brandsizzle

Trends: Brick Films are Popular Medium on YouTube

Brick films are stop motion animation movies made with plastic building toys or bricks (LEGO, Mega Bloks, Best-Lock, etc.). They can also include 3D and Flash.

One of the best known movies in the brick film genre is a film called "Cognizance," about a hit man's day on the job.

Related:
brick films.com - a searchable directory of hundreds of films, contests, a busy forum, and great resources to help animators of any level in the creation of their movies.

“In this Film Industry it Really Helps to Be a Blockhead; Young Cineastes Find Lego A Congenial Medium for the Age of YouTube, 10/06/07, Wall Street Journal

Global Survey Says Consumers will Pay More to Support Socially Responsible Causes

The survey, conducted by Edelman, a global public relations firm, says that "85% of consumers around the world are willing to change the brands they buy, or their consumption habits, to make tomorrow's world a better place. Over half (55%) would help a brand 'promote' a product if there was a good cause behind it." But just 39% of consumers were aware of brands that actively supported good causes through their products or services.

Edelman believes the results of the study reveal that "social purpose as marketing imperative has global consumer appeal and can help brands build deeper relationships."

While consumers said they would be willing to pay more to support socially responsible brands, research from other sources indicates that the amount of premium they would be willing to pay may not underwrite the costs of social branding, and, may be seen simply as a marketing ploy, according to by Ipsos-Reid.

In addition, 61% consumers indicated that they would prefer to hear about a brand's social causes from other consumers "like themselves."

The results of the survey do confirm the importance of branding and paying particular attention to the equities and essence of those brands for whom a socially responsible cause reflects the priorities of their target audience.

Sources:

"Consumers Looking to Partner with Brands for Social Change, Global Study Says," 11/15/07, Edelman Press Release

"Consumers Will Pay Up to Support Socially Conscious Marketers" 11/16/07 - Advertising Age

Dance Jam, Respectance, Marketocracy, LawLink, Reunion.com - the Niche-ifying of Social Networks

When most marketers think about incorporating social networks in their marketing mix,  MySpace and Facebook are the two that they are most likely to consider---understandable considering that MySpace has 72 million users, and Facebook has 52 million. And of course, both MS and FB just released some nifty new services.  But it don't overlook the growing number of niche social networks that are popping up, especially when you consider the opportunities they offer for exact vertical targeting. Here's a sampling:

From TechCrunch:

• Dance Jam  This combination of urban/virtual/YouTube/American Bandstand was founded by M.C. Hammer and partners as a social network where dancers can upload videos of themselves, watch dances and slow them down to learn new moves, search geographically, and virtually compete with other dancers. Can't touch this yet---it's still in beta but coming soon.

From CNN Money:

• Gather.com  "A scholarly MySpace with less hook-ups and more intellectual stimulation" for the boomer crowd.
• TeeBeeDee "The place for people over 40 who believe that life is still to be determined."
• Respectance "A communal grieving space."
• Sermo.com "An online community where physicians around the nation exchange the latest medical insights with each other to improve patient outcomes."
• LawLink "A new professional and social networking site for attorneys."
• PatientsLikeMe "Patients Helping Patients Live Better Every Day"

From WebStrategist

• Kickstart - Yahoo launched this college focused social network to fill the void created when Facebook decided anyone could join.

Is 'Reverse Product Placement An Effective Strategy for Launching New Brands?

While embedding real products in video games has become increasingly common, is there an opportunity to launch virtual brands in environments such as video games, MMOGs and virtual worlds and then translate the brand to a commercial product in the 'real' world?

Former MIT academic and current Xbox Live Arcade product planner David Edery thinks so. He wrote a 2006 article for the Harvard Business Review, suggesting that "reverse product placement,"the commercial translation of fictional brands or products from games into the real world could make sense. Edery argues, "Why spend tens or hundreds of millions of dollars fighting mature competitors for mindshare and shelf space in the physical world when you can launch a new offering in an uncluttered fictional one?" Source: Gamasutra.com

He notes that it happens with other media, such as "Every Flavor Beans," from Harry Potter books and movies that was converted into a real-world product by Cap Candy, a division of Hasbro.

“The Simpsons Movie” was promoted by selling real products under imaginary brand names like Buzz Cola, Frosted Krusty-O’s and so on, and certain 7-Eleven locations were temporarily re-branded as outposts of the show’s Kwik-E-Mart chain.

And LastExittoNowhere.com specializes in creating t-shirts with movie-created logos such as The Tyrell Corporation, the high tech biocorp and producers of human-like androids known as replicants in the futuristic thriller, "The Blade Runner."

Reverse product placement is an interesting idea with distinct possibilities for marketers whose target audience is consistent with video game, MMOGs and virtual world fans.

Source: Rob Walker - "False Endorsement", 11/17/07 - New York Times

2007 Holiday Spending, Catalogs & Gift Cards - Tis the Season for Shopping Trends

Holiday Spending Forecast
Deloitte & Touche's holiday forecast predicts consumers will be more "Scrooge-like" during the 2007 holidays. About four in 10 people (41%) said they expect to reduce their overall spending. Brandweek

Gift Cards 
For the fourth straight year gift cards are expected to be the top purchase, with more than two-thirds (69%) of people planning to buy them, up from 66% in 2006. The amount they're putting on the cards has increased from $139 in 2006 to $199 in 2007. Brandweek

Consumer Reports ran a full-page ad in the New York Times this week warning consumers, "Last year, shoppers like you were out $8 billion because of unused, lost or expired gift cards. Easy money for retailers. Lost money for you."

On the Consumer Reports website they note that bank-issued gift cards, not retailer-issued gift cards are the primary problem. It would have been nice if they'd made that clear in the ad. They warn consumers about "fees, expiration dates and gotchas" with bank-issued gift cards.

Given the popularity of gift cards as noted above, it's unlikely this will make much of a dent in gift card sales. But retailers would be wise to clearly disclose fees and limitations on gift card displays to inform and reassure buyers.

Holiday Catalogs Support Online Sales   
Once considered "old-fashioned and expensive," holiday catalogs are making a comeback as a support to online sales. "Amazon.com is great when consumers know what they're looking for, but when faced with a long list of people and a short list of ideas, having a catalog to act as a guide can be a boon." AdAge.

The Crazy Robertson - New Clothing Brand Based on Homeless Man

"The Crazy Robertson" is the street name of a 56-57 year old homeless man (real name John Wesley Jermyn, aka John Jermien) who spends his days skating and dancing along Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles. According to his sister, Jermyn is schizophrenic which causes him to periodically shout and curse, but he refuses meds and shelter.

Three 23-year old entrepreneurs are selling his image and the phrase "No Money, No Problems," on t-shirts selling for $48, and hoodies selling for $98, and apparently can barely keep up with demand. Mr. Jermien gets 5% of the net profits of clothing sales.

Here's a video of Mr. Jermien in action:

The entrepreneurs have also set up a MySpace page to publicize the brand and are working on a "nightclub-promotion venture."

The Wall Street Journal says the popularity of The Crazy Robertson brand is symptomatic of an increased U.S. "fascination with homelessness." If true, that is creepier than I can express.

Mr. Jermien's sister says his condition is being exploited. What do you think?

Source:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119498984049791758.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Are Social Networks Killing Email?

Social networking encourages intimacy that is only possible with frequent, effortless communication. And, "on a social network, you don't send e-mail to an address, you send it to a person, just click on their name and create a message. That's a very different experience conceptually and emotionally from e-mail." (CNN Money)

Younger users are the predominant social networkers, but older users are catching up. The fastest growing demographic on Facebook, for example, is those 25 years and older. (Facebook) And those 40+, can join a social network dedicated to their age group if Facebook isn't their cup of tea. Some examples include:

• Gather.com, described as "a scholarly MySpace with less hook-ups and more intellectual stimulation."
• TeeBeeDee, "the place for people over 40 who believe that life is still to be determined."

But don't count out email just yet. GigaOm suggests that email could be the "ultimate social environment," less a social network and more a "relationship and interaction manager that aggregates various social web services - that doesn't require rewiring our brains and changing our behavior." He points to two examples of beta email services, "Xobni," which scans your Microsoft Outlook email database and "quickly establishes relationships among the people you email, and ranks them according to frequencies and relevance." (Xobni spells "inbox" backwards.)

"Xoobit" brings a wide range of web services to your email inbox, making it possible, for example, to "see photos on a grid, muchlike you wonld on, say, an iPhoto." (GigaOm)

The bottom line? Email isn't going anywhere in the foreseeable future, not with the emergence of social features, and particularly with it's stranglehold on business communications. Email also provides a boundary between users' personal and professional lives, a line that no one seems eager to cross just yet.

And the cause of social networks isn't helped by their image of being, well, social. A growing number of businesses are restricting access to social networks because of their perceived negative impact on productivity. Of course, the time we spend managing our email every day is lost produtivity, but unlike social networks, email isn't much fun so I guess that makes it a more acceptable way to waste time.

Halloween Treats being Replaced by Healthy Snacks - Not on My Watch

More parents are offering healthy snacks to Trick or Treaters in lieu of Halloween candy, says the LATimes. Pretzels, Teddy Grahams and individually wrapped three-quarter chunks of “Halloween Cheese (reduced fat cheddar) from Cabot Creamery cooperative, are being offered as a way to fight “sugar shock” and obesity among children.

Sorry folks, but Halloween is where I draw the line---we’ve stockpiled Hershey bars, M&Ms and enough Gummy Bodyparts to supply the entire neighborhood.  Mmmm, lime eyeballs!

Image: Oriental Trading Company

Sales Decline for Casual Restaurant and Luxury Brands

Restaurants are blaming a downturn in per person meals on a flat or declining percentage of women working outside the home says AdAge. Adding to the pain are current mortgage woes and high gas prices which are spurring a migration of customers from casual restaurants such as Applebee's, Ruby Tuesdays and TGI Fridays to more affordbable quick service restaurants such as BK and McDonald's. The expanded menus and upgraded environments of some quick service restaurants also helps them to challenge casual restaurants for dining occasions. IHT

It's become common for brands to enlist value pricing as a tactic when competition is tight but it would be a mistake for casual brands to panic and fall back on value pricing as the sole tactic. To be competitive, casual restaurants need to focus on providing a true experience versus simply providing good service. Customers will expect more from a casual dining experience because for many it will become more of a special versus frequent dining occasion. Value pricing is important but casual restaurants must identify and innovate in areas of opportunity inaccessible to quick service brands.

If misery loves company then casual restaurants can take comfort in the sales declines of upscale brands such as Nordstrom and Coach, who are reporting weaker than expected sales in the most recent quarter. The "mass affluent," those consumers with household incomes of $75K-$150K, have curtailed luxury purchases by as much as 20% in the most recent quarter. That's a scary number when you consider that mass affluent shoppers are 23% of U.S. households. CNN Money

Updates:

"Affordable Luxury Stores Feel Economy's Pinch", Wall Street Journal, 11/9/07

"Casual Restaurants Resort to Coupons as Meal Tickets," USA Today, 11/12/07

Travel & Hospitality Trends: Undersea Resorts, Green Rooms, Pure Rooms

The Hotel Aquatic

Maybe it's just that here in Atlanta we're fixated on the drought and our dwindling water supply but we're sure seeing a lot of underwater, and underwater-themed resorts:

Huvafen Fushi, a luxury resort in the Maldives is "Home to the world's first underwater spa," where underwater treatment rooms provide a view beneath the waves.

Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo is a former marine biology lab where guests scuba dive 21 feet beneath the surface of the sea and enter the lodge through a 'wet dock.'

The Burj al Arab hotel on the coast of Dubai resembles a billowing sail. Al Mahara, the hotel's underwater-themed restaurant, is designed around a giant glass aquarium and is accessible by an elevator that simulates a submarine ride.

Hydropolis Crescent Group will open their first underwater hotel in Qingdao, China in 2008.

The Poseidon Resort, Fiji, opening in 2008, will offer 24 underwater suites perched atop a tropical reef 40 feet below the surface: 70% of the room will be glass.

While creating an undersea experience isn't for most companies, thinking about how the environment factors into your customer experience can provide some great opportunities for differentiation, whether its freshening store interiors with new colors, lighting, different types and levels of music, etc. And don't forget the impact of smell - Is there anyone who doesn't associate Ikea with the intoxicating scent of freshly baked cinnamon buns?

Green is Good

Some hotels are going green; customers think that's nice but just 13% would be willing to pay higher rates says the latest Travel Horizons survey by the Travel Industry Association and Ypartnership.

Going green is a good thing...just make sure you have a clear strategy for why you're doing it and don't assume that customers will help pick up the tab. According to an Ipsos-Reid study cited by the Center for Media Research, 70% of Americans think 'green advertising' is a marketing ploy.

Super Clean

Pure Room, a company specializing in "allergy friendly rooms" says 59% of travelers would choose a hotel that offers uber clean rooms over a comparable hotel without them, and most of them would be willing to pay a premium. Pure Room cleans room surfaces of bacteria, pollen, dust, dust mites, viruses, airborne contaminants and odors. Pure rooms appeal to health-conscious patrons, dispel the "ick factor," and provide a way for hotels to differentiate their product. Over 2 dozen hotel brands offer a limited number of pure rooms, including Marriott, Hampton Inns, Crowne Plaza and Sheraton.

With bird flu, MRSA, and the increasing incidence of drug resistant Staph, customers are taking a closer look at environments where they are at higer risk of contracting germs. Many grocery stores, for example, now offer antibacterial towelettes so customers can wipe down the handles and seats of their carts. Brands and companies need to make sure appropriate processes are in place, reassure customers that they have taken the steps necessary to protect their well-being, and leverage those processes to differentiate their offerings. 

Photos: Top photo from HuvafenFushi.com. Bottom photos from BurjalArab.com. Pure logo from pureroom.com

Sources: 

The Hotel Aquatic

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/news/0710/gallery.underwaterwonders/jump.html

http://www.smh.com.au/news/dubai/sail-of-the-century/2007/10/18/1192300946012.html?page=2

Green Rooms

http://www.htrends.com/trends-detail-sid-29537.html

Pure Rooms

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/travel/25pracallergy.html