 Faith and doubt both are needed - not as antagonists, but working side by side - to take us around the unknown curve.
Lillian Smith |
|
Marketer of the Year: Hyundai
While other carmakers drove off the cliff in a brutal 2009, Hyundai powered through with consumer-focused ideas, strong product and a high pubilc profile.
Consider the state of affairs when viewers turned into the Super Bowl in February: Banks had failed, a stimulus package still hadn't been announced, and unemployment was surging toward 8%, up from 4.8% the year before. Escapism was the order of the day, and most advertisers played right along.
There was one advertser, however, that didn't. In the third quarter, in an otherwise standard issue cars-rolling-through-landscape spot, a voiceover said "Now, finance or lease any new Hyundai, and if you lose your income in the next year, you can return it with no impact on your credit."
"This is a recession of fear. We realized that the elephant in the room was the fear of losing your job ... The idea of giving people the option to give the car back if they were struggling ... seemed a great way to make customers comfortable and increase our market share in an economy like this."
Joel Ewanick, Hyundai's VP of Marketing
Read the full article |
|
Three Marketers to Watch in 2010
 AppleJust try to find a brand with a bigger mass of loyal followers. That fervency has led to a soaring share in the smart phone category.
 Ford Motor Co.Not taking Uncle Sam's money kept Ford from getting a big black mark with consumers and allowed it to keep it independence.
 Subway To be sure, Subway has a lot going for it. It will soon be the world's largest chain by stores - bigger than even the Golden Arches.
|
|
250 N. Trade Street Suite 206 Matthews, NC 28105
| |
|
|
Greetings!
Rarely can small businesses relate to the case studies of national marketers. Let's face it, Hyundai, Amazon, McDonald's, Lego and Walmart are not in our league when it comes to marketing strategy and budgets. Recently however, I read a series of articles in Advertising Age about the 2009 Marketer of the Year and the Runners-Up with some great take-aways for any business, regardless of size. Read all about their "lessons learned" below.
Happy Thanksgiving,  |
|
What Customer-Focused E-Commerce Looks Like
Online shopping giant continues growth while barely spending on ads
 Lessons Learned:
1. Customer Service Is Marketing
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says he wants to run "the most customer-centric company in the world." Note that he did not say biggest online retailer or immensely profitable company. Those just happen to be the benefits of putting your customers at the forefront of everything you do.
2. You Don't Need A Big Ad Budget To Build A Brand
Amazon has a miniscule ad budget. Rather than try to buy love, it earns through the aforementined customer-centric approach and the word-of-mouth it engenders.
3. Be A Social Company, Not A Social-Media Marketer.
Amazon doesn't need Twitter or Facebook pages to show it gets social media. All it takes is a quick look at its website to see how customers' voices are central to what makes Amazon.
4. Don't Fear The Algorithm.
Amazon sends a carefully curated message based on an enormous amount of purchasing data. While it's far from perfect, the algorithm is usually on to something, to the detriment of many wallets.
5. Do Deals That Make Sense Culturally.
When Amazon bought Zappos something more valuable than $1 billion in sales changed hands. Namely a culture that's remarkably similar to Amazon's own ethos of customer-centricity.
|
|
McDonald's Moves Beyond Value Menu to Rise Above
 Product innovation, listening to consumers led Golden Arches to growth
Lessons Learned:
1. There's More Than One Way To Define Value
A bold strategy of highlighting core, higher-margin items, like the Big Mac, Chicken McNuggets and the Quarter Pounder resulted in double-digit sales increases late last year and early this year.
2. Don't Forget Mom.
Moms decide whether to turn the car into the drive-thru so appealing to them means having an array of healthy choices on the menu.
3. Tune Into Culture.
The 2004 documentary "Super Size Me" prompted McDonald's to zero in on the health concerns and offer alternatives to all that fatty fare.
4. Global Rules
With "I'm Loving It", McDonald's has a solid global campaign that's translated well around the world.
5. Remember Your Core Business
The Angus 1/3 pound burger with a $4 price tag is it's first burger launch in eight years and early indications are that the sandwich is catching on -- a timely reminder that what McDonald's knows is beef. | |
|
Toymaker Grows by Listening to Customers
Brand that could have been left behind creates opportunities in digital
 Lessons Learned:
1. Listen
Lego has gotten adept at sampling culture, understanding the desires of both its existing and potential consumers and adjusting accordingly.
2. You Don't Own Your Product; Your Consumers Do
It took Lego's leadership some time to understand that its product isn't used precisely the way they'd like it to be, nor is it used precisely by the people they want to use it. But that understanding did come, and now Lego engages in active outreach with the AFOL - Adult Fans of Lego - community.
3. Values and Culture are Important, Not Immutable
Lego never outsourced manufacturing to China. That's one value from which it hasn't veered. However, because of their Hollywood licensing deals, it's also had to come to grips with the reality that some of its toys will have violent references.
4. Explore New Platforms and Channels - No Matter What Your Age
Lego could simply make plastic blocks and watch its business erode over time. Instead it has chosen to stay relevant, and a large part of that is finding different ways to distribute its core product. It's currently developing both a board game and a movie, and there's a Lego "Rock Band" video game now in stores. By year's end, there will be 47 Lego retail operations.
5. Sharpen Your Operations
In recent years, the company has sped up development, meaning that a new Lego product can get from idea to the shelf within a year. That means Lego can be more responsive to cultural trends.
|
|
A Promise of Value When Shoppers Need it Most
Retail giant learns how to throw its weight around to make most of its marketing budget in recession
 Lessons Learned:
1. Be A Resource
The are focusing on giving people the information, the products, and of course, the price points, to save money.
2. Use Your Clout
As touchy-feely as the retailer has become in dealing with consumers and on issues like the environment, it's gotten less shy when it comes to keeping pressure up on partners.
3. Keep Budgets Up
Unlike most marketers, Walmart has increased measured spend during the first half of 2009 by 32% to $423 million.
4. Embrace Analytics ...
Walmart is making a strong investment in market research and analytics.
5. ...But Don't Forget The Right Ad Message Is Still Vital
Walmart's pitch-perfect ads strike a tone that's both urgent and elegant in communicating how they can help people make a reality out of the tagline "Save Money. Live Better."
| |
|
|
|
