point. Fonbucks is currently viewed as the Robinhood of Wi-Fi. It is helping the poor (i.e. smaller businesses) by taking away from the rich (i.e. $10 cost to get Wi-Fi through T-Mobile and Starbucks compared to $2 through Fonbucks). I feel partnering with Starbucks may take away some of its "edge."

T-Mobile and Starbucks will need to lower their Wi-Fi prices to remain competitive. I already feel guilty for paying $3.50 for a cup of coffee. I shouldn't have the same feeling when connecting to the internet.

Source: Ad Age

Is Ford Asking the Right Question?

Ford is creating new innovative products and backing them up with strong marketing initiative's. However, I question whether this is the right move. Ford marches forward with it "Bold Moves" campaign, but sales are still lacking. "This month is terrible," Ford chief sales analyst George Pipas said in an interview. "We are not even close to where we expected to be in April."

Ford is doing a great job designing and building new vehicles. Just look at the new Ford Fusion and Ford Edge. Personally, I think those vehicles are dynamite. Furthermore, I feel my opinion is similar to others since I continue to see an increasing number of Fusion's and Edge's on the road. However, I'm confused as to why Ford can't get things turned in the right direction.

I can only think of a few reasons why Ford continues to plummet. Ford may be spending too much on a failing marketing campaign. Perhaps it is selling not selling enough of its high margin vehicles (i.e. Ford Explorer, Ford Expedition and Full-Size trucks) due to consumer concerns over rising gas prices. Finally, consumers continue to have negative perceptions regarding the quality of vehicles from domestic car manufacturers. Nonetheless, Ford may seriously need to rethink its strategy.

I am a huge proponent of Ford. I own a 2006 Ford Explorer and an 2007 Ford Focus. However, it needs to consider doing a few things differently. I have a few suggestions for Ford listed below.

1. Ford should stress the importance of quality. I don't see Ford doing a great job stressing the importance of making high quality vehicles in its current advertising. I know that Ford is making "Bold Moves," but I don't know what for. Ford really needs to prove that it builds better cars than its competitors. Ford should conduct study after study after study proving its quality is better. Also, it needs to get some good reviews from car review magazines and some help from customers passing along positive word-of-mouth.

2. Ford needs to stand for something, such as being an "Eco-friendly" company. Ford should continue to develop new technologies and partner with other car manufactures to build fuel efficient vehicles. Ford needs to be known as a company that builds high quality vehicles while being concerned about the environment.

3. Ford needs to find ways to bring back its core customer. How many previous Ford owners have switched to an import due to a bad experience? Ford needs to remind them what Ford stands for and what it has to offer now.

Overall, I like what I see with Ford's marketing. It is definitely an aggressive marketing campaign, but is it asking the right question? And while I like Ford's "Bold Moves," maybe it should be asking consumers "Have you driven a Ford...lately?"

NASCAR Wearing the Virginia Tech Logo

NASCAR paid tribute Virginia Tech victims by displaying its logo on the cars during Saturday night's Subway Fresh Fit 500. NASCAR quickly obtained the logo to pass out to all teams. Director of Series Operations David Finley said, "We'll hand them out to all the teams ASAP," "We are trying to create awareness and exposure to the funds being put together for the victims' families."

I like the idea of NASCAR paying tribute to Virginia Tech victims' families, but I feel displaying the logo is the wrong way to do it. NASCAR could have easily had a moment of silence to honor Virginia Tech victims and their families. I didn't see Major League Baseball (MLB) or the National Hockey League (NHL) using the tragic incident to promote their sport. Personally, I feel NASCAR is using the effort to help boost low ratings. Nate Ryan from USA Today reported "Ratings are down 11% for the first seven Nextel Cup Series races this season..." The article is titled "NASCAR officials refuse to panic as ratings drop". However, I think displaying the Virginia Tech logo may in fact be a sign that NASCAR officials are worried. Hopefully I am wrong.

Home Depot Goes Green

Home Depot is putting its own environmental label, Eco Options,
than 2,500 products, from organic plant food to all-natural insect repellent. Ad Age reports that Home Depot has clearly taken the opportunity to be first to market with a label and is the first major retailer to seize on the surge in consumer concern about greenhouse-gases emissions.

The retailer plans to back the initiative with a national print push, including ads in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and consumer and shelter publications, according to a spokeswoman at Home Depot.

It will interesting to see if this resonates within consumer discussion. Generally, Eco-friendly topics are not the most talked about issues by consumers online. Therefore, I have some tips that I'd give executives over at Home Depot if they want to increase the buzz surrounding Eco Options.

1. Create a blog or sponsor a discussion forum relating to Eco-Friendly discussion
2. Leverage its NASCAR sponsorship to help promote its new ECO Options (i.e. Have Tony Stewart make special guest appearances or set up booths at NASCAR events)
3. Make a special website and encourage consumers to visit it
4. Develop an interactive campaign by encouraging consumers to send in photos or videos of themselves updating their homes using Home Depot ECO Options products
5. Communicate offerings to individuals living a "Green" lifestyle
6. Partner with another "Green" company to help promote Eco-friendly products
7. Create infomercials or mini-videos relating to the environment
8. Expand national print push beyond the Wall Street Journal and NY Times (i.e. place ads in home building media)
9. Communicate benefits of using energy efficient products in homes
10. Reach out and get opinions from key influencers discussing "Eco-friendly" topics related to home building in the blogosphere.


Below is a Brand Association Map highlighting some of the key themes associated with "Eco-Friendly". The map is interesting because it shows the relation between home building and "Eco-friendly" product discussion. Online consumers discussing "Eco-friendly" options in regards to home building largely mention energy efficiency and panels (i.e. solar panels).


You can find out more about Home Depot's Eco Options by visiting Home Depot Eco Options.

My Z-List Experiment - Will Ford, Pepsi or T-Mobile Contact Me? How Long Will It Take?

I'm disappointed to say that I haven't heard from Ford or Pepsi at this point. I have clearly stated that I am a customer of theirs. Unfortunately, I am still waiting to hear from them.

I am a huge proponent of Ford. I currently own a 2007 Ford Focus and a 2006 Ford Explorer. Also, I post frequently at Focus Fanatics. I know that Ford monitors the blogosphere for insights. Therefore, I hope they come across my blog or review my posts at Focus Fanatics.

Pepsi has failed to reach out to me also. My wife and I are avid Pepsi drinkers. We've had several positive experiences interacting with Pepsi as well. I wrote about one of those positive experiences in a previous post.

Now I must admit that my wife and I switched phone providers recently. Verizon was originally on my Z-List of companies that I wanted to contact me. However, we are no longer with them. We don't have anything against Verizon, but we were able to get a better plan through T-Mobile. Therefore, I will remove Verizon from the list of companies that I want to contact me. Instead, I will replace it with T-Mobile.

My list is complete for the time being. I do switch brands occasionally depending on where I can find the best deal. My experiment is to be continued. I will may sure to keep everyone up to date on how long it takes me to hear from Ford, Pepsi or T-Mobile.

Make sure to check out Kevin Green's Blog to see how his Z-List Experiment is going.

Anheuser-Busch Improving Bud.TV

Anheuser-Busch(A-B) is adding more bells and whistles to Bud.TV in hopes to lure more visitors. The brewer plans to load on video-sharing capabilities, full-screen video, a desktop notifier application, new programming and a heavy promotional push to boost viewership.

March audience numbers for Bud.TV suggest some sort of change is desperately needed. Bud.TV drew 152,000 unique visitors in March, 40% fewer than February's 253,000 visitors, according to ComScore Media Metrix. A-B executives have said they hope to draw between 2 million and 3 million visitors a month by early next year to the online network, which is costing the brewer somewhere between $30 million and $40 million.

A-B feels part of the reason for a declining audience is due to A-B's age-verification measures -- which force users to supply information from a driver's license or other state-issued identification -- are an obstacle to reaching a mass audience.

A-B VP-Global Media Tony Ponturo said the early content lacked that "wow factor," and Bud.TV would need a hit to boost traffic.

I visited the site briefly. It was easy to sign up. I only had to verify my name, zip code and date-of-birth. Afterwards, a page loaded showing a few mini-shows that were available to watch. I liked some of the mini-shows featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr. Personally, I feel A-B should leverage its NASCAR sponsorship by including more NASCAR related stuff on the site. A-B is on the right track by including mini-shows featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr. Interestingly, Bud.TV receives a fair amount of website traffic from consumers outside the United States. It may be a good ideal for A-B to promote the site more on an international level.

Bud.TV users come from these countries according to Alexa.com:
United States64.4%
Canada11.0%
Japan9.3%
Romania2.5%
United Kingdom1.7%


Source: Ad Age

Bud.TV currently has an Alexa ranking of 64,646 as of April 16, 2007. Traffic volume to the site has dropped considerably since March 2007. Hopefully A-B will find ways to improve traffic visiting the site.



Unfortunately, Bud.TV has not received a lot of buzz among consumers talking online. The graph below shows the amount of discussion online about Bud.TV over the past few months.

John Edwards' 2008 Presidential Blog

I located John Edwards' presidential blog by simply Googling "2008 Presidential Election". Here is link to John Edwards' Blog. I feel this is a great way for John Edwards to reach out and connect with voters. Additionally, he using the blog to highlight key people supporting his cause (i.e. Oprah Winfrey). I'll take a deeper dive into this topic over the weekend and give all my readers the "lowdown".

I am eager to see if other political candidates have created blogs to connect with voters. I think this really illustrates my point that social media will continue to play a big part in the presidential candidates' strategies to win the election. I'll try to find other candidates' blogs; however, I may not find them all. In the meantime, Feel free to provide me links to other presidential candidates' blogs.

2008 Presidential Election Preliminary Buzz Report

I had my wisdom teeth removed last week. Therefore, I found myself at home surfing the web a lot searching for new campaign information to blog about. I came across an interesting site covering democrats and republicans website traffic. Also, I thought I'd do some research on my own to see who is getting the most buzz among the presidential candidates. I looked candidate discussion online between January 1 , 2007 and April 6, 2007. The results are below.

I wanted to see which party is getting the most buzz. Additionally, I wanted to see which candidates and issues were being talked about the most. The graph below shows a breakout of each parties' candidates. Democratic candidates are receiving the majority of buzz so far.




This next graph shows the percent of discussion that each candidate is receiving. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are receiving the most buzz. Surprisingly, Rudy Giuliani is receiving less than ten percent of candidate discussion online. This came as a shocker to me since I have heard so much about him.



Lastly, I wanted to see which issues were most important to people talking about presidential candidates online. Iraq is by far the most talked about topic among people mentioning candidates. It is followed by taxes and healthcare.



Please feel free to comment on the results or reference other sites which may be useful in my quest to measure the impact on social media in the 2008 presidential elections. I'll make sure to update these charts periodically and note changes.

P&G Responds to Pet Food Recall; This Is My 100th Posting

I'm very pleased to say that my 100th post will be about a topic that is very important to me. Last week, several pet-food manufacturers issued recalls due to contamination believed to have killed and sickened thousands of pets. The nationwide recall has been extended in recent days to additional manufacturers beyond the original recall of 95 brands by Canada's Menu Foods. This has caused several pet-food companies to respond to the issue quickly.

Colgate-Palmolive Co. recalled some of its Hill's Prescription Diet dry cat food, and Nestle Purina recalled some of its Alpo wet dog food with the affected wheat gluten. Both of those marketers also had some products affected by the original Menu Foods recall. Also, Del Monte Foods on March 31 recalled Jerky Treats and Gravy Train treats for dogs and some Pounce treats for cats. In addition, it pulled some wet dog food and treats it made for private-label brands sold by Wal-Mart Stores and Dollar General.

Personally, my two dogs were not affected by this incident. Therefore, I was unsure about the number of pets the contaminated food affected. Additionally, I wasn't sure about the conditions that the contaminated food had on pets. Therefore, I decided to do some background research.

I've found out that a lot of pet owners are really on top of this issue. Additionally, they are very open to blog about it. I came across one blog at Eternity Captured which highlights brands impacted by the recall. Also, several pet owners have left comments on the site regarding their pets reactions to the food. One pet owner named Mike said the following, "my dog has been throwing up the past two days. I fed him again this morning, and he looked at me like why am I forcing him to eat this food. He knows better than me that his food is poison. What can we do to wake up people to check the recalled brands and stop slowly killing their pets." This issue definitely warrants a lot of concern from pet food manufacturers. Hopefully this incident will lead the FDA to improve government regulations thus making sure pet-food manufactureres produce the highest quality foods for our pets.


P&G took out full-page ads in 59 daily newspapers on April 3, 2007 with a letter from employees of its Iams and Eukanuba brands to reassure pet owners that food remaining on the market is safe. The ad campaign is described as a "first step" by a P&G spokesman. Overall, I'm very impressed P&G's response to the issue. It is very important for a company to be proactive when its customers are having negative experiences with its products.

The following chart shows a trendline of discussion regarding the pet-food recall. Discussion about the issue peaked mid-March 2007. It has lowered since then. However, I feel this is an issue that will not go away anytime soon.




Here are my little furry children, Sam and Gracie.









Source: Ad Age

YouTube Dedicates Space for Videos about Candidates

I came across an interesting article while looking through the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, April 4, 2007. It is titled "New Outlets For Political Junkies." The Wall Street Journal does a wonderful job highlighting the key sites which will have a huge impact in the 2008 presidential election. Additionally, it talks about different ways that candidates will try to engage voters. For example, presidential candidate Barack Obama posted a question on a new Yahoo election portal asking voters how to better engage people in the democratic process. A voter named John Atkins posted a reply: the country should ban lifetime politicians. The article also mentions a variety of contests that social media sites such as YouTube and MySpace will run to increase traffic and promote awareness.

YouTube is dedicating space for videos by and about the various presidential candidates. Also, MySpace announced it will hold a virtual election on Jan. 1-2 and AOL is pulling together bloggers posting about the 2008 elections. YouTube, MySpace and AOL are dedicating a lot effort to the social media aspect of the 2008 presidential election. I think this is a clear indicator that social media will have a huge impact on the 2008 presidential election results.

I like the fact that MySpace will hold a virtual election; however, I question the amount of MySpace users who are actually registered voters. A virtual election on MySpace may not be very accurate due to the low numbers of registered voters between the ages 18 and 24, MySpace's core demographic. Therefore, I feel MySpace should ask a "screening" question to make sure only registered voters are participating. Nonetheless, I will still be interested in seeing the results of a virtual election at MySpace. I feel the 2008 presidential candidates will want to know as well.

2008 presidential candidates must continue to keep a close watch on social media during the upcoming election. Candidates and voters alike will be able to post content (i.e. text, podcast or video) online. Some of it may be good and some of it may be bad. The presidential candidates will need to find ways to minimize the impact of any negative content about them as quickly as possible. Additionally, presidential candidates must continue to find new ways to reach out to voters.

What Would Bronson Arroyo Twitter?

I'm following up to a post at Kevin Green's Blog. Kevin is asking several bloggers to fill in the blank for "What Would ________ Twitter?" I thought I'd respond by saying what Bronson Arroyo would Twitter. Kevin is a proud member of Red Sox nation but I have to remind him that they got the raw end of a bad deal when they traded for Willy Mo Pena. I'm going to list the top ten things that Bronson Arroyo would Twitter.

Well here I go.

10. I struck out 9 Chicago Cubs during my first game of the 2007 season. What did Willy Mo Pena do? What, you can't answer that...exactly...nothing.

9. Theo Epstein isn't the only good GM in major league baseball.

8. I have the one of the best curve balls in baseball.

7. The Red Sox passed up on this "hometown discount."

6. I had almost as many homeruns in 2006 as Willy Mo Pena. I'm a pitcher!

5. I can play a guitar as good as I can pitch a ball.

4. I really can pitch...and my All-Star appearance in 2006 proves it.

3. I like it here in the Nasty Nati'. I'm just another one of the Nasty Boys.

2. The Red Sox haven't been to a World Series since I left. The Patriots haven't been to a Super Bowl either.

1. I'm a proud member of Reds nation. Harang and I will take on Schilling and Dice-K anytime and anywhere.

Finding Consumers to Build Your Ads

The Doritos "Crash the SuperBowl" is being referenced as a turning point in the evolution of consumer generated ads. The popularity of the campaign proved to be a huge success for Doritos. This has led to several companies such as XLNTads to pop-up. XLNTads is a company which helps companies find consumers who want to produce ads. Neil Perry, CEO of XLNTads said, "The average cost of a Super Bowl spot was $350,00" . "Some auto manufacturers spend $600,000 to $650,000 to do a single campaign. We say take that same amount of money, pay $20,000 [for creative], and that leaves you more to reinvest in media, in delivering the message."


XLNTads brings brands and their loyal consumers together for creative collaboration in a very unique way. It gives brands a quick and cost effective way to take advantage of tapping into consumers' knowledge. Also, it is a creative way for marketers to interact with consumers.

The consumer is in control. Time Magazine's Person of the Year: You; Ad Age Agency of the Year: The Consumer. Marketers are on a mission to get closer to their customers. Consumers want to share thoughts and emotions about what a brand means to them. How do you satisfy both needs? Interacting with consumers via Consumer-Generated Advertising (CGA) and monitoring consumers opinions in the blogosphere via Consumer Generated Media (CGM) are two great ways to interact with consumers.

The evolution of marketing is becoming ever changing. Brands can no longer run an ad and expect consumers to flock to stores to by its products. Consumers continue to show interest in interacting with brands they use. They want to use products and provide feedback. Consumers want to be heard. They want to have a say. In essence, they want to live the products or brands they use.

It is very easy for consumers to make videos and post them online. Therefore, it is important for companies to interact with customers. It is much better for a company to interact with consumers in hope that they may create positive video content instead of ignoring customers and having them post negative content about a product or brand.

Sources:
XLNTads
Ad Age

ExpertVoter.org

I came across a pretty neat website, http://www.expertvoter.org/. The site shows video clips of 2008 presidential candidates talking about major issues such as Iraq, immigration, healthcare and campaign reform. The website allows voters to submit video links from YouTube which relate to candidates' positions on important issues. Make sure to check out http://www.expertvoter.org/.