The Blog of Brian Vertrees » Marketing

The Bathroom Effect

Brian Vertrees — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 05:35:35 +0000

A few months ago Brianne and I took Langley to Nordstrom’s to find some new shoes for him. It was a normal shopping day, nothing out of the ordinary. For those of you with kids, you know that shopping takes on a new dimension when your little one is with you. You have to be quick, efficient, and ready for the unexpected.

In my attempt to be “ready for the unexpected,” I decided to find the nearest bathroom while I had the chance. I ended up asking a Nordstrom cashier where the nearest bathroom was. She cheerfully said there was not one on the floor we were on, but she thought there was one down the escalator and on the left. No problem (so I thought). I headed down, turned left, looked around, turned right, looked around and ultimately couldn’t find it.

So, I asked another Nordstrom employee. Amazingly, she wasn’t sure where the Nordstrom bathroom was, but after a few seconds indicated there was a public restroom just outside the store in the mall. At this point, I was frustrated. Shouldn’t employees know where their own bathrooms are? I wasn’t in “dire” need to use the bathroom, but I was trying to get back to the family asap so Brianne had some back-up with Langley.

I grudgingly said “thanks” and proceeded to find the public bathroom in the mall. This is where I realized what was really bothering me. She had given me what I needed, directions to the nearest bathroom – but I was frustrated because I wanted to use the Nordstrom bathroom (I guess I’m picky ; ). Like their stores, I assumed they would be cleaner, and more enjoyable to use than a public bathroom. Weird? I don’t think so. I think most of us make decisions like this all the time without thinking about it.

This experience caused me to reflect on the other times where we purposely stopped at a store, coffee shop, gas station because we knew the bathroom was clean. Beyond just a making a pit stop, often we purchased something in the process.

When you start to think about the “marketing assets” your business has, don’t forget the bathroom. The condition it is in will say a lot about how you care for the rest of your retail establishment. For people who regularly travel a certain route, they might just stop BECAUSE of your bathroom, and spend some money in the process. In the battle for the consumer dollar, every advantage helps, so make sure the bathroom effect is working for you.

Pandol Bros. Get it Right With Quick Rinse Cube

Brian Vertrees — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 05:37:58 +0000

Working in the produce industry (and being a marketer) I am always on the lookout for new things coming out. Pandol Bros. out of Delano, CA who are well known for table grapes, recently came out with an item that caught my attention: the Quick Rinse Cube.

As the picture above shows, the Quick Rinse Cube is basically exactly what it says it is – grapes in a container shaped as a Cube that you can take home and easily rinse without having to take the grapes out of the container. Holes on all sides of the Cube allow the water to flow evenly around the grapes. After rinsing, the Cube stores nicely in the fridge and keeps them contained until you finish them. Simple and efficient.

Outside of the convenience factor (rinsing and storing), the stackability of the packaging in grocery stores is another reason I have to give it high marks. I can totally picture a nice big display of these Cubes standing proud and looking fantastic at retail. While grape bags fall over each other and typically have no uniformity on the retail shelf, the Cube will easily stack and make for an excellent presentation to consumers.

Additionally, the overall design attractiveness of the Cube will benefit it as well. The super clear plastic of the cube really makes the grapes shine compared to the standard grape bag. Artwork is minimal, letting the product shine through (which is what consumers want to see anyway). And last but not least, the handle stands out as well, making it super easy for consumers to grab and go (impulse factor).

My biggest concern with the Cube is how well the grapes will hold up in it. For instance, cherries are prone to dehydration in clamshell packages whereas they hold up better in bags. At the end of the day, product quality is what will bring consumers back for more, so hopefully the packaging protects the product as well as it shows it off.

A secondary concern is that the normal grape bags still have holes in them – so essentially you can still rinse the grapes in the standard bag. Kinda surprising that no one has marketed a “quick rinse grape bag” – an easy claim to make. Further, a bag likely uses less packaging, so there is a sustainability component that could also be promoted if a “quick rinse grape bag” were to go head to head against the Cube.

Despite these concerns, I still have to give this new packaging two thumbs up. Coming out with new ideas is tough work – so kudo’s to Pandol Bros. for developing a creative and attractive package for their table grapes. This opportunity was ripe for the taking in regards to communicating to consumers the ease in which they can rinse the product and store it. Further, the cube aspect really lends itself to displaying at retail, which is a huge bonus. This package will shine in the grocery store.

To see the Quick Rinse Cube in action, check out a spot my buddy Michael Marks (the original Produce Man!) did for a Sacramento TV station:

The Importance of Authentic Branding

Brian Vertrees — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:39:57 +0000

I’ve read a few articles recently discussing whether or not brand positioning is dead in the 21^st century. The question being posed is how much control a company has to truly position their company where they want to in the consumers mind. The thought is that marketing departments and brand managers no longer have control over the messaging and experience a consumer has with a brand. At the end of the day, the consumer will form their own perception of what the brand stands for.

I disagree. While consumers will form their own perception, how they form it sits squarely in the experience they have with the brand.

Ultimately, brand positioning and branding in general is more important now than ever. With so much noise to sift through consumers are craving brands that can deliver on their promise. Authenticity is the name of the game in the 21^st century, and if your brand doesn’t deliver an authentic experience than you’re going to have a tough go.

Facebook, Twitter, blogs, texting . . . word of mouth can now take many more forms than just talking to a friend over a cup of coffee. Those who encounter an authentic brand will share it with friends and unlike the past, that sharing can spread like wildfire and reinforce the brand’s reputation. Look at how quickly Apple has been forgiven for the antennae issue. Over and over again Apple has delivered on their brand promise, and while the media might be looking for a chink in the armor, an explanation and a solution set everything back in order (if you haven’t watched Steve Jobs press conference on the issue, you can watch a summarized version on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZctdV9dZyE).

But it all comes back to that initial experience, that initial perception of what the brand stands for. While we don’t have complete control over what the consumer will take away in their minds, it is our duty as marketers and brand managers to tell the story the right way, the first time. Then, and only then, do we have a chance at accurately reflecting a brands true identity to customers.

For more reading, check out these two posts on the Puget Sound American Marketing Association blog by Don Morgan:

Is Brand Positioning Dead in the 21^st Century?

Are You Living Your Brand Strategy?

Additionally, for a quick story on how brand positioning / advertising that isn’t authentic can negatively impact your brand, check out a quick post by Kevin Coupe from The Morning News Beat (an excellent blog on all things retail related). The post is about how his initial positive perception of a new restaurant changed to a negative perception after hearing more about it via word of mouth. The initial branding worked, but because it was not authentic the new restaurant kept Kevin from ever becoming a customer.

http://www.morningnewsbeat.com/News/News_Article_Detail_S.las?A=34256&Date=2010-07-26

The 45 Million Year Old Beer

Brian Vertrees — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 06:16:32 +0000

If the title of this post made you curious enough to want to learn more, than I’m on track to explaining why good marketing requires excellent story telling. If you run a business and don’t have a unique story that helps shape your customers experience, than you are missing an easy win to generating new leads and keeping existing customers. In my experience, this is one of the most often missed areas of business marketing. Every company has a story behind it; all it takes is some effort to hone the story so that it resonates with others.

Fossil Fuels Brewing Co. has one of the more interesting stories I’ve read about in a long time. Dr. Raul Cano from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA was able to crack open a 45 million year old piece of amber, and literally bring back to life the dormant microorganisms inside. In analyzing the microorganisms, he realized one of them was the yeast brewer’s use for beer (also known as Saccharomyces for you Jeopardy die-hards out there). When Dr. Cano connected with master brewer Peter Hackett to professionally test the yeast in a real brewery, what they found was astonishing. The yeast acted like no other yeast Hackett had ever seen. An article in Wired (Amber Ale: Brewing Beer From 45-Million-Year-Old Yeast by Erin Biba, 7/20/09) describes what happened during their first test:

Hackett combined the yeast with all the other ingredients that make up his popular Rat Bastard pale ale recipe, so he could easily taste its distinguishing characteristics. During the brewing, the ancient yeast’s behavior was unusual, to say the least. “It ferments violently at the start,” Hackett says, “then it falls out of suspension and the beer becomes almost clear.” From a brewer’s perspective, its behavior was schizophrenic: It began like a yeast used in ales, floating at the top. Then it began to act like yeast used in slow-fermenting lagers, settling to the bottom of the tank but not going dormant.

Normally, Hackett ends the primary fermentation process by “crashing the tank”—lowering the temperature to shock the yeast into dormancy. But that didn’t work on Cano’s yeast. “It was just sitting on the bottom and nibbling on the sugar like a couch potato,” Hackett says. A strain that had survived 45 million years in suspended animation was not about to go quietly.

Hackett was prepared to pour the batch down the drain if it tasted awful. But he discovered that the flavor of the resulting ale was unique, and not in a bad way. It was light and crisp with a citrusy, gingery tang. It was definitely worth exploring further.

Amazing. So not only is the yeast that makes this beer 45 million years old, but it acts like no other yeast we know of today. If you enjoy a nice ale every now and then, how can you not want to try a Fossil Fuels beer?

That’s the power of great story telling. It evokes an emotion inside of people that makes a connection. For Fossil Fuels Brewing, the initial connection is curiosity (which is great as curiosity is probably one of the strongest emotions to incite a purchase from customers). But here’s something else to keep in mind – even if the yeast wasn’t 45 million years old, there is a second story that can be told, and that’s how the yeast reacts so differently than any other yeast around. While most brewers might analyze this from only a brewing standpoint, from a marketing perspective it’s a differentiating factor that a great story could be based on (you could call it ‘Coaster Ale’ to highlight the up-and-down fermenting process it experiences before it’s ready).

So what’s your story? Every business has one. While yours might not be as shocking as a 45 million year old beer, it could be as simple as a unique business process you’ve developed that makes the customer experience even more enjoyable. If you can’t articulate the story, that’s where someone with a marketing background can help. Reach out to them and work together to craft a story that you’re proud to tell.

As soon as I’m able to get my hands on a Fossil Fuel beer, I’ll do a follow-up post on my thoughts. If you’ve tried it, I’d love to hear your thoughts (along with where you purchased it!).

Top Airline Twitter Accounts

Brian Vertrees — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:08:49 +0000

A couple months ago I noticed Alaska Airlines had a Twitter account, and it got me wondering how airlines were using Twitter. Being an active Twitter user myself, I can see lots of reasons why airlines should be all over this new medium. First and foremost, its a great way for an airline to connect with tech-savvy travelers instantly (answer questions, respond quickly to complaints, etc.). Further, it’s another way to build customer loyalty via special deals, traveler stories and even funny pictures.

All that said, I thought it’d be interesting to see how the top airlines stack up in regards to their Twitter efforts. I did a quick summary (perhaps called a TwitSum? ; ) of the number of followers, number of tweets etc. Further, I included the number of destinations served as well as the fleet size of each airlines to provide a little perspective. All of the below Twitter stats were taken on 11/23/09:

As you can see, JetBlue dominates based on the number of followers. I was amazed that they had such a huge following, especially relative to their fleet size. While it’s safe to assume their target demographic fits Twitter (i.e. tech savvy internet shoppers looking for value flight prices for work and/or pleasure), which suggests they’d be more apt to have a larger following, I think how they are tweeting is also making the difference. If you look at how they tweet, you get a great example of this new medium done right. Fewer tweets (look at their total tweets to that of Southwest), more personal responses, and fun promotions to spur interest.

So what goes into Tweeting for an airline? Since I’m a regular Alaska Airlines customer, I thought I’d reach out to them and so I connected with Elliott Pesut, one of Alaska’s official Twitter managers. A big thanks to Elliott for taking time out to answer the below questions – much appreciated. Below is a summary of his responses:

BV: How fast did you reach your current level of followers at 13,440, and how long has Alaska had a twitter account?

EP: We’ve focused on growing our account organically over time — listening to what people had to say, answering questions and offering help where we could. We established our account in December of 2008, but didn’t actively start tweeting until February of 2009. Our account really took off when Mt. Redoubt (a volcano near Anchorage) erupted in March. We used Twitter as a way to update our Customers on what was happening; when the hub was open and closed.

We were blown away at how appreciative everyone was for the near real-time updates. It helped them make more informed decisions about their travel. It also helped us decrease calls to our call centers. With Twitter, we can answer lots of people’s questions with one tweet — pretty great resource, if you ask me.

BV: What metrics do you guys track to guage the success of Alaska’s Twitter account?

EP: We track lots of things — number of mentions, what % of those mentions are positive/negative/neutral, the number of retweets, etc. We also track Customer Service issues. Twitter is a great listening post. It’s easy to see what people are saying about our brand.

BV: What types of Twitter-centric promotions have been most successful?

EP: Contests and fare sales are very popular. Everyone loves a contest. We’ve also hosted several aviation themed events — those have proven to be exceptionally popular. Often selling out in under a minute.

BV: In your mind, what is the biggest positive of Alaska being on Twitter?

EP: We can talk to our Customers in near real-time, listen to what they’re saying and participate in the online conversation. Customers love when a company is proactive in addressing their concerns.

If anyone doubts Twitter’s impact on business and communication, I think Elliott’s comment regarding giving real-time updates en masse and reducing call volumes puts that to rest. While Twitter can’t reach your entire customer base, it can reach a very active portion of it and ultimately drive sales (or reduce complaints = saving money). In 2010 I’ll come back to this topic as I’ll be curious to see what changes over the next year with Twitter and the airline industry. In the meantime, if you’d like some additional analysis on airline Twitter usage, check out this blog post by Brian Solis.

Nuts for Pistachios

Brian Vertrees — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:35:29 +0000

For nearly six years now I’ve had the honor (and yes, I do feel it’s an honor) to work within the produce industry for an amazing company (Stemilt Growers – home of world famous apples, pears, cherries, peaches, nectarines and blueberries). Every year the industry comes together for it’s annual Fresh Summit trade show sponsored by the Produce Marketing Association. In October, more than 19,000 individuals within the produce industry converged on Anaheim, CA to check out the latest in new produce, new marketing techniques, new packaging ideas, etc. It was an amazing convention where the best of the industry was showcased.

New "Wonderful Pistachios" packaging and display in Safeway

One of the items announced at the show was a marketing / advertising push to promote pistachios by Paramount Farms called Get Crackin’. What made the announcement especially noteworthy was the scale in which they were going to promote pistachios. The first element of the plan was TV ads that use humor to create interest and awareness in a nut that most people don’t think a lot about. Secondly, they developed sleek packaging that has a premium look and highlights the health aspects of pistachios. The third component incorporated social media via a Twitter page, Facebook page, and blog. To leverage their TV spots with their online social media presence, they also tied in a video contest for consumers to come up with their own content to show how they “crack open a pistachio.”

Total price tag for the TV ads, new packaging design, online efforts and contest: $15 million.

Not bad for some pistachio growers eh? While there are definitely skeptics out there regarding whether or not the ROI will be there – I have to give Paramount Farms a hand for going big. In a category that doesn’t get any news, they created a buzz that is unique and has as deep of a reach as you could ask for given their dual efforts via TV and social media (I’m not sure if they did any print ads – but I’m assuming at some level they have).

In the short term this is definitely a win for Paramount for two main reasons:

Paramount is making Pistachios new again. Just like aviation sunglasses coming back into style, they’re bringing back a fresh product that hasn’t been thought of in a while, and making it stylish, healthy, and interesting. Great stuff.
In addition to getting consumers excited, Paramount did a great job of creating interest and buzz with retailers. Without the retailer’s buy-in you can’t do a thing, but if they believe in what your doing, you’ve got your avenue for additional sales. The picture above is the display our local Safeway store did for the new Wonderful Pistachios – but in the last month I’ve been to quite a few Safeway’s throughout Washington state, and this was a small one compared to what I saw elsewhere. When was the last time you saw a pistachio display this big in stores?

And I should note – their promotion intrigued me enough that I was compelled to buy my first ever bag of pistachios. Until this campaign if I had a hankering for nuts, I’d go with plain, unsalted peanuts. Never had a pistachio in my life up until today, and definitely didn’t realize they were that healthy. Two thumbs up from this new pistachio convert - I’ll be buying more in the future.

In the days to come. Paramount will need to keep reinventing ways to spread the good news about their Wonderful Pistachios (isn’t that the never ending focus of marketing – continually creating touch points with the end consumer?). Given their fresh approach to promoting pistachios with this campaign, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing some fun things from this group in the future. I also have a feeling they will be successful at moving the dial with their brand of Wonderful Pistachios as well as the pistachio category as a whole.

And just a quick reminder – if you want in on that video contest you have until 11/29/09 to show how you crack open your pistachios – $25,000 is up for grabs!

A Journey Begins

Brian Vertrees — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:25:55 +0000

After several years of putting it off, I’m finally starting a blog. The adventurous side of me has been itching to join the blogosphere not just to voice my thoughts and opinions, but to better understand how communication is changing. We are in unprecedented times in regards to how information flows globally, and the best way to gain a more clear understanding is to actually be a part of it rather than sit on the sidelines and read about it. So, I’m jumping into the game.

Over the last several months I’ve been researching, planning and coordinating how this blog will work. For instance, what blog platform should I use, should I have my own personal domain or just use a generic one, and what in the world should my blog look like?

The biggest decision once I decided to move forward was what blogging platform to use. Obviously I’ve decided on WordPress. If you are researching what blogging platform to use - I can sum up why I chose WordPress in three easy points:

It’s open source (you can grow with it and lots of people smarter than me have built lots of cool features)
It’s easy to use
You can optimize it to your heart’s content (what good is a blog if people can’t find you online?)

In addition to figuring out the structure of the blog, I’ve been jotting down notes and ideas for what to write about - lot’s of them (ironically this was one of the biggest excuses I used in the past for starting a blog – that I would not have anything to write about). As soon as I committed to doing this blog the ideas started flowing, which doesn’t surprise me. The unknown is always a bit scary, but once you’ve pulled the veil back a bit you realize it’s not that bad.

Now that everything is up and running, the journey truly begins. Over the next year I’m going to blog about life experiences, business experiences and what happens in between. It should be fun – life is full of surprises, and as a marketer it’s those surprises that help lead to new ideas in the business world. This blog hopefully captures life at those points. Feel free to join the journey with me – the more the merrier.