marketing | In Your Head

the new wave of traceability

April 23, 2013 | By Shannon Kelly

Carrefour stores in Shanghai are embracing QR codes as a tool for communicating food safety, quality, and freshness of vegetables and fruits to customers. The codes within pricing boards take local to the next level by allowing the customer to view the production place and date of the item, the business license of its supplier, and other information regarding the farm.

The in-store signage also assists in creating a deeper relationship between farm, store, and customer. According to Fresh Plaza, the intent is to improve food safety and freshness, and also increase farmers' incomes at the same time.

When our team visited this Shanghai location, not all produce had this option. For example, the selections of imported and organic produce didn't have QR signage.

The cause and effect of food safety in China may have played a role in implementing this marketing and merchandising strategy, but we believe that there is more to glean from this type of communication. QR codes are not simply for directing a consumer to a facebook page. This type of implementation brings traceability to the forefront -- and inspires a sense of connection and trust across a global production and supply chain.

By divulging the names and relationships of Carrefour's suppliers to the community, including it's competitors, they may have gained more loyalty longterm.

Tags: food, produce, retail, grocery, Shanghai, china, QR codes, merchandising, marketing, SmartCommerce, AugmentedReality, Infolust

an eloquent recipe for communication

February 26, 2013 | By Shannon Kelly

Many of us talk, and respond, and reply, and retweet all day long. But, as we all take a moment to digest the sheer magnitude of intake, it’s important to reflect on ways to improve and clarify communication.

A common misconception is that there’s a magic silver bullet to effective messaging. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Simply launching a website, training your team, or sending an email about new products isn’t guaranteed to inspire interest or improve sales. In most cases, there are a series of objectives, tactics, and collaborations with varied groups to ensure the collective message is cohesive.

With strategy and trend research as the backbone of In Your Head, it will come as no surprise that we believe in taking cues from customers. And all too often, we can learn the most by the non-verbal signals, body movements, and gestures that express feelings and behaviors in ways that words alone never can. If you’re in the digital space without a physical person to observe, use analytics as a guide to understanding sentiment and what’s going on behind the laptop.

To help articulate other ways to improve communication, we asked 10 professionals, from varying industries, to share their thoughts on the subject.

"One of the most important things about writing is that the reader places you in a position of trust, and this is a sacred thing. Literary or dramatic devices aside, maintaining absolute candor with your reader is key and this includes signaling to the reader the extent of backup you have for your claims or assertions. A good everyday example of this is that while your headline or tweet should zing, it should be materially accurate as to what the post is about."

- Venkat Balasubramani, Technology & Internet Lawyer and Blogger

"Brands and businesses should focus on developing strong content in tandem with SEO. Messaging should always support your brand's vision and philosophy and be tailored for your audience — not exclusively for search engines."

- Julie Ashkenazi, Creative Director

"As a coach and as a business leader, I consciously practice Appreciative Inquiry, a philosophy/belief that includes the tenet that positive conversation and interactions stem from positive questions and reflections. Conversations and interactions become positive the instant we ask a positive question, tell a positive story or share a positive reflection. The more we attend to the positive in the moment, the more positive will be our intentions for future moments, which creates the groundwork for change and transformation."

- Amy Dampier, MA, Certified Wellness Coach; Director In-Store Selling

"One of the biggest communication tips I could give is being strategic about content. Content doesn't live in a bubble and you need to be honest to the platform of where it lives – regardless if it's 140 characters on Twitter or a series of funny gif on Tumblr. Knowing your audience and producing the rich content that will stop them and engage them means preparations, planning and adapting."

- Gitamba Saila-Ngita, Chief Innovation Officer

"One of the first things I learned as a reporter more than 20 years ago is to get the facts — then check them twice (or more). That journalism is a public trust to be practiced with the utmost seriousness and responsibility, and that accuracy is paramount to putting a story out into the public domain. The same standards apply in my work as a chef and cookbook author. The public is putting their trust in me that my recipes do what they say they're going to do, from servings to cooking time."
- Kim O'Donnel, Food Writer & Author

"If writing to a particular editor or producer, try to mimic the language used by his/her media outlet. It will not only demonstrate that you are a reader or viewer but will also increase the chances that they will respond."

- Jill Budik, Media Relations Professional

"As a professional photographer with over twenty years in the business I have learned the importance of communicating with your client prior to the shoot in regards to usage. I find it best to have a simple written agreement that clearly states what the photos will be used for and for how long. This way there are no surprises down the road when the client wants to use the photos for additional marketing beyond the scope of the original shoot."

- Jim Henkens, Photographer

"When sharing an article or video on social, include an excerpted quote to increase engagement. This provides a little flavor, and lets people know why the content is worth their time."

- Virginia Bunker, Copywriter

"Segment your email list and serve content that's relevant to each group in order to increase open rate and drive engagement. Monitor your lists' behavioral data, along with the recency and frequency of purchase, to help improve the relevancy of your message."

- Uzi Ashkenazi, Director of New Media

"Please remember, especially when attending events and conferences (SXSW anybody?), don't over-promise and under-deliver."

- Michael Tchong, Public Speaker

As connectivity, globalization, and the demolition of barriers continue to drive new products and services, it’s more important than ever to transform and modify messaging with a recipe that matches your strategy. Transparency continues to be a key ingredient to thoughtful communication.

Tags: inspiration, communication, marketing, advertising, new media

culinary agency seeks new publishing talent via Twitter

February 25, 2013 | By Shannon Kelly

{Image: The Lisa Ekus Group}

Tweeting can now get you one step closer to a cookbook deal. But unlike traditional proposals, each pitch will need to participate in a March Madness style basketball tournament before final approval.

The Lisa Ekus Group is taking an untraditional route by hearing the best culinary non-fiction ideas via 140-character (or less) tweets to Literary Agent Sally Ekus (@SallyEkus) using the hashtag #SignMeSal. Inspired by the NCAA Men's Division basketball tournament, the agency will select 16 finalists who will then be asked to round out their proposals with additional tweets that cover standard proposal elements, such as the book’s point of differentiation.

The participants will then be whittled down to two finalists — who will compete against each other during a Twitter chat on March 25, 2013. A single winner will be chosen and then work with Sally Ekus to develop a fleshed out proposal to pitch to editors at publishing houses.

“In the face of a constantly shifting publishing environment our agency is increasingly interested in finding new ways to discover fresh voices and concepts," Ekus said. "The Twitter contest is a result of the fast paced landscape we all work in, and a desire to give an unpublished or un-agented author a chance to work one on one with our agency.”

At a time when many bloggers — food or otherwise — are enamored with a book deal, it makes good sense to consider the resources needed to launch such an endeavor. Most writers and photojournalists could stand to reflect more closely on building a team to support their vision in tandem with receiving a book advance. We love how this contest allows participants to see the value of a literary agent and an agency through an authentic, realtime social media discussion.

For more details on the contest, including deadlines, click here.

Tags: food, cookbooks, marketing, new media, social networks, contests, coming soon

merchandising 201

January 30, 2013 | By Shannon Kelly

Have you ever wondered why chefs, designers, and celebrities continue to innovate with new cookbooks or products? Or why collaborations are so successful at driving acquisition?

It’s because brands understand the power of loyalty and are willing to play the numbers to jumpstart merchandising strategies.

A new study shows that 60% of shoppers prefer new products from a familiar brand rather than switch to a new brand, according to the Nielsen Global Survey of New Product Purchase Sentiment.

“Innovating on established brands that are already trusted by consumers can be a powerful strategy,” said Rob Wengel, Senior Vice President, Nielsen Innovation Analytics. “Companies spend millions of dollars on new product innovation, yet two out of every three new products will not be on the market within three years. Marketers and retailers can deliver successful new products by ensuring they uncover unmet consumer needs, communicate with clarity, deliver distinct product innovations, and execute an optimal marketing strategy.”

Half (50%) of global respondents say they are generally willing to consider a new product purchase, with respondents in North America and the Middle East/Africa (57%) most enthusiastic about making a switch. Nielsen’s survey shows that value and proof-of-concept make a difference: more than two-thirds (64%) of respondents say they would consider value or store-brand options, and two-thirds (60%) will wait until a new innovation has proven itself before making a purchase.

“Consumers are enthusiastic about adopting new product innovations but somewhat apprehensive about embracing new brands,” said Wengel. “In order for consumers to adopt new brands, marketers need to launch very strong awareness and trial-building campaigns, supported by a positive product experience. Generating positive word-of-mouth endorsements are important, because negative experiences can significantly diminish the likelihood of new product success.”

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to developing a compelling new item, brand familiarity is clearly one of several key characteristics that resonate strongly with consumers so that products are easily recognizable on the shelf.

Tags: product trends, marketing, branding, promotion, retail

when bad press really is bad press

November 9, 2012 | By Julie Ashkenazi

If Juice Fasts and Yoga Spinning aren’t challenging enough, try finding an editor or blogger that hasn’t encountered a rogue publicist. The kind that will email a pitch by the thousands and insists Groupon is the best growth platform for any luxury brand.

Most publicists strive to maintain pristine reputations and strong relationships. However, even those in the spin business know that a “bad press is good press” mantra can not fix a publicist gone wild. When it’s done right, PR can help grow awareness and drive sales, but if your brand is in the wrong hands, your PR efforts may be hurting you.

It seems fairly obvious that you shouldn’t pitch electronics to a beauty blogger, but it happens. “It’s an epidemic,” says Lara Eurdolian, blogger and founder of Pretty Connected. “My inbox is regularly flooded with worthless content I'd never feature and it feels like my name is on every press list. Even worse is the lack of research and poor email etiquette — text in all caps, careless misspellings and unprofessional, mass distribution.”

Skilled community managers are strategic in their engagement efforts and will look to target bloggers and editors that align well with the brand they are representing. These are often long-term efforts and cannot risk being harmed by a problematic publicist. On the other hand, if your social media team isn’t strategic with their outreach and habitually spams editors, bloggers, and publicists — they’ll be harming your brand’s image faster than your PR team can run damage control.

Your brand is your most valuable asset, so it’s important to be aware of how it is represented in the media and ensure a strategic, unified presentation throughout all channels. Engagement truly is king, especially among collaborative marketing teams where traditional communication lines have clearly blurred.

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Julie Ashkenazi is the co-founder of Medium— a strategic eCommerce and online marketing studio dedicated building unique, compelling and successful brands with cohesive design aesthetics and analytics. Connect with her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Tags: PR, marketing, communication, branding

sleight of mouse

October 9, 2012 | By Shannon Kelly

During our recent roadtrip down the coast, we became a victim of deceptive and misleading photography on a hotel website that promised – “remodeled spa-like accommodations.”

In the interest of full disclosure, there was a note located on the landing page specifically calling out the differences between the reservation system and the website.

"Our online booking system does not reflect the changes we have made to most of our bungalows and suites. Please contact our front desk with any questions and to learn more about our accommodations."

Hotel name and location have been withheld. We’re not in the business of reviewing hotels and, in this instance, simply want to present our readers with learnings, sentiments, and strategies across a broad range of topics.

The uses of photography have long been a subject of dissatisfaction in marketing and communication. We’ve all seen overly photoshopped models in magazines, and purchased products that seem to shrink in the mail. Ten years ago, the directive to only use real foods in photography was groundbreaking (yes- some stylists used to use shortening as a substitution for ice cream or used Elmer’s glue for milk).

In light of this hotel experience, we’d like to add one more bullet to the Art Direction 2.0 basics outlined by guest blogger, Julie Ashkenazi, last month. Please be sure that your online presentation is consistent with the real product. And don’t relaunch your website with new images when the packaging or product are not up to par.

Tags: marketing, advertising, eCommerce, hospitality

key ingredients: digital marketing

October 3, 2012 | By Julie Ashkenazi

A common misconception is that simply by having a website, sales will roll in — and in spades. Regrettably, this is not the case, and some brands, especially those small and new, have learned this the hard way.

Launching a website and ignoring online marketing is like opening a business and not telling anyone about it. You wouldn’t launch a new product, retail venture, or even hold a press event without strategic planning. Digital marketing requires the same consideration, and brands are missing incredible opportunities by not implementing strategies for online growth and development. However, many are unsure what they need, what to expect, and whether or not they can afford it.

A typical digital marketing campaign involves a combination of email, search, and social marketing, all of which require the collaborative efforts of a team of writers, designers, developers, marketers and analysts. Though positioning, aesthetic, and budgets are diverse — the same rules apply. Marketing initiatives must be cohesive, strategic, and aligned in order to be successful.

If you’re a smaller company with a limited marketing budget, social media is an excellent platform to build brand awareness and grow your online community. However, a bona fide social media campaign involves more than merely having a Facebook page or a Twitter account. It takes time and commitment and requires ongoing interaction with your community. It’s essential to provide a dialogue that includes unique, relevant content and not a constant stream of product or sale announcements. This is important not only from an engagement perspective, but also from a branding perspective, because if you continually discount your products in order to drive web sales, you’re at risk of brand erosion.

If you’re going to take a DIY approach to social marketing, make sure to avoid these common mistakes:

Syncing your social media channels.
While it might be a timesaver, each platform has a different audience and therefore the messaging should be tailored differently.
Not interacting with your followers.
Social media is the new customer service. As your online presence grows, expect to receive feedback, comments and even complaints from your fans — and always respond promptly.
Sending Auto Direct Message’s to your Twitter followers.
In his article, Augie Ray explains that not only do people dislike Auto DMs, they think less of those who send them and are quite likely to unfollow the senders or even report them as spam.

Adding a blog to your website is another great and affordable way to expand your online presence and provide customers with a more intimate understanding of your brand. It allows you the opportunity to speak more in depth about products, ingredients, causes, and lifestyle topics that are relevant to your customer and — similar to social media platforms — gives them a chance to interact with your company. Additionally, since blog content is crawled by search engines, it’s likely that your website’s organic search results will improve as you continue to develop your blog.

As your brand awareness grows, hopefully your email subscriber list grows along with it. Once you have a fairly robust email list, you might want to consider launching an email marketing campaign to promote new product launches and special offers. However, take the time to familiarize yourself with email regulations before launching a campaign to ensure you are compliant with all regulations, including the CAN-SPAM Act, in order to prevent blacklisting and guarantee deliverability.

If budget permits, you might also want to consider launching a paid search campaign, however this tends to be one of the more expensive options and typically requires a fairly significant budget in order to be competitive. However, when used in combination with SEO and targeted landing pages, paid search can be a powerful marketing tool, providing immediate, measurable results.

As with any marketing initiative, traditional or digital, it’s important to do your research before embarking on new endeavors — and that includes giving your online marketing plan the consideration it deserves for your business to succeed.

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Tags: marketing, branding, social networks, new media, eCommerce, customer service, SmartCommerce

art direction 2.0

September 20, 2012 | By Julie Ashkenazi

{photo: Julie Ashkenazi via Instagram}

They might not be as glamorous as their A-List colleagues, but art directors are the unsung heroes of the awards season. And although I’m not, as they say in LA, “in the industry,” the contributions and efforts of art directors in our industry warrant a little acknowledgement of their own.

By its very definition, art direction is somewhat vague, so it's no wonder most people don't understand it. Often confused with designers, art directors are responsible for creating concepts and unifying the overall visual — the look and feel of a brand — including the color palette, type treatment and photography. One of the biggest differences between an art director and a graphic designer is that, in addition to creating compelling designs, an art director must also make the product or brand engaging in order to generate consumer interest.

It’s obvious there’s a strong art director behind every successful print campaign, but spend five minutes online and it’s clear that many brands overlook the importance of art direction on the web. Granted, there are design limitations on the web that don’t exist in print, but it’s important to maintain a digital presence that’s visually consistent with your overall brand experience. And it’s equally important to integrate eMarketing best practices into your online presentation to ensure your website is both branded and easy to shop from.

Online Art Direction Basics:

Whether you are working with commissioned or stock photography, all images should be consistent in terms of lighting, mood, and overall presentation.
All photography needs to support the brand positioning and copy.
Be consistent with the lighting, angles, and reflections of product photography.
Select a color palette that works for all of your online needs and don’t deviate from it.
Identify type specs, establish hierarchy rules, and apply them to copy accordingly.
Establish a smart balance of text and graphic text in order to create a presentation that’s both branded and SEO-friendly.
Don’t overuse your brand identity typeface.
Don’t overuse branding and/or graphic elements.

Similar to print advertising, it’s important to keep your communication goals and objectives in mind at all times and to use it as the foundation for your visual approach. And most importantly, never forget to put yourself in the position of your audience—after all, they’re the customer.

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Tags: marketing, advertising, new media, branding, color, eCommerce, campaigns, design

valet your phone

August 23, 2012 | By Shannon Kelly

Would you surrender your cell phone to save a few dollars on your restaurant bill?

Chef Mark Gold of Eva has instituted a new policy at his farm-to-table restaurant in LA hoping that 5% is an incentive worth going Instagram and email-free for. To ensure a text-less dining experience, patrons leave their mobile phone with the receptionist to receive the discount on their final check.

This is the carrot approach. There is also the stick (not ever implemented by anyone to our knowledge) — a 10% charge on your total bill for using your phone. Neither approach is exactly blogger-friendly.

Email and texts aside, according to a May 2011 study published in Mashable, 72% of people posting food photos on a social media website are doing so during dinner.

Should we be encouraging or discouraging phones as social tools at mealtime? Share your thoughts on the subject via Twitter or Facebook.

{source: LAist & J.A.}

Tags: food, restaurants, marketing, sale, Lessism

introducing: the digital flagship

July 26, 2012 | By Shannon Kelly

These words are poised to redefine luxury eCommerce.

"Digital Flagship"

We've never seen it in print before but we're betting that digital strategists, advertising executives, art directors, and marketers will take note quickly. "Digital Flagship" elevates the shopping experience from the basic portal for retail locations and collections to something worldly and complete. It denotes premium positioning while remaining approachable.

More importantly, the phrase confirms Gucci's investment in eCommerce as more than a channel strategy. It's the solution.

[Update 7.30.12]

A number of our friends on twitter have been quick to point out that the term dates back to 2010 but it is important to note that brands, editors, and PR agencies positioning eCommerce as "digital flagship" is very different than using the term within an advertisement. The term is not new to internal communication but still relevant from consumer point-of-view.

For example, Burberry has long been at the forefront of messaging their website as a digital flagship but the eCommerce messaging remains "store". In contrast, the new online messaging on Gucci.com is consistent with the advertisement and redefining the category from a consumers perspective.

{Editors note: please forgive the photo quality — the magazine got wet in transit.}

{source: Vogue.uk, August 2012}

Tags: marketing, advertising, branding, eCommerce, fashion, trend projections, SmartCommerce