Burger King Increasing 2010 Ad Budget
Good marketing strategy says not reducing advertising spending during bad times?
Burger King “estimates a 20 to 25 percent increase in its 2010 nation media versus 2009“
It is nice. I look forward to watch a fierce ad war between Burger King and McDonald’s in 2010!
Customer Service ABCs
Have a look at the service sector in Canada.
While most of the companies could not avoid to provide customer service of some sort, many of them did not realize the importance of serving (not selling) customers; others did not work on their realization.
In Marketing, there is always something very basic marketers forget about. Theses elements serve as the foundation to marketing success- customer service, the excellent one. It is easy to understand but hard to remember and actualize: the goodies of advanced technology and abundant information only come along with satisfying customer service.
Angry customers do not just stop making purchase, they spread the word;
Satisfied customers come back again and again, and they also spread the word!
From Steak to Burger- Where does Consumers’ Dollar Go
Diners are tightening their spending on dining outside.
According to the latest survery on chain restaurant by restaurant industry consultant, Technomic, sales of fast food chains are outweighting restaurants.
On the other hand, from a 2008 report by Beverage Digest, soft drink sales volume continues to decline in the state.
What are these studies telling us?
Before some products’ life cycles going to a dead end or recession, companies have to quickly act on directing consumers to a new product or simply, if not more hardly, to educate them on revalueing the products.
Fast-Forwarding Your Ad Message Immediately
When it comes to commercial, it is not always the longer the better!
If most people are skipping commercials that does not interest them right away,
we better fast-foward our message.
Viewers with digital video recorders are 25% more likely to fast-forward past ads that don’t interest them immediately, and 25% of viewers are likely not to watch an entire ad that fails to draw them in right away, no matter how great the commercial is overall, according to the study.
(http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=135690)
I am interested in testing on how many commercials out there can catch their target groups’ attention immediately and how many of them fail to do so.
Full Pint of Ben & Jerry’s vs. 14-Ounce of Haagen-Dazs
All else equal, do you prefer a full pint, 16-ounce ice cream or a 14-ounce’s?
Ben & Jerry’s fiercely comment on Haagen-Dazs’ recent downsizing. With a statement “A pints not a pint unless it’s a pint!” , Ben & Jerry’s put this piece of news on their web’s front page.
Haagen-Dazs claims that their downsizing is due to increased ingredient costs as well as transportation costs.
Ben & Jerry’s concludes in its feedback that “So, while our competitor may be experiencing a bit of shrinkage, rest assured that your Ben & Jerry’s will still be standing tall in the freezer. Ben & Jerry’s is dedicated to making the best ice cream and giving our consumers full value in every spoonful!”
Again, all else equal, which on edo you prefer? A full pint of Ben & Jerry’s or a 14-ounce of Haagen-Dazs?
The fact may be, “all else” are not equal.
Weight-conscious consumers who could not stop their spoons in front of a pint may feel glad that the ice-cream finally do something to help them eat less.
Consumers who does not even care how many ounce is in a pint may go for Ben & Jerry’s just for that they feel pledged by Haagen-Dazs. If this is true, then Ben & Jerry’s is probably doing the right thing- releasing news and creating noise on Haagen-Dazs’ change. Consumers are angry that they hear the news from Ben & Jerry’s, not Haagen-Dazs themselves.
I have to go to grocery and check this out now!
M&M: Join the Hunt
M&M’s launches an online Easter’s egg hunt- Join the Hunt promotion.
Online vehicles have been used more and more nowadays.
For a well established candy brand, the online game promotion is interactive, target and cheaper than appearing on the TV box.
Win-win-win!
I remember me collecting those candy packagins and trying out their occasional promotions. First were some mail-in lucky draws and small games attached to the packages. Then, they started to go online a lot, so did I!
I was having so much fun with them. Both the eating part and the gaming part.
I can’t quite remember that I love the candies for their interactive promotions or vise versa.
Both ways, they left impression in my little mind!
Buy Pepsi Get Coca-cola Free -Don’t Dew it
During recession, nothing is better than free things.
Coca-cola affort a bottle of free Vault with consumers’ purchase on a bottle Mtn Dew from its leading competitor in citrus segment, Pepsi Co.
In the short run, the promotion is expensive to Coke in two ways. One, I expect it to boom sales of Mth Dew and two, obviously it costs Coke a lot to giving out free Vault.
In the long run, however, market share and revenue are expected if consumers just- “Don’t Dew it” or Dew less. This may take especially strong effect after the economiy “climb back up the cliff” , eventually.
Romantic Paris- a Lesson of Imagery Branding
What is so romantic about Paris?
If being romantic is being relaxed- associated with all those cafes on the street and people sitting there spending an afternoon. In a city wherera income tax is peaked at 40%, Paris people are entitle to romnaticism. But Toronto shouldn’t be that far behind.
If being romantic is subject to climate change, the warm weather is Paris is surely an advantage. But the Republic of Malta with its mild winters and hot summers should initiate no less loving events.
If being romantic is an intrisic state in which we feel being loved by and can not wait to act on loving actions to our beloved ones, then why do we even bother which city, with a meaningless name, we are located.
Only if being romantic is, as a matter of fact, a perception or an attitude. Then thanks to the heavy social reinforcement, Paris is indeed a romantic place as it is advertised to be. We clearly see a romantic image even simply by hearing the name, “Paris!”, oh my loving god.
Attitude lead to behaviour, as well as vise versa.
Paris is a romantic city because we have been told that it is. We think that it is. We believe that it is. Our romantic behaviour and fantasy in that lovely city reinforce us that it really is.
So can Toronto also advertise itself to be a romantic city? Probably NO. When you ask people which is the most romantic city on earth, Parist comes FIRST in mind. It is this position in mind makes Paris unique. There is not much space for another romantic city. Toronto can be diversed, but not romantic.
Nothing can make such an unrealistic concept this concrete but the power of branding.
Credit Card Giants, Stop Pushing your Brands to Death!
Canadian consumers and businesses are standing against for their skyrocketing credit card [hidden] fees.
Stop Sticking It to Us! and Retail Council of Canada are standing behind the fight.
In my belief, credit card companies should take actions to retain confidence from both consumers and businesses. Bring back the marketing focus from competitor to customers. Especially during such hard time, it is not wise to squeeze your customers.
While the usage of credit cards are increasing, their brand value are unlikely going toward the same direction. Before there are so many of them out there, having a credit card was a want, it was something that we desire. Then we realized that we need them. Credit card companies made it so. They were everywhere and they became our spending habit. Now, this need is so overwhelming that it is hurting customers.
Before it is too late, credit card giants better recruite our wants for credit cards. Give consumers a better reason to use your cards.
