Tweens and parents may disagree about almost everything else, but they're not all that far apart when it comes to their thinking in regard to healthy lifestyle choices for kids, judging from the results of a new study done by BuzzBack Market Research for Disney Consumer Products. Tweens and parents seem to be, by and large, on the same page when it comes to the importance of nutrition and fitness to a healthy lifestyle--although the results also point to some struggles on both sides in terms of behavioral follow-through. The most significant difference in tween/parent attitudes appears to be that while relationships with family and friends are very important to tweens, they (unlike their parents) don't tend to identify these and other factors relating to mental and emotional well-being--such as relaxation and balance between work and play--as being important aspects of healthy living. In other words, kids are more literal, associating "health" only with bodily health. The study, conducted earlier this year, involved 157 children ages nine to 11 (recruited through their parents) and 154 parents of children between these ages. To examine the two groups' similarities and differences in perceptions about healthy lifestyles, BuzzBack used eCollage, a tool that helps tap subconscious attitudes by having participants select from a large group of images to create collages. Kids were asked to create personal collages that illustrate what kinds of things they think about when trying to be healthy; parents created collages illustrating what healthy living for their children means to them. Verbal follow-up questions were used to explore why specific images were chosen and what they signify about health to the individual. Both parents and tweens gravitated toward images connoting healthy food choices and physical activity, and kids showed clear awareness of what types of foods are healthy and which should be avoided, as well as how important physical activity and exercise are. However, in contrast to parents, very few kids included images relating to relationships. (About one in four parents indicated that mental/emotional health is a key component in a healthy lifestyle.) Asked to verbally express what's important to them, tweens' top priorities were happiness, relationships with family, good grades, relationships with friends and overall physical health. Parents' top priorities for their children were happiness, relationships with family, overall physical health, sufficient sleep and good grades. About 80% of the kids said they view their lifestyles as healthy, and that they are physically fit. More than 80% of parents said they are satisfied with their children's eating habits (mostly because they control food choices), and similar numbers said they are satisfied with their kids' fitness levels, physical activity and exercise habits. On the nutritional front, both parents and kids indicated conscious efforts to ensure that the kids have healthy diets. But not surprisingly, there are conflicts between thought and actions. Nearly all (94%) the parents said they strive to include healthy foods in children's meals, and more than half say they've added more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to their children's diets in the past year. The top healthy foods they want kids to eat are fruit, vegetables/salad, water, juice and milk, and the top foods they try to avoid for kids are those with high sugar and fat, and soda. Most kids claim they eat fruit and vegetables and limit junk foods, and report that their parents reinforce healthy eating (four out of 10 say their parents are "very strict" about healthy eating). On the other hand, about half of parents report that their kids crave sweets and are picky eaters. And when it comes to fast food, parents and tweens agree that kids should limit consumption, but it's unclear whether consumption patterns have actually changed. Most tweens do say that they're eating less than in the past at fast-food restaurants, and more than half of parents say kids are eating less fast food compared to a year ago. But three-quarters of tweens say they "love" eating at fast-food restaurants, and 15% say they eat fast food "all the time." And while it's not possible to say whether this percentage is down or up, 38% of parents named fast food as one of the foods/beverages most likely to be consumed at dinner. (Vegetables and soup/stew were named by 77% and 61%, respectively, and in another disconnect, non-diet soda came in fourth, named by 19%. Milk was fifth, at 16%.). Further, 21% of parents named fast food as among the top lunch staples. The others were juice in a box (cited by 41%), chips (36%), plain bottled water (25%) and fruit (23%). Interestingly, kids were far more likely than their parents to select an image of a McDonald's logo for their health collages, although their reasons for doing so were that they "love" the food and eating there, but at the same time know they should avoid fast food. Many kids also included an image of an ice cream sundae, and expressed the same love/avoid feelings toward ice cream. Kids also included the Kellogg's logo in their collages much more frequently than adults--in this case, because they associated it with healthy foods. Tweens picked the Pop-Tarts logo far more frequently, as well--simply stating that they "love" this product.
Virgin Mobile has received kudos via J.D. Power and Associates' 2007 "U.S. Wireless Prepaid Customer Satisfaction Study" released Thursday. It ranks the company No. 1 in prepaid wireless satisfaction for a second consecutive year, outshining others in cost of service, account management, initial activation and service plan options. "It's interesting that Virgin Mobile can consistently score as high as they do," says Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services at J.D. Power and Associates. "Particularly in the wireless industry, it's difficult to be consistent in service because there are so many things that can go wrong like software glitches, network and product problems, and customer care issues that require constant attention." Also ranking above industry average are AT&T GoPhone, Boost Mobile and T-Mobile To Go, respectively. Prepaid offerings from Tracfone Wireless, Alltel, and Verizon Wireless fell below the average. The study measures customer satisfaction among prepaid wireless service. It considers call quality, company image, service cost, account management, initial activation, service plan options and customer service. Overall satisfaction improved by 10 index points since 2006 to 727 on a 1,000-point scale. The study finds that the availability of new services and better pricing options contributed to the increase. It also recognizes that call quality improved by 14 index points since 2006--particularly specific to connection and quality-related issues, such as local calling area and ability to place or receive calls inside buildings. Brand image has become important, too. In the study, it represents reputation, honest advertising and other related factors, accounting for 19% of the ranking. It takes the No. 2 spot behind call quality at 24%. "It's important, especially for the smaller carriers," says Parsons. "Larger carriers advertise more and have been around a lot longer. So when someone goes out to look for a carrier that offers prepaid service, you look at their reputation. You want to know they're going to be around next year." Virgin Mobile wants that too. So the company launched the "You Rule" teaser campaign last May, targeting specific New York boroughs and professions with ads posted to Manhattan billboards, before expanding the message nationwide in July. The national ad campaign taps into print, TV, viral marketing, and local hometown messaging in select markets. The "You Rule" campaign reflects Virgin Mobile's attitude that month-to-month plans can offer flexibility and better service than two- to-three-year contracts. They speak directly to customers who don't want a contract. And that type of flexible cellular service can get a bit tricky. "We have to earn our customers' respect daily, and can't really depend on our ad budget to attract customers," says Virgin Mobile spokesperson Jayne Wallace. Durham, N.C.-based McKinney designed the "You Rule" campaign around Virgin Mobile's commitment to customers, rather than the customers' commitment to cellular carriers. Analysts think the concept works, considering that Virgin Mobile's yearly ad budget pales compared with the "big guys." This year's ad and marketing campaign investment ranges between $30 million and $35 million, whereas AT&T and Verizon might spend double that amount, Wallace says. Wireless carriers combined spent more than $1.5 billion in advertising from January through May 2007, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus. Parents appreciate stability from carriers that offer prepaid plans for kids under 18 who haven't learned the concept of quelling talk times. "Kids can talk you into bankruptcy without control mechanisms in place," says Roger Entner, senior vice president/communications sector at IAG Research. "Virgin's message aims at today's youth and their parents, and companies that put effort into messaging get rewarded." The 2007 Wireless Prepaid Customer Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 2,925 wireless customers who subscribe to prepaid service plans. Findings are based on surveys conducted in January and April 2007.
Forget Oprah, a free iPod or a year's supply of Jolt. Automotive research, news and reviews Web site Edmunds.com is touting Saturn's newest car with a promotion dangling ... a chance to do what I do. Write articles. The site is looking for the next citizen journalist to blog about the forthcoming Saturn Astra, and the Frankfurt auto show this September. According to Sean Peoples, executive director of automaker initiatives at Edmunds, the program was the result of a brainstorm session between Saturn and Edmunds. "We went back and forth on this, and decided to go ahead with it." The Astra is an Opel-branded vehicle coming to the U.S. market in December as a replacement for the Saturn Ion. GM, which owns Opel and Vauxhall--its European and U.K. brands, respectively--has product-development programs linking the European maker with Saturn. Saturn's Sky roadster has a doppelganger in the Opel GT, and Aura sedan and Opel Vectra cars are built on GM's global Epsilon platform. Edmund's program, in which the winner becomes a contributor for Edmunds' Inside Line, is being promoted at Saturn's consumer Web site as well as at CarSpace.com, and at Edmunds.com and InsideLine.com. The landing page for the contest is edmunds.com/il/astracontest.html. Contestants have to submit an essay of 500 words or fewer explaining why they should get the nod. The winner gets access to the Saturn Astra that Edmunds.com journalists are reviewing. Then he or she will be flown on Sept. 9 to cover the Frankfurt Auto Show. There, the citizen journo also gets access to GM Premier Night and invitation-only Astra launch events. Peoples says the effort is not int ended to convince the average person shopping for a car to consider a new career as an auto scribe. Rather, the program is designed to grab the attention of those "influencers" that regular Joes and Josephines go to for advice on which car to buy. "It's for people others look to," he says, adding that Edmunds has gotten 10,000 viewings of the page describing the promotion. Edmunds' Inside Line gets around 3.2 million unique visits per month, and 70% come back daily. "It's really designed to speak to the right audience--so, no, it's not a TV ad on the Super Bowl. The readership of Inside Line--the contributors to forums--are the people Saturn initially wants interested in this vehicle. That's the benefit; they are the people who people go to to ask questions. It is the brand ambassadors and influencers that we are trying to reach." He says the winner will be chosen next week. "We really didn't do a full blitz campaign; we pushed it live. We put some ads out there on our own sites and on the Saturn home page. But a lot of people are finding it through the enthusiast community on our forums and other blogs and forums," says Peoples. Edmunds will send its own staff to the show, but the winning auto buff will also get access to GM brass at press events where luminaries like GM product executive Bob Lutz will speak. The winner also gets a meet-and-greet with Saturn general manager Jill Lajdziak. This fall, Saturn will promote Astra with a series of consumer test-drive events leading up to the launch. Peoples says Edmunds will provide access to those events for its online forum members.
While multichannel retailing has become an everyday part of the shopping experience for consumers, retailers are still struggling to match the quality of their online and in-store service, according to a new study by Sterling Commerce. After polling more than 5,000 consumers, the company found that while people's expectations about cross-channel selling have increased, and online experiences shape how customers behave when they visit a store, the connection between online and in-store selling environments is far from seamless. "The cross-channel experience has created today's 'spoiled consumer,' and it raises the bar for every retailer," Sterling says in its release. "Retailers who are able to meet and exceed these needs will maintain a loyal customer base and ensure future purchases." Consumers now experience their favorite stores through a number of channels--in-store, online, catalog/call center, kiosk and mobile, "and they expect a more unified experience regardless of the type of channel," it says. Sterling, a subsidiary of AT&T, found big gaps between what consumers expect and what most stores currently offer. For example, 57% want to return or exchange items at a store, regardless of how the item was purchased (online, in-store or catalogue), and 65% expect to be able to cancel or modify an order via a store, the store's Web site or a call center, regardless of which channel was used to initially place the order. Consumers often find that retailers' Web sites outperform their stores: 54% say they can buy products online that are not available in stores, 45% feel they get better product information online, 43% find that sales associates are not able to check availability at the store or at other store locations, and 38% say sales clerks can't even determine whether a given product is in stock.
Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc., which markets over-the-counter health-care and household cleaning brands, has launched a new product under its Murine brand in the U.S. The product, Murine Earigate, is an ear-hygiene flush for adults and children that comes in 3.3-fluid-oz. cans and uses a reverse-spray nozzle that shoots fluid from inside the ear out and uses isotonic--a seawater-based solution. The effort, via the new agency on the account, New York-based Duval Guillaume, N.Y., includes 15- and 30-second national TV ads, paired with a print campaign in pharmacist and physician trade pubs. There is also online and POP and other marketing and promotional support. David Simpson, general manager of DGNY, says the agency was tapped to head the Murine Earigate account in the beginning of the year. Prestige, a publicly traded company, has a portfolio of iconic brands, including Comet, Prell, Compound W, Chloraseptic sore throat treatment, Cutex nail polish remover and Spic and Span. "The challenge is to make ear hygiene as common as brushing your teeth," says Simpson, who adds that the product was developed by an ear, nose and throat doctor and is targeted at people who have chronic ear wax buildup as well as for the general market for use on a regular basis to keep ears clean. "Eight to ten percent of the population has chronic wax buildup," he says, "but we don't want people to think this will cure earwax. We think of it as an ear shower." The TV spot shows a guy who bears a passing resemblance to singer Tom Jones trying different homegrown methods for removing earwax. First, he shakes his head, then lies on the couch upside down then uses a toilet plunger. The ad shows a product demo as well. The Web site, murine.com, shows a "director's cut" of the spot, in which the guy's efforts become more absurd: a vacuum cleaner, stringing straws together, putting one end in his ear and the other in his mouth and attempting to suck the wax out himself. Prestige spokesperson Dean Siegel says that the company's strategy has been to purchase well-known consumer brands with a long history of consumer usage that are for some reason out of favor with their owners. "We buy them and put our attention to them," he says, adding that the company launched a new version of Comet, Comet Spray-Gel Mildew Stain Remover, in June with national distribution and advertising. Bonita Bay Holdings acquired Murine and Clear Eyes from Abbot Labs in 2002. Prestige Holdings subsequently acquired Bonita Bay.