text:
Our Last & Final Post: The Future Of Marketing – It's Already Here
"The next station stop will be our last and final!" the train conductor cries out, using the redundant terms to ensure that any remaining passengers understand the gravity of the situation. For similar effect, we use the same phrasing in today's headline. We've had plenty of "last" posts before, but never a "final."
Our parting thoughts end up much longer than a typical blog post, rather like an essay. This will be certain to give us a lock on the Guinness Record for "the blog with the all-time highest bounce rate."
It's a coincidence of timing that our topic is about the future. Yes, it is a new year, perfect for "Five Predictions for Marketing in 2014." We're here to tell you, however, that train of thought is bullsh*t on a stick. Because we've seen the future, and it looks like the past. 2014, 2015, 2016 and on; each looking pretty much the same.
With a nod to Thomas Friedman, we call our theme "The Future Is Flat."
This runs 180-degrees counter to every other marketing article and blog post, of course. By design, in order to drive clicks and reads and shares, they must be extremist. Such and such old-school marketing thingie IS DYING. Such and such media channel IS DEAD. Conducting some marketing activity via such and such old-school process IS OVER. This is THE YEAR of such and such (Happy 8th Birthday, by the way, to "The Year of Mobile"). Do such and such new thing OR DIE. OR PERISH.
Yet, here Marketing is, in early 2014, looking pretty much like it did in early 2004. Sure, there are a couple of new form factors for digital media devices. And some pretty sexy labels to tart up stuff that already existed (see, for example, Big Data). But, fundamentally, not much has changed. Marketing is still focused on influencing customer attitude and behavior. It really hasn't become more complicated than that.
Not much has really "died" in the past ten years, and not much will in the next ten, with the exception of a ton of digital start-ups. Yet, what has continued to amaze us throughout it all is the way marketing professionals have sponged up all the extremist guidance, paid good money to learn it, and invested countless hours to implement it.
Yet the common truth wins out. Not the extremes.
Let's start from the customer perspective. Take the overwrought admonition that "consumers are now in control of your brand." They are armed with all-knowing, real-time data on their iThing and are gunning for you. They want the highest quality at the lowest price while demanding that you are 110% transparent and 150% socially responsible and 200% sustainable.
Meaning, as a marketer, you are now essentially helpless (except for what the author of such folderol is selling), and should simply drop your pants, bend over, and take what the consumer gives you.
Yet here are some common truths about your customers as reported by The New York Times in a recent article from its running series on "The Great Divide."
Nearly 40% of Americans between the ages of 25 and 60 will experience at least one year below the official poverty line
Only 10% of those in poverty live in extremely poor urban neighborhoods
Two-thirds of those below the poverty line are white
The U.S. poverty rate is approximately twice that of Europe's
Half of all American children will at some point reside in a household that uses food stamps
Remember those data when some a$$hole touts new research that says 84% of U.S. shoppers "showroom" inside Best Buy with a smartphone. Or this laughable, recent nugget from Pew Research, which claimed that nearly ONE-THIRD of U.S. Internet users have UPLOADED A VIDEO to some public place on the Web.
Next, let's turn to some of the DEAD or DYING old-school media channels.
Direct mail? Dead. Gone. To the proverbial waste basket in the sky.
But, wait. Here are some real data that the extremists conveniently ignore:
"Twenty percent of checking and savings direct mail in the first eight months of 2013 was from direct banks, compared to only 4% in 2012, reports Mintel Comperemedia…Five banks – Ally, Capital One's 360, Discover, State Farm and USAA – were largely responsible for the growth…"
Get the irony? Direct banks are ONLINE-ONLY banks. But they are using DIRECT POSTAL MAIL to acquire new customers.
How about television? And the 30-second TV commercials long scorned by the digerati? Dead. Gone. To the proverbial cord-cutting bin in the sky.
But, wait. Those extremists would have to ignore record-setting viewership for [fill in the blank] original cable series. For movie and music awards shows. For sports.
To wit: the NHL had record viewership of the New Year's Day Winter Classic game. This year's NFL Sunday Night games trounced last year's viewer numbers. (Just to show that it couldn't care less about the so-called legion of TV cord cutters, the NFL just announced it would allow FREE LIVE STREAMING to any device for the third consecutive Super Bowl.)
[How ironic, also, that the same numb nuts who decry 30-second TV spots are the same people who boast that this will be the year of ONLINE VIDEO ADVERTISING – i.e., the same 30-second TV spots now shown intrusively and unavoidably right before a 32-second Weather Channel video of a guy getting hit by lightning.]
One more thing, while we are on the topic of online video (and the death of linear TV). If the future's so bright, then how come the online music streaming company Rdio (yep, that's how they spell it) just SHUT DOWN its on-demand pay-as-you-view video streaming service Vdio (ditto) before it could even get out of beta? We're still waiting for the day that the SEC requires Google to split out YouTube's financials.
Next, how about the extremists who recommend single-channel strategies? Last year saw the birth of the "Mobile First" nut jobs – i.e., develop your marketing strategy with smartphone and tablet interaction at the core. How f&cking stupid must they feel when they are faced with some real data like this?
"In March 2013, Adobe released its analysis of Web traffic to more than 1000 sites and found that 84% of all traffic came from users on DESKTOP or LAPTOP computers, 8% from tablets, and 7% from smartphones."
Or this?
"StatCounter, which tracks visits to websites via ad network data, found that desktop usage still dominates, at 76% [of traffic sources]."
We are astounded that people actually pay hundreds of dollars to attend two-day conferences, hear this groundless "mobile first" nonsense, and don't rise up as one and slay the person on stage.
Back to the topic of brands for a moment. How we still love these dopey annual surveys of the best brands, eh? Here's a recent one that slipped under the radar from a communications agency with the awful brand name of APCO. The firm used its "proprietary Emotional Linking model" to determine that among "The Most Loved" brands was Yahoo at #2.
We will repeat that. According to APCO's customer research, Yahoo is the second most-loved brand in the world. A brand that accomplished a rare feat in 2013 – every single thing it did to improve the user experience was met with user blowback.
The invasive Google came in at #3. Sony, which is about a dozen yen from collapse, came in at #4. Apple, a perennial winner in many other brand rankings, ranked only as high as ninth, just nosing out...Lowe's. That's right, an imposing warehouse for wanna-be DIYers is the 10th most-loved brand in the world.
Coca-Cola, which has spent over $600 trillion on a global "happiness" social media campaign, could only reach #14.
At least the poll got #1 right. If all any marketer did was track what the Disney brand does day in and day out, he or she would be 1000% better by the end of the first week.
We end this diatribe from the agency perspective. Since 2004, we've been inundated with extremist "agency of the future" predictions, none of which have come to be. Part 1 has been the notion that the old fee structure will change, that clients will "soon" adopt a pay for performance compensation model. Never has, never will.
Part 2 is more interesting, the extremist prediction that digital agencies will win the race and become the long-awaited "one-stop shops" that clients (apparently) have been seeking like the Holy Grail. Yet, time and again we see stories like this very recent client-agency win announcement:
"Security company ADT Corp. has selected Arnold Worldwide for creative ad brand strategy duties and SapientNitro for digital chores after concurrent reviews…[earlier] MediaCom had been selected to handle media planning and buying…"
And even when it appears digital wins it all, one needs to read between the lines:
"WPP agency VML, known primarily as a digital shop, has been awarded creative agency of record duties for NAPA Auto Parts…The scope of work includes both analog and digital chores…VML will be responsible for all national creative duties for the client, including TV, radio, print, sponsorship activation and digital."
Just how do you suppose a shop stacked to the ceiling with digital talent will accomplish the TV, radio, print and sponsorship tasks? By bringing in a bunch of freelancers. VML will need to rent out new space to accommodate them all. And when the NAPA work is done, the freelancers will be cut, um, free.
We have railed on and on here, since 2008, in a vain attempt to tell you to ignore the extremist predictions; to knuckle down on the right way to cover off on marketing fundamentals like customer research, segmentation, positioning, and performance measurement. What better way to sum it up than through the words of Blaise Pascal, the 17th century scientist turned philosopher:
"A man does not show his greatness by being at one extremity, but rather by touching both at once."
Posted on January 07, 2014 at 03:12 PM in Brand Strategy, Channel Strategy, Digital Strategy, Direct Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Television | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
JCP: A Penney For Your Logo
Another day, another story about a logo change. Except this time there is a (slightly) happy ending.
Of the many changes Ron Johnson made during his disastrous sojourn at the helm of J.C. Penney, a transformed logo seems minor. Yet the fact that the company has changed the logo back suggests an important learning about brand strategy.
Changing the logo to the initials "JCP," putting the letters in a small box, and putting that box in the corner of a hollowed-out square was part and parcel of the never-ending desire to "modernize" and "update" and "refresh" a brand (in layman's terms = "f&ck with"). The latest trend has been to go all acronym or initials, like we told you in our post about NBC Sports Network, which became – * drumroll * – NBCSN.
We blame it all on Computer Associates, circa 2006. In an attempt to distance the brand from a sordid past of scandals, the company became "CA." When its brand awareness sank like a rock, months later it became "CA, Inc." (*tries not to laugh out loud*)
Finally, in 2010, with brand awareness still in free fall, the company settled on "CA Technologies." None of the other name changers seemed to take heed, and the initials continued to pile up. "JCP" among them.
It might work for technology companies (think IBM and HP), but no one ever said "Hey Mom, let's go shopping at JCP." The shorthand or nickname was, of course, "Let's go to Penney's."
Looking back, it makes sense that Johnson and team would strip Penney's out of the logo. After all, they neutered the entire J.C. Penney brand – the offerings, the essence, the experience.
Which is why it's also an important first step to bring "Penney" back. To signify to prior customers that the brand they knew and loved is coming back (or trying to, at least).
Two interesting points to finish off this lesson on branding. For some strange reason, the chap at BrandAdvisors, the agency that neutered, er, created the "JCP" logo, felt compelled to defend himself in a recent posting on Ad Age. For instance, in the article he illustrates how "JCP" stands out among eight other retailers' logos.
It is damning evidence, however, because not a single one of them "initializes" – i.e., hides – its brand name. (Unless being wrong is now accepted as a way to "stand out.")
Secondly, he then throws mud at the reverted logo – that's right, the change back to "JCPenney" – by saying this:
"Unfortunately, it's going to take far more than reinstating the old logo to right the ship of J.C. Penney…"
True. But with "JCPenney," we can now at least identify which ship needs righting.
Posted on October 23, 2013 at 11:44 AM in Brand Strategy, Marketing Strategy | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
A Brave Way For Dan Snyder To Rename His Washington Redskins
If he ever decides to give in to the pleadings of politically-correct-come-lately hacks and shills like Bob Costas, Dan Snyder has an easy way to "rebrand" his Washington Redskins.
He can simply follow his own logic from the (overly long) letter he wrote to Redskins fans last week. Key excerpts follow:
I still remember my first Redskins game…being struck by the enormity of the stadium and the passion of the fans all around me.
That tradition -- the song, the cheer -- it mattered so much to me as a child, and I know it matters to every other Redskins fan…
Our past isn't just where we came from -- it's who we are.
So far, so good. The best brands are built on what Snyder describes above – deeply felt, rewarding experiences.
But then, he loses that train of thought, and goes where so many marketers and brand managers go – to the identity; not the brand, but the brand name:
The [Redskins] name was never a label. It was, and continues to be, a badge of honor.
…I respect the feelings of those who are offended by the team name. But I hope such individuals also try to respect what the name means…
Washington Redskins is more than a name…It is a symbol of everything we stand for: strength, courage, pride, and respect…
Name. Label. Badge. Symbol. Whatever you call it, it is simply a device to identify the experience. If the experience is strong enough, it will survive an "identity crisis."
So where was Snyder's new name for the Redskins? In this passage:
…our team began 81 years ago -- in 1932 -- with the name "Boston Braves." The following year, the franchise name was changed to the "Boston Redskins."
Your past is who you are, so just in case Costas et al. win this specious argument, keep "Washington Brave" in your hip pocket, Dan.
Leave the "s" off for "singular."
Posted on October 17, 2013 at 01:39 AM in Brand Strategy, Customer Experience | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Southwest's New Flight Plan: Brand Positioning Versus Brand Essence
Before brands can employ SIXTEEN DIFFERENT WAYS of "sharing", they need a solid foundation on which to stand. If you want to make some self-minted digital marketing "guru" speechless, ask him or her "what makes a brand strong?" Then go for the kill by asking "what is the difference between brand positioning and brand essence?"
Let's illustrate this with a real case study (instead of some bullsh*t post titled "5 Ways To Build A Brand").
Let's look at a fun, scrappy airline with a quirky founder. Nope, sorry kids, not Richard Branson. Instead, a profitable airline, Southwest Airlines, and its resident nutjob, Herb Kelleher.
It isn't always a recipe for success, but sometimes the personality of a founder/CEO becomes the personality of the brand. And that's how it was for much of the business lifespan of Southwest. Kelleher implemented dozens of ideas that the larger airlines would scoff at. Some are legend, such as flight attendants leading passengers in sing-a-long.
Thus, Southwest Airline's brand essence, its brand personality, was consistent and easy to define – straightforward, yet quirky and fun. Just like Herb Kelleher.
Combine that with the airline's efficiency which ensured lowest cost, and Southwest communicated its "product/service" as a fun, low-cost experience. Example: the "You're Free To Move About The Country" campaign. An excellent brand positioning, because it made you forget how awful the flying experience really was (no seat assignments, no first class, etc.).
Slowly but surely, the strong brand became a strong business. Most people are always surprised to hear the factoid that Southwest carries the most domestic passengers of any airline. Surprise was also the result when shopping for low-priced tickets in the past several years – all of a sudden, Southwest wasn't really the low-cost airline anymore.
Which takes us to the present day. Southwest needed to change its brand positioning, to communicate a new value for the flyer, and new differentiation from the competition. That led to the newly launched "Welcome Aboard" campaign.
Targeted not at leisure travelers only as in the past, but at business flyers too. The message focuses on Southwest's size – the largest U.S. airline – and its constant striving for improvement – "we never stop looking for a better way." The latter comes through in much the same way United has gone with its new campaign, with a focus on onboard technology (WiFi, etc.).
So where did the fun go? Has the brand essence for Southwest also changed?
No. Here is a quote from a typically overly long article about the new Southwest ad campaign from The New York Times Stuart Elliott:
"People enjoy the humor on board, and that we don't want to change," Bob Jordan, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Southwest…"our advertising in the past, while it's been effective, has been one-dimensional…[our new campaign] will continue to celebrate our customers and our employees."
The brand essence is akin to your own personality – it doesn't change. Kudos to Southwest for being able to make it such a large part of its communications – its brand positioning – all these years. But times change, and therefore positioning must also.
A leopard can – must – change its spots.
Posted on October 10, 2013 at 10:01 AM in Brand Strategy, Messaging/Positioning | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Hidden Meanings In United's Friendly Skies
First, let us admit we got this one wrong. We thought back in late 2011 that McGarry Bowen (or mcgarrybowen as the agency likes to be titled) would take a year to overhaul what was then a mixed bag of United and Continental branding, and launch a new "united" brand.
Instead it took two years to replicate United's beyond famous, 20-years-duration tagline and take Rhapsody In Blue to new heights, if you will.
Critics were quick to call it a lazy move, and then jump on the obvious – all that "friendliness" takes place in the front of the plane. Even the WiFi available in coach has an elitist appeal, coming with a surcharge.
We say, who cares? It's called targeting, and the new campaign targets the United fliers who bring in 80% of its profits.
There are two much more important things no one seems to notice.
Continental = Waldo
Except for the plane's tail and the current brand logo, the merged Continental has been relegated to the proverbial overhead bin. (The logo will be an easy fix – in a few months, just Photoshop out the Continental "globe." The tail painting, however, will prove to have been an expensive, and wrong, interim decision back in early 2011.)
This shows what happens to a good business that has a weak brand. Continental was a well-run airline, treasured by its loyal fliers. But its limited national scope and "workaday" image had no chance of being an equal with the United brand. Kudos to the McGarry guy or gal who convinced United Continental management to do it now.
To its credit, though, Continental's gravestone will state "At least we got rid of that ugly United tulip logo thingy."
Friendly Things, Not Friendly People
The user-friendly/flyer-friendly emphasis in the new United brand campaign is on leg room, in-seat video technology, lie-flat beds, etc. – material comforts. Except for two or three token and unashamedly sexist seconds of big-boobed models, er, flight attendants, walking up the aisle with pillows and champagne flutes, there is zero emphasis on friendly people.
Again, kudos to mcgarrybowen. The agency nailed the most prevalent cultural trends, making them seem like something to celebrate rather than bemoan.
We are infatuated with "things," especially if they are digital, and double especially if they present themselves on a small screen.
We want more physical separation from those around us.
We would rather – f*ck, we would pay for the privilege to – be connected digitally to the world versus looking out the window at nature or conversing with the person in the next seat.
And so, just like Continental, the discussion of what was once known as "customer service" has been swept under the carpet. Rightly so.
The new normal of friendly, well known on the ground, now exquisitely illustrated in the skies.
Posted on September 25, 2013 at 12:14 PM in Brand Strategy, Customer Experience, Customer Segmentation/Targeting | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Men's Wearhouse Going No Wear
One of the biggest business stories that broke during our summer hiatus was the throwing of George (I'm not the guy with the gun in Florida!) Zimmer under the Men's Wearhouse bus by the company's board. Who then proceeded to stop, back up, and run over George three more times.
Long-time Lairig Marketing readers will recall that we tipped you off to the genesis of Men's Wearhouse management troubles way back in June of 2010 with this post about a new CMO and a disastrous new ad campaign. The ad was pulled ASAP, and the CMO was eventually let go.
But everyone on the board, other than Sir George, couldn't "let go" of the obsession with Millenials. A curious target, given how unemployed, broke, and hipster-clothed they are. It must have made for a Curious George, too. He stood alone, knowing his brand could never stretch that far.
But the Men's Wearhouse board decided to go all in on Millenials. So?
So, the Men's Wearhouse just reported a bleak outlook for the rest of its fiscal year, blaming – as most poor managers do – the economy, calendar "timing shifts," even the "13" in 2013, a la "…the 13 in 2013 is causing a small but meaningful number of brides to avoid getting married this year."
Oh, and we can't resist: "[one-time charges included] some separation and legal costs associated with a former executive." Wonder who dat be?
And how's this for a macroeconomic view: "we've been through these kinds of turbulent times before…" What "turbulence"? The U.S. economy is as flat as a pancake thrown under a bus.
The other thing as flat as a pancake is the comp-store sales trend in the core Men's Wearhouse business. Falling to a mere increase of 0.7% for Q2, management estimates that comps have started a decline in the "low single digits" already for the newest fiscal quarter.
"…recent sales trends in both Canada and the U.S. have led us to be less optimistic about the remainder of the year. We see that many other retailers, both large and small, are also predicting a difficult second half." So, in essence, "f&ck it, we will too."
Instead, we wish everyone involved would just cut to the chase. Rebrand the core retail stores with the name of the newly acquired and soon to be vertically integrated Joseph Abboud. Come up with a new name for the tuxedo and corporate apparel operations. And sell the Men's Wearhouse name back to George Zimmer.
If you really want to guarantee a better future, let go of some of your past.
Posted on September 13, 2013 at 01:31 PM in Brand Strategy, Customer Segmentation/Targeting, Economy | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
NBC To Change All Network Brand Names To Acronyms
NBC Sports Network has announced that it is "evolving" its brand identity to the acronym "NBCSN." Accordingly, NBC Sports Network will increasingly be referred to by commentators, and within on-screen graphics, as NBCSN. Viewers will see and hear NBCSN with greater frequency across all NBC Sports Group platforms and marketing initiatives in the months leading up to the 2014 Sochi Olympics in February.
According to John Miller, CMO, NBC Sport Group: "We're ready to show how little we know about branding by undertaking this unnecessary change. In addition, we know that we are throwing away two years' of hard work getting viewers to recognize we were no longer the "Versus" channel. And, honestly, without the luck of a strike-shortened NHL season with record-breaking viewership, who knows where we'd be right now?!?! But, hey, calling a company or a TV network by using only initials is. All. The. Rage. ATR, if you will."
Asked for more detail, Miller said: "This is a natural evolution from the longer channel name to the acronym, as NBCSN is streamlined visually and a faster read."
Told that the difference in "faster read" goes from six syllables to just five, Miller remarked, "Hey, in sports that would be a one-run victory! Doesn't matter if the final score is 1 to 0, or 9 to 8 !!!"
As to "streamlined visual," when asked what the meaning of the stand-out, scripted letter "S" in the new logo represents, Miller said: "I don't know. Anyways, we are going to use that cool dissolve thing where the old logo turns into the new logo right before the viewers' eyes, so they just need to see that it is different. Who cares if they get any meaning out of it???"
In response to a query as to why Al Michaels did not refer to the network as "NBCSN" during the Giants-Cowboys game on Sunday night, an NBC spokesperson replied, "That old git? It's enough he can remember his own name!"
NBC Corporate Marketing issued an accompanying announcement that within a few weeks the following name changes would take place:
- NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams will become "NBCNN w/BW"
- The Today Show will become "NBCTS w/ML w/o AC"
Asked for detail on these upcoming changes, NBC's Corporate Marketing VP said, "This is the first I've heard about it. I was at a Big Data conference all last week. OMG. TMI. LOL. TTYL !!!"
Posted on September 09, 2013 at 01:10 PM in Brand Strategy, Customer Experience, Marketing Strategy, Television | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
It's Not The Microsoft CEO Stupid. It's The Marketing.
Long-time Lairig Marketing readers will recall that way back in late 2010 we made predictions for each month of 2011. For November 2011 we anticipated:
"The business press can't keep up with the rash of stories about CEOs being dismissed, including one sweaty bald guy out west."
We were, as usual, two years early. Steve Ballmer's "bonus" CEO time is Exhibit A of Microsoft's board-level dysfunction. How is it possible that there has been absolutely zero succession planning in Redmond all this time?
Speculation abounds about the next Microsoft CEO. Internal or external? Young or old? Tech or nontech?
None of that matters.
What's needed is a senior executive who can eliminate the "douche chills" of Microsoft's branding and marketing.
Like Ballmer himself, Microsoft's brand and product messaging has always been about being louder and longer, and always off from the real customer need by about 47 degrees. Think about the effort for the now-defunct Zune. Microsoft came off the blocks trying to disparage the undisparageable Apple iPod.
Then, realizing how stupid that was, Zune messaging shifted to a benefit (sharing your entire playlist) that no one gave a rat's ass about. In typical Ballmer fashion, Zune's marketing kept hammering and hammering away at this single focus.
Think also about the Bing introductory TV campaign. A loud, messy mélange. Sixty seconds of complete non-resonance.
Think also about the Surface tablet multimillion-dollar TV campaign. A slightly aged and derivative High School Musical – targeting the user base that Apple had already conquered. Leading to another billion-dollar write-off for MSFT.
And just for grins, think about the douche chills created with the Bill Gates/Jerry Seinfeld TV spots. If you ever need to illustrate what "WTF" means to someone, use these as examples.
Steve Jobs himself could not turn Microsoft around (unless his first act was to chop the company up into a minimum of five pieces, four of which should be immediately sold to some other company to manage). But what Microsoft's next CEO needs is one unique attribute of Jobs – the ability to understand the most important customer needs, and how to effectively connect branding and marketing messages to them.
In other words, the next Microsoft CEO needs to be chill, without the douche part.
Posted on September 06, 2013 at 12:51 PM in Brand Strategy, Marketing Operations, Marketing Strategy, Messaging/Positioning | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
It's (NOT) The Economy Stupid. It's The Marketing. (Part 1 of 2)
As expected, the summer flew by with nary a mention by the marketing trade press of the sorry state of the U.S. economy, which – for four years now – fires on just a little over half its typical GDP "cylinders." Into the breach steps the larger business press, which has apparently uncovered a new "new new new normal."
>>> Consumers are no longer buying clothes so they can buy cars and home improvement items.
It started with Macy's, which in mid-August reported lower comp sales performance for its latest fiscal quarter thusly:
"We believe that much of our weakness is due to the health of the consumer and the fact that consumers seem to be choosing to make purchases in non-department store categories such as cars, housing and home improvement." [emphasis ours]
Target then picked up this theme a week later in its quarterly earnings call:
"And while emerging strength in housing and automotive sectors is a long-term positive, the near-term spending of these big ticket items is crowding out other spending." [again, emphasis ours]
On the heels of these heels came Citi analyst Deborah Weinswig, who termed the faux economic trend "C.H.E.A.P." – for cars, housing, e-commerce, appliances and home projects. No clothing or apparel in this set of purchases.
Then came the teen tsunami – Aeropostale, American Eagle, and Abercrombie all taking a sales nose dive in their recent fiscal quarters. Others were then thrown randomly onto the "no more clothes" pile – see Walmart and Kohl's, for example – simply for lowering year-end forecasts.
Yet, there was Gap. And T.J. Maxx. And Ann (the old Ann Taylor, rebranded as we told you here). And Guess (formally known as GUESS?). These companies didn't get Macy's memo. All sold clothes like they were, er, going out of style. Comp-sales percentage increases in the mid-single digits and higher.
They weren't "CHEAP"ed, because it doesn't exist.
Cars: U.S. auto sales have been on a steep climb since their last small trough in September, 2011
Housing: Sales of previously owned U.S. homes fell for the second straight month in July…that's some housing recovery, eh?
E-commerce: Nonstop growth since roughly 1994
Appliances: This category was the biggest underperformer in the most recent quarter for Sears, which has the leading (29%) share of U.S. appliance sales
Home Projects: We'd love to share Home Depot's and Lowe's enthusiasm for the sustenance of pent up demand, weather disasters, and Blackstone home flipping (note that 50% of homes purchased in the past 18 months have been paid for 100% with cash), but we think each will be guiding analysts back down later this year
So, if the economy is not "crowding out apparel sales," then what happened at Gap or Guess or Ann that didn't happen at Macy's?
Good marketing.
In Part 2 of this post tomorrow, we'll take you through the most recent earnings call transcripts of the apparel winners, as well as that of Macy's, to prove it.
Until then, realize that we still have the 1% versus the 99%. The 1% get how important marketing communications are. The other 99% blame someone or something else.
Posted on September 03, 2013 at 10:29 AM in Brand Strategy, Economy, Marketing Strategy | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Coke's Teen Marketing: A Meme Mash-up !
The LAST thing Coca-Cola corporate marketing folks want to be caught doing is advertising directly to teens, especially given the recent "authentic" (see: bullshit on a stick) obesity campaign: "Drink Sugar ! No, wait, don't ! Well, OK just don't get yourself fat !"
To that end, Coke recently announced a genius move. Take three dominant themes in marketing – gamification, branded content, and sharable user-generated content – mix them together, and do an end-run around industry watchdogs. To wit:
"Coca-Cola has launched its first all-digital campaign, dubbed 'The AHH Effect' on smartphones and tablets (and also via Ahh.com – ed.: how was THAT url not taken?!?!)…
"…seeks to involve teens through digital content, ranging from videos and GIFs (such as one of cats playing with empty Coke boxes) that are consumed in seconds, to games that engage them for longer periods…
"…Most important, it will be recruiting teens, through social networks, to create their own 'experiences' – with winners to be given their own 'AHH Effect' digital destinations."
Let us assess this mess.
You can count on one hand the brands that have had success with developing their own digital games, activity that people found engaging for more than two seconds. Yet, marketers are still being led to these roiling waters.
The obvious rationale is the insatiable appetite for games which, email aside, account for a majority of app time and smartphone time. But what marketers aren't told (or don't admit) is that the most popular games aren't low-cost "branded" nonsense, but professionally developed entertainment.
We'd love to see a teen "taste test" between an "Ahh" game and anything on Xbox.
We've been to the "UGC" well a bunch of times (see this post, for example). Suffice to say there is nothing Coke can offer here that is going to up the consumer's user-generated game, if you will, in terms of content that is (a) of high quality and, most importantly, (b) has f&ck all to do with the Coke brand.
Coca-Cola continues to drink from the "UGC = high-quality brand engagement" fountain (pun definitely intended).
What's missing from most (OK, all) discussions of branded content ("Marketing Meme of The Year" for 2012 AND 2013) is the notion of timing. Branded content that reaches consumers anytime and every time is nothing more than a grossly overengineered expanse of billboards, stretching as far as the eye can see. Impressions, impressions, impressions, with complete lack of regard for when consumers are contemplating a brand's product.
During the "Ahh" press conference, a company spokesperson said the aim was to position Coke as the "the ultimate in refreshment."
User-generated branded gamification content (phew!, that's a mouthful) seems to us an approach that will go opposite of Coke's desired direction.
Probably more Oohs than Ahhs.
Posted on May 13, 2013 at 01:40 PM in Brand Strategy, Content Marketing/Management, Digital Strategy | Permalink | TrackBack (0)


It's become a Guelph tradition! The Father's Day Ale Trail is back for another year. Join us to celebrate Father's Day and Ontario Craft Beer Week with a craft beer bus tour that departs from the Woolwich Arrow and includes stops at Royal City Brewing, StoneHammer Brewing, and Wellington Brewery. This event is a special way to say thanks to all the Father's out there while celebrating Guelph's vibrant craft beer culture!
Tickets: $30 (including tax). They are the perfect gift for Dad or any Craft Beer lover! Tickets are available exclusively at http://aletrail2016.eventbrite.ca while supplies last. This event will sell out, so you need to get advance tickets.


text:
Q: Пройтись по массивам и вывести в один массив результат...(обработка результата теста) Доброе утро. Помогите пожалуйста решить задачку. Есть опрос, после его прохождения в массив answers попадают его результаты:
const answers = ["1a", "2a", "3b", "4a", "5b", "6a", "7b", "8a", "9b", "10a", "11b", "12a", "13a", "14b", "15a", "16b", "17a", "18b", "19a", "20b"];

Необходимо пройти по 5 массивам в котором ответы к этому опросу:
const arr1 = ["1a", "3b", "6a", "10a", "11a", "13b", "16a", "20a"];
const arr2 = ["1b", "4a", "7b", "9a", "11b", "14a", "17b", "19a"];
const arr3 = ["2b", "5a", "9b", "10b", "12b","15a", "19b", "20b"];
const arr4 = ["3a", "5b", "7a", "8b", "13a", "15b", "17a", "18b"];
const arr5 = ["2a", "4b", "6b", "8a", "12a", "14b", "16b", "18a"];

И вывести один массив если значения в массиве answers совпадают со значениями ответов к опросу:
const result = [
    { id: 1, count: 4 },
    { id: 2, count: 4 },
    { id: 3, count: 3 },
    { id: 4, count: 4 },
    { id: 5, count: 5 },
  ];

т.е. если первый элемент массива answers (1b), есть в одном из массивов, в данном случае arr2, то увеличивает счётчик count в массиве result где id: 2 на + 1 и тд...

A: Вот один из способов.

const answers = ["1a", "2a", "3b", "4a", "5b", "6a", "7b", "8a", "9b", "10a", "11b", "12a", "13a", "14b", "15a", "16b", "17a", "18b", "19a", "20b"];

const checks = [{
  id: 1,
  answers: ["1a", "3b", "6a", "10a", "11a", "13b", "16a", "20a"]
}, {
  id: 2,
  answers: ["1b", "4a", "7b", "9a", "11b", "14a", "17b", "19a"]
}, {
  id: 3,
  answers: ["2b", "5a", "9b", "10b", "12b", "15a", "19b", "20b"]
}, {
  id: 4,
  answers: ["3a", "5b", "7a", "8b", "13a", "15b", "17a", "18b"]
}, {
  id: 5,
  answers: ["2a", "4b", "6b", "8a", "12a", "14b", "16b", "18a"]
}];

const result = checks.map(m => ({
  id: m.id,
  count: m.answers.filter(f => answers.indexOf(f) !== -1).length
}));

console.log(result);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Great Lakes Credit and Collection Association, we are fortunate to have one of the largest regional conferences in the country. Because of the size of the event, we are able to offer attendees a first rate educational experience.
We are pleased to report that another successful annual conference wrapped up last month. The GLCCA was thrilled to welcome a total of 104 attendees to the event on May 21-23 at Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan, Wisconsin.
The event included industry leaders and vendor partners from around the Midwest and beyond. It featured a variety of educational workshops, networking opportunities, and a first rate vendor expo where participants learned about the newest products and technology offerings. In addition, there were many opportunities to sit back and enjoy top notch entertainment.
"Keeping our members informed of the latest happenings in the industry is one of the primary jobs of the GLCCA." notes Irwin Bernstein, President of the GLCCA. In addition to keeping members apprised of current events within the debt collection industry, the event is a great way to network and collaborate with other agency owners and key industry decision makers. "We are stronger together," Bernstein indicates. "Collaborating with other debt collection professionals allows us to share best practices and offer advice to our colleagues. It often feels more like a family reunion as we reconnect face-to-face and catch-up on what has changed over the past year," he adds.
In the end, the GLCCA is here to be a resource for its members. "Our main objective is to make sure that agencies and other industry professionals have the tools they need to be successful," Bernstein concludes.


text:
Richard Harrison (ur. 26 maja 1936 w Salt Lake City) – amerykański aktor, scenarzysta, reżyser i producent filmowy, były fotomodel.

Życiorys

Wczesne lata
Urodzony w Salt Lake City, w stanie Utah, mając 17 lat wyjechał do Los Angeles, gdzie znalazł pracę w siłowni u trenera Victora "Vic" Tanny'ego i sali gimnastycznej u Bert Goodrich. Dorabiał także jako fotomodel w czasopismach kulturystycznych i sportowych.

Kariera
Pojawił się w produkcji scenicznej w Santa Monica. W 1957 roku zadebiutował na kinowym ekranie w filmie sensacyjnym Kronos z Barbarą Lawrence oraz dramacie biograficznym Jeanne Eagels, gdzie tytułową postać zagrała Kim Novak, a w pozostałych rolach wystąpili: Jeff Chandler (Sal Satori), Agnes Moorehead (Nellie Neilson), Virginia Grey (Elsie Desmond), Murray Hamilton (Chick O'Hara) i Gene Lockhart (prezes). Pracował w wytwórni Twentieth Century Fox pod opieką trenerki Sandy Meiser. Potem pojawił się w musicalu wojennym Południowy Pacyfik (1958) obok Toma Laughlina, Floyda Simmonsa, dramacie biograficznym Zbyt wiele, też wkrótce (Too Much, Too Soon) z Dorothy Malone i Errolem Flynnem oraz dramacie wojennym Bojowy płomień (Battle Flame, 1959) u boku Elaine Edwards i Roberta Blake'a.

Podczas kręcenia filmu Władca świata (Master of the World, 1961) poznał Jamesa H. Nicholsona, producenta naczelnego American International Pictures, i w obrębie sześciu miesięcy ożenił się z jego córką Lorettą. Mają trzech synów: Richarda, Sebastiana (ur. 28 września 1965) i Roberta.

Swoją pierwszą główną rolę zagrał we włoskiej produkcji Niezwyciężony gladiator (Il Gladiatore invincibile, 1961) jako Rezius. W końcu podpisał kontrakt filmowy ze studio American International Pictures, które na początku lat 60. XX wieku doprowadziła go do Włoch, gdzie pozostał przez prawie trzy dekady, występując w wielu filmach klasy B, szpiegowskich, euro war, z cyklu płaszcza i szpady i spaghetti westernach.

W połowie lat 70. pojawił się w kilku filmach nakręconych w Hongkongu, Tajwanie i na Filipinach. W latach 80., Harrison był zaangażowany do różnych produkcji filmowych klasy Z kręconych w Hongkongu. Rozczarowany, zdecydował się przejść na emeryturę i w 1987 r. wrócił do Stanów Zjednoczonych, po czym po występach w kilku filmach wycofał się z kina.

Wybrana filmografia

 1957: Kronos jako pilot
 1957: Jeanne Eagels jako kapral Hodgson
 1958: Południowy Pacyfik (South Pacific) jako zastępca pilota
 1958: Zbyt wiele, też wkrótce (Too Much, Too Soon) jako pływak
 1959: Bojowy płomień (Battle Flame) jako porucznik Wechsler
 1961: Władca świata (Master of the World) jako Alistair
 1961: Niezwyciężony gladiator (Il Gladiatore invincibile) jako Rezius
 1962: Śmierć mórz (Il giustiziere dei mari) jako David Robinson
 1962: Siedem gladiatorów (I sette gladiatori) jako Dariusz
 1963: Duello nel Texas (Pojedynek w Teksasie) jako Richard - Ricardo 'Gringo' Martinez
 1964: Smak zemsty (El Sabor de la venganza) jako Jeff Walker
 1964: Bunt gwardii pretorianów (Bunt pretorian) jako Velerio Rufo
 1964: Dwóch gladiatorów (I due gladiatori) jako Lucius Crassus
 1964: Giganci z Rzymu (I giganti di Roma) jako Claudius Marcellus
 1964: Ostatnio Gladiator (L'ultimo gladiatore) jako Glaucus
 1964: Trzech sierżantów z Bengalu (I tre sergenti del Bengala) jako sierżant Frankie Ross
 1965: Szpiedzy zabici w Bejrucie (Le spie uccidono a Beirut) jako Robert Fleming
 1965: 100.000 dolarów dla Ringo (Centomila dollari per Ringo) jako Lee 'Ringo' Barton
 1965: Góry Światła (La montagna di luce) jako Alan Foster
 1966: Na 077, wyzwaniem mordercy (A 077, sfida ai killers) jako Bob Fleming
 1966: Walka w świecie (Duello nel mondo) jako Fred Lester
 1967: Kobieta, seks i Superman (La donna, il sesso e il superuomo) jako Richard Werner / Karl Meyer
 1967: Mistrz skoku w służbie Jej Królewskiej Mości (Colpo maestro al servizio di Sua Maestà britannica) jako Arthur Lang
 1968: Nawet na Zachodzie nie było kiedyś Boga (Anche nel west c'era una volta Dio) jako ojciec Pat Jordan
 1968: Jeden po drugim (Uno dopo l'altro) jako Stan
 1970: Lamparty Churchilla (I Leopardi di Churchill) jako porucznik Richard Benson/porucznik Hans Müller
 1970: 'Kotku, kotku, kocham cię (Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You) jako Bohater
 1970: Wielebny kolt (Reverendo Colt) jako szeryf Donovan
 1971: Nazywali go królem (Lo chiamavano King) jako John 'Król' Marley
 1971: Szeryf z Rockspring (Lo sceriffo di Rockspring) jako szeryf
 1972: Jesse i Lester - dwaj bracia (Due fratelli) jako Jesse Smith
 1972: Zemsta ojca chrzestnego (L'Amico del padrino) jako Richard Maddock
 1977: Wściekły pies (La Belva col mitra) jako komandor Giulio Santini
 1980: Orgazm czarny (Orgasmo nero) jako Paul
 1985: Przyszedł mój brat (È arrivato mio fratello) jako Spinetti
1986: Ninja Terminator jako Ninja master Harry
 1986: Zabójcza siła komando (Three Men on Fire) jako lekarz
 1986: Śmiertelny pojedynek ninja (Diamond Ninja Force) jako Ninja Master Gordon
 1987: Złowieszcze nasienie (Evil Spawn) jako Max Adrian
 1987: Kobra kontra ninja (Cobra Vs. Ninja) jako Ninja
 1987: Operacja "Ninja" 3 (Ninja Operation: Licensed to Terminate) jako mistrz Ninja Gordon
 1988: Trudna misja (Dark Mission (Operación cocaína))
 1988: Operation Las Vegas jako Jefferson
 1995: Ostatni numer iluzjonisty (The Great Kandinsky)

Przypisy

Linki zewnętrzne

Amerykańscy aktorzy filmowi
Amerykańscy aktorzy teatralni
Amerykańscy reżyserzy
Amerykańscy producenci filmowi
Amerykańscy modele
Urodzeni w 1936
Amerykańscy aktorzy telewizyjni
Ludzie urodzeni w Salt Lake City

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Gathered Shoulder is reversible. Pleated shoulder is not reversible.
Arrives in a "loom state", it must be washed prior to use.
Initial Wash - Machine wash on cold with color safe detergent and tumble dry on low heat. Put a long sock over the rings to protect your dryer!