marketing
Friday, May 21st, 2010
I have spent close to a dozen years surrounded by amazing women with inspired ideas. I meet them at various moments in their entrepreneurial development. Some have made the daring transition from corporate to “no net below” and others are still exploring the infinite possibilities of their creativity and drive. I met them when they are a few years in and ready to grow to the next level and other times, desperately looking for a way to hold on. I’d like to think that my strategy, stewardship and care have made a real difference in the lives of women. I am proud of the successful women that have been or are on my client and friend roster. It is an impressive lot. And really, the work I do is so very lucky. The one thing that I’ve not ever been able to offer is seed cash – today I read that Kimberly Clark is doing just that.
The deadline is coming soon (you’ve got twenty days). And certainly – it will take some work (and as I always say nothing teaches you more about your business that answering hard questions about it) – but why not? There are ten grants of $15,000 available. Veteran Maria Bailey will be a part of the process (maybe she will mentor a bit too?). You can find the details here: https://www.huggiesmominspired.com - Good Luck!
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Monday, March 22nd, 2010
The Mom2Be trade show first came to my attention when my friend Jennifer Hofhelder sold her company, Bella Mama (oh she made such delicious pregnancy and new mother skincare products) to Amy DeCamillis several years ago. Jennifer introduced me to Amy who had big and excitingplans for her acquisition and for the expectant and new parent category in general. In phone calls and later in the Forty Weeks showroom, Amy and her associates shared the details of the launch of a new trade show she called Mom2Be. It was going to be all things for pregnancy and baby (it started off as a trade show, moved to a hydrid). I took a meeting with one of her team in my showroom in New York and listened with a bit of confusion. Why would you start a new show – shop, brand and sell in both vendors and attendees when you could buy into an existing show, own the category and take advantage of existing traffic and brand equity? They rolled their eyes and let me know how much much I was missing. We agreed to disagree. I went to the show one year. I was not sold.
Mom2Be announced they were shutting down today. At the same time – the show I suggested they join forces with -ABC has grown in leaps and bounds. The show now is the comprehensive source and show-place for the category. I build launches,time product announcements and certainly introduce new innovations on behalf of my clients at that show. It is not perfect – but really they did (on their own) what I had advised Mom2Be to do for themselves – build the category within an existing, branded and well attended show and maximize within that space. Nothing radical – everything practical….
It is unfortunate that so many emerging brands (trade shows included) are fooled into into thinking that collaboration is a mistake. The notion that you need to come in and “take over the category” is ill-advised and adversarial in stance. It misses so many obvious opportunities and frankly, short-cuts. Finding well-chosen and vetted partnerships that advance all partners not only eliminates the myriad of challenges that can overwhelm start-ups (so much to figure out) – they increase the bottom line – leading to profits in less time. The idea that “owning it all” will create more income only works if the business model has the resources (money, time, brains) to push it all the way through. I think that there is a lot to be learned here. Some key considerations:
*Who else does any version of what I plan to do?
*Go back to marketing 101 – do a S W O T (strength, opportunity weakness and threat analysis) – in reverse!
*How can build my model around both my strengths and their weaknesses?
*What new technology, relationships, intellectual property do I have access to that advances me to the next level?
*How can I build that in a capsule and connect with a partner as a growth model?
These are just a few questions. You should be asking a lot more, and often. Really the idea is the thought process.As your business plan evolves don’t be fooled into thinking that your commitment and focus to your idea will be the secret sauce. Begin to look outside of your big idea — start to look for the big partner!
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Thursday, March 4th, 2010
Bringing like minded people together is really one of best party tricks (after showing off my Gumby-like flexibility and encyclopedic knowledge of song lyrics that is) – connecting the dots well is just what I do. And I consider it a day well spent when a connection I’ve made works well, makes a difference and in the best case, makes the world a better place – benefiting all involved.
Friday promises to set a new standard for connection for good. I will be with my bloggy friends, my business friends and my beloved R Baby Foundation. We will join together to raise funds and awareness for improved pediatric emergency care. We will share in a roundtable focused on passions, priorities and community - examining how these there elements lead to success for women. It is my hope that all who participate in the roundtable will walk away with not only inspiration and connection but also a clear vision as to how they will step up and make a difference.
What I know is that each one of you has the power (and the goods) to ignite your passions, set your priorities and engage your communities in what is important to you. So tune in (webcast details are below), tweet in (#RBabyLive) and get ready — the world is about to change – for good!
Posted in Uncategorized, marketing, philanthropic moms | No Comments »
Friday, January 15th, 2010
Earlier today I was working on an internal memo – it was specifically to the pitching team here at Forty Weeks. The crux of this note was about being heard.
There is so much going on with our clients; we are busy pitching maternity fashion, nursing tanks (oh the amazing new colors for spring), a few exciting events including a Mompreneur Round table in March, and even a few new totally hush hush projects.
We are busy and there is a lot of pitching to be done. The point of my memo was not to be a “pitch away and until you are blue in the face” cheering section, but rather to remind all that with so much exciting to talk about it was important to be heard. In other words, don’t become white noise. Here are the rules to keep in mind:
Avoid being:
Too chatty – be friendly but get to the chase
Too familiar – be aware of the level of relationship and err on the side of too formal v. too familiar
Too much fluff – avoid the constant use EXPLANATION POINTS!!!!!!!
Too much overkill – stay away from hyperbole
Consider this:
Be an asset not an ask – make yourself a partner and real plus not another person pitching and selling
Be clear about what you offer – do not burry the lead
Be concise – like all of us, people are reading things on the fly – keep your messaging in that zone and give them ways to get more if needed
Be authoritative and helpful – establish yourself and your expertise
Be informed and use that information well – what does this person’s site or pub look like? What do they cover? What is their voice?
So nothing radical or new here – and certainly important core concepts to keep in mind…happy pitching!
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Friday, December 11th, 2009
In Style June 2005
Oh, nostalgia – how you creep up on me. Here is one of my favorite moments of my career — the final product of what was one of the most powerful projects I’ve been assigned. We were with InStyle magazine shooting for the June 2005 issue (take note, it had a happily single Katie Holmes on the cover) and it was one of greatest days of girl power I’ve ever experienced. Asked to profile the women who had redefined pregnancy and baby – I brought together the best and the brightest of the field. And what followed: the fun, the conversation, the confessions and even the deals that were made stand out as one of the most singularly exciting and powerful days I’ve had before or since.
Old friends like Emilia Fabricant, Shannon DiPadova, Amy Coe and Debbie Ohanian joined with (then) relatively new ones like Ellen Diamant and Skye Hoppus in a star-studded photo shoot. Take a look and tell me it doesn’t warm your heart a bit (though feeling a little sad for those who are pictured but no longer in the industry). Please share your stories about these women and their extraordinary companies/careers….and we can all feel warm and nostalgic together.
Posted in Forty Weeks Style, Uncategorized, marketing, maternity fashion | No Comments »
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
HELLO NEW YORK – Capturing the Imagination & allegiance of parents and retailers
Overview:
With limited budget and high expectations, Forty Weeks was challenged with the task of introducing teutonia in the most influencer rich, consumer savvy and trend-setting market in the country. A formable target, New York, offered the potential for high gains both in sales and in brand awareness but also required great care, market knowledge and attention to detail.
The core of the geocentric launch focused on three key New York City populations: Parents, Influencers and Retailers. The work in NY then served as a template for a series of other geo-launches and also to create a solid and exciting national brand platform and foundation for continued growth and expansion.
Media Partner:
Cookie Magazine’s NYC circulation specific to a high-end, early adapter and aspirational female psychographic was selected as a media partner (NYC buy only). The readership profile in tandem with the self-identified trend-setting definition of the publication provided a solid core partnership through which to grow the brand.
Messaging:
Based on shifts in the economic climate and national psyche, we quickly added to our agenda, the identification of new language/focal points for teuntonia. Our objective was to communicate the true value of teutonia to the uninitiated while taking care not to exclude based on any overt or accidental insensitivity to shifts caused by the dramatic economic downturn. Our extensive exploration/research led us away from a fashion message to a conversation about choice. The new concept was that each of us places a different value on different things – our priorities were not the same – however, what we felt was important – our priorities were what we were willing to invest in with passion. Our message- freedom of choice was a powerful and ultimate luxury. And being able to make choices and manage your life around your personal priorities and passions was paramount to NYC parents.
Tactics:
To illustrate and bring to life this key concept of choice and priorities we set out to honor a targeted group of NYC mothers who where shining examples of personal priorities in motion. We built a panel of 12 women who have chosen to live their passions through their NYC based businesses that touch other parents. The selected women all had unique POVs, successful businesses and were very real and aspirational NYC mothers. Also, each had a powerful following, ability to promote teutonia and an interest in fully engaging in our program. We centered our campaign around R Baby (a foundation focused on improving the quality of pediatric emergency care in the US) and in specific their Mother’s Day Run/Walk Family Fun Day (expected attendance 6-10,000) in Central Park. We would use this event as our launch, at which we would provide teutonia branded stroller parking, display a tuetonia, seed tuetonia’s to participating celebrities, and gather names via a tuetonia stroller giveaway. We would further create awareness by having celebrities sign and be shot with a teutonia on the event step and repeat, create a myriad of teutonia branded materials in the park and drive traffic to our post mother’s day events via promotional materials.
Mother’s Day in Central Park to benefit R Baby then dovetailed into an exciting series of “meet, greet and design” personal appearances with the Mother’s of Note – the 12 women who though their personal priorities and passions have built businesses that touch women in NY and around the world.
Integrated Communications Strategy:
The entire, HELLO NEW YORK promotion was supported by an integrated, layered communications strategy including:
Cookie in-book campaign
Cookie Advertorial
Cookie online campaign
Cookie dedicated emails
Teutonia microsite
Teutoinia POS materials
RBaby event materials
Rbaby website
Rbaby PR efforts
Rbaby Celebrity wrangling
Social Media outreach
Influencer level PR
Additional partnerships (Belly Bars, various authors)
Results:
Sales 35% Increase
Web traffic 400% increase
Brand Awareness: Significant increase (focus group data)
Retailer Awareness: Significant increase (informal polling)
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Thursday, November 12th, 2009
Jodi Hilton for The New York Times
This story is not new. In fact the only thing new and wonderful about it is the image – I simply adore the image of this couple breastfeeding at home – and I can think of about three better stories to go with it. This is an old story, leaving me to wonder –
Are we really having this conversation again? I am quite sure I did an interview for NPR and later GMA on this topic – oh you know – the new mother-slim down myth about 4 years ago. The one where we confuse and deflate new mothers by swapping out their job as a new mother (which absolutely includes feeding her baby and yes breastfeeding is the absolute goal) with that of a woman who uses her body and physical attributes to make a living (and by that I mean you Rebecca Romijn –actress who has a fleet of people helping you to lose weight WHILE you breastfeed). When interviewed years ago for GMA my quote was about looking in the mirror and seeing and accepting a newly born mother, beautiful as she was rather than looking in the mirror and seeing the pounds and subsequent shame. But wait, now there is more – now we will layer in breastfeeding and garble up the issue and confuse women some more. So in the spirit of my mood while reading Cathrine St. Louis’ piece from today’s New York Times, I will simply say: NO NO NO – not okay.
I love breastfeeding. I support breastfeeding; I am educated, articulate and active in my support of women and their individual successes as a mother. I have spent so much time and energy on the topic – surrounded by intelligent, concerned and certianly connected women and organizations who consider the care and feeding of new mothers to be a near calling. One of my proudest accomplishments is the recent establishment of the Bravado Breastfeeding Information Council with my client Bravado Designs. We have brought our years of passion, commitment, and connection together in an effort to raise the level of dialog to a place where women are not given mixed or harsh messages in the media around this important topic. What we have set out to do is empower women and I don’t see that articles like this do anything of the sort. This is not kind, nor is it respectful, nor does it help to simply a complicated time in a woman’s life. Most of all it does not focus on the real issues at hand.
Tuesday I helped to launch the BBIC – the plan, the goal the intention is to help the media cover the category of breastfeeding in a responsible, non-judgmental and informed manner. Please watch the whole of it here. And as evidenced by the New York Times today (yeah, ok it has only been two days) we have far to go…
Posted in Uncategorized, breastfeeding, celebrity, marketing | No Comments »
Friday, November 6th, 2009
I have been thinking a lot about retail lately – that and breastfeeding. The former because it a life-long interest/passion (I know I am an odd one) and the later because I am working on one of the most exciting projects of my career with my longtime client Bravado Designs.
Obviously Bravado retails (and wholesales) bras – but that is not the retail I am thinking about. I have been watching retail spaces empty out – and worse, watching designer collections shrink and even begin to diminish in quality, creativity and risk-taking. Both feel quite sad to me. And there is no doubt that the recession has not done its worst yet. Actually, last season retail sales like Saks’ 50% off already half off prices (oh did we score on that one – have I told you about Bob’s amazing new coat?) have led buyers to bring in less inventory. Likely sales will happen earlier (like this weekend at Saks – 40% ) to move existing inventory before that much money is left on the table again and we won’t see mega savings like last year again in 2010 – but I digress.
I’ve traveled a lot this week and for some reason, have retail spaces on my mind. I am thinking about pop up retail (I adore this concept, always have – it is such a buzz worthy proposition no matter which way you slice it) and reading up on the the latest on the trend in Time Magazine.
I am reminded of the empty storefronts and how ten+ years ago I filled them with art installations in downtown DC as part of a joint initiative between CuDC and Douglas Jemal Thinking about how forward-thinking (and yeah not always fair to the artists, but ok) his vision was and how the art invigorated the then up and coming corridors of Penn Quarter and later spaces through out the city. Thinking that model was a good one…Doug Jemal made good use of empty space and it worked, quite well.
And so here is where I am, considering the fate of commercial real estate- – (free standing retail, malls, etc. ), and thinking about breastfeeding and all I know about new mothers (which is a decent amount). Dare I to say that few people are thinking these two thoughts together all that often. And so in an instant - I am clear and quite certain that pop-up nursing lounges make sense – they are an elegant solution - fill empty spaces with the amenities to attract and super-serve customers. Make customers absolutely certain that they are wanted and appreciated. Create buzz, excitement and community. Pop-up nursing lounges are a glaringly obvious strategy for making lemonade (really good, all natural lemonade). Nursing mothers overwhelmingly (85% according to recent BBIC data) seek out retail and restaurants that are welcoming. Well that is easy enough to build (and easy enough to remove when the climate changes). In the meantime, we are looking at pure gain – all around. Businesses show their breastfeeding friendliness and open the door to a powerful and loyal market segment. Literally breasts mean business. And pop-up nursing concepts are a low cost, low risk way to invite in new mothers (and their dollars) to brighten up dark, empty retail shells and welcome new life (literally, again) into otherwise dead space.
So ok – you Mr. or Ms. super retail developer – you see it don’t you? But, you may not see exactly how to get from this brilliant plan of mine to some place of tactical excellence and glory – but I do. Seriously, I ‘ve got it all right in my little head (and contacts file). So let’s talk….
PS – steal this idea and I will come with my friends and make you hurt.
Posted in Uncategorized, breastfeeding, marketing | No Comments »
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
The thing with ideas is many die on the vine. The post strategy session visual is that of an old-school janitor sweeping up little pieces of my brain from a client’s conference room floor, into the dustpan and then my glorious ideas meet their untimely death in the trash. Good ideas get thrown away all the time…
And that is what makes today even more special. Today my client Bravado is launching an initiative that was hatched in one of those amazingly exciting and prolific strategy sessions many moons ago in their Toronto headquarters. (As a side, but important note, Bravado’s conference room is an amazing Mecca for breastfeeding power and love – the walls are covered my the most stunning images of breasts – someday, I really, really want to get Fox News in there– I am sure the sight of all of those nipples and babies alone would make Glen Beck well up in tears, but I digress).
Today the Bravado Breastfeeding Information Council launches. It is the first of its kind, and I could not be more proud. We have advanced the conversation and grown a manufacturer into an information source. We have harnessed the voices of 80,000 women, the experience of 17+ years and acted on our deeply seeded motivation and desire to help elevate the qulaity breastfeeding coverage by making it easy to get the story right!
Our Mission:
The BBICserves as a resource to the media and influencers that both authoritatively communicate to and influence women, to provide accurate and non-judgmental information, statistics, trends and analysis on a regular basis. This information will serve to educate the public at large and support a positive breastfeeding experience for women in North America.
The BBIC is: Connected, Credible and Committed.
What is next? The BBIC will launch with an exclusive event on November 10. Kathryn From and Shery Ledder will share our new (and very surprising) research findings complete with analysis from our board including:
Lindsay Lebresco, Chris Pegula, Lisa Spiegel, Kimberly Seals Allers and Heather Kelley
You can join us! Actually, do join us – there is great swag for all (even virtual attendees), an opportunity to tweet in your questions and of course you can be a part of history! Register here and see you on November 10 at 12:30!
Posted in Uncategorized, breastfeeding, marketing | No Comments »
Monday, October 19th, 2009
Today Earnshaws announced that Utah based JJ Cole (you know, they don’t do the ABC show on Sunday) has acquired one of my favorite brands, San Francisco based Fleurville. I have long been a friend and a fan of this design-centric, ahead of the curve brand. I am never disappointed by my personal or professional time spent with brand founders – Steve and Catherine Granville. Their vision, leadership and frankly, their vibe is the brand. I can not separate the two in my mind. The world of Fleurville is really the most perfect physical manifestation of the keen eye and marketing smarts of Steve and his most talented and lovely wife and partner in crime, Cathryn.
They found a way to successfully integrate design and function with real environmental solutions. And of course, they have helped to keep parenting cool –
One of my favorite Fleurville moments was back in July, 2005 when the New York Times Magazine featured the brand in the ever-popular Consumed column by Rob Walker. It was an incredible placement for the brand. But also, quite an advancement for the category in general. A full page dedicated to the discussion of new parent consumerism and a continuation of the down with ducks and bunnies manifesto that we had given birth to in the late 1990s. Finally, here in the Times was the truth about parents and their desire to maintain their sense of self as a parent – and of course, it was an excellent shot-out to Fleurville, the perfect bag for the “new parenting” journey.
It seems that their super hip play will bring a cool and frankly, upscale edge to the very straight and narrow JJ Cole. Their range represents not just an eco and design focus, but also color, spirit and whimsy. I am excited for my friends, and as always, celebrating the success of good brands.
Hey guys, maybe now that dinner at Cyrus is in order?
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