Prius Billboard offers sweet, fun interactivity

The new Prius Billboard in Times Square gives iPhone users the chance to upload their drawings to be displayed on the board. This is a fantastic wave of creative advertising that breaks the boundaries of interactive. Out of the box ideas, like this one, get you noticed, get you viral and build up brand loyalty. This kind of advertising can be done on any level and at any scale.  Just because you’re a small business doesn’t mean you can’t think out of the box.

Once Your Advertising Has Done its Job, Positive Customer Experience Must Follow Through

The power of a good customer experience is hard to beat. You may have the greatest product in the world, but if your customer did not have a pleasant experience with you, they will look elsewhere.

It is easy to get caught up in the trap of focusing TOO heavily on the “glitz and glam” of advertising and not enough on what your customer actually experiences. Attention getting and effective ad campaigns only work when they are paired with a positive customer experience.  Follow through is critical! Your ads are designed to draw people into your doors, but once they are there it is no longer the responsibility of the advertising.  Now is the chance to really wow your customers and turn them into word of mouth promoters! (The ultimate goal!)

Here are a few quick tips to help you determine your customer experience strategy:

• Go above and beyond: People expect to be happy – word of mouth occurs when those expectations are blown away.
• Communicate with your customers: Invite your customers to give you feedback and take their responses seriously (even if it’s not what you want to hear!)
• Take an objective look: Being in the midst of the business, this is sometimes very difficult to do. If so, hire a team of professionals to assist you in determining what needs to change and tweaks that can be made.

I would love to hear your thoughts about customer experience. What companies are doing a superior job?

When it Comes to Social Media and Business, if There are No Conversations, You’re Missing the Point.

Social media marketing is powerful and necessary. There is not doubt about that. Everyday, millions of people are exchanging information about products, brands, and the businesses they love! They are giving recommendations, feedback,  and sharing their experiences.

Businesses tend to commit social media suicide, however, when they forget this most important and fundamental aspect of all: Social media is about conversations.

In the past, marketing and advertising was only a matter of going out and shouting “Buy stuff from us! We’re the best!” There was no two-way communication happening. Advertising was meant to tell the consumer what he/she should think about the product – end of story.

Modern society has changed that! Companies that are stale and refuse to accept this shift will fall behind the curve. The companies that stay ahead will adapt to an approach to marketing that holds true to the  core principles of conversations and transparency.

When these principles are put into action, the benefits of taking the plunge into social media are virtually limitless! Take a look at these companies who have found success through appropriately using social media.

This video really sums everything up. The advertiser/consumer break up:

Kleenex kicks it up with summer boxes

Check out these kickin’ summer box designs for Kleenex’s “Perfect Slice of Summer” series. I love them, its great to see a corporation being so creative and fun.

Source: Dieline

Background information: Los Angeles-based Illustrator Hiroko Sanders created the illustrations for the new Kleenex “Perfect Slice of Summer” tissue box series. Since the illustrations are the primary part of each carton, the challenge was to create artwork utilizing a style that embodies the spirit of summer, and that works uniquely with the carton design.  The three boxes are images of different fruits rendered with a stylized realism that unifies the design of the package with the brand and product.

Project credits: Hiroko Sanders, Illustrator
Jennifer Brock, Senior Designer/Brand Design – Kimberly Clark Corp.

Apple mad at Microsoft Ad campaign; I love it

Apple Logo is Tradmarked property of Apple Computer.

Paul McDougall of Information Week wrote an article I found most fascinating.  By now, if you’re watching anything on television, you’ve seen the new wing of Microsoft’s continuing assault on Apple’s “elitist” attitude. The war was started by Apple a few years ago with the iconic “Apple vs. PC” television ads. The world seemed to fall in love with these ads that portrayed the PC (and all PC users) as over-weight, dorky “suits” with no personality
and tons of problems. While the Mac (as you can imagine) was a young, cool, good looking hipster with a witty attitude and charming air of sarcasm.

Microsoft logo is a Trademarked property of Microsoft.

During this onslaught of advertising bombs, it felt like Apple had a new ad bashing the PC directly and poking fun of Microsoft every week. While this was happening, the sleeping dog computer giant Microsoft continued to keep quite, didn’t complain, took the abuse and just kept making and selling product.  Then, suddenly, the one sided fight became war with Microsoft’s famed Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Gates mini-series ad campaign. While many people felt these ads failed miserably, I felt like they were advertising gold. Did the ads make any sense? No! Did they get an enormous amount of attention? Yes! It was the classic bait and switch, once Microsoft had everyone’s eyes, they unleashed the counter attack “I’m a PC” campaign. This showed that PC users were everyone from little kids, to rocket scientists to urban hipsters.

Then, some time later, after Microsoft had established that they and their users were cool, smart and hip, they switched gears again and brought us this:

Whether you’re a fan of Apple or Microsoft, you must admire the brilliance with which Microsoft has fought the war. After combating the initial stereotype and winning fans, Microsoft goes in for the kill with a “real life” series of spots that depict Apple’s biggest problem: Price. Part of Apple’s gig for so long has been the appeal of showing their product as a premium – like BMW, Rolex & American Express. Owning an Apple is a status symbol.

Microsoft pulls back the curtain and reveals Apple’s wizard is merely an over priced machine. From an advertising perspective, Microsoft has snuffed out all the wind in Apple’s mighty advertising sails. Apparently those aren’t the only “sales” Microsoft has affected either. Apple’s attorneys are demanding that Microsoft pulls the campaign. During the initial battle, Microsoft didn’t say a word, they took the beating and pressed forward. Now that Apple is in the cross hairs, they want the war to be over.

Let this be an advertising lesson to you for your business. In some cases (not many) the right call is to directly attack your competition and play a little dirty. However, when you open Pandora’s box, you have to be willing to combat whatever firepower your competitor sends your way.

5 Ways to Create a Positive Customer Experience

When you think of your marketing, do not stop at your outside advertising and promotions. Although these things are very important, in your marketing efforts remember to also take into account some other simple things that can yield great results.

Here are 5 ways your business can begin creating a more positive and memorable customer experience. The bonus:  these things are relatively free to execute!

1. Fragrance: The sense of smell is a huge memory trigger. If your store has a signature fragrance, it will remain in their minds. This can be as simple as lighting a candle or burning fragrance oil. Vary the scent toward the mood you want to create. (i.e. sultry, clean, lively, or understated)
2. Music: Music can change a mood faster than anything! Make sure the music you are playing is reflecting the type of emotions you want your customers to feel while in your store and remain true to your brand image.
3. Samples: Sampling will allow your customer to imagine what it would be like to own your product. Encourage your customers to try on clothes or jewelry, sample the perfume, or have a taste of a new dessert.
4. Greet your customers: No one wants to be bombarded by a sales person when they walk through the door, but being met with a warm, cheerful smile and greeting can do wonders to set the tone! I have walked into stores countless times and have been met with a disgruntled employee. Despite the merchandise, the mood has already been set.
5. Gain a piece of information about your customers: Ask your customers what their names are and learn them! Ask any number of questions (without being over-bearing and annoying, of course)…Are they local? Have they been in the store before? Are they shopping for something special? Make mental notes of each piece of information you gather to remember next time they come in. It will make your customers feel so special when you remember them next time.

Feel free to add your tips and suggestions of other ways businesses can create a positive customer experience.

Coffee and Designer Clothing – Is it the Price or the Experience?

There has been a lot of attention paid to how consumers are reacting to the recession – are they cutting costs universally, or just spending more when they see it’s worthwhile? Consider these examples –

McDonald’s is positioning itself to take over the coffee market. With an advertising budget of $100 million, they want to attract consumers tired of spending too much of their budget on coffee at Starbucks. They’ve been successful so far, and it’s true that Starbucks is losing ground. However, it’s important to consider that while both companies are selling coffee, only one is selling the experience – discussing politics and art just doesn’t work as well in a McCafé, if you ask me.

WalMart and Target are facing a similar battle. WalMart has always competed on cost, and Target has been slightly more upscale, with a focus on quality. Newer WalMart commercials focus on the fact that the consumer is buying the same product that’s offered in other stores (like Target), but that their prices are lower. Target commercials, on the other hand, while definitely promoting value, are trying to raise the appeal of the Target brand. By incorporating high-end designers in their stores with low-cost capsule collections (in housewares, apparel, and shoes), Target is offering consumers a high-quality experience while still offering low prices.

When taking all four of these companies into consideration, it’s important to find which most readily compares to your business now. You might be a McDonald’s, who can take advantage of price wars by offering lower costs in a new market. You could be a Starbucks, who might have to take a back seat during these slow times, but who will remain strong in the future because of your specific appeal. You could also be a WalMart -  a company with a loyal base who comes to you for prices, who can appeal to new customers by offering comparable goods to people looking to cut costs. Maybe you’re a Target – you can improve the quality of your product without raising costs to keep your consumers and attract new ones looking to get the most out of their money. It’s likely that these four companies will still be doing well ten years from now (though of course nothing is certain), and companies can definitely learn from their strategies and differentiation.

By Mary the Intern

Let’s Get Creative

Some people we say are naturally “creative people.” They seem to be the ones with the great ideas making everyone say “why didn’t I think of that?”.  It makes me ponder, what is really the essence of a creative person and why do some people have this trait and others don’t? Is it even a trait? Or is it something that can be learned?

In Jack Foster’s book, “How To Get Ideas”, he states there are some key things that position creative individuals apart from the seemingly uncreative. According to the book, “An idea is nothing more nor less than a new combination of old elements.” So why is coming up with ideas often times so difficult??

Here are a couple tips taken from the book to help start the creative spark!

1) Have fun! More often than not, a creative person is having fun.

2) Realize that for every problem there is not only one, but hundreds of solutions, answers, ideas.

3) Know that the way you think about yourself is the single most important factor in finding those ideas and solutions. We’ve all heard it before, but if you think you can’t – you won’t.

4)  Set your mind on goals. If you want to get ideas, imagine that you already have them.

5) Get more inputs. Be curious about the world around you. Continuously ask questions and accumulate bits of knowledge. The more elements you have, the more you can combine for great ideas.

6) Do not be afraid to fail. Voicing your ideas takes courage. It is sometimes this lack of courage that causes people to muffle their creative instincts. The fear of rejection shuts them down. Just remember: there are no bad ideas!  When you forget that, remember Madame Curie had a “bad” idea that turned out to be radium.

For more tips check out the book: “How to Get Ideas” by Jack Foster.

Cross Promotion at its Finest

The Limited is one of my absolute favorite stores. I LOVE their clothes, accessories, handbags, and of course…their marketing! I constantly find myself applauding their marketing efforts in store, online, and through their email blasts. Over the weekend, however, they shocked me with an absolutely genius cross promotion idea! For those that don’t know, cross promotion is two brands joining forces to reach a mutually beneficial market. Cross promotion can be extremely effective as it is memorable and builds credibility.

The Limited is currently partnering with Tide Total Care for a wonderful cross promotional advertising campaign. In stores, the posters read, “You look fabulous! Help keep it that way with Tide and Downy Total Care.”  The Limited is offering free samples with a purchase. What a creative and unexpected way to partner together! These are the advertising messages that cut through the clutter and get noticed!! The promotion is also tied in online at www.thelimited.com and in their email blasts.

I applaud the marketing minds behind this idea! Great clothes and great marketing… I’m there.

The Limited in-store promotional display

T-Mobile: Viral Hopes…

Yeah Yeah Yeah, viral marketing blah blah blah. Sure T-Mobile will get a lot of people to watch this amazing video. But was it worth it? The buzz will be great! But not about T-Mobile, about the event itself. I still have no idea what phone they’re offering that may be better than my options and no real incentive to switch. But I can say this: this is one cool video. Too bad I’m not saying, “this is one cool cell company.”