Dicken’s novels invariably open with a bleak description of the landscape – much like the current mood in Ireland. So as we near Christmas, how do we manage children’s typically consumer-driven expectations?
As a parent we need to first consider our own consumption, because as the tagline goes (see the previous blog) “What children see. Children do”. And if we continue to any degree with the ‘possession obsession’ we had during the Celtic Tiger, our children will set their own expectations accordingly.
Parents need to be savvy to children’s needs versus children’s wants. And marketers too. The Grandaddy of marketing Kotler described marketing’s original purpose as satiating consumers’ needs, not the more modern day activity of marketing creating consumers’ wants and then blurring the line between wants and needs.
Successful marketing is about being customer-focused, and in line with this, marketing this Christmas needs to allow for the changed recessionary consumer.
Campaigns like Smyths in Ireland and Hamleys in the UK’s 'bring in your unwanted toys and we’ll recycle or donate them', help set the tone for children and give parents the opportunity to discuss a less flaithiulacht approach to Christmas.
And more than that, this type of relevant and responsible behaviour bodes well for the brand image: my own research has shown that parents expect companies that sell products for children to behave responsibly. And that it is with those companies that parents want to engage.
Marketing, especially at Christmas time, and especially in a touch economic climate, needs to be responsible. And very careful about setting the bar too high for parents. Or/and indeed too high for the products in terms of delivering the children’s expectations.
Ultimately it all comes back to good people engagement. For parents this means manage the expectations… or else expect to be managed.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Taking consumer education to task
I’m a big fan of consumer education initiatives. Done right, such programmes empower the consumer to make informed decisions – the emphasis being on “informed”.
However, as noted by the CEO of Unilever, strategy is 5-10%, execution is the rest. And it is the execution of education programmes that I’m calling to task:
My case in point is the recent “What children see. Children do” campaign. As a mother of four, the TV ad resonates. I think it’s punchy accurate and appropriate. And for anyone who thinks it’s too blunt, check out other countries’ "Children see. Children do" ads on You Tube.
Where this campaign falls down however, is the poster execution of the TV ad. Because it is exactly that – a still from the ad on a poster. And while on one hand it conveys the right message, on the other it shoots itself so badly in the foot: Have a look at the image of the poster and bear in mind that this is at a bus stop directly opposite the main entrance of a primary school where 400 four to twelve year olds see it every day twice a day. What Children See. Children Do.
I’m not looking to apportion blame, but what this illustrates is the need to drill down when planning these initiatives, else run the risk of undoing all the good.
Multi-discipline marketing should never be a cut and paste job. It seems the marketing industry has learnt that from on and off line campaigns, but not for above the line media. And where there’s an educational intent the all-important message should be protected and the medium tested.
Because for educational communication, it’s crucial that the messenger doesn’t shoot the message.
However, as noted by the CEO of Unilever, strategy is 5-10%, execution is the rest. And it is the execution of education programmes that I’m calling to task:
My case in point is the recent “What children see. Children do” campaign. As a mother of four, the TV ad resonates. I think it’s punchy accurate and appropriate. And for anyone who thinks it’s too blunt, check out other countries’ "Children see. Children do" ads on You Tube.
Where this campaign falls down however, is the poster execution of the TV ad. Because it is exactly that – a still from the ad on a poster. And while on one hand it conveys the right message, on the other it shoots itself so badly in the foot: Have a look at the image of the poster and bear in mind that this is at a bus stop directly opposite the main entrance of a primary school where 400 four to twelve year olds see it every day twice a day. What Children See. Children Do.
Multi-discipline marketing should never be a cut and paste job. It seems the marketing industry has learnt that from on and off line campaigns, but not for above the line media. And where there’s an educational intent the all-important message should be protected and the medium tested.
Because for educational communication, it’s crucial that the messenger doesn’t shoot the message.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
“Purpose” a purchase trigger and CSR still a focus – according to latest research
Cause related marketing is dead, long live Responsible RoI…
OK this isn’t quite true, but two interesting pieces of research allude to this as a possible new state of marketing affairs (and are also testament to what I’ve been saying for some time now):
According to The Global Edelman Goodpurpose Study http://www.goodpurposecommunity.com/ just released, more than half of consumers have more trust in a brand that is ethically and socially responsible. And crucially, 57% believe brands need to integrate good causes into their day-to-day business, with 90% of consumers feeling that brands needed to do more than just give money to charities and should consider society's interests as much as the business'.
Juxtapose these findings with global consulting and research company BSR’s http://www.bsr.com/ - which found that business leaders are still focused on sustainability and increasingly on social issues, despite the recession – and my suggestion of new marketing order is justified.
I could of course bore you with countless academic studies that further endorse both sets of findings, but as I keep saying in these blogs, actions speak louder than words. So instead I suggest you acknowledge what is fast becoming good business practice in terms of engaging corporate citizenship, and examine how this might apply to your brand.
If the current economic climate has not dampened global business leaders’ consideration of sustainable and CSR-related issues, then there must be some similar resonance or at least reason, with all commercial enterprise, regardless of size. Because what both reports illustrate is that the consumer and the public view have shifted significantly over the last few years. This is more a consumer-driven shift than a recessionary one, with the facilitating catalyst being the internet.
The domino effect of new consumer attitudes and rising social issues, has led to new consumer behaviour and therefore an alternative marketing paradigm, that’s worth serious consideration. Because, to quote a UK businessman, “if you see a bandwagon, you’re too late”
OK this isn’t quite true, but two interesting pieces of research allude to this as a possible new state of marketing affairs (and are also testament to what I’ve been saying for some time now):
According to The Global Edelman Goodpurpose Study http://www.goodpurposecommunity.com/ just released, more than half of consumers have more trust in a brand that is ethically and socially responsible. And crucially, 57% believe brands need to integrate good causes into their day-to-day business, with 90% of consumers feeling that brands needed to do more than just give money to charities and should consider society's interests as much as the business'.
Juxtapose these findings with global consulting and research company BSR’s http://www.bsr.com/ - which found that business leaders are still focused on sustainability and increasingly on social issues, despite the recession – and my suggestion of new marketing order is justified.
I could of course bore you with countless academic studies that further endorse both sets of findings, but as I keep saying in these blogs, actions speak louder than words. So instead I suggest you acknowledge what is fast becoming good business practice in terms of engaging corporate citizenship, and examine how this might apply to your brand.
If the current economic climate has not dampened global business leaders’ consideration of sustainable and CSR-related issues, then there must be some similar resonance or at least reason, with all commercial enterprise, regardless of size. Because what both reports illustrate is that the consumer and the public view have shifted significantly over the last few years. This is more a consumer-driven shift than a recessionary one, with the facilitating catalyst being the internet.
The domino effect of new consumer attitudes and rising social issues, has led to new consumer behaviour and therefore an alternative marketing paradigm, that’s worth serious consideration. Because, to quote a UK businessman, “if you see a bandwagon, you’re too late”
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
National Cliché Day
On this, National Cliché Day, I want to impugn the over used: “It’s just business”.
Because in my opinion, it is never “just business”. Business is about people: people making products; people providing a service; people buying that service or product; people being affected by that service or product.
Of course businesses’ raison d’etre is to make a profit, and it is the profitable companies that create employment etc etc. I hear the argument. But my point is that business should not JUST be about profit. I’d sooner replace “People before profit” with “People equals profit”.
If business is just business then where does community or citizenship come in? And why do so many successful companies espouse values like integrity, connection and respect? Because there is a genuine, and modern day, resonance in the cliché “We are what we do”. And this also applies to business.
Thankfully, there are plenty of great examples to restore my too oft-challenged faith in business. The most recent of which I read in the Irish Times (Tuesday November 2, 2010):
Maud’s Merry Maids (Bellarose Foundation) is a cleaning business with all the corporate concerns of employees, customers, accounts and profits. But it also provides a free cleaning service for women returning home after Cancer treatment or surgery, the value of which, to those families, cannot be measured in financial terms.
The owner’s appreciation of and ability to view its business beyond just profit delivery, illustrates exactly why business is not just business. What it is giving back to the community it serves is relevant and needed, and importantly within its business capability and remit (as opposed to simply throwing money at a charity).
It is laudable and noteworthy, and yes, I’m sure there’s also the added bonus of goodwill and good PR. Because as one of my favourite clichés goes: “Doing good, can be good for business”.
Because in my opinion, it is never “just business”. Business is about people: people making products; people providing a service; people buying that service or product; people being affected by that service or product.
Of course businesses’ raison d’etre is to make a profit, and it is the profitable companies that create employment etc etc. I hear the argument. But my point is that business should not JUST be about profit. I’d sooner replace “People before profit” with “People equals profit”.
If business is just business then where does community or citizenship come in? And why do so many successful companies espouse values like integrity, connection and respect? Because there is a genuine, and modern day, resonance in the cliché “We are what we do”. And this also applies to business.
Thankfully, there are plenty of great examples to restore my too oft-challenged faith in business. The most recent of which I read in the Irish Times (Tuesday November 2, 2010):
Maud’s Merry Maids (Bellarose Foundation) is a cleaning business with all the corporate concerns of employees, customers, accounts and profits. But it also provides a free cleaning service for women returning home after Cancer treatment or surgery, the value of which, to those families, cannot be measured in financial terms.
The owner’s appreciation of and ability to view its business beyond just profit delivery, illustrates exactly why business is not just business. What it is giving back to the community it serves is relevant and needed, and importantly within its business capability and remit (as opposed to simply throwing money at a charity).
It is laudable and noteworthy, and yes, I’m sure there’s also the added bonus of goodwill and good PR. Because as one of my favourite clichés goes: “Doing good, can be good for business”.
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