Micro marketing campaigns are like the everyday cheer up kiss

Sometimes I wonder why marketers always do this BIIIIG campaigns, with massive contests on social networks, ads on billboards and all that, but forget the small gestures. In real life.

I am thinking of the power of micro marketing like for example:

1. Customer service in shops - I know it is important for a shop assistant to show the consumers they are there, but do they need to stalk you around the shop and shour "how are you today???" from behind? What if I simply want to stroll around and make my own decisions. Perhaps I don´t want the attention and fashion advice from 20 year old girls...? The same goes for waitresses constantly keeping an eye on our table - hey, it feels a little creepy having you staring at us, chick! (lol)

2. When I stand in lines, bored to death - The brand that can make people happy while they are not by surprising them with something will be the winner. I am thinking about the frozen yoghurt shop in my hood where they hand out free samples outside the shop. What if they instead stood at the busstop when people have all the time in the world (unfortunately) and really need cheering up? The brand would be loved forever!

3. Clarity - I am trying to change mobile broadband provider from Virgin to Vivid and once again I am confronted with the awfulness of calling customer service, spending ten minutes listening to recorded voices, going back and forth in menus, searching on the websites on how to cancel an account, being transferred here and there, and being REALLY ANGRY. Nothing is more painful than the detalis behind the headlines, so to speak... It sounds good in the ads, but the fineprint of opening and cancelling accounts is a maze. What about having clear signs on "close account" and "open account"? That would make me happy. Now I hate Virgin mobile broadband forever, even if the service was ok.

It is like in a relationship where the going down on one knee, proposing, being on honeymoon, buying jewellery for a birthday is all good - but what really matters is the everyday interaction, knowing someone is there supporting you after a rough day at the office or just surprising with a candle in the meat pie on a Monday night.

Don´t just plan a BIG campaign, also remember that small gestures can be what really matters and make people love you.

Augmented reality - blends Internet with Life

I realise I have totally missed a super exciting trend: the augmented reality! I found the term too complicated and technical (ie not for me) so I shut my ears, and since I don´t use iphone (too long nails) the new world has completely passed by unnoticed. What about you? You probably know about this already, but I need to tell you because I´m so thrilled :)  

In short, this GPS based 'thing' helps you blend reality with virtual. It brings the brilliance of Internet to your everyday world and the other way around. Foursquare is augmented reality, as are applications like bar code scanning, product shape scans and audio input recognition.

In November 2010 one of my loved brands H&M (Swedish, stylish, cheap xxx) teamed up with GoldRun  to launch a scavenger hunt promotional campaign. Users who download the application will be able to participate in a scavenger hunt to collect virtual goods. For example, H&M provides a list of items and users are asked take pictures in order to collect virtual items. The user then receives credit for the virtual item. Collected items may also be shared through social media, such as Facebook. Enough collected items may be converted into real-world rewards, such as 10% off the next H&M purchase.

eBay has released a new augmented reality application for location-based shopping. The application utilizes a devices' internal GPS and camera to generate listings based on eBay's classifieds section. When a user walks down a street, the application will continue to update and generate listings based on search filters and the user's physical direction. Users can also tap on item pictures to see a complete item description and contact information.

 

From Wikipedia:
"Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input, such as sound or graphics. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) by a computer. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception of reality. By contrast, virtual reality replaces the real-world with a simulated one.
Augmentation is conventionally in real-time and in semantic context with environmental elements, such as sports scores on TV during a match. With the help of advanced AR technology (e.g. adding computer vision and object recognition) the information about the surrounding real world of the user becomes interactive and digitally manipulable. Artificial information about the environment and its objects can be overlaid on the real world."

More examples on this site from Simon Mainwaring, an 'idea geek' as he calls himself :)
http://simonmainwaring.com/brands/the-experience-revolution-how-augmented-reality-is-about-to-change-how-you-live-advertise-and-brand/

I can´t wait to use this for one of my clients. As long as we don´t get caught in technology and still focus on emotional connections with consumers based on them rather than iphone apps, we are onto something and can use the new to bring life to products and services, tickle the target´s senses and make brands look cool.

Fertile women don´t call their dads

As a strategist I am naturally curious about human behaviour (or maybe I am a strategist because of that...) and even if some phenomenons are not directly related to a certain target group, they will still be of interest. Who knows what kind of insights you can get by just observing, absorbing without having your mind set on "how can I sell skincare, detergent or chocolate to this group of people". 

For example, I find it fascinating how hormones change our behaviour. For example, women instinctively shun their fathers when they are most fertile. University of Miami study checked phone records of 48 women in their reproductive years, noting the date and duration of all phone calls with their fathers, and mothers over the course of a billing period. They found that women called their dads less frequently the days when they were ovulating, and would hang up sooner if their dads called them. Overall daughters were half as likely to ring their fathers during high-fertility days compared with the period of menstruation, and when they did call their conversations lasted about half as long. (The Week Dec 2010)

Another study showed that strippers who are ovulating get on average $70 tips per hour, while those who are menstruating make $35. Those who are not either ovulating or menstruating make $50. Women who are ovulating say their partners are more loving and attentive towards them and, significantly more jealous of other men.

Once again: Do not judge people out of geography, age brackets or income. The guy who ticks all the boxes is not always the one who gets your juices flowing... Crete customer chemistry by knowing more, listening more carefully and seeing your "target" as humans.

Sex does not sell brands - it just sells sex

Advertisers have increasingly been using sex as a way to get shoppers attention. In the early 90’s one percent of magazine ads contained implicit sexual activity, but a decade later so called “veiled depictions of intercourse” had risen to 17 percent. The percentage of sexily dressed women increased during the same period from 28 to 40 while the number of men in varying states of nudity rose from 11 to 18 percent.

Sex is becoming a popular way to lure and motivate customers. According to a study presented in Martin Lindstrom’s “Buyology”, sex doesn’t help brands sell anyway. When men see ads with sexy women they focus so much on breasts that they bypass the brand name, logo and other information. Only 9.8 percent of those who had viewed ads with sexual content were able to remember the correct brand or product, compared to almost 20 percent of men who had seen the nonsexual ads. This effect was replicated among women too – only 10.85 percent remembered the correct brand or product featured in the sexual ads, whereas 22.3 percent recalled the brand or product in the ones with neutral content.

The more provocative or sexual the women rated the model’s expression and clothes, the more bored or disinterested the women were by the ad. On the other hand, the more wholesome, natural, un-made-up, and clothed the models were, the more positive the women’s reactions.

Of course, we can’t tell if their actions (to buy or not to buy) will be influenced by their opinions rather than, driven by their subconscious thoughts and emotions, so we can’t be sure of the relevance of this survey. Perhaps it´s the case that we say we want the models to look like us, but still buy products promoted by people who look like our dream picture? This may be so, but since this study is supported by a number of others, with similar results, it seems likely that it accurately portrays current reality.

This view is further supported by a 2001 survey by the market research company Market Facts which showed that people were more likely to buy an advertised product if it showed images of “love” (53 percent) than if it showed images that alluded to sex (26 percent).

Studies done by professor Arjun Chaudhuri at Fairfield University showed that appealing to reptilian emotions – impulses from the reptilian brain, like sex, aggression, envy and power – was most effective in moderate amounts. Too much or too little made the ad less effective. Reptilian emotions led to people liking the ad, but had no effect on buying, indicating that people liked the sexy photos but not the brand itself.

Chaudhuri also found that sexual ads became less effective if the viewer had to think and use their cognitive sense – their brain – in relation to the ad. In other words, you could place ads with sexual content in leisure magazines, but if they are shown on a website for world news, they will lose their shine.

This post is taken from my book "Love Branding" that you can get your hands on by going to http://www.love-branding.com/ Enjoy :)

TV is one of the strongest players - spreading to handsets all over the world

Yesterday I had the pleasure to preview the first episode of channel ten´s Biggest Loser Australia, and I was stoked! Such an amazing show, bringing us insights of how different people are. Some sit on the couch and eat all day, some have been brought up in broken families and are forever seeing themselves as victims, others eat salads and run around 24-7. Some train hard, others never. Some cry, some laugh. Some are happy, some are not. TV is excellent in bringing us stories that makes us feel for our peers, see beyond the surface and tap into the emotional and physical life of our neighbours. TV used in a smart way humbles and amplifies the love in the world.

According to Ad Age Insights' white paper, Global Media Habits 2010, by Greg Lindsay, TV is one of the 10 trends that are shaping media consumption in traditional and emerging media markets.
1) Even relatively poor populations now consider TV a necessity.
In 2010, nearly half of Indian households have TV, up from less than one-third in 2001. But in urban areas, that figure jumps to 96%. (Compare that to 7% of Indians who use the internet.) In Kenya, the TV-penetration rate rose from roughly 60% to 70% from 2005 to 2009.

2) Despite the internet, we're watching more TV, not less.
The average American watched 280 minutes of TV each day in 2009, more than four-and-a-half-hours worth and a three-minute increase compared to the year before. A similar rise can be seen around the world, where the average human being watched three hours and 12 minutes worth of TV a day.

3) What is the world watching? Football, 'American Idol'-like contests and telenovelas.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the most watched TV event in history, broadcast in every country (including North Korea). More than one-third of Afghanistan tunes into "Afghan Star," that country's version of "American Idol." And Brazil's Globo network has broadcast locally produced soap operas since the 1970s, many of which reach 80 million viewers.

4) The U.S. and Western Europe are losing newspaper circulation, but the rest of the world is experiencing a newspapers boom.
In both number of titles and circulation, Asia, Africa and Latin America are climbing at an annual double-digit pace. And China and India are now home to nearly half the world's top 100 dailies, with the average newspaper boasting a circulation of 109,000 or more. In India alone, the number of paid dailies has surged by 44%, to 2,700 titles since 2005, accounting for more than one-fifth of all newspaper titles on the planet.

5) Here's why you need to keep an eye on Facebook.
When it comes to time spent on the site, Facebook crushes all rivals, with six hours vs. less than half that time for every other site in the top 10. Facebook's user base is 517 million, 70% of whom live outside the U.S.

6) Cyber cafes are the entry for emerging market populations to get online.
The innovation of "cyber cafés" has helped spread internet use in emerging markets. In South Korea, people can rent broadband access for roughly 80 cents an hour, eliminating the need for costly monthly subscriptions, and leading to Koreans' embrace of social networking and multiplayer online gaming.

7) BRIC leads for online video consumption.
Brazil, Russia, India, China and Indonesia are home to the most avid consumers of online video. Internet users in China and Indonesia, for example, were 26% more likely than the average user globally to watch online video, while Indian viewers were 21% more likely and both Russians and Brazilians were 11% more likely. Increasingly, the internet will become TV. In 2009, one third of all internet traffic was video. This year, that figure will climb to 40%, on its way to a projected 91% by 2014, according to Cisco.

8) Internet usage and penetration rates are hobbled by access costs. Mobile isn't.
Only 81 million Indians (7% of the population) use the internet, but six times as many (507 million) have mobile phones. The same pattern is playing out worldwide. Witness PC vs. mobile penetration rates for China (20% vs. 57%); India (4% vs. 41%); Brazil (32% vs. 86%); and Indonesia (5% vs. 66%).

9) Netbooks, e-readers, tablets will drive growth of internet use.
The proliferation of new screens, netbooks, e-readers and tablets is expected to quadruple global IP traffic by 2014, according to Cisco. By then, the equivalent of 12 billion DVDs will be criss-crossing online monthly. The biggest growth driver is video -- data-rich 3D and HD streams delivered to computers, TV sets and to phones, which will lead global mobile traffic to double every year for the foreseeable future.

10) For the foreseeable future, the forecast for the planet's media habits is in a word, more.
Time spent with computers has tripled over the past decade among kids age 8 to 18. The bulk of this group's time is spent on social media, followed by games, video sites and instant messaging. The average kid packs a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes worth of media content into a daily seven and a half hours of media exposure. Just think how this group will consume media in 10 years when they enter the work world and start consuming in earnest.

Health boom - to be considered by strategists, says Mark Pollard

On the interesting Facebook page "Life. Then strategy" where communication strategists from different companies share their thoughts, Mark Pollard today writes about "10 strategies for a strategists career" http://www.markpollard.net/10-strategies-for-a-strategists-career-right-now/. Inspiring read, as always. One of the strategies mentioned was to focus on health, which is interesting idea not just for strategists, but for everyone who does marketing. He writes:

"Health is going to be a massive topic in the coming years. Obesity epidemics everywhere, Walmart changing some of its food practices with a push from Michelle Obama, sustainability issues growing and growing, the cost of healthcare and hospitals, huge pharmaceutical industry patents ending in the coming years… there is a perfect storm brewing.

From an advertising point of view, I don’t find much of the health-related communications very insightful or creative. Talking heads, Getty Images, former actors, ‘dial now for this incredible deal’, snake oil stuff and so on.


So, not only is there this perfect storm brewing but there are few really strong communicators in this space.

Further, health is pretty broad. Sure, you have pharma, alternative health, fitness, food, supplements, government but there will be a growing trend in the corporate world of trying to make companies healthier for their employees (so that they’re more productive and stick around longer).


Big opportunities here."

I remember ten years ago, when we started writing about health as a trend back in Sweden, so to say this topic is new is to be a bit narrow-minded :) but I guess it is getting more diverse. It´s not just about fat-free and going to the gym anymore. Health is about taking a holistic view, looking into learnings from Caroline Myss, Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra and Louise Hay - wise people who see health as a mindset rather than a physicl issue. Sickness is a result of emotional issues, they say, and every negative thought gets stuck in your cells, genes and blood. This is why you can cure your body by forcing your mind to re-think.

Einstein taught us that everything is energy, hence we are all one... Still we get stuck in the thought of materialistic individualism and us being separated entities. We are not. Life is more magical than that. I read in New Scientist last week that DNA can travel through water. It´s almost like beeming!!!

I welcome this trend, because I thin it will set people free. Thoughts are powerful and contagious - they move from our brains to our words to our bodies, from human to human, from soul to soul. This is how I see it:

Happy Family is the new status symbol

My old colleagues at United Minds in Sweden has spotted a "housewife trend", where Gen Y are having children at younger age than previous generations, stopping and turning the trend where people were getting married and becoming parents at older and older age. 'Family' is the new signal of success.

Mats Lindgren at Kairos Future tells Swedish media that high status in Sweden is to have 4 kids, excellent careers, a beautiful garden and domestic bliss overall. To be perfect in ALL areas.

My former boss, the brilliant Marie Söderqvist Tralau from United Minds, says this housewife nostalgica trend can be exhausting - but that is why it has such high status. If you are able to juggle it all, you show the world you are ''über human" - hence better than others. She means this is why the big families in Sweden still resist paying for a nanny, since that would be cheating. YOU are getting judged on what YOU do. At least accepting help or paying for services is something you keep a secret. 

I believe this "housewife on steroids" trend may be stronger in Sweden, where women are more equal and being just a housewife - i.e. skipping the career part - would be seen as odd. But it is interesting that status today is not about job titles, money or having a hot body, nice car or to cook lovely dinners. It is all of the above - with focus on Family!

We often talk about how Gen Y are obsessed about friends, but this is a generation that rather spend time with their partner than their friends. Young people were also asked to rate what activities they would most like to immerse themselves in. From that, 35% of 18-24 year olds rated in a Synnovate survey spending time with their boyfriend/girlfriend as top interest, followed by meeting friends in person (32%).

Gen Y have been brought up in a world where families break apart, where mums and dads get a divorce and where you can have 3 dads and 1 mum and they could all act like they were the ones sitting at the kids table, while the calmer and more responsible Gen Y´s save up to get a mortgage and some order. It´s natural that we see a generation found of getting married. Happily married.

Give, and it shall be given to you - new generous marketing trend

“Give, and it shall be given to you." Luke 6:38



Generousity and giving without expectations is a hot trend at the moment. I founf this example at http://www.bestadsontv.com/:

"The agency Happiness Brussels has created a unique website for people everywhere to share Christmas with strangers and spread a little more happiness by sending presents to unknown recipients around the world. Their idea uses Googleâs Reverse Geocoding functionality to randomly select an address anywhere in the world which becomes the happy recipient of a surprise Christmas present completely out of the blue and from someone they have never met. The website is at www.giftastranger.net

Users enter their name, address, their gift and a photo or picture of their gift. Google randomly generates an address which the user can accept or reject, and request another address.

Gift a Stranger is already attracting users from around the globe and on the website visitors can view who has sent what present to whom. The number of present-senders has already reached 500 and is increasing rapidly with gifts being sent from Australia to Mexico and from the UK to Africa."

This gets me going, coming up with all sorts of ideas for my clients. What about you? :)

I connect this 'giving' project with others - like "kindness cards" from Wakeup Sydney, inspiring people to do something nice to someone and then give them a card that they can keep as a memory, and later pass on... http://www.wakeupsydney.com.au/Campaigns/Kindness%20Revolution.aspx

It also brings to mind the Interflora campaign in the UK designed to brighten up the lives of Twitter users by sending them flowers. As part of the campaign, Interflora monitors Twitter looking for users that it believes might need cheering up. Once found, the users are contacted by tweet, and sent a bouquet of flowers as a surprise. (from http://trendwatching.com/briefing/#rak)

Make sure you give from the heart though, and not only to get publicity and raise your status in the eyes of others. As it´s said in the Bible: "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." Matthew 6:2

Consumers will see you as you see your brand

I made this video for people who seek help with finding self esteem and love, but realised the same principles are useful for brands. People will pick up and reflect what you think about your brand, deep down. Make sure you are proud

Subaru ad breaks the norms

Yesterday I was shown this beautiful ad from Subaru:

I like how the ad is different from what is expected. Research has found that most car mirror each other, so it feels fresh to do something out of the box.

Brand guru and author Martin Lindstrom once researched 60 different TV commercials produced by 20 car companies and he found remarkable similarities in their approach. “Each one had a scene in which the new, shiny, and seemingly driverless car guns its way around a hairpin turn in the desert, sending up a dramatic little cloud of dust – poof. The thing is. Though the type of car might have differed, that scene was exactly the same in every single commercial. Same swerve. Same turn. Same desert. Same dust cloud.”

Special K "Your time to shine" use the right approach

Sometimes your creative agency will suggest that you scare the customers to come to your brand. We see this of course when it comes to alcohol or drunk driving, where catastrophic pictures is a part of advertising, but it is also used by other brands. The advertiser wish to evoke an emotional response, and try to do so by using fear as a trigger.

This is a destructive approach, that will lead to people associating your brand with the emotion you wake up within them. Research on dating has shown that people get interested in dates when they talk about travelling, which makes people remember wonderful scenery and relaxing times, while people lose interest in each other if they talk about movies, where the gender difference can disturb the harmony between the two love seekers. And don´t we all know that topics like politics or religion are better left untouched...?

Studies from the research company Millward Brown prove that emotional ads both make us more aware of a brand and more involved in its message. “The ads that evoke the least positive response (i.e., are disliked) are more memorable than those which fall into the middle ground, and those which elicit positive emotions become progressively more memorable.” This means that you can reach high awareness by evoking strong emotions, whether positive or negative. Emotionally powerful ads that people like are more memorable, and when an ad is memorable and emotional it generates more sales.

However, it is always better to create commercial messages that people fancy. Ads that people like are almost twice as likely to see a sales effect, compared to ads that people don´t like. Even if this is not the same as what kind of feelings people get in general (not about the ad itself) it is still telling.

Professor Arjun Chaudhuri has, in his research for the book ”Emotion and Reason in Consumer Behaviour”, proven that fear or anger are emotions negatively related to ads being liked or products purchased. So called “pro-social affects” like happiness, love, bonding, attachment, nurturance and hope, were strongly related to positive evaluation, liking and buying.

Researchers at Millward Brown, the company behind the research, write: “Ads that evoke positive emotions tend to have a more positive effect on the brand.”

The basic universal emotions – anger, joy, surprise, disgust, sadness and fear (defined by Paul Ekman in the 1970´s) – are different in how they make us behave. If we are feeling happy, angry or disgusted we become active, while customers who are surprised, scared or sad get paralysed and are not willing to open their wallets, instead choosing status quo. Aim to in your marketing and operations evoke active, positive feelings.

My concept Love Branding is definitely about giving the market good vibes, evoking joy rather than fear. I know that you can spook people into relationships by saying they will be lonely without it, or that their partner will start crying if they leave, but that is not a good base for a long term loving commitment.

A great example is the Special K campaign "It´s your time to shine" inspiring with beauty rather than scaring with people who can´t fit into their jeans.

The most popular supermarkets

Roy Morgan just released data on which supermarkets Australians like the most.

"Aldi maintain the top position in customer satisfaction in October 2010. IGA were not far behind after increasing by one percentage point on the previous month. Woolworths and Coles remained relatively stable in their satisfaction scores.

Among Aldi customers, 90.5% were satisfied, followed by IGA (89.5%), Woolworths (87.5%) and then Coles (85.5%) for the 6 month’s average to October 2010."

Those are amazing numbers! Why are supermarkets so much better off than other categories? Banks for example average around 70-80%. Is it more of a fun experience to shop than to save? Is it a larger pleasure to get than to think about what you 'should', 'must' do? 

The concept of customer satisfaction is more interesting when you look at the relative numbers than the absolute.  

Organic farming and video games growing sectors - bc we want to control

Organic farming and video games are according to IBISWorld expected to be the two fastest growing sectors in 2011. 14% growth for organic farming, and 12% for gaming.

The organic food trend is a result of people´s increased interest in healthy food, and that the large retailers are putting organic on display, making it easy for customers to reach it.

The video game trend is a result of that those who played as kids keep on playing as adults, and that younger generations are starting their love affair. There is also a growth of female gamers, leading to a success for Nintendo´s Wii and Xbox.

These trends are so different - one is 'back to basic', the other 'more of unreality'. Both are signalling a need of contol, though. Avoidance of food we don´t understand or trust on one hand, avoidance of the unpredictable reality on the other. Life is easier online.

Let´s just hope we will still keep some things real, inspite of our need of control, so we don´t have to hear any more of these kind of stories (reported in The Week): "In march 2010 a South Korean couple let their baby starve to death while raising a “virtual” daughter. The parents spent up to 12 hrs a day at an internet café tending to their avatar child in the online game Prius, but left their real three-month-old baby at home alone with just one bottle of milk a day."

It´s never easy to be human, living in real life One day a flood comes and washes it all away, another day you find love at first sight. We can seldom plan, predict and control. Still, so many fear change and think ups and downs are unnatural, hence they hide in the video game world, behind their self produced avatars, eager to know it all.

Perfection has become the new 'normal' - but it can never be. Perfection will always lay in our attitudes towards life. If you are flexible and curious you will handle it all. Don´t worry (worries give you wrinkles). Move with the flow of life and trust that you are protected.

Yoga sets for prisoners free - a crazy wonderful misfit idea

"Prisoners in a prison in Madhya Pradeh, India, were offered reduced sentences for attending yoga classes because authorities believed the lessons would improve their self-control and lessen aggression. For every three months they practiced salutes to the sun, deep breathing and balance postures, they received 15 days off their sentences." (The Week)

I love this idea, and it´s so fresh and in line with time. Very impressed by the people who dared to introduce the program! I find it hard to see Julia Gillard suggest something similar in Australia; I believe too many will find the idea flippant. But the silly, unexpected ideas are often creating revolutions. 

Remember the wonderful lines of Jack Kerouac:

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels.The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently.
They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo.

You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things.

They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art?
Or sit in silence and hear a song that's never been written?
Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?
We make tools for these kinds of people.

While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think
they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Mobile phone gender roles

Nielsen reported in their last issue of Wire, that people around the world love their mobile phones, but they use them in vastly different ways.

In China, the mobile internet is very popular. 73 percent of Chinese mobile youth ages 15-24 reported using the mobile internet in the previous 30 days compared to 48 percent of U.S. mobile youth and 46 percent of U.K. youth, reports Nielsen.

The graph to the left shows how men and women around the world uses sms and mms. As you can see females are most keen on using these functions in countries like Us and Uk, while this is a male activity in countries like China, India and Saudi Arabia. This is of course a result of gender roles.

Life will for sure be different for a woman, depending on where she is born... For example, 49 % of indian young men who claim to have slept with a prostitute. 63 % hoped that their bride would be a virgin on their wedding night (Time magazine 2006). In Iran a rape has to be witnessed by four men to be illegal (Newsweek 2006).  In Australia sons are five times more likely than daughters to succeed their fathers in family businesses (BRW 2010).

Domestic products that makes men iron - yes please

Last year electronics giant Philips introduced the steam iron for men! They felt that men wanted a more robust, heavy-duty tool to tackle hampers of laundry. Something with a larger grip and a more masculine look. So it created the GC4490, which offers 'more power, more steam, more performance'. Philips describes the iron's sleek yet rugged design and stresses its technical specifications, seemingly in an attempt to convince men that they're buying a power tool or new gadget instead of a garment care appliance. Like a new hammer drill, the iron comes in a solid case. (thanks to Trendwatching.com for the summary)

Coke tried to reach the male market with Coke Zero, but apparently that brand was more liked by women, so now the Diet Coke is getting even more feminised. Men want even tougher stuff, like Mother energy drinks. Caffein is not powerful enough... and I think Coke made a mistake when marketing Zero with focus on taste instead of strenght and power - the wake-up-factor.

Anyway, I think niched products definitely have their purpose, and not just as a marketing gimmick. As I wrote yesterday, I´d love a tablet computer that suits me and my nails... If a steam iron for men is larger, that makes it more comfortable for a male hand. And if more men iron their own shirts, that is a lovely world :)

I could say so much about the pink products for girls, but that would just make me angry, so I do that another day.... Let´s just say women want power too.

Tech marketers do NOT understand their customers - WHY?

The market for thin, ipad look-alikes is growing. This is a summary of article in SMH, reporting from CES in Vegas. I don´t understand half of it and must say I would need a personal shopper to find the right choice for me. Plus, I have long nails, which means I can´t do touch screen...

"Apple's iPad faces some serious competition this year, with scores of Android and Windows tablets about to hit the market that offer several features the iPad lacks. Analyst firm Yankee Group believes the global market for tablets will almost triple by the end of 2014 from $US16 billion in 2010 to $US46 billion in 2014.

The iPad has dominated the market - over 12 million sold so far - and Apple has clearly set the tone in terms of design but several of the newer Android and Windows 7 tablets announced at CES contain features not found on the iPad, such as dual cameras, higher screen resolution and slide-out keyboards.

Motorola Xoom
A 10.1-inch tablet based on the latest "Honeycomb" iteration (version 3.0) of Google's Android platform.

Samsung TX100
Has a full QWERTY keyboard, a 10.1-inch and runs the regular version of Windows 7.

Asus Eee Pad Slider and Transformer
Slider has a slide-out keyboard while the Transformer has a clip-on keyboard. They run Android 3.0, have 10.1-inch screens.

Asus Slate
Another Windows 7 tablet, the slate has a large 12.1-inch screen.

Panasonic Viera Tablet
This is not designed to be a portable computer but rather a companion to Panasonic's new Viera Connect TVs.

Dell Streak 7
7-inch screen and an Nvidia Tegra dual-core processor and the sturdy Corning Gorilla Glass. The tablet, running Android 2.2, runs on 4G networks and there are no plans yet to launch it in Australia.

Asus MeMo
Another smaller 7-inch tablet but this one runs Android 3.0.

Lenovo IdeaPad U1
Has a detachable 11.6-inch screen that then becomes a tablet with a more touch-friendly interface. Runs on Android.

Toshiba Tablet
10-1-inch screen, runs Android 3.0 and offers built-in Wi-Fi but no 3G support.

LG tablet and glasses-free portable 3D TV
8.9-inch tablet running Android 3.0 and using an Nvidia dual-core processor.

Sharp Galapagos
Already launched in Japan, the Galapagos will hit the US in the second half of this year but it is not clear if it will reach Australia. There will be two models - 5.5-inch and 10.8-inch.

I have also read about new tablets being released from Acer and Research in Motion (Blackberry playbook). So we are definitely not out of choices. But how on earth should a normal person ever be able to investigate this market and pick the tablet that suits individual needs? Android? Dual-core? 3G support? UH?Marketers of technology seem to completely have forgotten the consumer!

A culture eager to learn - to avoid everything bad

Online DNA testing is a growing industry. Some sites and companies offering people a DNA checkup to identify potential risks are: 23andme, Lumigenix, Navigenics, deCODEme and Pathway Genomics.

We live in a culture where people are obsessed by knowing details, finding out information and getting a sense of being in complete control. Brands and companies therefore need to be transparent and open with what´s in their products, how they are made and so on. If you look as if you are hiding something, you are in trouble. The Twitter police or word-of-mouth mumble will find you.

Or is this true?

This trend towards detail fixation is a reality at the same time as own brands sales are growing - selling lots and lots of anonymous copies, and even if we say that everything goes on Twitter, how many people are actually seeing the tweets that are critical towards brands? In theory everything is visable, but in reality it´s not.

People are caring about details, but not really in a focused manner. I think there is a huge need of all the new curators out there, distilling the tons of data we theoretically have access to, but neither can understand nor find.

When it comes to our body... The DNA testings are for sure opening a possibility to get a richer, healthier life. A study from Genetic and Public Policy Centre in Washington found 34% became more careful about their diet, 14% exercised more, 15% changed their medication or dietary supplements. But in reality, how many will change their lifestyle for long term...? Will the tests not just create fear?

Our mind is our most efficient doctor. Whatever we believe or expect have a magical tendency to come true, and for years psychological research has proven that what we think is what we become. When you get a prediction that you are genetically prone to get a certain type of cancer, your mind will start to give this fact attention - raising the risk! Not all that is hidden it our genes will come true - it will only wake up when triggered, and awareness and fear is a trigger. 

I think the DNA tests can have a point, but people who take them must be made aware of the power they have to remain healthy just by thinking themself well.

For brands... just be aware of how people crave the opportunity to have knowledge and fear the unknown. Don´t overload us with info, but have it handy. And sell dreams, rather than facts. We still want it all, and the "eager to learn" culture is eager out of fear, not curiosity, and your brand does not want to be associated with people when they have their swords ready to fight the enemy.

Yes, we are scared: Preventative care coverage a priority for 86% of Americans. Only 15% of Brits say they live for today and don‘t worry about the future when it comes to their health. (Health Insurance – US – April 2009/Preventing Illness and Through Healthy Living – UK – January 2010 presented by Mintel)

Example of how brands are visible: The Augmented Living Goods (AUG) app scans the barcodes of supermarket food and provides data on the origin of produce, meat and dairy.

I was on TV!

This morning I was on Today Show to talk about how our personality is defined by biology and how this can lead to more understanding and love in our relationships: http://today.ninemsn.com.au/videoindex.aspx?videoid=131ddac1-6152-4a23-8a1b-33534575c43c. I find this highly relevant in marketing as well, since you can not just define customers depending on age or lifestyle. If you also consider differences in personality you will be able to reach their heart.

In the greenroom I ran into the trend spotter Mark McCrindle who was there to tell us about the 5 main trends for the decade. Check out http://www.mccrindle.com.au/ Lovely man!

Great campaigns to be inspired by

I love being inspired by other people´s great work. Here is one site to have a look at. Awesome marketing campaigns, that connect with people: http://mediafederation.org.au/mfa-awards/recent-winners

More good examples: http://mediafederation.org.au/mfa-awards/recent-winners

Most viewed ads on YouTube 2010: http://mashable.com/2010/12/21/youtube%E2%80%99s-most-viewed-ads-of-2010-videos/

Cannes Lions: http://www.canneslions.com/lions/previous_winners_shortlists.cfm Unfortunately I can only find the lists and not the real campaigns. Do you know where to find them?

Do you have other examples from around the world? Please share!

Awards drive some people in media/advertising who wish to shine. You get judged by how many entries you can deliver and how successful these campaigns are in reaching awareness, sales or love. Nothing wrong with that really, as long as the marketing directors who order the work also consider long term results, and not just look at sales peaks and aim for short term attention. To build a brand that is long term successful, you need to see beyond the award. But you know that, already don´t you :) Good luck!!

Apps and tablets everywhere - and you are never to be lost again

The Consumer Electronics Show CES 2011 is on in Vegas, so expect a lot of news reporting on gadgets and technology the next week...

I found some interesting reflections on a blog, pointing towards the fact that the apps obsession is creating a Big Brother society, where you are always watched, you can always be tracked down.

"As Shawn Dubravac, the chief economist and director of research for the Consumer Electronics Association, says, we can expect the "appification" of everything.Over 2010, we've seen apps virtually take over, with Google unveiling an app store, Apple announcing a Mac app store, and even Microsoft getting in on the fun with an Internet Explorer 9 beta that gets out of the way and virtually appifies the Web.

Internet-connected, "appified" everything, huh? That brings us to our third thing we'll definitely be on the lookout for.. The Ever-Expanding Internet of Things.

As more and more devices become Internet-enabled, they gain the abililty to automatically report certain data, such as where they are, what they are doing and when they are doing it. As Dubravac notes, apps are going to be everywhere and that means that Internet-connected devices will too. Ford SYNC is one major push in the realm of Internet-connect objects - in this case, your vehicle - and shows many of the possiblities. With this system, Ford owners can access "Vehicle Health Reports" online, automatically dial 911 in the event that the airbag deploys, connect with traffic data and even connect with your smartphone (among other features)."

I use the Facebook app on my Blackberry and can´t say I am very pumped about new apps, but who knows... ? It´s easy to be sucked into it and lots of people are checking them out. We are at the curious state, but will we enter the loyal, stay-together-forever one? When we become aware of the risks with telling the world through Foursquare that we are not at home, will that take us back to the anonymous, private world we once lived in... Or is this going to be the 'normal' state, and we will outbalance the negatives with security door?

The tablet computer is one gadget that seems to have gone beyond the Apple addicts and early adopters buying and loving ipads. 14% of businesses are planning to buy a tablet first quarter of 2011 according to a ChangeWave survey. They are ON!

Nomadic houses for the urban world - Fly high!

I was just browsing through Trendhunter´s site. http://www.trendhunter.com/ It´s filled with nice ideas - rather beautiful and observant moments in time than trends but still lovely. Spottings like "tattoos, supermodels, nude beauties" don´t feel so 'fresh' ehum, but "nomadic houses" is a cute trend. Also relevant in times of flood disasters here in Australia. http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nomadic-houses

The story:
"Naked House, a prototype home designed by British architectural firm dRMM, can be transported in a standard container anywhere in the world and erected quickly using the container as a base. It can also be dismantled and repacked for reuse elsewhere.

Such nomadic houses can thus be used for emergency housing after a major catastrophe, even in flooded areas. The compact size of the nomadic houses allows them to be used in densely populated areas.

What’s more, the nomadic houses can be made in a sustainable, eco-friendly manner. The efficient jigsaw-puzzle approach to how nomadic houses are cut out make them affordable."

A small sample makes us happy! Give someone a pressie today

If you give people a small present, they will like you better. Research has for example shown that doctors who get a free meaningful gift before meeting a patient, will do a better job. Another study is presented on the Neuromarketing blog:

"What does it take to make you happy? Not much. A classic study by psychologist Norbert Schwarz found that ten cents would do the trick. He and his cohorts repeatedly placed a dime near a copy machine where they knew it would be found. When the subjects who found the dime were surveyed shortly after their discovery, their overall satisfaction with life was substantially higher than other subjects who did not find a coin.

While the original study was conducted back in 1987 when a dime bought more than it does today, the basic idea remains the same: even a tiny positive surprise can improve one’s outlook, albeit temporarily. In an interview with the Baltimore Sun, Schwarz noted, “It’s not the value of what you find. It’s that something positive happened to you.”

Dooley suggests that brands use the power of free samples to get more customers. Great idea! Also try compliments, surprises, smiles or random sales. Just like I wrote the yesterday, it doesn´t need to be expensive to make a difference. People don´t have to win a massive prize; they might be equally happy with a flower. Love bomb your customers.

3 rules for creating a contest to market your brand

I suddenly see contests everywhere. Maybe it´s just a phase I´m going through, perhaps they have always been there, but anyway, I see competitions in every corner... contests, win this, win that...

I am aware of that some probably brilliant strategist came up with the idea to get people´s attention through dangling a fabulous prize in front of them. Awareness, leads to consideration, leads to sales... But the weird thing is that many of these prizes are not about the brand. They are about other brands. Brands and products to win are many times not even closely related to the brand paying for them. Hmm.

3 simple rules of contests:

- If the consumers get too excited about the prize, all they will see is that, and your brand will be put in the corner.
- Most people (especially younger age groups) will be happy about a small sample, maybe even more than about the thought of perhaps, maybe win something fabulous.
- Make sure the prize makes sense and that your brand will be associated with it. If you want your brand to 'smell, feel, taste, be' trendy and youthful, let people win a voucher at General Pants - but make sure you have worded the offer in a way that the brands get rubbed against each other, and not just parallell entities.

Attention is not everything. Just look at the romantic process:

I notice you - I see you - I flirt with you - I date you - I want to be exclusive - Let´s get married and have babies

With a random contest you will only get to the first or second stage. With a clever contest you can go further.

Words from a wise strategist, for people who are curious about our area of work: http://www.markpollard.net/why-strategists-should-make-stuff/

When do we see parkour and freerunning in an ad?

I just love this kind of stuff - guys jumping between buildings as if they could fly. Strong, crazy, full of life. That would definitely grab people´s attention, if seen in an ad. So much better than the awful screaming and singing in ads from Good Guys and others...



From Wikipedia: It is a non-competitive, physical discipline of French origin in which participants run along a route, attempting to negotiate obstacles in the most efficient way possible, using only their bodies. Skills such as jumping, climbing, vaulting, rolling and swinging are employed. Parkour can be practiced anywhere, but areas dense with obstacles are preferable, and it is most commonly practiced in urban areas.