It is basically a dancing pole, just like the ones you see in gentlemen’s clubs. This tequila bar in Miami certainly wants its clients to feel good about dancing half naked on a podium; it is all about 'expression'.
In line with my previous post on demarketing, Mike Lee, a marketing lecturer from the University of Auckland is making a significant contribution to loyalty research with his thesis on ‘The Brands We Love to Hate’. Lee recently told Research magazine:
“I believe it is more important to not be hated than it is to be loved” says Lee. “Just think of a restaurant you really love and one that you really hate. What are the chances of you always going to the one you love? Now what are the chances of you always avoiding the one you hate? There needs to be more attention paid to the areas where the brand may not be doing so well. By having an idea of why some people may be avoiding your brand,you can pre-empt any large-scale problems.” Chief Experience Officers obsessed with client satisfaction, it is time to think about those who hate your brand (and will share it with a dozen of friends)!
5W is a young, fast growing PR firm headquartered in New York. A recent article in Business Week suggested that its CEO was egocentric. Well, I have not met him personally but am quite impressed with their eclectic roaster, which includes hip-hop artists, restaurants and Tech firms to name but a few. Looking at their website, there is a clear emphasis on the word 'aggressive' (strategy, approach, culture...). While aggressivity seems to be rewarding for the time being, I am curious to see how well the firm will do in the long run. Watch this space.
The article from Business week is at: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_46/b4058064.htm?chan=search
The agency's website: http://www.5wpr.com
It is basically a dancing pole, just like the ones you see in gentlemen’s clubs. This tequila bar in Miami certainly wants its clients to feel good about dancing half naked on a podium; it is all about 'expression'.
No less than 250 people were waiting in front of the Apple store last week in order to be the first ones to enjoy the new I phone. According to a friend of mine (who has been brave enough to count how many people were waiting), the first one arrived at 3pm the previous day! Spot number 15, which was up for sale for a few $100’s, is now an empty bit of sidewalk…
Should you read this blog on a regular basis, you know how much I value innovative, 'thinking' firms (see: Winsper, Fahrenheit 212, River West brands). I met Peacock Nine at an AMA (American Marketing Association) lunch event last week. Peacock Nine stays away from the traditional qualitative and quantitative models and shake things up. For Peacock Nine: Traditional market research is needlessly slow, wasteful and expensive. The surest route to fresh perspectives from market research is via fresh methods.
Examples of methods include cognitive collage (which allows participants to describe brands using photographs and drawings), online discussion forums and ethnographies. Peacock Nine has offices in Chicago and Shanghai. They also host a blog, http://www.peacocknine.com/blog/.
Here is the latest white paper I wrote with Jeff Winsper. Winsper is a “thinking” firm headquartered in Boston, MA. The company focuses its efforts around three primary audiences: affluent consumers, general consumers and c-level business leaders.
Relying on years of experience in effectively marketing to the affluent, Winsper rejects the traditional one-dimensional approach and demonstrates that considering other variables will enable firms to win new clients. Winsper believes that there is a fundamental difference between communication and connection and that to be successful, brands must effectively do both. Moving beyond simple composites of the affluent based on typical demographic data representing the “what” and “where” of affluence or media usage and consumption, Winsper’s approach allows marketers to align their brands with the who, why, when and how of this highly desirable, profitable and important audience.
Introducing the 6Ps of luxury marketing, a comprehensive system that embraces all the touch points between luxuries and consumers. The 6Ps lays out an approach that will enable luxury marketers to better understand their customers – and build longer-lasting, more profitable relationships with them.
You can download this white paper at http://www.winsperinc.com
Even after spending almost 6 years in the UK, I am still impressed by how much the Brits can drink. More importantly, partying too hard seems socially accepted and even something to be proud of. Tripping on a sidewalk or being ousted out of a club by bouncers after throwing up on the dance floor make a good story to tell at the water cooler the following morning (showing up at 9.40am is ok if you look hungover enough to justify your lateness). Clearly, there is a big market for ’morning after’ products in the UK, where pharmacies all have a significant detox section. The London-based brand Wild Earth is trying to tap into this market, introducing its new pillow named…Hangover. This silk pillow is stuffed with plant extracts such as fennel, juniper and mustard seeds that are meant to help cure drowsiness, lack of energy, stress and tension. Here is why I think they got it right:
The legacy: A healing process that involves a mix of medicinal and aromatic plants which has been used in the Himalayas for thousands of years.The touch: This is a silk pillow, for a soft, precious and comfortable feeling.
The smell: well, it is its main feature, obviously.
The social responsibility: Profits go directly to Nepalese communities that harvest the plants.
Wild Earth does not sell pillows; it sells a monadic brand experience that last for 7-10 hours. These people can be proud of putting their customers to sleep.
