The Marketing Month of January

Well 2012 certainly kicked off with quite a busy month of marketing.  Holy cow!  I have not seen this much marketing drama in one month ever.  Let's break it down.

The Weight Loss Wars:  We always start out every new year with a barrage of weight loss messaging.  This year was no different with Jennifer Hudson and Weight Watchers winning the war in my book.

A Mouse in Mountain Dew:  When a consumer announced that he found a mouse in his can of soda, the brand had a head scratching response.

Madonna Truth or Dare - Golden Globes:  The ultimate music marketer makes an attempt to stay relevant.  Tell the truth ... is it working?  She did prove, once again, that timing is everything.

#ILoveWalgreens:  The brand discovered that you can't buy love ... online.

Brand Paula Deen:  The cheeseburger heard round the world.  Her brand took (and continues to take) a lot of heat for her well-timed health announcement.  Days after her announcement, a consumer took this picture ....

Paula Deen, days after her Diabetes announcement

Bald Barbie:  This girl has been making social media headlines for years, but nothing like the debate that raged on about making a Bald Barbie.

#McDStories:  What a different two hours makes!  We all learned "be careful what you ask for!"

Blonde at Starbucks:  Is blonde a strength, a color, or a mood?  Starbucks flooded its stores to let us know.

JCP EDLP:  In one of the boldest moves in retail, JCP reinvents its business model, starting February 1st.  Should make for an interesting month ahead.

What a month!  Get ready for the marketers' holiday coming February 5th!  I'll be tweeting live at #SBExp ... hope you can join me as we talk about all the advertising (and maybe a little bit about the game).  Here's a little something something to get us in the mood ...

What's your experience?  Jim.

Jim Joseph
President of Lippe Taylor
Author of The Experience Effect
Professor at NYU

Honda's Leap Lists

I love a new insight.  It's rare these days in our over saturated market place, but I love when a brand uncovers a new insight.

Honda uncovers a very interesting new insight in their new television campaign called "Leap Lists."  The notion is that when you go through major milestones in your life, or big "leaps" in your life, then there's a lot of things that you need to get done.

Like when you're having a baby.  There's a lot to do, so you need a "Leap List."  You've got to buy this and that, and get ready with this and that.  Or when you get a big promotion at work, you have to buy new clothes, get a new hair cut, polish up your shoes, etc.  Or before you get married, you want to visit the Grand Canyon, that kind of thing. :)

When you advance to the next level in your life, there are things you have to do to get there.  Leap Lists.

It's a great insight, and a great way to serve up a promotional engagement with consumers.  As Honda says on their CR-V Facebook page: "We all have a few things to do before leaping into life's next big chapter.  Put them on your Leap List, and learn how the new 2012 CR-V can help you get to every one of them."  On this Facebook page, you literally enter your "leap" and what you need to do, and presumably Honda will help you.

Very clever, but I have to say ... I'm not sure I understand the connection to the brand.  In the advertising, the brand shows how its car can help you get around to all the items on your "Leap List."  But that's a stretch if you ask me.  Not sure I get it.  But I do love the insight.

What's your experience?  Jim.

Jim Joseph
President of Lippe Taylor
Author of The Experience Effect series
Professor at NYU

JCPenney EDLP

My very first job ever in the world was at the JCPenney catalog department.  I was 16 years old and never been kissed.  Over time, I moved upstairs to the Men's Department where I would spend hours folding sweaters.  In Syracuse, NY the local JCPenney was all the bomb.  I made lifelong friends there and cherish those memories.

So I always kind of keep track of what JCP is doing through the years.  It's an amazing brand that has had its ups and downs, but with incredible longevity.

Yesterday's move though, has to be the brand's most dramatic and I also believe the brand's smartest.  It started out with a huge launch party, teaser television advertising campaign, website count-down clock, and a social media assault on Facebook and Twitter.


JCP is ending it's co-dependence on sales - big dramatic sales - and instituting an "everyday low price" strategy instead.  As low as possible prices, same price all year round.  And following on their success of their Sephora boutiques, JCP is also adding more store-within-the-store boutiques from the likes of Nanette Lepore and Martha Stewart.

I would have skipped the Martha Stewart part, personally, and the subsequent lawsuit with Macy's, but that's not the point I'm making.  I think this is brilliant.  Although expert sentiment was mixed, social media and fashion industry sentiment seemed to be loving it.

A price you can count on.  Quality that you've known for years.  Revamped style and product offerings.  As a consumer and shopper, what's not to like?  And complete transparency that the journey will begin on February 1st, as the brand rolls through the store, department by department, and restyles.

Oh and BTW, at a time when we all hate logo changes, I like the new logo! :)  Double Oh ... between now and February 1st the stores are having crazy crazy sales for the last time.

Brilliant.  makes me long for the good ole' days!

What's your experience?  Jim.

Jim Joseph
President of Lippe Taylor
Author of The Experience Effect series
Professor at NYU

Be Careful What You Ask For

I always say that marketing is a spectator sport ... we can learn a lot from each other.  This is particularly true in social media, where consumer behavior and brand activation is still uncharted territory in many ways.

Just recently I wrote about how Walgreens learned that it can't buy love on Twitter with a promoted trending topic like #ilovewalgreens.

Well yesterday, McDonald's learned a similar lesson with #McDStories - the brand created a hashtag to tell stories about the quality of its food, and asked for stories back from its consumers as well.  McDonald's started the stream, and then opened it up.  Well ... what happened over the next two hours of warp speed tweeting is incredible.

The stories quickly turned snarky with tweeters posting comments about how bad their experiences have been at McDonald's.  Not exactly what the brand was hoping for.  Even some tweets back and forth with PETA.  McDonald's was looking for a love fest, and got something far short of that.  The brand quickly shut it down.  It made national news ... McOuch.

There have been similar instances with the airline Qantas, the band Nickelback, and Kraft Mac & Cheese.  Instances where the brand was hoping to open up a positive dialogue with its Twitter followers and instead got a lot of criticism.  Criticism about bad customer service, cheesy music, and poor product quality.  Things inherent to the brands that perhaps they were not prepared to defend.

Nickelback responded by responding to every single tweet - often with a snarky comment in return.  Worked for them and their "brand," but wouldn't work for a conservative brand like Kraft.


The lesson learned here?

Despite everything we say in the conference room, we can't "own" the conversation.  We can put it out there, but consumers decide which direction it takes.  If a brand wants to open up, which it should, then a brand needs to be prepared for what comes back.  And continue to dialogue in their own brand spirit.

No brand is squeaky clean when it comes to business.  Every brand is a work in progress ... so be prepared for all the skeletons to be pointed out.  Which is ok, if the brand owns up to it and discusses it openly as well.  Transparency and honesty is key in social media.

If you're not ready to really and truly dialogue with your consumers, like Nickelback, then wait until you are ready.

What's your experience?  Jim.

Jim Joseph
President of Lippe Taylor
Author of The Experience Effect
Professor at NYU