John Winsor

Quote of the Day

"I believe advertising is the tax you pay for being unremarkable."

- Robert Stephens, CEO, Geek Squad at the Idea Conference

Mitt Romney is Uncool

When does something become uncool? It usually coincides when a politician adopts a word or, in this case, a gesture. I've been doing the "fist" greeting for a few months now. I'm not sure why I started. It's just one of those viral things. Well, after seeing Romney adopt it, I'm gonna stop. It just looks so uncool.

What Does Green Mean?

Eric Wilson pens a wonderful article in today’s New York Times exploring what it means for a product to be truly green.

"No matter how sincere fashion designers may be in their efforts to embrace the green movement this season, consumers may find themselves perplexed by how to gauge the environmental impact of the many products that claim to be eco-friendly."



As Chris Van Dyke, from NAU points out, it’s a hard anyone to control all the parts of a product. “When you only look at the raw materials to ask if something is really green, you are like the blind person holding the tail of the elephant. There’s a whole lot of other factors you need to assess.”

It’s only a matter of time before the tools exist for complete transparency. Just think you’ll be able to point the web cam inside a jeans factory to not only watch your jeans being made but also be able to check the factories hiring practices and raw material sources. Customers will eventually demand this type of transparency, which will not only bring continuity to what green means but also apply social pressure for companies to employ not only the best environmental practices but also have the best worker conditions.

Caterpiller in China

Business is flourishing in China – at least in the industrial machinery market. Amidst rapid economic development, China’s revenue is expected to quadruple, from $1 to $4 billion by 2010. Economic prospects appeared bountiful for companies like Caterpillar, Cummins Inc., and Japan's Komatsu Ltd. Of all the companies vying for success, however, Caterpillar seems to have found a niche in the Chinese market.

Traditional advertising in the industrial machinery market seemed futile; Chinese construction companies seldom kept records of machine efficiency. Comparing Caterpillar’s new machine, the Wheel Tractor-Scraper, with competitors would have been fruitless. Consequently, Caterpillar decided a live demonstration was the most effective way to exhibit the power behind their product. To their surprise, relying on “word-of-mouth” advertising proved to be more successful than anticipated.

“When the project operator excitedly told reporters the scrapers could cut the work schedule by five months and bring benefits to local farmers earlier than expected, the local news station beamed a two-minute clip on its evening news about the machine's wonders.”

Word quickly spread through the country, eventually piquing the interest of China’s national broadcaster, China Central Television. Caterpillar benefited greatly – essentially getting free press, and effectively raised product awareness and visibility.

*As social psychologists say, if a consumer has a good experience with a product, they will tell an average of four people, be they an acquaintance, friend, or family member. If a consumer has a bad experience with a product, they will tell an average of nine people.

Via Erin Booth and the WSJ

The Whopper Freakout

There's been some good buzz for the new BK campaign,  "The Whopper Freakout."  The video above is a 7 minute documentary of how people react when they are told the Whooper has been permanently removed from the menu and when customers are given a bag that contains a Big Mac or Wendy's burger instead of a Whopper.

It's amazing when you take something away from people you can really learn the power of a product.

Product Placement Problems

I was surprised by Louise Story's article in yesterday's New York Times entitled, "So That's Why They Drink Coke on TV" in which she mentioned that the FCC is considering investigating whether or not product integration dupes consumers.

“Networks may be turning to more subtle and sophisticated means of incorporating commercial messages into traditional programming,” said Kevin J. Martin, the commission’s chairman, at a September public hearing. “I believe it is important for consumers to know when someone is trying to sell them something.”

Where's the news on this? Twenty years ago when I started a publishing company I started an event company, as well. The whole idea was to leverage the relationship between the advertisers and the readers. That included running ads, sponsoring the events and covering the events in the editorial pages.

Marketers want and should be looking for any way to deepen the relationship with their customers. That's their job. Media companies are only there to help facilitate that relationship. Consumers are smart enough to know what is sponsored and what is not.

Testing Windows Live Writer

I'm testing Windows Live Writer. It seems pretty cool.

Here's a test photo.

Photo of the Day

Sometimes the most difficult thing in marketing is picking a good name. It seems like Goin' Postal might want to reconsider theirs.

The Power of 5%

Nau show's how much giving away 5% of revenue could really mean if everyone joined them.