Archive for » 2009 «

03
Dec
Which is best? Who knows?
Jeannie Chan

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. For me, it was over all too fast.

While I was home, I had an interesting conversation with my mother. It was a very enlightening conversation – about marketing clutter, confusing marketing messages, etc.

Verizon launched an aggressive campaign against AT&T over 3G coverage. This solicited an equally aggressive response from AT&T. In fact, AT&T has been fighting it in the courtroom. It has been fighting it on the air. And it all just became clutter for the average consumer, like my mother.

The head-to-head comparisons were confusing. My mother actually said that she no longer know who to believe. Verizon says it’s the best. AT&T says it’s the best. So, which is the best?

We both paid better attention to the commercials the next time they aired. We realized that the comparisons were not exactly the same. That’s where the problem is with checklist comparisons.

Product A can pick attribute 1, 2, and 3. Then, they would say they’re the best, at least in these three attributes.

Product B would then pick attribute 4, 5, and 6. They would say they’re the best, according to these three different attributes.

Which is really the best? Who knows? Surely, the consumers wouldn’t.

A couple without cellphones is more connected than a couple *with* cellphones, originally uploaded by Ed Yourdon.

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28
Nov
Black Friday is over…?
Jeannie Chan

Black Friday is over. Or is it?

In this tough economy, retailers are doing everything they can to bring out as much holiday spirit as possible for as long as possible. By this, I mean they are doing everything they can to keep you spending as much as possible for as long as possible.

Sears and Target both are airing commercials highlighting that there are going to be deals all the time. Sears’ promo is particularly strong that Black Friday specials are available every Saturday from now till Christmas.

These commercials highlight how some retailers have adapted to the new normal. This does not apply only to retailers but to the business community in general. Over the last week, I was swamped at work for precisely this reason. I was working on a project that was something that we’d never considered in the golden days, but the golden days are history. The only thing that matters now is what we should be doing going forward.

Businesses are looking forward, not backward. They are no longer looking back thinking about the good old days, but aggressively getting their fair share, or more, in these much gloomier days.

Are you looking forward or looking backward?

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Best Buy #281 – The Night Before ‘Black Friday’, originally uploaded by Croixboy.

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Category: Promotion, Strategy / Tactics  Tags:  3 Comments
10
Nov
Christmas Costs Less
Jeannie Chan

The holiday season has definitely begun. Not being a religious person and not having any kids to buy toys for, this is a particularly annoying season.

However, this is also the season of some of the best ads. I’m sure I’ll be discussing a few over the next few weeks.

Today, I’d like to talk about the Wal-Mart ads: “Christmas Costs Less at Wal-Mart.”

I think these ads are great. Why? Because they reinforce Wal-Mart’s brand promise – costing less.

What I also really liked was that Wal-Mart knows who it’s talking to, and how to talk to them.

Wal-Mart is definitely not talking to me. But that’s okay, because I’m not Wal-Mart’s target consumer.

If Wal-Mart was talking to me, Wal-Mart would have been worried about being politically correct. But, these ads do not care about being politically correct. Wal-Mart’s target consumers are probably already fed up of being politically correct. They WANT to enjoy “Christmas”. They don’t want to call it “Holidays”. Wal-Mart wants to speak the same language as its core consumers.

But, doesn’t Wal-Mart worry about annoying the crowd?

No. It doesn’t.

Why not?

Because that’s what marketing is all about. Remember my series on Primal Branding? One of the major lessons in that was to know you’re talking to and to know what you stand for. You are not going to please everyone. But, you will connect with those you care most. And at the end of the day, that’s what matters!

Photo Credit: I’m sure my grandma had these, originally uploaded by Jo Naylor ~the book is out!!~.

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