Out of a myriad of ads that I've seen recently, one especially caught my attention - Dove Men+Care http://content.dove.us/mencare/TV.aspx. Set to the tune of the William Tell Overture, the premise is about men getting comfortable with who they are, i.e., in their own skin. The spot certainly grows on you both on TV and radio. The question is will it make a connection with the male audience?
Having grown up in the 60's and 70's, family dinner was just that - dinner. Everything revolved around dinner in the Field household. We ate at a certain time, and as children we were called in by a ship's bell mounted on the back porch. You could hear that bell from anywhere in the neighborhood. God help you if you were late. Many of my best, and also many not so fond memories, were of dinners at home. You felt protected and secure in that setting.
You never know where inspiration for a blog topic is going to come from. Listening to Newsradio 88 out of NYC last week, there was a report that actor Paul Sorvino is bringing out a line of pasta sauces - both marinara and vodka. It makes great marketing sense. Sorvino starred in "Goodfellas". He's likable and has a strong Italian heritage. According to industry sources, the sauce is decent and has made initial shelf penetration in the Northeast. It's an accomplishment, considering that breaking into the pasta sauce aisle is tougher than the families who inspired the love of Italian food in this country. Barilla owns the pasta aisle, but is a secondary player in pasta sauces.
It is fascinating to watch product/sales categories emerge and die, especially if you're a marketer. One story is playing out daily - the e-reader and eBook category. It dominated the book world over the holidays. It is redefining all the accepted norms of product life cycles. As a voracious reader, I find it compelling. I don't want hard cover books to die, but I might not have a choice!
As a marketer and brand strategist, it has been fascinating to watch the complete unraveling of the Tiger Woods brand. You would be hard pressed to find a more disastrous brand case history equivalent in size and scope. Maybe Tylenol back in the eighties would rival it for speed of brand dissent. All the brand pillars and tenets of Tiger have proven to be as phony as he is as a person.
It struck me last week during a wonderful benefit Holiday House Tour in New Canaan that kitchens are getting bigger and bolder with extreme design touches everywhere you look. It makes sense, given that the kitchen is at the epicenter of a family. Statistics bear that out. According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, 80% of most people's time is spent in the kitchen. Why not make it as comfortable and functional as possible?
It is often said that logos are what we see and brands are what we feel. Face it, brands are an extension of who we are and what we want people to think about us. They control us in many ways, both emotionally and rationally. It's all about reaching both the heart and the mind. The greatest example of exercising power over our collective psyches and wallets is Nike.
There is big money to be made with convicts today, not just by attorneys, but also consultants who are living the age-old adage of following the money. Based on the surge of convictions for federal crimes over the past decade, a new consultant niche is upon us - prison consultants.
A fascinating war is shaping up in the retail book selling category. The stakes are being raised as the prices fall just as far. The bidding is bold and fast - the price for pre-ordered bestsellers is now $8.98 at Wal-Mart. Amazon matched the original $9.00 price tag, but Wal-Mart, always low-price leader, dropped it to $8.99. Target entered the fray, matching the $8.99 price. Wal-Mart countered with $8.98. It was like watching gas station wars in the 1970's, stations dueling by being a penny lower. All of this follows the fanfare of $9.99 eBooks for your Kindles and Sony Readers.
October 22nd, a day with lots of fanfare for Microsoft. The release of the new Windows 7 operating system has mercifully arrived. Adios, Vista. Take your time leaving, much like you did when I booted up my computer!!
