It is our job as our client’s strategic partner is to engage consumers with their products.

There are several ways of engaging a consumer, however there is one place that is most important….

The website.  Whenever I am in need of information I always go straight to the website and I think most people use websites for the exact same thing.  So, it is the perfect opportunity to “win” that customer.

But, most websites do not warrant customer interaction and ultimately engage them as they should.

In a recent article written by Daniel Alves, Design Director for 352 Media Group, Alves outlines 9 ways to improve upon this such thing.  A few things stuck out to me, that I think often slip our minds.

Make a promise. He talks about the importance of telling users that their information is safe, that it won’t be shared with any third party and the importance of placing this promise right next to the submit button.  This message eases one’s fear and makes them more likely to provide their info.

Have some fun. Spice up your website with a little humor and give your customers a laugh.  First of all who doesn’t like to laugh?!? Secondly, laughter eases the mind and makes you feel more relaxed and therefore more applicable to providing information and wanting to be apart of the product.

Take a look at the article?  What do you think about his 9 ideas?

During a recent visit with my Grandmother, Mary Swan, she let me comb through her vintage clothes that had been delicately stored in a bedroom closet for the past 40 years. As we poked through all of the nooks and crannies for treasure, we found an inconspicuous box on the top shelf that held what I consider to be the jackpot of all finds. In this box was a Cosmopolitan magazine from November 1911!

As I very carefully turned the fragile pages, I saw what Cosmo used to be, “…a publication for aspirational women.” Women with hopes and dreams of being more than the predetermined stay-at-home-mom (which is definitely a full-time job on its own).

I was amazed to learn Cosmopolitan began as a family magazine, launched in 1886 by Schlicht & Field as The Cosmopolitan. Sadly for Schlicht & Field, they were only in business for two years before they had to close their doors.

John Brisben Walker acquired the magazine in 1889 and, with the help of E. D. Walker, The Cosmopolitan became the go-to source for fictional short stories, novels and series until around 1950.

In 1965, Helen Gurley Brown took over as editor in chief. In an effort to rouse sluggish sales, Brown decided to give The Cosmopolitan a facelift. The magazine was renamed Cosmopolitan and the publication became more about single women and their sexual liberation–a much different kind of aspiration than Schlicht & Field had in mind, I’m sure.

In a time when women were trying to liberate themselves, I find it interesting that Brown’s attempt–intentional or not–to “sexually liberate women” ended up sending a message that in order for a woman to lead a full life, she needed a man.

And what is Cosmo today? Well, by looking at the cover of the November 2011 edition, it’s a magazine for women who are only interested in pleasing their man rather than themselves, being stick thin in order to please the public and their view of “beauty” and wearing the latest fashion.

So much for being liberated.

When comparing the early 1900’s version with today’s, it’s amazing to me how one person can dramatically change the way we market to and for women. Even though Brown didn’t singlehandedly change the view and status of women, she played a big part. Although I don’t agree with the message today’s Cosmopolitan (Cosmo) sends, knowing the full story of Cosmo shows how much impact one person– or advertiser–can have.  Pushing the envelope and doing something different might be uncomfortable but it also might change the whole game.

I am hosting a small family Thanksgiving this year at my modest Louisville home. As a 26-year-old, I’ve been bringing a side dish or dessert to the big meal for the last few years. But having a big, beautiful turkey centerpiece at Thanksgiving is always the responsibility of the host — and it’s something that I have admittedly taken for granted my entire life.

That is, until this year. For me, the pressure is still pretty low. It’ll just be me, my husband, Mom, Granner, (What? I’m sure there are weirder Grandma names out there) and my brother and sister. But there have got to be young cooks out there who will be hosting in-laws, cousins, aunts, uncles, even friends or co-workers. Those are the people who are scared featherless to get their first Thanksgiving turkey right.

In an attempt to capture that young audience in their most vulnerable, horrified moment, and stuff them with a little brand loyalty, Butterball has taken to the web. It seriously runs the gamut on online resources for turkey cooks. The site has YouTube videos, podcasts, tips and articles, portion calculators, recipes, and a mobile site that makes it easy to view all this content from your phone.

I was most shocked to learn that 1-800-BUTTERBALL is a national hotline that has been talking cooks through turkey emergencies every November and December for 30 years. Yes, seriously! Since 1981, people have been calling a “Turkey Talk-Line Expert” when they accidentally catch their bird on fire. You can’t deny, the brand has found its niche. I may not be a terrified first-timer, but I will probably end up going with Butterball for my first Thanksgiving turkey. Their ability to evolve with the times, offering the new generation of turkey-makers advice and help in all the online mediums we use, has got me pretty buttered up.

What would it take to get you to choose one brand of potato chips over another? When standing in your grocer’s aisle, contemplating the perfect brand and flavor for an afternoon snack, you may ask yourself, “How do I know which one is for me?” “How can I be sure if the ingredients are real or merely chemically based?” Well, fret no more, my friend.

PepsiCo is unveiling an innovative way to market Lay’s potato chips. Beginning this month, the company is launching new vending machines that will demonstrate how Lay’s creates their potato chips. This is no ordinary vending machine, you see. It does not accept money or coins! It only accepts potatoes! Now I bet I’ve got you wondering…

Wondering, how will this work?

Wondering, how will I get my beloved bag of chips?

Well…

First, a promoter will be standing by to give you your golden ticket (the potato) to start the vending process. You simply drop the potato in and a show unfolds before you. It shows you how they wash, peel, cut, cook, salt and package your chips. As soon as the demonstration is over, a warm bag drops down for you to retrieve. It seems as if they’ve just made the bag especially for you- cooked to order!

These special vending machines will not be distributed everywhere. They will be rolled out to retailers such as Walmart and Carrefour in Argentina. These retailers will simply be product sampling testers. If all goes well, you may be seeing one of these vending machines at a store near you. Click here to see a video sneak peek of the new and innovative machines!

I’m a big fan of great packaging. More than once, I have bought something just because I enjoyed the way it was packaged.

Recently, I ran across a fabulous packaging design from Lee Jeans. Pushing their eco-friendly initiative, their “Never Wasted” campaign features a shopping bag that can be repurposed into many different items. These items include a game board and game board pieces, dice, masks, boxes, and a pencil holder, among others.

This packaging has all the key elements of a nice design: Fun, Functional, and eco-Friendly. If anything, this design has made me want to go buy a pair of Lee Jeans just so I can get the bag.  And apparently, I’m not the only one. Lee Jeans stated “A surge in interest from patrons forced us to produce 1000 times more bags than the initial production of 3,000 bags.”

I enjoyed a quick lunch today at the local KFC, which I hadn’t been to in a few months.  When I walked in, I noticed the interior had been remodeled and had a fun new design including bright colors, digital display boards and even bar-style seating…pretty sweet!

I placed my order, just a simple Snacker Pack, but in classic Ashley style, I couldn’t order it straight up and decided to ask for a buffalo chicken snacker, which is usually an option on the menu.  The response I got was “we don’t flavor our food anymore”.  Say what?!

As marketing experts, we spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to craft the perfect setting for your dining experience, as well as the message to drive you through the door, and menu and beverage teams spend hours going through dozens of recipes to find the perfect combination of flavor.

On the operational level, especially for a chain with as many units as KFC, it is difficult to prepare the staff for every question they might encounter.  But for a brand that prides itself on its world-famous 11 herbs and spices, to tell a customer that they no longer flavor their food, seems like quite the marketing nightmare, as I’m surely not the only one to notice the absence of buffalo chicken.

Today was a reminder that everything that goes in to a campaign is only a piece of the puzzle.  There are some things that are beyond our control, like the words of an employee or even the closure of a bridge.

Back to school can be a stressful situation for parents. Having to release your children from under your watchful eye is uncomfortable enough. Add to this, the sometimes demanding and seemingly unrealistic list of supplies requested by schools, and you have a moment parents dread each and every year.

Retailers can draw in consumers by changing the perception of this event in every parents life and making it seem like a pleasant, if not at least humorous, experience. If last year I went to retailer A and had a hard time finding all I needed and this year retailer B has an ad campaign that suggests both ease and fun with my search, then I am going there. Alter my perception without my knowing and you get my money. Simplicity can be oh so effective.

This year’s Target back to school campaign achieved this, even for me – someone who does not have children. The music teacher spot is my personal favorite. I want to run out to Target right now and buy some denim!

Enjoy!

I used to sell musical instruments for a living. Flutes, violins, accordions — you name it, I sold it. It was a fun gig at first, but it was retail and, well, my enthusiasm eventually succumbed to the daily routine of soul-crushing banality. The job did, however, prove a good learning experience. Namely, it provided a firsthand look into how brand loyalty plays out on the sales floor. And when it comes to musical instruments, in no category will you find fiercer brand loyalists than in electric guitars:

“Got any Gibsons er Fenders?”

“No, sorry. We don’t carry those brands.”

“Well you’d sell a lot more if ya did! Tham guitars is the best!”

It happened every week. Some longhaired know-it-all in a sweat-stained trucker cap would peek his head in, quickly scan the guitar section and then chide me upon discovering that we didn’t carry Gibson or Fender. Sure, we had guitars. We had plenty. But our guitars didn’t have the right name on the headstock, and often, it was a deal breaker.

So many times I wanted to say, “Wake up, Jimmy Bob! It’s not what you play, it’s how you play it! Our guitars are just as good!” But it was a lost cause.

The loyalists could not be reasoned with.

It didn’t matter that our guitars were, in every demonstrable way, made as well as comparable models from the behemoth brands. It didn’t matter that, in many cases they were produced at the very same overseas factories by the same computer-controlled machines. Sometimes our guitars even had the exact pickups and hardware used by the big brands. Still it didn’t matter.

For the loyalists, it was never about the product. It was always about the brand.

A strong brand turns an equal product into a superior product. It makes cola taste better. It makes toothpaste more effective. It makes the diamonds sparkle more brilliantly. It makes vacuum cleaners suck harder. And it even makes guitars sound better.

Logic need not apply.

In case you didn’t know, I love Back To The Future. I recently watched a video that features Doc Brown blasting through a storefront in a DeLorean! Yep, it is as awesome as it sounds. When I first watched the video, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The quality was so good I thought I was watching a trailer for a new BTTF movie! However, it turns out it was watching a viral ad for Garbarino, an Argentinean electronics store. Although I know absolutely nothing about Garbarino, this is still the coolest commercial I have seen in a while. But then again, my opinion is severely biased. :)

Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdLdwAUD4tw

From a marketing standpoint, I respect the fact that the initial video wasn’t littered with Garbarino marketing and sales jargon. To me there is nothing more off-putting than when a company grasps onto a piece of iconic pop culture, only to make it play second fiddle to their brand. Garbarino did a good job letting the BTTF franchise lead in this instance and I think they both come out winners.

Even though you will probably never spend a dime at Garbarinos and Christopher Lloyd appears to be 140, this pairing of retro cinema and modern electronics is worth your time.

Teaser commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdLdwAUD4tw
Teaser Alt commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFRwIfqm4GM
Full commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26JfNBRhc98
Press Conference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7w3r-FvXrI
Behind the scenes photos: http://www.bttf.com/go-inside-doc-browns-lab-in-garbarinos-latest-back-to-the-future-ad-with-christopher-lloyd.php

If you like that your gonna love this. Get ready for “Mind = Blown” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yiSdjwi_bg&feature=pyv

Have you seen any of the new Pepsi commercials with the polar bears?

WHAT, huh? Pepsi?  You mean Coke?

Yes, I mean Pepsi. The new campaign features the polar bears from the old Coke campaign.  I am not sure how I feel about this, for a couple of reasons.  First, the polar bears automatically make me think of Coke.  Why wouldn’t I?  The polar bears were part of Coke’s  multi-million dollar campaign years ago. Polar bears with a soda = Coke.

Second, I have to ask myself, does Pepsi not have any creative people to devise a campaign of their own?  Why do they have to steal a campaign from their competition?  And, does Pepsi really want their loyalists thinking about Coke?

In one of their spots, there is actually a bear holding a Coke bottle and the other bears toss him a Pepsi.  So is this the way of saying Pepsi is better?

The other thing about this spot is that they have what looks to me like a grizzly bear, but appears to be a polar bear with a tan. The bears are on a boat! What, polar bears live in the COLD, how do you put them on a boat in the sun?

If they wanted to create chatter around their campaign, then consider this mission accomplished!  If they wanted to have a successful Pepsi campaign, I’m not so sure.