For those who say that social media is a fad might want to rethink their viewpoint the next time they sell their home.

LinkedIn has partnered with Rofo.com to create a real estate portal on LinkedIn, steering the real estate industry into social media.  The app will be called “Real Estate Pro,” and can be used by any agent with a LinkedIn profile.

“Real Estate Pro” displays residential and commercial listings and recently finished deals, but also posts market data within an agent’s local area.  Launched on the 23^rd, “Real Estate Pro” creates a localized marketplace for brokers, and updates directly on the profile page of the user.

View the video below to see more about how this new app works.

Have we gone too far?

A 1978 Virginia Slims magazine ad reads, “Back then, every man gave his wife at least one day a week out of the house.” The ad depicts two very different women: a black and white photograph shows a woman in an apron hanging laundry outside while the other image illustrates a beautifully modern woman showing a little skin in a colorful, flowing dress. The ad continues, “You’ve come a long way, baby.” With feministic undertones, the ad is just one example of a campaign dedicated to the independence, glamour and liberation of women – worlds away from cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children. It illustrates a woman who is free, happy, and most importantly, unattached.

The Virginia Slims campaign, although not the first of its kind, helped pave the way for a critical change in the relationship between men and women, especially in marketing. The past few decades have been a transfer of women gaining authority in the marketplace. Today, role reversal is extremely common in marketing and advertising with many brands opening the door to women in a man’s world of sex, power and money. The surprising part is that women are coming out on top.

It’s no secret that women are powerful shoppers. Did you know they are responsible for 80 percent of all household purchasing decisions? With such a striking statistic, it’s not surprising that a great focus is directed toward women when it comes to marketing, advertising and the media.

How many ads can you think of that directly target men?  Of those,  do you think the modern man is fairly represented? It has been said that men are portrayed as indifferent, egocentric and self-indulgent. We discuss the role of men in the marketplace (or lack thereof) extensively in our Missing Males White Paper. The research here summarizes the idea that marketers and the media depict a man’s role in the household either negatively or not at all.

Today, not only do we notice the “missing male,” but we see a complete role reversal that changes the male / female dynamic even further.  Women are now portrayed as individuals with male characteristics – powerful, dominant and influential – while men are unexpectedly feminine, slave-like or illustrated as sex objects.

A current example of a brand taking advantage of role reversal is Xanté liqueur. With a racy slogan, “Unimaginable Pleasure – Oral Delight from the Country of Europe,” Xanté specifically targets women with sexually charged copywriting and controversial ads. The liqueur itself is described using words like affection, touch, penetration, and ménage a trios, but one phrase sticks out like a sore thumb: “The Golden Age of Women.” It’s ironic, yet playful and fun. The ads are the real catch with women leading sports in which you’d typically only see men participating – hunting, rowing, sledding, and cricket. In each ad, the men are very robotic, playing the role of dogs, servants and even objects.

Xante advertisement

It’s obvious that the women are in charge. The men are just their toys.

Take a look at this recent Marc Jacobs ad. I’ve taken the liberty of transforming the word “bimbo” into “HIMbo” when discussing the role reversal of men and women in marketing and advertising. This himbo fits the mold:

"himbo"

There’s been a 30 – 40 year transfer in how men and women are portrayed. It’s as if they swapped roles completely. Has it gone too far? I’m all for independent and strong women – both in the workplace and at home – and respect the necessary and long-awaited advances made in decades past.

But have the tables turned too drastically, where men lose credibility?

Do the media know they have created a true battle of the sexes? Maybe, but women have officially taken off their aprons to show what they’re really capable of: conquering anything a man can do. From leadership roles and strong opinions to successful careers and sports, women have come a long way (baby).

A new initiative sponsored by the Bureau of Consumer Protection wing of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) features a rather novel take on educating kids and ‘tweens’ on the effect of advertising on their young lives. The initiative takes the form of a website called Admongo (admongo.gov), where visitors can get an “ad-ucation” by playing games that feature fictional products closely modeled on real ones.

Admongo.gov

This program, in partnership with Scholastic, a New York-based educational publishing company, starts off with the ominous words: “Advertising is all around you!”

The site’s goal is to have kids ask themselves “Who is responsible for the ad?” and “What does the ad want me to do?”

Research that has been conducted by the Wright Institute, a clinical psychology training program, has turned up surprising results.  Three- to 7-year-olds gravitate toward toys that ‘transform’ themselves (G.I. Joe, anyone?) into something else. Eight- to 12-year-olds love to collect things…like the baseball card collection your mom threw out so many years ago.

The products and pitches used in the mock-up Admongo ads include familiar-sounding (but fictional) brand names. These, according to a New York Times article include ‘Choco Crunch’n Good’ cereal, ‘Cleanology’ acne medication (aimed at tweens), ‘Double Dunk’ sporting goods and the ‘Smile Meals’ (a la McDonald’s venerable Happy Meal) sold at ‘Fast Chef’ restaurants.

I think it’s an interesting approach. No parent needs to tell you the effect toy commercials have on children (especially around the holidays).  The wisdom the FTC is trying to impart reminds me of an old Calvin and Hobbes cartoon where Calvin turns to his mom and says, “Mom, you need to get me Frosted Coated Chocolate Sugar Bombs cereal! It gives me the PUNCH I need in the morning!” Calvin’s mom, with artist’s Bill Watterson’s help, sighs and forlornly serves her blonde progeny a bowl of good old-fashioned Cheerios.  Plain product, plain packaging…why would a kid want any of that? There aren’t even any toys in the box!

Advertisers’ efforts, despite reservations parents may have of their influence, seem to translate into big money. According to marketing expert James U. McNeal, PhD, author of “The Kids Market: Myths and Realities” (Paramount Market Publishing, 1999), children under 12 already spend a whopping $28 billion a year (based on circa-2000 economic figures). Teenagers spend nearly $100 billion on the brands that appeal to them. Children also influence another $249 billion spent by their parents. And since we don’t have to adjust for much inflation, those numbers still ring true 10 years later.

We’ll keep you posted on the findings. In the meantime, keep the kids off the Frosted Coated Chocolate Sugar Bombs.

Marketing Home Products in a Changing Marketing Landscape

As we all know, planning season is upon us…and what better way to prepare for our 2010 marketing plans then to identify the home products marketing trends for the upcoming year?

At K&A, we explored the latest and greatest marketing trends for 2010 and came up with our favorite five.

1.  Word of Mouth Marketing
Customers will leave you if they don’t see the difference between you and the other guy. And in today’s chaotic marketplace, this will continue to grow. That’s why word-of-mouth marketing, especially tech-based and mobile communications, will be more important in 2010 then ever before.

2. Social Responsibility
Being eco-friendly has gone mainstream. Customers buy from brands that are making a difference in the world; and as more and more young consumers–one of the biggest advocate groups of ‘being green’– enter the marketplace, you will continue to see corporate social responsibility gain momentum in 2010.

3. Customer Insight and Implementation
Tomorrow’s customers want a say in the development, improvement and branding process. Companies that create discussion forums and blogs on the company Web site, establish a presence on social media sites like twitter and Facebook, or use platforms like UserVoice or Get Satisfaction for customer feedback, allow customers greater input in the process and more trust in the brand.

4. Personal Branding
With the growth in use of social networks like LinkedIn and Facebook, as well as blogs, the lines between professional and personal have become blurred. Social media tools have become a professional’s online resume, portfolio and personality, all in one. In 2010, expect to see more personal branding that defines who you are and what role you play in your company.

5. Authenticity
Authentic branding will continue to increase in popularity in 2010. Customers want to know who they’re dealing with, buying from and what the company stands for. Customers have been and will continue to seek transparent and honest communications from brands they can trust.

For more insight into our top five marketing trend picks for 2010, tweet me at @stevekleber.

Not a subscriber to our e-newsletter? Click here to subscribe.

Think about your marketing campaigns and customer relationship programs. Are loyalty or reward programs in place?

According to a new white paper by the loyalty marketing consultancy, Colloquy, titled “After the Meltdown: Consumer Attitudes and Perceptions About Loyalty Programs in the Post-Recession Economy,” as reported by MediaPost, U.S. consumer participation in rewards programs is on the rise across all demographic segments.

The white paper examined trends in six consumer segments:

• General Population (representing a statistically distributed sample of the U.S. overall)
• Affluent (heads of household with annual incomes of $125,000 or greater)
• Millennials (respondents 18 – 25 years of age)
• Seniors (respondents 60 years or older)
• Core Women (female respondents age 25 – 49 with an annual income between $50,000 and $125,000)
• Emerging Hispanic (respondents age 21 or older of Hispanic origin with an annual household income of $40,000 or less)

Most notable were “Millennial” participants who demonstrated a 32 percent increase since 2007. “Core Women” increased 29 percent and the “General Population” was up 19 percent in the same time period.

In relation to Millennials, 27 percent are actively seeking to enroll in new programs to help expand their budgets. They are also far more likely than any other demographic to enjoy engaging with programs through new media channels than the general population. More than 55 percent appreciate communicating through social networking sites and 52 percent enjoy communication via cell phone or text message.

According to the white paper’s co-author, Kelly Hlavinka, as reported by MediaPost,

“Millennials represent a golden opportunity in a time of economic darkness for loyalty marketers. This demographic is receptive to the wish-list of loyalty initiatives — eager to join programs, eager to build relationships with their favorite brands and eager to engage with new media channels. This shows a powerful opening for loyalty marketers to build sustainable loyalty with the next generation of American consumers.”

Does your company utilize loyalty programs? Why or why not?

For more information about how to market to Millennials, download our free white paper here.

According to an article in MediaPost, “Today’s luxury industries are confronting a convergence of two trends:

1. Boomers entering a life stage when traditional materialistic values become less important, and
2. A recessionary economy that for many has decimated prospects for retirement.”

So, what does this mean for the luxury home market and how do today’s luxury marketers prevail in this down economy?

MediaPost lists four strategies to aid today’s marketers:

1.  Build communities around your products. The legendary Harley Davidson has always commanded higher prices than foreign motorcycles partly because of HOG (Harley Owners Group), a network providing powerful referential reinforcement.

2.  Differentiate with values that address emerging Boomer needs to seek higher purpose in lifestyle choices. A watch is more than a watch when acquired as a future heirloom for a grandchild.

3.  Make an unassailable quality and durability case. Most Boomers have been burned by shoddy products that seemed like a good deal but broke after purchase. Boomers believe the adage: You get what you pay for.

4.  Consider tiered pricing. Just as airlines such as Frontier are unveiling tiered ticket prices in coach class, luxury-class products can be offered to consumers as good, better and best (not cheap, cheaper, cheapest), without compromising brand stature or differentiation.

For more information on marketing to Boomers and the emerging Ruppies population, click here to download K&A’s free Ruppies White Paper. For more information about luxury marketing click here.

Clients Want More of it, PR Pros Agree

According to a recent survey of 520 international public relations professionals conducted by the Institute for Public Relations (IPR), as reported by MediaPost, clients are asking their public relations agencies to measure in more effective and targeted ways.

In fact, client demand for measurement of online communications increased from 29 percent in 2008 to 41 percent in 2009 online, according to the survey.

• 88 percent of PR practitioners believe measurement is an integral part of the public relations process
• 77 percent currently track their programs
• An overwhelming majority of professional communicators taking part in the survey said measuring the ROI on communications is an achievable goal

Yet the survey also found that PR professionals still don’t agree on the best measurement tools and methodologies to use — a debate that continues within the profession.

The survey identified two schools of thought: the output measurers that use clippings and advertising value equivalencies (AVE), and the outcome measurers who prefer more cerebral measures such as internal reviews and opinion polls.

While there are pros and cons of each measurement camp, it’s important for clients and their agencies to accurately measure the public relations program against its measurable objective(s).

Rather than judging the success of the campaign based on media impressions solely, why not value the earned media coverage on shifting opinion, awareness or sales and market share?

While the number of clips and AVE calculations remain the lasting favorites, the good news is that an increasing amount of PR practitioners are turning to internal reviews, benchmarking, the use of specialist media evaluation tools, focus groups and opinion polling.

What measurement camp do you fall in? And why? Tweet me @stevekleber.

Generation Poised to Put U.S. Housing Market Back on Track

According to Harvard’s State of the Nation’s Housing 2009 report, as reported by Reuters, America’s youngest generation – Millennials – offers a lifeline for the nation’s current housing crisis.

A group of about 80 million, the Millennials are currently of peak home buying and renting ages and “offer a massive source of support for housing,” according to the study.

They’re also the group you want to target when marketing home products, building supplies or selling homes.

Due to new federal legislation passed this year including the economic stimulus package and the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Millennials are best poised to enter America’s affordable housing and remodeling market with numerous unprecedented advantages including:  the lowest mortgage loan rates in the past 15 years, an enormous 2009 federal tax credit for first-time homebuyers ($8,000) and a 30 percent energy tax credit (up to $1,500) for energy saving projects completed in 2009 and 2010 such as replacement windows and doors, roofs, insulation and water heaters.

According to the Reuters article, Millennials will “expand the number of needed housing units” and “will bolster demand for the next 10 years and beyond, supporting the sagging housing market . . .”

Nicolas Retsinas, director of Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, said in an interview that with Millennials’ sheer population, “coupled with immigration, and you have the seeds, the possibility of a housing recovery.”

To view the complete Reuters article, click here. To download Harvard’s State of the Nation’s Housing 2009 report, click here. And click here for a free download of K&A’s latest Millennials White Paper.

In an earlier blog, I touched briefly on the “new consumerism,” stating that the current recession has led to vast changes in consumption attitudes and increasingly discerning consumers that also impacts marketing home products. Seemingly, our consumption-frenzied nation has now adopted the mantra of it’s “nifty to be thrifty” – continuously seeking cost-effective product and service options, and frequently switching to different brands and product categories.

For those who market home products, this presents both changes and challenges in the way we conduct business and appeal to our target audiences. What’s now more important than ever is to portray value and empathy in your marketing messages and to resonate your brand authenticity.

On the other hand, as both a marketer and small business owner, I can’t help but wonder how long this new consumer attitude will last. Take a look at this video in relation to the future of consumerism.

Will consumers, having adapted to a “less is more” mentality, stay the course? Or, when the black cloud of the recession lifts, will consumers return to their former purchasing habits? What do you think?

No doubt the recession has changed most people’s consumption attitudes, creating an alteration of worldwide consumerism as we previously knew it. Today’s consumers have adopted the mantra of it’s “nifty to be thrifty,” looking for cost-effective product and service options and frequently switching to different brands and product categories.

Subsequently, there is a rising uncertainty among us as business leaders and marketers. Smart marketers realize that despite the pressure of strapped budgets, the same research that provides insight about customer and market trends pays dividends in the long-term.

Here are five ways your company can conduct cost-effective marketing research.

1. Utilize digital tools

Online research is a great, inexpensive way to tap into your marketplace. There are resources that enable you to create tailored surveys in minutes that can produce both quantitative and qualitative research. Just remember it’s not what you ask, but how you ask it. Social media marketing tools like Twitter, LinkedIn and blogs are other low-cost ways to gauge your customer base. Barry Judge, CMO of Best Buy, provides an excellent example of how the popular retailer is engaging and interacting with its core customer audiences via Judge’s blog.

2. Focus on core customers

National studies consistently prove that it costs more to get a new customer than to keep an existing one. In a recession, it’s imperative to have a clear understanding of your current customers. In good economic times, you have the ability to spend research money on secondary customers and prospects. Start with your core and branch out from there.

3. Collaborate with a valued research/agency partner

Another way to trim costs is to collaborate with trusted research suppliers where you can maximize your resources and obtain more insight and data. If partnering with a marketing agency, consider one that conducts its own market and consumer research and that may have long-established relationships with specialized research firms.

4. Avoid slashing all research budgets

It’s now more important than ever to use market research to ensure your brand and marketing messages resonate with your core customers. You’re spending money to reach your customers, so testing messages will prove more profitable then wasting money on ineffective messaging. Just as important as knowing where you may be able to shed some research costs (i.e. potential customers), it’s important to know where not to cut.

5. Look to the future

Consumer trends aren’t stationary, so it’s important to allocate some money to predicting future consumer and market trends. What will the future of new product development and services look like, and how can your brand adequately adapt to changes in the marketplace?

If research is conducted in a cost-effective and sound way now, when the recession passes, your brand will be finely positioned for the upturn.