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Is Normal Good?

11/28/2014

 
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Whether choosing fruit in a supermarket or clothing a department store, people will usually pick pristine items over less perfect ones.  Consumers tend to want perfection when they can get it.  Does the same hold true when choosing dolls?

For more than a half-century the global toy maker Mattel has delighted girls with its iconic Barbie, which has epitomized what some believe to be the ideal for feminine beauty: flowing hair, immaculate skin, perfectly proportioned face, and a figure that defies laws of anatomy and physics.

Despite Barbie’s great popularity, many people have bemoaned the unrealistic physical standard the doll sets for young women.  Even the best plastic surgeon can’t alter a women’s appearance to look as “perfect” as a Barbie; although, some have tried.  So, if such a lofty standard of beauty isn’t attainable for real women, should Barbies and other dolls also spurn such perfection?  Many people have said “yes,” but one entrepreneur has taken that belief a big step further.

Pittsburgh graphic designer Nickolay Lamm has created a much more average-looking doll called Lammily, which some have dubbed the “normal Barbie;” although, there’s no connection to Mattel.  Lammily has a more realistic/typical figure, as well as the ability to add and remove “imperfections” such as acne, stretch marks, and even dirt stains.  In sum, it’s a doll that’s much more representative of real people, women and men.

But given consumers’ predisposition toward “perfection,” what’s the likelihood that kids will actually want to play with such a doll?  Like any good marketer, Lamm has done market research to answer this question.  Lamm shared Lammily with second-grade students at St. Edmunds’ Academy in Pittsburgh and found that the students really liked the average-looking doll.  For instance, the children suggested that the doll was different and special and that it looked more like them and/or specific members of their families.  In short, they preferred Lammily over a typical Barbie.

Despite this positive feedback, it’s still too early to tell what the fate of Lammily will be.  The toy industry is extremely competitive, with big players holding a great amount of channel power and market share.  Still, it seems there could be significant demand for Lammily and dolls like her that may follow.  Given this strong market potential for a product that upholds values such as genuineness and empathy, Lammily not only does a nice job representing normal people, she’s also a good example of "Mindful Marketing.
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A Time for Shopping?

11/22/2014

 
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There is a season for everything.  The Byrds sang this theme in their 1965 hit "Turn, Turn, Turn!" which the biblical King Solomon had articulated over two thousand years earlier.  If the third chapter of Ecclesiastes were appended for some of today’s most popular activities, it might include times to email, exercise, eat out, text, tweet, and shop.

Even the most casual consumer recognizes that we are entering the most frenetic shopping season of the year—the holidays.  While Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, used to represent a clear and even start to the holiday shopping frenzy, the starting line has been continually inching forward, first into the early morning hours of Friday, then into the wee hours of Thursday/Friday night, and then into the early evening and late afternoon of Thanksgiving Day.

Of course, things haven’t stopped there.  Now many stores, like Macy’s, Walmart, Sears, and Staples, have decided to be open all day on Thanksgiving.  On one hand uninhibited holiday hours seem to be what many consumers want.  Come Thursday, these stores will experience no shortage of shoppers; if they did, they wouldn’t be open.  In the spirit of the Byrds and Solomon, however, one might ask if Thanksgiving Day should be a time for shopping.

Another significant group of national retailers has answered this question “no” and decided to remain closed all day on Thanksgiving.  Those stores include T.J. Max, Home Depot, Barnes & Noble, Nordstrom, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Many of these stores have cited respect for their employees as their reason for remaining closed, which is a great reason.  Whether or not they realize it, their closure also represents a gift to consumers.

As important as buying and selling is, it is not an activity that needs to happen all the time.  The growth of ecommerce has enabled shopping at virtually any time and in any place, which is all the more reason people should take a break from it—i.e., everything in moderation.  Even a good thing can become a trap if done in excess.  Hitting the stores on Thanksgiving Day seems like such overload.

Furthermore, shopping on Thanksgiving runs contrary to the very nature of the holiday.  How can we really focus with gratitude on the people and other blessings in our lives if our minds are consumed with our next purchases?

Giving people the opportunity to buy items they need is a good thing.  So is the decision to temporarily forgo commerce in favor of more important priorities.  Congratulations to the retailers who will practice Mindful Marketing by being closed this Thursday, recognizing that Thanksgiving Day is not the time for shopping.
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Do Looks Matter?

11/15/2014

 
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Give that about 90% of new products fail, creating and launching a successful innovation is no small feat, even if it’s ice cream.  “Ice cream novelty” is exactly what Baskin-Robbins set out to produce when it developed a very unique ice cream design—camouflage.

This past Tuesday, November 11, the world’s largest ice cream chain introduced camouflage to its stores in honor of Veterans Day.  The three-flavor, multicolored concoction consisted of chocolate (brown), salted caramel (tan), and cake (green).

Not surprisingly, consumers’ reactions to the special edition were somewhat “cool.”  While many people appreciated Baskin-Robbins’ efforts to support veterans, fewer were enamored by the actual product, particularly the ice cream’s appearance, which is not especially appetizing.

Strong social equity with poor product performance makes Baskin-Robbins’ camouflage ice cream “Simple-Minded” marketing, right?  Maybe not.

While Baskin-Robbins undoubtedly hoped to sell more cones and sundaes than usual on the 11th, the success of the initiative shouldn’t be measured just by ice cream sales.  In fact, the real ROI may stem from the promotional value of the camouflage flavor, i.e., all of the free publicity that the company garnered thanks to a wide variety of news media picking up the story and sharing snippets of it on TV, Internet, etc.

Of course, that coverage also helped to generate a lot of goodwill for Baskin-Robbins as people learned that the firm donated 10 cents per scoop of every ice cream flavor sold that day, not just camouflage, to the United Service Organizations (USO).  But the company’s support of U.S. military did not stop there.

Through the media coverage people also could learn about Baskin-Robbins’ “veteran’s incentive program” designed to help veterans start their own businesses by waiving the $25,000 franchise fee and offering a “0 percent royalty rate for the first two years of franchise ownership, and a reduced rate for years three through five.”

So, did Baskin-Robbins really mind if some people found its camouflage ice cream unappealing?  Probably not.  The novel flavor’s real value came through creating buzz, generating goodwill, and potentially gaining some new, and very deserving, franchisees.  All said, Baskin-Robbins' camouflage ice cream was a “Mindful Marketing" victory.

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Lovin' a New McDonald's Slogan?

11/8/2014

 
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“Like a good neighbor”
“Melts in your mouth, not in your hands”
“Just do it”

A great slogan, or theme, is the mantra of a strong brand.  It communicates the essence of the brand in a clear, concise, and compelling way, making the brand’s value proposition creatively unforgettable.  Unfortunately organizations often miss the mark with their slogans, sometimes in a big way.

After years of leveraging its iconic theme “I’m lovin’ it,” McDonald’s is reportedly considering a variation of the slogan, to be launched in January 2015.  Some sources have suggested that a new theme will be "Lovin' Beats Hatin',” which McDonald’s has denied.  However, the ubiquitous fast food chain has filed for trademark protection for both "Lovin' > Hatin'" and "Lovin' Is Greater Than Hatin'," which makes it seem that some similar theme is forthcoming.

It’s hard to blame McDonald’s for wanting to shake up its branding.  Significant changes in consumers’ palates and lifestyles, as well as growth of fast casual restaurants like Chipotle, have contributed to McDonald’s continued struggles, including declines in same store sales and profitability.

Will a new slogan correct these problems?  No.  McDonald’s financial challenges are much more deeply rooted in its menu, atmosphere, and service.  But, wouldn’t a new slogan about “Lovin’ > Hatin’” recharge the brand?  Unfortunately that’s also unlikely.

It’s noble for McDonald’s to think of using a slogan to take a social stand, particularly one that encourages love over hate.  Of course, the notion that “love is better than hate” is a truism, or as a Geico commercial might say, “Everybody knows that.”

The important question for McDonald’s is: What would such a theme really communicate about the company’s brand that reflects and reinforces its value proposition?  Not much.  Furthermore, if McDonald’s food, atmosphere, and service remain largely unchanged, consumers won’t care if the fast food chain tells us that “Lovin’ beats Hatin’,” or something similar.

In fact, there’s a risk in using a negative word like “hate” in a slogan.  Even if the theme ultimately is about not hating, the word hate will become associated with McDonald’s at some level.  Organizations and individuals should avoid providing opportunities for such associations to be made.  This idea of using positive vs. negative framing is the reason President Richard Nixon, in the wake of the Watergate scandal and other allegations of impropriety, should have said something like “I’m an honest person,” instead of “I am not a crook.”  What words stuck with people?  Nixon and crook.  Similarly, today’s consumers might remember “McDonald's and hating.”

In the end, McDonald’s potential theme shows good social intent.  Its weak branding, however, promises to create no real stakeholder value.  Hopefully, McDonald’s will forgo the use of “Lovin’ > Hatin’” and avoid a case of “Simple-Minded” marketing.
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Should Flying be Funny?

11/2/2014

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Few people board planes without thinking what would happen if the complex collection of electronics, hydraulics, and metal that’s hurling them through the air suddenly stopped working.  Flying is a serious endeavor, which makes it very interesting when those lifting us 30,000 ft. into the sky do so with a sense of humor. 

For instance, if you’ve flown Delta recently, you probably watched the Airline’s tongue-in-cheek preflight video.  Among the humor, the video features a guy using a pizza peel to store a freshly made pizza in the overhead bin; a woman whose portable electronic device is a hand-mixer; and a man buckling his seatbelt who sports a plaid flannel shirt and red nail polish.  In addition, flight attendants urge passengers, who include a frog, a chicken, and a member of the Queen’s Guard, to obey all posted cabin placards, such as “no smoking,”  “no goats,” and “no water skiing.”

How do real passengers react to the funny video?  First, unlike their response to typical safety announcements, during which many people read or sleep, passengers pay attention to Delta’s video.  Second, they seem to enjoy it.  My seatmate on a recent Delta flight was a senior woman from Detroit, who got as big a kick out of the video as I did.  Likewise, younger adults, teens, and kids also seemed to appreciate the humor.

Communication that’s ignored can’t be effective.  The Delta video, in contrast, succeeds in gaining attention and keeping interest.  But, does the video’s comedy detract from or diminish important safety information?  I don’t think so.  The humor is rather adeptly placed to lightly season, not oversaturate, the safety messages.  For instance, there’s no joking when it comes to showing exactly where the emergency exists are located and how rescue rafts are deployed.  In the end, the humorous video likely gets passengers to process information they otherwise would have disregarded, while also putting people at ease in what can be a high-stress setting.

Will Delta parlay the use of humor in its preflight video into something more, perhaps repositioning its entire brand as funny, like Southwest Airlines?  I hope not.  In the meantime, though, Delta has successfully used humor to adapt an important part of its “product,” delivering both stakeholder value and upholding societal values.  This specific funny approach to flying does represent Mindful Marketing.

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    David Hagenbuch,
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    Mindful Marketing    & author of Honorable Influence

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