Archive for 2010

New Year. New You. Be Fascinating!

Posted at December 27, 2010 // Books

2010 is about to come to an end, and it’s a good time to take a moment to examine oneself and to set goals for the new year ahead. With that in mind, let’s talk about Sally Hogshead’s latest book Fascinate: Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation.

This book has been out for a few months now, and if you haven’t picked it up. Do so now. This book is about Sally’s research into the seven triggers that have fascinated us. As marketers, we have taken full advantage of these triggers. For example, we all know sex sells. Well, lust is one of the seven triggers. The others are power, trust, mystique, vice, and alarm. I think as we think through the seven triggers, we can immediately concur up different brand messages. Volvo uses trust. Godiva uses lust. Fedex uses alarm. Apple Computers uses several triggers, most notably prestige and power. Triggers help companies sell products off shelves, persuade shareholders to invest, and convince key employees to stay.

Of course, brand messages don’t just apply to goods or companies. Brand messages apply to people as well. Every day, intentionally or not, you’re using fascination triggers to persuade people at work and home. Whether you’re pitching a new client, or inviting a friend to lunch, or lulling a cranky toddler to sleep, you’re using triggers to elicit a certain response. Sally has designed an online test to help you find out your own fascinate triggers! So, check out her website and find out your own brand personality. Use this information to design the new you in 2011!

Sneak Peak: From the aggregate test results, the most commonly employed trigger is Lust. Apparently, many do buy into the sex sells message. But Lust isn’t just about sex, and there are many far more subtle ways to leverage lust into your brand message positively. Here is Sally’s video with more about Lust:

Happy New Year!

America’s Sweethearts selling products

Posted at December 10, 2010 // Advertising, Promotion, Strategy / Tactics

Okay, one of my guilty pleasures are reality TV shows. Of which, one of my favorites is the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. I think it’s fun to see the trials and tribulations these girls have to go through trying to make the team. I’ve watched the show since its first seasons, and it’s fun to see my girls from the first season now a veteran dancing superstar now.

Another interesting evolution that I’ve observed is how the DCC organization has leveraged this show. The first season was reality shows in its purest form. It was really about making the team. Then, as the years progress, the process of making the team is reprioritized and slowing the show evolved to a celebration of the organization. It’s a necessary evolution, because how many times can you watch the same critiques “you’re not dancing right” year after year. Another change I’ve observed is how the DCC organization has leveraged this show for product placement.

A few seasons ago, they fit in quite seamlessly a lot of airtime around physical training. This lead to a brand extension into exercise videos. The videos got some prominent mentions throughout the show. This year, the show highlighted more than ever life as a cheerleader after making the team. They celebrated these girls as brand ambassadors. They celebrated these girls as dancers. They celebrated these girls as performers. They celebrated these girls as athletes. They celebrated these girls as models.

Noting that the show airs during football season, it was the ideal time to showcase the cheerleaders as models. Why? They have a calendar! This season dedicated a fair amount of airtime toward the making of the swimsuit calendar. Well, the year is ending, and a new year is about to begin. We all buy calendars, why not buy one featuring these America’s Sweethearts you’ve seen on TV and have grown to adore?

Ahh, product placement, made-to-order TV shows, show sponsorships, etc. are not the future of TV advertising. They are indeed the present.

Photo credit: Matthew Blake

A Timeline of Product Placement in Film and TV (clicker.com)

Tags : Product placement, Reality television, Television advertisement

Food for Thought: Tiny Walmarts

Posted at December 1, 2010 // Retail

The news that was going through the wires over Thanksgiving was Walmart’s plan to open its first pharmacy. It is Walmart’s plan to continue to experiment with new store formats. This gave me a reminder to continue my Food for Thoughts Series.

At first, Walmart went big with the SuperCenters. Now, Walmart is going smaller and smaller in order to expand to new markets. The first attempt was the Walmart Neighborhood Market. It was a grocery store, not a general merchandise store, without all the ugliness of the general merchandise store either. The clean floor, the wide open space, natural lighting and high ceilings all made for an enjoyable shopping experience — all at a Walmart price, of course.

I had a very poor quality recording device with me at my visit, but I think you can still get a sense of the shopping experience. It is a real threat to the Kroger nearby.