Merry Christmas from T-Mobile.

T-mobile suprises shoppers with a nice performance.

Enjoy

RT

The New Special Consumer

Marketers Skip the Crowd, Seek Out That One Special Consumer

From Honda to British Airways, Brands Make Unique Cases the Centerpiece of Their Promotional Efforts

By:

Rupal Parekh

Published: December 05, 2011

When a Bangor, Maine, car salesman alerted Honda bigwigs of a local man's attempt to drive his 1990 pale-blue Accord a record 1 million miles, the automaker felt it called for more than mailing him a coupon for a $1,000 rebate. So it chose to throw the owner, Joe LoCicero, a parade replete with a high school marching band, stilt-walkers and floats in the shape of an odometer. Airplanes even flew overhead with congratulatory banners. Suffice it to say it was a major affair in the small town of Saco, Maine -- one that took Honda and its agency, RPA, nine weeks to put together. That's quite a lot of time to devote to a single consumer. "It's hard to put the emotions into words," Mr. LoCicero, a soft-spoken 54-year-old who has lived in New England all his life and has been a car enthusiast since he was a teen, told Ad Age. "It was overwhelming. I had to watch the video to understand what happened that day, and the first couple of times my wife couldn't watch it without crying."

British Airways targeted consumers with a highly talked-about ad retelling the story of Shona Owen, a woman who was born on a BA flight in 1991.

This isn't the age-old marketing approach of tugging at the heartstrings with puppies or babies, or trying to suggest authenticity by casting employees in an ad campaign. It's not about crowdsourcing either, like when Doritos looks to the crowd to source a Super Bowl spot. No, the latest trend in marketing being practiced by Honda, British Airways and Kia is about bringing case studies to life, celebrating the experiences of one special consumer and making him or her the centerpiece of marketing.

Mr. LoCicero is stunned that his personal accomplishment became a cause for celebration, but he's also of the mind that his story benefits the Honda brand by "striking a more personal connection" when promoting the car's reliable attributes to consumers. It's an experience that is amplified by being shared: On Facebook, Honda fans cheered him to the finish line in the days before the Accord's odometer clicked over to 1 million. Once a video of the parade made its way onto YouTube, it garnered nearly 300,000 views, and he's received congratulatory notes from Korea, and some in Arabic and other foreign languages.

Consumers are relating to these approaches because they are genuine.

"We're living in a world of uncertainty where everyone is questioning whether the information we're getting is real or fake, be it from the financial world, or political leaders," said Heather Dupre, a founding partner at strategic branding firm Egg Strategy in Boulder, Colo. "Consumers are more adept at spotting fake hype. They know that actors and celebrity spokespeople are paid and scripted to promote brands, so focusing on a person who has had a real interaction with a brand is truthful and a smart strategy for a campaign," Ms. Dupre said.

At a time when the airline industry is maligned, British Airways used a similar approach this fall with its biggest ad launch in over a decade, which was created by Publicis Groupe-backed Bartle Bogle Hegarty.

BA struck a chord by highlighting experiences with individual fliers, with the most talked-about ad relaying the story of Shona Owen, a woman who was born on a 747 flight back in 1991. The print ad -- which BA shared on its Facebook page -- stressed how the airline, in honor of Ms. Owen's special status as one of few babies born in the air, gave Ms. Owen a first-class airline ticket to Australia for her 18th birthday.

Marketers benefit from this more-personal approach because it doesn't have to entail expensive TV buys but instead can largely be fueled by social media or experiential marketing. The big challenge is being fast enough to capitalize on opportunities when they arise.

Days before Kia's ad agency, California-based David & Goliath, was set to film the last part of a recent campaign, it got word of a couple who had set up an impressive light show at their home in time to LMFAO's hit song "Party Rock Anthem," which Kia's hamster mascots dance to in ads. A video of the light show became a sensation on YouTube, and D&G wanted to be a part of the buzz.

In short order, the agency rang the couple and asked if they could move the shooting of their video from a set to the pair's driveway. "The production became more complicated, but the rewards made it more than worth it," said Brian Dunbar, managing partner and director of client services at D&G. "We had to make decisions very, very quickly. And credit to our client, who got on board instantly. Smart advertisers are finding more innovative ways to involve consumers beyond the traditional testimonial."

Mr. Dunbar warns, however, that you aren't going to get a lift inherently just by featuring consumers -- it has to be a mutual benefit. "For [homeowner] Kevin Judd, it was a dream come true to have his favorite band perform in front of his house."

Said Ms. Dupre: "The brands and agencies that are most adept at spotting those opportunities and creating those experiences will be the ones that stand out to this generation of consumers. Know your consumer. Know where they are, what sorts of experiences they are having connected to the brand, and be able to connect at a moment's notice."

SOURCE: http://adage.com/

Dealer-Chic. Una nueva tendencia

A continuación les muestro el reporte que publicó el prestigiado sitio de TrendWatching en una nueva tendencia, que sin duda, dará de que hablar.

Espero la disfruten.

Rubén

DEALER CHIC

Por qué para los consumidores las ofertas se están tornando un modo de vida, cuando no una fuente de orgullo.

Fuente: thinkcvox

Tocamos el tema con anterioridad en PRICING PANDEMONIUM (EL PANDEMONIUM DEL PRECIO), pero está más que justificado un Trend Briefing completo sobre este fenómeno, poniendo foco no sólo a las numerosas de nuevas prácticas innovadoras que están siguiendo las marcas para hacer promociones y ofertas, sino también en cómo están cambiando las actitudes del consumidor ante los descuentos y las ofertas.

De hecho, la avalancha de ofertas disponibles actualmente para los consumidores no son un mero síntoma a corto plazo de la crisis financiera; DEALER-CHIC ha venido para quedarse:

DEALER-CHIC | A los consumidores siempre les ha encantado conseguir buenas ofertas o premios exclusivos, pero más que tener que ocultar el regateo, ahora nuestros colegas consumidores ven aceptable, cuando no admirable el hecho de conseguir las mejores ofertas. La caza de la oferta continuará siendo una parte esencial de las vidas de los consumidores, ya que se trata de algo más que ahorrar dinero: es la emoción, la búsqueda, el control, la inteligencia percibida, y por tanto la fuente de estatus también.

Eso sí, no estamos diciendo que todo el consumo estará dominado por bienes y servicios con descuento. Sin embargo, para consumidores preocupados por el estatus (véase: todos ellos ;-), conseguir lo máximo de los descuentos y las ofertas no está considerado ya engorroso o incluso avergonzante, sino simplemente inteligente.

De hecho, DEALER-CHIC es incluso otro ejemplo de los giros a largo plazo que se están sucediendo en el campo de consumo, donde consumidores ávidos tienen más de donde elegir, expectativas más elevadas, y más control, a la vez que los consumidores maduros tienen una relación mucho menos reverencial con las marcas.

Así que, aquí tienes tres razones por las que DEALER-CHIC se prevé que crezca cada vez más durante los próximos años:

1. MÁS POR MENOS: A la vez que muchas personas de economías desarrolladas es probable que tengan menos dinero para gastar ahora mismo, los consumidores de todos lados buscarán siempre experimentar más.


2. EL MEDIO ES LA MOTIVACIÓN: A los consumidores se les está urgiendo a usar, reusar y compartir ofertas y descuentos vía las nuevas (y por ello infinitamente más emocionantes y atractivas) tecnologías.


3. LO MEJOR DE LO MEJOR: Debido a la tecnología móvil instantánea o el acceso online a no sólo las ofertas sino también a valoraciones, los consumidores pueden estar ahora seguros de que están consiguiendo el mejor precio por el mejor producto o servicio.

¿Quieres leer más? Entra a: http://trendwatching.com/es/trends/dealerchic/

Hispanics Display Unique Mobile, Web Habits

October 18, 2011

US Hispanic adults 18 and older display mobile and internet habits notably different from the non-Hispanic and general adult populations, according to data released in October 2011 by the Prosper Insights Hispanic Insight Center. For example, almost 68% of Hispanic adults download mobile apps, 28% more than the 53% of non-Hispanic adults who download mobile apps.

In addition, 56% of all adults download mobile apps, meaning Hispanic adults are 21% more likely to do so.

Cable TV, Magazines Trigger Hispanic Search

When it comes to triggers for online search, Hispanic adults are much more likely to have their search behavior triggered by cable TV and magazines than non-Hispanic adults or the overall adult population. The leading online search trigger for Hispanic adults is magazines, used by almost 41% of Hispanics. This makes them 17% more likely than non-Hispanic adults (35%) and 14% more likely than overall adults (36%) to perform a magazine-driven online search.

In addition, 35% of Hispanic adults have online searches triggered by cable TV, 21% more than non-Hispanic adults (29%) and 13% more than overall adults (31%). Hispanics have similarly higher rates of online searches triggered by blogs, cell phone and email advertising. Their rates are significantly lower for the triggers of direct mail and reading an article.

Hispanics Blog More

Hispanics use blogs more frequently than other adults. About 15% of Hispanic adults read blogs regularly, 25% more than non-Hispanic adults (12%) and 15% more than overall adults (13%). Hispanic adults also maintain blogs (6%) at a rate 50% higher than non-Hispanic adults (4%) and 20% higher than overall adults (5%).

In addition, 6% of Hispanic adults post to blogs, compared to about 5% of both non-Hispanic and overall adults (roughly 20% more likely to post).

Other Findings

• 51% of Hispanic adults perform online research before shopping in a store regularly, 27.5% more than the 40% of non-Hispanic adults and 24% more than the 41% of overall adults who do so.


• 24% of Hispanic adults perform online search via cell phone, 71% more than 14% of non-Hispanic adults and 50% more than 12% of overall adults.


• Hispanic adults are much less likely than non-Hispanic adults to own a desktop computer but somewhat more likely to own a wireless laptop or netbook, Droid or iPad, and much more likely to own an iPod or iPhone.

Pew: Latinos Less Plugged In

US Latinos are less likely to access the internet, have a home broadband connection or own a cell phone than whites or blacks, according to an August 2011 study from the Pew Research Center Project for Excellence in Journalism. Data from “The State of the News Media 2011″ indicates that about two-thirds of Latino (65%) and African American (66%) adults went online in 2010, roughly 14% less than the 77% of white adults who did so.

Furthermore, only 45% of Latinos have broadband access at home, 13% less than the 52% of blacks and 31% less than the 65% of whites with home broadband access. Just more than three-quarters, 76%, of Latinos owned a cell phone in 2010, 4% less than the 79% of blacks 11% less than the 85% of whites who owned cell phones.

About the Data: Data was collected by BIGresearch in June 2011.

Resource: Marketing Charts. Retrieved from: http://www.marketingcharts.com/direct/hispanics-display-unique-mobile-web-habits-19706/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=mc&utm_medium=textlink

Walmart Goes Local on Facebook, Launches Store-Level Messaging

Poses No Threat to Circulars, Radio at This Time, Says CMO By: Jack Neff

Walmart is launching a Facebook app that customizes marketing for each of its nearly 3,600 U.S. stores, allowing tailored communications about local deals, events or limited-distribution products.

Eventually, Walmart also hopes to use the My Local Walmart app to grow its site-to-store e-commerce program and evolve it into an individualized marketing program, said Stephen Quinn, chief marketing officer for Walmart U.S., in a telephone press conference.

But for now, the focus is "to allow us to make our stores relevant locally at scale," he said.

He declined to disclose financial considerations or exactly how Walmart will promote the app, but he said it would likely draw on the giant retailer's traditional media mix, including in stores. He also said the partnership includes an unspecified amount of advertising with Facebook.

The deal brings together two of the biggest institutions in U.S. marketing -- Walmart, which gets about 150 million shoppers monthly, and Facebook, with 165 million U.S. users.

The overlap is huge, but it's centered on Walmart's 9.4 million Facebook fans. So, at least for now, Mr. Quinn doesn't foresee the app displacing circulars it distributes via newspapers or direct mail or the local radio advertising it does around such events as Halloween.

"Over time, I guess if it became a really huge scale effort, it might have that impact," Mr. Quinn said. "But right now it's not really impacting us in that way, because it's really an extension of what we ought to be doing anyway, which is paying attention to what customers want."

One reason Walmart wanted to get the app out before the holidays, Mr. Quinn said, is that it lets users download maps of their local stores to their smartphones to find Black Friday-discounted merchandise in the store.

Much of the information directed at local store shoppers will be based on data analysis by marketers and merchants at the retailer's Bentonville, Ark., headquarters, he said, but there will also be "a local override" that lets store managers customize content.

But the app will also allow Walmart to tailor marketing based on local weather events or such things as Nascar races and fishing tournaments, Mr. Quinn said. At least initially, such communications will come only about twice a week to avoid "bombarding" customers, he added.

"The unique thing here is that Walmart has taken it to another level," said Carolyn Everson, VP-global marketing solutions for Facebook. "They're not just having a local tab on their fan page where people can find their nearest retailer by putting in a ZIP code. There's actually going to be fundamentally different business being done and a different relationship at the local level because of being able to launch new products at the local level" or offering localized news about savings and events.

My Local Walmart won't permit what Ms. Everson called "frictionless open-graph sharing" of what people are shopping for or buying, a la Spotify data on who's listening to what that goes out over Facebook's new ticker. But Walmart does hope the app generates more "likes" of products to increase the viral effect of its fan base.

The announcement comes as Walmart Stores prepares for its annual analyst meeting Oct. 12 and the retailer seeks to end a series of nine straight quarters of declining same-store sales. But it stops short of what some Walmart watchers and analysts have openly called for -- a direct answer to the increasingly sophisticated database-driven shopper loyalty programs of many competitors.

"It will be very personalized" eventually, Mr. Quinn said of My Local Walmart. "Right now we're just focused on making it a very localized experience.

"Our customers have been asking for this," he said, adding that "loud and clear" Facebook feedback the past two years was among factors that recently led the retailer to reinstate layaway.

Source: AdAge.com http://adage.com/article/digital/walmart-local-facebook-store-level-messaging/230327/

Few Marketers Target U.S. Hispanics With Spanish-Language Facebook Fan Pages

Just 34 of 184 Brands Used Spanish; Latinum Network Offers Some Tips to Reach Latinos Online

By: Laurel Wentz Published: September 27, 2011

U.S. Hispanics are known to be avid consumers of social media, but few marketers are using Spanish-language Facebook fan pages to reach out to them. And marketers that do try to engage Hispanics online often make mistakes, ranging from simply repurposing Spanish-language content from other countries to allowing stale content to remain online indefinitely, according to business network Latinum.

Latinum, which helps brands reach Hispanics, looked at 184 different brands and found that only 34 had any kind of Spanish-language presence on Facebook, said Andy Hasselwander, VP-professional service and product development for Latinum. That's only 18%, and included Spanish-language pages from other countries, like a Heineken fan page from Mexico.

"We looked at Spanish-language fans vs. English-language fans, and there were 1.96 million Spanish-language fans and 106.4 million English language fans," he said. That's fewer than 2% as many Spanish-language Facebook fans as English-language ones.

"On Facebook there's a big opportunity to engage," he said. "For brands willing to put up Spanish-language Facebook pages, there's a huge payoff."

Some marketers are concerned that non-Spanish speakers will stumble upon their Spanish-language content on Facebook and set off a firestorm of complaints that people in the U.S. should use English. That happened to Best Buy when the consumer electronics marketer put up a Facebook page in Spanish a couple years ago. And just last month, when a post in Portuguese for Coca-Cola's Brazilian Facebook fans appeared briefly to Americans due to a technical glitch, the comment thread turned into a depressing hotbed of xenophobia.

"We get the backlash question a lot," Mr. Hasselwander said. When pressed, marketers concede that their general market sales haven't dropped as a result of posting a Spanish-language Facebook page.

Separately, Mr. Hasselwander looked at about 100 websites across 13 different product categories, and came up with some do's and don'ts for marketers trying to reach Spanish speakers online. His tips include:

Don't just import Spanish-language content from your websites in other countries, like Mexico or Spain.

Use human translators. "It was amazing how many machine translations we found," he said. And don't just translate content from a general market site without changing the images, too.

Aim for parity in content with the English-language site. "A Spanish-language site that's one-fifth as rich might [detract from the brand]," he said.

Have a URL strategy. While a packaged-goods marketer may have websites for different brands, an easy-to-remember multi-brand site could work better in Spanish. Kraft Foods has comidakraft.com, and General Mills' QueRicaVida.com includes recipes, videos and separate product sections for 16 different brands from Cheerios to Yoplait. "It's more affordable than creating in-culture sites for a bunch of different brands," he said.

Don't do partial translation, with some links in Spanish and some in English. And if there is a transition to English, such as contact details, make that clear with an option like a dialog box so the user can choose whether to switch languages.

Avoid stale content. Sometimes marketers want to do something Hispanic and decide 'Let's do a World Cup campaign' and that becomes their Spanish-language site for the next year. "Just take it down," he says.

Don't put a Spanish-language site up, then neglect to monitor it and engage with users. And avoid orphaned social media that lacks links and easy navigation.

Marketers are at various stage of figuring out their online Spanish-language media strategy.

Home-improvement chain Lowe's, for instance, finally launched a Spanish-language version of its website last month, but the link to Facebook is to an English-language fan page.

And Kmart, although lacking a Spanish-language website, is the first to work with Google to develop a Spanish-language video channel on YouTube. Kmart's eight-part web series, launched last month, is called "Madres y Comadres" and features two close friends who are Hispanic moms and their daily dilemmas.

"We know the challenges Hispanic women face today, and the cultural push-pull of trying to raise your children here," said Nydia Sahagun, Kmart's director of multicultural marketing.

In one of the most popular YouTube episodes, one mother is outraged that after she spent days slaving over labor-intensive tamales in her kitchen, her son traded his lunch for a school friend's tuna sandwich. In another episode, her young son decides he is too cool to be called by his given name, Rigoberto. In each episode, everyone is decked out in Kmart clothes and accessories, and some of the characters, including Rigoberto, appear in shoppable videos in which fashion expert Felix Mercado styles them in fall fashions from Kmart.

"This is one of the first projects we're doing," said Mark Lopez, who joined Google as head of U.S. Hispanic audience in November 2010. "We're providing a platform and community."

Procter & Gamble, the biggest advertiser to Hispanics, launched a bilingual website in mid-September aimed at Hispanic women with beauty and household tips and information about its brands. The site is called orgullosa.com, the Spanish word for "proud."

http://adage.com/article/hispanic-marketing/marketers-target-facebook-fan-pages-u-s-hispanics/230066/

10 Things To Know about Hispanic Shoppers

1. Hispanics are destination-shopping
Hispanics see shopping as entertainment and opportunity for family / friends time, "me time" and even date time with spouses. Different trips call for different experiences and companionship. Many stores have taken advantage of this opportunity to be a destination for social activity by adding cafes, lounges and bars.

When targeting Hispanics, the competitive set is not just other retailers and stores, but also destinations. By developing the overall store experience, retailers have an opportunity to increase time spent in store as well as store loyalty.

2. Variety is the spice of Hispanic shopping
Hispanics are not motivated to simplify their shopping routine. In grocery shopping, a minimum of five channels are used by shoppers.

Understanding what category associations the Hispanic shopper has with different stores creates new opportunities in distribution.

3. Personal map replaces "near my home"
For Hispanics, shopping is not an isolated event but rather a part of their busy daily routine. Knowledge and preference of stores are based more on proximity to daily activities than proximity to home.

The challenge is to evolve beyond zip codes and understand the Hispanic footprint and where they live their daily lives. This "personal map" opens the door to discovering and expanding the base of Hispanic targeted stores.

4. One shopper, four lists
Hispanics are making lists and any one shopper most likely has a number of different types of lists in their arsenal.

The four types of lists:

• Complete: family staples and add-ons, such as cereal and kids needs for school projects.

• Mental: routine shopping needs kept mentally, not written down, such as bread, eggs and milk.

• Recipe: created around the specifics for a recipe/occasion; usually complement a mental list.

• Eternal: the ever-evolving list of the things needed or wanted sometime, somewhere, depending on the availability, price, etc. Such as fresh nopales or other hard-to-find imports.

For brands, understanding trip mission and category helps understand which list you want to "get on" or "make" and where to start the conversation within the buying cycle.

5. Brands battle it out at the shelf
While-list making is important, the store shelf, where 70% of Hispanic purchasing decisions are made, is the last stand for swaying the brand purchase decision.

Key attributes, packaging and promotions are factors that influence the final decision. Being relevant to the Hispanic consumers' needs and preferences can win that battle from the shelf to the basket.

6. The emergence of digital in retail
The perfect storm is forming from the overwhelming numbers of Hispanics participating in the digital world and new digital retail activities. And while Hispanics under-index in coupon clipping, they are over-indexing in online and mobile application redemption.

Leveraging these opportunities with online, mobile and in-store applications is the next phase in connecting with Hispanic shoppers.

7. "Shopping" is limited to only planned trips
Hispanics have been under-reported in frequency of shopping trips, despite their high number of channel choices, enjoyment of experience and larger basket sizes. This disparity is because Hispanic shoppers define "shopping" differently. Shopping involves only the planned/routine trips, and doesn't include spontaneous trips, which are frequently made.

Understanding this small but important difference opens the door for creating moments of interception that encourage and recognize spontaneous shopping trips.

8. Private labels take the stage
Where 37% of Hispanic shoppers purchased more private label products in 2009, 25% plan to buy more this year. Private brands account for 31% of Hispanic household grocery basket; averaging $89 every two weeks out of a total of $267.

To the general market, private labels are seen as generic and recognized for their price benefits. For Hispanics, however, private labels are seen as store brands, placing a higher importance on the value they carry as a product from a trusted store. To take advantage, stores must leverage their store loyalty in promoting private labels.

9. Product attributes drive brand choice
The number one reason that Hispanics try out new brands/products is the quality of their ingredients. Hispanics are moved by attributes of "well-being" like real, natural and fresh. Additionally, Hispanics are becoming more aware and increasingly more educated on health issues, taking steps to manage these issues by looking for low-fat, low-sugar and low-calorie options.

Besides packaging, product cross-promotions and communications, highlighting well-being could make the difference in choosing one store or product over another.

10. Different definition for convenience
The convenience and drug store category is important for the Hispanic market; however, the Hispanic shopper defines the quick-trip benefit of convenience differently.

For the general market, convenience is based on the speed of the experience from location to transaction. For Hispanic consumers, it's about a good experience even at the c-store and drug store level. "Location convenience" is about how quickly they can get to the store so they have the time to find what they are looking for.

These fundamental differences change how we talk to consumers about the store experiences and product offers to better reach the Hispanic consumers' need for convenience.

Source: Media Post Publications.

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.printFriendly&art_aid=129105

You Know the Hispanic Consumer, but Do You Know Your Client?

We've Separated Ourselves From the Bigger Strategic Picture

By: Terry J. Soto Published: December 31, 1969


Recently, I presented one of the general sessions at the Hispanic Retail 360 Conference. My presentation was titled "The 4C's of Hispanic Market Retailing." I listened to two and a half days of interesting market insight presentations focused on the 50 million Hispanic market size, engagement, connection and relevant Hispanic market reach.

On the last day, I looked out at the audience and asked, "Has Hispanic marketing really advanced in the past 20 years? Or, does it feel like we're in a time warp? And more importantly, are companies really seeing the growth that matters most to their leadership?"

Sure, there are many more internal Hispanic experts inside the walls of corporate America. They all have the deep consumer insights. And, they certainly have the reach vehicles and a myriad of marketing properties from which to choose. And yet, Hispanic marketing spend remains an "expendable" expense representing only 1.2% of the $325 billion spent on advertising.

Could it be that Hispanic marketing is still managed as an afterthought? Could it be that corporate America still makes minimal efforts to organize internally to define "the how" of aligning back and front end operations to capture Hispanics' contribution across their stated growth platforms? Could it be that Hispanic marketing is still driven by an industry which has an almost exclusively external marketing focus?

We talk endlessly about the Hispanic market's size, its language preferences, the deep and multi-segmented insights, the culture and the "right media spend," whatever that means. And we continue to live in a Hispanic marketing world of soccer sponsorships, celebrities, concerts and festivals, media properties, in-language and in-culture creative and a host of other above- and below-the-line investments, many of which seldom tie back to corporate growth platforms.

Let's face it; internally and externally, we aren't doing a good job of thinking and talking business first and marketing second. We complain about not being invited to sit at the "adult strategy table" to participate in the big conversations, but have yet to elevate "our talk" to the required levels -- the levels that track with industry threats and big-picture direction setting. And we aren't having the conversations about using our deep market insights to help organizations become ready to leverage company assets to their fullest potential.

As a result, we perpetuate a view of the Hispanic market as a separate endeavor and as the end in and of itself. Two problems arise from this approach. The first is the inability to attribute any portion of top- and bottom-line strategic growth to the Hispanic market. And second, we can't justify the value of our existing efforts because they are irrelevant to the focal points companies have set for growth.

We know too well the importance of being relevant, of speaking your audience's language and of connecting with our consumer. However, we ignore these principles when it comes to the boardroom and the C-Suite where these principles should matter most to us. We ignore the premise that getting into any human being's head means getting into their world in a credible and meaningful way.

If we are to advance Hispanic market strategy as an investment-worthy growth driver, we need to grow competent about the issues and solutions being addressed at the top. What we hear must become our compass. The consumer insights we speak to must be in this context. The market's relevance and value as an investment will come from our ability to position the Hispanic market as a catalyst to relevantly operationalizing corporate America's growth platforms.

We must elevate our thinking. If we expect corporate America to walk the walk, we must be prepared to talk their talk -- and to help them take more productive steps.

Source: AdAge.com

Pay-TV Subscribers Cancelling in Record Numbers!!

Bad Recipe: Rising Prices for Pay TV, More Alternatives and Flat Disposable Income

Published: August 10, 2011

The six largest publicly traded U.S. cable and satellite-TV providers combined to lose about 580,000 customers in the second quarter, the biggest such decline in history, according to company and Bloomberg data.

The economy is forcing the industry to face the reality of cord-cutting -- pay-TV customers canceling their subscriptions in favor of online options such as Netflix and Hulu. While cable executives dismiss the idea that subscribers are switching to "over the top" internet competitors, the reason isn't as important as the decision to stop paying for TV, said Craig Moffett, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein.


"Rising prices for pay TV, coupled with growing availability of lower-cost alternatives, add to a toxic mix at a time when disposable income isn't growing," Mr. Moffett said. "For younger demographics, where in many cohorts unemployment is north of 30%, and especially for those with limited or no interest in sports, the pay-TV equation is almost inarguably getting less attractive."

The catalysts, according to cable and satellite executives, include increased competition from telephone companies AT&T and Verizon Communications, which added a combined 386,000 video customers, and a sluggish economy that forced lower-income customers to cancel service.

As new home sales slumped in May and again in June, installations suffered, and there weren't enough new subscribers to make up the difference, Cablevision Systems Chief Operating Officer Tom Rutledge said yesterday on a conference call.

"The economic impact on our customers in lower-income neighborhoods is more pronounced," Mr. Rutledge said. "We see less gross adds in low-income areas, and that's the result of economics and vacancies."

Of the six largest publicly traded U.S. cable and satellite providers, only DirecTV added customers in the second quarter. Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications and Cablevision lost a total of 471,000 video customers in the quarter. Dish Network lost 135,000 after adding 58,000 in the previous period.

Dish CEO Joseph Clayton said yesterday that one of his goals is to reposition the company away from marketing to lower-income customers. Instead, he wants Dish to rely on its technology and promotions to persuade customers to buy more expensive offerings and increase average revenue per user.

Mr. Clayton rejected the idea of relaxing credit standards to appeal to lower-income people, saying he's "looking for a better class of customer." He plans to change the company's advertising strategy away from "cheap, cheap, cheap" and seek out higher-paying subscribers who might have bypassed Dish for DirecTV in previous years.

"The cable companies have been losing for years, but what you're seeing is the satellite guys joining some of that," said Ian Olgeirson, senior analyst at market research firm SNL Kagan. "They are seeing the same kind of effects of being a mature industry. How do you support your base of customers when you don't have a bunch of new households to convert? It's difficult to sustain in a down economic quarter."


Some analysts caution that second-quarter results are not always an appropriate guide for the state of the industry, given seasonal factors such as departing college students cutting off service and summer vacationers watching less TV.

But the larger trend is clearly one of video losses, said Jason Bazinet, an analyst at Citigroup, who noted that pay-TV subscribers have declined in three of the past five quarters.

"While second-quarter seasonality likely played a role, some households may have left the pay-TV universe entirely," he wrote in a note to clients.

-- Bloomberg News --

Source: AdAge.com

El pasado mes de Julio, tuve la oportunidad de conocer a gente maravillosa en Coatzacoalcos, Ver. Les comparto una fotografía de algunas de las personas que estuvieron inscritas dentro del Diplomado de Alta Dirección en Negocios para el Tec de Monterrey. Al finalizar el curso y como festejo, hubo una convivencia en barco la cual disfrutamos mucho.

- RT

10 Tendencias en Comunicación

A continuación presentamos algunas de las tendencias que presentó Merca 2.0 en su publicación en Internet, de acuerdo a los cambios e impacto que han tenido en la mercadotecnia.

Enjoy!

RT

1. El tiempo: un bien escaso.

Hoy caminamos un 10 por ciento más rápido que en 1994, aún así el problema no es el dinero sino la falta de tiempo. Las marcas y sus productos se transforman para lograr “valer” lo que los consumidores piensan que cuesta su tiempo.

2. Marcas sostenibles

De la ecología a la rentabilidad. Transparencia, trazabilidad, gestión innovadora de los empleados, comunidad en vez de publicidad. Cuando de 50 marcas internacionales estudiadas, los consumidores declaran que no les importa que desaparezcan dos terceras partes, es hora de que las empresas cambien su forma de pensar.

3. Comunidades de marca

Más allá del perfil de Facebook. La oportunidad entender a los clientes, ayudarlos a satisfacer sus necesidades y resolver sus problemas. La clave es no vender nada y cambio generar una plataforma que permite el crecimiento del usuario.

4. "Brand Journalism"

¿Es nuestra marca capaz de crear información de valor para la sociedad? Si la respuesta es positiva, es momento de dejar de guardarla y comenzar a compartirla con el mundo. Los empleados pueden ser los mejores periodistas, los consumidores aprecian la conexión sin intermediarios. White papers, e-books, webninars, wikis…

5. Opiniones y reseñas

Cuando se propone a las marcas una acción en la que los consumidores podrán expresarse libremente, la reacción suele ser de cautela o negación absoluta ante el miedo de que la gente utilice el medio para quejarse y hablar mal de la marca. Pero, ¿realmente están a salvo por el hecho de no poner ellos mismos la plataforma de opinión a disposición de los consumidores? No, no sólo no están a salvo sino que están tomando una posición miope. Un estudio de Nielsen con más de 25 mil personas en 50 países afirma que las recomendaciones de conocidos y las opiniones publicadas por consumidores en medios digitales son las formas de publicidad con más credibilidad a nivel mundial.

6. Retail Innovation

¿Qué está pasando en el punto de venta? Experiencias de compra y de marca que subliman los valores e impulsan la percepción de marca hacia arriba. La interacción on-off hace posible probarse la ropa e incluso pedir opiniones a los amigos en red, tiendas móviles y participativas en las que los consumidores eligen los productos que se venden. Sistemas que ayudan en la elección previa aprendiendo de los gustos personales.

7. Shopper marketing

70 por ciento de las decisiones de compra se toman en la tienda y 70 por ciento de las compras no estaban previstas.

Hay que entender las diferencias entre consumidor y comprador. Tenemos que saber que después de una fase de exploración para una compra, analizando varias fuentes, el cliente decide en un 70 por ciento que quiere una marca, y después de un proceso largo de varias comparaciones y tiendas, solo un 35 por ciento termina comprando esa marca.

8. TV en la era digital

¿Adiós a la TV? No. La TV emigra de la caja a todos los dispositivos digitales y para el 2020 la TV habrá dejado de existir tal y como la entendemos hoy donde las cadenas tienen la dictadura de los horarios. Los únicos horarios que existirán serán los de los eventos en vivo.

9. Co-creación

Es momento de pedir ayuda a los expertos, los usuarios avanzados de los productos y pasarse a creative common dejando atrás la propiedad intelectual. Fiat ya lo hizo en Brasil, lanzando el primer coche creado a partir de usuarios, los médicos crean las mejores herramientas quirúrgicas y sólo los consumidores de una zona le pueden decir por qué no consumen ahí su producto.

10. Nuevo ecosistema cliente-agencia

Hoy no se trata de hacer publicidad sino de encontrar insights que conecten de forma profunda con el consumidor, generar advocay para las marcas y co-crear productos y servicios. Los puntos de contacto son la nueva publicidad.

FUENTE:

Merca 2.0

http//www.merca20.com

Sesión Informativa Maestría en Mercadotecnia

¡No dejen de asistir!

All Bets are off! New vs. Old Technology

A New Look at Shopper-Marketing Tools Finds Which Are the Real Deal at Delivering Deals

By: William Rosen

Published: July 11, 2011

Technologies -- from location-aware mobile apps and social media to QR codes and interactive signage -- are enabling marketers to create value in myriad new ways. They're also raising new questions.

Which of these tools actually create the greatest impact on consumers and in what combination? Will the highest-potential technologies gain sufficient penetration to deliver the results marketers require?

Arc Worldwide worked with Harvard Business School to study usage of 36 different tools encountered during the purchase process -- ranging from the newest technologies such as handheld scanners, mobile couponing and social buying (e.g. Groupon, Living Social) to traditional newspaper inserts, sales, and in-store offers.

We mapped these behaviors against two variables: penetration (percentage used at least once per year) and momentum (a measure of enthusiasm for the tool and future usage intent). In this study we utilized the most basic form of value -- monetary value -- because of its simplicity, universal appeal, and relevance in this period of economic uncertainty.

We focused on how shoppers look for a deal and decide if "the get" was worth "the give."

So how did technology-based tools stack up versus traditional in delivering deals? Exceedingly well.

High-momentum technologies such as social-buying tools generated strong shopper interest and demonstrated the power to change shopper behavior in the long term. General usage of social media for discounts followed close behind.

In-store technologies didn't fare as well. These include coupon-kiosks, QR codes, handheld scanners and programs that require multiple purchases from the same parent company. These efforts displayed low-to-average penetration and low momentum (10%-25%). This is partly due to a lack of availability of the technology in the market, and therefore familiarity. More than 70% of respondents did not have sufficient access to, or awareness of, in-store technologies.

The other reason some technologies did poorly is because users just didn't see the value in them. That's the case for interactive-touchscreen digital signage. Apparently, the get isn't worth the give. That doesn't necessarily mean failure. The lesson is that marketers still need to figure out how to make these tools more relevant if they are going to be ultimately adopted.

Now, let's look at the defending champions of value: traditional shopping tools. All boast high penetration -- some close to 100%, not surprising given how long they've been around. What is surprising is that many -- but not all -- exhibit medium-to-high momentum. The behaviors that lead in momentum were traditionally advertised sales, waiting for items to be on sale before making a purchase, and stocking up when an regularly purchased item was discounted.

Some tried-and-true techniques, however, are experiencing diminishing enthusiasm. Clipping coupons from newspapers, going to a discount retailer, and mailing in rebates for purchased products display low momentum (20%-30%). These tools will need to undergo changes if they're going to continue to meet consumer expectations, and clearly represent an opening for more technologically advanced solutions to deliver.

Some may wonder if the passion for technology corresponds to age skews, with younger audiences more receptive and older consumers sticking to the traditional. Our study showed otherwise, with no dramatic age differences in usage. Penetration and, more importantly, momentum across age groups were similar, showing that the notion that young people don't use traditional tools, while older people reject technology is just that -- a notion.

The lesson for marketers is that this isn't a zero-sum game. Marketing that creates real value for consumers will require implementing traditional tools and techniques due to their large penetration and momentum, but technology presents real, definable opportunities and will absolutely grow within the mix.

The real opportunity for technology, however, is that it has the power to create many more types of value than the simply monetary. Experience, access, personalization, connection and social good are but a few of the types of value today's technologies can effectively deliver. Even simple utility, such as being able to find a clean restroom via Charmin's SitOrSquat mobile app, represents an opportunity to demonstrate technology's power to create unexpected value in consumers' daily lives.

Wherever one falls along the technological divide, one thing is clear. As marketers enjoy and contend with ever-multiplying options to create consumer engagement, the understanding of value in all of its forms will only become more critical

Bottom's UP!

A Look at America's Drinking Habits

Consumers Swig More Soft Drinks Than Water; Beer Comes in Third Place

By: Natalie Zmuda

Published: June 27, 2011

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Source: Beverage Marketing Corporation

With the weather heating up and summer in full swing, Americans will be slaking their thirst with a variety of fizzy, sweet and intoxicating beverages.

Soda is still the most-consumed beverage in the U.S., with the average consumer chugging nearly 45 gallons of the fizzy stuff last year. So it's no coincidence that three of the biggest measured-media budgets in the beverage category belong to soda brands. According to Ad Age's Leading National Advertisers report, Coke spent $267 million last year, while Pepsi shelled out $154 million and Dr Pepper spent $104 million.

Beer ranks as the most-consumed alcoholic beverage, though spirits and wine, perceived by some to be more healthful, have been gaining ground in the past few years. Still, last year, the average American threw back nearly 21 gallons of brew, or about 168 pints. The category also commands major marketing dollars, to the tune of $1.25 billion spent on measured media last year. The category's biggest spender, Anheuser-Busch InBev, shelled out $555 million.

Interestingly, the bottled-water category, which includes bulk containers, as well as single serve, has been growing, indicating that noise around consumers' perceived environmental concerns has been overblown. Also worth noting, the energy-drink category has more than doubled with a slew of new entrants as well as innovations in the form of energy shots.

"Two overriding trends that we've seen in recent years are consumer demand for variety and consumer demand for healthier refreshment," said Gary Hemphill, managing director-chief operating officer at Beverage Marketing Corp., noting the decline of carbonated soft drinks.

But, Mr. Hemphill added, some of the consumption trends can be attributed to economic factors as well. "White-collar consumers fared better through the economy than blue-collar consumers, so what we've seen is mass market, traditional categories like carbonated soft drinks and fruit beverages underperform the market, while some of the more premium categories, like ready-to-drink teas and energy drinks, have outperformed the market," he said. "To some extent that's consumer tastes, but it's also this tale of two different consumers in a weak economy."