I read an interesting case study recently on a company involving their customers in their marketing. You’re probably thinking – ‘so what, that’s nothing new’. But I thought this approach was really innovative, and one retailers of all sizes could adapt and use in their own way.
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Marketing, like any industry, goes through trends and phases. Over the past few years the ‘in-thing’ has been Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Independent dedicated SEO companies have popped up everywhere, and the majority of businesses have now finally caught onto the trend. For a while there, it seemed to be the magical remedy for failing websites. Cheap, easy, effective. But now – after the majority of business has caught on and people are starting to abuse it – is it still working?
Each month I’m going to do a Gruen Transfer approach to marketing – looking at a particular category and how they market it, and where they go wrong. This month, I’ve decided I’ll kick off with the electrical goods category. I’m talking about some of the biggest advertisers in Australia – Harvey Norman, Retravision, Good Guys, Rick Hart etc. In my opinion, they all seem to be missing the mark.
In the last few months I have been invited to at least 10 different types of product parties. By these I mean Tupperware Parties, Nutrimetics Parties etc. The standard party-plan sales model. It got me thinking; has the day of party-plan marketing been resurrected?
In a strategic presentation last week, a client asked us: “Is there some sort of check-list or plan so I can remember everything I have to do?” I think the client was feeling a little overwhelmed at the ominous task ahead. I imagine that many businesses express this same emotion when undertaking a marketing strategy – where on earth do I start? Often, it all goes into the too-hard basket.
This morning I have read a number of articles reporting on the results of Channel Nine’s recent attempt at regaining some of their retreating market share. The most recent edition of the Sunday Times reveals that Nine still has a very small lead over Seven nationally, but in Perth, Seven is the clear winner. This comes despite the success of the controversial Aussie program, ‘Underbelly’.
As a strategist, I often recommend that clients embark on the development of a document called a ‘Style Guide’. In the advertising industry they can be called many things: ‘Standards Document’, ‘Brand Manual’, ‘Logo Requirements’. But what makes one so important? Why do we recommend them so strongly?