Advertising Fuelosophy 101

GM Looking At Green Has Me Seeing Red

According to the AP, GM is looking into changing the corporate blue of its logo to green. They say it’s to “show consumers that it’s more focused on fuel efficiency and better able to make quick decisions.”

What? The fuel efficiency angle I can understand, but not really agree with.  Better able to make quick decisions? Please. Isn’t that the type of thinking that got them into this trouble in the first place? Why on God’s green earth (pun intended) would they want to convey quick decisions? Wouldn’t it be better to convey that you are making smart decisions?

During a time like this wouldn’t it be smarter to convey that they are a stable company? A company that isn’t going away. One that is focused on what’s really important- fixing what is really wrong with the company and not sidetracked by what is trendy.

Saying that you a green company by making your logo green is just a little passé, don’t you think?

Besides, changing the color of a logo is no small feat. It’s not just uploading a new file to your website to replace the current blue logo. The logo needs to be changed everywhere- on letterhead, buildings, trucks, on everything and everyplace that you see the current logo. That will cost the company MILLIONS of dollars. In my opionion, that’s millions of dollars wasted.

Here’s a better idea- take the money you are going to spend on the logo change, and keep a few more people in your company employed.

I say out with the new and keep the old. Go blue!

Economy at its Best or Worst ... Will Somebody Please Decide.

Yesterday I read an article in the NY Times with the headline, "Snapshot of Economy Is Its Best in 9 Months."I was so thrilled to read some good news about our national economy, I sent out a tweet with a link to this article, commenting I'm looking forward to more good news on this topic.

Well that was yesterday ... because today ... I read another article published by the research firm Technomic stating an economic turnaround is in the distance. They based their report on the current broad unemployment rate, which includes not only those who have lost their jobs, but also workers who are underemployed or discouraged. The broad unemployment rate has reached 15.8 percent and is rising, according to a July Technomic report from the firm’s consulting economist, Arjun Chakravarti.

Chakravarti goes on to say, "The prolonged climb of unemployment in the United States has not only affected the spending habits of those without jobs, but also has changed the spending habits of those who remain employed by spreading psychological uncertainty across all workers in the economy. These collective threats will delay an economic recovery by inhibiting consumer spending, increasing precautionary savings, and delaying retirement dates across all levels of the economy."

The prediction is that the broad unemployment rate could reach could 17 percent by the end of the year. Ouch. And there goes optimism.

One day we're up reading that business activity, new orders and employment all slid at a sharply slower pace in June than in May, according to the NY Times article. And that business activity is nearly in growth territory. Real estate, finance and insurance, and food and hotel companies were among the six industries that reported actual growth.

So what's a person to believe ... business activity may start to grow or broad unemployment stifles economic recovery. Both are tied to consumer spending. One group says its study points positive and then another group's study points negative.

Right now I'm feeling a little bipolar. I think I'm going to listen to Katy Perry's song, Hot N Cold just because it seems appropriate to how I'm feeling about the economy. That's my thought, what's yours?

16 Phrases that Should Never Come Out of Your Mouth

I found this article recently in a publication, Advantages, that serves the promotional products industry but felt that it had value for anyone who sells anything ... including marketing services. The opening sentence to the article states, "It's no secret that good salespeople have the gift of gab, but it's important to know when to shut up."

Jeff Thull, president and CEO of sales consulting firm Prime Resource Group, added "A very interesting discipline is to condense your answers to any question to under 20 seconds. When you consider that companies can do a commercial in 15 seconds, that might not be too much to ask. That's a simple discipline to try to get yourself into."

So, what do all the experts think you shouldn't say (versus what you should say). Here's the list of 16 no-no phrases:

1. How are you? The client thinks this person doesn't care how I am (seems insincere).
2. Thanks for your time. The client thinks my time is more important than your time (don't devalue your time).
3. I really like that picture of your family. The client thinks I don't know you yet, you're trying to butter me up to make a hard sell (reminds them of pushy salespeople).
4. Here's our latest monthly promotion. The client thinks I have no interest (assumes this is a motivation to a client).
5. The product has been really hot lately. The client thinks their advertising will look like everyone else's (people want to be unique).
6. Who besides yourself will be involved in the decision. The client thinks you are insulting them (assumes the person is not a decision-maker).
7. Many people don't understand. The client thinks you are talking down to them (always protect a person's self-esteem).
8. Let me be honest with you. The client thinks you are honest only sometimes (hurts a sales relationship).
9. Here's information -- do you see anything in there that interest you? The client thinks you are trying to sell versus help (no one wants to be sold, everyone wants to buy).
10. Do you understand what I'm saying? The client thinks you think I'm stupid (don't imply a client is ignorant).
11. If I were you, I would do this. The client thinks you are not me and you don't know my business (don't tell a client what to do, lead them to what to do).
12. We have the best service. The client thinks here comes the hard sell again (this is hard to prove and everyone says it).
13. That's not a good choice. The client thinks you are questioning my judgment (don't undermine their authority).
14. Would you like that in red or blue? The client thinks slow down, let me decide if this is right for me before you go for the close (gauge client interest before rushing).
15. What else can I do for you? The client thinks you are putting them on the spot (this is a huge question that could overwhelm).
16. If I can be of any further help, please let me know. The client thinks "duh" (put the responsibility with the salesperson, not the client).

Well, let me be honest with you and ask did you read anything of interest in the above post. I truly hope you understand the importance of what not to say. And finally, please let me know if I can be of any further help. That's my thought, what's yours :-)?

YouTube Sparks 4th of July Celebrations

The holiday weekend starts in two hours, so the office is unusually quiet. Except for YouTube. YouTube is a favorite downtime pastime. In fact, according to a recent report, YouTube ranks No. 1 for online video streaming by a spectacular margin. And that's a good spot to be in when the amount of time spent watching video online grows by 49%. But you can check the rest of the stats on streaming video after you get back from 4th of July fun. In the meantime, here's a dazzling grand finale to this short work week courtesy of...who else? 

Online Off-the-Rack: Zugara's Social Shopper App

I'm a big fan of online shopping. You can find anything at anytime. And more than likely, that thing is a bargain. The Internet is great for snagging books, cute tops or collector's items you're too embarrassed to purchase in person. But other items are risky business. Like jeans. Jeans are something I like to try on before buying. Only now with Zugara's Social Shopper, you can turn any room into a virtual dressing room!

I am truly wowed by this technology! Positively floored. Yet before I get too excited about it's retail marketing potential, I wonder does it really make sense? Maybe if you're a Colorform. Only real people have varied bulges and curves (or lack thereof). That's why people try clothing on: to determine how styles and cuts best fit their unique body. Zugara's Social Shopper doesn't live up to this reality.

What exactly is this person evaluating via her monitor? Does this denim wash work with my hair, my eyes? Do you really need augmented, utilitarian technology to formulate this? Speaking of augmented, does the virtual hourglass figure come with he tee shirt?

I think before making a serious investment into your website or shopping cart, you need to be sure that the "utility" bit is actually there. So that the experience you're creating is an experience worth having. Does it fit with basic human behavior? 

The Internet is Quickly Becoming the Media of Choice

According to a recent report by The Media Audit, in the past three years, the average U.S. adult has nearly doubled their daily use of the Internet as the average U.S. adult spent 2.1 hours per day online in 2006, compared to 3.8 hours in 2008, an 81% increase over three years. I'm sure this is not a surprise for anyone.

However, in the same report, this statistic may be surprising: the internet now represents nearly 1/3 of the typical "media day" for all U.S. adults when compared to daily exposure to newspaper, radio, TV and outdoor advertising. And those who are considered heavy newspaper readers spend about as much time online today as the typical U.S. adult. According to the report, heavy newspaper readers, those who spend more than an hour per day reading, currently spend 3.7 hours per day online.  In 2006 the Internet represented only 18.4% of a heavy newspaper reader's "media day," but today it represents 28.4%.

Yes, friends this trend proves it -- the newspaper is not dead, it just isn't printed. It's still news and people want it, they just don't need it on paper. How about coining a new "label" for newspapers like "newsnet" or "newstronic" or "newsdigital" or "newsputer" or "newsscreen." I know these names may be lame, but you get my point.

Bob Jordan, President of The Media Audit concludes that, "Daily newspapers were the first to embrace a multi-platform distribution strategy amidst a period when consumers were spending more and more time with the Internet. And as a result, newspapers followed the way of the consumer. By doing so, they have broadened their reach to include younger consumers. And these consumers are buying new cars and driving sales for retailers who represent a significant portion of the newspaper industry's revenue... "

It's nice to read some positive reports regarding the newspaper industry and for those newspaper publishers that adapted quickly to internet usage. Read more about the study here.

Finally, the next time you finish reading the news at your favorite breakfast spot, just leave your laptop for the next person. That's my thought, what's yours?

Mozilla Firefox Updates It's Logo ... Really!

With the upcoming release of Firefox 3.5, there’s refined logo to go along with it. While I’m always open to a logo or brand refresh every few years, sometimes I just have to wonder why.

Overall the new design is very similar to the old one. The new one has more detail, and less contrast in the fox, and the earth land masses have shifted, has less contrast and another coat of shellac added to it to give it that extra oomph.

I personally do like the new logo better, but would I (or 98%) of Firefox users ever have noticed if Mozilla had not announced it?  

A Big Cocktail Party??

Unless you live under a rock or don't get out much, you are familiar with the popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.  I recently came across what hit me as a pretty funny yet perhaps accurate analogy for social networking sites.  It caused me to stop and give it some consideration, maybe it will for you, as well.

Brett Hurt, founder and chief executive of Austin-based Bazaarvoice in a recent Forbes.com article referred to social networking sites as being something like hosting a big cocktail party.  It seems to me the premise for his comment, which really made stop and think rather than chuckle and move on, is do marketers fully realize why they allocate resources for social networking and are they looking for quantifiable results or have they created objectives inline with what social networking sites can offer?

If you are looking for hard results and accept Hurt's analogy of social networks resembling cocktail parties, then the question becomes do people really buy at a cocktail party?  After all, during this time of hyper sensitivity and urgency to demonstrate ROI, are the resources a brand marketer devotes to social networking sites a justified allocation of resources?

If you understand the reason for being of social networking sites and grasp the benefits available, the answer is yes.  As far as trying to "monetize" social networking sites, nobody has really figured out a proven method yet.  Hurt's belief is you can take the social networking principle and move it to brand sites and achieve sales.

Hurt has launched and is receiving big results from its new "channel advertising" product called BrandVoice.  BrandVoice allows manufacturers to publish user-generated/customer reviews for their products on retail brand sites.  The belief is this ultimately benefits the retailer as much as the manufacturer.

I wonder at what point retail brands will find away to monetize BrandVoice for their own benefit.  It seems BrandVoice has just increased the value of a retailer's website space.  Do product reviews for a manufacturer's brand on a retailer's site carry more or less credibility with you than if they are on an independent social networking site such as Twitter.  Maybe I am a little jaded, but as they say always follow the money trail to get your answer.

What's Happening to Brand Loyalty in this Recession?

One of the hallmarks of any brand is loyalty. Much of what we marketers do (agency side and client side) is to help a customer become a raving fan who won't switch just because they got a "better offer." But it appears this recession is creating quite a problem for brand loyalty ... most definitely for the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry. And there is a lesson to be learned for the every other company who has a brand whether they know it or not.

The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council and Pointer Media Network recently released a study on CPG brand loyalty and defection among American shoppers. Their discovery: for the average brand, more than half of all loyal consumers in 2007 did not remain loyal in 2008 and the overall level of consumer loyalty appears to be declining year over year. They identified the problems to loyalty as follows:

1. Consumers are seeking new experiences in terms of product attributes, such as flavor, packaging and ingredients (variety);
2. Consumers are interested in or compelled to save money (value);
3. New loyal customers are not being added fast enough to replace those who switch and defect.

The study concludes that the loss of loyalty is higher than many thought and that the current recession is accelerating the impact of brand defection. In other words, brand loyalty is a consistent problem only made more severe because of the economy.

Even though this study specifically relates to the CPG industry the lessons exist for any company who wants loyal customers. So what should you do to foster brand loyalty? Here are a few of my thoughts:

1. Think paranoid (in a good sort of way). Realize that brand loyalty is fragile at best. And this paranoia should drive you into action ... protect your brand ... there is always someone ready to entice your good customers.
2. Think Experiential. Today's consumer/customer seems to be looking for that next experience, a good experience. Develop a variety of ways someone can connect with your brand and the key is think connection, not intrusion.
3. Think Incentives. For the loyal customer, reward them and offer relevant information that communicates you're valued; for the newer customer, drive them in with the deal and win them over with the experience.
4. Think behavior. Remember an old saying about real estate and what's most important -- location, location, location; well here's what's important to your brand -- customer, customer, customer. This means it's not about what you like, but what they like and want. Your brand serves them. Elementary, but so often forgotten.

Earlier in this post I included a link to be able to read the study, please take advantage of it. This was a great reminder for me today that we all need to work hard for what we have been so blessed to receive -- clients/customers. That's my thought, what's yours?

What does the Twitter World Look Like ... A Recent Study Lets Us Know.

Over the past few months, Twitter has experienced explosive growth, attracting celebrity users such as
Oprah, and a growing mountain of media and blog coverage. And one company, Sysomos Inc decided to conduct an extensive study to document Twitter’s growth and how people are using it. Their study was released just this June and, in my opinion, it portrays a Twitter all a flutter (explosive growth with people not knowing how to really use it).

After analyzing information disclosed on 11.5 million Twitters accounts, they discovered that:

• 72.5% of all users joining during the first five months of 2009.
• 85.3% of all Twitter users post less than one update/day
• 21% of users have never posted a Tweet
• 93.6% of users have less than 100 followers, while 92.4% follow less than 100 people.
• 5% of Twitter users account for 75% of all activity
• New York has the most Twitters users, followed by Los Angeles, Toronto, San Francisco and Boston; while Detroit was the fast-growing city over the first five months of 2009
• More than 50% of all updates are published using tools – mobile and Web-based – other than Twitter.com. TweetDeck is the most popular non-Twitter.com tool with 19.7% market share.
• There are more women on Twitter (53%) than men (47%)
• Of people who identify themselves as PR professionals, 65.5% have never posted an update
• Of the people who identify themselves as PR professionals, 15% follow more than 2,000 people.
• This compares with 0.29% of overall Twitter users who follow more than 2,000 people.

“We wanted to take an extensive snapshot of Twitter that goes far beyond anything done to document
Twitter’s growth and demographics,” said Nick Koudas, Sysomos’ co-founder and chief executive. “While
Twitter’s growth has been well documented, we wanted to put the spotlight on how people use Twitter,
as well as identify many of the key trends in their backgrounds, demographics and activity. Our study,
based on the most comprehensive data set of Twitter users, provides a wealth of information for anyone
interested in getting in-depth details about Twitter.”

I find a couple of facts very interesting. First, that 5% of Twitter users account for 75% of all activity; second, that over 85% of users post less than one update per day. And the deeper you go into the study, it reveals a large percentage of people who are inactive. This tells me that the few rule the flow of information and it seems the social media marketers are the most prolific. Could it be that Twitter isn't really consumer-based, but industry-based? And the industry that controls it are those building a personal brand of their expertise ... like social media marketers.

I'm just thinking out loud, don't know if I'm right, and I'm not saying it's good or bad, I just find the question plausible. That's my thought, what's yours?

Hey Detroit Lunch is on Mr. Pita this Thursday!

Maybe you have heard, maybe you haven't, but in either case, this Thursday, June 18, 2009, Mr. Pita is giving away a free pita sandwich to anyone who comes in. This giveaway starts at 11:00 am and runs until 2:00 pm. You have a choice of either a Chicken Caesar, Italian or Turkey Pita absolutely FREE.

This promotion is to introduce their new menu/improved products and say thank you to all Detroiters. In addition, the company has said this is a way to give back to people during some stressful times in our area. The Mr. Pita website lists approximately 29 locations locally, so hopefully there is one near you.

Finally, here's the radio spot that has been running to promote the Free Pita Day: Download FREE_Pita.

This Newbie's Got Game ... Branding Game That Is!

Fresh Fuel has expanded its expertise by adding the newest Fuelie to the crew. His name is Bill Hadden and he takes on the important role of Account Planning and Management along with a dose of new business development. We've been persuading Bill to come aboard for quite some time and we finally got him to say, "Ok, let's do this."

He was a tough sell, but like any high quality, strategic-minded, consider everything to the nth degree account person, he saw the wisdom and potential of joining our crew of fun-loving, smart-thinking, creative-creators and honest-to-goodness brand builders. Can you believe I got to say everything that is important to us only one long run on sentence.

Well here's a little something something about Bill ...

• He came to us from Big Boy Restaurants International. He was Executive Vice President Marketing and Innovation.
• Actively lead brand development and innovation strategies focused on creating relevance which resulted in winning the following awards: 2003 Nation’s Restaurant News Successful Settings Award for new prototype restaurant design and Nation’s Restaurant News 2007 Hot Again Concept Award.
• Brand steward and lead contact for all advertising agency relations and work. 
• Winner Nation’s Restaurant News MUFSO Excellence in Television Advertising Award 2005 and 2007 for “The Boy I Love” and “Big Boy, It’s a Michigan Thing” campaigns – lead strategy development, creative execution and launch. 
• A highly accomplished marketing and advertising executive with agency and client experience.  

As we continued to pursue Bill, one item on his resume really stood out for us -- he was a key member of executive team responsible for the overall vision, strategy and growth plan that pulled Big Boy Restaurants from bankruptcy in 2001. Bill's role in this turnaround garnered industry recognition and awards for the Big Boy's brand renaissance.

Congratulations Bill and welcome to the Fuelie crew! We look forward to working together and building/enhancing the brand work for our clients current and to come.

Huggies Potty Project Not So Poopy

Let's face it. In every line of work *%#! happens. But when it comes to putting up with crap, parents certainly have the toughest job of all. I'm so glad Huggies is there to help out.

The Potty Project by Huggies Pull-Ups is one of the best branding, goodwill, connecting-with-your-core-customer concepts I have seen in quite some time. It has it all. A beautifully integrated campaign converging at a genuinely helpful and relevant online resource. Blogs, tools, tricks, tell-a-friend, special offers, loyalty programs plus the warmth and humor every parent needs during a rather trying time. I can't say enough great things about it. 

The Potty Project is clearly the result of a lot of hard work. But rather than getting frustrated or a serious case of the ickies, it's nice when parents are given a reassuring opportunity to laugh and relax.

Who’s Vain?

Starting tomorrow (June 13, 2009), Facebook will let users choose a username for their accounts.

Now it will be easy for people to direct others to see their words of wisdom by simply directing them to facebook.com/yourvanityhere.com.

 Get more details by going to the facebook blog.

Businesses can get in on the action too. If you had a business facebook account and a least 1000 followers on May 31st, you're eligible.

Any takers on when the facebook servers go down? I’m calling 11:37am (EST).

Web meets :30 spot?

Might the widely espoused death of the :30 spot be premature?  Maybe Mark Twain had a point.  Based on a recent article in MEDIAWEEK.COM, you could soon be seeing the convergence of Web advertising and :30 video commercial formats.  The mastermind behind this effort is David Payne, former head of CNN.com and current CEO of his company ShortTail Media.

This summer Payne plans on launching a beta test of the Digital 30 (D30), which is a full screen placement to showcase the traditional :15 and :30 television spot. If you are inclined to dismiss this as the next interuption to viewing content, consider how Payne is attempting to bring some innovation to the delivery of the video  by separating it from the content.  Unlike most Web video ads, the D30 will load between Web pages similar to an interstitial.  Payne is also trying to change, or least present an option to the currrent revenue model paradigm.  Instead of selling banner ads based against the current metrics of bulk-impressions, The D30 video ads would be sold based on a predetermined limited amount of inventory, with the caveat of capping frequency.

What type of response has Payne received?  He has met with approximately 20 of the Web Publishing's major players and has received a committment from Reuters with indications that MSNBC.com and Weather.com are giving strong consideration to joining the beta test.

Does this have a chance to create the next evolution of Web advertising and a new application for the traditional television spot?  I guess part of the answer resides in how much have brands currently advertising on the Web really embraced Internet in-page display ads as brand vehicles? In this day of ROI and justifying every single expenditure, familiarity with innovation is like comfort food. The other potential driving force in determing the future of The D30 is what is the tolerance of video users - is it high enough to embrace this type of advertising and how much license will be given to creative ingenuity and execution. 

Would love to hear your thoughts.  I can be contacted at bhadden@freshfuel.com.

Who's Got Brand Equity?

On June 8, 2009, Harris Interactive released the 2009 results of EquiTrend, their annual brand equity study that measures more than 1,000 brands across 39 categories. EquiTrend uses six base measures familiarity, quality, purchase consideration, brand expectations, distinctiveness and trust. And this year, given the difficult economic times, a seventh base measure was added to capture the value consumers feel they receive from a brand for the money they pay.

Would anyone be surprised that the top brands for 2009 are comfort foods? Yes, eat a little chocolate, then add some peanut butter and crunch the candy shell, topped off with a good cry (maybe because you ate too much to feel better) and you've got this year's top brands. Here's the chart as published by Harris Interactive:

Rank       Brand                                           Overall Equity Score
  1          M&M’s Plain Chocolate Candy               79.54
  2          Hershey's Kisses Chocolate Candy          79.45
  3          Arm & Hammer Baking Soda                  78.30
  4          Reese's Peanut Butter Cups                  78.14
  5          Hershey's Milk Chocolate Candy Bars     78.06
  6          Kleenex Facial Tissues                          77.47
  7          Campbell's Soups                                 77.35
  8          Google                                               76.70
  9          M&M’s Peanut Chocolate Candy            76.61
10          Crayola Crayons                                   76.61

It is also notable, which shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that at the bottom of the list were brands tainted by the perception of "bad for you" both in health and finances. The firm says tobacco and financial service brands, particularly AIG, joined the ranks of these weaker brands on the bottom.

However, my favorite quote in an article about the number of comfort foods, i.e., chocolate, that have such strong equity in 2009 comes from Wes Brown, an analyst at Iceology, "It's something you choose to reward yourself with, so you are going to buy what you like because, 'Screw it, everything else in my life may suck so why get rid of the one thing I like?'"

So here's to eating more chocolate and feeling good about it ... that's my thought, what's yours?

What's Next in Technology to Change our Lives?

We all know that the internet changed the way we communicate, learn, research, connect and more. And then along comes social media and now there are ways to chat, get on a wall, tweet, befriend and unfriend people from around the world in just a matter of moments. It's like life is in fast forward and the time between stops is shorter and shorter.

As I was contemplating life as I sometimes zone out ... my mind went to what's next, what's going to be cool, what's the next big thing, and how will my life change because of it. Well, I decided to use those new ways of research and just started to "google" (a verb less than 10 years old) different thoughts, sayings, etc. on what's next. And not to be let down, I found an article in PC World written just yesterday with the headline, "Game-Changers: 10 Potentially Huge Technologies." Wow ... what's next is in writing.

Now here's the skinny on this article: it's long, it's technical and it's about potential reality not reality. And here's my opinion, our clothes will talk (think Minority Report), computers will think and type for us (think Terminator), our brains will connect with our pda (think Total Recall), and finally we can let our email do the talking for us (think A.I.) Just maybe this is overstating the case and a little bit of a stretch including the association with futuristic-type movies. However, the article is a little dry, but it does list some of the next wave of technology, with much already in progress. If it all comes true, this life ride just got faster. That's my thought, what's yours?

Summer Forecast: Try A Bottled Ad

Oh, it's sunny and breezy and absolutely beautiful outside! But here I sit at my desk. So I'd just like to make a suggestion before the holiday weekend. Yes there are deadlines to meet and strategies to plan and campaigns to produce, but don't miss Spring altogether. And while you're at it, grab some summertime, too. It's life verses the lifestyle ad! Enjoy!

Mobile Marketing: A Best Practices Guide

I recently ran across an article with the title above and thought it would be good to pass along. It was written by Mike Wehrs, president/CEO of the Mobile Marketing Assocation. The Mobile Marketing Association is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to growing the mobile channel by establishing guidelines and best practices.

Here's a synopsis of the article:

1. Since the consumer is central to the mobile marketing experience the only way to ensure success as marketers is to build faith that this is a positive way to engage with their favorite brands.
2. Because mobile devices are so personal the marketing messages must engender trust. To engender trust, deliver messages that are positive, highly relevant and contain specific value.
3. The marketer needs to know how to develop a true dialogue of interaction with its customers.
4. Marketers must move away from traditional push (interruption-based) advertising and adopt the tenets of positive consumer experience.
5. The tenets of a positive consumer experience are as follows (according to Mobile Marketing Association's global code of conduct):
   1. Choice: consumers must opt in and make it easy to opt out if so desired.
   2. Control: consumers should have control of when and how they receive messages.
   3. Customization: any information provided by consumers is to personalize content.
   4. Consideration: offer value to consumers who allow you to communicate with them.
   5. Constraint: manage and limit communication.
   6. Confidentiality: don't share consumer information with non-affiliated third parties.

Wehr states "the ideal ambassadors for the mobile marketing cause are consumers ... brands should make sure their communications are interesting, relevant, valuable and, above all, requested."

In the end, I guess that is what we all want ... to be wanted! That's my thought, what's yours?

P.S. If you would like to read the article in its entirety, just click here.

Twitter: To Flight or To Flop?

If you've ever done any hint of research in marketing or advertising, odds are you've come across this name: Nielsen. If you've done any recently, you've probably run into this one too: Twitter. Now the media/marketplace research giant is going after the big bird of micro-blogging. 

According to new stats from Nielsen Online, about 60 percent of new Twitter users stop using the service after a month. 

"Twitter has enjoyed a nice ride over the last few months, but it will not be able to sustain its meteoric rise without establishing a higher level of user loyalty," said David Martin, Nielsen Online's vice president for primary research.

The 40 percent Twitter retention rate has in fact improved over time (like exponentially), but MySpace and Facebook do a better job at user loyalty, according to Nielsen findings. 

"A retention rate of 40 percent will limit a site's growth to about a 10 percent reach figure," Martin said, adding that when Facebook and MySpace were emerging networks like Twitter their retention rates were twice as high. Both now have retention rates of nearly 70 percent.

Critics say Nielsen Online misses the point: most Twitter activity occurs on cell phones, not Twitter.com.

Twitter has big plans for its future, and its getting serious about real-time search, perhaps Twitter's greatest chance at being worth more than a billion someday. Twitter plans to add two new features to its search tool: 1) It will crawl the links people add in their tweets, not just the tweeted text and 2) It will sort search results by Twitter user's reputation, not just by chronology. 

How will Twitter calculate "reputation"? It's not certain yet, but it should be easy to mimic a Google-like PageRank system using Twitter's key metrics (follower count, longevity, retweets, etc.)

Here's what interests me about all this. Twitter's "flighty" nature (via Internet vs. via phone) potentially challenges the insights/expertise/end-all-be-all marketplace/media research authority of long-standing Nielsen! Does NIELSEN not get it? Are they suddenly irrelevant? Outdated? Hmmmmm....

And then of course, there's some irony in the situation. The "Join Me On Twitter" banner on the Internet News article releasing the Nielsen story. And when you perform a real-time search for "Nielsen" on Twitter (at the moment of this post) this is what comes up: "Nielsen stands by its Twitter assessment." Ha!