Print is not dead, the power of the printed word has decreased, but not vanished. This is probably one of my most favourite debates because there is so much at stake. Because of the internet, successful business models have crashed and burned, but innovative print organizations have come up with new ways to drive revenues and get creative.
Firstly I think everyone knows why print is dying. The internet and smart phones have made access to information free, easy, more current and unfiltered. The information you would have typically read from a paper 20 years ago you can now get before you even walk to your front door to pick up the paper.
So let’s move onto the difficult part of the argument, why print is still alive. There are many answers, but three things to consider: the advertisers, the content, and the audience.
Advertisers need to reach as many people as possible, in the most effective means. While print is one of the most difficult mediums to create a measurable response from it also holds a very captive, targeted, and intelligent audience. Coupled with the correct content this creates a relevant mix for advertisers to consider. After haemorrhaging advertising dollars for years, the outflow has stabilized and money is now returning to the industry. Advertisers see value in a print product, because the audience is still there.
It’s easy to see that people like tangible goods. Digital is great but it is not something you can touch or feel, an actual physical product that people can hold denotes ownership, which is appealing. Furthermore the print world has the advantage of curated and cultured content. The internet is a hot spot for trends and current events, while print products must differentiate from the internet by providing analysis and personality to articles.
If the quality of information remains high in print products there will always be an audience. After all it is not how much information you know, but the quality of WHAT you know.
My predictions for the industry are that magazines will survive, but many newspapers will die out. There will be major consolidation within the newspaper industry leaving about 1-3 major newspapers per major city. While readership may decrease there will always be a baseline level, leaving room for only a few newspapers to survive. The ones with the most integrated media offering will be the winners, but they of course must have the content, advertisers, and audience to remain on top.
The idea for this post actually came to me a long time ago when I was still studying, but had a part time job working in a kitchen. I always thought of the atmosphere of working in a kitchen similar to that of working on ship. Everyone arrived in the kitchen through some device of their own and you’re stuck in a tight space with flames and sharp objects, so it guarantees the personalities will be lively and entertaining.
C’mon you know you want some Zip!
One of the cooks that I worked with was a bit younger and slightly less jaded than me. He didn’t buy into corporate culture or business in general, so when he found out that I was studying marketing he was horrified. I even remember he turned to me and said “You want to work in marketing? You are the devil!”
I was taken aback because I always thought that marketing was a necessary component to any business, even the kitchen we worked at depended on marketing for more work, and as a result our pay cheques. Fundamentally the difference in opinion between my portly co-worker and I arose from the fact that he saw marketers as people that manipulate people’s purchasing behaviour and preferences, which they obviously do. However this is not the extent of all marketing.
While I would say that the savviest marketers are consumer brands with mass media exposure, they are not always the best marketers. Besides,there are numerous sectors where marketing is not evil, but necessary to communicate to consumers and a wider audience. Think about health, pharmacy, not-for-profit, agriculture as examples.
It would be naive to assume that marketing is not inherently bias, after all you are trying to convince someone that your product/business is better than the competition or that the consumer needs your product. Evil or not marketing is something every business needs to do to survive, how you do it will determine whether or not you’re “evil”.
Being a fairly recent grad and with the economy the way it is, us young go-getters are always thinking about the best way to get a leg up on the competition and how to fire away into a bright, bright, future. For obvious reasons landing that first job is pretty crucial in setting you up for future success, or so it seems. A recent conundrum I’ve encountered is whether it is better to work at an ambitious start up, or get a job working for the big dogs right off the bat.
I’ve always been a supporter of the under dog, so I’m prone to supporting the start up. In general, everyone should work for a start up at one point in their lives. Start ups inherently must fight for every piece of the pie in order to gain market share, this “spirit” permeates throughout the organization and can lead to a more entrepreneurial nature within the employees. Also the idea of getting a slice of the pie leads start ups to occupy niches or have very unique specializations that larger companies cannot have.
Yet one of the most important characteristics of start ups might be the ability to make mistakes. They are curious and experimental in nature leading them to teach valuable lessons in short spans of times. Larger more established firms may be more risk averse, preventing them from pursuing opportunities where others see it. Assessing and supporting a risky business move, can be a difficult and expensive lesson to learn, being able to partake in that opportunity early in your career can be a great opportunity.
Working at a big company obviously has its perks as well. The pay is probably better, there is more job security and you undoubtedly will be amongst professionals with a high standard of work. You will gain valuable “work experience”, but it you might miss out on that dose of “life experience”.
Thats why I say take the plunge early, work for a young exciting company, where you can affect the future and help move it in the right direction. If you do a really good job, you just might turn your “start up” into a big company as well : )
The international beer game is slowly being controlled by two giant conglomerates – Ab Inbev and Sab Miller. Despite the veneer of fun and parties these two companies paint over their beer brands, the peddling of barley mixes is serious business. This might be the reason why those malted beverages that still operate independently are the ones with the most authentic personality. While, I still enjoy my historic european brews, its the small brewers that really have a complex blend of originality.
Remember, no drinking and driving.
In Toronto we have a local brewer under the name of the Steamwhistle Brewery. They are a staple of the Toronto beer environment that has fought hard for its place in the Toronto pint glass. Steamwhistle started off with a grassroots marketing campaign and marked its products with a tasteful, light green colour, this included delivery trucks, logos, beers and packaging. It was a kind of “smashable” which made its products unique and noticeable almost instantaneously. Steamwhistle’s identity has been closely tied with this type of branding.
Now let us look at the opposite side of the spectrum. We have the corporate brands that make very bland beer and appeal to drinkers through commercials and scenes of “good times”. Now I must admit that I really wholeheartedly enjoy big beer brand marketing. It is one of my favourites and in my opinion one of the funnest – I just dislike most of the beer.
Case in point, Miller Lite. This brand has tried to diversify its products by branching into the hybrid beer business. One of its newest additions is Miller Chill. A light lime beer that is meant to attract hesitant beer drinkers into the world of suds. It is a valiant effort to diversify a stagnant beer portfolio.
Made from recycled glass and ideas
In an effort to market this beer, Miller, perhaps unwittingly, stole a chapter from Steamwhistle’s playbook. Riding around Toronto, Miller now has new Jeep Navigators painted lime green, with fake wood paneling on the side. An interesting blend of cross promotion with a little retro inauthenticity.
Now contrast this with Steamwhistle, a company that has actual retro rides, and has been using similar colours and themes for years. Seeing Miller’s lime green jeep revealed that they are wearing all the right clothes, but they aren’t really at the party. Similar to the fake wood paneling on the side of their new jeep, the image created around the brand is not authentic.
However Steamwhistle can take solace in that – imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…
Recently, while embarking on some travels through Southeast Asia, and a pleasant stop over in the Hong Kong airport, I got bored and then I got to thinking. As I wandered throughout the airport I realized how golden of an opportunity it is for aspiring and established brands to position themselves to a global audience. It is also where reinforcing brand image pays off, as I can attest from personal experience.
“Hmmmm, which international, aspiring brand should i buy??”
Placing your brand in an airport is a very strategic and logical step if your goal is to reach a jet-setting, impressionable demographic. Especially considering that it may be the first time that some people even see the brands in person.
I have even heard a story, where a Russian business man traveling outside of Russia for the first time since the fall of the Soviet Union, was so excited to purchase a Coke, because of everything that it symbolized – such as freedom and the American way of life. When he went to open it the tab popped off and he was left holding an un-openable can of Coke. But a man that survived the Soviet Union would not let a faulty tab stop him, he simply stabbed the top with a pen and guzzled the whole thing down. No problem. I’m sure that many others feel a similar way when they see certain brands. Can you remember the first time you saw and were able to hold Louis Vuitton, or Burberry?
Having a presence in international airports makes sense because you are able to position your brand as international and exclusive but also to reach a global audience. Even if it does not result in direct purchases it could even be considered a type of advertising. Since this strategy is undoubtedly quite expensive, it is not surprising that most “airport brands” are of the luxury variety.
Another point to consider is how a brand’s domestic advertising can pay off at an airport. This I speak form personal experience. I myself was seduced by McDonalds. Yes it’s sad, and I am slightly ashamed, especially since I consider myself quite an adventurous eater. Nonetheless I can justify my experience as an experiment.
The thing about McDonalds is consistency. It prides itself on the same level of service, and taste no matter where you are in the world. This is definitely true. At a time when I was travelling and in need of nourishment that I knew was reliable and tasty, I knew exactly what I would get by going to McDonalds. So while McDonalds does adjust to national flavours its overall global mass appeal does have its benefits. I was pretty happy until a big glob of grease popped onto my face from my McChicken, enthusiasm did not ensue.
Besides the actual thrill of being at an airport because you are traveling, its always interesting to take a look around and see the brands that are making a push, that are aspiring to position themselves as international to a global audience.
Yes, the Volkswagen Touareg is a mid-sized sport utility vehicle for your run of the mill soccer mom. Its name was inspired by a nomadic people from Saharan Africa, which makes sense because SUV drivers often venture off the beaten path to explore worlds unknown, similar to the namesake of the Volkswagen Touareg.
My other car is a Volkswagen
The naming of cars has always been a funny business, inevitably there is a name that does not translate well. In the past you had the Chevy Nova, which means “no go” or “no va” in Spanish. There is the the Mitsubishi Pajero, which apparently means “chronic masturbator” in Spanish, at least according to my sources.
Which brings me to my next point, which many of you may have already surmised. A couple of weeks ago an armed contingent of Tuareg rebels annexed a section of Mali and declared independence. It was an unexpected maneuver that largely rose out of the availability of arms after the Libyan conflict and a recent coup in Mali proper. It has also been suggested that this group of rebels has links to Al-Qaeda. Its annexation of northern Mali was condemned by the international community and the African Union.
Now I won’t go far as to say that this is going to hurt Volkswagens brand image, I doubt that it will even affect sales, but it is definitely a first. I am not aware of similar situation where a car’s namesake has annexed a physical territory. Volkswagen won’t have a problem downplaying the association, I mean they managed to get over the whole founded by a Nazi trade union thing.
In a really crazy world this could play to the brands favour, it could become the “rebellious” car. I mean it practically brands itself.
Marketing and advertising is a great field to work in, you get to work on new projects and craft messages that target specific audiences, these messages often project a fun appealing image, so the work should be fun and appealing as well right? Technically yes, but we all know there comes a time when you check into the office and you don’t come out until the sun rises the next day. The Cannes Young Lions Marketing competition is the 24 hour boot camp that preps you for the midnight runs at the office.
So what exactly are the Young Lions? Its a global competition hosted by a local authority, in Canada it was hosted by the Globe and Mail. You are required to enter as a team of two, and you must be working full time in a marketing function. I partnered with a colleague from Toronto based Loqi Studio. On March 17th (St.Pattys day, boo hoo) we were sent a “case brief”. Within the brief we were presented with a company that was facing a marketing dilemma of a particular sort. We had h24 hours to come up with a solution and convey it in a 1,000 word brief and a powerpoint slide which summed up the idea. There was a big emphasis put on creativity, we were really supposed to think outside the box, like big! Big! Big- outside the box.
In our case the company was the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association). The teams were given a template to follow which included elements that shouldbe included, which helped to serve as a guideline. Although the case was only about five pages long it was still quite complex. The aim of the case was to build a media campaign that would set the tone for the YMCA’s 10 year strategic vision.
The YMCA is a very diverse organization, which has an international, national, and local mandate. It has a strategic vision and mission statement, but its individual units are allowed to function autonomously, so it is quite common that you will have three YMCAs in the same city, but all three will be completely different from each other. On an international level, YMCAs can be very different, in Canada the YMCA is very inclusive and tries to push diversity, whereas in the US the YMCA has a very strong Christian mandate which it promotes openly, this would be a death sentence for the brand in Canada.
Yes, I couldn't resist putting the Village People in the post, it was bound to happen.
The case presented many challenges for the YMCA: increasing competition from non-profits; un-clear brand positioning, statement and product offering; and a diverse service offering but a lack of awareness within the community. Our objectives in overcoming these problems was to: change peoples perspective of the YMCA to be seen as a relevant organization worthy of support, develop the YMCA’s profile as a leading authority on health and well-being of young adults, and bring coherence to the YMCA brand understanding.
First off we realized that the YMCA is a kind of “jack of all trades, but master of none” it does many great things but has trouble conveying all its strengths in one message. Oftentimes the YMCA was seen as a gym or charity despite having many value added programs. Its product offering ranges from: sports and social programs from children to seniors arts programs, and even sliding scale membership for those of lesser means. In short the YMCA was having an identity crisis, and we needed to solve it.
We were curious to see more, so we decided to do some field research. Thankfully there was a YMCA close to where we were working. We hopped in the car and decided to look around. We had some very illuminating conversations with staff and a helpful cruise around the premises. Through our walk around we encountered families, seniors, children, and teenagers. All of them were doing a wide variety of activities from basketball, swimming, working out, we even saw a sword fighting class…that’s right-sword fighting. Everyone we talked to was very happy and kind. The atmosphere was warm, inclusive and nurturing. What immediately struck us was that this was not a gym or a charity, it was a community that was working towards the betterment of its members and the people around them.
After our tour it was back to the drawing board. We decided that we would do an integrated marketing campaign titled the “Walks of Life”, its intention was to showcase the YMCA as an organization that was inclusive and accepted people from all walks of life, this was an important element of building brand cohesion. A unified message built on inclusion and diversity that all YMCAs could stand behind. We wanted to emphasize the power of bringing different people together to build a strong community.
To help reach the objective of a socially relevant organization worthy of support, and a leader of young adults in health and well-being, we thought the YMCA should participate in a high-profile fundraising event. We suggested a fundraising event, aptly titled, Walks for Life, in partnership with the children’s hospital Sick Kids . A portion of the walk would be organized by kids/young adults to help other kids/young adults. Its a cause everyone can support, and helps to establish the YMCA as an organization that can be donated to, but also a leader for the health of children and young adults. This was the basic outline of our campaign, after that we went about justifying our decision and wrote our brief.
Did we win? No we didn’t, but it was a very interesting and challenging experience. Would I enter again next year? Absolutely! I want a trip to Cannes! Who won? These guys.
So what did I learn? Firstly, working in a team was great, bouncing ideas off another person is important for the creative process, I also learnt that you really need to push the creative envelope, a competition like this means you can really invent something crazy- our idea was good but maybe too conventional, also the importance of field research. I don’t think I was fully able to understand the crux of the case until I stepped into the YMCA, seeing it really translated what I felt into words. Lastly, I also learnt…that its fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A!!!
Here is a video of the YMCA re-branding in the US (including a name change from YMCA to the “Y”), most likely the direction that the Canadian YMCA will go in:
The paper cup, the cardboard sleeve, and the mermaid symbol on the front. Depending where you are, these are probably some of the most ubiquitous symbols you see during the morning commute to work. Bring up Starbucks around a group of highly opinionated people and you are bound to come up with some interesting perspectives on how Starbucks is viewed. Is it authentic? Not authentic enough? Intimidating? Corporate?
Love it or hate it, one thing is clear, Starbucks has been a successful business for decades, and is poised to continue its run, but did you know that its success was built without a serious marketing department?
Starbucks has enjoyed very consistent year on year growth, and has been able to aggressively expand its stores and other distribution outlets. Even the recession didn’t stop the coffee house from posting profits, CEO Howard Schultz boasted that they had found a recession proof product. At one point Starbucks was opening 3 stores a day! All of this was achieved without heavy investing in advertising or marketing, the focus was on the customer and the coffee “experience”. Sadly for us the best organizations often claim they don’t need marketing…or do they?
After Starbucks become so ubiquitous it was in danger of falling victim to its own success. With an expanded customer base came varying demand and different expectations. Starbucks now had a range of new customers outside of their traditional core consumer, which forced them to accomodate and meet new consumer needs.
Whereas “traditional regulars” wanted to stay and linger, new customers rushed in-and-out without buying into the “experience”. This was the symptom of a larger problem that Starbucks discovered, people had very different opinions about the brand, this resulted in skewed expectations for new customers.
Now…cue the marketing department. Despite Starbucks having built a very strong brand awareness they hadn’t built strong brand cohesion. It is from here that Starbucks decided to roll out their first mass marketing campaigns informing consumers about the specific value proposition of Starbucks. This campaign largely centred around a core message of the “coffee experience”, price justification, de-bunking common myths, and informing the consumer. Check out the video for more:
Does this video make you look at Starbucks differently, did they tell you something that you didn’t know, and do you feel as though it was authentic? After doing some digging I found that there are a lot of positive initiatives that Starbucks undertakes and I wouldn’t have known about if it wasn’t for this type of campaign.
So even though there was no marketing department during the boom years, now that Starbucks has reached a new phase of its business development, which is maintaining growth and profitability of existing stores, it needs to consolidate its brand image and push a coherent message to its customers. Marketing is now a serious component of Starbucks’ corporate makeup- looks like that marketing degree might come in handy after all.
Perhaps this should have been one of the first posts I made, but somehow it slipped through the cracks. Sometimes marketing can be difficult to define. Many people think it is just promotion or advertising, (often times it is) but to really market effectively you need to understand the core of a business, this helps you to understand the value proposition that you are offering to the consumer. It is the difference between “selling clothes”, or selling “exclusive, tailored shirts, custom fitted and one-of-a-kind”. The core of your business will be the core of your message.
To put it plainly, marketing to me is: the proceses and tools that add value to your product or service. It seems simple, but within that tiny little sentence lies a quandary of ideas. Firstly what is this idea of “value”? I look at it this way, “value” is separate from the product, inherently a product is valuable but if no one knows about it, the inherent value is lost. Once a product is shown to the consumer as possessing certain strengths, be it through advertising or other channels, it now has its inherent worth plus the added value of a message and communication. But marketing doesn’t have to be just communications, it can also consist of added features and general business improvement, this is what makes it so hard to define.
A marketer must have an extensive toolbox to help add value to a product or service. This is where elements of branding, positioning, pricing, product offering and communications come into play. To create value for a product a marketer can use any of these tools (or more) to achieve their business goals. It shows how diverse a field it really is, and the more creative your are in adding value, the more successful your product will be. What is marketing to you?
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