We are 1!

Today is our first blog birthday. One year ago today it all started. How time flies when you’re having fun!

Also, it’s talk like a pirate day, ha-harrr! So enjoy it me mateys!

Mission statements

Mission statements can be a good thing, a very good thing if you actually believe in them and follow them. Unfortunately though, all too often organisations come up with one that uses a lot of words to say very little which doesn’t actually mean anything to the company or its customers anyway.

If you want a mission statement that really does communicate what your company is all about, take the time to look at your objectives and goals and make it as simple as possible. If you just want something that sounds fancy however, why don’t you use this handy Mission statement generator.

Ours came out as “We are dedicated to helping the highest quality stakeholder value with expansion through added value second to none” – perfect!

Gadz

Normally, I like Tom Ford. Actually, that’s wrong - I love him. His reign at Gucci was nothing short of genius and his dabbling since, although not always to my taste, has retained that same ethos and feeling. But then came the adverts for his new fragrance for men...

I saw this first ad a few weeks ago on Brand DNA and at the time had been rendered quite speechless, not just because of the content of the advert, but also because of who was behind it. True, Tom Ford has always used sex to sell and it’s not always been subtle, but until now it hasn’t been downright crass. I don’t have any problem with sex being used to sell, and let’s face it, in fragrance and deodorant ads it’s almost a given that there will be some link made to romance or sex, that’s fair enough. But this?

But perhaps it was just a blip. I put it out of my memory never to be thought of again so as not to blemish my love of the great man. Phew, worshiping still intact. But then, just when I’d forgotten all about it, I stumbled upon another execution today.

I have absolutely no moral objection to the ad. It’s not that I find it offensively objectifying to women, either. Okay, it certainly does objectify a woman, but it’s not the first advert in this vein. It’s not even the fact that it looks as though it’s come straight out of the 80s, although this factor does disturb me quite a bit. It’s the sheer crassness of the adverts which completely put me off. As Adrants put it so well “Ford removes all pretense in his latest fragrance campaign and celebrates what every man wants: to f*@*.”

And I guess that’s why many people, not just men may I add, do buy perfumes and aftershaves, to attract the opposite sex and eventually lure them into bed. But while Lynx does this with humour and other brands do it with romance or at least with a little subtlety, this campaign just rams it down your throat, and not in a nice way.

A Tom Ford Beauty Spokesman said of the campaign “...we decided that a sharper, more graphic approach clearly communicated the bold and provocative mood of the fragrance." Hmm, bold – check; provocative, double check. But what about stylish and sophisticated? Poor show Mr Ford, poor show.

And why should this correlate in any way to you loving marketing? Reason number 20: Sometimes it can actually put you off buying a product and in the process can save you a little money. That’s more a positive for the consumers I guess and a warning to the advertisers.

Beer, the healthy way

I have to say I’m not a huge fan of beer, however, while on holiday there I found myself drinking it quite a bit (along with some lovely vino tinto and tinto de verano). Back in sunny Scotland though, it’s something I wouldn’t really think if drinking. If I’m looking for a longer drink I would be more likely to go for a cider, and since Magners introduced the notion of enjoying a cool cider over ice, I’m certainly not the only one in the UK. But enough about me and my susceptibility to marketing messages.

There are a number of women in the UK who do drink beer. In fact, the percentage of women drinking the beverage is roughly equal to the number of men here drinking it – 40%. The same can also be found in Spain (where I was on holiday funnily enough). But it’s certainly not the case in all of Europe however, particularly in Germany, where women find drinking beer to be unhealthy, fattening and unsophisticated. I would imagine that for those women in the UK, and perhaps also in Spain who also refrain from drinking it, the same complaints may be made. But then, all three complaints could also be leveraged at alcopops for example, but they still seem to have a great number of women drinking them (I’m not one of them). Yet the reason for drinking in the UK is often not to be sociable, but simply to get drunk and in that case the health properties of what is being drunk is of little importance. But that’s another topic for another day.

Still, for many drinking alcohol is not confined to binge-drinking sessions, but is instead something to be enjoyed on a regular basis, i.e. a drink with dinner, a few drink before bed, etc. And over recent years as concerns over healthy living have grown, they have also extended to alcohol with numerous studies looking into the health benefits of different alcoholic beverages when taken in moderation. Where women are concerned there has been much talk of the health benefits of wine, but not so for beer. Therefore, for those women who may be looking for an alcoholic beverage that will compliment their healthy lifestyle, wine has looked to be the best option. Until now. At least that’ what Karlsberg (the German brewer, not the Danish ‘Carlsberg’) would have us believe.

With their new beer for women, Karla, the firm are trying to change perceptions of beer and market it not as a regular alcoholic drink, but instead as a health drink. The stress is on the fact that beer is a natural product, and the beverage is low in alcohol (only 1%), containing a mix of beer and fruit juices. Even the names of the products reflect the healthy image the company are trying to project – Karla Balance, Karla Well-Be and Karla Acti-Fit.

But it’s more than simply their names that align the drink to the health market. Karla Balance mixes hops with lemon balm, known for its sedative properties – hence the claim that it provides ‘peace and balance’. Well-Be, which funnily enough is being pitched as a drink to aid harmony through physical and mental well-being, contains such ingredients as soy-derived lecithin, which may affect cholesterol levels positively, and folic acid, recommended for women considering pregnancy. And Acti-Fit is said to help strengthen the body’s defences through its ingredients including Echinacea, Green tea and Vitamin C. In addition, they all contain a number of other vitamins to aid health.

What’s more, instead of selling the beverage in off licenses, Karla took the unusual decision to distribute the drink through pharmacists. This not only enhances its credibility as a healthy drink, but also brings the beer to a completely different audience than its traditional counterpart.

At the moment the drink is only available in Germany and to-date the distribution has not been nationwide. However, the German pharmaceutical manufacturer Amapharm has now teamed up with Karlsberg to distribute the beer to pharmacists across Germany and international expansion is ‘in the works’ for the future.

I found the product and the ethos behind it very intriguing. I’m unsure how much of a hit it will be, especially across the whole of Germany given opinion there, but the branding seems to be far removed from other types of beer and so focused on the health aspect that it may be almost forgotten that it is beer. And the choice of pharmacists as a distributor seems on one hand ludicrous, but on the other hand ingenious.

I’m not altogether familiar with the nitty-gritty of the legislation in the UK regarding the sale of alcoholic beverages and wonder if it would be possible in this country without a license being obtained, but the low percentage contained in each drink may mean this is not so much of an issue. I’ll be interested to see whether the product does make it to the UK and if so, how exactly it will be marketed here and what distribution channels might be utilised. It has the potential to be a big hit with health-conscious women and also women who already drink beer for its taste and refreshment I would think. However, I feel that, especially in the UK, limiting the distribution to only pharmacists would be a mistake and undoubtedly health stores should also be included in the mix as well as more specialised food markets at least, perhaps larger supermarkets in addition. But time will tell.

It’s not really been a ‘why to love marketing’ post, but if you’re looking for a reason within all that – finding out why women did not want to drink beer allowed Karlsberg to go back and produce a new product which is in a category of its own. For the health conscious, Karla allows the drinker to enjoy an alcoholic beverage without any pangs of guilt. It may not be a reason for everyone, but that’s what niche marketing is all about and as we all know, you can’t please everybody!

Apologies, but could only find the links in German!

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?

West side!

Marketing doesn’t always have to make you laugh, but it’s always nice when it does. My Gran usually says that the adverts are the best thing on the television, and there are definitely times that I’d be inclined to agree with her (and of course times, such as when some terrible debt advert, for example, comes on that I wouldn’t).

Two adverts that would certainly make me agree with her though, alas however, are not for the UK market, are Smirnoff’s Ice tea and Green tea spots. Thank goodness then for the wonder of the internet and Youtube. A take-off on the rap culture in America and the East Coast / West Coast rivalry that exists, the adverts turns the rivalry on its head and instead uses the rich kids from each coast to sing about their life on the not so mean streets.

Absolute classics.

And, the relevance to why it should make you love marketing? Well, there isn’t really one. Wanted a little bit of Friday fun and this provided it – that can be the reason for today! – Enjoy!

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!

Training your way to better marketing

A really great reason to love marketing is that it's not akin to brain surgery.

Sure, there's enough to know about to keep University lecturers in jobs. We're talking paradigms and models and theories which are overturned seemingly every fortnight with the newer, the more relevant and more innovative. Although in the grand scheme of things, the marketing which should matter to you, i.e. that which will make a big positive difference to the success of your business is very much something you can learn.

And we can teach you.

Not that I'd dare forget the brilliant creative people out there. Sure, great marketing also takes great talent, enthusiasm and commitment. The creative work we've showcased right here on this blog (and dare I say in AME Marketing's portfolio) is testament to our wonderful, vibrant, effervescent industry. But saying, "Oh I have no talent or creativity! Marketing is not for me!" is not a very good excuse. At AME Marketing we don't believe that such qualities are innate. Your latent abilities can be brought out, nurtured and developed.

This year, AME Marketing will be delivering a series of marketing training workshops to teach you about marketing, in the areas we believe you'll receive most benefit. We're talking about building marketing strategies, researching your customers and obtaining valuable insights about them, promoting your web presence, communicating benefits to customers creatively and promoting your business in ways that don't require you to spend a huge advertising budget.

All the workshops are free to attend and will be taking place right here at AME Towers, aka our offices in Prestwick. You'll get to come along for a morning, see a marketing agency "in action", learn something useful for your business and leave with enough information to put what you've learned into practice.

Want to know some more about the workshops? Well, have a gander.

Workshop 1: ‘Copywriting Masterclass’ – Tuesday 4th September 2007
Want to multiply the selling power of your marketing communications? This enjoyable and interactive workshop will show you how to market your business the ‘write’ way!

Workshop 2: ‘A guide to Search Engine Optimisation’ – Tuesday 9th October 2007
Got a web site? Want to increase its ranking on search engines? We tell you everything you need to know. Receive a comprehensive report on your site, covering search engine and web site functionality!

Workshop 3: ‘Market research, do or die!?’ – Tuesday 20th November 2007
Want to know why research is essential for your business? We show you how to properly research your market with any budget, and what might happen if you don’t!

Workshop 4: ‘Strictly Come Marketing’ – Tuesday 5th February 2008
Discover how marketing is like any good dance routine! You can learn and master it in just ten steps!

Workshop 5: ‘Promotion, beyond advertising!’ – Tuesday 11th March 2008
Save your marketing budget by introducing yourself to the wider world of promotion! We show you the methods that will save you money and, ultimately, increase your chances of success!

Workshop 6: ‘All the signs tells us you need a marketing plan!’ – Tuesday 29th April 2008
Why is marketing planning so important? We show you how, with smart objectives and a clear set of marketing activities in place, your business can meet and even exceed its targets!

Attendance at the workshops is open to any shape or size of business, but places are limited. If you'd like to attend any of the events, all you have to do is call us on 01292 678920 to book your place.

So, just to remind you, reason 14 to fall in love with marketing is this one. Marketing has much to teach you and you can develop your skills and talents in the area with just a little time, effort and training. And the icing on the cake is that you'll use the skills and talents you've learned to make a real difference to the fortunes of your business.

This Next

You ever feel like everyone else always finds really cool stuff and you never do? Or maybe you manage to find cool stuff through blogs, shops, wherever and want to share it with people but are not sure where? Well, thanks to Chroma who recommended the site, the answer lies in This Next, a site which shows product recommendations from consumers all over the world. They even have a map of the world where product recommendations pop up every few seconds.

For anyone who loves to shop or loves to keep up-to-date with the latest products, this site is fantastic. Whatever your interests, there are already a plethora of recommendations and inspiration for you. You can then build up your own page of recommendations which others of the same interests can view – and, even better – you can tell all of your friends to go and have a look when your birthday or Christmas is coming up. Bit late for my birthday this year as it’s only a few days away, but I’m sure I can fill it up nicely by Christmas time...

The only downside of course is that you may find something you love which is only available on the other side of the world. But, chances are someone else will have found something similar a bit closer to home.

Reason number 13 then (unlucky for some), and hardly a revelation – marketing can introduce you to new, fantastic products which you never knew you wanted but once seen, and subsequently bought, you find you cannot live without. And the fact that on this site the marketers are consumers instead of the marketing industry makes it even better – no marketer can deny the power of Word of Mouth. I wonder however, whether marketers will soon be jumping on the bandwagon and sponsoring people to talk about their products here as they have done in other spheres. And further, how much would it matter to those using the site?

Well, that’s me off on my holidays for two weeks and so I am leaving the blog in the capable hands of Graham. I’m away to Spain to do a language course for a couple of weeks in Malaga. No me falte demasiado!

Hasta Pronto!

Judging a book by its cover

Reason to love marketing number 12: It can make the world a more beautiful place (or in this case, your coffee table or bookshelf at least).

Over at We Made This today I came across these beautiful new book covers from Gollancz, the science-fiction and fantasy division of Orion Books

, which the lovely people at WMT had found while in Foyles.

The new covers, produced in-house by Emma Wallace, were developed from the brief ‘do what you want, but bring them to a new audience.’ I think she’s certainly going to do that. It appears from the online forums that WMT had browsed that traditional fans of the books were not exactly over-enamoured at the new look. However, I would guess that these customers will still be buying the books, no matter what they look like. With the aim of attracting a new type of audience, these books should not only entice new audiences for the stories inside, but also for the book covers themselves. I don’t think I’m the only person who judges some books by their covers and who likes to have good-looking books in their collection (incidentally though, not to sound like too much of an airhead, I do buy most books for their content).

Regardless, compared to what had gone before (see below) the new covers are a complete departure and a fresh, exciting change.

All eight covers are devoid of any mention of the title, author or publisher on the front and each has a different feel due not only to the different graphics used, but also the difference in the finishes of each one. The remaining five of the series can be found below, although I doubt these pictures do the covers justice. All are available for purchase on Amazon and I would imagine, all good book shops.

They really are a truly beautiful series and visually, quite stunning. I wonder if this will be the way forward for book cover design?

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...

Protest and Survive

If, like me, you were unlucky enough to go to school in the 1980s, you'll probably also be familiar with 'Protect and Survive'. I was introduced to it during Modern Studies class in high school and I'm pretty certain that the only reason they showed it to us was to give us nightmares and remind us that our lives as we knew them, in 80s Cold War Britain, could end at any given moment in a fiery inferno.

'Protect and Survive' was a series of twenty different Public Information Films which the government produced to show us what to do in the event of a nuclear war. Unfortunately, all of the advice is worse than useless and the only thing that soon becomes clear is that there are no good ways to completely protect yourself and that your odds of survival are miniscule at best. Thankfully, they never did show the films on TV, probably for fear that it'd cause civil unrest, tinned food famine and mass suicides.

Anyway, whilst doing a little internet research into the subject this week, I came across this:


At first view it's somewhat hilarious! The often disturbing cartoony animation of the Protect and Survive films sits askew with the upbeat soundtrack of Fred Astaire giving us a jolly rendition of "Putting on the Ritz". The fact that the images seem to dance in time with the music makes the whole thing all the more comic and fun!

But as the film progresses, the comedy gets blacker and you soon realise it's communicating an altogether serious message. The happy-go-lucky music begins to fade out and eventually the only soundtrack which remains is the wind of a nuclear winter. After all that jollity, it seems they're protesting about the government's plans to replace the country's trident nuclear missiles.

Of course, what you've just witnessed is a very clever piece of viral marketing. It seems the approach is, "make them laugh then make them think." And, in my opinion, it works incredibly well.

I know today's post is all a bit grim but there's a reason to love marketing hidden in there nevertheless. With the help of some inspired marketing communication, you can start to strike a chord with people who ordinarily would have no interest in what it is you're advocating. In fact, what happens is you begin to resonate with people in ways *they* never thought possible, changing their attitudes and their ideals in the process.

Now YOU can share the love!

Hopefully, we've already given you some good reasons to love marketing that you hadn't thought of before. We've got plenty more to share with you over the next few weeks but, in the meantime, we want you to get your thinking caps on and tell us why YOU love marketing.

To take part, all you have to do is visit our web site. You can reach the "share the love" submission form by clicking here. We'll take the best submissions and use them to compile a free booklet which we'll publish later in the year. Don't forget to tell us your name, since we'll be publishing it alongside your submission!

Love from everyone at AME Marketing xx

Guerilla Warfare

As the world of TV and print advertising become over more saturated the use of guerrilla marketing appears to be on the increase. Unusual and attention-grabbing, the campaigns are often run with a much smaller budget than traditional campaigns; however often manage to achieve much greater coverage ironically.

Allstate Insurance in America carried out one such stunt recently, where a car was dangled over the edge of a tower block in Chicago and underneath was the company’s ad asking “Are you in good hands?” Apparently the company also backed this up with an advert where they filmed a car actually falling out of the tower block into the sea. The ad was then shown on TV, online and stills of the stunt also ran in the press. The only problem is perhaps that those on the ground could not appreciate it fully as they would have been unable to see the company’s logo on the board, however, effective nonetheless given the coverage received. Devised by Leo Burnett, Chicago, it seems the objective was indeed achieved – attention grabbed (Picture from Ad Goodness).

Another campaign that I particularly liked which was executed on this side of the pond a few months ago by Carlsberg, where they dropped “litter” around the streets of London, to the tune of £5000. £10 and £20 notes were placed around the streets with a removable sticker with the latest execution of “would probably be the best [insert whatever] in the world.” I have to agree with this one, definitely the best litter.

So, the next reason to love marketing that I’ve extrapolated from today’s examples? Marketing can be carried out almost anywhere and is constantly evolving. It’s not just about selling, it’s often also about entertaining and as more and more guerrilla campaigns surface who knows what will be thrown up next. And, it might just make you a little bit richer...

Mary, Queen of Marketing

Thanks to the wonderful invention that is the PVR, over the past two weekends I've been indulging in a little retail marketing therapy. Mary Queen of Shops is the BBC2 series during which celebrated retail clever-clogs Mary Portas takes four down-in-the-dumps boutiques, gives them a proper shake by their shabby lapels and transforms them into bustling fashion emporiums.

"I'm Mary," narrates the show's star consultant at the beginning of each episode. "What I don't know about shops isn't worth knowing." With this in mind, I must admit I wasn't too sure how I'd get on with Mary. I know that some business owners don't take too kindly to consultants who are too quick to profess their superior intellect and my first instinct was that I'd dislike her know-it-all attitude.

The big surprise then was that I instantly fell in love with her no-nonsense but caring approach. Sure, she's met with the typical brick walls - no belief in the marketing function, zero budgets, marketing myopia, etc. - but she excels at overcoming them by communicating her unwavering belief in what she knows is right. What she might be saying is, "it's my way or the highway," but she also manages to convince her clients that she only has their best interests at heart. It's a powerful motivator.

Whilst I wouldn't dare belittle her achievements in the fashion retail industry (after all, her reputation in the sector speaks for itself), I'd argue that what Mary really knows about is marketing. In the two episodes I've seen so far, what's common is that the retailers are missing a proper understanding of their customer needs. Indeed, without a clear and resolute focus on customers and their unique tastes and habits, these businesses have dangerously lost their way in the jungle that is the fashion market. As Mary teaches them, all they need to do to turn their businesses around is obtain some insider information about what makes their customers tick, then aggressively deliver exactly that.

And it works. With some clever market segmentation - customers are described as "Disciples of Beckham" and "The Forever 40s", for example - some real insights into what makes these segments unique and some inspired marketing communication, these boutiques see sudden and often dramatic turnarounds in their fortunes.

The truth is that what Mary is teaching them isn't rocket science. But she's brilliantly showing us all how marketing can take a tired old business and transform it into a powerful, dynamic and ultimately more profitable one. Need a reason to love marketing? Personally, I can't think of a better one.

Stick 'em up!

So, today I’m going a little off topic. I’m still sticking [just realised the clever pun here for what's about to come] with reasons to love marketing, but it’s not so much the campaigns themselves, but more the media that I’m loving today and one type of media in particular – Moo products, especially their new stickers.

And, strictly speaking, the stickers are not a commercial advertising medium, although they often get used for that purpose, but they are also for the general public, to market any photos they have to anyone they wish. And that’s exactly why I love them.

I love to send my friends cards or presents that are a little out of the ordinary and it’s great to see the look on people’s faces when they receive something they truly know you’ve put a lot of thought into. And Moo stickers (or their minicards, or notecards) can all help you do that.

And there you have reason to love marketing number six: Marketing isn’t just for businesses, it’s for people too – to share their favourite moments with friends and bring a little joy into theirs’, and other’s lives.

However, if you are a business, Moo’s products have a multitude of uses for your company as well. Their minicards can be used as unusual business cards, their notecards can be used for direct mail and their stickers can be used for… hell, who knows, it’s Friday afternoon and I’m out of ideas for the week, but I’m sure you could come up with something.

The main reason I love them, and it seems to be a common theme in why I love marketing, again, it gives me a sense of nostalgia, taking me back to when I had sticker albums to fill up as a kid. But now, those stickers will be my own personal pictures and instead of getting my digital photos as prints, I can make them into stickers to stick straight into my photo sticker album – how cool is that! OK, so I’m getting a little over-excited now, but you get the idea.

Shipping during July is free for the stickers, so get in now and order a load from your photos (which can be uploaded from a number of sites, see website for details). They even come in their own stickerbook!

Peace man!

Seems we’re not the only one’s who want to have a summer of love this year. But while we’re focusing our love on marketing, Lucky Brand in America is reviving the 60’s and focusing their love instead on flower power (with their brand taking centre stage of course).

Sending a 1949 Flxble bus cross country across the USA, they have their own blog, a ‘Daily Denim Diary’ reporting on the journey. The party hasn’t stopped since the bus set off with the band ‘The Hysterics’ playing live sets in many of the locations as it goes along. Press from all around the US have picked up on the campaign as well as much of the online community, giving Lucky Brand the type of exposure they would have been hoping for.

Fair enough, the campaign was born to shamelessly plug some jeans, but at the same time, it’s a nice idea and what better time of year to send a party bus round the country than in the summer. And, from the coverage it’s received it seems that it is spreading some love and happiness as well as brand awareness.

Those old enough to remember the 60s are given a trip down memory lane and those who weren’t there the first time get a little taste of the decade (through rose-tinted glasses of course).

I’ve already said that a good reason to love marketing is that it lets you spread a little love, and this is another case in point, so what other reason can I wrangle out of today’s example? Well, I think today’s reason (which will be no. 5 for those of you counting) is that sometimes, just sometimes, marketing can brighten up your day when stuck in a traffic jam. In fact, it also happened to me a few weeks ago when a van for a club called Boho in Glasgow’s West End passed us in the car (see the back end of it’s hedge-covered van below).

N.B. Next reason won’t be as obscure – promise!

A red, red rose

Taking the idea from Neil Perkins, who took the idea from Creative Think - you “Take your favourite words, your favourite blogs, and give ‘em some some link love.” So, given it was the summer of love and taking inspiration from the words Neil used, I though I would use one of my favourite poems, from the wonderful Robert Burns (that’s where some of you who went to school in Scotland may begin to switch off after those years of Burns recitals, but, I love this poem and won a prize for reciting it [that’s where those of you who know me personally will keel over with shock – me winning a prize for singing]).

So, here’s some of the poem, and some of my favourite blogs, in no particular order:

"O my love is like a red, red rose
That's newly sprung in June;
My love like the melody
That's sweetly played in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonny lass,
So deep in love am I;
And I will love thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry."

And so on to the fourth reason to love marketing – blogs allow you to spread a little love to the others in your industry as well as your customers.

Entering cartoon world

Reason to love marketing number 2: It lets you enter into another world, even if just for a couple of minutes. How do I work that one out – well, case in point, the promotion for the new Simpsons movie.

There can’t be many people who don’t like the Simpsons, even if you are not a huge fan, you will have likely watched the odd episode. And, no doubt you will have laughed at and/or identified with one of the characters at one point or another. The very fact it has been going the number of years it has is testament to its popularity.

And, apart from the fact that I am eagerly anticipating the film, I am loving the prmotion for it, it really is marketing at its best. My two favourite elements – making your own Simpsons avatar and turning 7-Elevens into Kwik E Marts. The 7-Eleven website is even getting on the act too.

Unfortunately, there are no 7-Elevens in Scotland (at least I haven’t come across one), but I probably spent a good portion of my time in Hong Kong in them, I know it’s sad, but I love them. And, turning them into Kwik E Marts is a work of genius. I’m only disappointed that I can’t experience it myself. But I can, however, make myself into a Simpsons character – so, here you go - Bressy:

Granted, I’m not five years old and don’t have hair as full and fabulous as that, but I am a short-ass and my neighbour thinks I’m a secret goth, so I thought I'd add a little skull and crossbones – I do however like colour too much, and a variety of music, to be a real goth.

Graham’s got in on the act too – here’s his avatar:

So, if you want some Simpsons fun too, visit the movie website here. Which leads me onto the third reason to love marketing – it provides you with a fun way to waste a little time when you’re bored!