Huxley Quayle von Blog

A great way to spend 2 minutes

I ran across this site, www.twenty120.com.

What you'll find is a really cool collection of two minute short films from avant-guarde directors. Lots of creative inspiration here.

My fav is Mother's Day, by David Lobser.
 

Who would have thought selling people something they can get for free would be so huge?

We read this last week on the Fast Company website and thought it was an incredibly interesting look at the bottled water market and the power of branding in general. 

Message in a Bottle

Wednesday, 21 November 2007 

Americans spent more money last year on bottled water than on ipods or movie tickets: $15 Billion. A journey into the economics--and psychology--of an unlikely business boom. And what it says about our culture of indulgence. 

The largest bottled-water factory in North America is located on the outskirts of Hollis, Maine. In the back of the plant stretches the staging area for finished product: 24 million bottles of Poland Spring water. As far as the eye can see, there are double-stacked pallets packed with half-pint bottles, half-liters, liters, "Aquapods" for school lunches, and 2.5-gallon jugs for the refrigerator. 

Read the whole article at Fast Company

Some really cool animation.

How long before we see this in an ad? I bet two months.
MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

An interesting take on consumer choice.

Barry Schwartz, speaking at the TED conference, argues that in today's world we have too much choice. He goes on to argue that the insane number of choices we have in just about everything we do and buy, has led to less satisfaction, not more. What can brands do about this? As we see it, creating a strong brand can help decrease the amount of choice people have, and therefore give them more satisfaction. After all, even though there are numerous MP3 players on the market, is there really any choice outside an iPod? Anyway, it's an entertaining talk.

 

Eco Labels affect consumer purchase

Eco-labels Impact Consumer Behavior

by: David Wigder

Eco-labels influence consumer behavior in two ways. First, they introduce green as a considered attribute at the point of sale. Second, they enable consumers to comparison shop based on green. Over the past few years, there have been many new eco-labels launched by governments, manufacturers and retailers. Many of these labels are listed on Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices site.

Interestingly, the Natural Marketing Institute’s 2007 LOHAS Consumer Trends Databasereport determined that not all eco-labels have the same impact. In fact, consumers indicate that they are more likely to make eco-friendly purchase decisions if the eco-labels are also widely recognized and trusted brands in of themselves. Familiar labels for programs like the EPA’s Energy Star have a more significant influence on consumer behavior than others.

While such a finding reinforces the value of eco-labels, it does challenge the notion that CPG companies and retailers should necessarily launch proprietary labels to differentiate themselves on green.

Like all brands, eco-labels take significant time and resources to build. Moreover, given the sensitivities regarding greenwashing, for-profit entities may have to overcome a higher hurdle than government or a non-profit organization given the appearance of conflict if proprietary labels adorn their own products.

 

As such, Marketing Green recommends that product companies and retailers focus on disclosing product information about environmental impact to differentiate themselves in the market rather than trying to define new green labels. Disclosures provide consumers with information that can inform purchase decisions rather than certify a product’s greenness. This is what HP has done with its launch of Eco Highlights labels on its products.

Marketing Green also recommends that retailers simultaneously push for industry-wide labels. While some retailers may consider proprietary labels as a competitive differentiator, it is likely that broadly recognized labels will accelerate consumer adoption while reduce the cost to support them. 

 

Moreover, retailers should differentiate themselves by sourcing more green products. Arguably, this is one of Wal-Mart’s strategic priorities today. Greater variety combined with recognized eco-labels will likely drive more sales as well as consumer loyalty.  In the end, this approach is likely to have more impact for both business and the environment.

by: David Wigder

Eco-labels influence consumer behavior in two ways. First, they introduce green as a considered attribute at the point of sale. Second, they enable consumers to comparison shop based on green. Over the past few years, there have been many new eco-labels launched by governments, manufacturers and retailers. Many of these labels are listed on Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices site.

Interestingly, the Natural Marketing Institute’s 2007 LOHAS Consumer Trends Databasereport determined that not all eco-labels have the same impact. In fact, consumers indicate that they are more likely to make eco-friendly purchase decisions if the eco-labels are also widely recognized and trusted brands in of themselves. Familiar labels for programs like the EPA’s Energy Star have a more significant influence on consumer behavior than others.

While such a finding reinforces the value of eco-labels, it does challenge the notion that CPG companies and retailers should necessarily launch proprietary labels to differentiate themselves on green.

Like all brands, eco-labels take significant time and resources to build. Moreover, given the sensitivities regarding greenwashing, for-profit entities may have to overcome a higher hurdle than government or a non-profit organization given the appearance of conflict if proprietary labels adorn their own products.

 

As such, Marketing Green recommends that product companies and retailers focus on disclosing product information about environmental impact to differentiate themselves in the market rather than trying to define new green labels. Disclosures provide consumers with information that can inform purchase decisions rather than certify a product’s greenness. This is what HP has done with its launch of Eco Highlights labels on its products.

Marketing Green also recommends that retailers simultaneously push for industry-wide labels. While some retailers may consider proprietary labels as a competitive differentiator, it is likely that broadly recognized labels will accelerate consumer adoption while reduce the cost to support them. 

 

Moreover, retailers should differentiate themselves by sourcing more green products. Arguably, this is one of Wal-Mart’s strategic priorities today. Greater variety combined with recognized eco-labels will likely drive more sales as well as consumer loyalty.  In the end, this approach is likely to have more impact for both business and the environment.

by: David Wigder

Eco-labels influence consumer behavior in two ways. First, they introduce green as a considered attribute at the point of sale. Second, they enable consumers to comparison shop based on green. Over the past few years, there have been many new eco-labels launched by governments, manufacturers and retailers. Many of these labels are listed on Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices site.

Interestingly, the Natural Marketing Institute’s 2007 LOHAS Consumer Trends Databasereport determined that not all eco-labels have the same impact. In fact, consumers indicate that they are more likely to make eco-friendly purchase decisions if the eco-labels are also widely recognized and trusted brands in of themselves. Familiar labels for programs like the EPA’s Energy Star have a more significant influence on consumer behavior than others.

While such a finding reinforces the value of eco-labels, it does challenge the notion that CPG companies and retailers should necessarily launch proprietary labels to differentiate themselves on green.

Like all brands, eco-labels take significant time and resources to build. Moreover, given the sensitivities regarding greenwashing, for-profit entities may have to overcome a higher hurdle than government or a non-profit organization given the appearance of conflict if proprietary labels adorn their own products.

 

As such, Marketing Green recommends that product companies and retailers focus on disclosing product information about environmental impact to differentiate themselves in the market rather than trying to define new green labels. Disclosures provide consumers with information that can inform purchase decisions rather than certify a product’s greenness. This is what HP has done with its launch of Eco Highlights labels on its products.

Marketing Green also recommends that retailers simultaneously push for industry-wide labels. While some retailers may consider proprietary labels as a competitive differentiator, it is likely that broadly recognized labels will accelerate consumer adoption while reduce the cost to support them. 

 

Moreover, retailers should differentiate themselves by sourcing more green products. Arguably, this is one of Wal-Mart’s strategic priorities today. Greater variety combined with recognized eco-labels will likely drive more sales as well as consumer loyalty.  In the end, this approach is likely to have more impact for both business and the environment.

The Shock Doctorine

A provocative short film by the authojr of No Logo, Naomi Klein. Watching it, one can't help but wonder if new technologies aren't having a shocking effect on the ad industry, with clients and agencies willing to listen to anyone who shouts out "social media"!

It also leaves the question open about whether one could shock a community of people, a target audience in old world agency terms, in order to change their perceptions about an issue or brand.

Have a watch.

Want to weather the recession? Think old.

Boomers ready to spend: Ipsos Reid
by Terry Poulton
Dodgy economy notwithstanding, boomer-age Canadians are ready, willing and - as the country's wealthiest demo - able to spend their money.

That's the clear message of an Ipsos Reid survey set for release today at the 2008 conference of the Canadian Newspaper Association and Canadian Community Newspapers Association, says Ipsos SVP of public Affairs John Wright. "The research shows that at a time of ever gloomier economic forecasts, this is a group that needs to be reached out to, as it represents tremendous potential for growth."

But there's a downside. The survey of 1,980 Canadian adults aged 44-62 - one of the largest polling samples of this demographic in recent years - found that while eight in 10 boomers self-identify as having "big buying power," four in 10 feel advertisers ignore them.

Wright agrees with the respondents' complaint. "For decades, advertisers have chased younger audiences to gain loyalty and market share," he notes. "In today's economic conditions they might be better off to refocus on a group that combines maturity with money and a desire to spend it."

CNA president/CEO Anne Kothawala is on the same page: "Clearly, there's a disconnect between who advertisers think they should be marketing to and who actually has the resources and intention to spend. In other words, fistfuls of ad dollars are missing the boat."

According to the Ipsos Reid survey, taking a vacation (39%) tops the list of boomers' spending priorities in the next 12 months, followed by purchasing home electronics (35%), furniture (31%), mutual funds or investments (31%), appliances (24%), a car (23%) and a computer (23%).

Cool bike. Cool music.

I found this on Cool Hunting website. A neat video about Simon Pace, drummer for Blonde Redhead and his love of Moto Guzzi bikes and design.

Great song too.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1426749166/bclid1428686961/bctid1428676019

Yet another to make HQvB insanely successful.

In celebration of the M1's 30th anniversary, BMW quietly introduced a new model at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este last weekend. An aggressive, low-profile sports car, aspects of the design hark back to the original M1.

I've been driving BMWs for over 10 years, so I love the brand. But holy hell, this takes it to another level.

Be a 'David' and Do More With Less

By Mark Barden

Published: April 21, 2008, in Advertising Age

Downturns are tough on everyone and are not to be taken lightly. We'll all have to do more with less. But luckily for marketers, we're surrounded by sources of inspiration at times like these. In every category there is a "challenger" seeking to compete with a leader and trying to do more with less.

It's as though challengers live in an almost permanent recession. Maybe Hal Fass is right and "little players tend to shake out in a recession," or maybe they are already implementing their more innovative recession-busting marketing plans right now, because they're more nimble than you. Only the paranoid survive.

Spending every day as David outgunned by Goliath -- with his massive R&D budgets, TV campaigns, end-cap displays and free shipping -- requires quite a different mind-set. And what's interesting for those of us who spend time with these people is how liberated challengers seem to be by this. They see their challenges as sources of strength and creativity.

Perhaps as marketers we could all be invigorated by the recession if we embraced the challenger mind-set.

What follows are four ways to make your marketing money work harder, inspired by real-world challengers. I offer the below as an innovation program. Much has been said about the long-term benefits of innovating in a recession, and this almost always equates to developing new products. That may well be the right thing to do, but it won't pay off any time soon. These four ideas can start working for you much sooner.

1. DENIAL IS A GOOD THING

Instead of, say, cutting your media spend by 10%, what if you slashed it by 100% instead and forced yourself to look for alternative forms of media, those "media" already at your disposal? If you're Method, you use your packaging. On the hand-wash refill package there's a witty as well as substantive top 10 list of reasons to be "Against Dirty," which both engages us for a minute in the way a good ad does, while conveying what the brand believes in. Method uses some of its packaging to project its beliefs, much as a leader might use TV, but the cost to Method is minimal. No, this can't replace the power of TV, but how many package-goods brands still see their package as a container rather than a medium? In a recession, this is a costly mistake.

2. PICK A FIGHT

Challengers get people to pay attention to them by strategically picking fights. There's a reason why we used to run from one end of the schoolyard to the other to watch two kids brawling. When it was someone finally taking on the school bully, we ran as hard as we could. Would this be the day when our lunch money would once again be safe?

Public battles between brands hold the same promise if someone, or something, might be liberated from the tyranny of the big guy.

Miller Lite made headway against Bud Light for the first time in years when it busted it publicly for putting out what Miller called a tasteless Bud Light. It revealed a truth that any self-respecting lovers of suds ought to know about before parting with its hard-earned money. Three cheers for David. Guys at Miller: Time to bring that approach back. As money tightens, our suspicions of being ripped off only rise.

3. IT PAYS TO HATE

If you're a lover, not a fighter -- as Majorcan shoe company Camper is -- it can still be useful to pick an enemy, if only for the attention it will get you. Especially when it requires taking a stand against something we all seem to hold sacred: the striving for accomplishment that defines modern life. Their "Walk, don't run" philosophy, explained in magalogs, on its website, and stenciled on the walls of their stores, calls us out pretty sharpish on our 24/7, CrackBerry-adled existences. One small company is taking a stand against our entire civilization.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Barden is a partner at eatbigfish. He is a specialist in challenger brands -- those plucky No. 2 or No. 3 brands that manage to compete effectively with brand leaders. His clients include eBay, Unilever, PepsiCo and Lexus.
OK, hate can be a nasty idea at the best of times, but in the worst of times, it can be a tremendous ally in creating the kind of theater and energy needed to grab the imaginations of the consumer.

4. TAKE IT PERSONALLY

In each of these cases, the reframing was around some very strongly held personal beliefs. Successful challengers are nearly always invested with a very personal sense of mission. Whether it be to detox the home (Method) or get the world to slow down (Camper), it is the people behind the challenge who give it its teeth, because they take it personally. This personal conviction acts as a huge multiplier on even the smallest budget.