Tracking the trends.

A comprehensive report on the growth of the BTL marketing services across industires with reasons for the same and the most effected aspects of the "traditional" media formats. Please download the full report from the Articles and White Papers section of The BTL Life from here.

Marketing in a recession ; an article download.

Is it an economic recession or a mere slow down? Is it just the beginning or is it already over? Is the recessionary trend going to be “V” shaped curve or would the curve be of the scary elongated “U” shape, and is India immune?

It’s anyone’s guess. While I do have my views buts I don’t know for sure and if I did know I would be an exceptionally rich person. However, what I do understand is that time is right to be cautious as the cloud cover ahead is a couple of shades darker.

In a slowdown environment, the pressure on the availability of the marketing dollar is going to increase, and if you are in a US centric organization where the funds are allocated in USD denomination or currencies which are linked to the USD – then expect a further pressure where-in the dollar depreciation, which has already eroded about 10-15% of the marketing budget, will further weaken by a few percentage points. This will knock down the quantum of your funds by the time you are able to see the funds in your spend account.

Download the full article on how to tackle the challenges of marketing in a recession from the Articles & White Papers section of The BTL Life from here. You can also access other knowledge papers from the same location.

SCAM! SCAM!! SCAM!!!

Very interesting to see the huge coverage of the festival which celebrates and facilitates ideas and their creators! Even more interesting to see a brand & it’s advertising related story making it to the cover page of the economic times. Indeed sad that the story is in the news for all the wrong reasons.

 

While I understand that the fest, in its current form, is not the place to discuss ROI on campaigns or their effectiveness to business, but I think there is very good reason for the industry to sit up, start to take it selves seriously and weed out what is obviously scam work and presentation. If it cannot do so, then we need to understand what is the industry felicitating? And can you think of any other example where the fraternity encourages & recognizes con work?

 

It is common knowledge (but sad to see it in print) that 90% of the work was legal scam!! Read the article here if you have not already read it.

Analytics made understandable by the Red-Shirt Phenomenon.

I came across this brilliant piece of work by Matt Bailey of Site Logic Marketing, on analytics / analysis of the Red-Shirt Phenomenon in Star Trek. You don’t need to be a fan of Star Trek to enjoy and understand this (of course I am a big fan). You also don’t need to be into data analytics to enjoy this - though it will hit home harder!

Loved the research finding “When Captain Kirk meets an alien woman and “makes contact” the survival rate of the red-shirted crewmen increases by 84%.”

Read the article here & enjoy.

Feedback 2.0

Here is a good example of a brand encouraging its customers to ‘put down their wishes & ideas’ & share the ideas with a like minded and passionate community. These are further filtered by the community & the most needed & workable solutions are put on the implementation route. Simple!

So how is this different from the regular “feedback form” which all of us have an option to fill. Very different indeed! The brand here is creating trust and a bond with its community of users by just being open and alive to customer responses, as against secretly analyzing feedback within its dark office cabins and implementing only what it wants to do. The intention to listen attentively to the customer is the key. I also believe that the willingness to put the “action being taken” upfront is a great way to show that they care.

While it appears that the guys at Starbucks are generating some great ideas and trying to implement them for the consumers’ benefit, what they are really additionally generating is a lot of positive spin around the brand and a database of truly passionate Starbucks customers. The campaign also highlights Starbucks willingness to listen to its key constituent – the customer.

Very simple but awesome viral thought. Visit My Starbucks Idea.