Yaffe Tidbits

Do the Right Thing: Cause Related Marketing

A great thing has happened to retailing and marketing in general. It is called cause related marketing. If we can sell more product and do something of service every time we ring up a sale, then the heart has been put back into the devil of marketing. Cause related marketing is such a simple concept and it has such an impact on the consumer’s mindset. If the consumer can trust that the effort is earnest and well thought out, when the money is spent, consumer guilt is always eased.

There are bargains galore today wherever you look. And customer service at the in-store level is at an all time high. Sales people are so grateful to see you, you can usually attract the attention of many just by walking in the door. But with all these perks around for the mere act of spending money, nothing can make you feel as good as cause related marketing.

What is cause related marketing? It's when a brand does work or donates money/goods/services to a worthy cause, usually a charity or widely held concern. When retailers select a cause that relates to their Brand, or that has personal relevance, it’s a tool that allows the retail industry to create a difference in the world. With so much information online, companies are becoming more transparent. People know what you are and aren't doing, so you don't need to hide your efforts out of modesty. Bringing attention to this issue in the marketing, both in-store and through media channels can tip the balance of where people are putting their limited spending power in your direction. And it can only enhance the public’s perception of the Brand. We recently did "Go Green" campaign for one of our clients, Grand Home Furnishings.

I have always been a proponent of cause related marketing and its impact on the Brand. It can only have a positive effect if managed properly. It is a tool that can never be redundant or overdone, no matter how much it is used or how many use it. It shows caring and it allows the consumer to share in that care. In today’s economy, community causes can have the most relevance to the Brand and the shopper.

There is nothing too small or too big in the way of needs. We all know that the product you sell should make the buyer feel good about the purchase. Cause related marketing makes you look good and the consumer feel good about their purchase. Let’s not forget this powerful tool for getting them in the door.

Joan Abraham, Digital Account Supervisor

How to catch customers' attention and keep it.

Welcome to the age of the fleeting consumer. The American attention span is getting shorter. Oops, just lost half my readers. People are finding ways to avoid marketing efforts. Online, they can choose to ignore when not engaged. Radios get flipped the minute the commercial break hits, if you're listening to commercial radio at all. TV gets TiVoed and commercials get skipped.

For many brands, products and marketers the answer lies in becoming part of the content instead of part of the interruption. It's a trend called "branded entertainment." According to the New York Times, the new TNT show "Trust Me" features a fake ad agency with real world clients. A number of products, including a Dove line of hair care products and Bertolli food products, have signed up to be clients of the fake agency. They pay real money for the mentions and have to agree to not try and influence the story lines. Even the actual Dove brand manager appears in the show as a client. The real products add realism to the show and give a showcase to the brands. You can't fast forward them without missing plot points.

Pepsi also got in on the branded entertainment bandwagon with commercial versions of the Saturday Night Live skit "MacGruber" - a spoof of the old MacGyver TV show. It didn't work so well in the Super Bowl. But while watching SNL the night before, Pepsi ran three different versions, all as the first spot in each commercial break. So, viewers thought it was just the next SNL skit instead of the first commercial. Each one had the original MacGyver as a side kick and the Pepsi tie in got more intense each "skit" - you can see all three here. Frankly, I've never been a big fan of this skit and thought these were funnier than the usual skit.

But how does a smaller company get into the world of branded entertainment. Can retailers or regional brands have content created for them and be able to afford it? Absolutely. They won't be as high profile as a network TV show, but there are ways to create entertaining content online that is affordable. It's one of the programs we've been working on here at Yaffe. Short films featuring entertainment or lifestyle content that is relevant to your target and creating a regionalized distribution mechanism is the key. If you'd like to know more about how you can get into branded entertainment, just drop me a line.

Mike McClure, ECD, mikem@yaffe.com

Reasons for Hope in this Cold Climate

As we slog through the depths of winter, the economic climate isn’t much better. Bad news and views bombard us all day long through our phones, emails, blogs, tweets, televisions, radios and more. This does not make it any easier to face the day. But there is that light at the end of the tunnel.

As our President tries to remind us, there is so much growth and development yet to surface as we morph into a whole new world driven by technology and inter-connectivity. As we move from steel to bits, we are a part of "The Long Tail" economy which, as Chris Anderson points out, showcases a wide range of talent bubbling up from the bottom instead of being clogged in the narrow filter from the top down. Solutions are coming from everywhere. If you are "Fresh, Different and Unique," your voice will be heard.

There is so much opportunity just waiting to burst upon the scene when the markets gain their footing once again and I know I want to be at the ready with ideas and solutions that will move our clients forward in a personalized, engaging manner. Each and every one of us has a chance to leave our mark in this digital society, whether it’s selling more product or fighting to solve world hunger. Anything is possible. But, you have to start preparing now. We must stay focused on the possibilities, find our own personal challenges and fight like hell to make a difference. I plan to be ready. How about you?

Joan Abraham, Digital Account Supervisor

Good promotion, bad promotion

In today's tough economic times and fragmented consumer market, companies need to find new ways to attract attention to their products. Last Sunday's Super Bowl brought us two interesting ones. One that I believe will be an overwhelming success, the other - not so much. Denny's was advertising that if you come in today between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. you will get a free Grand Slam breakfast. NBC and Pepsi  hyped the show "Chuck" in 3D, saying you could pick up your 3D glasses at Pepsi displays in a store near you.

First, let's look at the good promotion. I think the Denny's promotion is brilliant. Yesterday in our weekly status meeting we talked about how could they afford to just give away all those breakfasts? We all agreed lines would be long and many would be given away. Then we took a quick poll of the people in the room. Of the nine of us there, one person had gone to a Denny's back in November. For the rest of us, it had been years. One guy thought they had all closed in Michigan (not true). I don't know how many of us will actually go today, but we all were thinking about it. More than a few of us looked up Denny's online to see where the nearest one is. And that's the point of their promotion. Get people talking about them. Get people to find out where the nearest one is. And get people who haven't been to their restaurant in years to come in and try the product. With people looking for low cost alternatives, Denny's should be a natural. Reminding people that they exist and have a good product at a good price is, in my mind, a good idea.

NBC/Pepsi on the other hand, didn't seem to execute their promotion very well. The show "Chuck" was on last night. It's a decent show that my wife and I enjoy. 3D episodes aren't a new promotion, but I figured, since I was going to watch it, I should get the glasses. So, on the way home from work I stopped at 4 different stores and looked at their Pepsi displays to find the glasses. None had them. They weren't out, they never had them. People at Walgreen and Rite Aid told me they never got their shipments of glasses. The guy at 7-11 said I was the 15th person to come in looking for them, but they never had them either. So, people were looking, but they just couldn't find them. Watching the show without the glasses just reminded you that you couldn't find them, because it's not a very good picture if you don't have the glasses.

Today, you have to do the unusual to get customers attention and get them to act. We've promotions for our furniture retailer like sending preferred customers a $50 gift card with no minimum purchase. Give someone $50 to spend in your store with no strings attached definitely get them to move. And since the average amount these customers end of spending is close to $1000, it really only costs the client around 5%. But, whatever promotions you do, you need to execute them well. I think Denny's has the right idea. NBC and Pepsi dropped the ball. What promotions have you seen that deserve a pass or fail?

Mike McClure, Executive Creative Director