It is admittedly hard to showcase a new visual technology on an old visual platform (basically, you have to see it to believe it.) Sharp Electronics looks to get around that problem by actively driving people into retail outlets to check out its new Quattron technology with a new marketing campaign that says: "You have to see it, to see it." The Quattron technology adds a fourth yellow pixel to the typical red, green and blue pixels found on most televisions. The additional pixel adds a greater depth to most colors (including blacks), says Neal Lattner, senior marketing director at Sharp Electronics. "It's very good to drive people to see the product if there's a visual difference," Lattner tells Marketing Daily. "The whole campaign is aimed at teaching people about the technology." To that end, the company is launching a national, integrated marketing campaign featuring actor George Takei (best known as Sulu from the original "Star Trek" series). In television spots, Takei acts as a Sharp engineer who marvels at the colors he sees on the Sharp screen, while teasing the audience about what they can't see on their three-color screens. "George fits an important role for us. He's very intelligent and very well-respected," Lattner says. "He has a presence in popular culture as well as technology." In addition to television spots airing on national broadcast and cable networks, Sharp has also developed print and online advertising featuring Takei and the Quattron technology. Given how much of the advertising is intended to drive in-store traffic, Sharp has also developed an extensive in-store campaign, placing end caps (also featuring Takei) in retail outlets, and training salespeople about the technology. The company has also created special, Sharp-branded magnifying glasses that allow people to look at the pixels in different television sets so they can see the Quattron technology at work, Lattner says.
In a bid to become the "global authority" in lawn and garden care, Scott's Miracle-Gro is focusing on consumers' own backyards, diverting more of its marketing muscle into local, specific efforts. In a presentation prepared for last week's CL King's West Coast Best Ideas Conference, the company says it leveraged its local consumer insights for more effective marketing. Last year, it says, it prepared just two versions of point-of-purchase materials for its Western region, and this year there will be 17. Displays target both specific climatic zones (such as drought areas) and demographics (such as Hispanic.) In the year ahead, it says it will devote more than half of its ad budget to local efforts, with 49% going to national buys, 23% to spot TV, 10% to radio, 9% to weather-triggered ads, and 4% to digital. Last year, for example, the company says that within 48 hours of widespread flooding, it created specific marketing messages, including radio, billboards and point-of-sale materials in such markets as Birmingham, Ala. and Atlanta, and stepped up its advertising for fire ant products. (Flooding increases the risk of infestation.) The company also says that its new EZ Seed product, "a big hit in 2009 even with a limited geographical launch," will be distributed nationally this year "and could more than double sales." Describing it as "our best grass seed innovation in decades," the product addresses the issue of underwatering, the #1 consumer barrier to success. It also says it sees further potential in the $1 billion wild bird food market, where it currently has less than a 10% share. Its Songbird Selection, sold in five different regional blends, will be rolled out at Home Depot, Lowe's and Walmart this year. "Consumers are willing to trade-up for wild bird food that attracts colorful song birds and deters the "pests," it says, and its "Save the songbirds" messaging is resonating with consumers. It will also test a fertilizing system it says is "goof proof:" The SNAP system is being test-marketed in 2010, with hopes for a national rollout next spring. The company says it expects annual sales to increase between 4 and 6% through 2014, "aided by the transition to a more consumer-driven operating model." The company is also expanding its organic offerings, as consumers become increasingly concerned about the toxicity of lawn and garden products. The most recent survey from the National Gardening Association, in conjunction with Scott's, found that while nine out of 10 households believe it's important to maintain their landscapes in a way that benefits the environment, only 53% say they know how to do so. A company spokesman tells Marketing Daily that organic products currently account for less than 5% of sales.
How exactly does one market private aircraft with sticker prices ranging from $385,000 to more than $600,000? Since this is not the kind of purchase that people make online with PayPal, providing the right, affluent demographic with the opportunities to have up-close, hands-on experiences with the plane and plenty of face time with knowledgeable brand representatives is clearly essential. No surprise, then, that Duluth, Minn.-based Cirrus Aircraft has long relied heavily on exposure at traditional aviation trade shows and events to connect with its core consumer prospect market. But the aircraft maker wanted a truly global and targeted-but-scalable marketing platform, and believes it has found that in an unprecedented partnership with Red Bull Air Race and its World Championship events, according to Cirrus Aircraft VP of Marketing Todd Simmons. This year, Cirrus will be a highly visible sponsor for all eight races in the Red Bull championship -- an elite aviation competition conceived in 2001 by the think-tank of the Red Bull energy drink brand, which continues as the name sponsor. The concept: Challenge the ability of the world's best pilots by creating an aviation race that demands the precision and skill to navigate a specially designed obstacle course at high speeds. Official, year-long championships have been running since 2005, and each weekend of races attracts an average of more than 500,000 spectators, with attendance often exceeding one million, according to Red Bull Air Race sponsoring manager Markus Shubert. This year's championship runs from late March through September, with locations spanning Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Perth, Australia; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Windsor, Canada; New York City; Lausitz, Germany; Budapest, Hungary and Lisbon, Portugal. Cirrus's primary objective is marketing its SR22 high-performance, advanced technology, piston, single-engine line. In 2009, for the seventh year in a row, the SR22 -- known for an emergency parachute system capable of transporting the plane and its occupants safely to the ground -- was the world's best-selling "4-place" (four-seater) airplane, according to the company. More than 4,500 have been sold since it debuted in 2000, according to Simmons -- who says the base price is $385,000, but that most sales, with personalized options, range between $400,000 and $600,000+. The sponsorship's numerous elements are co-branded (including a custom co-logo) by Cirrus and Red Bull Air Race under the theme "World Class Lifestyle Meets World Class Racing." Cirrus will have a full-scale mock-up of the SR22 (bearing the co-logo) near the "High Flyer's Lounge," a first-class hospitality area, at each race in the series. The folks who pay approximately $1,600 per weekend to watch the races from that lounge, mingle with fellow VIP's and meet the pilots after they have raced in the competition will also have the chance to sit in the plane mock-up and "engage with the avionics" (meaning, experience how the controls work and handle), says Simmons. In addition, near the "Race Club" hospitality area ($540 admission per weekend race), and at the airports where private plane-owning attendees fly in for the races, a one-third-size scale mock-up of the plane will be on hand. Cirrus will also have a full-page ad in the program for each race, and Cirrus reps will be on hand at all venues to network and answer questions. The partnership offers Cirrus "deep penetration across the world with aviation enthusiasts -- new audiences capable of purchasing our brand," sums up Simmons. In addition, preliminary plans are in the works for Cirrus to make "fly-over" appearances at the North American venues of the Red Bull championship aviation races with a prototype of its still-in-development Vision personal jet, says Simmons.
Marriott will sponsor USA Today's iPad presence for the first four months after the device's April debut, although it is unclear what the hotel chain's relationship will involve, such as inventory on the USA Today locale or other benefits. Efforts to contact the paper's parent Gannett and Marriott were not successful Friday. But Marriott's underwriting through July 4 will "do a lot to get ... our designs in front of many, many people," according to David Hunke, USA Today's president and publisher. Gannett executives said Apple reached out to the publisher to debut on the tablet when it goes live on April 3. Apple did not return a call or email inquiries. Other content providers may be circumspect about what to do with the coming iPad tablet, but the national newspaper will employ a subscription model. "Our guys were very excited about the opportunity -- we will be there," said Hunke in a gathering with analysts last week. "It will be classic, very unique USA Today design that was built for this device, as it was for the iPhone in a previous generation."
If Michigan's lawmakers don't approve funding for a tourism campaign before their two-week recess starting March 25, the "Pure Michigan" summer ads may be cancelled. Michigan Economic Development Corp. President and CEO Greg Main says such a move would cost Michigan's tourism-related businesses hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue and would reduce state tax collections by millions of dollars. "At a time when Michigan businesses are already hurting, canceling this revenue-generating campaign would be a tragedy," Main says in a release. The "Pure Michigan" promotion budget in 2009 was $30 million; the appropriation for 2010 is $5.4 million, an 82% reduction and the state's smallest tourism promotion budget since 1995. National cable TV ads were scheduled to start March 1, but had to be postponed due to the lack of adequate funding, says George Zimmermann, vice president for Travel Michigan, a business unit of the MEDC. "Our media buyers are telling us that April is now sold out, and that May will be soon," Zimmermann says. "If we are not on the air in May, we will have missed the summer travel planning season for this year." Travel Michigan's 2009 campaign delivered a significant return on investment according to a recent study conducted by Longwoods International, a research firm specializing in tourism advertising return on investment. According to the study, the national ad campaign last spring and summer motivated 680,000 new trips to Michigan from outside the Great Lakes region. Those visitors spent $250 million at Michigan businesses last summer as a direct result of the advertising program. In addition, these new out-of-state visitors paid $17.5 million in state taxes, yielding a $2.23 return on investment for the tourism advertising. "Pure Michigan" TV spots aired nationally 7,900 times on 15 cable channels in 2009, and they were seen by an estimated 60 million Americans from coast to coast. In addition, the study also determined the effectiveness of the campaign on the regional level. Longwoods International assessed the impact of the summer ads on the residents of the Chicago, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Ontario, Canada markets. The regional campaign attracted 1.3 million out-of-state visitors last summer, visitors who spent $338 million at Michigan businesses. The campaign was able to improve its regional return on investment from $2.86 since 2004 to $5.34 in 2009. The total tourism promotion budget for all seasons in 2009 was $30 million, which ranked Michigan as the sixth-largest state tourism promotion budget in America. The current appropriation for tourism promotion in 2010 is $5.4 million, which would reduce Michigan's state tourism budget ranking to approximately 42nd in the nation.
These cities carry the highest percentage of residents who are likely to watch the NCAA men's basketball tournament. 1. Washington, D.C. Hometown of No. 3 seed Georgetown and No. 4 seed U of Maryland. 2. Richmond-Petersburg, Va. Even though VCU didn't make the cut, U of Richmond elbowed its way into the tournament as a No. 7 seed. 3. Baltimore Home to No. 15 seed Morgan State and next door to No 4 seed UM. 4. Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, Va. Norfolk's own Old Dominion is an 11 seed team this year. 5. Detroit No. 14 seeded Oakland U lies within its borders and No. 5 seeded MSU is just next door in Lansing. 6. San Diego, Calif. San Diego State is a No. 11 seed in the Big Dance. 7. Baton Rouge, La. LSU's Tigers didn't make it this year, but they made it to the Final Four in 2006 and the enthusiasm for the game hasn't left town. 8. Denver A number of colleges and universities are located within the Denver DMA. 9. Chicago While no Chicago-area schools will be competing in this year's NCAA tournament, No. 6 seed Marquette is just a short drive up I-94 and plenty of fans of No. 4 seed Wisconsin call Chicago home. 10. Atlanta Georgia Tech is a No. 10 seed and the Atlanta DMA rounds out the No. 10 spot on our list. Coincidence? Source: Simmons Experian
As social media becomes mainstream, and more brands venture into the waters, it's not only essential to decide who, in your organization, is responsible for your social media brand voice, but to make sure they have a solid messaging platform as a springboard for content. Choosing Your Guru Let's start with deciding who is going to spearhead your social media efforts. Don't make the mistake of simply handing this off to an intern or junior account person (who is already overwhelmed with learning the business). Sadly, many companies believe that Millennials (e.g., the younger generation) are social media experts simply by virtue of their age. According to an aggregate report on Pingdom.com (February 2010), the demographic group that dominates the social media sphere (over 19 different social media networks) is those aged 35 to 44. The truth is, having a Facebook or Twitter account does not mean you know how to use it for marketing purposes. In "old school" terms, this is like saying that a subscription to the Sunday paper makes you an expert in media buying. That said, you do want to recruit someone who has an enthusiasm, interest and drive for social media. This very well may be one of your younger associates. Keep in mind that the position will require a large time commitment and a certain mind-set. You want someone who thrives on being connected, not someone who doesn't have a vision for the future of the industry. You want someone who understands that "two posts a week" is not a social media plan. Put a different way, you want someone who is a social media nerd. (In a good way, of course!) Give your selected candidate opportunities to become well versed: send them to conferences, encourage them to become involved in local organizations, make 'continuing education' a large part of their job responsibilities. Once you know who is going to be in charge of carry your brand voice out into the social media universe, it's time to have a discussion about content. What's Your Story? There are many reasons brands need to have a clear, concise story in place, and this is one of them. A successful social media effort radiates from this story. When you already have one in place, your brand is much less likely to stumble. If you don't know your story, figure it out before you even set up a Twitter account or Facebook page. Social media can help you communicate your brand story by giving you a forum to talk to and listen to current and potential customers (emphasis on the "listen"). This is not a platform for the hard sell. If you've selected the right person for the job, they will understand the importance of creating a conversation through your selected social media channels. They will be able to respond to what's being said about your brand in a positive way, and know how to rectify issues that might arise. Beyond The Plan Here's where many brands drop the ball in social media: even if you have a dedicated resource, you want to make sure that everyone in your organization knows your story and can deliver it properly when conversing through their personal social media vehicles. After all, it's not like the only person Tweeting, blogging and posting on Facebook every day is your Guru. This is why it's so important that each and every person in your organization knows what to say in a social media setting. And encourage them to spread the word. Social media by its very nature is wild and untamed, so don't kid yourself that you can keep it down. With proper preparation, you can harness it and use it to spread your brand story. If you think this part of the equation is optional, just remember, planning ahead is easier than doing damage control. Put It In The Budget Despite what marketers might have thought in the early days of social media, it's not free. It requires time and dedicated resources and -- just like every other marketing effort -- it needs a solid strategy and messaging foundation to build from. If you don't already have your brand story in place, that is the first step. It's an investment that will benefit all your marketing initiatives.