marketing
Saturday, October 17th, 2009
New to Forty Weeks? Hanging with us for-ev-vuh? Not sure if keeping company with us is the best idea? Good to know. Well, here is the deal — you are going to need to know a few things before you make this decision.
First, we really love food — food is necessary for all meetings, events, etc. Dinner is near ritual with some clients (you know who you are Bravado). Also, truly skinny people need to earn our trust, we dont’ start there with anyone with a size 25 jean. Next, we like making friends. We live to meet to new people and tend to find connections wherever we go. The entire team is like this – I am the fearless leader of picking up new people and of course, connecting them with people we already know. Finally, we have an (how do you say?), interesting way of communicating. You will see a lot of acronyms, which are obvious but not at first. And also a few words. Here is a sampling of what is often heard in the hallowed halls of Forty Weeks-land:
The Nasties– corporations with deep pockets from whom taking funds or partnering with is a dangerous (albeit tempting) mistake.
Shooting Your Load – just like you’d think — you want to avoid that with any campaign – pacing is key
Brand BFFs – like-minded brand partners — first call in good times and bad
Eloise – what they call me at the W, Union Square
WUS – W, Union Square
CB – City Bakery – YUM!
Iced-Double Tall Skinny Vanilla Latte – my afternoon drink if you insist on Starbucks
t- Teutonia
Fresh - where to call for gifts
FP – Fit Pregnancy Magazine
Trusted Associate – Jeff Christian, publisher of FP
Jules - the best path to me – not really my alter-ego — that would be amazing actually!
Back in an Hour – yeah – more likely two
An appointment- could be a mani, blow out, therapy, trainer, or other beauty (inner or outer) necessities habits services.
A meeting- actual work, will invovle food
High-floor, Away from Elevator – hotel room request, though not at W, US they know!
IRL, BFF - Lisa Jordan Helms, publishing Goddess
Casa Loco- my house
The Inmates – my kids
The Mister – Bob, he’s dreamy!
The Bitches – you know who you are, and back off!
Dreaming out Loud- The best way to start any ideation session
So now, on your way…talk to us!
Posted in Forty Weeks Style, marketing | No Comments »
Monday, October 5th, 2009
I was not surprised by this morning’s news as The New York Times reported that in their post- McKinsey portfolio (oh, well that title is gone too, so maybe a bad world choice on my part), Conde Nast would be three titles short – Cookie, Gourmet and Modern Bride would close. And while it was clear to me that this was coming – I am not any less sad to see Cookie go. The fate of Cookie has been the all the buzz for months among those in the parenting category as well as the publishing community. Most of my publishing insider friends felt Cookie was essentially “dead man walking” and in the juvenile category we all hopped against hope that the magazine that made us sudden rock stars (our world has become super cool thanks to Pilar Guzman and her incredible editorial vision).
At ABC kids I spent a great deal of my time with publishers and group publishing heads discussing what many felt was already a fait accompli – the end of Cookie. Much of the conversation centered on their ad pages and their obvious failure to pull in revenue and meet projections especially within the category. And while I am always happy to discuss circulation and ad pages (I am an old magazine girl with publishing blood coursing through my veins) – what really strikes me is the rise and the fall of the Cookie brand. Because really – Cookie defined so much of the modern parent movement – and gave us all a stake in something well beyond our means.
Cookie, the bible of aspirational parenting (as I call it) – hit the scene in 2005. Ad pages were mostly filled with lifestyle ads well outside of the juvenile category. Fashion pages were the main “cross-over” (none of us ever believed these were more than bonus pages, no matter) and the book looked good. It was not honest (who lived like the moms in the pages of Cookie?), but it was fun! Cookie was high style and high imagination for main street parents. This beautifully presented insiders look at parenting on Melrose and Madison was in perfect synchronicity with America’s near obsession with celebrity pregnancy and baby. It gave readers access to a world well beyond their means, and before Cookie – outside of even their fantasy zone. It also paved the way for a new generation of luxury goods within the category and defined a new psychographic category of mom (a Cookie Mom was a spender, a trend-setter and a woman with a very clear aesthetic –not to mention a nanny and great shoes). Manufacturers who catered to this category were suddenly understood and adored. This tricked down in a very real economic way to Main Street Moms who made it their business not only to know what was happening on Melrose and Madison but also to have a little piece of it themselves. Cookie was all that was shiny and hip about parenting. It was bold and unapologetic – and now it is gone.
I want to consider what will come next. It is a conversation that is going to be had over and again and I will be a part of it. Only, not yet – not today. Today is a day to quietly consider the indelible mark Cookie left on the parenting category and hope that the death of Cookie is not the death of dreaming out loud within this category that I love so very much.
Goodbye Cookie – and especially to all of you with whom I have worked over the years – thank you for what you have shared with me of yourselves, your creativity and your contagious energy. I look forward to our paths crossing again very soon!
Tags: publishing
Posted in celebrity, marketing, publishing | 7 Comments »
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
This has been a remarkable week in the land of Twitter, SM and conscious raising in general. The Nestle Family Blogger event pushed some of SM’s best and brightest to their personal boiling point. It revealed so much about who each one of us are, what makes us tick and most importantly what we stand for. There is so much to learn about people not just by what they react to, but also how. We all saw the tweets, the attacks and the (sometimes inane) responses. In fact, for me this was one of the most transparent weeks I have ever experienced on-line – I saw so clearly exactly who I follow in much more than 140 characters. I am grateful for the opportunity and the experience.
So much has been covered and so well in fact by bloggers – some of my favorite discussions covered the question of responsibility on both sides. @that_danielle and @amamasblog did an excellent job of examining where the lines may actually be – and whose responsibility lay where. I took a hard look at Nestle as a case study in failed marketing to/with Moms (On Missing the Mark,) . @crunchygoddess took a long well considered look at the lessons of the Nestle Family tweetstorm. Ann Douglas shared her trademark smarts and experience to broaden people’s understanding of the scope of issues. There were so many more (for those of you I missed, please excuse me). Bottom line – so many brilliant women were thinking, communicating their passion and standing up for what they believe in.
We are all fully in, vested in SM – using this brave new forum to challenge, debate, stand-up and be counted, find-like minded souls and collaborators. Here on-line we have found it possible to identify and sort through issues – seeking out the “truth” in almost real time. This is remarkable when viewed through a historical lens of public debate . With these incredible advances also comes the issues associated with how quickly we “know each other” – though nuggets of information we identify our friends, enemies, experts and even leaders. How do we really know who to trust?
As for me – this week has been a living, breathing reminder of one of my strongest personal and professional philosophies: In short, you are the company you keep. Now – there have been others who have said it better for example:
The Spanish adventurer, author and poet Miquel de Cervantes said; “Tell me what company you keep and I’ll tell you what you are”
Or even -
My Grandfather, S. Arthur Lipson who was known to say the same in his wonderfully crass publisher’s speak: “Lie down with dogs and you’ll get up with fleas”
And it is true. Who you choose associate with can elevate or harm you. You will be judged, known, understood and revealed by the company you keep. This goes for all of us. And so it is important that we not wait to until we are mid-twitter storm to really know who it is we associate with. Bloggers and corporations need to carefully consider each other not just as conduits to their goals (whether that goal be content or advocacy, information or feedback) but as partners. Both are brands (as I have said over and over – bloggers are brands) and both must protect themselves and position themselves for growth. And here on- line, where most days it is encouraging, informative and positive – we need to take some time to know who are “friends” are – because it all counts.
Posted in marketing, mommy wars | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
This post is not about breastfeeding or formula. And while I am absolutely qualified to talk about Nestle I will not. I have been in the breastfeeding space for more than a decade. And the long, dirty history of Nestle’s marketing practices, WHO violations and human-rights abuses are simply a factual prologue to the recent stir that the Nestle family blogger event has caused in the social media world.
There is enough Nestle talk out there. I choose not to recount the history or educate anyone. The facts are in the public domain and easy enough for anyone to access. Since yesterday’s powerful and well-written post by Annie @PHDinParenting the lines have been drawn and it is getting nasty. I have watched from the sidelines (OK I have not been totally silent) – we are all witnessing mommy bloggers out for blood and people are getting hurt.
To me this is a case study for poor planning, short-sighted thinking and other classic marketing errors. What is clear to me is that there was no strategic or top-level thinking applied to this horrific play for Moms on the part of Nestle. In fact, it smacks of lack of experience, lack of understanding and certainly lack of expertise. Nestle has undervalued women in the worst way. Can’t you just imagine the “big idea” meeting: so the idea is they will love us, ask no questions and go forth and re-build our image all for the low, low price of a hotel room, some meals and some swag.
So Nestle, as a woman who is always curious and is passionate about marketing to new mothers – I am dying to know — who the hell was in that room? Who sat around the big old Nestle table when you failed to consider the terms of engagement with these women you wanted to woo? Or when you decided to withhold key information from women on the off chance that they would not find out? The plan was what — these moms should be your advocate and not know of your true, controversial history? How about when they were left in a position to defend you against the endless attacks on twitter and on blogs – how were they to manage that Nestle, what was the plan?
In fact, what Nestle has done is continued their tradition interpreting/massaging facts to suit their objectives. Never mind who gets hurt in the way, right? There is no statute of limitations on the many blemishes on your corporate resume and now you have added a new abuse, abuse of women (and some men too from what I understand)– congratulations on that.
This is a stunning example of why those who are involved with marketing to/with women and in specific, social media need to have well grounded leader managing their strategy. Someone with experience needs to be in charge and minding the big picture. Without going into a high level of detail here (boring, for some) strategy is built from a clear and well – thought out assessment and analysis of a brand’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Simple – marketing 101 stuff. Gunning to fast tactics cannot, will not advance a brand. In fact, ill-conceived programs such as Nestle Family have the makings of a perfect storm. And today has been just that…
Nestle has lost control of the conversation – in fact the conversation that is being had is not only off-message (one would assume ) but the defense of Nestle has been left in the hands of those least qualified to handle it — the bloggers who answered their call and came for a few days of fun. This is damaging to the brand on a profound level (obviously) and leaves these bloggers in an untenable position. Feeling loyal, under attack, not knowing facts, frankly over their heads and outside of any normal scope of engagement for an event like this.
So Nestle – one more question(as one known for asking so many probing, hard questions of my clients) – Now you have a war with your name on it – now what’s the plan?
Posted in Wall of Shame, breastfeeding, marketing, mommy wars | 10 Comments »