Marketing Virgin

The March 1st issue of Marketing News, published by the American Marketing Association, has an interesting little article about online shopping.

According to Nielsen Global, Internet shoppers jumped 40% over the last two years. Leading the world are South Korean consumers (99% of whom shop online). Following in their footsteps is the UK, Germany, and Japan. The USA came in 9th.

The top sites include: eBay, Amazon, Target, and Wal-Mart. 60% say that they buy from the same site over and over again. This shows the importance of reaching millions of consumers before they make their first online purchase. Brand awareness and experience are key to online shopping success for retailers.

Did you watch the Superbowl? I ditched all my friend’s Superbowl parties so I could finish up a few home improvement projects. Fortunately I was able to catch most of the commercials (and the last 8 minutes of the game, nice work Eli!).

Amp (energy drink) had a relatively controversial one. Some people found it humorous, many hated it. What do you think? Which ones were your favorites?

On Sunday, February 3^rd, millions of Americans will sit in front of a TV set and watch the Superbowl XLII. I, however, will be out shopping while the crowds are at a minimum, as I wish BOTH the Giants and the Patriots would lose, if it were at all possible. If the Cowboys hadn’t choked in the semi-finals or if the Packers hadn’t lost in OT in the finals, this would be a different story.I will, however, pay special attention to the half-time ads. With so much money invested in advertising every year, it’s fun to see how companies work to top the previous year.

Below are some interesting charts on ad spending at the Superbowl:

Word of the day: Womenomics

A phrase initially coined by The Economist, womenomics refers to the amplified purchasing power of women on the economic and cultural front.

Ask any marketer what the 4 P’s of marketing are and you will get the same answer - product, price, place, and promotion.

When we talk about women, there are 4 NEW P’s - Pearls, Pumps, Purses, and Power.

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This is a great little parody of the relationship between an advertiser and a consumer.

Many companies today have a “call to action” in their direct advertising. I’m sure you all know Billy Mays, or at the very least you know his ear-piercing voice. Billy is the spokesperson for a variety of household products including OxyClean, Orange Glo, Kaboom, etc. This company gives viewers a call to action at the end of every infomercial. It goes something like this…

“Act Now! Call in the next 20 minutes to receive five bottles, yes that’s right, FIVE bottles for three easy payments of $19.99. Yes, you heard me right. $19.99! This offer ends soon so Act Now! Just dial the number on your screen to receive the five bottles for three easy payments of $19.99 and I’ll throw in an extra dish towel. Yes, a dish towel! What an offer! Call now!”

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