Alf's Blog

Black Friday in the Green for Online Merchants

Doom sayer predictions for this year's Black Friday had Joe Consumer in-debt, over-spent and un-willing to pull out his wallet for the annual after Thanksgiving shopping work out. Preliminary numbers are proving our skeptic financial friends to be wrong. Depending on what you're reading, retail sales look to be down 1 percent from last year. The bigger picture is unfolding in the world of online consumerism, with initial reports showing a 28 percent increase in online buying over the same time period last year. Solid sales figures for the weekend after Thanksgiving have traditionally predicted strong holiday sales through the New Year, but much is yet to unfold, and retailers are pursuing agressive price cutting strategies to get our attention.

The Death of Brands--Brandicide (TM)

Marketing expert, Steve Arbeit, has written an excellent opinion piece on the death of brands or as he terms it, "Brandicide". My recent disheartening experiences with once great consumer names such as General Motors, McDonald's, Macy's, any of the major domestic airlines or "three color" car rental companies would confirm his observations. Read Steve's full article in the current edition of The Alf Report

Teen Body Image & The Smart Marketer

From USA Today-- "In the largest study to date on adolescents' views of their bodies and their use of hormones and supplements, one in eight boys and one in 12 girls reported using such products in the past year to improve their appearance, muscle mass or strength."

"Based on a nationwide survey of more than 10,000 adolescents, the study, out Monday in the journal Pediatrics, shows a high rate of concern about body image in both boys and girls and finds that teens who worry about body image are much more likely to use hormones and dietary supplements to try to enhance their physiques."

Recent media coverage has focused on American's size increase, both adults and teens, and obesity has been named a national epidemic. Somewhere in the middle of the fattening of American, and teens using drugs to get skinny or muscular, there must be a middle ground. A smart marketer will find a new focus and present the teen market with healthy, appropriate role models and cultural icons. If Jennifer Lopez and Catherine Zeta Jones can make millions while sporting curves, well…there’s a big message.

A Deeper Look at Contextual Ads

Mark Glaser details the good, bad and ugly of contextual ads from Google and Yahoo. His article takes a look at embarrassing juxtapositions that have plagued contextual ads on media sites and blogs, and explains how they can fit well with commercially focused content. He provides a deeper look at the pros and cons of AdSense and ContentMatch.

Small Expectations = Growing Market

Woot, a web technology clearning house, is quielty building a following with one of the most quirky sales models we've seen. New products are announed each night at midnight, and are available for purchase until the product sells out or 24 hours has passed, which ever comes first.

Equally interesting is their FAQ. After reading through this piece you'll have no doubt about what to expect from this company. An example of honesty on the front-end...a novel idea.

As I wrote in a recent column, marketers should never forget that the portal to the customer will often establish the perception of the brand. How I'm treated on the phone, on-line or as I cross the threshold and enter the store will invariably play a major part in defining my future opinion of and relationship with the brand.

Having little expectations for customer service or support seems to work in the world of Woot, and it works because the company makes no promises otherwise.

Marketing Gone to the Dogs

Over the last several years there has been a surge in spending on pet related items and services. From dog-only birthday parties and cafes to pet sitting services.

Now, a company in Miami has taken pet sitting services to a new level. If you feel like your pooch is just like a child, you can have the total parent-child experience by enrolling him or her in school, and you can stand on the curb waving goodbye with the other parents while a big yellow bus drives your furry kid to school--doggie school.

Totally Dog day camp in Miami picks up pooches in a school bus and takes them out and about for structured adventures and peer playtime while you're at the office. No more worrying that Rover is home chewing sofa legs or feeling neglected. For about $40 a day, this doggie adventure service promises to give pet owners peace of mind.

If you'd like to find out if your dog wants to participate in doggie day camp...no problem, just ask him or her.

The devise is catching on--300,000 of these "Bowlingual" devices have been sold in Japan, and manufacturer Takara is looking forward to launching the device in the USA this summer.

A Japanese toy manufacturer has developed a $120 pet collar they claim can transmit dog barks into "human language". The barks are matched against a database developed by animal behaviorists. In addition to several common phrases related to common emotional states, your best furry friend can now tell you, "you're ticking me off."

Your Opinion Wanted

Everybody has an opinion...and I want yours.

The Alf Report conducts periodic consumer polls to tap the pulse of the marketing community.

To participate in our most recent poll, submit your responses by Wednesday, April 6. Results will be highlighted in the next edition of The Alf Report, to be published the week of April 11.

You can also become a permenant Consumer Panel member and subscribe to The Alf Report for your bi-monthly dose of Mind Candy, marketing tips, interesting tidbits, opinion and  commentary.      

Smart Medicine Can Talk

New uses for technology continue to make their way into smart medical applications. MedivoxRx Technologies has introduced a talking pill bottle to help prescription drug users avoid taking incorrect doses and medications.

Rex, the talking pill bottle, will record and repeat patient instructions. This bit of technical wizardry lets patients, caregivers, or pharmacists record directions into the bottle’s recording / playback device using an accompanying recording station. When it’s time for their meds, patients press a button and get instructions regarding what’s in the bottle and how much and when to take it. With audible directions, there’s less chance of accidentally taking the wrong meds or fatal pill concoctions.

Originally designed for visually impaired patients, this product will increase in popularity as more and more Boomers make their way to the pharmacy for repeat regimes.

Rex can be purchased on line for less than $70.

Not-for-profit Marketing Insights

Recent years have not been kind to not-for-profits. Cut backs in corporate sponsorship funding coupled with reductions in government support have driven many of the smaller, less stable and weakly-financed organizations (those with operating budgets under $2 million) to the brink, a point where basic marketing strategies can provide the key to effectiveness, if not survival.

Learn four critical components for success in Marketing Solutions For The Beleaguered Not-For-Profit

Search Rank Manipulation

How does your site rank?

From Wired Magazine:

"An entire industry of search engine optimizers, called SEOs, has sprung up, many of which take advantage of loopholes in the way rankings are calculated.

Since search engines are usually the first stop for online shoppers (with 40 percent of them choosing Google), your business could very well be toast if it doesn't crack the top 10 -- preferably the top 5, which would require no downward scrolling. (Not unlike the increased readership an article that begins above the fold in a newspaper gets.) sites that appear on the first page of results attract six times the traffic they did before landing there and earn double the sales."

Read Wired's  article