Want 6 Consumer Trends To Watch In 2011?

2011 Spring's "Hot Color"

My brief Christmas day sneak peak list is based on talking, reading, and visiting different companies in this last month as a passive observer. Nothing scientific on this last 2010 blog, just some things to put in your hat while I take a break from the grandchildren running around playing with their new toys:

*RAK - Random acts of kindness are more prevalent than I have ever seen and it’s a nice touch to boot in a struggling economy. I witnessed a few days ago a company that catered a lunch in for all workers. It didn’t stop there, a “Mystery” thank you plastic ball was passed out to all.  Inside were crisp 50 dollar bills, brand new gold one dollar minted coins, and gift cards, all opened together as a group. I had never seen this before, smiles were everywhere! Major WOW!

*ECO-SUPERIOR- When it comes to “the green consumer” in 2011, expect a rise in ECO-SUPERIOR products: Green products need to be the real deal and not just lip service, better than polluting products in every possible way.

*"IT"S ABOUT ME" Marketing- Personalization and One to One marketing are getting stronger and stronger.  

*TWITTER-SUMERS and SOCIAL-LITES- Expect even more consumers to become cub reporters: broadcasting, sharing, commenting, and recommending, purchases, content, products, and consumer experiences to both their friends and beyond.

*PANDEMONIUM PRICING- Always-on connectivity is changing consumer spending habits in myriad ways. For example “NOWISM” is a constant handheld PDA online activity. Pulling out one’s smart phone at the counter, getting the latest low price via GPS, or barcode scanning is very smart. 

*HONEYSUCKLE (PMS-18-2120) is "the" color for Spring 2011 per the Color Marketing Group and Pantone.

Merry Christmas!

Want 6 Easy Tips To Get Your Website And Catalog Producing Higher Dollars?

While there are some “home grown” product merchandising experts in the age of laptops and scanners, most successful catalog and web designers accept these "rules" as basic to increasing dollars per page. You might want to apply these to your latest creation as a final litmus test:

*Copy is more than critical; Key words need to be relevant and emotional tag lines supportive of moving the buyer to action.

*Consistent ordering SKU/identifying numbers, and pricing at the bottom of the product's descriptive copy.  This makes it easy for the patron to identify and buy in 3 seconds:

Chocolate Covered Cherries.

Creamy milk chocolate with

liquid centers and a cherry. 

D347  |  6 OZ  |  Boxed  |  $6.49

Flexible Plastic Storage Bowls.

Set of three  (10 | 8 | 6 | inches).

D483  |  Shrink Wrapped  |  $9.99

*Covers count!  Front/Back pages (outside and inside) plus the center spread are the critical “sweet spots”.  Their job is to grab attention, put the best foot forward i.e. products, price points and get the reader to pick up the catalog and go inside!  Sometimes this gets lost in translation when designers get distracted looking to create a pretty picture instead of a great performing catalog.  These pages are paramount to “selling product” and demand a lot of attention.

*"Touch points” and “eye movements” (for readers) start with the attention going to the top right of the page and moving in a “C” across both catalog pages.  Web site viewing always starts at the top and moves downward i.e.  gravity pulling the reader to the bottom. Strategically place your best selling products for maximum effect.

*Relevant offers (call to action promotions) should be on both your website and catalog. Catalog front and home pages of the website are very important "silent salespeople".

*Be a consistent steward of your brand, on both your catalog and website.  Fonts, color ways, best sellers, low price points, should all be similar in the initial customer experience. 

As always, do with this what you will, I keep these “basics” close and have found them to hold true even in the face of an ever changing 21^st century marketing world.

Do You Need A “Fishing Buddy” To Get Your Business Back on Track?

Ken; Dinner and Advice

I was working with a OEM manufacturing client, “Jerry” (changed to protect his identity), last week who is so frustrated at his company’s performance this last year he said “I just want to scream at all the things that used to work but don’t anymore.” Jerry went on to say he is losing all confidence with his engineers at coming up with new ideas or products. Jerry admitted to me he doesn’t know how to get the company back on top of his industry.

Jerry, like many CEOs today, has no life! He is 24/7 busy talking shop with all his key folks and connections inside his company. I admitted to him I also can remember many times I’ve also hit a wall and didn’t know what to do. Jerry and I went out to dinner that night and he asked, “What do you do when you get this locked up?” My answer was “Jerry, I go visit my “Fishing Buddy” Ken.” 

Ken is my private go to life long mentor/friend whom I’ve known most of my adult years.  He is a successful business person in his own right but is not involved in my day to day business. Ken is beyond a great friend, and a brilliant soothsayer in business, he has the demonstrated ability to get my mind “unscrewed” and back on track many times through fishing.

 

He did this once while catching a personal record 63 ocean stripers between the two of us one fine day on the Atlantic shelf (Albeit, we had to throw all but two back due to the legal limits of only taking two, still a fun day).

This leads me to my “out of the box” pragmatic advice to you and your business in these difficult times if you are “locked up”:

*Look outside your usual experts,   Find your own “fishing buddy” (i.e. or friend with a hobby you can share and talk with confiendtially) that has a lot in common with you, but is not in your business.  Even a dinner will do, for starters to seek this outsider's perspective; the times call for new and fresh ideas. 

*You got here by coming up through the ranks meeting and talking with people you like and trust, who later became your friends.  Reconnect with them, they know you better than anyone and you trust their common sense. 

*Sometimes it’s better to step out of your day to day world to clear your head and regroup.  

*Even in the new world of the Internet and Social Media, leaders need to remember it’s all about great people.  A healthy command of the  “low tech” world of face to face communication, an important  business touch point,  has never disappeared.

Good luck, difficult business times require different methods.  You may even like yourself a bit better as you company gets to be fun again with your new "advisers". JMHO

Disappointed With Your Company’s Blog, Linkedin, Face Book, And Twitter Reach?

When you attend a business conference these days you’ll find the sessions on Blogging, LinkedIn, Face book, and Twitter jammed and most anything else close to empty.  We now exist in a society that jumps on the next big thing, but that impulse can limit our company’s top and bottom line performance.  As a consequence, we never achieve the high levels of returns we were expecting from this new buzz; hence we are seriously disappointed in the results. Some relevant questions to ask before you walk away from Social Media in search of the next best thing:

Why did your company begin to use Social Media sites?

Are your Social Media sites consistent with your company’s brand, message, and customer base?

What is your Social Media plan for 2011? (Are you measuring?)

Who is the project manager of your social media work flow? Are they knowledgeable or just have a knack for these things?

Does the senior executive group champion this project? Why or why not?

While many companies are driven by the desire to improve their growth, frustrated executives may just be keeping up with the Joneses.  Social Media is a buzz that is red hot, and they didn’t want to appear “behind the competition”.

Yes, it’s important to stay “cutting edge” in one’s field.  But doing so shouldn’t prevent us from doing it well, aggressively, and competently. Companies should be managing these campaigns to be the top one or two in your competitive market.

What are important solutions, old and new, to boost your Social Media ROI productivity? 

• Blogs on a consistent schedule.
• Permission Email and direct marketing “high touch paper” campaigns back to the website.
• “Pay for click” targeted marketing.
• Data base capture.
• Customer and prospect data base testing and cleaning on a regular basis.
• Email auto signatures back to the official website on all employee pages.
• Website addresses on all product, collateral materials, and catalogs.
• Cross linked images on the company website to send to your Social Media sites.
• Use video on your sites via YouTube channeling (The 2^nd largest search engine in use).
• Professional Social Media networking forums on “What is Working, What is Not.”
• Intranets and CRM systems for employee, supplier, and customer data views linked to your Social Media.
• Search Engine Optimization, hand held (i.e. Blackberry) formatting.
• Job posting on both job boards and relevant social media sites linked to your website, ATS capabilities for new talent sourcing.

Go for it, jump in with two feet.  Your internet brand presence is how your company is initially evaluated from the outside world. Your switchboard operator and your cyber presence are your company’s first contact, are you happy with it? 2011 is the time to focus on a positive, meaningful, Social Media campaign for your company. If you are going to do it, do it right.

Is School Product Fundraising A ”Tip Of The Hat And Wag Of The Finger?"

Three closely linked events this morning motivated me to get to my blog keyboard today:

1) I read a less than positive “Why school children should not sell products to raise money” article in one of the regional newspapers around here. I finished reading still sporting an obvious frown on my face around the house. 


2)Right after my wife asked me "What has you so annoyed in the paper today?" a delightful father and his sweet daughter came to my door. They came to ask me to order from a catalog of products to support the local elementary PTO Fund Raising sale for a class trip. I bought a bunch more than normal as a positive protest to the article I just read and felt better about the day ahead. 

3) A national telethon fundraising solicitation campaign called me on the telephone for a cash donation that was urgently needed because their budget was under funded due to the economy…. I politely did not donate  as I didn’t know the organization or telemarketer.

My “Tip of the Hat” Steven Colbert moment:

*School fundraising to me evokes warm and fuzzy nostalgic memories of when my mother and father helped me sell “stuff’ way back in my elementary school days. Seems to me this has been going on most of my life and I have fond memories of quality time during these events with my parents that are intangible and priceless.

*Later I experienced and connected with my sons doing the same. In fact I also read, on his biography, world famous artist Jeff Koons mentions he got his commercial start selling wrapping paper in primary school…………… not a bad commentary on his early education.

*To my knowledge, most professional school fund raising companies are run by many ex educators or former PTO volunteers. The professional conduct and ethics these legitimate CPG companies insist on appears to me to be a very high standard.

*Some retail companies, that are in less consumer sensitive channels of commerce i.e. mass market, club stores, drug stores, catalog companies, internet resellers, or retail outlets, would not survive the school fundraising business margin demands and service requirements now common place. 

*How many retailers belong to a nationwide trade association that polices itself and keeps current on government regulatory and child safety guidelines and laws?  Most active and legitimate school fundraising companies do.

*My pragmatic sense is the product fundraising selling experience prepares America’s youth to learn valuable work skills that are more and more demand in a national society that is becoming “service” and consumer oriented. 

*This also reinforces a sensitive and current news area in their favor as many American fundraising companies use American manufactured products.  Albeit on a much smaller scale imported product as do large retailers. (Reference, American printed magazines, wrapping paper, chocolates, cookie dough, candles, frozen foods, some stationary, coupon books, and giftware for example).

*What’s so wrong with youngsters learning a “work ethic” and earning their way for a cause?  We, our parents, and grandparents did school fundraisng. The greatest generation all seem to have turned out fine!, they did school fundraising………… This is not a new phenomenon in my view.

* Consumers (due to invisible hand of free enterprise, allowing PTO volunteers to choose which company they want) get a fairly priced, quality product delivered right to their door. In addition, the consumer knows a portion of the profits support the local community, their neighbor’s children.

A “Wag of the Finger” (credit to Steven Colbert again) to the anti School Product Fund Raising slants the reporter in question quotes in the article:

*Sorry to rant on this one recent Washington, DC reporter whose syndicated article (Anti  kids selling products  journalism, that should remain anonymous) but this is an unneccesary cheap shot to me.  Doesn’t  he realize the positive aspects of School Product Fund raising  and volunteering that has been going on since the beginning of the 20^th century? These  PTO Fundraising drives are as American as apple pie!

* A "wag of the finger" to any retailers in his article trying to hinder school fundraising.  They will come to realize that this marketing vehicle  is just another “channel of distribution” for already existing large retail companies, competitors, and brands they already know. Want your sales to go up instead of whining the economy is hurting you? Open new channels of commerce to include School Product Fundraising, leverage your brand, and get over yourself! Move on.

*This journalist in question should investigate how many tens of thousands of PTO volunteers work very hard around the USA to bring a little extra to the youngsters of our nation.

These unsung PTO heroes strive to create a well organized safe environment for the youngsters to help in times of need, and succeed very well at it!  This  lone negative journalist might be shocked at the massive volunteer efforts that are a positive force in the face of a struggling economy.  

Shame on you sir for missing this most important positive aspects of volunteerism today!  At least PTO volunteers are trying to make a better world for their local youngsters. WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOUR NEGATIVE ARTICLES? WILL YOU  NEXT QUESTION THE GIRLS SCOUTS FOR SELLING COOKIES?.......JMHO

Who Are These So Called “Architects” Now Leading Companies To New 2010-11 Growth?

I Just had an interesting phone conversation with a new client. My take away is:

Yes, I’m definitely now seeing a positive trend in new corporate c-level hiring as I travel about. This movement is the rise of  hiring what some are now calling “Organizational Architects” in American business blogs.  The unique talents these folks bring to the party is that sixth sense of being able to take what the company has now and reorganizing the strategy for the challenging contemporary marketplace we now face in 2010-11.

Some visible signatures of these highly sought after “wizards” are:

*They are quick to recognize what is out of place with fresh eyes and begin making lots of small adjustments that don’t upset the existing structure. These managers just re-aline and adjust the existing “bones” i.e. some observers say like a “chiropractor.”

*They are dogmatic in a very specific strategy approach that is easily recognized. They quickly connect the dots of all departments and move into real time, one view, set of data that is point and click. This goes for all departments, suppliers, customer, and field sales.(Once you see it you will know it, off line spreadsheets are heresy to them.)

*Some senior executives that are emerging out of this economic downturn are either now using this technique or going out and hiring someone who fits this “Architect” profile.

*These generalists are functional “Jacks of all trades” , they  know a lot of  new key contacts and go-to outside variable overhead vendors. These managers are well connected in supply chain sourcing, I.T., outsourced accounting, distribution, independent salespeople, marketing freelancers, and product know how. They also have an incredible personal “rolodex” of variable overhead resources right at their finger tips.

*Figuring out the next years strategic plan is to move forward without fixed overhead expansion is largely coming from this new breed of “architect builders”.

*These “Frank Lloyd Wright” qualities usually come from some other previous industry they worked in.  They attack all business issues with the same passion and understanding as if  they are 100% sure all companies have the same problems coming out of this economic downturn.

 *The work flow they put in goes through all departmental organizations in an interconnected way. In the new successful "architect's view, this aggressive consolidation work flow tact is the way forward regardless of  manufactured "widget" or business services output from this company for profit.  They sometimes don't care what the product/service actually is that the company sells/provides, its largely about growing,  process, people, accountability, and  keeping the customer happy (profitably).

Yes, these talented generalist leaders have been around for a long time, but now they appear to be moving to the front of the line of late. The companies with this new leadership strategy do seem to be breaking away from the 2009-2010 doldrums. JMHO

“Once You Pass Its Borders You Can Never Return Again.” Maybe..Just Maybe.....

One of my father’s favorite stories growing up was the one time he went back to his old high school gym years after graduating. He said to me “It was soooo much smaller than I remember it, I guess its true!”, “what is true dad, I asked?”, He remarked “Once you pass its borders you can never return again."(Credit to Henrietta Fine).   

50 Years of  M-E Football

Against his conventional wisdom and protective caution (God rest his soul), I did venture back down that road these last two months re-visiting Maine-Endwell High School in Upstate New York. After 50 years of football teams (My team was somewhere between "Ozzie & Harriet" and "Lost in Space"), the high school football alumni organized a mini "Woodstock" reunion of all 5 decades. "Spartans" came home, with their shields, from every corner of the USA and beyond, quite a site!

2010 M-E Spartans

This "happening" took off as it was open to all the ex players, coaches, teachers, volunteers, cheerleaders, classmates, and current programs. This huge turnout even surprised all the organizers who graciously scrambled to accommodate all the last minute attendees. What a great job they did for all of us, a wonderful gift to be remembered forever!

2010  Bloomsburg

This last week, my college football teammates (NCAA Divsion 2 Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania) also had a reunion and I went back. Of note was the fact that I never had been back to either my high school or college since I left decades ago. My experiences seem to mirror much of what I’ve heard from contemporary friends who have recently done the same. If you ever get the chance to return and reconnect you might have a similar “closure”. Some very positive life "take aways" I experienced were:

BFF

*The neighborhood friends you grew up with are still the same kindred spirits they were when you all got in trouble for soaping windows on that distant Halloween night so long ago. Remember, there were only 3 television channels to choose from at home. Keep them all close, they are a large part of who you are now!

'76 Spartans 33 Years Later

*Your high school and college football teammates have changed physically and gone in all life’s many directions (albeit, mine looked much better than I). Look deep into their eyes and listen carefully to their voices, they are still the same warriors you would gladly share a fox hole with today.



*You are forever part of a special brother/sisterhood that spans the decades, a unique club for all the ages, go back and visit your home town. This is a once in a lifetime rite of passage you should cross for your own peace of mind..

Jahri Got His Ring!

*"It’s not Kansas anymore Dorothy”, the players now are bigger, faster, and better than I remember we were. The stadiums are much larger and spectacular, and more "Huskie" athletes are making it to the NFL.  Yet today's players do look sooooo young when you see them up close and personal.

*"Yes", my old teammate "Nags" said to me, "but we were all that young back in the day; that is ours to keep private forever between friends, shhhh!"  "There is always a young man inside, never forget and keep the fire alive!"

"Our House"

*That old campus house we all rented and lived in together does look a lot smaller, but all those memories and ghosts are still there, bigger and better……. Seems like yesterday. Go take a look and a picture, reset your memory...............have fun!

*At times you all revert back to your younger “roles” and "personalities" but no worry, its fun and lots of laughs!

M-E Coaches Came Back

M-E Coaches Then

*Your early teachers and coaches do look and sound the same as they always did. You finally will get to see these great leaders as the people they have always been, now as an adult.  

Respect and hugs were everywhere from their former players and students. This is worth the trip in itself to thank those who were the early mentors for our life’s journey! You will learn a lot about yourself you never knew. They were always with us every step of the way!

*In summary, go back "home" at least once in the next few years, you will bring closure to your life's questions and gain a bit more perspective in what we are all doing on this planet. Isn’t it about time you reset the “committee" in your head's view of your past? Maybe you and I can never return to that charming time again, but you will enjoy the people from your youth.  Your friends have never changed and are still good to their core, with the same roots we all came from!

The people, friends, and families you knew are everything about this trip back in time. Embrace them, cherish them, remember them, you will be much happier for connecting after all these years.

Dad in 1942

*Perhaps my dad was opening the door to this moment later in my life (or yours) to look back, but with the realistic expectations one needs to see through the "looking glass." 

My friendly advice is to "Roll with it", go back to one of your reunions, you will be glad you did! See for yourself .......maybe you will be a better human being for it, I certainly am!

Could This Talented York, Pennsylvania Glass Blower Be The Next Jeff Koons In The Art World?

Growing up in the southern tier of upstate New York I was subjected to an annual elementary school field trip to the Steuben Glass blowing works in Corning.  Not a bad childhood as it really was fascinating to see the master artisans creating “old world”, hand blown, glassblown pieces worth tens of thousands of dollars. These artworks were (and still are) usually commissioned by some mysterious high profile wealthy person I would never meet in ten lifetimes. 

To date, I still collect what small pieces I can afford from the famous Steuben glass blowers and continue to be a loyal  enthusiastic follower. Not that this qualifies me to be a world class talent scout for the arts but this blog might motivate you to notice someone special. Please check out this fascinating rising star that has some remarkable similarities (but unique in his own style and medium) to Jeff Koons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Koons), you will be happy you did!

Jeff Koons, for the unknowing,  is a “household”  big name on the world art stage today. Arguably, Jeff Koons is one of the most famous folks to have grown up in tiny York, Pennsylvania that made it to the big time!

This young, fresh, original, new art talent is a man named Michael Peluso

(http://www.michaelpeluso.com/michael/frame4.html)

from Dover, Pennsylvania (Same town that Jeff Koons graduated from in York County, Pennsylvania). Amazingly, it appears, a second road from art galleries around the world are leading to tiny York Pa.  Lightning from the art community has struck twice in the same spot!

It was no surprise to me that I found out Michael studied formally with an undergraduate degree in drawing and art. Later, finding out his ancestors had a glassblowing business in Italy he also studied in Corning (Steuben glass blowing masters). I was fascinated to find out Michael didn’t stop there, he apprenticed with well know flame masters as such as William Gudenrath, Michael Scheiner, James Nowak, Michael Rogers, Milon Townsend, and Jane Bruce.

Truly an up an coming talent, check out his works while he is on the way up, you may look back at this rising star someday and kick yourself if you don’t!  JMHO.

Have You Noticed Some Businesses Are Hiring Again?

Out of the blue-gray October sky something very positive is happening out there. The companies I visited these last few weeks are singing a similar upbeat song.  Companies seem to now be looking for key players from the outside that will make a difference in their top lines. Some selected comments heard this last few weeks on the road are:

  

•    “We have hunkered down by cutting inventory, personnel, overhead, and non profitable customers during this economic downturn. Now all we can do is grow the top line to survive so we are looking for the “rainmakers” to hire”.- 20 million dollar digital printing company.

•   “Our company was poised to grow rapidly when the bottom fell out”. Now we feel it is time to get back in the game and put our “shelved” strategic plan into play as we can’t cut anymore. – 45 million dollar CPG  American manufacturing company.

• “Do you know of any top salespeople out there we could hire”? We are ready to expand again. -37 million Distribution/Fulfillment third party Warehouse company.

•  “With the coming election we will now get a better sense of future cost planning for health care, taxes, and regulatory business “rules”.  Regardless of which political party wins, at least now we can set our course with some knowledge of how we the company will proceed for the next few years. -55 million dollar consumer garden products reseller.

•   We are proceeding with upgrading to new web based computer systems as our repair and servicing costs are now more expensive than the “new” technologies available. – school product fundraising company. 

•   “Our average order is starting to rise and is now higher this year compared to last, same customers. –B to C 140 million dollar CPG internet/mail order catalog /Retail Company.

Could this chatter be a small trend indicator of next year’s economy? Cross your fingers!

Will You Ever Meet A Robert Whitely?

Today I had one most remarkable encounter with a quality gentleman that made me take pause about the age old question; “What is the meaning of life?”

While sitting on a bench an hour before a movie an elderly man shaking with Parkinson’s on his cane and staring well off into the distance, sat next to me. He asked if he could share a bench with my wife and me, “certainly” I said. I asked him where he was from given his strange accent, “born and raised right here in Lancaster Pennsylvania" he said. After I pressed as to where he got the accent he remarked “Well I just moved back from the Phillippines five years ago to be back with family. My children insisted it was time to finally come home and reconnect with my grandchildren, I'm glad I did."

I learned Robert (Name changed to protect his identity) had lived all over the world most his life, he shared with me he was a writer of agricultural science trade journals.  Robert helped third world countries develop potato crops in Africa, India, Peru, and most continents on our planet. He also told me he started writing for the “Stars and Stripes” Magazine when he was in the army in the Korean War.

The better part of an hour passed and my jaw was on the floor, what an incredible life Robert has lived. Our conversation shifted to “what was it like for an American from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to live and work in some of the highest risk political countries of the world?” Robert proceeded to share with me he never had a bad situation even living between the India/Pakistan borders at the height of the Muslim/Hindu troubles. “After all” Robert said, “People smile the same in all languages and cultures!” 

We talked about “the concept of  face” and “host behaviors “by most cultures. Robert concluded it all comes down to mutual respect for other people, and a good understanding of "manners" in any country. Some have them; others never understand what they don’t have and never will. Wow! I’m still trying to absorb all the wisdom and worldly perspective received today from Robert.

My wife and I said goodbye and as we turned around we saw Robert go back into his blank stare with many people passing by never looking or appreciating the American treasure right under their noses………… I will never forget today as I am a better human being for this chance encounter with Robert.  I can't even remember much about the movie which was second fiddle to meeting Robert!

Maybe there is a Robert Whitely somewhere in your corner of the world................look for the blank stare and reach out to them, you may be better for it also!