Black Friday Launch Pad for Brand Social Media

There is mounting evidence in the use of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, as an advertising medium. A prime example is the way that brand marketers are targeting Black Friday by sending out messages featuring special deals for their followers. Why? A recent blog post on Simple Thoughts quotes Deloitte Research as saying that, “One in five shoppers plans to use the sites in their holiday shopping this season.”
 
It has been widely reported that retailers and manufacturers have been effectively using sweet deals to attract consumers to follow their company presence on various social media outlets. The hope is that shoppers will continue to follow and build brand loyalty. Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, presents itself as a great jumping off point to disseminate information and gain followers. Hundreds of special offers are being leaked to vigilant consumers.
 
Brand marketers get additional penetration from special deal sites such as dealnews.com who also track and list Black Friday offers. Many e-commerce deals extend to the Monday after Thanksgiving, now known as Cyber Monday, because of consumers’ propensity to shop from their computers that day.

Coupon promotions get a lift for brands and retailers

Brands using EZ-PIC’s point-of-sale promotions will seeing a new redemption process. Parent company, Unicous Marketing, Inc. is partnering with Inmar to handle the coupon redemption processes.

EZ-PIC technology has enabled brands to target consumer with coupon promotions at the point-of-sale based on shopping behavior. The technology has been a huge win for brands over the years. Unlike mass coupon distribution via mail, coupons are specifically designed from shoppers who are purchasing items within the brands market.

The new partnership will help streamline the redemption process since EZ-PIC is expecting millions of dollars in redemptions this year. Of course, with the recession, the increase in coupon promotions is expected as consumers look for bargains. Point-of-sale promotions may be one the best marketing tools for brands in 2009.

In MSNBC article, John Thompson, Executive Vice President for Unicous Marketing, Inc., stated “Teaming up with Inmar on Conexions, the digital promotions settlement platform, gives our application the credibility that’s expected for managing promotional dollars.

Why consumer’s switch brands

Over the holidays I was shopping in Wal-Mart. Passing through the toy section, I noticed Mattel had a beautiful in-store promotion for the Barbie Brand. I was interested in what the promotion involved so I walked over to it. The booth was empty. The person responsible for handling the promotion was not around. I walked away disappointed. The Barbie brand’s promotion failed at the most important level – the consumer.

Brand’s want to positioned above the competition. You want to build loyal customers and have them pick your brand every time. To do so, a brand implements a strategic marketing plan. A successful marketing strategy encompasses understanding why consumers pick the other brand over yours.

Taken from the book “Loyalty Myths: Hyped Tactics That Will Put You Out of Business – and Proven Tactics That Really Work”, co-authored by Terry Varva, here are three reason why consumers switch brands:

1. The preferred brand is out of stock.

2. A competing brand offers better value because of a special promotion.

3. Different occasions dictate the need for products of differing levels of quality.

4. Variety or novelty is desired.

As a brand, you don’t want your consumer’s to pick the competitor. For a strategy you may focus on working with retailers to ensure your brand is never out of stock, have your retailers carry all variety’s of your brand (if applicable), and start in-store promotions.

You’ve implemented them, but how effective are they working? As a brand you might implement a nation wide in-store promotion but the follow through may be less than par. The in-store promotion could be jammed behind extra cases of soda stacked by a merchandiser where consumers would never see it. Or in my case, where the promotion lacked the person.

In-store promotions, stocking, and brand placement should be measured by a third party. Promotions and marketing costs a brand too much to be wasted on lack of at retail follow through.

What ways do you see brand’s promotions not effectively being followed through?

Customer’s Look for Trustworthy Brands

An interesting article by Brandweek.com, discussed current consumer shopping trends. Sourcing a BrandIndex poll in 2008, there is a strong consumer trend to stick with tried and true brands.

The poll reveals more insight into the customer’s mind then just what are the top brands. It proves the theory of customers buying with loyalty to long-standing brands.

For instance, a twenty-something may purchase Clorox because she or he grew up in a household that was brand loyal. Building loyalty with consumer’s is something all brands and retailers seek out. It also requires understanding of what your customer is looking for.

Customer’s tend to build loyalty to a brand and retailer when experiences are positive. Not just one experience, but consistent satisfaction with the product or retailer. Measuring your customer experience with survey’s, demos, and product promotion can help in understanding where your brand is lacking in image, value, and experience.

Brands and retailers that have successfully built a loyal customer base understand the importance of research. It’s the indicators of where your being successful with your customer’s experience and where there is room for improvement.