marketing
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)
Posted in Uncategorized, marketing | No Comments »
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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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 »