Being handcuffed to a shopping cart isn’t the best way to build trust. But, that’s how customers feel about so-called supermarket loyal shopper cards. That’s because the premise of the cards violates a basic principal of attraction marketing.

Two-thirds of a typical supermarket’s business is done by 20% of its customers, according to the Food Marketing Institute. In the years since loyalty cards first premiered in 1979, that ratio has stayed about the same. Retailers’ intention of building more volume from more customers has resulted in just getting roughly the same volume from the same customers at a discount–to the retailer.Continue Reading

What if you offered a downloadable video on your site? Okay, maybe few will download it. Then again, how many of these people will show it to friends–if nothing else, to show off their cool device. Eyeballs are eyeballs and delivering your branding message in such a cutting-edge way speaks volumes about you.

[Originally published 19 Dec 2005]

I want strawberries.
I want strawberries.
I want strawberries, dadddddy.

My three year old regularly uses the same old marketing approach still in wide use today: say it enough times and people will believe it. In the days of limited media choice there was some truth that idea. But, there is today nearly unlimited media choice and for marketing saying it does not make it so anymore.

Share of mind as a concept of taking ownership of consumer’s attention is getting to be an expensive proposition. Marketing is sales. Sales is persuasion. Persuasion as a marketing exchange happens when you capture the consumer’s imagination.

I advise clients that unless we can carve out our own space in their mind, we’re just another float in a passing parade of pretty floats. Ownership is an option: own a medium–television, radio, outdoor, etc. If you can’t own it all, own one outlet–say a radio station. Can’t own the station? Own a daypart. Own a day. Own something. (And be consistent with it!)

General Motors takes it to a whole new level with an aggressive ownership of the Tonight Show and integrated promotion on several other programs. Lauded as innovative and aggressive, their strategy is really an old trick from deep in the bag.

It’s a prime example of marketers seeking to create mass impact in a world of declining mass reach outlets.

This is also marks retreat for Chevrolet from failed efforts to “blog” the new HHR vehicle they’re hyping in the campaign; new tools blew up, so they return to the proven path…

Read the story in AdAge.com

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