Mad 4 Blog

Baby Boomers make up a significant portion of the American population – and they represent an important, niche demographic for marketers. Comprised of about 76 million individuals born after World War II and before 1964, these individuals collectively represent more than half of the nation’s consumer spending.

Granted, that’s a wide margin of ages. The key points are that 30% of Americans are older than 50 and that this segment of the population began retiring as early as 2007. By and large, they have access to significant disposable resources.

What’s also important to note is the fact that Baby Boomers are expected to be the first recent generation to enjoy an extended lifespan, as compared to their predecessors. This means that there are entire additional years of a potential relationship between you and your consumer. It also means that these clients will have an impact on the economy for a long time yet to come, and their choices will leave a mark on future generations of business as well. Middle age and even retirement may be just the beginning of a new chapter, bringing new needs and priorities to the foreground for a vast population.

Some industries may be especially in tune with the needs of an elderly generation or offer products that have a longer-term appeal. In this case, understanding what Baby Boomers want and what they respond to is especially vital. But really, there’s cause for every company to look at how its products or services can benefit this vast audience.

Here are a few tactics for advertising to Baby Boomers:

1. Discuss health benefits. Baby Boomers are very concerned with their ongoing health. This means making plans now as a preemptive measure as well as securing plans and strategies for the future.

2. Emphasize family values. Family is another strong value for this demographic. Many Baby Boomers have many siblings and went on to have large families as well. You can construct emotion-based messages that explain how your business can promote familial closeness or make someone’s home life better. Explaining benefits for kids, grandkids and future generations can be useful.

3. Share a positive message. Baby Boomers are known for having a positive outlook toward the future. So despite any current climates, such as the present economy, marketing an investment toward a more positive future will resonate with this audience.

4. Make it worth sharing. Don’t discount these middle-aged adults in terms of social networking. True, they might be slightly less inclined to make your message go viral online once they’ve used your brand. But Baby Boomers are very likely to recommend trusted companies to their friends and families.

There are minor differences when you’re advertising to possible business connections as opposed to when you’re targeting consumers who will buy your products and services outright. Small though they may be, they’re also important differences to take into account. Here are the top three noteworthy observations that can have a powerful impact on your advertising strategy in most cases. It all has to do with knowing your audience:

1. Plan the length of your relationship. When you’re addressing clients/customers, your main goal is to close the immediate sale. Of course you want to build a relationship with someone and retain them for repeat business. But that’s a shorter cycle, and it’s secondary. With business-to-business marketing, that strategy is essentially reversed. You want to plan on maintaining a long-term relationship with another business for cooperative success down through the years. You can be less aggressive in the short-term, and expect less immediate ROI. Your B2B success is measured in terms of networking and creating down-the-road goals that put your company’s agenda in alignment with someone you hope to ultimately work with. This will happen as soon as it mutually benefits both parties, when there is already a foundation of trust and respect.

2. Choose the right tone of voice. With business-to-client marketing, you can assume that a portion of the people you’re addressing might be unfamiliar with your brand and industry. You want to reemphasize your logo, your selling points, your messages. However, when you’re speaking to people within or adjacent to your industry, the tone of your marketing changes. First of all, you can assume they already know your lingo, how you operate and where their resources might fit in. While they may not know of your brand outright, you can still give them a little more slack. You can assume that if you speak to these potential colleagues as peers and let them investigate you on their own, they’ll be much more likely to come around and choose you of their own accord – which won’t happen if they feel they’re being spoken down to or given a blanket sales pitch.

3. Calibrate your terms of success. With those buying retail, you want to finalize the contract or close the sale. Usually, business concludes neatly with an exchange of money for products or services. But with other businesses, you need less concrete ways to measure your accomplishments. You’re looking to gain new leads for future business. You need to establish close communication that builds upward. This is usually achieved through personal relationships (with an agent or sales rep) rather than trying to get a consumer to identify and bond with the idea of your brand.

Ask us how you can take what you have to offer and advertise it to both markets without changing your identity or developing two separate campaigns. We can help you set constructive goals and tweak your content to create similar but slightly different materials that you can either share B2C or B2B.

Last week, The New York Times published an article about the latest trend in advertising: comfort marketing. This refers to bringing back old mascots, logos and jingles that were successful in the past. It makes viewers reminisce about the brand and reminds them of when they were first introduced to it – and, presumably, that they liked and trusted it at the time. With a sense of familiarity and history attached to the brand, marketers figure consumers will be more likely to make a purchase.

The article also goes so far as to suggest the economy – and people tightening their purse strings when making shopping decisions – is at least partially to blame for this trend. It primarily cites television advertisements, such as StarKist (tuna fish), Dr. Pepper, Doritos, Uncle Ben’s (rice) and Planter’s. These examples also happen to be mostly grocery store items. Analysts have said that in terms of spending, people are more likely to splurge right now on unnecessary pleasure and recreation items, such as manicures and massages and activities that offer instant gratification. If that’s true, it does stand to reason that shoppers may be scrutinizing their day-to-day purchases more thoroughly, which justifies the extra push to hook them via comfort marketing at this time.

But marketers aren’t just replicating old ads, they’re also modernizing them. One example is the animated Charlie commercials used by StarKist. Originally the premise was “Sorry Charlie,” wherein a tuna was rejected for not tasting good enough to join StarKist. In the new version, loyal customers are seen praising the brand with “Thanks Charlie.” The NYT states that this new twist tested well, and it made sense for the advertisers to move forward in such a way that buyers were now seen interacting with the brand.

The article also draws similarities to the fact that retro TV shows with a modern twist – “Mad Men,” “Pan Am” – are part of the same phenomenon that viewers seem to respond well to right now.

What’s your opinion on comfort marketing? Is it just another fad and a cloying ploy? Or is it a smart move to look to the past to bring an old brand into the future?

As the new year kicks off, we’re looking at some exciting growth and new developments around the office at Mad 4 Marketing. One thing we started at the end of 2011 was staffing up the company, which included introducing new team member Damon. Damon has been professionally involved with the Internet since the early 1990s and has worked on major sites like the WSJ and TigerDirect, to name a few. Now he’s leading our interactive marketing division, which helps you attract and retain clients via the power of the Web.

With the addition of Damon, we’re able to continue buying ad space online, helping you market your website and build relationships via social networking. The best part about expanding our work on these services is that we’re able to provide you with extremely measurable results on pay-per-click (PPC) and search engine optimization (SEO) techniques. This means we can also better predict how certain tactics will improve your existing and developing online advertising strategies. We’ve got the numbers on hand and we’re excited to show our clients how our efforts can help you gain a following, drive traffic to your site, track information and even complete sales online.

With the holidays wrapping up, we began to think creatively about some of the missed marketing opportunities from the recent weeks. Creative businesses might be able to take advantage of corporate gifting in ways they’ve never thought of before. Here are just a few ideas:

1. Wrapping. Have you ever designed your own wrapping paper? With all of the glitter and glitz that’s appropriate for this festive season, it’s a great excuse to go all-out with customized wrapping paper. You can use your logo and key messages in artistic, expressive ways that really catch the eye — before your recipient even sees what’s inside. It’s a way to make an impact in an affordable way, even if your gift-giving budget can only afford the same old pens, magnets and mugs. Another thought is to send presents in reusable tote bags with your businesses name tastefully reflected, which not only means you’re helping the environment, but the person who receives your present can also think of you year-round as they keep using the container in which the present was sent. It’s two gifts in one!

2. Packing. Forget those boring and messy packing peanuts or layers of tissue paper. You can personalize the Styrofoam, bubbles, parchment or other filling that’s used to keep your gift in place. Although this one’s not as cost-efficient, since the impact will likely only last a moment before the stuffing is thrown out, it can prove to your recipient that you’re willing to go all-out when it comes to business and make them feel important. When someone’s opening a stack of gifts at the same time, these little extras will help your package stand out.

3. Shipping. Did you know that UPS expects the first week of 2012 to be record-breaking when it comes to consumers returning gifts that were received through the mail or ordered through e-commerce websites? With online sales soaring, we often think about posting advertisements on the Internet. We might even think about designing special holiday cards to go along with those items. But what about advertising on the boxes and return labels that typically come with gifts? Next year, if you’re thinking about mailing presents to your clients, colleagues and competition, considering ordering specialty boxes and labels to help promote your brand at the same time — it’s two birds in one! And as your items soar through the processes of shipping and handling, who knows how many eyes might focus on your logo en route.

Do you have any creative marketing inspirations to share? Let us know!

Last week we introduced you to “quick response” codes and how they can be used to help you engage audiences and measure the effectiveness of your ads. In today’s follow-up, we answer three more in-depth questions about the benefits of QR codes.

1. How popular are QR codes in today’s crowded marketing world?

Although QR codes are growing in popularity, they’re not a very prominent means of advertising – yet. This can actually be a good thing for your company, since using this technology can help you stand out from your competition. Although not everyone knows how the codes work or will have the correct phones to sync up with your quick response marketing, they may still associate your brand with cutting-edge developments. One way to make the most of using QR codes is to couple them with traditional creative so that everyone can make the most of the information and art that’s associated with your campaign.

2. How do I generate a unique code?

There are several routes for purchasing a new, independent code. You can program your information once you determine what type works for your needs (locational info, company background, promotional offers, sweepstakes entry). Mad4Marketing connects you with a trusted developer who can generate your unique QR code.

3. How does someone’s cell phone read the code?

First an individual needs to already be familiar with QR codes, so that they understand that the purpose is to scan them for more information. Then they need to download an app for their smartphone – there are many options from which to choose in any operating system’s application marketplace, regardless of whether someone has an iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, etc. These apps are usually free or very low-cost and take less than a minute to download and install. No special hardware is necessary; all it takes is the common phone camera. However, some special devices with laser scanning ability can also read the 2-D design.

4. Are there any added benefits to embracing QR code advertising?

Once your audience begins getting used to seeing QR codes in your advertising and have the right software on their phone, you can really push forward with ways to utilize this technology. You can build an entire relationship dynamic between you and current or potential clients/customers that involves increasing interaction with QR codes. This element becomes a richer, more complex dimension in your interactions and expands the dialogue between you and everyone you want to reach out to on a continued basis.

Ready to add QR codes to your campaign? Contact us and we’ll help you get started.

Bar codes used to affect you only while you stood in checkout lines at apparel retailers or grocery stores. But now you’ve seen funny new versions them on advertising from flyers in your mailbox to billboards on your drive home. So what’s the purpose of adding bar codes to print advertisements? The following questions and answers provide an overview.

1. What Are QR Codes?

Those funny square-shaped bar codes you’re seeing everywhere are actually Quick Response codes (you may have noticed an absence of actual bars, unlike the ones you scan at Whole Foods). They’re named this because a smartphone can quickly scan the square and access a wealth of information about the product. This means that no matter how big your ad is or how much text you provide, one fast scan provides your prospective buyer with nearly unlimited data about your company, offer or product.

2. How Are They Used?

There are many ways you can take advantage of this new marketing tactic. In fact, creative uses for QR codes are being imagined every day. For example, someone can scan your unique code and come up with a coupon for purchasing your goods. Or they can access a video describing your services. Or the code can automatically pull up directions from where the user is standing to your nearest location. Your options are almost limitless; the real challenge is determining what tactic’s best to represent your brand and what will intrigue your audience enough to get them to whip out their mobile phone to learn more.

3. How Can They Improve My Marketing?

On top of just looking like a cutting-edge, in-the-know company, there are tangible benefits to using QR codes in your marketing campaign. The primary selling point is that when users scan your ad, you can also collect information. You can learn which ad placements are engaging viewers the most. Is it the code you placed in the newspaper or the one at the bus stop by your office? Are people then using the code, data or offer that’s extended via your QR code link? You can record this data and apply it toward further marketing endeavors with even stronger success rates each time. This measurability is paramount to long-term success with your marketing strategy. With QR codes, you get the same highly analytical data about your placement and performance that you’ve come to value from online advertising.

Looking for ways to build QR codes into your marketing campaign for improved measurability and a stronger relationship with your clients/consumers? Contact us to go over your options, including strategy and pricing. And check back next week for Part 2 of our Q&A for QR Codes.

We’ve been talking about holiday shopping trends – especially with regard to viral spending – for the past few weeks. Now it’s time to look at some key figures and report back on how the major shopping event actually went down.

You may be surprised to learn that even all the hype for Cyber Monday 2011 failed to anticipate the actual numbers that e-commerce retailers would see. They were actually even higher than either the optimists or analysts predicted. In fact, Search Engine Watch reported that November 28, 2011 was the biggest online shopping day in U.S. history based on data from such sources as comScore, PayPal and IBM.

SalesTracker reported that online sales rose 33% from the average on the Monday after Thanksgiving, according to IBM Benchmark (comScore reports a 22% surge). Each individual purchase rose 2.6% from the average order. The total amount of sales recorded by comScore was $1.25 billion in that 24-hour period. The same source concluded that more than half of all purchases were conducted from office computers as workers spent their post-holiday, back-to-work breaks (we hope!) on shopping to catch limited-time, heavy online markdowns.

With regard to the importance of mobile marketing, we have to also note that transactions conducted via smartphone – both Web access and specific shopping apps – represented 7.37% of sales this past Monday – which is a strong surge from last year’s 2.25%. (Figures as reported by The Washington Post; may vary slightly depending on statistics source – for example, IBM reports the surge as 3.9% in 2010 to 10.8% in 2011.) Sales conducted by iPad rather than phone clocked in at 3.3% of mobile purchases, states IBM.

Top e-tailers across the board on Cyber Monday were Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Amazon. Retailers can earn up to 40% of their annual income during the span of the holiday season, especially with highly promoted shopping days like Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.

Did you feel like you adequately prepared your company for visibility via online advertising on Cyber Monday? Are you interested in taking advantage of mobile marketing as this phone-based shopping trend continues to explode? Let us know!

How are shoppers supposed to navigate all those ads hitting their inbox and flooding their computer screen today? With so much commercialism competing for the same wallets on Cyber Monday, it’s hard to sort through the buzzwords and price tags to determine what’s really a great deal. Reduced costs aren’t enough to help buyers decide which sites to visit and where to ultimately check out. But understanding how the competition operates and how people think about shopping today can help you attract some of that interest – and some of that holiday buying power.

And in 2011, that buying power is stronger than ever. This is the biggest year so far for shopping on the Internet. Web sales are projected to stand for 15% of all holiday purchases. It will also be the biggest year for mobile commerce; InMobi found that about 60 million shoppers would use their phone to find bargains this weekend, with a third of those searches translating to online sales.

And that’s also going to impact how advertisers promote the products and services that are highlighted today – and on Cyber Mondays going forward. For example, several stores are highlighting games like scavenger hunts where shoppers can earn additional discounts or even free items. This can help drive potential purchasers to a website in the hopes of getting them to complete a transaction. Plus, this type of ad is more likely to go viral with individuals linking the game to their friends and posting the opportunity on social networking sites.

The timing of when advertising goes out will also change. Businesses with brick-and-mortar locations first want drive audiences into their stores and take advantage of Black Friday. But immediately following, the Cyber Monday sales begin. They don’t actually all take place on Monday; the Saturday after Thanksgiving is when e-commerce begins to pick up across the Web. For those vendors who only operate online, they may offer the same sales all throughout the holiday weekend or they might switch up the sales in order to get people to come back not just once, but on Friday and then again on Monday for fresh deals.

The key points to consider when planning your virtual advertising for Cyber Monday (and similar holiday campaigns) is understanding shopper mentality, knowing you’re your competition is doing, using creative incentives to get shoppers on your site and timing to determine when your sales or ads should run to get the most from your marketing.