filter by tag: promotion

If you’re still wary about integrating foursquare into your marketing plan, look no further than the recent announcement that even the president is “checking in” to places now. If Obama can do it, so can your customers. With constant progress and evolution surrounding what was a scrappy start up just a few years ago, it comes as no surprise that foursquare announced yesterday yet another advancement. Now becoming more than just a location check-in program, it has added a new Event element to its check-ins.

Users have been checking in to unofficial events for a while now, but with the launch of an official platform of ”partnered events,” foursquare streamlines the previous process of having users check in to a location and then “shout” or comment about what they’re doing there. Users’ check-ins get a lot more interesting because users can check in to the venue itself or any of the events going on there. The primary players behind this new Events platform are ESPN, MovieTickets and Songkick, setting out to display thousands of check-in-able events, beginning in the arenas of music, movies and sports.

This new feature gives both users and businesses an added layer of interaction on foursquare. Users can unlock information about the events they’re attending (such as game time, teams and venue details), giving them more chances for earning discounts, coupons and even badges offered through the new events platforms. ESPN, for example, now has a new page for users checking in to specific sporting events that make users eligible to earn an “ESPN Foam Finger” badge.

For business partners there is a heightened opportunity to compete for check-ins with other locations and drive consumers to events and accompanying services. Consider the following scenario. On Friday night I check in to Fenway Park and a Red Sox game and push this check-in to my Facebook and Twitter pages, each of which shares information with my different social networks of friends. While at Fenway I might check in to a pre-game event I learned about on foursquare, orchestrated by one of the Red Sox sponsors. I then push this check-in to my other social networks as well, maybe even tweeting about the cool branded giveaways I got just for attending this pre-party! For businesses who take advantage of foursquare Events for event planning and marketing campaigns, this scenario is sure to become a reality.

If you’re reading this post and you’ve yet to do so, jump on foursquare and “claim” your business. Get in the game!

--Kathryn Robinson, New Media Intern, @katelyse

The producers of TLC’s “Extreme Couponing” might just be on to something. A recent study from lucid marketing found incentives go a long way in motivating moms to refer a brand or website to their friends and families. That's good news for companies looking to engage with moms and leverage their many relationships with like-minded friends.

Of the various incentives available, moms found coupons to be the most appealing; however, just throwing a coupon into the mix won't help brands build a meaningful relationship with this target. There are several ways to do it effectively:

• Online Contests: Drive product trial during online contests through couponing. It can be as simple as providing a downloadable coupon for every consumer who enters your contest. For those consumers who didn't enter, providing a coupon during the voting phase to reward them for getting involved and supporting their favorites can also be effective.
• Customized Blogger Content: Try developing creative contests, giveaways or promotions that will resonate with your target blogger's readers. You can then offer product samples and/or coupons as part of the prize package, making it a win-win for your brand and the blogger.
• Cause Promotions: Reward consumers who participate in click-to-donate cause promotions with a downloadable coupon. It’s a simple way to remind consumers that your product is tied to this meaningful call to action.

Today's mom plays a powerful role when it comes to creating strong word of mouth for a product or company, and when used effectively, couponing can be an effective engagement tool for marketers.

--Stephanie Doherty, Vice President

Much like the month of March, Black Friday came in like a lion and went out like a lamb. Yes, lines stretched for miles in the wee hours of the morning, but once storefronts were locked and totals were tallied, retailers were likely nonplussed by the modest sales and traffic increases.

Where did all the shoppers go? Online.

Black Friday online sales were up 16 percent, and come Cyber Monday, sales broke $1 billion. This dramatic shift away from brick-and-mortar shopping is not so surprising, considering access to the Internet is near universal among all demographics. What does cause me to raise an eyebrow and shake my head are all the missed opportunities for companies to integrate online holiday shopping promotions across new media channels.

A non-scientific Facebook poll found that only a minority of members were using Facebook to search for and share holiday shopping incentives. To really take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday hysteria, retailers would have been smart to provide consumers with Facebook- and Twitter-exclusive discounts designed to increase their followers and sales, yet it seems few companies were able to capitalize. Our own 2010 Cone Consumer New Media Study showed 77 percent of new media users look for companies to offer incentives, such as coupons and discounts, before deciding whether to engage with a company via social media. As companies start to recognize that they should focus online as much as in-store for holiday shopping, they need realize the potential of untapped social media resources to increase sales both during the holidays and throughout the year.

You know a really good marketing/PR idea when you see one… There’s always that slight pang of envy and the “I wish I thought of that” feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Along with a healthy dose of admiration, I recently experienced these feelings when I heard about the simple, yet brilliant, idea that AMC and Fox International Channels were planning for the launch of their new zombie TV series “The Walking Dead.” Whether you’re a zombie fan or not, you have to give the folks at AMC and Fox a lot of credit for launching a show that, on paper, wasn’t the surest bet.

The shows’ Halloween premiere was preceded the week before by a series of perfectly orchestrated “zombie attacks” in 26 cities across the globe. Starting at daybreak in Taipei and Hong Kong, hundreds of extras in zombie makeup began roaming landmarks in major cities across the globe, with all of the “attacks” taking place during a 24-hour period. After the first attacks, the market-by-market news started to appear in social and traditional media, making the story a Yahoo! trending topic by the time zombies crossed the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan.

Wisely leveraging the zombie content, the AMC/Fox marketing team used the show’s Facebook page to post zombie attack photos and videos from each city as they were happening around the world. Both the media and consumers kept Twitter buzzing about “The Walking Dead” for days. It truly turned into a media and pop culture take-over that was nothing short of the hype and hysteria Orson Welles conjured during his 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast.

As a result of all the hype (and good reviews), the series premiered to record cable ratings – AMC renewed the series for the season after just two episodes. It’s a great show that would have attracted loyal fans of the comic books, but the marketing team managed to get a huge new audience, along with the built-in fan base.

--Mark Malinowski, Vice President

Your weekly glimpse into the world of new media

Social: Just because your company uses social media, doesn’t mean people are talking about it. Well, burger chain Red Robin and Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati are doing something about that. After taking a post-meal survey in-restaurant, Red Robin invites diners who opt-in to post recommendations on their Facebook pages, which Red Robin then posts on its own page. In a similar call-to-action, Ducati rewards fans who disseminate a branded quiz, found on its new social networking site, with points that can be redeemed at Amazon.com.

Video: Rather than rely on consumer-generated videos to promote its new Fresh Ideas pre-sliced deli meat, food brand Sara Lee went out and hired actresses and comediennes posing as over-worked moms who manage to fit the sandwich meats into their busy days. The three video spots, available on YouTube and Facebook, feature mini, day-in-the-life vignettes of crazed working moms.

Research: Looking to jump on the iPhone app bandwagon? A recent survey from Compete Smartphone Intelligence reports smartphone owners’ favorite types of apps are entertainment, games, music, social networking and weather. Want more good news? Nearly a third (30%) of all smartphone owners are comfortable receiving targeted marketing on their phones.

Mobile: Speaking of apps, Finnish cellphone maker Nokia is promoting its latest customizable phone, the N97, by allowing consumers to create their own apps. Creators of the top 10 apps will win a free phone pre-installed with their creation.

Misstep: New media are rapidly gaining in popularity, but it seems they’re missing the boat when it comes to being a source of daily news. According to the First Amendment Center, Americans still consider traditional media the top source for news. A VERY distant second are the Internet, Twitter and social networks.

Our favorite: Red Robin and Ducati. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Driving fans to your social network is only half the battle. So engage your consumers and put them to work as brand ambassadors.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime. Offer him free fish, and hoards of people will overrun your restaurant so fast you’ll risk food shortages and riots. Or something like that…

It seems there’s no end to restaurants and food brands offering coupons for free meals and products. What’s surprising, however, is just how little the participating companies understand the power of the word “free.” In this economy – or any economy, really – you’ll find people hard-pressed to pass on free food, as any parents visiting their child at college can tell you. Offer to take the roommates to dinner, and suddenly you’re staring at a two-hour wait for a table for 10.

So, why do marketers continue to underestimate the demand? Didn’t the Oprah-KFC incident teach us anything? Apparently, we’re still waiting for the lesson to sink in. Just last week, restaurant chain TGI Friday’s had to face the ire of Facebookers everywhere when coupons for a free Jack Daniel’s burger or chicken sandwich ran out 24 days sooner than expected. To stem the groundswell of negative comments, TGIF hastily extended the promotion. What was initially an offer of free burgers for the first 500,000 Facebook followers of TGIF “fan” Woody, has been opened up to the first million. At the time of this post, Woody is closing in with 970,739 followers.

In a similar incident, Smucker’s launched a promotion offering 20,000 coupons for free packages of Uncrustables Sandwiches. Within hours of going live online, the coupons were gone. The program was slated to run through October, and it didn’t even make it out of September. According to a Smucker’s PR executive, it doesn’t look like the company will make any more coupons available. This hardly seems like a good move, especially as Smucker’s tries to drive moms to its Web site to submit tips on giving their kids and the whole family “a wholesome, satisfying and convenient snack.” Moms can still provide tips, but they shouldn’t expect free sandwiches.

The lesson here? Take a cue from the Oprah-KFC effect. Coupons for free food will inevitably run out – and faster than you think. So, take the time to prepare a contingency that won’t leave consumers feeling cheated. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

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We’ve all seen an influx of consumer-generated contests during the last few years from leading brands such as American Express, Heinz, Doritos and Dove, among many others. Do contests still provide companies with the opportunity to generate brand awareness and engage with their target consumers? Yes…if done correctly. Here are a few best practices:

Make it a rewarding experience. What’s in it for me? That’s the question a consumer will ask when determining whether to participate. Interestingly, simple prizes, such as a year’s supply of free product, can work just as effectively as a big flashy reward like the $1 million in prizes Office Depot is offering for its national search for the best and smartest U.S. small businesses. In these challenging economic times, a cash prize of $1,000 can be a big enough incentive to enter.

Give them something to talk about: Consumers love to talk about themselves, their likes, their hobbies, and of course, their kids and pets. Know your target audience and develop a contest theme that taps into their interests. Most importantly, make sure it’s brand appropriate. For example, who better than Play-Doh to offer the chance to win a Playroom Makeover through a photo contest?

Understand your audience: How do you want to engage with your audience and what do consumers need to do to enter? Will your consumer take the time to write an essay, try her luck in developing a new ad jingle or simply want to grab his camera to snap a quick photo? Knowing your audience will determine how you structure your contest and what your consumer “ask” is.

Keep it simple: From the rules to the entry requirements to the language you use to describe the contest, the communication should be easy to explain and understand.

Provide multiple consumer touch points: The strongest consumer-generated contests provide multiple ways to engage with consumers – a call-for-entries period; interactive tools, such as widgets that allow entrants to share their entries and the contest with friends and family; and consumer voting opportunities, which enable followers to come back to your site to vote for their favorites.

-- Stephanie Doherty, Vice President

I recently stopped by a local sporting goods chain, which shall remain nameless, to shop for some workout clothes. While wandering around the store, I saw a sign on top of a T-shirt display advertising a cause promotion. “Buy any recycled T-shirt and $2 will be donated to the Charles River Conservatory,” a Massachusetts nonprofit advocacy group that is involved in the renewal and restoration of the Charles River Parklands.

My interest piqued, I quickly selected three shirts and headed for the checkout. To be sure I selected the right items, I asked the cashier if my Ts qualified for the donation. She gave me a blank look, and said, “Uh, I don’t know.” Despite my annoyance, I purchased the shirts anyway, but as soon as I got back to my computer I visited the store’s Web site for more information about the promotion. (What can I say? I work at Cone. I care about causes.) There was nothing on the homepage, nothing on the “Our History” page and nothing on the “Press” page. Only after I searched for the specific item did I see a small-print mention about the $2 donation.

A cause promotion activated at retail can provide a sales lift and traffic boost, but only if it’s done right. Companies, if you’re going to invest in a cause, you must also invest in the cause marketing. After all, what’s the point of a cause promotion if no one knows about it? A program that’s this hidden may even be detrimental, giving your consumers the impression it’s an inauthentic, one-off promotion that you don’t care about. Marketing, on the other hand, leads to increased foot traffic and sales, which lead to more money for the nonprofit, which lead to greater social and bottom-line benefits. Don’t worry that your customers will think poorly of your marketing efforts; 85 percent find it acceptable for companies to involve a cause or issue in their marketing.

But, marketing is more than a small advertising display and a buried mention on the Web site. It involves advertising, media relations and especially engaging your employees. Employees should be your biggest advocates. If they are unaware of the program or aren’t involved, they can’t help you promote and execute it. Help motivate employees by creating store-level incentives to locations that collect the most donations or sell the most products associated with your cause. Create toolkits and message guides so they know how to speak to the program and answer customers’ questions. Employees are your ambassadors, and you need to rally them around the program and the cause to drive results.

You can bet the next time I visit said sporting goods store, I’m going to ask about the promotion. So you better be ready for me.

For more tips on how to properly activate a cause promotion at retail, visit our Web site to read director Marc Berliner’s article, “Cash-Register Cause.”

Brands all over the world are exploring their inner-musicians. In an attempt to appeal to tweens, teens, Millennials and pretty much any music fan out there, brands have turned up the music in their promotions and programs.

JetBlue recently launched “Live from T5,” an online contest that will choose musical acts to fill the last five slots in its Live from T5 concert series held in its T5 terminal at JFK Airport in New York.

Disney starlet Selena Gomez is the spokestween for Sears’ “Air Band Casting Call,” a competition to find a fifth member for its Arrive Air Band, which will be performing at the MTV Video Music Awards.

In Canada, Bud Light is introducing its “Bud Light Lime Summer Tunes” promotion to reward Facebook fans who petitioned to bring Bud Light Lime to Canada. Facebookers have a chance to win free downloads of the top 10 songs as selected by the brand’s fans.

The “Bacardi Bat Project” commissions new songs from up-and-coming music artists and makes them available for download via popular music blogs.

Not wanting to pay music artists to appear in its Chinese advertising, PepsiCo launched a music label in China to develop its own crop of music stars.

Through its "Adopted Bands" program, Denny's sponsors bands to eat for free and host after parties at local Denny's restaurants while on the road.

These days, an MP3 player is as indispensible an accessory as a cell phone – and in many cases is a cell phone, too – and brands are seizing the opportunity to appeal to a younger, hipper, music-loving crowd. It looks to be a win-win for the brands and the bands, but will it be music to consumers’ ears?

Nearly half of all American dog owners say they cannot live without their dogs on a daily basis, according to a new Beneful survey. That means a daily pooch pick-me-up is more important than their morning cup of coffee (35%), television (35%), their car (26%), their cell phone (23%) or even best friends (15%)!

To honor this powerful relationship between dog owners and their best friends, our client, Beneful, launched WagWorld.com, an online destination where dog lovers can find and share new dog-friendly places to visit with their dogs, write reviews, upload pictures and pass along posts to friends and family.

The site allows canine crazies to filter searches by places to eat, places to play or places to sleep. And, all suggestions are rated by WagWorld users on a five-paw scale. WagWorld comes at a good time as branded Web sites and the opinions of others online have become the second most-trusted sources of advertising. In fact, WagWorld may soon be known as Yelp! for dogs.

In celebration of the launch, Beneful is also searching for the Top 10 Most Dog-Friendly Cities in America. Visit WagWorld.com between July 27 and September 27 to add reviews, post photos or upload stories about living life with your dog in your city. The cities with the most buzz will make the top 10 list to be announced this October.

1. Fierce competition: Rivals square off
2. All aTwitter: Brands find clever ways to use Twitter
3. Everywhere you want to be: Marketers going mobile
4. "Video killed the radio star": Marketers are turning to Web video
5. I hardly recognized myself: Brand revitalizations

Today, everybody’s trying to save a buck, but a guy’s still got to eat. For fast-casual and fast-food chains, it would seem a no-brainer to slash prices on popular offerings and stand back as the crowds rush in. That’s the tact taken by Yum Brands Inc., but the low-priced fare didn’t quite pay off. Taco Bell’s and Pizza Hut’s second-quarter, same-store sales actually declined in spite of economically priced menu items.

So why weren’t consumers attracted to the cheaper eats? According to a recent Performics study, 69 percent of consumers surveyed said they are spending less money on eating out. This means consumers aren’t going to be swayed by low-priced promotions if they are already making a conscious decision to eat more meals at home. In fact, popular restaurant chains are looking to store-bought frozen meals as alternative income. California Pizza Kitchen, Starbucks and Burger King are among the many chains with restaurant menu items for sale in supermarkets' frozen food aisles.

But, restaurants can’t rely on packaged foods for long. To woo customers away from their eat-in kitchens, some restaurant chains are looking to draw crowds with incentive programs. Denny’s introduced a Grand Slam Bahamas Vacation Getaway promotion. Customers can earn scratch-off game cards by purchasing special menu items. Prizes range from free food and beverages to a grand-prize Bahamian vacation for two. Or, for the truly daring, Chick-fil-A honored Cow Appreciation Day by offering a free meal to anyone who stopped by its franchises dressed like a cow.

Restaurants are quickly learning that consumers in this economy are changing their habits and saving at unprecedented levels. To move dinnertime out of the house, restaurant chains are going to have to learn to get creative. Price cuts can’t be the only answer. Give consumers a reason to spend their hard-earned money in your restaurant.

A couple of months ago, I got a flyer from a celebrity procurement company that advertised its clients at a discounted price. My first reaction was to laugh…how degrading, I thought? It is actually advertising people―human beings―as items on sale. My second thought was, goodness, times must really be tough. But my third thought, which is probably the most relevant to my daily life, was how can I leverage this humorous, sad and potentially advantageous situation.

Tough economic times have caused many companies to “update” existing products instead of introducing costly new innovations. (In fact, 75 percent of new products fail to earn more than $7.5 million during the first year of availability, according to Anne Berlack, EVP at Information Resources Inc.) But, it is marketing these updated products to which celebrities can often add the most value. So, as companies wonder, “How can I maximize the impact of the message I am trying to relay, bring credibility to this 'not-so-new' product and get it placed in the media?” a celebrity spokesperson may be the answer.

When deciding to use a celebrity spokesperson, there are some key questions to ask:

1. What is the product? What’s the messaging you are trying to deliver?
2. Who is your audience? Is it women, men or maybe teens?
3. What type of media are you trying to secure? Women’s publications? Local newspapers? Specialty Web sites?
4. What type of celebrity is most appropriate for the brand? An expert? An entertainer? An advocate?
5. How do you plan to use them? An event? A paid media tool (SMT, ANR)? Web site?

Once you have answered these questions, it’s time to think about who the right celebrity is. Some things to think about when doing this are:

1. Find a celebrity who has a connection with your brand. Try to find someone who uses your brand so messaging doesn’t seem forced. Look for someone who resonates with your target audience.
2. Conduct a background check. You want to make sure the celebrity you select does not endorse a competing brand, or doesn’t have any skeletons in the closet (note: It never fails, these always come out right before you are about to announce the connection between your brand and the person.)
3. Have options. Although you think one celebrity might be the perfect fit, others may not agree. If you have options, you can come to an agreement on someone who works for everyone.

So, as you think about ways to make a splash, with a product that isn’t so splashy, consider a celebrity spokesperson. And if you think you can’t afford it, remember that many of them are on sale.

-- Jennifer Newberg, Account Supervisor

Oprah is the holy grail of celebrity endorsements, so it shouldn’t have come as such a shock to KFC when its local franchises were inundated with customers eager to collect on a promise of a free two-piece grilled chicken meal.

To help launch its new grilled chicken line as a healthier alternative to fried chicken, KFC brought in Oprah, who is very publicly struggling with weight management, to promote the grilled chicken on her show. As part of the deal, Oprah viewers could visit her Web site and download a coupon for a free two-piece grilled chicken meal. Unprepared for the hoards of Oprah fans, KFC franchises were overwhelmed by the traffic. Customers complained of long lines, stores refusing the coupons, and Internet rumors surfaced about an alleged riot at a Manhattan KFC, which the chain is denying.

Marketing execs at KFC hit a home run when they signed Oprah, but could have better prepared franchisees for the increased demand that comes with an Oprah endorsement. The following are some simple tips for communicating nationwide promotions to local franchises.

• Communicate promotions as far in advance as possible: Give franchisees the opportunity to prepare their stores for crowds by ordering extra product or scheduling additional staff.
• Provide promotion activation guides or tool kits: Ensure franchisees are communicating the right messages to customers by supplying message guides and background information on the promotion, and give them tips for marketing the promotion locally.
• Set expectations: Provide traffic data from past promotions, or proxy data, so franchisees won’t be caught off-guard during the campaign.
• Measure ROI: Use this as an opportunity to gauge consumers’ attitudes about the company and the promotion. This will help not only in determining the success of the promotion in changing customers’ opinions, but guiding decision-making about future promotions.