I've had the opportunity to sit “behind the glass” and witness representative customers engage with brands and products in testing session. Sadly, occasionally I've been horrified by the comments, but thankfully, also pleasantly amazed. As I've said before during research, "I love people!" Truly, I do - especially when someone gives you that "golden nugget" of insight - that one user that gets it and can articulate their needs and how your product fulfills the need - it's golden.

That response was shared by Leah Buley during her insightful blog post,"Design a Super Hero."Hearing another researcher in love with her participants is what initially drew me in. But, then I found the golden nugget of her post -a proposed task for user research meant to elicit product ideas.

I've found this task to be difficult in a lab situation; it's usually more beneficial for the product team to devise the product ideas then test the concepts. Test participants usually aren't able to ideate "pie-in-the-sky" questions in a lab setting. However, this task proposed by Buley just may work - have your user complete the following statement and draw their story:

Experiment: You are designing the superhero of _[insert your industry]______. This superhero has secret weapons that make it possible to overcome the things that frustrate ___[users of your product/service]_________ like you and me. What secret weapons would you give this superhero?

As a blog commenter said, this may be more effective assigned as pre-test, "homework," instead of an on-the-spot task, but again, if you can get that golden nugget and have users "express their needs and frustrations in particular areas of their lives" that your product can fulfill, a competitive advantage could be yours.

Also, this hero metaphor is used in my current read, "Storytelling: Branding in Practice," by Klaus Fog, Christian Budtz, and Baris Yakaboylu. With rave reviews by Kotler, Godin and Peters, this book will not disappoint brand practitioners attempting to craft company stories to support the brand. Like the super hero exercise, this book offers "simple guidelines and practical tools" to help craft your company stories using the four elements of storytelling: the message,the conflict, and characters, and the plot or "the fairy-tale model."Like Buley's research task, the center of the brand story is the hero,the character to overcome the conflict in pursuit of a goal.

So, if your users can articulate a hero to surmount their product conflicts by imagining new features, as either described or sketched,you could not only have your product roadmap, but the beginning of a unique brand story.

I've decided that Buley's super hero task, coupled with the book's storytelling brand framework, could be the beginning my marketing utility belt!

The evolution of the conversation regarding social media and social networking is occurring - taking the dialog beyond the technology to the strategic use of social media and social networking for marketing objectives.  Bringing together a few Forrester Research publications on social networking and a recent Harvard Business article on social strategy, a framework for using social media strategically to reach your marketing objectives is emerging.

Following up to Groundswell, Forrester’s Josh Bernoff writes “Objectives: The Key to Creating a Social Strategy”  and “Social Technology Strategies for ‘Boring’ Consumer Brands” -  two reports that apply Forrester’s strategy methodology, POST - People, Objectives, Strategy, and Technology to direct the social conversation with actionable strategic road maps for using social media in marketing.

The help with the people part, if you don’t have the resources to research your customers, can be gleaned from “Understanding Users of Social Networks,” by Sean Silverthorne (published September 14, 2009 by Harvard Business School). This report distills research for understanding users in the process of developing a social strategy, answering the questions, "how are people using social networking sites?" and "what are they doing?"  A few key insights from this report:

    - Pictures are the killer app of all online social networks – 70% of all actions related to viewing pictures

    - Social networks are a form of “voyerurism . . . biggest usage categories are1.)  men looking at women they don’t know, 2.) men looking at women they do know, and 3.) women looking at women they know – overall women receive two-thirds of all page views”

    - It’s the 90/10 rule with Twitter – “90% of Twitter posts were created by 10% of users”

    -  Women are more likely to create content (comment) and men are more likely to reference other content (re-post or link)

Another big take away – the advertising model is not successful on social networking.  It’s about jumping in and participating, in some form, in the discussion. Again, with Forrester’s strategy methodology, POST, understand what your customers are doing in the social space first, then participate in a strategy that fits their social behaviors.

Most of us marketeers market a product or service that is less than "sexy," which means we can’t “talk” directly about our products if we want anyone to participate.  But, on some level, our products/services do solve problems.  So referring to Josh’s report, “Social Technology Strategies for ‘Boring’ Consumer Brands:  To Create Borrowed Relevance, Get Customers Talking About Their Problems.”   Pick one of your product’s pain points and then create the dialog around that issue.

Our role, as marketers, is to host, facilitate, and/or participate, at some level, in the discussion with this “borrowed relevance.” Find how your product is relevant to your user, then tap into that pain point to create the social dialog.  The Harvard research takes it a step further and suggests finding a “social failure in the offline world” and then choose the appropriate strategy to find that brand connection.  A few social failures could include: 

1.) Anonymity:  maybe the product you market solves a problem that people don’t want to disclose.  Great - here’s your user ID - no name required!    For instance, maybe the topic is taboo - it's easier to discuss personal finances or a medical condition with a user ID than with a name. 

2.)  Proximity:  if distance is the social failure, then getting your audience together online, may be the answer.

3.)  Probability:  if the chance that your user's offline social network doesn't includes the same "type" of user, then creating an online social network will help bring those users together.  

So, if you aren't lucky enough to market athletic shoes or electronics, and can't talk about your product directly, then start listening to your customers to learn what's relevant and jump into the social media pool.  Remember, it's not about how well you swim, it's about being at the pool party . . .  and  just make sure you invite the women!
    

One day, I pulled into my local CVS (nee Eckerd's) to stock up on "product."  As I'm parking the car, a car pulls in next to me and the man in the car walks into the store in front of me.  So, as I'm following this older man, I'm thinking, "wow, that dude looks a lot like Ross Perot."  Einstein that I am, I quickly figured out that it WAS Ross Perot. 

So, in true celebrity stalker fashion, I follow Ross as he shops around the store.  He went to the pharmacy, talked with the tech, they walked to the shampoo aisle, and then he purchased some shampoo.  Well, I'm thinking, "if I was Ross rich, I'd have someone check my "product" level on a weekly basis and re-stock as needed.  Unlike my current m.o., which is turn every bottle upside down to get every single drop of product out then scurry to CVS to re-stock. 

Well, god love the Internet entreprenuer.  Welcome Alice.com.  Alice is a shopping site for "product."  She tracks purchases and, based upon your usage profile (number of people in house, etc.), she notifies you when you may be running low on product and need to re-order.  Ross, tell your venture arm to write Alice.com a nice check!

Here's how the "cut, copy, paste" feature will work on the new iPhone: 

Click and hold the word to copy and the copy dialog will appear:




Can't wait to hear the turn-by-turn directions! 

A few months ago, when I lived in Texas, I remember an uproar because Six Flags was petitioning the TABC (Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission) to sell beer at the Arlington, Texas park.  A group of local citizens were concerned about mixing alcohol and children.  (I would be more concerned about mixing alcohol and amusement rides, but to each his own.)   However, since Disney sells liquor at its parks, the request didn't seem out of the ordinary.  Plus alcohol fits more with the Six Flags brand than it does the Disney brand, anyway. 

However, while visiting my new local mall, King of Prussia, I saw a "coming soon" sign on a vacant store front - it was for Six Flags' Rollercoaster Cuts - a new children's "salon."  This one does seem a little out of left field for Six Flags brand extension.  And, for the record, the creepy old guy and children just don't mix - more so than beer and children.  Thoughts? 

I've never really wanted a tattoo, but during cocktail party chit-chat, I always break out with the, "I don't want one, but I know what I'd get if I did."  Which is, a barcode.  Yes, a barcode.  Of course, a Google image search reveals I'm not uniquely creative, see below:



Also, I'd want it to function - scan - and I'd have it programmed for some random product, like Boudreaux's Butt Paste, or some "dollar off" coupon for a product I always buy at the grocery store, like Silk Lite Soy Milk.  However, nothing that would land me in jail! 

Now I can let Google scan my barcode tattoo.  Check out Google's blog for more details.



Beyond product comparisons, ReadWriteWeb did a three-part series  "The Scannable World" - see Part 3:  Barcode Scanning In The Real World for great marketing ideas, aside from my not-so-novel bardcode tattoo! 

In a recent post, I highlighted the obvious links between key life events (graduation, marriage, new job, new home, birth/children, new job, etc.) triggering the need to acquire certain financial products and services (student loan, credit card, deposit products, insurance, home loan, etc.)

 

Forrester Research, in the their North American Consumer Technology Adoption Study (NACTAS), uncovered greater correlation between key life events and a need for seemingly un-related financial products and services, thus reinforcing the power of life event marketing to obtain greater share of wallet.

 

The study’s key takeaways involved life events and the impact on banking and insurance products, including:

-          Car buyers acquire more credit cards

-          Job changers apply for checking accounts and credit cards

-          Families with more children need more auto loans and mortgages

-          Retirees shift their investment strategies to include annuities

-          Homebuyers need auto insurance and life insurance

-          Newlyweds buy auto insurance

 

 

As Forrester also highlight, financial services providers have historically been siloed into product/business lines with little integrated marketing efforts.  Historically offering the “right” product at the “right” time was 1.) costly and 2.) trial and error.  However, even if data warehouse and marketing automation applications to determine product purchase propensities are out of budget’s reach, start online with “low-fidelity” online cross-selling and lead generation using Forrester’s life event related products findings.

 

1.)     Create navigation paths related to life events – speak to the user’s intentions.  Create the online conversation surrounding these life events.  Integrate value added content to help users understand the impact of the life event to their financial well-being.  Create interactive and on-boarding programs surrounding life events. 

2.)     Share information – opt-in.  Be sure to ask the customer to share their information with sister product teams and “affiliated entities.”

3.)     Offer related products online – “want fries with that?”  Don’t wait until the application is submitted; subtly offer related products during the application process (test usability!), but always follow-up via e-mail.  A 2007 Javelin survey of 2,230 consumers found that 42% prefer to receive e-mail communications from their bank after opening an account, compared to 24% favoring direct mail and 12% each for telephone and branch follow-up with sales messaging after account opening. 

4.)     Remove barriers to purchase - write once, use many.  Pre-fill product applications with related data already entered, or in the case of existing customers, tap into the customer information files to pre-fill the applications – saving the user time and removing barriers.   

 

While online cross-sell campaigns are likely to still be largely trial and error, the Forrester Research findings can, hopefully, shorten the learning cycles.   

Howdy to all Linkedin, EDS Internet and New Media Alums Group Members. 

Scan down to the Pepsi.com 1996 image - remember this gem?  This was in the latest issue, March 2009, of The Magazine of Online Media, Marketing, and Advertising. 

Dear MyPoints,

Ahem . . . I think there is an important brand missing from your "What brands of vehicles are driven by members of your household?" list . . . 






You got Maybach but not Mini???? 

Marketing Sherpa (link valid until March 31, http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article.php?ident=31137&pop=no)   produced an interesting field study on effective advertising tactics to target specific demographic; specifically this test was to determine layout and imagery selections that were most appealing to older audiences, and within that demographic, if lifestyle (empty-nesters, etc.) and income level had any effect on preference. 

Within retail financial services, demographic-based advertising, specifically the age-based, is usually tied to life-event marketing and is a key strategy to drive specific product messaging, since key life events can trigger the need for specific financial products and services:

“There are few marketing techniques that can capture such a high level of consumer (self-) interest at a point of time as with life event-based marketing.  Typically purchase decisions associated with life events represent a degree of complexity and unfamiliar decisions and those brands that can wrap their messages in with helpful advice stand to win the heart and wallet of the consumer.” - Laurence Hickey, Senior Strategist at Organic.

Event	Participant/ Age	Financial Product/Service
Graduation	Graduate/Young Adult       Parent/40+	Deposit and savings accounts, credit products, student loans, insurance (auto, rental)   Student loan, insurance, home/equity-based loan
Marriage	20-30 something       Parent/40+	Deposit and savings accounts, credit products, home loan, personal lending, insurance (shelter, jewelry)   Investment planning, estate planning/trust
New baby	Parents/20-30 something   Grandparents/40+	Education savings, investment planning, insurance, home loan   Education savings, investment planning
Divorce	Mid-to-senior	Deposit and savings accounts, credit products, home loan, investment planning
New job/moving	Self/Mid-career, 30-40	Home loan, retirement planning, roll-over account
Retirement	Self/End-of-career, 60+	Insurance, wealth management, estate planning/trust, home loan
Death/inheritance	40+	Investment planning, home loan,  personal lending

Within the United States, one key demographic remains to be the Baby Boomer, those 78 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964.  While research indicates those consumers are usually entrenched with their primary banking provider, identified as the institution that holds their checking relationship.  However the share of wallet for firms offering wealth management, investment products, and insurance remain up-for-grabs.  This is due, in large part, to the transfer to wealth occurring in this segment as the Baby Boomers shift their investment strategy from wealth “accumulation” to “distribution.”  In a research report, Tiburon Research and Analysis Group quantified the significant redeployment of wealth as Baby Boomers reach retirement age:

 

  $17.1 trillion of investable assets

 + $7.5 trillion in retirement plan assets

 + $5.5 trillion more as boomers sell their stock options, small businesses, homes ____________

  > $30 trillion on the move

 

Source:  Tiburon Research and Analysis, 2005

 

The Marketing Sherpa survey polled 414 mature consumers (those older than 40 years-old) from September to December 2008 to measure effectiveness of color, composition, and imagery in print advertising.  Their findings, “Though there were some overarching similarities in mature consumers’ preferences, the differences in preference between segments, especially by age and gender, were very interesting.”

Marketing Sherpa's 5 Tips for Motivating Mature Consumers

Tip #1. Use single image ads, not collage-style ads

Table One:  Single Image Ads vs. Collage by Age Group


Single-image ads were more effective at motivating mature consumers than collage-style ads. 66% of survey respondents said they preferred seeing a single image as opposed to a collage of images.

Survey respondents with the highest level of education – master’s recipients (74%) and doctorate recipients (79%) – found single-image ads more appealing.

All age groups preferred single-image ads, especially the 55- to 64-year-old group (71%).

Takeaway: If the goal is to motivate mature, well-educated consumers then single-image ads are the way to go.

_______________________________________

Tip #2. Vibrant ads outperform subdued ads

Table Two:  Vibrant Ads vs. Subdued by Family Ties


Advertisements with bright colors and expressive models were more appealing to mature consumers than subdued advertisements featuring muted colors and static models. 65% of survey respondents chose vibrant ads to subdued ads.

Respondents with adult-age children at home (78%) responded especially well to the vibrant ads.

What’s interesting is that 74% of women preferred the vibrant ad, whereas 56% of men preferred the subdued ad.

In addition:
- 53% of age group 75 plus preferred the subdued ad
- 52% of survey respondents with household incomes of more than $200,000 per year preferred the subdued ad

Takeaway: It’s very important to pay attention to the preferences of segments within a demographic. Although most mature consumers prefer vibrant ads, if the target is men, 75-years-old or older who have annual household incomes of more than $200,000, it’s better to use a subdued ad.

_______________________________________

Tip #3. Lifestyle images preferred to product images

Table Three:  Lifestyle Images vs. Product by Family Ties


The preference for lifestyle images was consistent across all age groups, income, education levels, and family situations. 59% of survey respondents preferred lifestyle images to product images.

Other stats:
-71% of caregivers preferred lifestyle images
- 64% of associate or bachelor’s degree holders preferred lifestyle images
- 61% of survey respondents with $200,ooo plus household incomes per year preferred lifestyle images

Takeaways: The higher the education level, the lower the preference for lifestyle images. Those with doctorates or PhDs (54%) preferred product images to lifestyle images.

Similarly, there was a significant discrepancy between how much caregivers (71%) preferred lifestyle images to how much empty nesters (57%) preferred lifestyle images.

_______________________________________

Tip #4. Posed shots attract the wealthy/older generations


Table Four:  Candid Shots vs. Posed by Annual Household Income


Only 51% of mature consumers preferred candid shots to posed shots. That’s a very small margin between those who preferred candid shots and those who preferred posed shots.

Takeaway: The decision to shoot a posed versus a candid shot should really depend on whom an ad is targeting:
- Older consumers (75 plus) preferred posed shots (55%)
- Younger consumers (40- to 54) preferred candid shots (57%)
- More wealthy consumers who had annual household incomes of $101,000 or more preferred posed shots (52% to 58%)
- Less wealthy consumers who had less than $101,000 annual household incomes preferred candid shots (47% to 59%)

In conclusion, the higher the income and the older the person, the more they preferred posed shots. The lower the income and the younger the person, the more they preferred candid shots.

Most of the men surveyed preferred the candid image, which went against the hypothesis concluding that men normally prefer order and structure.

_______________________________________

Tip #5. Older consumers prefer identifiable images

Table Five: Identifiable Images vs. Cropped by Age Group

Overall, 65% of mature consumers preferred to see identifiable people in photos as opposed to cropped images that didn’t show a person’s face.

Takeaway: The older the consumers, the more they prefer to see the face of the subject in the photo.

- 54% of 40- to 54-year-olds preferred cropped photos
- 76% of 75-year-olds plus preferred identifiable photos

Sherpa’s Summary:  All of the survey results show that it is important to know whom an advertisement is targeting before designing an ad.  The more that is known about the age, gender, income level, education level, hobbies and interests of the target audience, the better the chance of creating an ad that resonates with those consumers.

_______________________________________

The research also indicates that within the Baby Boomer segment, ad layouts that use single image and vibrant colors performed better, and the positive response to posed or candid photography was negligible, however, respondents preferred to see the subject’s face.   

 

As an Internet marketer, I’m curious if these findings will apply to online formats, as well as print media, since traditional, mass media advertising budgets are shifting toward the use of online tools and the Internet adoption rate and comfort level is ever increasing within the Baby Boomer segment.

 

According to one advertising forecast, the interactive segment (mobile, Internet Yellow Pages, local search, online verticals and classifieds, voice search, e-mail marketing and other interactive revenues generated by traditional media players) will grow from $14 billion in 2008 to $32.1 billion in 2013. The traditional segment (newspapers, direct mail, television, radio, print Yellow Pages, non-digital out of home, cable TV and magazines) will decrease from $141.3 billion in 2008 to $112.4 billion in 2013.  (Source:  Forecast, 2008-2013, by BIA Advisory Services and its Kelsey Group.)

 

The Baby Boomer generation continues to adopt and embrace technology as witnessed by the popularity of Facebook.  According to the site insidefacebook.com, the fastest-growing user group is women age 55+, which has increased more than 175% since last fall, and men 55+ have increased almost 138% during the same time period.  Within financial services, Forrester Research’s annual technology surveys continue to show the age segments of 40-54, 55-64, and 65+ years increasing in both the numbers of consumers researching, and applying for, financial products online. 

 

While secondary research is valuable, your product launch plans should include project-specific primary research, but this Marketing Sherpa report gives some good visual guidelines.  In the future, I hope Marketing Sherpa has more online research on the docket to help Internet marketers attract the key Baby Boomer demographic with the testing and documentation of best practices in online imagery and layout.