I’ve always been keen about connecting science to the need  of having to create “an emotional connection” or “emotional end benefit” with consumers in order to sell effectively. Lehrer details how emotion is indespensible in helping humans make sense of the “helter skelter” of every day life.  Consumers seek out brands, even when they think they are not, because brands make it easier to decide at the supermarket or dealership.  No doubt, this is obvious, yet what’s important here is the scientific rationale clearly linking emotions to decision making, in every area of life.  So, it is science making the case that branding and marketing are required and not optional.

Key quote:

“Even when we are not conscious of our emotions they are driving our decisions.”

Check out the video, it’s a bit long, but Lehrer covers most of the important points in the book.

Since 2008 APComm has donated funds, which would have been used for holiday cards, to One Laptop Per Child or OLPC.

To learn more about the program click on the OLPC 2009 Year in Review Newsletter here.

American corporations have started their own efforts with OLPC. Check out the Win One Give One effort by General Mills here.

And the OLPC laptop has been deemed one of the best designs of the decade by the NYT. Link here.

A recent Knowledge Networks/PDI study redefines the cost effectiveness of in-store sampling. No doubt, there is usually a lift after almost any in store sampling event.

The crucial finding from R.I.S.E. (Report on In-store Sampling Effectiveness) is that the sales lift may last as long as 20 weeks after the event.

Other key findings:

• The study also found that sampling not only increased sales of newly launched products, but line extensions and even well-established existing products, as well.
• Sampling can have a positive “halo effect” on related merchandise, lifting the sales of non-sampled products within the parent brand’s franchise.

We’ve long known the benefits in-store sampling can have on a marketing campaign, but it is beneficial to have some serious research to support this sometimes neglected aspect of marketing.

In-store sampling has been an important part of the Bedoyecta multivitamin launch in the U.S.. It’s key to note that sampling must be part of an integrated campaign and done correctly in order to yield noticeable returns — a well trained and supervised team with decent collateral and product support.

Reuters article on R.I.S.E. report here.

Peter Madden at AdAge has a funny and relevant piece on “The Seven Personalities Who Roam the Social Media Plains”.  Peter details seven personalities/segments which he thinks collectively make up a decent cross section of Facebook users.  Do any of these consumer profiles sound familiar to you? Click for the article here.

My favorites below:

1. Super Mom. As Tupac said, we got our name from a woman and our game from a woman. But make no mistake, no one has game like FB moms! Running marathons, running after kids, running a business, going to every sporting event under the sun. They still have time to post photos of the kids doing everything from sitting like a mushroom to throwing a temper tantrum because of a lost pacifier. Man, are they candid, too! Can someone please help me understand why Olivia got up at 4 am AGAIN? Another Soccer Game — aaaaargh! I can’t believe I’m at the Jonas Brothers — Blah! Marketer angle: You better give it to ‘em straight. They don’t have time for fluff. Unless it’s on “Oprah.” 

3. BraggaBROcious. Don’t let “Bro” confuse you. Men and women alike share this title, given to those who save all updates for incredible adventures that are typically reserved for the wealthy, or the Jonas Brothers. Just bungee jumped in Chile — what a rush! Can’t believe I’m hanging with Jay-Z — he’s taller in person! First-class flight to Vegas here I come! Marketer angle: If it’s going to make them feel like a master/mistress of the universe (even in their own mind), go for it and save no bell or whistle.

5. Constant Contact. I assume members of this group bring the laptop into the bathroom. They don’t miss a beat, constantly updating on every possible thing they’re feeling, person they’re with, or activity they’re partaking in. Up at 6 a.m. — hello world! It’s 6:05, can’t believe the phone is ringing! 6:07, it was my mom calling — WTF?! 6:09 — guess it’s time for a shower. Marketer angle: These people want to be played with, entertained and engaged (though online only, please). Just make sure that whatever you’re selling is something enhancing their virtual world, because it’s the only one they’re livin’ in, baby.

Ran into the Bill Bernbach quote below in a review of “Nobody’s Perfect”, Doris Willens’ new book on Bill Bernbach and the golden age of advertising.

 “Merely to let your imagination run riot, to dream unrelated dreams, to indulge in graphic acrobatics and verbal gymnastics is not being creative. The creative person has harnessed his imagination. He has disciplined it so that every thought, every idea, every line he draws, every light and shadow in every photograph he takes, makes more vivid, more believable, more persuasive the original theme or product advantage he has decided he must convey.”

This is a crucial concept which I think is often overlooked.  The status quo is to be as “creative” as possible, outdoing the competition in clevereness that rarely delivers the original idea in a potent and motivational manner, leaving the consumer flumoxed at best and usually untouched.  Like a private joke, precious to a self selected and elite few.

A good reminder that less often is more. The Al Ries review on Nobody’s Perfect is here.

From Retail Wire:

“BrainTrust Query: How is the recession changing Hispanics as consumers?
By David Morse and Maria Gracia Inglessis, New American Dimensions, LLC
06/19/09

How is the economy affecting the Hispanic market? The answer, at this time, may be inconclusive. In a recent article by Terry Soto, president & CEO of About Marketing Solutions, she cites data from Experian and concludes that Hispanics may be ‘recession proof’ or at least ‘recession aloof.’ For example, 34 percent of Hispanics are optimistic about their finances in the coming year (compared to 25 percent of non-Hispanics), and 29 percent of Hispanics are more positive about the U.S economy (compared to 21 percent of non-Hispanics).

Hispanics may also be less burdened with financial difficulties because they are not as involved in some of the most problematic areas. According to Packaged Facts’ analysis of Experian Simmons Summer 2008 National Consumer Survey data, 46 percent of Hispanics use credit cards compared to 72 percent among non-Hispanics, and only 15 percent of Hispanics own investments (compared to 43 percent of non-Hispanics). The Simmons data also highlight that Hispanics are more likely to rent their homes than non-Hispanics. This makes them less likely to be affected by the mortgage foreclosure.

There are some categories in which Hispanics are spending more than their non-Hispanic counterparts. According to the Packaged Fact Study, Hispanics spend more in:

• Food at home (8.3 percent vs. 6.8 percent - of total annual expenditure)
• Poultry (0.5 percent vs. 0.3 percent)
• Fresh vegetables (0.6 percent vs. 0.4 percent)

That Hispanics spend more in food is not surprising. They have bigger households and like to cook from scratch. But interestingly enough they are also spending more in less expected areas, for example, in apparel and services (4.8 percent vs. 3.7 percent). What is more, Hispanic men are more likely to keep up with the latest fashion (25 percent vs. 17 percent). Also…

• They like to experiment with new styles (26 percent vs. 14 percent)
• Buy the latest fashion every season (17 percent vs. seven percent)
• Enjoy any kind of shopping (28 percent vs. 13 percent)

More Hispanics say they buy recycled paper products (men 40 percent vs. 34 percent and women 45 percent vs. 39 percent). Also, Hispanics are more likely to claim that they would pay more for environmental friendly products (men 42 percent vs. 35 percent and women 47 percent vs. 40 percent).

But additional data from the Nielsen Homescan Hispanic Panel present a less positive view on how Hispanics perceive that the current downturn is affecting their lives. The data show that about half of Hispanics feel that their household is somewhat or much worse financially now than a year ago, and 37 percent feel that their or their spouse’s job is not too secure or not secure at all. More than 70 percent feel that their level of savings to deal with potential disasters is not secure.

According to this study, not only do Hispanics have a less positive outlook, they have changed some of their consumer habits; for example, in the past three months they are eating at fast food restaurants less often (64 percent vs. 47.9 percent of non-Hispanics), and close to 45 percent are bringing lunch to work more often (compared to 36 percent of non-Hispanics).”

Nothing surprises me about the data and implications. We addressed this issue on my company’s website on April 14, 2009 (link, http://www.arambulaphillips.com/?p=75)

My advice to marketers is to follow proper marketing disciplines when addressing the Hispanic consumer segment. Learn about your brand’s relationship with the Hispanic consumer. What role does the economy play? Is the consumer receptive to your communications? The Hispanic segment can provide a positive ROI in marketing investment in an otherwise struggling and sputtering economy.