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Monthly Archives: October 2010
It Could be Worse. Oh, Wait, No It Couldn't.
When it comes to politics and elections in the year 2010, it is clear the new marketing credo is to muddy the waters until nothing is clear… or preferably even visible. Of course dirty politics is not a new concept. Hell, even filthy politics has been around for centuries.
But the newest phase of political campaigning – flood the airwaves and Internet with a tsunami wave of lies and innuendos until virtually everyone is gasping for air – well, that’s new. Choking the life out of people until they are powerless to understand, let alone care enough to vote, that is a new low for the electoral process.
On the other hand, particularly during the economic recession, congratulations to all the media outlets – traditional and online – who have reaped the benefits of the deluge of ad dollars being pumped into their revenue streams for the express purpose of drowning out the truth.
Back in the ’60s, Timothy Leary encouraged us to “turn on, tune in and drop out.” He wasn’t just talking about getting high, he was encouraging the masses to detach themselves from the existing conventions and hierarchies in society. Given the current state of political campaigning, a flashback may be in order.
What to Send Bloggers
I have coordinated with a blogger who would like to test and review my product. What should I include in the package when I ship a sample?
By Kayleigh Fitch
Before committing to sending a free sample to a blogger, ensure the blogger reaches a target audience that will be beneficial to promoting your product. Check out our blog post Bloggers Going Bonkers for Product Samples to help you determine if the blog is a good fit.
Once you decide to move forward with the product review, following are the items you should include in the package along with your product sample.
1. Personal Letter – Address the blogger by name and thank them for his/her interest in your product. Restate your agreement, including the agreed upon deadline for posting the review, and provide contact information where the blogger can reach you with questions. Most importantly, include a friendly reminder that the blogger is required to disclose your product was provided for free in their review. This is mandated by the new FTC guidelines. Ultimately, you are legally responsible for ensuring the blogger makes a disclosure. Read our post on The Impact of FTC Guidelines Have on Blogger Relations for more details.
2. Instructions – Regardless of how simple it may seem to use your product, do not leave anything open for interpretation. Include a separate document that details how to use your product along with extra tips and hints for achieving the best results.
3. Product Information – Provide a list of features and benefits your product provides that will alert the blogger on what results to look for during the testing process and will help communicate key messages to readers.
4. Testing Tools – Your product may require additional equipment in order for the blogger to properly test it and achieve maximum results. Make the testing process easy by including everything he/she will need within reason. For example, include a high quality cloth or sponge to test cleaning products or a paintbrush to test varnish.
5. Photos/Video – Be sure to provide or guide the blogger to a place on your website where he/she can download photos and videos. Bloggers love including product photos and/or videos. Encourage them to shoot their own video or take their own photos. Before and after shots/video can be very powerful.
6. Bubble Wrap – Okay this one may seem silly, but it would provide a poor impression if a blogger were to open your package only to find a damaged product inside. Don’t sabotage the review before the blogger even gets the product; take the time to pack your product carefully.
Need help implementing a blogger campaign? Contact me at kayleigh at sweeneypr dot com or 440.333.0001 ext. 105.
Choosing the Right Marketing/Public Relations Agency
We are looking for a new public relations agency in 2011. What should we consider when conducting the search?
By Jim Sweeney
At the end of the day, every organization wants the same thing from its agency: results. Of course every agency will tell you they deliver results.
So what are the tangibles and intangibles that assure you are working with a product marketing and public relations firm that will deliver the results you want?
1. Experience, which also equals endurance. To last more than a few years in the highly competitive world of agency marketing, you need to consistently deliver results. But what type of experience do you look for? Simply put, the type that is most relevant for your organization.
Does the agency have experience in your industry? Does it possess relevant market experience? Does it know your customers and retailers and vendors and third-party influentials? Does it have experience developing and implementing the types of strategies and tactics you need to succeed – both traditional and digital? Can it offer proof – show you case studies and work samples and offer testimonials and references? Is the agency willing to work with you and other agencies – setting aside egos and profit motives?
Experience isn’t everything, but it definitely matters.
2. Edge, which also equals X-factor. Every agency likely possesses some magic formula – a unique brand skill – that sets it apart from its competitors. Not hyperbole or idioms or acronyms, but real, tangible skills. What’s the edge you are looking for, and does the agency you are talking to possess it?
Does the agency possess unique knowledge of your industry that goes way beyond general industry experience? Does the agency have a reputation for working fast or hard or both? Does the agency have a special ability to find and process information that gives your organization an edge? Does the agency have mad creative skills and/or exceptional strategic planning skills?
Can they offer offline and online services and integrate them to complement each other?
Assuming the agencies you like have the right experience, their unique edge should help you to identify frontrunners.
3. Tenacity, which also equals persistence. Marketing is not for the meek of heart. Does the agency possess the desire and ability and willingness to fight the good fight until it is over? At the first sign of a problem, do they identify alternate solutions or look for the back door?
Does the agency go the extra mile… regardless of whether it is requested? Does the agency push through the standard resistance in order to achieve the desired goals? Do they routinely monitor and measure and analyze results and make necessary adjustments? Does the agency take pride in its work and results – do they own it – before you even review and assess it?
Remember, winners never quit.
Have You Ever Been Bitten?
Just this week I saw a Revlon commercial for its new lip stain called Just Bitten. It comes as no surprise that the commercial features Jessica Biel and one of the lip colors is called “Twilight”.
I’m definitely not into Twilight or True Blood or any vampire related movies/shows so my perception of this new Revlon product might be a bit tainted. But who in the world is going to buy a lip stain called “Just Bitten” except for the tween/teen market. And maybe that is who Revlon is targeting, but I think this is inappropriate on two accounts.
First, the name itself doesn’t encourage me to run to the store and buy it. Who wants to be “bitten”? Secondly, if Revlon is targeting tweens and young teens, what kind of message is this sending to our youth? You need to wear lipstick to be bitten?
At a time when Sesame Street is trying to get kids to accept the fact that not everyone’s hair is going to be long and blond like Barbie’s, cosmetic companies are targeting our tweens/teens with sexual and superficial messages.
American Made. American Tested. American Approved.
So, Tuesday night I am watching Modern Marvels on the History Channel. The focus of this particular episode was on the world’s sharpest swords, knives, razors, etc. I was particularly fascinated by the Cutco cutlery (which I have in my own kitchen drawer) and the process they use to test the sharpness and longevity of their products. It was a marvel.
Once upon a time in America, this was a big deal – to test your products and prove their invincibility. Cutco deserves kudos for maintaining its commitment to sharpness for more than a half-century. Today, most companies and consumers are merely concerned about whether or not products are tested on animals, which is all fine and good, but what about the product’s efficacy and viability and durability?
Then I came across this story about Woolrich – another great American company that’s been around for a very long time (180 years to be precise). They are iconic to outdoorspeople, especially those of us in the northern states who enjoy hiking and fishing in the dead of winter. You don’t want your Woolrich, you need your Woolrich. But after nearly two centuries, you would think it was no longer necessary to test and prove themselves.
Apparently it is.
Pink, Pink and More Pink! I’m Sick of Pink!
As a board director of a local non-profit, I can certainly appreciate how much time, talent and treasure (dollars) it takes to gain awareness for a cause. So what the organizations behind National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) have accomplished is nothing short of spectacular. In fact, other non-profits are jumping on the bandwagon, but none that have come close in my opinion to NBCAM , except maybe National Heart Association Heart month (Feb.).
But NBCAM has gone too commercial and now every consumer product and service is trying to make a buck off of it. From pink mixers to pink laptops, pink product labels and pink hair, this is literally out of control. I’m not saying we should stop creating awareness for breast cancer, but we need to move away from the commercialism and back to the real cause.
Method’s CEO Points to 5 Strategies for Success
By Kayleigh Fitch
I had the pleasure yesterday of attending a marketing event where Eric Ryan, co-founder and CEO of Method, was the keynote speaker. As Eric explains, it is no small task competing in a category against multiple goliaths when your marketing budget is approximately one third of the 800-pound gorilla’s employee’s toilet paper budget. 
However, Eric shared how he and founding partner Adam Lowry, along with their dedicated team of People Against Dirty, found a way to make their brand stand out in the noise. Here are five strategies Eric credits Method’s success to.
1. Get behind a cause. Eric explained Method was built from a single core belief, a mantra the company could get behind that focused on a bigger goal than simply selling product. For Method, its entire product line was born from the belief that people have the right to a clean yet not pollute the home environment.
2. What you see is what you get. It is absolutely essential that every aspect of your product – from the shape of the package, to the colors, to the label and the formulation – is a proud ambassador for your brand. So take the time and money to get it right. You may have developed an incredibly successful product formulation, but no one will even try your product if your packaging does not clearly communicate the benefits.
Eric said yesterday “design is media.” Do not underestimate the value each element of your product plays in building awareness for your brand.
3. Arm your employees. Sometimes the best marketing ideas can come from the most unlikely of places. According to Eric, every Method employee is an expert in design and sustainability so all employees can recognize a marketing opportunity when they see one. For example, operations personnel at Method implemented a program using bio-diesel fuel to ship products that now makes a great sustainability story to share with media and consumers.
And give them opportunities to be heard. It’s a good bet your customer service reps have great insight into the experiences consumers are having with your product, but how will they recognize an opportunity to improve product without the correct industry knowledge and how will they communicate that to the rest of the company?
4. Create content. And not just any old content, but useful, engaging, innovative content. Eric used the example of a recent movie that had an excellent opening Friday and then experienced a massive drop in attendance as a result of negative social media buzz. It was not social media itself that caused the movie to flop, but the utterly horrible content of the movie. Likewise, whether you are using Twitter, Facebook, email marketing or video to market your product it is essential to create content that supports your product.
5. Be creative and take risks. When Eric founded Method, he knew there was no way he would be able to compete with a plethora of competitors with much larger marketing budgets. His strategy was to disrupt the category by positioning cleaning products as a lifestyle item. Method’s goal was to take the focus of cleaning off being a chore
and make it more about choosing a product that was fun, easy to use and aesthetically pleasing. The point is to always question your approach and do not fall into the trap of playing catch up with your competitors. They should be copying you.
Need help building your brand or launching a new product? Email me at kayleigh at sweeneypr.com or 440.333.0001 ext. 106.
My Heroes… Not Counting My Dad (Dennis B.)
When I was a kid, hero-worship was encouraged at home, at school and throughout the community. So it comes as no surprise that I admired, looked up to and emulated dozens of people who were heroic to me.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Edward R. Murrow, Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Muhammad Ali, Mahatma Gandhi, John Glenn, Mother Teresa…
I will admit it is an eclectic group. And it makes me question my own definition of a hero. Without referencing Merriam-Webster, I suppose the thing these men and women all shared was an uncommon courage and a conviction to a set of principles that I considered important: human rights, free speech, freedom, equality, peace, exploration, gentility and humility.
And I guess I kind of feel sorry for kids growing up today; sorry that they don’t appear to have the same types of heroes to choose from. At the very least, it seems like the number of real candidates has dwindled. And I am reminded of the lyrics of a song written and sung by one of my musical heroes (Brian Wilson).
I was sittin‘ in a crummy movie with my hands on my chin
Oh the violence that occurs seems like we never win
Love and mercy that’s what you need tonight
So, love and mercy to you and your friends tonight
I was lyin‘ in my room and the news came on TV
A lotta people out there hurtin‘ and it really scares me
Love and mercy that’s what you need tonight
So, love and mercy to you and your friends tonight
I was standin‘ in a bar and watchin‘ all the people there
Oh the lonliness in this world well it’s just not fair
Hey love and mercy that’s what you need tonight
So, love and mercy to you and your friends tonight
Love and mercy that’s what you need tonight
Love and mercy tonight
Love and mercy
Marketing Carrots as Junk Food? Sounds Like Junk Marketing.
So a bunch of carrot farmers get together and decide to launch a $25 million ad campaign to make packaged baby carrots cool for teens. Sounds about right to me.
And here’s the strategy: Position and market packaged baby carrots as a kind of junk food. According to the NPR report I heard and read, the marketing concept is to “colonize kids’ brains with the idea that baby carrots are extreme and that the crunch is really awesome.”
And according to the marketing expert at the agency behind the campaign, “it is a satire on [ads for Doritos and Mountain Dew]. It’s like junk food advertising is a bit ridiculous, so let’s have fun with it.”
Okay, so I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest that this is an idiotic idea, the likes of which Wile E. Coyote might conjure up to catch a roadrunner. I am not saying it won’t work. I am saying I see no foundation for investing $25 million into what appears to be an Acme-approved concept. I mean why not just paint anvils orange and drop them off cliffs onto unsuspecting teenagers’ heads?
According to the story, “The carrot campaign also has a strategy to get bags of baby carrots into teenagers’ hands easily via school vending machines.” Seriously, these farmers are investing $25 million to promote carrots like junk food and put them into the junk food distribution stream via vending machines.
I just got one thing left to say about this: “What an embezzle! What an ultramaroon!”
Purchasing Email Databases
We don’t have a database available internally to communicate with our prospects. Where do you recommend we purchase an email database?
By Jennifer Manocchio
We highly recommend not purchasing an email list. Most reputable companies like magazines and trade associations do not sell their lists because of spam laws. Be leery of any company that does sell lists because you have no idea where that list came from and if the people on it opted-in.
In the end, you will still be liable for potentially spamming the contacts on that list. Additionally, it could create a major issue with the email system you are using. If recipients mark the email as spam or even worse, call and complain, your IT department will spend hours getting your IP address off black lists, or the email distribution service you are using (like iContact, Constant Contact, JangoMail, etc.) will not allow you to send any more emails.
The best approach is to begin building your own email list internally. You can do this many ways. For example, develop a sign-up form on your web site and advertising/campaign landing pages, gather contact information at trade/consumer shows, hold contests and if you sell product online, add an opt-in for email communication in your checkout process.
In the meantime, “rent” lists from reputable companies like magazines and associations. When you “rent” a list, you send your email message to the company and it distributes the email communication from its server. You will never actually see the names on the list.
When renting lists ensure it is a quality list and that the supplier is following CAN-SPAM Act. Ask the supplier how the list is developed, if all the recipients have opted-in, how often it updates the list and how often the list receives email messages from their company/clients. Also, ask if it is possible to test the list with a small group of contacts prior to committing to renting the list. This will help you gauge the expected response rate.
Finally, when sending email communication to rented lists focus on driving recipients to a landing page on your web site to sign up for special offers, a newsletter, etc. This will help you build your own list. Be sure that process includes an opt-in and that the person signing up has a clear understanding of how often and what you will be emailing them. This process will certainly take time, but it will create a healthy list, be more cost-effective and should produce better response rates in the end.
Need support with your email marketing campaign, contact me at jennifer at sweeneypr.com or 910.772.1688.
Sun Chips Bags Sustainable Packaging
Back in June, I wrote about Sun Chips’ new 100% compostable packaging. You can read the full post here.
At first I was a little annoyed with the new compostable packaging because it is super noisy. But after taking a closer look at why Sun Chips did what they did, I appreciated the commitment it made to our environment and became alittle more tolerable of the packaging.
Apparently other consumers weren’t willing to accept the noisy bags. In fact, there was even a Facebook Group started called SORRY BUT I CAN’T HEAR YOU OVER THIS SUN CHIP BAG that has almost 48,000 members.
Just this week Sun Chips announced it would no longer use this noisy packaging on 5 of its flavors. It will immediately start using its original packaging material while it looks for another alternative. However, it is keeping the compostable packing on its top selling original flavor to continue to show its commitment to the environment until it finds another solution.
It wasn’t just the consumers’ verbal complaints that made Frito-Lay pull the packaging. According to SymphonyIRI Group, SunChips sales have declined more than 11% over the past 52 weeks (excluding Wal-Mart, which doesn’t share its data).
This is a great lesson that Frito-Lay taught marketers. Even if you have a good product, incorporating green benefits isn’t going to increase sales, especially if the green benefit is a distraction.
