Monday Morning Water Cooler Chit-Chat Trophy

Well, it’s that time of year again… advertisers are ponying up for a chance to win over the hearts and minds of the 100-million-plus football fans who will be tuning-in for this year’s Super Bowl featuring the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. The price of admission?… A cool $3.5 million for 30 seconds of airtime. As in year’s past, I’m shocked that this level of spending continues to go unchecked.

During the last 45 Super Bowls, Budweiser has been the most visible and memorable advertiser – routinely winning the “Monday Morning Water Cooler Chit-Chat Trophy”. From the halftime Bud Bowls, to the iconic Clydesdales, to the True “Wuzzup” guys… the Budweiser brand has left an indelible mark on the Super Bowl and the advertising world.

However, a recent poll of 1,500 likely Super Bowl watchers predicts that the King of Beers will finish dead last in terms of its ability to receive a solid return on its investment for this year’s game. Which may explain why Budweiser’s sales continue to drop every year despite the annual ad spree they devote to the Super Bowl. As the category leader, you would think that Bud would benefit from all of the demand they must be generating from these multi-million dollar ad buys! No such luck.

This year, my friend Jim Lenskold put together a neat measurement tool for evaluating the potential ROI of Super Bowl ads for a couple of different product categories including automotive, consumer goods and internet domain providers. After adjusting the inputs to the tool for a few minutes, it will become painfully obvious to you just how ridiculously hard it is to setup a scenario where you can generate a positive ROI from a Super Bowl ad…

So, if you feel like playing “Monday-morning Quarterback”, please shoot me a message with the top-3 Super Bowl ads you think will show a positive ROI this year.

As consultants and former CMOs for some of the largest B2B companies in the world, TopRight has come to the realization that fragmentation and lack of cohesiveness in marketing is more the norm than the exception. It is also clear that when this inherent weakness is fixed, it can unleash marketing power never before imagined.

Fragmentation is a serious structural issue that if left unaddressed can become an insurmountable barrier to achieving high performance. It leads to duplication of resources, continuous re-inventing of the wheel, inconsistent and incorrect branding and messaging, disjointed processes and lack of connection to the corporate mission. The messaging inconsistencies alone can hinder a company’s ability to drive one compelling, powerful voice that is critical to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

The severity of fragmentation varies widely from company to company and is typically the result of three key factors – the type of products and services and how localized they are; the extent of autonomy that CEOs give their business unit leaders; and complacency or apprehension by corporate marketing to rock the boat.

Is your marketing organization fragmented? I’d encourage you to start right away with assessing your organization and download the white paper that outlines a 10-step cure.   Good chance you’ve only satisfactory completed less than half of the 10 steps.  Whatever stage you’re at, move with speed and purpose to address the gaps and begin down the path of building a high performance marketing team that is a catalyst for profitable growth.  It’s amazing what a marketing function can do when you harness the power of consistency across the organization.

The fast-paced, complicated reality of our daily lives is enough to deal with for most of us… so why would you want to “augment it”!  Well, with a highly mobile and connected customer base, marketers are stretching their product imaginations even further.   Next generation smart phones and mobile technologies are enabling marketers to relevantly connect customers with brands in truly unprecedented ways.  The emergence of Augmented Reality and it’s neighboring platform, Sixth Sense Technology, are literally opening up a multi-dimensional window into how customers and brands will interact in the future with regard to:

1. Customized content
2. Personalized experiences
3. Emotional connections

All enabled through the convergence of hand & voice control, sound, video, graphics and GPS technologies.

Whether you are presenting your Business Card or buying Heinz Ketchup the Augmented version of reality delivers an enhanced multi-sensory experience.  For strategic, creative thinkers in Marketing, this opportunity opens up a whole new world for Spatial Design, allowing us to flow in and out of brand vignettes and making reality a little more fun.  Let us know what you think: how will augmented reality be applied to the art and science of marketing??….

We’re in the midst of a remarkable marketing evolution at this moment in time. The multitude and complexity of communication mediums and technologies that are being used to speak to the market is revolutionizing how the work of marketing is performed. The days of campaign-oriented thinking – the traditional approach of “start-stop-measure-tweak-repeat” – are over. Today, marketers wanting to effectively build brands and drive revenue growth must facilitate a continuous, meaningful conversation with their target audience or they risk becoming irrelevant.

Download our latest white paper to learn more about the distinctions between campaigns and conversations and how you may need to change your perspectives on direct marketing – and if you’re a B2B marketer there are a few additional recommendations just for you.

Research in Motion (RIM) had it all:  they were the leading suppliers of cell phones to American businesses and had the lion’s share of the Smartphone market. But that was not enough for RIM, they wanted a slice of the consumer market too and developed the Blackberry PlayBook tablet to join in the competition with Apple and a plethora of Android-based competitors. But delusions of grandeur and targeting the wrong market have led RIM to land on our Marketing FAIL page.

Since its launch in 2003, the BlackBerry Smartphone led the way in business communication with its QWERTY keyboard and ability to give users access to their corporate email. The BlackBerry had RIM riding high by 2009 as Fortune Magazine named RIM “the fastest growing company in the world with a growth of 84% in profits over three years despite the recession.” By September 2010, RIM announced that the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet computer would be launched the following spring despite the fact that Apple had already taken the lead by successfully launching the iPad in April 2010.  Trying to “one-up” Apple,  RIM claimed to be a superior tablet thanks to its support for Flash technology for streaming video content. RIM’s Co-Chief Executive Officer, Jim Balsillie, said, “The PlayBook is compelling because it works with the BlackBerry, allowing those hooked on the RIM Smartphone to continue using their preferred communications device.” But RIM has struggled mightily to market the product effectively… notably marred by the departure of Chief Marketing Officer, Keith Pardy,  just a month before the launch.  However, there are far more serious problems with the PlayBook: an unfamiliar operating system (QNX); a screen that users claimed was too small and a price that was too high.  These issues combined with the fact that a BlackBerry phone must be tethered to the Playbook in order to access email services may have put success out of RIM’s reach.  With lackluster sales, the company recently undertook a price-slashing initiative by cutting $50 – $150 off the Playbook – a “fire-sale” move that just underscores their irrelevance with consumers.  The company’s stock value has taken a plunge and the future looks bleak as many consumers seem hooked on the Apple iPad and various Android-based tablets.

Check out Dave Sutton’s live interview on TrendPOV to get more details on how RIM could have avoided this failure – and also how they may be able to yet recover.

While many retail professionals may be tired of the hype surrounding social media, there is no denying that the retail industry is facing a game-changer. This is not to say that social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have turned retail businesses completely upside down, but such sites are changing the customer engagement game enough where retailers who ignore social channels place their brand and customer loyalty at significant risk.

Furthermore, it’s very clear that social media is not just a passing fad.   A recent survey by Nielsen showed that social networks and blogs are now the fourth most popular online activity, even more popular than personal email. And users are not just “tweeting” and blogging about their everyday lives; they are sharing details on their personal shopping and product experiences – often unfavorable ones – with the world.

Social media implications for most retailers today are dramatic.  And, if you happen to be a small, specialty retailer it can be downright overwhelming… Where do you start?  Which social channels are most important? What conversations really matter for your business and what’s just chatter?  And even if you’ve already started, how do you know you’re getting optimal value from your investments in social media?

Want to learn more?   Check out Dave Sutton at the Atlanta Fall Gift & Home Furnishings Market & The Atlanta Gourmet Market on October 14, 2011 at America’s Mart where he will be presenting new social media strategies for changing retail dynamics.  Get a copy of his latest social media white paper for free by clicking here.

Social media and social technologies have already had a transformational impact on business models across many industries. Now, market leaders are moving to mix “social” capabilities into their innovation agenda. True “social innovation” goes well beyond customer engagement and ideation, it requires a coordinated, cross-functional team to source socially generated innovation, to evaluate, scale and implement it. And, as innovations are launched, real innovators monitor socially directed buying behaviors and closely manage online reputations for clues to the next innovation cycle. Dave Sutton recently addressed the Stryve Executive Forum on the subject of using social media and associated technologies to drive product and service innovation – get a copy of the presentation here (it’s a rather large file so please be patient with the download!). TopRight and Stryve have partnered to conduct a research program in 2012 focused on putting social media to work. We will move past the hype, debunk the myths, and create a clearing where a sound social strategy can be formulated – a strategy aligned with competitive forces, industry structure, business strategy, and the marketing and other value-adding activities of the enterprise. If you’re interested in participating in the research program please let us know by sending an email to Dave Sutton. Also, please let us know if you’ve mixed up something special with social media technologies at your company that has resulted in product or service innovations.

TopRight has been pleased to assist in the development and launch of an entirely new retail concept: SharpMart.  SharpMart is dedicated to serving people interested in buying, selling and trading great products by offering them the best place right in their own neighborhood.  With SharpMart nearby, customers don’t need to go online to find great deals, they don’t need to post items for sale on eBay or Craigslist to sell, and they don’t need to haggle with strangers to trade.   SharpMart is the new place to Save, Swap & Sell.

SharpMart carries a huge inventory of new merchandise for customers interested in buying great products – including items they’ve seen at other stores.  The Company gets great buys from other retailers and manufacturers, and then offers customers “Sharp Deals” on products they really want, not just leftovers or “scratch-and-dent” items.   SharpMart also welcomes Traders and Sellers.  Store associates are knowledgeable and passionate about the products SharpMart carries as well as the items customers bring in to sell or swap.  SharpMart offers traders a great place to get something newer, funner, or even just different.  SharpMart offers sellers the best price for items they bring in to sell.  The store makes sure customers always get friendly, helpful advice on all trades and sales.

According to the Chairman of SharpMart, Hamilton Powell, “TopRight assisted with the naming, branding and marketing of our retail concept – and they exceeded our expectations.  Whereas most marketing firms are viewed as a third party, TopRight quickly became an essential part of our team. The work, creativity, long hours and overall assistance they provided was an integral part of our success. We felt like we had 100% of their attention and were not simply “a project” but rather “the project”.  I highly recommend the team at Top Right and encourage any firm or company in need of a marketing/branding resource to contact TopRight first.”  The TopRight team is proud to have helped launch this new retail concept and we enjoyed working closely with their talented management team.

July 9th marked the Grand Opening of SharpMart’s flagship store in Louisville KY  - listen for upcoming announcements for store openings in other cities around the country!  And of course, you can check out SharpMart online at http://www.sharpmart.com

Many companies today are struggling with understanding social media and the potential impact on their business.  New technologies and “social media experts” are in abundance – but deciding what is right for your business and your customers is tough.

At the Call Center Executive Forum held today in Atlanta,  I presented TopRight’s unique perspectives on how to generate a productive and profitable social life for your business.  Our approach starts with the  formulation of a sound social strategy for your business – a strategy that is aligned with your competitive strategy and the structure of your industry, that identifies specific trade-offs that you should make in social marketing activities (i.e. what you don’t do) and that optimizes the “fit” of your social marketing activities with other value-adding activities going on in your business today.   Regardless of whether you are just in the experimental stage with social media or you feel like you’re off and running,  we’ve got a roadmap that will help you tune out the noise, navigate the pitfalls, avoid the snake-oil salesmen, and generate superior returns on your social marketing investments.   If you’re interested in learning more, download the presentation and please let us know your thoughts!

We all know Less is More and Simple is Chic but recently brands have been putting the Fun back in Functional…

The recent rebranding of Seattle’s Best Coffee is an excellent example of how the use of simple design and a color coded level system informs the café aficionado on how to pick their perfect cup.

With an aging population and a rise in multi generational households – creating a safe and easy way to identify medication was imperative. The Target ClearRx system uses a clear, simple label with larger print and personalized color rings to prevent serious mishaps.

Wines of Substance created a clever brand identity by retro fitting the periodic table to identify their blends reinforcing the art and science of winemaking.

With each of these brands we find they are :

We welcome your input on brands that bring you joy…