Brand Recall Fail

On June 16, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Advertising, Branding, Selling1 Comment

My husband and I were on a tight time schedule to attend a wedding last weekend, so I asked him to bring all of the necessary items that I needed to dress for the event. He was a groomsmen, so we had to be there early enough that it would work best for him to pick me up straight from the office. In true “too busy” fashion, we didn’t discover this until I was already at work, and hadn’t packed the items to change. Part of my list of things for him to pack, was clear deodorant, since I planned on wearing a sleeveless black dress. Unfortunately, I have two types of deodorant sitting in the bathroom, so I thought I’d describe the brand, packaging, and messaging to him to ensure that he grabbed the right stick. This turned out to be an epic fail, as I mixed the messages and imagery between the two brands I own, AND random TV commercials I’ve seen. Sigh… I think marketers everywhere are shaking their heads in shame at this failed attempt at brand recall.

“Little black dress approved” has become a popular tagline for a lot of deodorant makers, so naturally, I assumed that my clear stick had some version of this tagline. It turns out that neither brand in the bathroom featured this tagline, but I assumed it should be there, since the deodorant I wanted to use was designed specifically to address the issue of wearing black garments. The good news is that this tagline stuck with me enough to pull it out of my memory without any help. The bad news is that I can’t for the life of me remember which deodorant maker actually coined that phrase and prints it on their packaging. Marketers should be a little wary of being too generic and clever with their taglines, and make sure that the tagline lives with the brand, not with the item. Just as “Google it”, “Xerox it” and “Kleenex” are now synonymous with their respective functions, becoming ubiquitous can damage a brand’s ability to be recognizable and memorable.

Imagery is a powerful tool to aid in recall of a brand. However, as with the popular tagline, the “little black dress” has become a popular image to associate with clear deodorant. Thus, I told my husband to grab Brand A, and that it would have a picture of the little black dress on the front. Wrong… it was Brand B that had the picture of the little black dress! In theory, I look at these sticks every single morning, and yet all that stuck was that one of them had a little black dress. Brands need to make sure that common images have some distinguishing characteristic that’s unique to their brand, to ensure that customers aren’t just filing the image away. If I go to the aisle and want to use the “same” brand as last time, but I incorrectly associated that brand with a particular image, marketers have failed to obtain the sale. Most clear deodorant commercials feature a woman slipping into a black dress and checking the mirror to make sure there are no deodorant marks on her garment. The brand may only flash for a second, so if you’ve engrained the little black dress in my brain, make sure that you’re packaging re-enforces what you’ve been showing me on TV.

Finally, color played a role in this case of mistaken identity. Both sticks have a greenish-bluish hue to the packaging, so it’s hard to distinguish when you’re already confused the other characteristics like tagline and imagery. Some deodorants seek to change their colors to stand out to customers in-store. Since most sticks have the same size and shape, color is one of the few distinguishing characteristics to play on. Hair care and skin care products do a much better job of differentiating by color, but it seems like a lot of deodorant makers are using the cool, calm colors in their packaging. I understand the sentiment: you won’t sweat as much when you’re cool and calm, and the color gives a customer a sense of “refreshed and relaxed” when using the product. But, if every competitor is giving this same feeling to the customer, you’ve got to find another way to stand out. Take Teen Spirit, with it’s loud colors and bold imagery. They’re using colors to say that your deodorant should aid in your fun, spunky life, and they stand out in a sea of “calm and cool” showcased in most deodorant aisles.

So, can your customers get their husbands to grab the right stick of deodorant? The situation is a little humorous (he just grabbed both), but the dilemma is real: are your distinguishing characteristics really helping you stand out? Can customers readily pinpoint your brand based on your advertising and packaging? It’s literally the million dollar question!

Quick Turn Times

On June 14, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Selling1 Comment

So, the Dallas Mavs won the championship! I’m not a sports fan at all, so this didn’t rock my world, but a lot of people went pretty nuts about this event. So nuts, in fact, that they bought championship t-shirts the night of the game or the morning after the game. It makes me laugh, because you’ll hear from companies that they can’t turn products that quickly, or they can’t get them delivered that quickly. Incorrect. They should be saying, “For what you’re willing to pay me, I can’t turn it that quickly or deliver it that quickly.” Clearly, they were able to get something done, as shirts were for sale on Sunday night after the game. Granted, there’s probably some hedging of bets by printing and delivering shirts before the outcome is known, but even then, it proves that with the right mix of time and money, companies can achieve quick turn times. I’d be interested to see how the “gamble” goes when making shirts that depend on out the outcome of a game. At what point do they start buying the materials and printing the items with an educated guess that one team will win? Or, are they really just that fast at printing the items and getting them shipped? I don’t think it’s the latter, as there are some things that just take a certain amount of time, like shipping. If your center is located an hour away from a retail store, there’s really very few options to decrease that time. Then again, you could have all your centers in operation, vs. just a small number that are further away from the destination. Either way, the infrastructure and tooling are available to make turn times a moot excuse for companies. It’s just interesting from a marketing stand-point and sales stand-point. It’s rarely a matter of “if it can be done”, but rather, “how much are you willing to pay to get it done?”

The Power of the Peer

On May 18, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Branding, Outfits/Workwear, SellingLeave a comment

Dress: Ross

Heels: Alfani Step ‘n Flex

Earrings: NY & Co.

Like the outfit? See more details here!

I was debating about even trying this dress on when I found it at the store. My husband was with me, and he really wanted me to try it on, but I just couldn’t do it. Enter my mom and my sister… who not only convinced me to try it on, but ALSO convinced me to buy it! Marketers take note of the power of the peer.

From what I’ve seen, heard, and personally dealt with while shopping, it seems that most women prefer to shop with at least one other person. We like to have someone to give feedback, and sometimes we WANT to be convinced to buy something that’s slightly out of our comfort zone. Men seem to be the complete opposite, with an “I’m on a mission” and blinders attitude that results in quick, fruitful shopping trips. However, men seem to pay heed to peers in other areas, like electronics or cars. This seems pretty stereotypical, but I’ve seen my husband scour forums for information on amps, keyboards, and video cards, eliciting information from others who’ve been in his position.

Marketers already know about the power of the peer, and they’ve taken steps to create entire brands around what the collective peer group finds attractive. This brand identity is carefully crafted to not only make a customer feel like they fit into their immediate peer group, but also helps them come back to the brand by fitting in with the larger peer group. This is why brands can’t be everything to everyone all the time, since people gravitate toward those who are “like them.” There’s also aspirational brands, which seek to help customers fit in with a peer group they would like to be in. It’s the reason that celebrity and athlete endorsements are used in advertising; to make the customer feel like they are peers with that person, since they use the same brands. Entire store concepts and industries flourish around the power of the peer, with elaborate dressing rooms and lunch spots, to take a quick trip to the store from mundane to shopping excursion with the girls!

I’ve seen the power of the peer in my own life, and I know it works! What are you doing to encourage the power of the peer as they interact with your brand or retail location? How are you shaping the collective peer group that your brand represents? By getting the attention of the peer, you’ll up your chances for getting the attention of the customer! Like the outfit? See more details here!

The Scarcity Effect

On May 3, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Advertising, MBA Degree, Selling1 Comment

Wow, it’s been a fast and furious week! As I mentioned, I was on a business trip to one of our sister companies last week. I had a great inspiration for a blog post during a trip to Starbucks, and while contemplating this post, I made a connection to one of the theories we discussed in my Consumer Behavior class. I love making connections between my current academic pursuits and the real world! (Yes, I really am that much of a marketing nerd). We’ve been talking about the “scarcity effect” in my class, which basically states that when consumers feel like there is a limited amount of an item, the item must be more valuable. Think about collector’s items, or “limited edition” cars or toys. Everyone decides to stock up, because when the items run out, surely they’ll be worth more in the aftermarket.

Starbucks utilizes this effect all the time, particularly with their holiday offerings. Lots of customers wait in anticipation for the arrival of the Pumpkin Spice latte for the fall, and the Gingerbread latte for Christmas. This past year, Starbucks introduced the Caramel Brulee latte at Christmas, and it was a HIT. Personally, I LOVED this drink, and I would hit Starbucks a few extra times during the week to grab one, since I knew I wouldn’t be able to get it once the new year rolled around. I justified my additional purchases with the thought that I could only get it for a month, so I needed to stock up. The scarcity effect for these seasonal offerings has been marketing gold for Starbucks, as they’ve increased their sales when customers “stock up” on the limited edition product.

But what happens when you take the products off the market? During our trip last week, a barista mentioned that they STILL had customers asking for the Caramel Brulee latte. Upon hearing that they could not purchase this beverage, some customers abandoned the purchase altogether! Wait, Starbucks might be losing customers because they’ve stopped offering a popular product, that was known to be a limited time offering? Apparently so. This is where my marketing brain kicks in, and makes me ask, “Should Starbucks bring back the Caramel Brulee latte?” It doesn’t seem like customers have the same response to the Pumpkin Spice latte, so it would make sense to keep increasing short-term sales of each store by utilizing the scarcity effect for this beverage. But, if they’re losing customers after pulling a more popular seasonal offering, it might make sense to bring it back “for a limited time”, or add it to the menu as a regular offering. From my observation of one, I would be more likely to increase my purchases if they brought back the Caramel Brulee latte. I normally buy a Peppermint latte, which costs about $3.00. However, if Starbucks offered the Caramel Brulee latte, I would increase my purchase by $.75, at least every so often. I think it would be an interesting study for them to try bringing back the Caramel Brulee latte for a limited time this summer to see if it’s still got the clout that it had at Christmas. If it does, maybe Starbucks should consider the sales potential when the scarcity effect is NOT influencing the sales of this product.

So what do you think? Would you be willing to spend more, and spend often if they brought back a limited edition beverage? Are there seasonal offerings that you wish would be made available year-round?

When Brands are Compromised

On April 11, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Branding, Customer Service, SellingLeave a comment

I’ve had a few experiences recently that inspired this post, and I’m sure you’ve experienced the following: It’s a blazing hot day, you’re running late for a long meeting (or class in my case), and all you really want is a nice, cold Coca-Cola. You drive through a fast food restaurant and order your Coke, and as you pull away from the window, you’re ready to take that first satisfying sip. The liquid hits your tongue and it’s a flat or syrupy or otherwise compromised version of your favorite soft drink. This has happened to me twice at the same drive-thru, so I’ve decided to just avoid ordering Coke from that place. While it’s not Coke’s fault, and it’s not really in Coke’s control, their brand has been compromised. So, as one major part of a marketer’s job is to protect the brand, how do we fix this situation?

Absolute control. Let’s talk about control, the kind where every piece of a product is made for and by the company, sold by the company, and maintained by the company. The first company that comes to my mind is Apple. Apple is all about the control, from every piece that enters the computer and every sales person that walks onto the Apple store floor. They are reluctant to give any piece of quality control over to any other company, which makes for fewer opportunities for the brand to be compromised. If you maintain strict control over every aspect of a product or service, you’re much more likely to keep the brand image in place. While control can help you maintain your brand, it can be expensive, and in some cases, can limit growth. It can be expensive because efficiency and therefore lower costs are generally achieved through specialization. The likelihood that a company can efficiently produce every piece of their product puzzle is slim, so complete control will make it difficult to cut costs. Further, complete control can limit growth. This is particularly true in the service industry, since one person may provide the service better than another, and you can’t clone that person. So, if you get to the point where customers only drink coffee made by one barista, or only do business with one teller at a bank, you’ll have a hard time growing. It’s great that you’ve got one or two stellar employees, but you’ve also created a bottleneck if you can’t get the rest of your employees or partners up to par.

It wasn’t me. Another tactic to avoid compromising your brand, is to make your partners or franchisees take the risk with their own brand. This is especially prevalent in the fast food industry, where most of the restaurants display a plaque stating that each store is individually owned and operated, with a local contact for complaints. However, this approach is a little frustrating to customers. I’ve found that Taco Cabana is very inconsistent throughout the metroplex, and it drives me nuts! I get a craving for some enchiladas, and I know there’s a Cabana in close proximity, but then I have this fear that it will turn out to be one of the “bad” ones. You never want anyone doubting the quality of the brand and changing their purchase based on the fear induced by several bad experiences. Technically, Taco Cabana the parent company can claim that it’s the individual store’s fault. But, realistically, Taco Cabana has entrusted their brand to these individuals, so the “it wasn’t me” trick rarely pans out.

Better training and personal ownership. I think the best way to combat brand compromises, is better training and personal ownership. We all know my affinity for Starbucks, and I’ve got to give them credit once more. This company goes to great lengths to train their employees to take personal ownership of each customer experience. They have several weeks of training to ensure that each barista knows how to make a quality product, and empowers them to embody the Starbucks brand. They offer incentives for long-term partners, from benefits to career paths, which helps employees feel more invested in the success of the company. Many large companies offer tuition reimbursement or additional certifications to help train their employees to better represent the company. By giving employees the tools, and empowering them to own the brand personally, companies ensure that their brand experience will be consistently delivered by those on the front lines.

Be “known” for something. Finally, I think brands can avoid being compromised by picking one trait to be “known” for, and make sure that this aspect is always consistent. For example, Nordstrom is known for outstanding customer service, and they instill this sense of service at every level of the corporation. It’s less important to customers for the size to be right or the shipping to be fast, because they know that dealing with the Nordstrom customer service representative will be pleasant. The customer service is always consistent, which covers any mistakes in other areas of the purchasing process. Some companies try to be everything to everyone all the time, and this lack of focus often results in inconsistent experiences with the brand. Thus, one bad experience isn’t viewed as just “one”, it’s viewed as a reflection of the brand as a whole. After you’ve mastered the aspect you’re “known” for, you can begin tackling the other issues. Again, Nordstrom has become known for quality and consistency in sizing, shipping and materials, but only after mastering customer service.

So, how do you deal with a compromising brand experience? Are you putting in the effort to make sure that customers trust your brand, or is it a risky choice each time they decide to try out your product?

Behavioral Observations

On March 31, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Advertising, MBA Degree, SellingLeave a comment

Being in a Consumer Behavior class has heightened my senses when observing people as they make decisions and consume products. That’s part of the point of going back to school, right? Well, I’ve had to analyze a few different behaviors for school projects over the years, and a recent incident at work reminded me of how weird we all are!

It’s not really weird, but weird when you magnify it and realize that people are often very predictable once you have observed and identified a pattern. I was looking to purchase pens as promotional items for the company trade show, so I had the promotional rep send over some samples. I then took the samples around the office to poll for the most popular choice. Upon handing the pen to each person, I noticed the following in almost all members of the office:

1) They held up both pens side-by-side, and turned them each to the side and back to the front

2) They felt the weight of each pen in their writing hand, and then felt the weight in comparison buy loosely holding one pen in each hand

3) They clicked each pen several times

4) They wrote with each pen

5) They repeated all the steps again

This whole process took about 3 minutes, and it was a little funny to watch, as everyone took this process quite seriously. It’s funny to me as a marketer, because I doubt that any of these people stand in a store and run these same tests when buying their own pens. But, suddenly asking them for an opinion turns it into a huge purchase decision, requiring many tests to determine the best possible choice. It’s also interesting because while I’ve asked them to choose among two, there are literally thousands of pens from which to choose. So, if they don’t like either of the samples I’ve given, in theory they would speak up and say that they want something different than what I’ve shown. However, by only showing them two choices, it seems I effectively told them those were the only options. This type of bias has been shown to be much more detrimental in the case of suspect line-ups and suspect photo books. For pens, it’s not problem for my colleagues to feel like they must “settle” on one of the choices I’ve given them. But, what if victims feel that they must “settle” on a suspect, even if the person they really want to pick isn’t offered as a choice? You see this type of decision all the time in the real world, so observing it in a smaller setting can lead to bigger ramifications.

I had a project during my time as an undergrad that required me to interview 3-5 people about their habits when brushing their teeth. How long did they brush? What did they do with the toothbrush after they finished? Then I had to observe 1 or 2 people brushing their teeth, and put that in my report about behaviors when brushing. It’s amazing how differently people perform the same everyday task when you actually start watching them and asking them to tell you about their routine. It’s even more interesting when you ask them WHY they do what they do. Even now, I catch myself considering my nightly routine, and how it differs from that of my husband.

This information can be valuable for design decisions as well as marketing strategies, and most people just don’t think about these things as they go about their everyday lives. Looking at life through a marketing lens reveals the seemingly mundane tasks and small-impact decisions are actually really complex if you take time to look at them. What areas do you find interesting when you apply your expertise to the situation?

Vanity Sizing

On March 16, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Outfits/Workwear, Selling2 Comments

Black Flower Flats (Please ignore the wrinkled pants, it was a long day!)

Like the outfit? See more details here!

We’ve been talking about the differences between men and women in my Buyer Behavior class, and vanity sizing came up as a notable difference for clothing. Men have no concept of “vanity sizing”, as their clothes are factual numbers based on measurements of their body. If they need a size 30 x 34 or 40 x 42, that’s just the size they need, at any store, at any given time. Then we come to women… with sizes from 0-24W! My husband often asks me to explain size 0, as he doesn’t understand how anyone can wear a “nothing”.

On the rare occasion that he goes shopping with me, he never understands why I pull the items in 3 different sizes, because I might usually be size XYZ at this store, but they could have recently changed the cut of their clothing. Then, there’s the “normal” size I usually pull first, and I put it on and it’s HUGE. Now, I don’t really have body image or size issues, so this type of dressing room conundrum is generally a red flag for vanity sizing. As a marketer, it’s actually a little humorous to see just how low I can go with a size, to see how much “vanity” is built into that store’s clothing. The most recent incident? It was a full 2 sizes down, and the item was still a touch loose! I know full well that I’m NOT size XYZ minus two, and I find this marketing tactic to be a little shady. Have women really bought into the arbitrary size number so much that retailers must play this game? Apparently so, as everyone single girl in my class, and all of my friends, have some story about a time when they managed to fit into a size that is much smaller than “normal”.

Then there’s the issue of tailoring, which means that just because the tag in the garment says size XYZ, it doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the case. Take the back-in-style hourglass figure, where the waist is significantly smaller than the bust and hips. Most hourglass women will need to tailor in the waist, meaning that the size in the garment no longer matches the size of the piece. So, do you buy to fit the biggest part, knowing you’ll tailor it down, and then feel good about the new tailored size? But then there’s that silly number (which, as we’ve already discussed, has no real value or factual measurement attributed to it) staring at you every time you wear the piece. If it’s an arbitrary number that haunts women, why don’t the tailors just take it out? In fact, why don’t we band together to thwart the marketers by purchasing any item that fits, and then ripping out the tags? Some marketers base their whole strategy on making women feel “better” about themselves by utilizing vanity sizing, but I think we’ll eventually adjust to a new “normal” based on the vanity sizing. I enjoy contemplating these marketing dilemmas, since they directly affect me on a regular basis. With all the “real women” campaigns over the past few years, I think it’s time for the retail clothing makers to jump on board! It might be wise to take a cue from our European counterparts… they size based waist measurement. Not perfect, but it’s a start!

Have a vanity sizing story to share? Post it in the comments! Like the outfit? See more details here!

Feature Fail?

On February 8, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Advertising, SellingLeave a comment

I’m working on a media plan for another country, and found the following claims in their media kit to be pretty humorous:

1) “7,000 copies are distributed to retail shops by Junk Mail Distribution”… I’m sorry, did you just use a company named JUNK MAIL DISTRIBUTION as a selling point for choosing your publication? Junk Mail means it’s JUNK, as in, not valuable. I don’t know that I would really go about naming my company “Not Valuable Distribution”, even as a tongue-in-cheek phrase.

2) “Employs the services of an experience proof reader, therefore blatant grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and the use of slang is correctly managed”… do your competitors forgo services of a proof reader? Are errors standard in publications, so this sets you apart? I would assume you’d have your publication proof-read before sending it out.

Neither of these seem like selling points to me, but I’m still learning about the market. Maybe most other publications do have errors, and maybe that market sees more humor in an ironic company name. Either way, I’m thoroughly enjoying the international media kits I receive!

Lessons from the Bahama Mama

On January 28, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Customer Service, SellingLeave a comment

My husband and I enjoyed a vacation to the Bahamas recently, and we were both struck by the people on this island. I’ve posted before about how to sell to Americans, based on my experience in the Dominican Republic. I would say the Bahamians have mastered this art far superior to their Dominican counterparts. The biggest difference?

Education. This was by far the biggest difference I found when thinking about why the Bahamian residents did so well selling to Americans. First, the cab drivers were extremely knowledgeable. They’d make “idle” chatter with their fares about the history of the island, American pop stars, commerce and economics, and entertainment recommendations based on the length of stay on the island. Our driver from the airport pointed out an excellent place to get chicken wings for a snack, and told us all about the New Year’s Eve festivities. Another cab driver told us that the government created a program to educate everyone in the tourism industry about how to make sure tourists had a great experience. They made everyone take the same state-approved course, from the hotel owner, to the waiters and cab drivers. Even the residents of the island, who were seemingly uninvolved with tourists, learned that tourism is a major contribution to the Bahamian economy, and they would regularly welcome us to the island as we passed on the street. The Bahamians understood that good news travels fast, but bad news travels faster, so taking preemptive action to ensure satisfied customers was in their best interest.

The soft sell. As I mentioned in my post about the Dominican Republic, hard-selling became a huge nuisance on the trip. Conversely, the Bahamian people have perfected the art of the soft sell. For example, the cab drivers use their education and knowledge of the history of the island to soft sell a guided tour later in the week. This is genius! They can collect not only an additional fare, but a premium for the “guided tour”, using their conversation to show that they have interesting information that you might want to pay for. Further, all of the “recommendations” from each of the service providers are soft sells. We ended up getting chicken wings from the stand recommended by the cab driver twice during our stay, without feeling like we were “sold” to. This particular driver also got another fare from us by offering to set an appointment to pick us up on our return trip to the airport. He offered us the convenience of the guaranteed fare with on-time, curbside pick-up. We didn’t feel that he “sold” us on choosing to ride with him, but rather that he had provided a valuable service to us. No one badgered us, and they were willing to leave us alone with a simple, “No thank you.” We weren’t afraid to roam around the market, wondering how many people would hound us about a purchase.

Presentation is everything. We noticed that the cab drivers and waiters were really well-dressed, and one cab driver mentioned that this was part of the requirements in the industry. Waiters wore, at minimum, khakis and a polo shirt, maids in several hotels wore dress uniforms, and cab drivers wore neckties. The city in general was very clean and well-lit, making us feel safe enough to make a 2 mile exploration walk from downtown to Paradise Island. And, these people know how to celebrate the New Year! Their fireworks display on the water was AMAZING, rivaling any display I’ve seen stateside on July 4th, and the entire city erupted with horns and music at midnight. They put on an elaborate parade called Junkanoo, with intricate costumes and floats. Aside from the extravagant nature of the parade participants, it goes on for a staggering 9 hours! They put up bleachers and block off the entire downtown main street to accommodate spectators, and there are plenty of cops for crowd control. When you visit the island, you feel relaxed, catered to, and safe, because they have made a concerted effort to create a flawless presentation.

You can go anywhere for sandy beaches and blue waters, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find people like the Bahamians. The people of this island made our trip memorable and enjoyable, and I think the top-down education plays a huge part in creating their successful tourist haven.

Consciously Corporate

Category: Selling