deliver and deliver.com

I have been receiving the magazine called deliver a magazine for marketers, and I really enjoy it. The magazine offers marketing insights and tips on how we can really hit it home when it comes to our client/customers’ needs. It has articles that talk about different topics like, social media, direct mail and even the latest technology – all from the marketing point of view. Each issue touches upon different topics. As I started reading the current issue, I came across a line that really hits home for me personally, it stated “No matter what you choose to read, you’ll see that print is definitely not a goner. It’s evolving as new technologies emerge.” I highly recommend subscribing to either the printed magazine or the online version.

Tags: case studies, Direct Mail, Insights, latest technology, marketers, online, Social Media

What Question Will You Ask?

Facebook’s question feature is in beta testing right now, but they promise they’ll launch it to the rest of us real soon. While the idea of being able to post a question to a social community is hardly new, I don’t believe the functionality has yet been experienced by such a large and active community as Facebook. Until a little of the shine has worn off the new toy, we’re potentially looking at millions of questions posed and answered each day. Crowd sourcing run amok.

So what question will you ask first?

I’m going to ask “Why can’t you eat Beefaroni every day?” since I can’t seem to come up with an answer my daughter deems credible.

Tags: answer, facebook, opinion, polling, question

Baskin-Robbins retires five flavors

Get thee to a Baskin-Robbins quickly if you want to stock up on one of their five soon-to-be-retired flavors. To clear the way for new concoctions, they’re sending French Vanilla, Caramel Praline Cheesecake, Campfire S’mores, Apple Pie a La Mode and Superfudge Truffle into the “Deep Freeze.”  If you want to see what other flavors have been retired over the  years, go here.

By the way, the Baskin-Robbins website is an entertaining place to spend some time. It has a light-hearted tone, fun content to read, and gives you an uplifting experience. For a 65 year old company, it’s constantly refreshing and renewing…either through new flavors or fun promotions.  

The top selling ice cream flavors at Baskin-Robbins are really pretty pedestrian…Vanilla, Chocolate, Mint Chocolate Chip, Pralines ‘n Cream, and Chocolate Chip. I have to say that I am not an ice-cream risk taker. I may take advantage of a free taste of the flavor-of-the-month, but invariably end up with my old friend Vanilla.

Tags: Baskin-Robbins, ice cream, promotion

If You are Going to Serve Food, Learn to Cook

I spent part of this week at IFT, which is the show for food technology. Many of the companies that were there had ingredients to promote, and did so with sampling. A fine strategy if you want to prove your ingredient doesn’t affect the taste of foods, but one caution—learn to cook and bake. A good half of the samples weren’t tasty and some were borderline inedible. As one marketer pointed out, they don’t sample their ingredients because their company isn’t in the cooking business. Smart.

Too bad the company that put out the really bad buffalo chicken nuggets didn’t bother eating them. Would have saved me and a lot of passersby the trouble of throwing these out.

Tags: IFT

Why you need an American Agency

For any number of products, the US is one of the top markets in the world, hence the desire from companies all over the globe to sell into the US. From herbal teas to the most obscure B-to-B widgets imaginable, you can’t escape good foreign advertising.

It’s good foreign advertising because it works well—I am assuming—in the country of origin. But here, not only does it fall flat, the attempts at Americanization range from dumb to laughable to insulting. That’s not to say the American companies haven’t committed their own international faux pas. Ad books are littered with the legendary stories of “Coke adds life”, “Fly Leather”, the Chevy Nova and “It Takes a Tough Man to Raise a Tender Chicken” (actually, it’s a tough village). It’s probably safe to assume that most American companies have learned their lesson by now and at least hire a localization firm, if not another agency.

But the international hits keep coming. Lately, I have seen trade ads for German companies who spell America and other words with a “k”, English copy written by non-native speakers that doesn’t read well in English and my new favorite, above. I think it’s a weight-loss tea. You can’t see it, but their slogan is “Just Drink It”.

Tags: IFT, International Advertising

Putting Sustainability Marketing Back in the Mix

“Green is not hot any more. Its importance has cooled off.” This was a pronouncement I heard yesterday at a marketing summit. And I couldn’t disagree more. Marketing sustainability is a trend that is growing in several key industries including real estate, energy and retail. And, not surprisingly, higher education. Continue reading

Tags: Higher education marketing, student orientation, sustainability marketing, sustainability messaging