Consumers Consider More than Price

A while back I came across an article in Adweek that talked about how despite the economy, consumers look at more than price.

It talks about that even in penny pinching times, consumers will still rely on their perception of value when choosing brands to purchase. Make no mistake, price matters ... but so does value. And that's the lesson in this article. Case in point, Allstate Insurance. Within the last few years, Allstate surpassed Geico to take the #1 spot. Despite Geico's emphasis on always providing low quotes, Allstate rose to the top on service and value. The article references Allstate's 'Accident Forgiveness Program' - no rate increases even for people with multiple accidents.

The lesson in all of this - while the economic environment makes it easy to focus on price, never forget that value and brand loyalty still matter.

A Lasting Effect On Our World

All of us at Celtic, are excited to have completed the development of Bucyrus International's annual report. Bucyrus is a global leader in the mining industry, manufacturing machinery for surface and underground mining operations.

What's exciting about this particular piece, is that it incorporates the Forest Stewardship Council's guidelines on using paper from select forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations. When a forester decides to become FSC certified, they make changes to comply with specific requirements so their harvesting efforts have a direct and permanent positive impact on the world’s forests and the people who inhabit them.

Hats off to Bucyrus, for developing a piece that followed FSC guidelines. It reinforces Bucyrus' long standing commitment to work alongside corporate partners to set new standards of global stewardship in this important era of resource recovery.

- Kurt

The Worst Can Bring Out The Best

For those of you who take I-94 east bound, whether you commute into the city or out, have no doubt see the crazy Tomato billboard that's just southeast of Miller Park (image below).



Well the mystery has finally been revealed - according to a report on JSOnline, it's Red Gold Tomatoes that are responsible. They're employing a "tease and reveal" strategy and will eventually be putting in oversized cans of their product on the billboard.

I applaud this strategy. If you drive down I-94, there are empty billboards everywhere, and a strategy like this would catch my attention even in a booming market! It's a virtual guarantee that this ad will not go unnoticed.

UPDATE: The board has now changed and incorporated a tag as well as two oversized cans of Red Gold.

"We're Still Here"

It's no secret that GM is planning to dump the Saturn brand within the next few years. As a result of this decision, Saturn is losing customers at an alarming rate. According to a report I read last night, sales are down nearly 50 percent since last year.

To help stop the bleeding, Saturn is launching a series of TV spots this spring that proclaim,"We're Still Here." I saw one of the spots while watching the men's NCAA basketball tournament.

My first reacton to the ad was, "Wow...how bad can it be when your marketing hook is 'we're still here?'" But over time, the spot really grew on me. How bold of Saturn! Instead of burying its head in the sand, the brand is coming out and saying, "Ya...times are tough, but we're not going anywhere. We're here and we want your business. This recession might be killing us, but we're not going down without a fight!"

Props to Saturn for addressing the issue head on and coming out with a strong spot. I believe the message will play well in the U.S. market....everyone likes an underdog!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Good morning and happy St. Patrick’s Day!

When you work at an agency called Celtic, St. Patty’s is a pretty big deal. In fact, it's a real holiday here at the agency. It's a day full of green beer and good cheer, but it's also a day to give back. Today, we’ll spend the morning at the Milwaukee VA playing bingo with the vets, then we're dropping off a barrel full of food at Hunger Task Force.

After the drop off, we're headed back to the office to feast on corned beef with all the fixings. We may even enjoy a Guinness or two. After lunch, everyone is free to go home and take advantage of a half-day vacation.

If you’re in the neighborhood around noon, be sure to stop by the agency for a corned beef sandwich. Or if you’re interested in playing a little hooky, be sure to give us a call. We’ll meet you at a nice Irish pub to toast the holiday!

Slainte!

Paying Bloggers for Reviews

Hey PR pros, you may find it hard to believe, but paying bloggers to review your product, service or store is starting to gain momentum. Kmart recently gave bloggers money for a shopping spree so they could blog about their experience.

What are your thoughts about this topic?

I disagree paying a reporter, blogger or news outlet for a positive review or endorsement. However, what about paying for someone to experience your product or service so they can provide an honest review?

Cool Promos for St. Pat's

St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner and some brands are using the holiday as a way to connect with consumers. Here are just a few of the cool sites/promos I've come across:

• AXE -Tweet Me I'm Irish
  
• Guinness - Proposition 3.17

What are you finding out there? If you know of any cool sites or promotions, let us know. Happy St. Pat's!

Milwaukee Manufacturer Taps MySpace

Briggs & Stratton just launched a battle of the bands site on MySpace - check it out. Voters will have a chance to select the winning band, in which the prize is a gig on the Briggs & Stratton stage at Summerfest, one of the biggest outdoor music festivals you'll find on the planet. You can click here to read the article.

It's yet another example of how corporations are tapping the power of social media. When used correctly, and it's appropriate to your brand, there's no denying social media is a powerful channel. It's like anything else, education and a better understanding are key. Yes, everyone seems to be talking about Twitter, FaceBook and everything else these days ... but unless you use it correctly ... not to mention if it's even brand appropriate ... the final benefit can become diluted.

Shoot Your Friends (on Facebook)

In anticipation of the launch of its new paintball pistol, Tippmann Sports recently created an interactive Facebook application that allows users to "shoot" their friends with a brief, good-natured message.

To participate, any registered Facebook user can click here and then start selecting the friends they want to reach out to. The user-friendly application tallies all outgoing messages and responses so players can track their success in real time.

Just another example of how a Celtic client is utilizing social media to build awareness and generate excitement for its products.

Now, ready...aim...fire!

One Year Anniversary

Celtic Suite 206 is celebrating its one-year anniversary today. Our first post was on March 12, 2008.

Thanks to everyone who has been following our blog and posting comments throughout the year! We appreciate your ongoing support. Also, a big thanks to our employees for posting your thoughts and commentary about the world of marketing communication. You guys are true professionals....thanks for sharing your insights. Here's to another great year!

Chatter Box

Old school phone booths may be dead, but cell phone booths are sprouting up at sporting venues, concert halls and malls across the country. Here's a booth I spotted at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee. This "Chatter Box" let's people take private calls in a sound proof enviroment. Not a bad idea for those days when you're playing hooky from the office.

High Life Tells Recession "Where to Go!"

Tired of the recession? Looks like advertisers are too. Here's a poster I came across last night a restaurant in the Chicago area. Looks like Miller High Life is telling the recession where to go!

"Green" Food Drive

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, Celtic is conducting a "Green" food drive beginning on Monday, March 3. The agency will be collecting all types of green food items, including green beans, peas and spinach (non-green food items are certainly welcomed). A collection barrel will be placed in the main lobby of 330 S. Executive Dr. in Brookfield, Wis. Everyone is welcome to donate non-perishable food. All food will be delivered to the Hunger Task Force on March 17. If you have questions, please call 262.789.7630.

Ford Targets 'Upper Funnel' Car Buyers

Just read an article in AdAge talking about Ford Motor Company's plan to spend $60 - $80 million on a campaign for its 2010 Fusion. Ford's focus is to target people who are not in the market to buy a car ... or at least not today.

It's classic upper funnel marketing - advertising with a message designed to build awareness so that later on down the road lower funnel initiatives (retail marketing, call to action initiatives, etc.) truly pay off. It's not that upper funnel marketing is revolutionary or anything ... I simply found the article to be refreshing.

In a period when every is pulling back, companies are being bailed out or mismanaged ... here's a company that decides they will proceed in order to make sure those Americans who are not aware of the brand, become so. Clearly Ford gets it - their brand, like many others, will long survive the current economic times. That means having the confidence to make decisions that are also in the brand's long term best interests.

Yes, it's completely understandable that most businesses are looking to strategies and tactics that impact their bottom line ASAP. But, it is nice to see that despite the current economic situation (not to mention some of the irresponsible reporting coming from our media that seems to do more harm sometimes than good) ... Ford sees the big picture that they will be selling cars far after things bounce back. And when things do bounce back, they want buyers to be thinking Ford!

- Kurt