Marketing Home Products

Marketing is harder than it looks. Whether it’s for home products, toothpaste or cat food, a simple idea could take months, even years to cultivate. Each year, companies spend millions of dollars trying to convince consumers to choose their products services over another. Especially in today’s economy, it’s not surprising that many businesses are rethinking their advertising in order to open doors to new and different customers.

In a world driven by Facebook pages, Twitter and iPhones, shaking up your marketing plan can be a challenge. Despite hundreds of marketing outlets, decision makers are faced with the risky decision of where and when to place their company’s key messaging in the marketplace.

Of course, that’s where the professionals come in: advertising agencies. Agencies can help any business achieve marketing bliss

through traditional channels, both in print and digitally. Many businesses, however, are doing something totally different: turning to consumers to help revamp key messaging. Mountain Dew, a brand with a history of marketing victory, is doing just that with special edition cans featuring artwork that will make any head turn.

Mountain Dew's Green Label Art

Skateboarder Paul Rodriquez and legendary skateboard artist Don Pendleton inspired 35 skate shops to partner with an artist to design special edition cans for Mountain Dew that will be distributed nationally. Five skate shops from each region of the country are currently competing to see their can in stores.

Want to know the catch? Fans of the skate shops decided which designs won the regional competition and will also decide which cans gets distributed nationwide. Fans will decide – not top marketing executives, Mountain Dew’s CEO or a random drawing. Now, that’s unique marketing.

Just like the Grateful Dead, Mountain Dew is giving customers a voice while mixing a more traditional medium with newer online technologies. If Mountain Dew sees success like the Grateful Dead did, this won’t be the last time fans run wild with their brand. I’m betting they never look back.

How can home and building products leverage customer input? Sherwin Williams gives its customers endless paint color possibilities with a color visualizer, and Owens Corning urges those in the market for a new roof to first take a Roofing Color Compass Personality Quiz for just the rate shade to match a certain personality. But how about fans creating an actual voice for the company, rather than taking advantage of user-friendly options? Is it happening…or is this new territory to uncover? Let me know what you think.

In the past few decades, there has been a tremendous shift in who makes shopping decisions in the household, switching from men to women. Well, not only do women make decisions on what to buy, but a new report by American Express says young women have been leading the spending during this economic recovery.

The study (analyzed by a sample of 90 million credit cards, four billion annual transactions and $620 billion in total spending) says women under age 45 who charge to their cards at least $7,000 per month have increased spending by 1 percent during the recession, and 23 percent during the recovery. The study also revealed that Internet spending has increased on sites such as RueLaLa.com, where women can purchase luxury items without going into a store.

But these women aren’t just shopping for new clothes and accessories…they’re also spending more money on others. Gifts, charities, children, and fitness were listed as the biggest spending increases among this group of women. Amex has since named this group “Golden Givers,” since these women increased card transactions of charitable donations by 4 percent during the recession and increased 12percent during the recovery.

Women over 45 spent 4percent less during the depression, which can be attributed to a smaller amount of time to earn more money for their retirement portfolios.

Men 45 and older (called “Material Men”) were the second largest spending group; however, their spending went more toward clothing and travel.

Although we’re all budget-conscious and weary right now, I think businesses could take a cue from Golden Givers and Material Men. Consider for a moment these words from J. Wesley Rosberg:

“I have yet to see any study that proves that timidity is the route to success. Studies consistently have proven that companies that have the intelligence and guts to maintain or increase their overall marketing and advertising efforts in times of business downturns will get the edge on their timid competitors.”

It light of the recent launch of Shopkick, which I wrote about here just a few days ago, I thought it would be a good time to look at some of the other mobile marketing options out there. I’ve talked before about 2D codes and how they’re changing mobile marketing.  Whether it’s on editorial pages or ad pages, printed 2D barcodes may be scanned by a camera-equipped phone once a free barcode reading device is installed. Barcodes can also be displayed in store windows to offer consumers discounts and special offers as they enter retail locations.

But what about those (yes, they’re still out there) with “Zach Morris” phones, who don’t have the ability to download apps?

Document management services like SNIPP use simple text messaging technology to allow users to access additional information about products along with coupons and promotions. The difference here is that users text a code to, say, SNIPP, and subsequently receive information either on their mobile phone or via e-mail. Users can also access everything they’ve “snipped” on snipp.com. This service can also be used on print ads or at retail locations, but instead of using a barcode you simply tell readers what code to text where. SNIPP is now used by Meredith Publications as well as People and ESPN magazine. SNIPP does work with a barcode scanner, but it isn’t necessary. Visit www.snipp.com and scroll to the bottom of the page to see how some manufacturers are using the service.

For companies looking for a more straightforward way to communicate with potential customers, send information and share promotions through mobile devices these scanner and texting services could be a better fit than Shopkick. There are no gimmicks like reward points involved, which gives the services a slightly higher level of sophistication. You may find that many customers don’t want to collect points…just information and discounts.

Be they old school or new school, phone-carrying customers of all kinds can now access their discounts and use them too.