Smart Marketing

                                                                                 December 2008

 

"People need me ... they depend on me. 

 We're doing something important here. And knowing that gives me the energy to carry the sack, lead the pack, and keep coming back."

--   Santa Claus

Barbie
Barbie is 50! 
For everyone who played Barbies  ... or terrorized their sister by cutting off Barbie's hair, enjoy this 4-minute video - 50 years of Barbie!
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Greetings! 

These trying economic times are bringing out the philosopher in all of us. Twice in the past week I've heard the quote: "When written in Chinese, the word "crisis" is composed of two characters - one represents danger and one represents opportunity."
 
Curious about the source, I Googled it and found out that President Kennedy used it in a speech he gave in 1959. Through this research I also learned that 100 years earlier in 1859, President Lincoln shared a similar sentiment in one of his speeches:  "This, too, shall pass away."

I wonder what pearls of wisdom will be shared by the President of the United States in 2059.  Better yet, I wonder if I'll be alive to hear it - HA!
 
Happy Holidays and may God bless us, everyone. 
 
my signature
2008 Holiday Survival Kit --  for Retailers, that is
National Retail FederationI can't help wearing my retail marketing hat during the holiday season, having spent 12 years in the shopping center industry as a Marketing Director for Midtown Square and SouthPark Mall.  The National Retail Federation has a great website full of fun facts to know and tell about the Holiday Retail Season.
 
Click here for their website and then click on the icon that says: "Holiday Survival Kit".  It's a pdf of a 16 page booklet with great cocktail party conversation tidbits like:
  • Why is the day after Thanksgiving referred to as Black Friday?  (page 4)
  • What is Cyber Monday? (page 4)
  • What amount of annual department sales occur during the holidays?  (page 7)
  • What percentage of shoppers used the Internet for last minute purchases last year? (page 7)
  • Profile differences between "early bird" and "last minute" shopers (page 11)
  • Shoppers favorite Holiday TV ads in 2007 (page 12)
  • What people purchased the weekend after Thanksgiving - 2005, 2006, 2007  (page 15)
 

 Jitterbug logoMove Over Storm and iPhone.  Here Comes Jitterbug

JitterbugCell phones are getting smaller, trendier, and more technologically sophisticated. They tend to target teens and young adults with lots of bells and whistles and cool names.

In general, however, technology companies haven't quite figured out how to create brands that appeal to seniors. But there is a US company, GreatCall, that has designed Jitterbug, a cell phone, from the ground up for older adults. GreatCall founders Martin Cooper and Arlene Harris worked directly with Samsung to create a cellular phone that addressed the needs of its target audience. Why Samsung? "They knew that there was a huge opportunity for this older market, but none of the carriers were interested," says Harris, quoted in a BusinessWeek article ("A Cell Phone for Baby Boomers," May 29, 2007).
 
The aging of the world's key consumer populations is well-documented. According to the US State Department, almost 500 million people worldwide were 65 and older in 2006. By 2030, that total is projected to increase to 1 billion -- that's 1 in every 8 of the Earth's inhabitants.
 
Despite their growing numbers and spending power, seniors have been generally ignored by marketers in favor of youth. But the trend of targeting this older demographic will continue to grow as marketers increasingly value those who are in, or who are entering, their golden years.
  
Now that's smart marketing!  Read the full story.