Branding in whispers

Earlier this week, I was exchanging mails with Diana van Hoeve (a fellow marketeer) about marketing to women and, amongst others Dove's "Campaign for real beauty". We were discussing my post "Dove - a not so ethical brand" and how I thought that Dove was just paying lip service to the idea of smart marketing to women. I also told Diana that I truely believed in honest marketing, which at first sight may be a contradiction in terms, but which is in my opinion really the future of marketing.

Well, I am very proud to report that THE one and only Faith Popcorn - trendwatcher and marketing-to-women pioneer, also referred to Dove's somewhat 'superficial' efforts in marketing to women. Faith did an interview with AdWeek, in which she speaks about the fact that brands that trumpet their benefits are hopelessly out of tune with consumers who are sick and tired of marketing's noise. In this interview, Faith explains why she advises brands such as Target, GE, McDonald's, Tylenol and Nabisco to build their strategies around whispers and honesty rather than hype and shouts.

Faith goes on to say "Consumers also think companies lie about the ingredients in their products, and they are sick of brands yelling at us. They are tired of being hyped all the time. While the phenomenon hits all ages, it is stronger in women, affecting 65 percent of them compared to 56 percent of men, according to our research."

Here is an excerpt from the interview that explains 'branding in whispers':

Please explain what you mean by branding in whispers?
It is not boasting how great your products are, but showing how your brand can help people. It could be through services your company offers, or doing things for your community or the manner in which you sell your products. During the holidays when there were all these long lines and crowds, Apple's message basically was: "Here are these things and they really work." That's a whisper. When a store delivers something to your house or a bank gives you a ride to the local branch, those are whispers. When Mini gives people all these ways to buy their cars, the company is whispering to its audience.

Which big brands could whisper better?
Procter & Gamble's Tide could whisper by supporting the women who use it; it could put something back into the female community by helping battered women or doing things for families. People would respect the P&G brand more. Nike's marketing involves lots of talk but not [much] substance. What does Nike do to help people? For instance, they could own and improve the paths that people run on. Dove also needs to put something back. They have made the point about the beauty world treating women like they are fat and making them feel like shit, but let's get beyond the feel-good talk by supporting people and being a part of their lives. Tylenol wanted to reach young people; so a few years back we helped them design a program that addressed the pain in sports, such as skateboarding. The brand went to events at skateboard parks and had a Web site called ouch.com that celebrated the pain in young peoples' favorite sports. But Tylenol didn't talk about it in their TV ads and they didn't put skateboarders in their commercials. It was a whisper.

What advice do you give strategists and marketing leaders facing this change?
If you are sitting at your desk for more than 10 hours a week, you are really screwing up. Get up from your desk and the Internet and go out in the world, see what is out there and learn what people are feeling. Then you will be able to grasp these changes faster. Otherwise, you will miss the signals. We ask companies, "Don't you see the train coming? Don't you see the training coming?"

It's always nice to have your personal thoughts or opinions confirmed by recognized industry authorities. So Dove: until you get REAL, your fancy campaign is just that: a campaign. Stop testing on animals. Give something back to society. Live your brand ethos. Then maybe I'll like you again.

You can read the full article here.

Marketing to women by Philips: You win some, you loose some

Philips Electronics recently announced that it is launching a campaign to appeal more to women by making their electronics more fashionable and elegant.

Now there's good news and bad news.

The good news is the 'Design Collection' - a series of home entertainment products such as TVs and audio systems that "will make a statement about personal style". Looking at the few pics I could find, we're talking ultra-slim, sleek products that indeed will appeal to the style-conscious - whether you're a man or a woman.

Now for the bad news:
If its up to Philips, we (women) will soon be wearing (wait for it...) heart-shaped Swarovski pendants that hold USB drives. According to Philips, the "Active Crystal range combines high fashion design with the best in technology, creating a fusion of fashion and function". Sure. I'm totally up for wearing my USB stick around my neck all day.

A woman's verdict? The journalist who wrote this piece, asked is wife if she would like one for Valentine's Day. Her hillarious response says it all: "I'll stab you".

Heart-shaped Swarovski crystal USB drive case closed.

JUMP - the forum for professional women

Don't forget to mark your diaries: 25 & 26 April

JUMP forum

Jump is the place to meet, discuss, brainstorm and participate in conferences and training sessions. A wide range of tools to reinforce women's empowerment and position in the economy will be offered.

PR as we know it is dead.

It's not a nice title, I know, it makes many people veeeeeeeery uncomfortable. But it had to be said.

I've kept it inside for so long, I just had to get it out: traditional PR is dead.
Actually, it's been dead for quite a while, it's just that we don't really want to face it. Many of us are still in denial, and for those I suggest reading this post called "Sorry PR people, you're blocked" by the editor of Wired magazine. (Do note the major PR firms black listed here...)

PR = press relations.
...And it's with that definition, which is still held as THE correct definition by many agencies and clients alike, that the problems start.

PR is NOT just about press relations (and it never has been).
PR is (and I beg your forgiveness for going back to PR 101 here, but it is necessary) about "the profession of promoting goodwill between an organization or an individual and it's publics, its employees and its customers".

As far as I'm concerned, 'the press' is just one channel we can utilize to help build relationships with our various audiences/publics.

I've never liked doing 'traditional' PR, even though many people - employers and clients alike - have tried to push me in that role. Mass email blasts of a press release which contains really nothing news worthy insults not only my intelligence to write it, but the client's intelligence and most of all, the journalist's intelligence when we dare sell it to them as news worthy. No wonder we're being blocked (even when we send it to the right journalist/editor)!

I firmly believe PR is about informing people, facilitating conversations between a company and it's publics, helping audiences understand what the company stands for, convincing consumers that it's products/services help solve a real, concrete need in their lives. I'm sorry: but are we really still expecting the humble press release to achieve all these goals?

I am often challenged by more 'traditional' PR firms about the recommendations I make to my clients. "You're suggesting a 'Motivate Me' section on their website? A team blog? A pro-active social media plan??? That's not PR!"

Wake up guys! The traditional media (women's mags / daily newspapers / prime time television) are no longer the "endorsers/influencers" the consumer turns to for believable advice. They're listening to recommendations by friends on FaceBook or reading reviews from fellow travellers on TripAdvisor. They're reading the CEO's blog or visiting user forums. They don't have time or attention or energy to waste and the little they have they are dividing very consciously between the topics, activities and people that really interest them. So you still think a press release is going to do the trick?

In the 'new' PR (and I still shudder to use the term 'PR') it's about 3 key things:
- Show them you are real (don't be scared to show you're not perfect!)
- Show them you care (tell them you'll fix what's wrong - and then do!)
- Show them your company is about more than just making money, getting them to 'buy'.

Don't underestimate the intelligence of your consumer - it's the biggest mistake you can make (also see my post '2008 - the year of banishing bullshit).

PR as we knew it is dead. And it's for the best.

PS Incase you're still doubting the view above, also read 'The new PR'
and 'What PR people should know about social media' - a wealth of information on both sites!

Time To Talk Straight

It's here! Holly Buchanan and Michelle Miller - two pioneers of great marketing to women - have written a new book called 'The Soccer Mom Myth'.

I love the blogs of both these ladies: down to earth, funny, no fancy blah-blah and always hitting the nail right on the head. I can't wait to read the book! Have a look at the website - you can download some chapters for free.

My order's been placed - I'll let you know my thoughts once I've read it!

2008 - the year of banishing Bullsh*t

"Naiveté is rare today. Your customer is equipped with a bullshit detector that is highly sensitive and amazingly accurate. And the younger the customer, the more accurate their bullshit detector.

When selling, remember: If you don’t admit the downside, they won’t believe the upside." - Roy H. Willaims.

Can I emphasise this fact enough to my clients? NO.

I advise you to read it again, because it's very, very true...and if you don't believe it, or think you can smooze your way around it with fancy PR or advertising, you're taking a very dangerous Jérôme Kerviel-like gamble with your company's future.

There's a reason why the blog belonging to the man who spoke these simple but very true words is read by many, many people across the world, and the reason is this: without any marketing blah-blah or trendy industry slang, he gets it so very right...it's worth giving up 15 minutes to read his The Monday Morning Memo.

In his post '2008 - The Year of Transition' he highlights what he thinks will be the big consumer trends for the coming years. It's an interesting post, which I think anyone interested in consumer behaviour or marketing...hell, anyone in the business of selling something to someone (that makes all of us) should read it!

Below is an excerpt of the main points. The full post you can find here

Here’s what to remember when selling in 2008:

1. Efficiency is the new Service.
Your customer is saying, “Quality and price and quick, please. I’ve got things to do. Thanks.” Service and selection still matter, but not nearly so much as they once did. Inefficient organizations built on high-touch “relationship” selling will decline. Today’s customer is magnetically drawn to efficiency. This attraction will increase over the next few years.

2. Authenticity is essential.
Listen to the street. “Being cool” has become “Keepin’ it real.”

Naiveté is rare today. Your customer is equipped with a bullshit detector that is highly sensitive and amazingly accurate. And the younger the customer, the more accurate their bullshit detector.

When selling, remember: If you don’t admit the downside, they won’t believe the upside.

3. A Horizontal Connectedness is replacing yesterday’s vertical, social hierarchy. Labels like “white collar” and “blue collar” sound almost racist today. The new American dream isn’t about pulling ahead and leaving the others behind. It’s about becoming a productive member of the team.

“Winning” has become less important than “belonging.”

Listen to the streets. “I’m number one,” gets the response, “You ain’t all that, dog. You ain’t all that.”

4. Word-of-Mouth is the new Mass Media. Video games and cable TV stripped our kids of their innocence at an early age, but the Technology that robbed them of idyllic childhood also empowered them with cell phones, blogs and blackberries.

Viral marketing wasn’t created by the advertising community. It’s simply the result of a horizontally-connected generation (1.) sharing their happy discoveries with each other and (2.) trying to protect one another from mistakes.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS: It’s no longer enough just to have great advertising. When your customers carry cell phones and can email all their friends with a single click, you need to be exceptionally good at what you do.

5. Boasting is a waste of time.
Your customer is saying, “Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words.
Don’t tell me what you believe. Show me.”

IN YOUR ADS, do you include “proofs of claim” your reader, listener or viewer can experience for themselves?

6. Everyone is broken a little.
And the most broken are those who pretend they are not.

It’s time to take the advice of Bill Bernbach, “I’ve got a great gimmick. Let’s tell the truth.”

7. Keep in mind that during the next 12 months, as we complete the transition from the Idealist outlook to the Civic perspective, these trends will be accelerated by the facts that:
(1.) Access to information is going up and
(2.) Access to money is going down.

2007 - the good, the bad, the ugly

One has until the end of January to wish people well for the new year. Taking that reasoning and stretching it a bit, I also have time until the end of January to make my personal review of 2007...the good, the bad and the ugly in a nutshell.

THE GOOD:
A much needed break of 4 days in sunny Barcelona (a luxury in the first year of starting a business)

Attending the James Nachtwey photo exhibition in Amsterdam

Growing Muse faster than I thought possible in my wildest dreams

Finally getting round to sending a 5-year overdue 'thank you' letter to Jack & Val Leone in Australia...just in the nick of time. Which proves: ALWAYS say thank you to those you really love...before it's too late.

Meeting Isabella & Caroline...It's going to be a great year, ladies!

Having our "Big Bear St Bernard" spend another year with us

"Prutske" joining the family

A sunny, sunny, sunny April

Being able to take my 82-year old granny to Cirque Du Soleil for her birthday

Reading 'Shantaram' and 'Eat, Pray, Love' - two life-changing books

Surviving Pukkelpop (without any major injuries)

THE BAD:
Loosing Val Leone, my surrogate mom while I lived in Australia, to cancer on August 14th.

Falling very ill while visiting Amsterdam and spending 4 days in the hotel, in bed.

Burning my fingers trying to help someone

Promising myself I'd give up smoking in 2007 and not sticking to my promise.

THE UGLY:
Rediscovering how ugly money can make people (you know who you are)

Seeing too many animals put down at the rescue centre.

Tearing my calf-muscle in the middle of my first day at Rock Werchter. Arrival at 12 noon by car, departure at 5pm by ambulance. Yeah, Werchter in an ambulance really ROCKS!

Connecting is what matters

Yvonne over at Lip-Sticking said something so true in her blog, I'm sorry I didn't think to say it myself first...She says: "I'm tired of that old phrase 'reaching female consumers'. It doesn't work anymore. You can "reach" us in a myriad of ways - it's connecting with us that counts."

Oh man, does Yvonne nail the nail on the head there. What she says is so simple, it's almost not worth mentioning, and on the other hand what she said is also so profoundly true, it should be written in ALL CAPS for everyone to notice.

It's not about 'reaching out'..that's exactly where companies go wrong. They do reach out - ok, some in totally inappropriate ways that don't appeal to us, and others in relatively appropriate ways but without being really 'real' about it or 'walking the walk', so to speak (see my post "Dove - a not so ethical brand").

Which brings me to the most difficult part about consulting companies on how to connect with female consumers. We can help brands design really appropriate campaigns with an appropriate positioning, the right messaging and all the rest, but if this campaign is an isolated effort and not part of an entire company philosophy, then really, it's just 'reaching out'. Connecting only happens when you live your 'marketing to women' ethos in (here come the all caps) EVERY SINGLE FACET OF YOUR BRAND ETHOS - from the way in which you treat your employees to the service your sales staff gives customers at the point of sale. Easier said than done, I know. But I have just three words for those who think this to be an almost impossible task: The Body Shop.

But in the spirit of looking forward, not back, here are my very humble recommendations to help you connect with your female consumers:

1. BE REAL.
I've said it before, I'll say it again: all those great creative campaigns and awards mean nothing if we catch you out to be lying to us, ignoring our requests or minimizing our demands. Again, think Dove. Very 'female-friendly'communication. Pity they torture and kill animals to give us all those sumptuous little creams and soaps.

2. MAKE US A PART OF YOUR BRAND.
If we buy your brand, it's because we believe in it. Hey, we're women, we like connecting with like-minded souls...we'll talk about your product and recommend it to our friends - all you have to do is bring us together and ask us to promote you!

3. SHOW US YOU CARE - ABOUT EVERYTHING
Don't just show us you care about us and our dollars. Show us you also care about your employees, the community we live in, the future of our children, the well-being of our planet. Give something back -it matters to us.

4. MAKE SURE YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE HAPPY
This statement may sound totally irrelevant in this list of tips to connect with your female consumers, but believe me, it's not. Your front-line staff (sales & service people) are often the only 'human link' to your brand. One bad experience with a grumpy sales person can ruin a relationship with a brand forever. Your staff are your first brand ambassadors. If they don't believe in your brand, how do you expect them to convey anything positive about it to us? Oh, and train them. Your car salesman talking to my husband while looking at my butt when I'm the one shopping for a new car means someone else will get the business - guaranteed.

5. DON'T PATRONISE US
See the car salesman incident above. Ditto goes for the computer sales guy and the bank director who phones me up asking to speak to my husband about what to do about optimizing our joing savings account. Think I don't have a huge impact on that decision? Think again.

6. DON'T TAKE YOURSELF (OR US) TOO SERIOUSLY
Don't get me wrong: be respectful, but golly gosh, let's all laugh a little more often, shall we? Life's serious enough as it is. How about adding some light-hearted fun to it? Research has shown that women prefer laughing at situations pertaining to themselves, while men prefer laughing about stories about others. We don't take ourselves too seriously so why not make us laugh once in a while?

7. UNDER PROMISE, OVER DELIVER
There's nothing that puts a smile on any cynical consumer's face (male or female!) as getting more than what you bargained for. The thing with women is, they'll talk (and talk and talk and talk) about it to all who will listen!

A song to remind us of what's really important

As I was rushing through another monday morning filled with little 'to do lists', urgent phone calls, impatient clients and forgetful suppliers, I heard this beautiful song on the radio. It made me stop and think about things for a few minutes.

It's so beautiful (and so true) I wanted to share it with you all.

STOP for a few minutes to listen to it.
It's your day, your life. Everything REALLY can wait that long.

Happy Monday!

Dove - A not so ethical brand

I used to be a real fan of the Dove campaigns. Effective, socially responsible marketing that appealed to women all over the world, regardless of age or culture. The key here however, is 'used to be'.

Dove's award-winning campaigns - and associated initiatives such as the 'real beauty' TV shows, pro-age calendars, etc convinced us ('us' being women) that the brand really cares about women. That it wants to correct, protect and educate us and our daughters about realistic expectations of beauty, a healthy self-esteem, about self-worth. I was impressed by what I thought was one of the very few socially responsible brands who shouts out for what it believes in against the stream of cosmetic brands toting airbrushed, Photoshopped perfection above all else.

But it seems I was wrong. Dove actually isn't a very socially responsible brand. It just developed some good marketing campaigns. So what's my problem with Dove you wonder?
Simply this: it tests its products on animals. (Dove belongs to the Unilever group, which is black-listed by many animal rights activist groups for testing on animals.)
I wonder how many of Dove's female consumers know this...

If Dove really was a socially responsible brand; if it really wanted to take its 'campaing for real beauty' to the next level, it would also take a stand and stop testing its products on animals.

If only Dove realised the opportunity it is missing. It could become The Bodyshop of the 21st century, the vanguard of all the values we hold dear privately but miss so often in this age of want-more-for-less globalism.

So don't believe Dove just yet. They may have an ethically responsible approach to women and beauty, but behind the scenes they do not accord the same principles of ethical behaviour toward animals. So until Dove stops using animals to test and develop the products that pamper, cleanse and moisturize our bodies into a ripe (and hopefully beautiful) old age, they are nothing more than just another brand that has some great advertising campaigns.

It's time to get real, Dove!