Daily dupes and marketing half-truths

All marketers are liars.

Well, not always. But it is safe to say that the average consumer has fallen for the the marketing dupe at least once.

And to clarify, dupe: Easily deceived.

America may be politically divided, but we are one united and loyal bunch when it comes to our fast food. Let's pick on Taco Bell and Wendy's. I would be the last to deny my occasional craving for some late night indulgences, especially after seeing a new commercial for the latest Taco Bell food "creation." However, after spending some in line at the drive-thru, it occurred to me that fast food chains are incredibly adept at re-packaging the same five or six ingredients into "new" items to regain our loyalty.

The Epiphany

At Taco Bell: The crunchy taco and soft taco contain the same three ingredients. Being the genius that Taco Bell is, they added a little sour cream and combined the two tacos to create the Crunchwrap Supreme. Or Transfat Supreme, rather. Same ingredients, more money.

At Wendys: Oh, the classic and refreshing Frosty. Not ice cream... Frosty. Several months ago, Wendys began offering a small bag of "mix-ins" (I still wonder if Coldstone looked into a copyright infringement lawsuit), and sold the new Frosty for an additional $1.30. With the amount of Oreo provided in the "mix-in" bags, not to mention you had to do the mixing yourself, I can't help but wonder how many Americans buy into this slide of hand. Even more recently, is the introduction of the Frosty Milkshake. Really, now? They can't possibly think we're that dumb. Who hasn't waited for their Frosty to melt and drank it with a straw? I was drinking Frosty milkshakes long before they called it that. Here's the new choice, and I would hardly call it a dilemma: Medium Frosty - $1.29. Frosty Milkshake (same size, with whipped cream on top) $3.19.

Enough with fast food. Let's focus on outdoor advertising. More specifically, the entertaining graphics and catch phrases we see on billboards driving down the interstate each day. My personal favorite is this:

"Stay at the Holiday Inn... where kids eat and stay for free!"

Whoa there road-tripping tourist families. Keep driving. Since no hotel anywhere charges extra for kids, not to everyone is welcome to the continental breakfast, I fail to see the "free" portion of this bargain. Sadly, I can only sadly imagine how many people have marveled at and fall for this outstandingly (false) deal.

The bottom line is this: Everyone is in the business of something. That means sales are necessary, and since everone is human, we want to believe we're being given a "insider" deal or a price break. Oh, contraire. Two rules to follow-

1. Think twice before paying more. Always.
2. If you were a given company, how would you try to make a sale to you?

God bless the $.99 menu.

Playground Politics

This article could easily be about the election. But who wants to hear more about polls? The only conclusion that has been reached is that the results are inconclusive. Surprise, surprise. The best advice is to ignore the media, do your own cross-referenced research on each candidates' web site, and don't believe your neighbor's misinformed conspiracy rant. We will know who the next President is when they are elected. Onward.

The cool kid on the blacktop

The truth behind big business and branding is this: sometimes, it really is about being popular. We all love to think that we are far more mature that our colleagues and classmates. Popularity and social drama? We left that behind in high school! Not so fast, Mr. Rogers. As society becomes adults, we have simply learned to streamline popularity contests, manipulating our chosen industry to show our best side. Case and point:

1. Media - How much explaining is necessary? There are hundreds of dissertations that can qualitatively demonstrate how credible publications such as The New York Times and even the The Wall Street journal use propaganda. Actual CNN headline in February: "Will Hillary's shorter hair attract the mommy vote?"

2. Retail - Gucci, Brooks Brothers, Tiffany's. Quality, yes. In most of the world, with money comes social status. With social status can come popularity. The irony we ignore is that consumers want your brand to be popular to they can be popular with you. It's the ultimate buy-in. Don't stop at retail - this applies to any tangible product or service sold in a capitalist market.

3. Schools and education - The academic standard has long since stopped being the primary motivation for attending an institution of higher education. A great football team with a mediocre curriculum can sadly trump some schools with the opposite traits. Attended an Ivy League school? An employer may not know many facts about the institution. You may have earned a degree in South Indian Basketweaving. Regardless, you can rest easy knowing your portfolio will still be near the top of the stack of candidates. I already feel smarter by association.

Social Media

Ask yourself: what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word social?

Friends? After-work gatherings? Dating? You might even think of one person in particular who you see as exceptionally extroverted or introverted. Regardless, life is more about the popularity contest than we want to believe. Most people will never be able to admit it, even to themselves.

1. Facebook & Myspace - How would describe someone who has 20 friends and 3,000 wall posts? What about a person who has 4,000 pictures tagged of themselves?

2. Twitter - How many updates do they have? Here's an actual friend calculator that will measure your popularity on the micro-blogging site.

3. Blogs - Don't pretend that you're not more interested in a web site that has been read several thousand times. If you come upon an article that has only been read 12-13 times on the internet, you're ten times more likely to continue surfing.

Our failed mentality is this: "Everyone else didn't think it was important, so why should I?"

Read this carefully: To everyone else, we are everyone else.

The bottom line

Only your educated opinion matters!

Cutting through the social clutter isn't easy, but instead of ignoring it, learn to face it and demand transparency. George Bush has low polls again? Find out who was called and surveyed. Nike comes out with a new amazing running shoe? Check their competitors (same shoe, better deal. Always).

Love or hate what you've read, leave a comment or feel free to send me an email at pauljmatson@gmail.com.

Reality check! Focusing on Consumer 2.0

If you read The Social Networking Animal, you already know there's more at the consumer's fingertips (quite literally) than any marketer could ever dream of comprehensively understanding. There are many who might like to believe they are "online marketing experts," but where is the expertise focused? Knowing how to create a Facebook event and send Twitter updates is hardly a ripple in the web 2.0 pond. Need more proof?

No marketer would deny the powerful shifts that are occurring, yet likely no one is bold enough to claim they can truly keep up. Living in a world saturated in brand messaging, one of the most effective methods to successful campaigns draw from the well of permission marketing. In other words, its about becoming brave enough to step back and let your consumers discover you; occasionally by dangling the interactivity carrot.

Shifting focus

Time to step over the Web 2.0 mountain and get over the "wow" factor of new and emerging digital technology. Yes, Technorati, Mint and widgets are so very cool. Yes, we all agree that they have enormous potential. Yes, we have a lot to learn. However, it's time to understand how consumers (and that includes you and me) are being revolutionized from these new mediums of message vehicles.

Thank you to mr.youth and RepNation, here are some rules to follow to keep a consumer engaged in your mantra:

CONSUMER 2.0

1. Consumers own brands: Consumers will speak about, repurpose and associate with your brand as they see fit. People aren't stupid.

2. Authenticity trumps celebrity: Consumers respond to honest, relevant messaging from peers over marketing speak and celebrity endorsements.

3. Niche is the new norm: Consumers do not form a mass market. They relish in choices and look for products and services that speak to them personally.

4. Bite-size communications dominate: Consumers digest short, personal and highly relevant messaging in bulk while growing increasingly adept at blocking out noise

5. Personal utility drives adoption: Consumers choose to consumer what they find useful in their lives over manufactured marketing needs.

The bottom line is this:

Don't be so bold as to think your message is the most important thing your target audience's life; let marketing become a two-way street of engagement.




Love or hate what you read? Don't hesitate to leave a comment or simply drop me an email at pauljmatson@gmail.com.