Author Archive for Tracy Weise

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16
May
11

The New Marketing Reality: A Real World Matrix A look at Augmented Reality

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Ads, Augmented Reality, Business Strategies, business to consumer, Creative, Marketing, Mobile advertising, mobile marketing and Uncategorized
Tags: , , ,

Augmented reality (AR) is a revolutionary technology transforming how users and advertisers interact and engage with the surrounding environment. According to John Havens, EVP of social media at Porter Novelli, “AR is the GPS of your life,” that could possibly turn every landscape into a screen of information, promotions, and advertising. Augmented reality has the potential to greatly impact the lives of users and the marketing capabilities of advertisers.

Augmented reality is the combination of real world and computer generated data that functions to enhance current perceptions of reality. Virtual reality uses technology to transform real world surroundings into a simulated environment that is bursting with information. The technology allows the surrounding real world to be digitally manipulated and enhanced.

For example, Valpak  recently announced its new augmented reality coupons. With a phone application called Junaio, users are able to interact and view the world around them in a new way. By simply typing in a key word, entering a distance parameter or holding up an enabled smartphone, users are presented with virtual information and coupons redeemable at surrounding establishments.  The information presented is in real time and allows users to intermingle and examine the world around them. Although the Valpak application only offers information pertaining to businesses with relevant specials or coupons, the future of augmented reality is immense.

The life changing technology offered by augmented reality will continue to evolve the way users and advertisers interact with consumers. With facial and object recognition, AR allows users to screen their surroundings with more than just the naked eye. Imagine a world where users can hold up smartphones and suddenly know the names or marital status of every stranger surrounding them on the street or the detailed information pertaining to logos and storefronts within the vicinity. This application will act as an advanced screening tool that will transform not only how users perceive their surroundings but also how they make decisions based on information provided.

As LG and Wikitude prepare for the release of the new Wikitude 3D Augmented Reality Browser (which will be available later this summer), advertisers should be prepared to interact with potential customers in a whole new light.

With this technology, every terrain presents a new possibility of connecting with users. For example with object recognition, a logo is now much more than just a symbol to promote a brand. Logos will be virtually screened and will allow users to know pertinent information pertaining to specials or close-by locations.  Augmented reality has the possibility to turn every street, building, sign, vehicle and environment into sources for information, promotions and advertisements. The possibilities will be endless.

How do you feel augmented reality will impact the lives of users and/or advertisers? Share with us on Facebook at Weise Communications and follow @Weise_Ideas on Twitter.

12
May
11

Medical Marketing: Should the government protect against sharing confidential health records with marketers?

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Health care marketing, healthcare, healthcare marketing, Marketing and Uncategorized
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The Case of Sorrell v. IMS Health

Pharmaceutical companies, we love to hate them, don’t we? We want their research and their products, and yet we don’t we want them to have the information to help sell their products. At least this is true in Vermont.

On April 26, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Sorrell v. IMS Health to determine whether Vermont’s prescription confidentiality law violates the free speech protections of the First Amendment. In 2007, Vermont passed Act 80, prohibiting prescription drug companies from obtaining patients’ personal information for marketing purposes without the prescribing physician’s consent. Pharmaceutical companies sued the state of Vermont arguing it was an unconstitutional restriction of their right to commercial speech.

Mr. Sorrell, the Vermont attorney general stated, “Vermont enacted its prescription confidentiality law with the idea that drug makers do not have an inherent right to a doctor’s identifiable prescription information for use in marketing because the data originated in highly government-regulated, nonpublic health care transactions.”

The basis of this case stems from how prescriptions are marketed to doctors. The process of marketing a new drug, as with any new products or service, typically begins with extensive market research. The research process in the pharmaceutical industry includes purchasing information collected from pharmacies pertaining to prescription data. This data provides marketers insight to their target audience, including the predominant type of services offered by physicians and the pharmaceutical brands physicians most frequently prescribed to patients. With this information, marketers define their market, present relevant drugs to physicians and maximize return on investment for marketing efforts.

Physicians and patients, not only the pharmaceutical companies, stand to benefit from this research. With an understanding of which physicians specialize in certain medical areas, pharmaceutical companies can make sure those physicians know what the latest treatment options are to better educate them on available drug choices for patients. Less money can be spent marketing to unnecessary audiences and, theoretically, more money can be spent on research and development.

And while this particular typed of research has immense payoffs for pharmaceutical companies, the practice of how this research is being collected has become progressively more litigious.

According to a New York Times article, “The case is being closely watched not only by drug makers and data collection firms, but also by health regulators, doctors and consumer advocates who say the decision will have profound implications for doctors’ control over their prescription histories, and for information privacy, medical decision-making and health care costs.”

If the ruling supports Act 80, pharmaceutical marketers will be faced with the massive dilemma of finding new methods to target specialized physicians and minimize marketing obstacles due to the lack of pertinent available data.

The Supreme Court’s decision will directly impact how physicians maintain prescription information, patient and physician privacy laws as well as the marketing of prescription drugs.

As we await the decision, share with us your thoughts on how the Court should rule. Share with us on Facebook at Weise Communications and follow @Weise_Ideas on Twitter.

13
Apr
11

Two Guerilla Marketing Campaigns Go “Green”

By Tracy Weise 1 Comment
Categories: Advertising, Business Strategies, Guerilla Marketing, Guerrilla Marketing and Guerrilla PR
Tags: , , , ,

Special thanks to Hande Uckaleler for providing this blog post.

Are you thirsty? Go get a glass of water. What about ice? For sure, why not?

You know that water is life; water is health; water is everything for our body. As the saying goes, “eight glasses of water a day.” For the developed world, clean water is easy to find.

But, according to UNICEF, nearly 900 million people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water. Almost half of them are children and everyday 4,100 children die of water-related diseases.

A couple weeks ago was World Water Week. Many companies tried to gain attention about water. The companies hosted some events about different themes such as water quality, water supplying, water management, and water saving. UNICEF’s “Dirty Water” during World Water Week were not only one of the best guerilla-marketing campaigns we have seen in a while, but it also shed great light on the clean water issue.

They installed a vending machine in Manhattan’s Union Square raising awareness about the issue. The vending machine sold dirty water in various flavors – cholera, typhoid to name a few.

The dirty water campaign put dirty water bottles in the hands of New Yorkers. They got to see first hand what other people in developing nations are facing when they go to drink water to stay alive. Luckily, the campaign collected donations rather than expecting New Yorkers to drink the dirty water. The $1 bottle of water is enough for a child to drink clean water for 40 days. Pretty cool stuff!

Greenpeace recently executed another great guerilla campaign. Imagine it. You are walking on the street. It’s a great day, and maybe you are with your friends or your kids. There are many people around you. Suddenly everyone collapses on the ground. They look as though they are dead, but you are still standing, seemingly okay. How do you feel? What do you do? You might think, “Is that a joke or what?”

Greenpeace Switzerland’s campaign against nuclear plants, made this happened. This scary flash mob emulated what it would look like if a nuclear cloud spread over the country. The video, ‘The Zoning Plan,’ was viewed over 770,000 times since it was uploaded to YouTube on May 25, 2010.

Look at the people in this video; they are in shock. Do you think they will ever forget this moment?

This is the reaction people look for when considering guerilla marketing.

What do you think about these campaigns and their tactics?

25
Mar
11

Twitter: A Loaded Gun. Own Responsibly.

By Tracy Weise 2 Comments
Categories: Advertising, Crisis Communications, promotions, Social Media, Twitter and Uncategorized
Tags: , , , ,

This week marked the fifth anniversary of the first tweet. For the past five years Twitter has grown by leaps and bounds. It continues to creatively showcase the incredible reach and power of social media. According to the official Twitter Blog, in the past year the average number of tweets per day has nearly tripled from 50 million to 140 million.  For the past month the site has averaged 460,000 new membership sign-ups per day. Twitter sustaines itself as a powerful tool to connect with others, grow business, share information and have your voice heard. The benefits and reach of this social networking platform are undeniable. However, with the good also comes the bad. There are numerous unfavorable incidents surrounding inappropriate tweets; risky and scandalous tweets have lead to loss of business, the displacement of employees and countless apologies.

Once you say something on Twitter, it moves fast and you cannot take it back. Many people and brands have suffered as a result.

In 2009, Meghan McCain (daughter of former presidential candidate John McCain) became the center of an infamous Twitter scandal. The young lady posted a revealing photo of herself clutching an Andy Warhol book. Although the wording of her tweet was uncontroversial, the photo definitely was not. It quickly spread and she encountered overwhelming response. Many saw her photo as a crude and distasteful cry for attention. McCain had to respond quickly and apologize for posting the inappropriate image. The negative impact could have directly reflected on the status of her father’s public service career. At the very least, it was a distraction from his campaign strategy. Perhaps she did not realize that her tweet would cause such a stir, yet the purpose of Twitter to spread a message fast, and this is why her photo became a campaign crisis within hours.

In recent weeks there have been a number of similar instances. Earlier this month, Chrysler fired its new media agency  as a direct result to an inappropriate tweet. The tweet contained profanity and discourteous comments directed towards Detroit drivers.  This was particularly offensive because Chrysler is headquartered in Detroit and has a commitment to the city and its workers. The tweet was meant to be sent from a personal account; however, it was mistakenly sent from the official Chrysler page. The mistake of this team member had irrevocable results. The agency fired the team member and lost the Chrysler account.

One of the more entertaining examples is former Aflac spokesman, Gilbert Gottfried. In the face of recent disaster, comedian Gottfried posted distasteful tweets about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan — a market that accounts for 75 percent of Aflac’s revenue. Although this information was posted to a personal account, it directly implicated Aflac because of its association with the comedian. Aflac did not take these insensitive comments lightly. They fired Gottfried as spokesperson for their brand and made a formal apology for the comments. In response to the event Gottfriend responded, “I meant no disrespect, and my thoughts are with the victims and their families,” however his sympathies were too little and clearly too late.

The lesson learned from each of these stories is clear. Twitter is a loaded gun. Handle with care. Tweeting tasteless and inappropriate remarks can result in loss of business, jobs and credibility. Agencies and companies should be particularly cautious in moving forward with social media marketing campaigns. Implementing tweet policies to employees, ambassadors and spokespeople could save your company from detrimental embarrassment and negative feedback.

Think before you tweet!

If you need assistance in creating a positive social media marketing campaign or want to share how your business has begun to incorporate tweeting policies, tell us about it here. Or share with us on Facebook at Weise Communications. And be sure to follow @Weise_Ideas on Twitter.

21
Mar
11

Top Ten Lessons from the Franchise UnConference

By Tracy Weise 4 Comments
Categories: Franchise, Franchising, IFA and Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Straight off the heals of the International Franchise Association Conference in Las Vegas, Weise Communications turned around and headed to Utah for the UnConference. Hosted by Fisher Zucker, Fishman PR and HotDish Advertising, the UnConference was a productive and less structured way to continue working with Franchisors and suppliers to determine best practices for franchise development and franchisee support.

What follows are our top ten nuggets of information from the UnConference.

The view from the gondola. Skiing only happened after a lot of hard work by all attendees.

1. When using Brokers, make sure you leverage them to the full extent. Brokers have historically been, and continue to be, a great asset for finding franchisees. Remember that Brokers are an extension of your sales staff and like all people, they need to be continually educated about your company, your brand and your ideal candidate. For best results, treat them as part of your team.

2. Technology done right can be very effective in making a difference in many areas of your organization, even franchise relationships. We all know nothing is better than a face-to-face meetings to improve relationships. However, meeting all of your franchisees regularly may be near impossible to accomplish. So try video conferencing! Video conferencing on Skype brings people face to face in a more intimate atmosphere than just a phone call and can create better relationships with your franchisees. Bonus, Skype is free.

3. Webinars are effective tools to generate higher quality franchise leads. Webinars are a great way to execute meetings that provide a terrific overview of information about ownership that is controlled and managed so that all key points are expressed in every meeting.

4. Websites can’t do everything, so don’t expect much if its designed for everything. The most successful sites for franchise sales are microsites that can be optimized for your sales keywords. (email me if you would like a PDF article on this topic originally published in Franchise World.)

5. Public relations is an effective way to geo-target franchise sales. Getting media exposure in a certain city or region will help generate sales leads in that area.

6. Treating franchisees like business partners allows you to break down barriers and create a more reciprocal relationship. Ultimately the success of the system depends on the success of franchisees and the franchisor. Working together is in the best interest of everyone.

7. Treat your franchisees as if they are your children – they should each truly believe they are your favorite. Thanks, Lane Kofoed, Assisting Hands® Home Care, for this great insight.

8. Changing their focus from “Lead Flow,” to “Deal Flow,” is the development strategy of Steve Greenbaum and his team from PostNet.

9. Benchmarking is essential to make improvements within the system. It is also great way to make better marketing decisions to increase unit level revenue. OnTrack™ is a free benchmarking tool for IFA members to compare key metrics for sales, expenses, employees, and best practices to improve franchise system performance. Click Here for more information about OnTrack.

10. Corporate level operational and training programs may need adjustment if your new franchisee demographics have changed due to the recession and the availability (or lack there of) for financing.

A special shout out to the program facilitators; Steve Greenbaum of PostNet; Joe Lindenmayer, TSS Franchising; Charles Chase, TFC Brands, and Steve Hearon, Certa ProPainters.

Thanks again to HotDish, FisherZucker and Fishman for a great week. We look forward to seeing you again next year.

Did I miss your top takeaway from the conference? Share it with us here!

13
Jan
11

Food Trucks: A Franchise Concept with a Stop Sign Ahead

By Tracy Weise 4 Comments
Categories: Advertising, Franchise, Franchising, Marketing, Social Media and Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , ,

While food trucks have been around forever, the food truck trend took off in 2008 with the Kogi Korean BBQ, Kogi’s efforts were helped significantly by the proliferation of social media marketing, soaring through the use of Twitter by tweeting the truck’s locations.

In cities like Los Angeles and New York, gourmet food trucks are embraced. If you live in L.A. you can check your wireless device for consolidated tweets of all food truck locations. In New York, if you have a gourmet concept to offer, you could find a permanent home in one of the city parks. Food trucks are growing in popularity, which is why the idea is so mouthwatering to Franchisors. And by many accounts, food trucks are the new wave in franchising. So much so that last month a food truck business, Sauca Foods won the 2010 Great Emerging Franchise Challenge.

Some franchised food trucks started from a stand-alone concept and are growing. Some food franchisors, including Subway and Fatburger are adapting to the concept by hitting the road with their own trucks.

But get out of the top major cities in the U.S., and things start to degrade. This is where franchisors need to start paying attention.

www.cake-crumbs.comThe problem is that many cities don’t know what to do about food trucks. While L.A., New York and Portland may be flying ahead, Denver and Dallas have major hurdles to overcome. In Denver, food trucks are now parked after months on the road because zoning issues finally caught up with them.

Last year in Santa Monica an entire mobile “food court” was shut down due to zoning violations.

And in Dallas foodies are not getting anywhere fast with their slow zoning changes.

I think that franchised food trucks are a marketers dream. They offer consistency in menu and deliverables, the ability to reach your target market where they are and the ROI on social media marketing is extraordinary. Plus initial cost to ownership is lower than that of brick and mortar restaurants.

But the zoning challenges for many markets may put a kibosh on this great idea.  I recently heard a manager from the Denver Biscuit Company say that she believes Denver and other similar-sized markets will eventually come to embrace food trucks similar to the way L.A. and New York have. While the general public may embrace food trucks, the city council members will have to get zoning laws up to speed with the demands of the people.http://www.denbisco.com/BISCUITBUS

On a side note – Denverites can still enjoy their biscuits and cupcakes at the Denver Biscuit Company and Cake Crumbs permanent locations while zoning issues are being worked out to accommodate their mobile units.

What do you think? Will traditional brick and mortar franchise food concepts do well to go mobile, or harm their core business? Tell us how your franchise system is adapting to to the truck trend.

Franchisors – don’ forget to visit us at the 2011 IFA convention. Tracy will be speaking February 15, on the topic of integrating marketing tactics for better franchise sales.

10
Jan
11

The White House Communication Policy: Social Media (Thankfully) Enhances Press Conferences

By Tracy Weise 1 Comment
Categories: Communications, Facebook, Flikr, LinkedIn, Media Relations, Press Secretary, Social Media, Twitter, Uncategorized and YouTube
Tags: ,

We found out this week that the White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, is out to allow for some fresh air in the press room. I read a lot of comments online about his skills, or his lack there of, with the press. Regardless of your personal preferences for Gibbs, as a PR professional I know he had an intense job. However, C.J. Cregg, he was not.

With the departure of Gibbs, I started wondering about the White House Communications in general. Barack Obama, as a presidential candidate, was a highly active participant in social media (or he hired really great people who were highly active users). Two years ago, Obama for President was a great story about how online marketing and social media can effectively raise money and gain exposure. His communications programs were exceptionally well executed, innovative, highly targeted and easily accessible to mass audiences. It was one seriously good way to help win a presidential campaign. And the story continues…

President Obama did not leave his social media savvy behind when he moved to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. I was a bit surprised to find the White House is all over social media. There has been a lot of criticism of President Obama about whether or not his promises for transparency were real. One thing you can’t criticize is the appearance of accessibility. Twitter feeds, Facebook and MySpace channels, Flicker and Vimeo feeds and a LinkedIn group. There is even a White House blog. I had no idea. If you want information that deals with the White House, you can find it with little effort.

I especially like the White House YouTube Channel. The West Wing Week series is a nice recap of the presidential happenings. And the weekly mailbag is interesting. Some questions have answers that are more entertaining and better delivered than others than others, but hey, a question or two gets answered weekly by someone who knows something. Honestly though, I can’t bring myself to watch eight hours of forum presentations. Honestly, I can’t even bring myself to watch eight minutes of it.

Kudos to the White House Communications team for their focus on social media. Keep it up.

Do you think the White House Communications team is doing enough or not enough to keep the country informed? Tell us what you think about their efforts here or on our Facebook site and keep up with all of our blog postings on Twitter.

06
Jan
11

Anorexic Health Care Advertising

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Advertising, Health care marketing, healthcare and healthcare marketing
Tags: , , ,

The recent death of model Isabelle Caro reminded many of the dire health issues related to anorexia and other eating disorders. It also brings up lingering issues with the advertising campaign she took a lead role in – No Anorexia. The campaign, which launched in Italy in 2007, put Caro in an international spotlight because of her emaciated figure. According to some, the campaign was intended to bring exposure to the issues of anorexia, especially as they exist in the fashion model industry.

However, I think the campaign did a disservice to the issues related to eating disorders. Prior to the banning of the campaign in many areas, Caro’s shocking image was spread across the world. If the campaign designers wanted to help women with this type of mental disorder, information about recover should have been included. No support information was included; but the campaign did create exposure to the fashion house No-Li-Ta.

I want to give credit to Jessica Simpson and her show The Price of Beauty. The interview with Isabelle Caro is insightful and heartbreaking. At one point in the interview Caro says that none of the modeling agencies questioned how skinny she was, because they are so used to seeing skinny women.

Jessica’s closing comment cannot be more appropriate, “The skinnier you are doesn’t make you more beautiful.”

Anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and diabulimia are not only eating disorders, they are mental health disorders that can, and do, lead to death. Isabelle Caro is an example of this tragic disease. People suffering from eating disorders need professional, medical and psychological help. They do not need to be stars of an advertising campaign or rewarded for their disease. Highlighting Caro in the No-Li-Ta campaign and continuing to give her advertising, modeling and acting jobs was wrong. She needed help, not notoriety.

 

29
Oct
10

Penetrating Deeper Market Share by Finding New Consumers: The Case of the Airstream

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Advertising, Branding, Marketing and Uncategorized
Tags:

The Airstream trailer is an American icon. We all know the silver bullet shape, a patented design that is easily recognizable. It was designed for a specific purpose and audience. Providing outdoor enthusiasts with a recreational vehicle that has first-class living accommodations anywhere in the world.

Airstream Inc. has done something that successful companies do very well which is to reach new markets by redefining their product purpose in order to gain deeper market share. The company is continuing to produce its core product, but it is marketing it in new ways that reaches new audiences and hence, new buyers.

According to Karl Greenberg, in an article published in Marketing Daily, the company has been “stealthily turning up the flame on efforts to reach a younger, creative and affluent market with partnerships, celebrity efforts and media programs.”

In the article, Airstream’s VP of marketing, Sue Dooley, identifies three groups of buyers: “retirees — people with time and money to travel; outdoor enthusiasts, the largest buyer segment; and the newest buyer demographic, younger creative types who are attracted to the Airstream design elements.”

Dooley goes on to state that this audience, people who simply appreciate the design of the trailer, are buying it for everything but its intended purpose. They are using it for a guesthouse, a pool house, green house, fleet of hotel rooms, a home office and everything in between. None of those uses fit in with what we define as a luxury recreational vehicle for the adventurous, outdoorsy type. This happened despite of the marketing efforts of Airstream which had traditionally been for the outdoor enthusiasts. With its unique silver bullet design, the image is compelling enough for designers and artists to catch on and embrace the look of Airstream. Now, in fact, Airstream marketers have of the problem walking a fine line of  not alienating its core group of purchasers, “the traditionalists,” with marketing for the “non-traditionalists.”

Airstream Inc. didn’t set out to be a museum piece and has the long running philosophy of “Let’s not make any changes — let’s make only improvements!” Every inch of an Airstream has a functional purpose and it is as sturdy and modern in appearance as the first day it swung into traffic in 1932. As a result, an Airstream is always “in style” — conceived and constructed as a lifetime investment in happiness.

I love the Airstream. It has a style and image that evokes positive emotions. I am an outdoorsy girl and there is almost nothing I love more than summer weekends camping in the Colorado mountains. We sleep in a tent and on the ground and I am happy to do it. But I, begrudgingly, have to admit that I now know there is a better way. A few years ago my parents bought an Airstream. One night in a campground outside of Estes Park, I slept in it. Oh my, oh my, oh my. What a difference. I would love one of my own or a couple of them. They could be an office for the agency, guest retreat for clients, or my very own recreational vehicle for doing what it is meant to do – provide me with first class living accommodations anywhere, anytime.

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