Advertising Fuelosophy 101

Where Do Americans Find Comfort in a Recession?

It appears that in these tough economic times Americans are finding comfort in some simple pleasures. According to the latest American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) released November 17, 2009, we like our candy and beer. I guess it is either drown or eat away our sorrows.

The quarterly report, which measures customer satisfaction across 10 economic sectors, found that satisfaction was particularly high among beer and candy companies.

The report uses a 100 point scale to indicate overall satisfaction people have with companies and their products. In a press release from ACSI, overall satisfaction with food companies remains unchanged at 83. Chocolate makers Mars, Hershey and Nestle are in the top 10 for customer satisfaction. And each company increased their satisfaction index: Hershey (87) and Nestle (85) increased 2% from last year’s totals, and Mars (87) gained 1%. The top food brand is Heinz (89), with Quaker (87), Kellogg’s (85) and Sara Lee (85) scoring well. Nothing like a little snack food, especially chocolate, to make us feel better.

In addition, Americans gave beer manufacturers the highest satisfaction rankings in ACSI history. The beer manufacturers reached a score of 84 improving over 1% from 2008 rankings. The top companies include Anheuser-Busch (85) and Miller (83), which grew 4% and 1% respectively. So, is beer now considered a comfort food or should I say drink?

Well, I wish we could find more than food and drink to make us feel better, but simple pleasures do make life enjoyable for a fleeting moment. I just keep hoping for comfort that doesn't make me gain weight, crave more or feel guilty when done. That's my thought, what's yours.

If you would like to see a complete listing of companies and their scores in the American Consumer Satisfaction Index click here.

You Can Laugh at Your Unemployment Worries If You Follow These Guidelines

When it comes to this post you need to know I didn't write the headline or the content that is about to follow. In fact, I'm posting this content because of the friends and colleagues who are unemployed or under-employed. When I read through the article on the American Express Small Business website, I felt it contained some great food-for-thought to help in shape a new-me mentality.

The synopsis of the article contains five guidelines:

1. Action is the engine of credibility.
2. Attitude is the nucleus of achievement.
3. Conformity is the stop sign of genius.
4. Consistency is the curriculum of greatness.
5. Discomfort is the oxygen of growth.

Click here and you can read the article in its entirety with an explanation of each guideline. I trust there is a little something to be gained for those who choose to read. That's my thought, what's yours?

Who Can We Trust?

When I was growing up life sure seemed a lot easier. I could watch three main channels, newspapers were the main source of news, we wrote letters or made telephone calls from our homes/business lines, and we could spend vacations undisturbed. We gathered our information about companies and anything else through the tried and true providers of information like television, newspaper, radio, magazines, etc. It was truly a broadcast and print world where companies published, reporters reported, and we trusted.

Oh, how things have changed today, it seems the trust factor has really taken a hit. Companies still publish, reporters still report, but we no longer trust. At least, that's the conclusion of a study conducted by Edelman Public Relations and their research firm StrategyOne, titled "The 2009 Edelman Trust Barometer."

According to their study, there has been a major fall from grace for business. And to make matters worse, the CEO as a reliable purveyor of information has hit an all time low. It's a double whammy. We don't trust companies to do what is right and we don't believe CEO's are reliable communicators. You can read the full study here.

As a business person my first thought is, "what can business do to regain trust?" As I read through the study one piece of information stood out to me, which was the listing of credibility, in other words, who can you trust to put out truthful information. The top three answers are industry reports, business articles and a network of friends and peers. To my surprise in this age of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and others I was expecting the personal/social networks to get the top spot.

The study suggested that people today need multiple methods/sources of information. And the more sources, the more credible. The statistics cited claim we need to hear information about a company three to five times before we believe it to be credible. The take-away is that a company needs to utilize multiple channels and spokespersons to improve its chances for believability and acceptance.

In the end the conclusion of the study made a broad-based statement that the essence of rebuilding trust was for companies to "say--and do as they say." Now that's an interesting idea and it I think I've heard this before ... let me see ... oh, right ... "but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation." Now this study was written in the first century (several hundred years ago) and I guess it still holds true, truth is the best possible source of credibility. Well, the more things change, the more things stay the same. That's my thought, what's yours.

New Site ... It's Hulu for Children

Cookie Jar Entertainment launched a new website called Jaroo on November 3, 2009 as a Hulu-type site for children. Jaroo launches with 50 TV series and 500 episodes, though it is digitizing its library of 6,000 episodes to ensure fairly rapid growth, said Ken Locker, svp, digital media.

Like Hulu, the Web site features TV shows that can be watched for free. Each 22-minute episode contains up to 90 seconds of commercials that cannot be skipped. The site's content including the commercials, is aimed at children ages 4-12.

All Jaroo programming is available on-demand 24/7. Programming schedules are updated weekly. For a complete listing of shows available click here.

Jaroo's shows include the animated 1980s series Inspector Gadget, featuring the voice of Don Adams, along with Johnny Test, Madeline, Cake and Ripley's Believe It or Not! Plus, Jaroo will be the U.S. home of Mona the Vampire, a cartoon that has been popular in Canada and Great Britain but hasn't aired stateside.

"With kids ages 2 to 11 spending 63% more time online than they did just four years ago (from 7 to 11 hours per month) according to Nielsen NetView, Jaroo.com was created to be a fun online destination committed to providing kids, parents and fans with safe quality programming without the worry of unwholesome content or unsightly ads," Locker added.

I don't have children in the target age group any longer, but I'm curious on the viability of the site. I would love to hear the thoughts of parents regarding Jaroo. That's my thought, what's yours?

Steal Your Own Identity!

I recently read in Fortune Small Business (November 2009 edition) about a software that sniffs out personal information before hackers can get to it. It's called Identity Finder and self-hacks your computer for sensitive information. Once it sniffs out this sensitive information, the software lets you decide whether to eliminate it or encrypt it to protect yourself.

This software application was developed by Todd Feinman, the former director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, who was paid to test corporate security systems. His success rate in breaching employee computers was 80%. And each time, he found the same gold mine of data -- social security and credit card numbers, direct deposit bank account data, addresses and passwords. Feinman states, "No matter which computers we broke into, there was an unbelievable amount of personal information on them."

In their 2009 Identity Fraud Survey Report, Javelin Strategy (a research firm that conducts in-depth studies regarding risk and opportunities for financial services companies) reported the number of identity fraud victims has increased 22 percent to 9.9 million adults in the United States. It is expected that the total value of stolen personal data will hit $1.6 billion. It is numbers like these that inspired Feinman to create a software that lets you hack into your own computer, mimicking what identity thieves would do and alert you to the presence of vulnerable data on your hard drive.

Identity Finder is available for both the Mac and PC platforms for home and personal use as well as business and enterprise use. The business and enterprise version complies with 201 CMR 17, FERPA, HIPPAA, Red Flag Rules and other privacy regulatory requirements.

For the individual user the PC version has a Free Edition. However the Mac version costs $9.99 per license (each license allows you to install Identity Finder on one single personal computer and use it for a single year.)

It's a bummer that the Mac version comes with a price tag since all of my home computers are Mac. I would like to hear what the PC users think since you have the opportunity for a free trial. It sure seems that Identity Finder is a valuable addition to the security of any computer system. Let me know what you think.

Who Makes the Best Cup of Coffee?

Here's something today just for fun, in your opinion who makes the best cup of coffee? Do you vote for Starbucks, or maybe Dunkin' Donuts, perhaps even McDonald's?

A recent article in Slate Magazine (have you ever heard of them before?) reported the results of a blind taste test comparing Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's coffee. And the best was ... Dunkin' Donuts, followed by McDonald's and bringing up the title of worst was Starbucks. What a bummer for me, the company that started the coffee craze of premium, strong coffee with all the ambiance of a place that screams "let's hang out here" loses to a donut company and a fast food joint. My first thought was what's up with that?

So I decided to dig a little deeper into this blind taste test as reported by Food Service Monitor (a newsletter published by Technomic, a leading food service research firm). To my surprise the results were based on the palates of six (count it only six) Slate staffers, albeit self-described "notorious coffee addicts."

I thought to myself, I'm a serious coffee connoisseur and even potentially a coffee snob ... sorry no Folgers or Maxwell House for me.  So I decided to enlist a taste of my own. Drum roll please ... the results in first place, the best -- Starbucks, followed by McDonald's and bringing up the rear of and my title of worst, Dunkin' Donuts. Go figure. And by the way in the age of transparency my taste test was a panel of one -- me (I wish others would have reported the methodology ... cough, cough Technomic).

In all fairness to Slate Magazine they were very transparent into their fun blind taste test of Java. And to be fair to Technomic they were only reporting what was on Seeking Alpha (a site on stock market news). The real hoot was how serious the Seeking Alpha site reported this earth shattering news, and I quote "People are passionate about their coffee and the rivalry between Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts definitely runs deep. My first thought was that these results were impacted by marketing efforts and reach, but when looking at online engagement and traffic to each of their websites this is not the case. Starbucks.com is indeed the more engaging, not to mention it garners about 80% more UV’s than Dunkindonuts.com monthly."

Are you kidding me, there is no correlation to the strength of brand or website traffic or taste here. The research was done by six people, most likely having fun one morning when the news was slow. Anyone in our industry knows six people don't constitute a valid research summary (except for those six people).

This whole thing truly entertained me and I could go on with more ranting, but perhaps this whole thing was a joke to begin with and the joke's now on me. Well anyway ... who does make the best cup of joe? That's my thought, what's yours.

Is This McDonald's Food Real or Not?

In a tweet today from Guy Kawasaki, Co-founder of Alltop, the following video came as a link and he wrote this teaser, "Cool short video on food marketing. Are you salivating over pixels?" Watch the video and I think it will come abundantly clear what has just happened.

 

McDonald's Versus from Bruce Branit on Vimeo.

The copy introducing this video states, "Simple video of a burger, fries, and a drink, right? Well, just watch until about 28 seconds in. Food stylists, your days are numbered...some intern at Pixar is gunning for your job."

From what I could see these burger and fries are very much worth eating and hey the calories don't count since they exist only in the digital world. That's my thought, what's yours?

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 :-)?

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.

Hope Springs Eternal. A Salute To The People At Fresh Fuel.

It really is fantastic. The renewed spirit, positive energy and pure psychological karma that comes with the advent of spring. It has been a long winter and Fresh Fuel, like many companies in our industry and many other companies in Michigan, has been wrestling through these tough economic times with purpose, fortitude and commitment.

Too often, I think businesses tend to forget to thank the people that raise them above the competition. So, I for one, would just like to compliment our team and their effort for Fresh Fuel. I am incredibly proud of my creative team and everyone else who makes magic happen on sometimes impossible deadlines at Fresh Fuel. Always, they manage to get the job done, right. We are blessed with people who are not only committed to Fresh Fuel, but to our clients. Everyday, they push to stay on deadline, on budget, on task and on Fuelosophy (smart, honest, creative and fun). They take the concept of multi-tasking to a whole new level.

I am constantly amazed at the sheer volume of high-quality work that flows through here on any given day, in any given week. Regardless of what the future may bring, the now is collaborative, engaging and spectacular. With people like these working hard for our clients at Fresh Fuel, I believe there is no such thing as adversity. We will take this company, its people and its clients to new heights, or we will die trying (symbolically, at least)! We look forward to bringing many more like-minded Fuelies aboard. And to those that are here now, working hard every day with so much  genuine passion and drive to elevate our science and our art, I thank you.

Bon Voyage!

Tomorrow I leave for vacation. I was going to spend my afternoon reviewing a new ad for our blog, picking apart what I liked and what confused me, and trying to configure its place among the greater complexities of current social issues, particulary child development. But then I decided...Nah! Frankly, I feel too good for that sort of thing. Critiques and interpretaions can wait until I get back. But I would like to do something before I go. I want everyone to feel as good as I will this upcoming week, as much as I'm rubbing in your face that I'm on vacation. Some days this can be hard to do, especially when you're working under stress or deadlines and getting frustrated with perimeters and feeling worthless and ready to throw your keyboard or mouse against the wall. I know. You need a vacation. But when you feel that way this week, play this. It usually helps me.