Personal electronics keep getting more personal: Macy’s has just taken the wraps off a men’s fleece sweater equipped with a personal video screen, on the left sleeve. In a move that will welcome Gen Y to the “Hello, my name is …” world, the video name tag items are part of the retailer’s new Sean Jean collection, and a collaboration with technology partner Recom Group. Calling it the world’s first integration of video and fashion, Macy’s says the shawl-collared sweaters are available at select Macy’s stores this week, for at an introductory promotion price of $125. (Regular pricing is $198.) Durand Guion, Macy’s VP of men’s fashion, spotted the gizmos while scouting last year’s Consumer Electronics Show, and asked Sean Jean to incorporate it into his new line. “This is a big deal for Macy's and Sean John,” CEO Rob Norden tells Marketing Daily in an email. “It's never been done before.” The fashion video tag slides into a pocket on the sleeve, which makes it waterproof, and comes with software that allows users to convert any YouTube or personal video. It holds up to two hours of content. The organic LED plays continuous video nonstop for 8 to 10 hours from a single charge. The idea started as a business-to-business concept, says Norden, with initial clients including Estee Lauder, CBS Television, Pepsi, Disney, the NFL and the NBA. But its consumer appeal is growing. “I've had guys tell me they wear it in a nightclub and crowds will form around them,” he says, adding that technology was also used in clothing on Rihanna’s world tour. Norden claims it is the only screen technology that shows perfectly on HD cameras, adding that audiences will see Tom Cruise use it as a communications device in “Jack Reacher,” set to open later this month.
Fresh-fruit arrangements marketer Edible Arrangements has pulled out the stops for a new holiday TV commercial with a “Winter Wonderland” theme. The spot, which took 14 hours to shoot with a stop-motion camera, is the latest in a series of “World of Edible Arrangements” commercials from foodscape artist Carl Warner. It opens with scenes of a fanciful landscape featuring trees made of slices of Granny Smith apples, fallen snow made of coconut, and a house created from cinnamon sticks. The ad then shows one of the company’s franchise owners, Miami-based German Pao, creating one of its new Holiday House Bouquet arrangements. The spot is scheduled to air throughout December on national cable and select broadcast networks in the U.S. and Ontario. Edible Arrangements, founded in 1999 in East Haven, Conn., now has more than 1,100 franchise locations around the world, including the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Italy, Turkey, Hong Kong, Jordan, Oman, India and China. It sells its products in-store, online and via an 800 number.
Over the coming year, we will be far more reliant on digital media for what are still physical transactions, and marketers will try to align with that, as with social trends. Agency group JWT’s eighth annual Key Trend Forecast sees acceleration of a lot of social trends. One is "Adult Recess," the kind of unstructured leisure time we advocate for kids. There is likely to be a tightening of the stress vice to "super stressful" living. Ann Mack, global trending analyst for JWT, points out that North Face did a program in China to address that country’s extreme stress situation among white-collar workers. That program included an ad campaign encouraging people to escape to nature. In the spot people literally drop everything and retreat to the outdoors. "Other ways marketers are addressing this is with products," she says, pointing to food and beverages coming to market that are aimed at stress reduction. These included so-called "slow beverages," that contain things like kava root, melatonin, and valerian, which are meant to ease anxiety and aid in relaxation. Mack tells Marketing Daily that companies are also playing with the “Adult Recess” trend. "Over the years everything has gotten so structured and tech-based, but we are increasingly seeing adults adopt this idea of unstructured play,” she says. In Sydney, Australia, for example, McDonald's surprised office workers with an adult-sized, three-story-high Playland. The firm also predicts sensory stimulation will be increased and we’ll like it. That pertains not only for the segment that leads in this area -- video games -- but also for regular brand marketing. The auto sector has done a lot in this area around virtual test-drive experiences, but JWT suggests a more old-school example: a kind of "smell-o-vision" tactic where Dunkin' Donuts installed atomizers in Seoul, Korea, buses that released coffee aromas whenever the DD jingle was played. Meanwhile, the retail scene is being decentralized by mobile technology and peer-to-peer commerce. This means that brands have to be more creative in how they go to market. Mattel and Walmart Canada, for example, did a virtual pop-up store in the Toronto underground, featuring two walls of 3D toy images with QR codes consumers could scan to make a purchase. "There's a lot of experimentation happening in this realm," says Mack, pointing to Tesco and Samsung-owned Home Plus program in Korean where people could buy staples from display kiosks in transit stations. In the U.S., Peapod.com placed billboards in subways so that people could purchase items right there using mobile. “It’s not so much about instant purchasing as it is impulse purchasing,” she says.
Eighty percent of consumers are willing to use a non-bank for their next mortgage, according to a Carlisle & Gallagher Consulting Group consumer mortgage study. The management and technology consulting firm, which serves the financial services industry, released findings from its U.S. consumer mortgage study, which surveyed 618 U.S. consumers online in September. Among the findings of “U.S. Mortgage Lending: Strategies to Gain Share in the New Normal,” one in three consumers would consider a mortgage from Walmart and 48% would consider a mortgage from PayPal. Charlotte, North Carolina-based CG surveyed consumers to learn about their views toward home ownership, how recent changes in the mortgage industry impacted their application experience, which factors are most important in the mortgage application process, and whether consumers would be willing to consider an alternate mortgage provider. Although consumer satisfaction with primary banks ranked high (81%) the study reveals continued frustrations with current mortgage processes that could drive consumers to alternative home loan providers. High interest rates, high payments, and taxes and escrow are the top three most frustrating issues regarding consumers’ current mortgages. Some 56% of consumers blame slow execution as one of the most painful aspects of the mortgage process, and 32% said the mortgage lenders were difficult to communicate with. Thirty-one percent were frustrated by being unable to track the status of their mortgage application, and 26% said they received untrustworthy advice. “Consumer attitude is driven by three things -- price, service and trust,” said Doug Hautop, senior manager and Lending Practice lead for CG, in a release. “Institutions looking to gain market share must target customer values instead of traditional asset segmentation.”
Leave it to trendy Topshop to think outside the holiday marketing box: The British fast-fashion chain is turning a short and sexy holiday film into a 360-degree digital initiative. Called “Winter Wonderland,” the film features bombshell Kate Bosworth performing atop a piano, in a way that will make older viewers think of the famous scene with Michelle Pffeifer in “The Fabulous Baker Boys,’’ and younger viewers think, “Hey, where can I get that lipstick?” The retailer’s home page then invites them to interact with the video, with Bosworth’s makeup available with just a click, as is the song. (It’s available on iTunes, Shazam and Spotify, and the London-based retailer says it is hoping it makes No. 1.) The film, directed by Michael Polish, features Bosworth crooning under a chandelier in a custom-made Topshop evening dress. Viewers can also get information about the dress and shoes, which will be available as “special made to order” when the chain opens its new Los Angles stores in February. Topshop first teased viewers with a five-day campaign in print, social and digital media, using a #whosthatgirl? hashtag, with images of the actress at iconic London landmarks with her face obscured. Those who guessed right earned a $1,000 shopping spree. The company says it is running the film in “all social media platforms, topshop.com, cinemas, digital billboards, giant screens installed in flagship stores and interactive audio windows globally.” Bosworth has appeared in such films as “Blue Crush” and “Superman Returns,” and has represented Calvin Klein and Coach Bags.
A coalition of health groups is pressuring Viacom to implement stronger nutritional standards for the foods marketed on Nickelodeon. The Food Marketing Workgroup -- led by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest and Berkeley Media Studies Group, and comprising the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Jamie Oliver Food Foundation, Environmental Working Group and others – sent a letter to Viacom Inc. president/CEO Philippe Dauman and Nickelodeon president Cyma Zarghami. The letter urges the executives to “implement strong nutrition standards for all of the company’s food marketing to children,” including all television advertising on Nickelodeon channels, company sites and mobile platforms. It also urges the company to apply stricter nutrition standards for products that want to use licensed characters like Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants. The letter -- part of a larger campaign being launched by the Workgroup that includes social media, a letter-writing campaign to Nickelodeon’s CEO and other efforts -- is the latest volley in the ongoing controversy over food marketing to children. After intensive lobbying by the food and beverage industry – which says that the voluntary Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) overseen by the Council for Better Business Bureaus is sufficient – Congress last December required that the Interagency Working Group creating voluntary federal guidelines for food marketing to children conduct a cost/benefit analysis of its recommendations. That appears to have effectively squelched the guidelines. In March, FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz stated that the guidelines were no longer an agency priority and that “it’s probably time to move on.” Some guidelines advocates accused the Obama administration of essentially withdrawing its support of the guidelines for political reasons (a charge that the administration has denied). In any case, CSPI and other groups aren’t about to give up. The Food Marketing Workgroup’s letter states that while the group appreciates Nickelodeon’s “efforts to promote healthy lifestyles to children,” such efforts are “insufficient given the magnitude of the problem.” Nick’s PSAs, philanthropic activities, and partnerships with children’s groups “do not counterbalance the effect of Nickelodeon’s core business and children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing,” the group asserts. “The mix of Nickelodeon’s marketing remains out of balance, doing more to promote unhealthy than healthy eating. This contradicts the network’s claim that since 2002 it has ‘made childhood obesity a filter by which [it] reviews all our business initiatives.’” The Workgroup also maintains that Nickelodeon’s efforts lag those of other children’s entertainment companies. For example, The Walt Disney Company has announced plans to apply nutrition standards to ads through child-directed television, radio and online sites, and update its nutrition standards for foods that can be advertised to children. ION media also has standards for food marketing to children. Nickelodeon should at minimum “meet the food industry’s own baseline” and join the CFBAI – or better yet, “show leadership” by working to help the Interagency Working Group guidelines get implemented, contends the Workgroup. Nickelodeon issued a statement saying that the vast majority of its advertisers are already committed to the CFBAI standards, and that no entertainment brand has done more to fight childhood obesity over the past decade, reported Adweek. The brand has worked with the “Let’s Move” program and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, as well as regularly dedicating free air time to health/wellness messaging, it stressed.
Strategic Vision's new Total Value Index study finds that innovation is driving how consumers feel about the auto brands they buy. The study, which looks at over 350 cars and trucks owned by 77,000 people, gives a snapshot of how consumers feel, per dollar spent, about how much of a value they are getting from their vehicles. And the most important parameter is innovation. Consumers feel Hyundai and Kia are especially good at that, particularly when it comes to how the cars look. The Hyundai Equus luxury car is the highest scoring model in the study. The firm says Kia Sportage and Sorento models also lead their respective segments. Other brands that did well were Volkswagen and sibling Audi, which had strong capability and "fun-to-drive" scores. BMW and MINI were good in sporty auto segments like coupe and premium roadster. Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision, tells Marketing Daily that innovation isn't just about technology, but also defined by styling and performance. "With Hyundai, it’s styling; with Volkswagen, it’s the sporty feel and TDI [diesel] technology," he says, adding that styling is the strongest driver of innovation. "We see style as having a huge impact on perception, especially with vehicles like [Hyundai] Elantra and Sonata. It's a look that is more up-to-date, what the next generation of vehicles should look like." Edwards says "functional luxury technology" is the second-most powerful driver for ownership and consideration. "It seems luxurious but also fits a very specific purpose. That could be telematics." He adds that even if new platforms aren't ready for prime time, most owners are still pleased with them, and are willing to be forgiving at least for another couple of years. That, he says, gives automakers some breathing room. "But they have to get it right the next time, or they will lose that customer." Ford, for example, has taken risks in this area that have not paid off initially -- MyFord Touch being an example -- but the firm says buyers appreciate Ford innovation and benefits. Ford has eight models, including Ford Flex, and F-150, leading in their segments. Chevy Volt won in the Special Category area, and has the second highest Total Value score in the industry. Buyer sentiment gave the Volt an almost perfect score in the study. At the corporate level, Volkswagen won the most segments with Golf, Jetta Wagon, CC, Eos, Audi A3 Wagon, Q5 and Q7. At third was Honda, but it didn't get an increased value in the Innovation area, per the firm. That's a critical measure, per Darrel Edwards, co-founder of the Tustin, Calif.-based market research firm. He explained that factors like resale and MPG are less definitive now that many brands are getting competitive at both of those. "Quality is at the base of value but in looking for that key influencing factor that most heavily predicts future success, 'True Innovation' will be the common denominator of winners." Most improved are the Chrysler and Dodge siblings. Again, innovation improvement fueled the lift: last year the brands' innovation scores were the worst in the industry. This year they are industry average.
Hey, I just met you,And this is crazy,But here’s my number,So call me, maybe?Call Me Maybe was the song of Summer 2012. But Carly Rae Jepsen’s catchy little earworm contained a truth that everyone should heed. If you want someone to call you, they’ll need your number. Duh. So how does a no-brainer like this get lost in the world of advertising? Because agencies and advertisers don’t realize their brand-building commercials have morphed into direct-response ones. Somehow, a Web site address or 800 number snuck in, and this changes everything. Oh, they still retain all the branding elements -- the ads position products and services strategically and with impact. They possess great production values and don’t look like traditional two-minute direct-response spots. But these commercials have become all flirtation, with no follow-through. They want viewers to respond, but they don’t provide sufficient motivation or information for them to do so. No matter how sexy a spot looks, how cleverly it’s written, how accurately it’s targeted, or even how much social media it uses, it won’t make the register ring repeatedly without doing what Carly does: making it easy to call or click. These days, advertisers want their ads to be accountable -- even their brand-building commercials -- and so customers need a phone number, a link, a point of sale. But once a commercial tries to evoke a response with an 800 number or URL or even a retailer location, it has crossed the line from general to direct-response advertising. Direct-response leverages brand, strategy, creative and media. But it doesn’t leave its audience hanging. It takes their hand and invites them to the next step forward, toward making an actual purchase. Branding is great -- and if branding is the sole purpose of the ad, then forget about Carly’s message. But if any type of response is requested, then think about that message long and hard. The next time you see a commercial, ask yourself two questions: Do I know exactly where or how I can buy this product? Do I care enough to call or click? Don’t get me wrong. Having a great product with smart advertising will definitely get you noticed. But until you’re as well-known as Apple, Pepsi, or Carly Rae Jepsen, the register won’t ring as much as it should until you follow through with those magic words: …here’s my number, so call me, maybe?