Archive for 2008
Is it desperate or is it smart?
My local library recently held a book sale. I picked up a few for about a quarter a piece. I will admit that chick lit is a guilty pleasure of mine, but I didn’t pick up any chick lit. Alternately, I picked up a non-fiction that read like a chick lit: Save Karyn.
Yes, Karyn Bosnak. You may remember her from all the radio and TV coverage from a few years back. She spent like any good American / New Yorker should. She shopped at Saks, Barney’s, etc. She had a job, but also had a Manhattan apartment (and its associated high rent). Next thing she knew, she lost her job, and had tons of debt. Well… then she had the brilliant idea of launching www.savekaryn.com, and asked for “donations†to eliminate her $20K credit card debt. It worked! That was because it was unique, at the time.
Then I was reminded of the pixel ads. www.milliondollarhomepage.com started by a couple of students who wanted to “save†$1 million for college. I thought that was brilliant. Why didn’t I think of it? I wouldn’t now be paying all my student loans still.
In any case, I thought that the common theme between these two successful site had something in common:
1. a goal
2. ask for reasonably small amount, e.g. $1
3. give a little something back, e.g. a pixel
4. a relatable story, but still unique in the “internet pandering†space
Then, today, I came across a new website… www.superbowlsinglegirl.com. Now, does this new site follow the recipe for success?
1. It has a goal. $3 million for a Super Bowl ad.
2. She’s asking for a minimum “donation†of $10. In this economy, it’s not small amount…
3. Well… the site is pretty new, so not much giving back yet. So far, there is a blog… maybe I should start asking for “donations†
4. Relatable story… that’s a hard one. On one hand: Who hasn’t been single and want to find someone special… On the other: Who is desperate enough to air a personal ad during Super Bowl?
So, I give it an overall probability of success rating of 1.5 out of 4, with possibility of improving on the “give back†front.
In any case, I found this idea pretty dubious… I wonder if her only goal is finding a man, or other self promotion. After all, she is getting a lot of press for herself, and that should be good for business. She’s a comedienne.
She claims that she has a background in marketing (as a copy writer)… and that’s why she started with wanting to put her message in front of the most eyeballs. And apparently, copy writers are not concerned about ROI. The Super Bowl is popular indeed, but you’re paying for that popularity, in a rather untargeted way. As a single New Yorker, wouldn’t she do better to place a commercial on CNBC? This channel targets people in the securities industry, of which a lot are New Yorkers, and a lot a men… I would also assume that a commercial on CNBC would cost less than $3 million. This would allow the same fund to buy multiple commercials, allowing her to repeat her message. However, arguably, there would be less press…
But then again, if she really manages to find “the one†on Super Bowl ad, it’d be an ROI of an uncalculatably good level. As a single girl myself, I don’t mind giving her site a little plug here. Best of luck, Amy.
Las Vegas: A Brand Mecca
I was in Vegas this past weekend… and it was FUN! And, no, I did not lose money… that’s because I did not gamble. You may ask then what DID I do in Vegas if not gamble. Well, I ate, a lot. I went out clubbing. And, I shopped – mostly window shopped… Today’s Vegas has really changed, you really could enjoy a great weekend without gambling.
This got me thinking about brands, and brand experiences.
First, let’s start with my hotel. I stayed at Trump International Tower and Hotel. It’s part hotel, part vacation home. In any case, it was TRUMP. It was gold and it was glittery. It was luxury. Everything you expect from Trump. Amongst my group, many appreciated the little touches such as the pool, the lilac scent that fills the lobby, the whirlpool tub, the built-in TV in the bathroom, etc.
The Pool at Trump Tower, Las Vegas, originally uploaded by ranmano.
Vegas is truly a blend of brands. We had brunch at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon. In this case, the chef is definitely the defining brand. He is about French bistro fare. Having been to French bistros in France, I think Keller’s restaurant is a success. Talk about a brand experience. Bouchon is about the atmosphere as much as it is about food. It transports a patron to France, in the middle of the desert, and not in the cheesy, over-the-top way Vegas is famous for.
Vin Rouges @ Bouchon, originally uploaded by cabayarea.
Then, there was the shopping. It reminded me of how many interesting retail shops are out there, and how many innovative products are out there!
Last post I wrote about Vosges, and of course, given the opportunity, I had to stop in. Once again, it was a divine experience. I walked away with a drinking chocolate, and introduced another friend to the “amazingness†of Vosges. Apparently, they have a factory in Chicago. Next time I go to Chicago, I’d make sure to make the Vosges factory a stop and report back.
Of course, amongst the shops are some of the best brands. Apple, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, DKNY, Roberto Cavalli, Michael Kors, etc. Vegas has became a Mecca for brands, and everyone tries to showcase their best.
Another brand came to play at this Mecca: Playboy. I was not able to stop by the Playboy club at the Palm, but I did stop in the Playboy store. I thought that store was great. It was filled with fun and sexy goods, what Playboy is about. More important was that it was today. Playboy as a brand had suffered from age, but this store does not show age at all. It was sexy in that hip and cool way. In other words, it was the sexy girl that you want to get to know because she seems cool, not that sexy girl who’s a little past her prime and is trying too hard. It’s a great step for Playboy.
Lastly, there is Vegas as a brand. Not too long ago, this post would have been about the glitter of Las Vegas. Or, it would had been about the crazy décor of the various casino. But, today, it is about the restaurants and the shops. Vegas as a brand is going through a transition, and people is interacting with this brand differently. However, it is always difficult to transform a known and trusted brand. It’d be interesting to see if the new Vegas brand would truly take hold, or if it will forever remain as Sin City.
Making the sale – bacon chocolate bars…
Last week has been all about food!
I started with attending a local food festival with my co-worker featuring locally owned restaurants, and then I hit a chocolate festival. And it is my theory that every food can be made better with cheese and chocolate… these two events reminded me of this theory
First, a most peculiar tasting experience happened at the local food festival… and I have tasted a lot of peculiar foods before… Chocolate covered bacon! It was weird. I do not recommend it.
But it did remind me of an execution of chocolate and bacon that I did enjoy… brought to us by Vosges.
Mo’s Bacon Bar, originally uploaded by Wananga.
“The Vosges Haut-Chocolat mission is to create a luxury chocolate experience rooted in a sensory journey of bringing about awareness to indigenous cultures through the exploration of spices, herbs, roots, flowers, fruits, nuts, chocolate and the obscure. We invite you to be aware and open to the many cultures, artists and theories of the world’s people, through the medium of chocolate. What better way to learn about a culture, person or object than through eating. If we can embrace the idea of trying something new such as the perplexing oddity of curry and chocolate, we just may come one step closer to bringing peace to the world through chocolate. One Love, One Chocolate.“Â http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/
I had always thought that this was a great idea. I was first introduced to it by a fellow foodie, who is known in our circle as the cupcake queen… her blog explains all (link provided below).
I have personally visited two Vosges Haut Chocolat boutiques by now. And I truly enjoyed the shopping experience. The store is set up, so it lures you in, like any other good boutiques. Inside, you have the opportunity to sample the chocolate, which allows you to fall in love with flavors that you may not have thought you’d like. Also, the sales associates are most helpful in encourage you to try new flavors. (Think wine sales associates)
Vosges Haute Chocolat, originally uploaded by JamesTaft.
But, how does Vosges fare outside its wonderful boutiques?
I have recently seen it at a local European food boutique (and Vosges is not European, it’s Chicagoan.) But European is not the trick here… “boutique†is…
Once again, it’s useful to compare Vosges to wine… Vosges is not two-buck chuck. It is boutique and unique. It’s for someone who is seeking an experience with its chocolate… and it needs to be distributed in places where these people shop. It is understand what you are as a product, and making yourself available to people seeking such product. So far, Vosges have been a huge success in that regard!
Speaking of the free samples at Vosges and making your products available… there was many free chocolate samples to be had at the Chocolate festival… (no, there weren’t any Vosges… The festival was more family-centric than foodie-centric).
But, what was interesting was that there was one booth that did not have any products to sell. All it had was samples. They referred you to the store if you were interested in purchasing. Sadly, it was the best chocolate available at that fair, and you were not able to take home any of it. So, what do people do? Take home chocolate from the next booth that was selling their goods…
Now, just as I raved about the shopping experience at Vosges before, I’m sure that the shopping experience at this chocolate shop would be amazing. However, giving free samples only at a venue that encourages sales seems to be missing a great opportunity for an immediate sale and building a consumer base… While free samples build good will, it is forgettable in a setting such as a food festival. However, if you allow people to bring the product home, it gives them another opportunity to evaluate your product. If you have a good product, this is how you turn a sampler into a loyal customer.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is once again make your product available where your consumers are! If you have consumers at a festival – make it available for them to buy! Otherwise, don’t waste money setting up a booth there. At the end of the day, no matter how good your product is, how great your shop is, it really doesn’t matter if there is not a sale at the end of the day…
Link – My friend’s blog: cupcakeproject.com
Jeannie Chan is a Brand Manager for a Fortune 500 consumer goods company. She considers herself a marketer, a traveler, and a foodie. Jeannie lives in NYC. 
