Know your limits

At this time of year, it’s not unusual to see plenty of people full of Christmas Cheer, it’s also not unusual to see people full of alcohol either and that’s where the trouble tends to start.

We see messages all year warning us about binge drinking, but during the festive period those messages seem to be even more prominent, and with good reason. With all the parties on the lead up to Christmas and the parties in between Christmas and new year, many a drinker goes a bit over the score, either passing out in a stupor in their own beds or, if they aren’t so lucky ending up in the nearest A & E department or police station.

It’s nice then to see the adverts promoting a healthy attitude to drinking out where revellers will actually see them – on taxi doors. Although only on London cabs (I think), it would be good to see the idea roll out to other parts of the UK next year, certainly all the big cities.

Nice work from CST, London.

Never mind the Christmas Parades...

Don't get me wrong, I'm full of the Christmas cheer and love nothing better than seeing Santa at this time of year, but coming across this parade on brand dna, I find myself hankering after this type of parade instead...

Classic

Stan's blog also alerted me to the reading level of the blog - apparently ours is Junior High level - which for us in the UK translates as a reading age of 8-12 (? - I think). Not too bad I suppose, better than the tabloids at least...

Print and presentations

Two things caught my eye today on today’s trip round the blogosphere. First up a print ad from Audi which is so simple, yet so clever. I’m amazed it’s not been used many times before, however I suspect it’s one of those ideas that people would probably think someone must surely have done before. Interested to see whether a few more will pop up after this one mind you...

The second thing to get my attention was a presentation from The New York Times. Not your usual Powerpoint effort, the style of the presentation seems very apt considering the subject matter. Instead of detracting from what is being said, the voice-over and powerful images help to add to what is already a powerful story anyway. You'll find the presentation here.

Two great examples of how to get print and presentations right.

Inspiring logo?

So, apparently Edinburgh's "Inspiring Capital" slogan, logo and brand is set to be shelved within the coming months, less than three years after it was unveiled. Shortage of political support on the new city council, concerns about the lack of impact the image has had and problems with funding are all posing this threat its future.

Before its unveiling, around 18 months of research reportedly went into the launch of this Edinburgh brand. The finished logo was said to represent the city's "sense of energy" as well as famous images such as the Forth Bridge, the Festival fireworks and Arthur's Seat. While the aim of the brand was to persuade people to visit, live, work and study in the city.

And at a cost of £800,000, with a further £120,000 being ploughed into the project since its debut in 2005, the logo and brand should really have delivered. So, what went wrong?

Well, in my opinion at least, inspiring it is not. Looking at the logo, images of the Forth Bridge and fireworks are no more conjured up than they would be by looking at a bunch of other squiggly lines. In fact, the image makes me think more of the Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow. But quite apart from all that, even more telling is the fact that this is the first time I’ve even seen the logo – when it has been out for three years now. As a Scot within travelling distance of Edinburgh for day trips, etc., surely I am actually in one of their target groups. So the question remains, why have I not seen this logo or even heard anything about ‘Inspiring Capital’?

Perhaps the fault lies with the logo itself. Perhaps hiring a London agency to create a logo for Edinburgh was a bad idea; perhaps they should have used some of the local talent, people who have a real insight into Edinburgh and all it has to offer. Perhaps the fault lies in the marketing surrounding the logo and the brand in general. Or, perhaps the fault lies in all these things and more. But with issues such as school closures, overspends in the budgets of a number of council departments, and demand for investment in the likes the Commonwealth Pool and the King's Theatre in Edinburgh, it may very well be the case that the brand is buried as quietly as it appears to have been unveiled.

The other question of course is, will anyone even notice?

How much attention are we really giving what is on our screens?

Research conducted in the US by Burst Media has found that more than eight in ten internet users also do some offline activity while they are online. And topping the list of other activities, with three out of five internet users doing it? - Watching the television. I have to admit that this is something I do at home on a regular basis, and I know I’m not the only one.

After television, the next most popular offline activity to multi-task with was found to be job-related activities (with 33% doing this), then reading a book (31.1%), reading a magazine or newspaper (29.7%) and talking on a mobile phone (23.6%). Again, I can put my hands up to doing most of these, although I haven’t read a book at the same time since my uni days and I would usually only read something else at the same time if I was working on something, but it has been done.

What does all this mean for marketers who are using the internet as a primary channel in their campaigns though? Well, as Debra Williamson, senior analyst at e-marketer remarks, we should "Keep in mind that many of these activities are not representative of true multitasking", indeed "It's one thing to go online with the radio playing in the background, but it's all but impossible to read text on a Web page and in a newspaper at the same time. Consumers are switching focus, rather than multitasking." "Still, anytime your attention is divided, your ability to recall and comprehend ad messages is impacted."

So what can marketers do then to combat this lack of attention from those reading their messages online? The advice it seems is to tackle your target market from more than one angle, using different types of media. As Ms Williamson points out, "TV and the Internet have long been multitasking buddies," and so "It makes sense to create ad messages that resonate across media."

Although the data collected was from US online users, I would hazard a guess that the same type of data would be found here in the UK if online users were polled. And aside from these results having an impact on those using the internet as their primary channel of communication, it also has an impact on those using other channels such as newspapers, television, etc, as it also means that while they are engaged in viewing/reading those messages they are also turning their attention elsewhere at the same time.

I concede that this research isn’t actually telling us anything we don’t already know, but it’s always good to be reminded that your customers are going to have other messages vying for their attention at the same time, whether you are marketing to consumers or businesses. Because at the end of the day, ultimately you are marketing to human beings, who will have more to do with their day than sit down and digest the message you wish to send them.

So, lesson to be learned? Make your marketing as good as it can be and use more than one channel to put your message across. Otherwise it’ll get lost in the clutter of everyday life... Now, did your attention hold out this far?

The Green Marketing Manifesto

I know that we’ll be too late by now to get one of the free books up for grabs by linking to ‘The Green Marketing Manifesto’, but I wanted to do it anyway.

The book, written by John Grant from the Greenormal blog, looks at green marketing (funnily enough) and how to organise your green marketing effectively. A good few examples are also thrown in for good measure, from a variety of companies, who are already making real headway in this area (one of which being Marks & Spencer, who you should remember have made leaps in bounds in one store in particular this year).

When it comes down to it though, it’s easy to jump on the bandwagon of green marketing or just pay lip service to it, but when it comes to actually implementing real changes and maintaining them it’s a completely different story. And the hardest step is often where to even start – then after you have, where to go next. But with a book like this which gives clear and practical advice on how to ‘go green’ properly and sustain this effort permanently, it makes the whole process that little bit easier.

At only £14.99 in many good book shops or £11.49 from Amazon, it will make the perfect stocking filler for the marketer / businessperson in your life (or just as a cheeky wee present for yourself). Very nice.

P.S. I also like the wee bit at the bottom of the cover asking buyers not to put the book in a plastic bag – nice touch. I definitely wouldn’t be putting it in a plastic bag – or an ‘I’m not a plastic bag’ bag for that matter!

Congratulations Glasgow!

Glasgow has been chosen to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games it was announced today, winning by 47 votes to 24.

Great news for the city and its surounding areas!

So once again, well done Glasgow! Here's looking forward to 2014...

For further, immediate reactions on the announcement, click here, here, here and here (Can you tell I'm pleased?)

It’s nearly here...

Months after it was launched in the US, the iPhone finally hits the UK tonight at 6.02 pm (just got there that it’s because it’s being sold by O2 – very clever). Eagerly anticipated, the queues are forming outside Apple, O2 and Carphone Warehouse shops – the only outlets where the phones are available – up and down the country as we speak. All to be one of the first in the UK to own the phone.

But what is all the fuss about? At the price of £269 for the handset and then the minimum contract of £35 per month over an 18 month period, before customers have even begun to use their phones they are pledging at least £899 to Apple for the privilege. That’s an awful lot just for a phone. Even if it is all-singing, all-dancing. And, if the US is anything to go by, although reviews of the phone have been glowing, many customers were left feeling extremely hard done to when the price was dropped substantially for the handset only a few months after its launch. I wonder if the same will happen here?

Yet as I say all this I know myself that if someone I know gets one and I have the chance to have a play around on it, I’ll want one instantly. Damn Apple and their fancy gadgets - sucked in every time!

You can find coverage of the growing queue outside the Apple store in Glasgow here. And, should you, by some fluke, have managed to miss the coverage of this new ‘superphone’, you’ll find a video here of all the wonderful things it can do – practically everything except wash your dirty dishes!

Quite sad as it is however, I’m finding it all quite exciting. It’s times like this I know I’m definitely in the right line of work...

Fashion on the Great Wall

Want something a bit different for your fashion show? Maybe you might think of transforming your venue into something spectacular. Or, maybe if you’re Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld you choose a spectacular venue. One that can be seen from space no less. Yup, that’s where Fendi decided to stage their latest fashion show, on The Great Wall of China.

Guests watched as 88 models walked the 88 metre long runway which was lit up with spotlights, highlighting the World Heritage Site and casting the surrounding countryside in darkness.

A year in the planning and costing around £10 million, the event certainly had a lot to live up to, but Friday’s spectacle definitely looks to have fulfilled expectations. Fashionistas, celebrities and the world’s media flocked to the event (over 500 in total) and sat awestruck through the show.

As the lovely Queen Marie over at Kingdom of Style points out, “The number eight means prosperity in China and this event will go a long way to ensuring the continuing prosperity of the Fendi brand worldwide...”

More green chat

You’d be forgiven for thinking that we’ve turned into green crusaders here at AME Marketing these past couple of weeks, and I suppose in a way we have, having been inspired by the goings on in the retail world, Blog Action Day and now the new campaign from the WWF.

In association with the wonderful Iain Tait’s agency, WWF are building a massive paper boat and aeroplane to fly / sail to the British Houses of Parliament with the purpose of putting pressure on the government to strengthen the Climate Change Bill. At this point you may be thinking – eh? Well let me explain further... The reason behind the idea is that aviation and shipping have currently been left out of the climate bill; however these are actually the fastest growing sources of emissions. The giant-sized structures will therefore be used as symbols to represent this weakness in the bill.

Nice idea and it will certainly be attention grabbing, something WWF seem to be very good at – remember the WWF campaign highlighting exhaust emissions in Beijing earlier this year? Apparently they are going to actually try to make the plane fly as well. No mean feat I would imagine. And where exactly is it going to land? Who’s going to control it? But, if they pull it off, how spectacular will that be?

This isn’t just about the spectacle of massive paper creations though. WWF want us all to help by signing an online petition to add support to their argument of including planes and boats in the Climate Change Bill. However, this is a petition with a difference, because everyone who signs up will have their name on the boat or plane that will arrive at the Houses of Parliament. Pretty cool eh? Not only do you get to do a good deed and help drive forward change, you also get your name on the largest paper plane / boat known to man (well, I’m guessing, I’ve not verified it with the Guinness Book of Records or anything).

So, go on, you know you want to, if not for the environment, at least for your 1cm (or however big your name might appear) of fame. You can sign up and find more information here. I’m away to sign up right now...

Blog Action Day

I don’t think I’m alone in feeling like I don’t do enough for the environment. I do the easy things and sometimes make an effort to do the things that require a little more effort too, but not quite often enough. What stops me apart from laziness however is a lack of information and a lack of resources a lot of the time. And, even with the best of intentions, it’s often easy to get the wool pulled over your eyes and slip up when you think you are being ultra green. And I know I’m not the only one who feels this way.

But, hey, no-one gets it right all of the time and the most important thing is to make an effort. And, if you can manage to be green without too much extra effort as well, all the better.

So today, on Blog Action Day, I thought I’d share a few sites with you that may just help you make being green that little bit easier.

First up, it’s the wonderful site The G Living Network. Practically a one-stop-shop for all things green, as well as all things stylish, as they themselves say, it’s “The darker, cooler side of green, featuring smarter design, style, nature, technology, food, music and knowledge. It’s about having fun as we re-think the way we live now and how we will shape the future.” With sections on style, design, Hollywood, music, , fitness, the home and garden, nature, tech/science, vehicles, fun and food, it also has a whole host of videos to look at and green news from all over the world for your perusal, as well as an ‘insider community’. If you want everything in one site, you really don’t need to go much further (unless you’re looking for something a bit less American...).

If you do want to look further however, a great blog to follow is greenormal. As well as giving commentary on many up-to-date issues in the ‘green’ world, it also has a link to nice little site called Do the Green Thing which gives you a nice, easy action to do each month and a community to share with whenever you’ve done it. Other favourites of mine also include FAIR* Ethical Creative Consultancy which although not updated as often as greenormal, provides a lot of food for thought. Makehope, TreeHugger and New Consumer are also great sites to visit.

Given my earlier statement, you may be forgiven for thinking that I’ve just posted a load of links for Blog Action Day because I’m being lazy and can’t be bothered thinking of an in-depth post to tackle the issue myself. But, the reason I’ve really done it is because, apart from the fact that I’m not an expert in this area, I think the best way to tackle it is to share information and resources. Because I know I don’t have all the answers, but slowly, I’m learning more about what I can do, small and large, to make a real difference. But maybe your interests are different to mine, budget smaller/larger, resolve stronger/weaker. Better then to give you the tools yourself to go forward rather than sit here preaching to you.

So, I hope these sites will be of some help to you, and as well as educating you a little more, will also bring you some enjoyment. They have for me.

Happy Blog Action Day everyone!

Retail goes green

Today’s shaping up to be all about green. First this morning I received an e-mail reminder about Blog Action Day on October 15th, then I read about the Howies store on Northern Planner and then read about the new Marks & Spencer ‘green’ store in Bournemouth. So, although Blog Action Day isn’t until Monday, I have to squeeze a green post in before then to speak about the two stores, but don’t worry, I’ll think of something else for the 15th!

First off then, the Howies store:

Nice company, good quality, nice products and now a nice, shiny new store. Keeping in line with their ethos, the new store uses sustainable, low-impact materials wherever possible, from their ‘T-trees’, T shaped modular shelving made from ‘sustainably sourced oak from a council run project in Pembrokeshire’; to replacing plasterboard with wool-board and wood chippings with recycled glass. Energy saving has also been big on the agenda which could have posed a slight problem given its Carnaby Street location as the street has a rule that all shops must keep their lights on at night. However, Howies managed to get round this in a novel way, placing a light switch outside which customers can press if they want to see the store lit up. Ergo, no energy is wasted during the night – genius! Taking into consideration the commitment to quality and sustainability the company have put into their clothing, it’s really nice to see the same commitment when it comes to their store. Even nicer, they have dedicated a ‘power of 10’ wall to products they love, one of which happens to be a reusable drinking bottle at the moment, which can be refilled at the tap in-store. Unfortunately I doubt I’ll be in the store any time soon since I don’t live in London, but still, even just reading about it and seeing the pictures has made me smile. Well done Howies. I hope the store is as successful as its online counterpart and concessions.

Next, from small to large, and the new Marks and Spencer store in Bournemouth. Well, I say new, it’s not actually new per say, it’s just been made-over, green stylee. How you may ask? Well... the many modifications include: Daylight sensors in the windows which are designed to switch off spotlights when the sun is shining; two sets of doors to help save heat; infra-red sensors in the changing rooms which mean that the lights are only on when there is someone in them; store lights which automatically switch off when the burglar alarm is set for the night; air conditioning which is not only supplied by a green energy company but also only chills the air at head level; freezer cabinets with small LED strips instead of fluorescent bulbs, with their doors shut to conserve energy; escalators which run at reduced energy when no-one is on them; shelving units made from a light, easy to transport, scratch-resistant material called Enviro-wall; toilets with a dual-flush system which allows you to use less water per flush if you wish; a roof full of green plants that need little watering; staff with fleeces made from recycled plastic bottles (granted, I know little about textiles or recycling processes, but I’m pretty amazed at this); AND, even more green products on the shelf. Phew, that’s a long list! All this speaks for itself really, but in case you’re wondering, it should mean that the store should use 25% less energy than before and 90% of its carbon output will be eliminated. Even the waste from the refurbishment didn’t go to waste, with 80% being recycled, the flooring for example being turned into traffic cones. Pretty good going, especially considering that, if successful this concept will be rolled out across more of its stores and warehouses – which total more than 550 altogether. Hopefully then this is just a sign of things to come for the high-street retailer.

Big pats on the back for Howies and M & S then. It’s a bit of a suck-up post for the both of them, but I think it’s well-deserved. And although I’m much more convinced that the motives behind Howies actions are pure, the fact remains that both have made a commitment to being green and that’s the most important thing. Time more retailers took a leaf out of their book (pardon the pun – they seem to be coming thick and fast this weather).

N.B. Photos nabbed from New Consumer and Northern Planner

Dove does it again

Last year it was the ‘Evolution’ ad. Starting with a make-up free model, the woman is then made up by make-up artists, has her hair done perfectly, gets some flattering lighting, and then after all that has her picture manipulated digitally to make it thinner and blemish-free. The message from the ad is clear – the images that you see in magazines and on billboards aren’t real. So this perfect ‘beauty’ that women strive to achieve is unachievable, because even models don’t look like this without help. This is, in part, the whole ethos of Dove’s ‘Campaign for real beauty’. It’s all about letting women, young and old, know that they are beautiful. Whatever their weight, height, race, etc, they should never feel pressure to conform to the ‘ideal’ presented to them on a daily basis through the media, fashion and beauty industries.

I’m always in two minds about these adverts and the campaign in general. Overall, the company conveys a positive image and behind the adverts the company also run a ‘self-esteem fund’ which develops and distributes resources to “enable and empower women and girls to embrace a broad definition of beauty” and also provides resources to organisations that foster a broader definition of beauty. In addition, they also give talks in classrooms across the UK on the topic, again encouraging girls to build up a positive body-image however they may look. And it is not only in the UK and the US this campaign runs, but across the globe. All of which is excellent and I think / hope it does / will make a real difference to some women’s / girls’ self esteem. But then you look at who their parent company is – Unilever – and it all starts to unravel a bit. Aren’t those the same ‘perfect’ models they are using to promote their other products that they just criticised the beauty industry for using over at Dove? Hmm...

Aside from this however, Dove has brought out a new advert to follow on from their Evolution spot from last year. ‘Onslaught’ shows a barrage of the type of images that young girls are subject to every day. And putting myself in their shoes, I reckon it must be fairly hard when you’re young and impressionable not to be affected by them. Even as grown women many of us are affected, so what chance have young girls got?

The message from the ad is to speak to you daughter before the beauty industry does. Although I’m not completely in love the ad itself, the message behind it is very powerful and is conveyed well. Will it win the awards that Evolution did? Who knows? More importantly, will it encourage women to speak to their children about this issue and help instil a positive self-image in their minds? Would they not be doing this anyway?
Still, it does remind us self-esteem begins building, or conversely, being destroyed early on and if the media/fashion/beauty industries seem intent on showing children an unachievable ‘perfection’ it’s our responsibility to let them know that they should strive to achieve it at all, but simply be comfortable in their own skin. Hopefully it will sink in.

How very true...

"The Internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom."

Jon Stewart

“No Anorexia”

I am slightly divided when it comes to the size zero debate. It’s not that I support models starving themselves to be as skinny as they can be, not for one minute. But what annoys me about the issue is firstly that outside of America, size 0 doesn’t even exist, so while everyone is banging on about size 0, in the UK it’s actually size 4 and in the rest of Europe it’s a 32 (perhaps, every conversion table I ever look at is different), still ‘the size 32 debate’ doesn’t sound quite so shocking does it? What also annoys me about the debate is that the media who write about how terrible this issue is are the very people who perpetuate the idea that ‘thin is beautiful’, but one minute stars are too fat (i.e. normal) and the next minute they are too skinny. What sort of message does that send out to young girls?

Aside from these points, there are many other issues within the debate which also cause me great annoyance, but this isn’t the purpose of this post. At the same time, there are many reasons I also think that the debate should be had and should continue to be discussed. Number one of which is the disease Anorexia Nervosa, the actual reason for this post.

As Milan fashion week begins this year (where last year they followed Madrid’s lead banning any models with a BMI under 18 and asked that models carry medical certificates), size 0 and anorexia is still an issue very much on people’s minds. As a result, the fashion brand Nolita has released an ad showing a naked anorexic woman to highlight the effects of the disease. The posters have been erected all over the city of Milan during it's fashion week.

The ‘model’ used in the ad is a French woman named Isabelle Caro, who has suffered from the disease for 15 years. Weighing only 31kg (just over 4st 12lbs) and also suffering from the skin disease psoriasis, Isabelle spoke to the magazine Vanity Fair about her decision to take part in the ad campaign: “I’ve hidden myself and covered myself for too long. Now I want to show myself fearlessly, even though I know my body arouses repugnance. I want to recover because I love life and the riches of the universe. I want to show young people how dangerous this illness is.”

The ad has been shot by the same controversial photographer, Oliviero Toscani, who photographed a man dying of aids in 1992 for a campaign for Benetton. Of the campaign for Nolita the photographer said that his aim was “to use the naked body to show everyone the reality of this illness, caused in most cases by the stereotypes imposed by the world of fashion”.

It certainly does show everyone the reality of what the illness does to sufferers bodies, but what about what the illness does to their minds?

So far the response to the ad has been quite mixed. While the Ministry of Health feels it can help promote responsibility with regards to the disease, the President of Italy’s Association for the Study of Anorexia is not quite so keen. Fabio De Clercq feels instead that the woman used should be in hospital and the image is “too crude”. He also expressed concern that instead of helping those with anorexia, many may feel envious of the woman pictured and become determined to get even thinner than her.

Unfortunately, it’s a very tricky subject to approach and obviously one ad campaign isn’t going to make a world of a difference, even with an accompanying website which explains the motivation behind the campaign a little more. The aim is to shock people and it certainly does, at least it shocks those who do not suffer from the disease, but whether it shocks those who have an eating disorder themselves, I don’t know.

It may very well end up that some will look to the ‘model’ as something to aspire to be, but even without this campaign, those with the disease have many ‘role models’ already in the media to look to for ‘inspiration’. I wonder also whether the ad is aimed slightly more towards those who do not have the disease to highlight just how hellish the actual reality of the disease is. Because ultimately, those suffering from anorexia already have a distorted image of their own bodies and their problem is in the mind, a poster cannot make them change the opinions that they have so firmly ingrained. If Nolita really wanted to target those with disease, their campaign would go much further than a billboard poster. But then they are a fashion company, not a charity, and so is it actually their responsibility to tackle the disease itself or is it enough for them just to make a statement? Again, I don’t know.

The campaign has left me in two minds. The pictuers are shocking and hard to look at, but the ad has made me think and has made the issue of anorexia and the media and fashion industries' glorification of 'thin' more prominent in my mind once again. So I guess in a lot of ways it’s worked, on me. The actual test will be when it comes to those within the fashion industry however...

Into the autumn and back into Little Chef?

Well, the summer of love is over.

We tried to stretch it out a little longer, but the torrential rain and cold we encountered yesterday left us in no doubt that it had come to an end. And although it is not yet autumn officially, it's safe to say that the weather has other ideas. But enough of moaning about the weather, the new season brings new fashions, new colours, new ideas and new focus. And, autumn is definitely my favourite season, watching the leaves turn from green to red to brown. Living near the countryside makes it even better as you can appreciate the season fully.

But I digress, back to the land of marketing and today, the land of Little Chef. After a well-documented struggle over the last few years and the chain being saved by private equity company RCapital in January this year when bankruptcy had been looming, it seems the company could be heading into a new chapter once again. Jamie Oliver, who first brought his simple, no-nonsense style of cooking to our screens, then brought the restaurant fifteen which took unemployed teenagers and taught them to be chefs, and more recently tried to revolutionise school dinners in the UK, is now considering making a bid of £20 million for the company.

Why you may ask? Well, funnily enough he is considering filming another reality show, this time based around revamping the menu of the “struggling but iconic chain” as Brand Republic puts it. And given this iconic status, I presume, Oliver does not plan to change the name or logo, only the cafe interiors and menu. And, if you haven’t already guessed, the idea is to introduce healthier food and fresher ingredients to the menu.

Jamie may be up against competition however, as only last month Gordon Ramsay offered to rescue the chain on his TV series ‘Kitchen Nightmares’. The Benetton family were also keen to purchase the chain, however their plans to rename the chain under their Autogrill master brand meant that RCapital refused the offer. Apparently the name and logo have to stay, this is non-negotiable.

So what will be the fate of the chain? It seems clear that many people still have a great affection for the brand, but they fail to vote with their feet and actually visit the cafes. I would have to admit also that I’m one of those people. My brother and I also have a long-running joke when we are talking about someone attractive that we’d “take him/her to Little Chef” – long story, but we read in a magazine many years ago that a guy they were interviewing for some ‘eligible bachelor’ type of feature would take a girl to the restaurant to give her the perfect date. As the years have gone on however, the Little Chefs close to me have all but vanished and I tend only to happen upon them when I’m taking a road trip somewhere, so it would have to be quite a long date.

But, before I go off on yet another tangent, I’m sceptical about Jamie Oliver ‘saving’ Little Chef. After school dinners he began to be a figure people either loved or hated, and much of the hate came from the young children who wanted to eat junk food and their parents who wanted to let them. And, many of these same people are the ones who have been choosing McDonalds or Burger King over Little Chef when they stop off at a service station already. So will Oliver’s takeover of the company really make that big a difference? Also, if he takes the chain so far away from the original concept and ethos of the brand, he may as well change the name because the rest won’t ring true.

But perhaps I’m being a little hard on him. Let’s see what happens first, whether he will actually bid for the brand, and if so, what he can do. Undoubtedly though, it’s sure to make for some interesting television.

Research, online and on-road

Reason to love marketing number 18 (I think): It constantly finds new ways to tackle problems. One such strand which certainly falls into that category has to be research. Love it or hate it (and we at AME Marketing definitely fall into the love category), it is one of the most important elements of marketing. You’ve heard us harp on before, but without proper planning, any marketing you do will be simply a stab in the dark and its effectiveness will purely be down to luck. But lecture aside, as I said, the great thing about research is, as well as being the foundation to any good marketing, it is also a discipline which is constantly evolving and coming up with new ideas about how to capture and analyse data.

One such recent evolution that has been in the blogosphere recently is the use of social networking sites to gather information. Facebook seems to be leading the way in this respect, with its polling application providing researchers with a quick way to find answers to simple questions. Users have simply to log in, type their question, specify a geographical area, sample size and boom, their survey is born. 100 interviews cost as little as $51 (around £25). Now, of course it is not going to replace traditional research completely, and it may be hard to ensure that a representative sample is gained, but it looks to have many advantages. For instance, it may just allow for better planning before larger scale studies are carried out and eliminate much of the cost associated with research when there are only a few questions to be answered. And, as time goes on, it is sure that the application will evolve and become more functional and more complex. My only concern would be how those on the site will respond to the application as time goes on. Personally I have ignored any surveys I have seen so far – but then, as a marketer I shouldn’t be taking part anyway...

On a slightly different tangent, another interesting method of collecting information has also been thrown up by the research company Hall & Partners. I read in last month’s Research magazine that the company had bought themselves their very own taxi to conduct research in. OK... Apparently most days it will operate as any other cab, however, at least once a month it will become the venue for mini interviews with the ‘regular’ people on the street. In exchange for offering their honest opinions on brands, advertising and the latest hot topics, those who ride in the black cab will be given a free ride to their destination. CEO of Hall & Partners Europe said of the venture “We are delighted at with the launch of our company taxi. We’re always looking for innovative techniques to help deliver real insights to our clients. What better way to get at the word-on-the-street than through asking everyday consumers’ honest opinions in the back of a black cab?” Sure, it won’t be representative, but I think it’ll certainly give a flavour of the general thinking on a variety of topics and brands. And the venture presents yet another reason to love marketing I reckon, and in particular market research – for at least one day per month it gives passengers the chance to talk and air their views instead of the taxi driver!

And what will be next in the world of research? It’s anyone’s guess.

Cheeky...

A bit of a cheeky reason to love marketing today – pardon the pun – courtesy of Sloggi and their campaign to find the perfect male and female bottom. And the reason why this should make you love marketing of course is that on occasion, not always granted, marketing allows you to ogle at some lovely half-naked bodies. Well, sex sells, right?

Being an underwear company, it is inevitable that the human form is going to be used to sell the product, but usually the model is over six foot tall and perfect in every way. But here, Sloggi is going a little outside the box and asking us ‘ordinary’ people to send in photos of ourselves in our best undies (preferably Sloggis of course) and the photos will then be rated by the public to find the best. Finalists will receive a range of prizes while the winning two bottoms will have the prestigious title of ‘best bottom in the world’ as well as 10, 000 Euros and a modelling contract with the company. Certainly not a ‘bum’ deal (OK, last pun of the day, promise!).

But not everyone is quite in love with the campaign. Media in Sweden have blasted the campaign as a “pornographic”, “cynical and sexist” and some have even gone so far as to say it is a “porn trap”for young girls. There is also talk that the Trade Ethical Council Against Sexism in Advertising (ERK) could look into the campaign. A spokesman for the organisation asserted however, “We do have the possibility of taking up the case on our own initiative but this hasn’t actually been up for consideration yet.” He added though that he would be “...surprised if we weren’t to receive any complaints, since this has been so widely discussed in the media.”

So, not such a great reaction in Sweden then. But, as one Swedish phrase quite nicely puts it “Taste is a bit like buttocks – divided.”

And with the campaign running in another 38 countries besides Sweden, and with no other such negative reactions elsewhere, overall it doesn’t look to be harming the campaign too much. In fact, with around 72, 000 photos of rear end from all over the globe having being sent in; I’d say the campaign is doing rather well.

And, as for complaints that the pictures may be of those under 18, Sloggi has assured us that all pictures are carefully screened before being uploaded to the website - “They have to be over 18. If we are in any doubt we ask to see official identification. And we don’t upload every picture.” Said spokesperson Sofie Lindahl-Jessen.

Of course, it’s clear that a campaign such as this is going to have to tread a thin line between amusing and pornographic and is constantly going to be under scrutiny with regards to its propriety and ethics. But at the end of the day, it’s only a few bottoms, it’s a little fun. Surely we all like to look at a nice bum now and again?

So, if you’re a fan of bums and fancy a look at what all the fuss is about before the competition has ended and the top bottoms have been chosen, you can visit the Sloggi site here. You can even sit and rate the posteriors which have been submitted already in a ‘Hot or Not’ style. What better way to spend a lunch break?

Blog Action Day

Hola todos, estoy espalda. A little browner than before, but just a little (I was spending half my time in a classroom after all – and it was also Feria time in Malaga...).

But now it’s back to business. And back specifically to the business of exactly why you should love marketing. Even more specifically today, why you should love this side of marketing - blogging. The reason? Well apart from the obvious, such as allowing you to keep up with the trends and news in your industry, giving you and/or your company a voice worldwide and being a great source for inspiration; it also allows for people to unite for a good cause – in this case, Blog Action Day.

And what exactly is Blog Action Day you may ask. Well... “On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind - the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.”

Simple, easy to do, and hopefully it will be fairly effective. I think it’s an issue that everyone is interested and concerned about, and even if not, like to make rumblings as if they are so as to look PC. Regardless, with an initiative like this, it again brings the issue into the public eye – this time minus the carbon footprint of the celebrities using their private jets to fly from venue to venue.

I know of course that in the grand scheme of things one day is nothing; it takes a concerted effort all the time. However, it’s yet another platform to discuss the issue through. Also, it’s a chance for us to share any knowledge or opinions that we have through a medium where it can be viewed at any time and long after October 15th. The more we know about the issue and the more we learn about what we can do to combat it, the better – this is a perfect way to do it. Saying that, I’m not sure yet what I’ll be blogging about and whether I’ll be adding anything new, but that’s not the point, the point is to join in and draw attention.

I found out about the initiative through Nicola Davies, who in turn found out from Mashable. The website can be found here and signing up can be done here. I’m going to go and do it now. I hope all you other bloggers join me!

Hostel in flat-pack

There are certain things you expect to find when you expect to find when you go to IKEA. Flat pack furniture is certainly one of them. Stuff for the kitchen, lighting, bedding, Swedish meatballs in their cafe, are all other elements you would also expect. A hostel when you haven’t been able to finish your shopping that night... Wait a minute.

Yup, that’s right, I found out through Jaime Diskin’s blog this week that IKEA Oslo had opened a hostel in their branch. A trial for one week, the store in Norway set up the “alternative hostel” in one of their two warehouses between the 23rd and 27th of July. The ‘IKEA Hostel’ had the traditional set-up of dormitory-style beds as well as family rooms, a luxury suite where customers could enjoy breakfast in bed and the pièce de résistance – the bridal suite, complete with a round bed and a hanging chandelier. Best of all for the customers, it was all free and they also received dinner and breakfast free of charge in the usual IKEA canteen.

Unsurprisingly, the company received over 1,200 applications for this trial from people wanting to stay in the hostel. Apparently in Norway, shoppers see the IKEA shopping experience as the ultimate tourist attraction, with 900, 000 visit IKEA during the summer holidays in Norway. “It’s more than one of the biggest attractions in Norway, the Holmenskollen ski jump gets in one year” claims company spokesman Frode Ullebust. Impressive indeed.

But back to the hostel itself. Visitors were able to check in at 10pm and check-out was 11am, one hour after the shop itself opened, therefore guests could expect to be woken up by the shoppers should they have slept in. And when they were leaving, they were able to take their bedsheets home, bathrobes with the IKEA Hostel logo on and slippers “so they won’t get cold at night.”

On the surface the experiment seems to have been a great success, with shoppers from all over the world staying in the hostel over the week it was open. Many did not get much sleep however, electing instead to watch the night workers stack the shelves or do a bit of midnight shopping.

IKEA want to implement the idea in all of its stores to varying degrees and this experiment in July was the first test run. Kinks they wish to iron out before rolling the concept out to every store include the lighting in the showroom which never turns off completely and also the problem that much of the stocking of the store takes place around 4am. However, it seems that this last ‘problem’ was an attraction in itself for some visitors’ stays.

I for one would love a stay in one.

And the whole idea, according to spokesman Christen Roehnedak, came from the customers themselves.

And why is all this a reason to love marketing you ask? Well, build up a strong enough brand, it will in turn produce strong customer loyalty. Your customers will then stay true to your brand and be keen to try whatever new products or services you offer, no matter how left field they may seem. Especially if they, as in this case, have suggested the product themselves. So I guess I could also fit in one additional reason into this post, which will bring the total up to 11 so far - Client feedback can provide you with new ideas and opportunities you may never have thought of yourself. The publicity enjoyed by this venture wouldn’t be too bad either...