tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70990837811720357422012-01-27T10:34:31.038-08:00Musings and observations from SBC's Account Planning team.sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.comBlogger421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-1841868721371594822011-12-07T07:33:00.000-08:002011-12-08T10:35:18.807-08:00

Call it Thanksgifting. In this year’s run-up to the holiday shopping season, news reports inundated us with stories about the early start to the holiday shopping season. Big-name retailers Best Buy, Macy’s, Kohl’s and Target unlocked their doors at midnight on Thanksgiving only to be bested by Wal-Mart, which opened two hours earlier at 10 p.m. While all the early openings were justifiably

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-58840985424581162062011-07-11T10:07:00.000-07:002011-07-11T10:07:55.920-07:00

We're not out of the woods yet! The recession may be over, but the working parents we spoke with at SBC Advertising said that they are still employing money-saving strategies to recover during the back-to-school season this year.  Some mothers told us they plan to continue using strategies formed in the last few years. So what has the recession changed? Re-using or recycling school supplies

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-16835820344280745602011-07-05T11:12:00.000-07:002011-07-05T11:12:23.388-07:00

We talked about that funny Staples ad in our last post. The ad made an analogy on behalf of parents that back-to-school was akin to Christmas as Andy Williams croons "It's the most wonderful time of the year." Interestingly, there are a few other things the back-to-school shopping season has in common with the holiday season: Increased spending and changes in typical shopping patterns. Our

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-37558564960819130802011-06-30T07:17:00.000-07:002011-06-30T08:43:21.683-07:00

We talked with a group of working parents here at SBC Advertising about the upcoming BTS (back-to-school) season and what they shared with us about their summertime reality was eye-opening. To be cliche, it's no picnic. Do you recall that BTS spot from Staples a few years back? It featured an overly excited parent with equally unexcited children meandering through a Staples school supply aisle.

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-23770934455802738372011-06-09T14:13:00.000-07:002011-06-09T14:13:09.574-07:00

Here at SBC Advertising, we've been doing some thinking about Shopper Marketing, an emerging discipline that is becoming increasingly more important for retailers. What is Shopper Marketing, you ask? Essentially, it studies, targets and caters to the shopper, and, more importantly, seeks to understand how individuals act when they're actually in the store or on the website making a purchase.

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-21665009846103164642011-05-20T11:58:00.000-07:002011-05-20T12:10:21.078-07:00

That is one of several questions in Morgan Spurlock's new movie Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. Did Spurlock sell out to the advertisers in order to get money to make his movie, or did he make smart business decisions and buy in to brand integration to help fund a movie he wanted to make? SBC Advertising held an exclusive sneak preview for Spurlock's new movie, a day

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-77225944290312911482011-04-21T12:53:00.000-07:002011-04-21T12:53:23.043-07:00

According to an article in MediaPost, numerous companies are running tie-ins to green causes in honor of Earth Day on April 22nd. RadioShack has an electronics trade-in tied to winning an eco-friendly car AAA is offering green driving tips Nickelodeon is hosting Big Help Earth Day How many consumers will take advantage of these offers, or take time to heed some of the green advice being given?

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-83971607850695804992011-03-02T14:15:00.000-08:002011-03-02T14:15:04.613-08:00

In 2008 Macy's instituted a pilot program to test specialized, local merchandising in 20 markets and then rolled out My Macy's - a program which stocks merchandise based on popular items in local stores. Here are some examples of what stores are carrying. In Memphis, Tennessee this past holiday season Macy's stores stocked up on Elvis Christmas tree ornaments while in San Bernadino, California

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-40313163856093934412011-02-08T12:21:00.000-08:002011-02-23T11:40:24.637-08:00

Guesses have ranged from Robert De Niro to Eminem himself. But it looks like they hired Rockford, Michigan-based voice-over talent Kevin Yon. Extra points for keeping it local, Chrysler! Now if only I could tell you that one of the many great Michigan-based ad agencies made the spot -- that would have a lovely ending to this "imported from Detroit" story.  (The talented folks at Wieden & Kennedy

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-20277515403408596972011-02-06T14:02:00.000-08:002011-02-06T14:02:23.770-08:00

Did you know that Best Buy has never run a commercial during the Super Bowl? That's a bit surprising given that they seem like a good fit for the Super Bowl ad line up with their myriad of home entertainment systems and big screen TVs. This year they're joining the circus because Best Buy has big news to share. They plan to kick off a campaign with a :30 Super Bowl spot that will run

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-67120126735074410892011-02-06T07:08:00.000-08:002011-02-06T07:08:05.251-08:00

There seems to be a front runner for the winning Super Bowl ad from VW. Fans of the ad say the "brilliance about the commercial is that it really isn't an advert for a car at all, but more about the imagination of a child playing at being Darth Vader." Posted on YouTube earlier this week the spot already has over 6 million views. What do you think - does Volkswagen have a winner? http://bit.ly

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-27100169808917218622011-02-05T15:11:00.000-08:002011-02-05T15:11:54.263-08:00

After a 10 year hiatus from the Super Bowl, luxury auto manufacturer BMW is jumping back into the year's biggest advertising showcase with both feet. At a cost of at least $6 million ($3 million/30 seconds), BMW is coming back to the Super Bowl with two commercials and an integrated Facebook contest. Considering what's at stake in the coming year, BMW feels that $6 million will be well worth it

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-22169777971514872332011-02-05T08:14:00.000-08:002011-02-05T08:14:11.692-08:00

Last year Pepsi opted out of advertising in the Super Bowl and focused their $20 million efforts on The Pepsi Refresh Project, the much-celebrated program that awards grants for programs to bring great ideas into communities across the country. This year Pepsi Max will team up with their sister brand Doritos in the Crash the Super Bowl consumer-generated ad contest. Doritos has been running the

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-7726309837120785342011-02-04T14:41:00.000-08:002011-02-04T14:41:24.921-08:00

Cool cars, crappy jobs, men, emasculated men, men in underwear, chips, Google, Tim Tebow, Danica Patrick, Charles Barkley, Betty White and of course, beer - lots of beer. The XLIV Super Bowl brought us all kinds of commercials. Some were outstanding, some...not so much. Because the past is prelude, warm up for this year's Super Bowl ads by taking a look back at last year's spots. Advertising

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-70143198261633965962011-02-01T16:30:00.000-08:002011-02-01T16:30:00.127-08:00

According to the National Retail Foundation's 2011 Valentine's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, consumer spending will continue through Valentine's Day this year bringing the holiday total to an estimated $15.7 billion. Couples will not only be doting on each other, the average man spending twice as much as the average woman, but will also be generous with friends and co-workers in

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-87322467956370172462011-01-20T08:35:00.000-08:002011-01-20T08:35:20.887-08:00

November's early promotions proved too tempting for consumers, who came out in droves to spend well before December 25th, and even before the celebrated Black Friday. Free shipping and bad weather (and perhaps the realization of how much money was already spent?!) seemed to keep consumers' wallets tucked away in December. Although unemployment remained high and consumers may not return to "

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-37989072715503414102010-12-07T14:37:00.000-08:002010-12-07T14:37:03.872-08:00

"In 2008 and 2009 , mobile started out as a science project. It's accelerated so fast that it's becoming more mission-critical for retailers to deliver a mobile experience in a professional way."  - Dave Sikora, Digby In our 2009 post-holiday blog we declared online shopping as the holiday retail darling of the holiday season. But this year there' s a new darling in town - it's that handy

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-27448129810831644182010-11-29T08:25:00.000-08:002010-11-30T06:00:42.636-08:00

Several predictions for the 2010 Black Friday weekend came true!  There were more shoppers in stores and visiting websites over this Black Friday weekend  More money was spent than a year ago   Shoppers purchased more fun gifts (jewelry) instead of practical gifts (coffee makers)   But hold on! Black Friday 2010 weekend looked good, but consumers are still concerned with the economy, so

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-49873614877823030792010-10-21T14:31:00.000-07:002010-10-21T14:31:32.548-07:00

Defining Fast FashionDo you know what Fast Fashion is? We asked a group of women who shop fast fashion concept stores (Uniqlo, H&M, Zara, Forever 21, etc.) and most were not familiar with the term. No biggie. The term is more industry jargon than a consumer-facing moniker.  Fast Fashion takes runway trends and quickly (and inexpensively) turns them into merchandise for trend-seeking consumers. 

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-29115519738368054472010-10-13T10:13:00.000-07:002010-10-13T10:13:23.689-07:00

While retailers experienced a decent back-to-school season this year, experts warn not to expect too much for the holiday season. Sales are predicted to be up, but experts say consumers will shop with caution and wait until the last minute to shop for the best deals.  They advise retailers to offer promotions, rewards and coupons to draw in consumers. Why? Consumers are expected to do even more

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-91911087889994892052010-10-01T12:26:00.000-07:002010-10-01T12:26:10.231-07:00

About 148 million Americans are expected to partake in some sort of Halloween celebration, and according to National Retail Federation's Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, people will be spending considerably more than they did last year, perhaps even back up to the levels of 2008. That being said, 30% of consumers say that the condition of the U.S. economy will still influence

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-61463551039698263782010-09-07T13:29:00.000-07:002010-09-09T08:52:19.690-07:00

Overall back-to-school sales for 2010 were up compared to sales from last year. Oppressive heat drove people inside to air conditioned stores that not only had severely  discounted merchandise (as much as 50%), but were discounting as early as July. In addition, some states had tax free shopping weeks. Although sales are up for back-to school this year, they are still below those of 2008. With

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-45352891750771833042010-08-17T10:50:00.000-07:002010-08-17T10:50:57.346-07:00

"Mom, have you seen my red dress?"  "Er, um, no Ashley...I haven't." Cut to mom shoving worn red dress into dry cleaning bag.  Mothers and daughters are not only dressing similarly, but they are also swapping wardrobes and they actually enjoy *gasp* shopping together. We're dubbing these women part of Generation Meld: The melding of Gen X moms and their Millennial daughters into one

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-45544299076999009812010-07-19T13:39:00.000-07:002010-07-19T13:59:54.384-07:00

An interesting thing happened on the way through the Great Recession: Consumers got smarter; a whole lot smarter. Oh, don't get me wrong, they were plenty smart to begin with, but their spending habits became so well-thought and calculated in recent years that not only are consumers receiving a financial benefit to their savvy ways, but an emotional benefit as well. Looks like saving money

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-88820444715692926152010-04-15T08:05:00.000-07:002010-04-15T08:05:33.043-07:00

Healthy dining for Americans has changed over the last few years. "Diet" and "healthy" used to be dirty words conjuring images of bland food and incessant hunger. Today, those words are no longer taboo to consumers, as some people opt for lighter more healthy items without sacrificing taste and hunger. Although when dining out, health may not be consumers' number one priority as cost and the

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-19572202939440317012010-02-08T13:13:00.000-08:002010-02-08T13:16:53.213-08:00

Who are the new healthcare consumers, affectionately known as e-patients? They are men and women of all ages. They are loved ones caring for a sick family member. They are friends helping other friends. They have acid reflux. They have diabetes. They have cancer. And... They want to know their results. They want to know their diagnoses. And they want to know now. Ladies and gentlemen, this is

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-39594688109221642512010-01-14T20:55:00.000-08:002010-01-14T20:55:11.304-08:00

Oh, glorious online shopping! How much do we love thee? Well, we love thee to the tune of a 17.7% increase in online sales in the month of December 2009. Growing comfort with online shopping, less than stellar sales and merchandise at the store level, and a winter storm that crippled the East Coast sent shoppers online in record numbers. Furthermore, online retailers are being credited for using

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-55454702808295835412010-01-14T08:25:00.000-08:002010-01-14T08:25:14.331-08:00

Sales numbers for major retailers this past holiday season were decent, but let's not forget that we're comparing with last year's disaster of a retail holiday season. Our excitement over a successful holiday season is a bit tempered with this in mind. On the consumer level -- folks said they didn't notice as many good sales as they had in years past, but thought that the rationale behind

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-83829895121309153302009-10-26T10:48:00.000-07:002009-10-26T13:05:57.647-07:00

While Gen Y has gotten a bad wrap for being the entitled, spoiled rotten children of helicopter parents, a recent report from J.D. Power and Associates suggests that Generation Y "Early Careerists" (ages 22-29) are increasingly value-focused when it comes to brands.While premium brands still elicit positive discussion among "Early Careerists", the report shows that the group is also very

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-25274471277695910712009-10-12T06:25:00.000-07:002009-10-12T07:06:27.150-07:00

Over the past year, there's been some chatter about consumers and their coupon habits.The percentage of consumers who used coupons had actually been falling, that is, until the most recent recession. According to a recent article by the NYTimes,"Coupon redemption in America peaked in 1992, at the end of a recession, when 7.9 billion coupons were redeemed...by 2006, that number fell to 2.6 billion

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-87666448249884831722009-09-25T11:13:00.000-07:002009-09-25T13:41:22.823-07:00

A recent piece on Fast Company's brilliant blog, Femme Den, offered some astute insight into how men and women differ when it comes to choosing and purchasing products.The article suggests that purchase decisions are influenced by our hunter and gatherer instincts. When buying a product, men want to path-find -- it's part of the hunting instinct. When shopping for a product, they go linear and

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-31310933205789786392009-08-20T11:58:00.000-07:002009-08-20T12:39:36.661-07:00

Retailers may be able to breathe a small sigh of relief when it comes to their gift card business.According to a recent report by The Hartman Group, the number of consumers purchasing gift cards has significantly increased over the past six months. This interesting finding suggests that consumers may actually view gift cards as practical gifts in this tough economy. If this trend continues for

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-68628963500968315732009-08-20T09:10:00.000-07:002009-08-20T12:31:34.062-07:00

According to a recent Gallup poll, Americans are more positive about most major businesses and industries this year, after being more negative nearly across the board in 2008.Some notable findings from the poll include:- The computer industry remains the most positively rated at 62 percent, but the restaurant industry follows not far behind at 57 percent.- The figures for the restaurant industry

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-67679241964942619032009-08-17T11:30:00.000-07:002009-08-18T06:51:14.633-07:00

The Back-to-School season is an important time of year for many retailers, and there continues to be a lot of buzz about BTS 2009 due to our country's economic situation. As the countdown to the first school bell begins, SBC Advertising's Consumer Lab takes a look at the circulars from this past Sunday. Here’s who was promoting what in their weekly ads (as distributed in the Columbus Dispatch):

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-32404721260915298962009-07-27T07:53:00.000-07:002009-07-27T09:19:01.806-07:00

Walmart recently unveiled a plan to determine the social and environmental impact of every product they sell. Through the implementation of a product indexing system, consumers will be able to evaluate a product's impact on the environment. The retail giant has already assembled a team of experts (including members of the Environmental Defense Fund) who will be charged with formulating the

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-80333458611211197332009-07-22T07:54:00.000-07:002009-07-22T11:05:18.196-07:00

Starbucks is taking on a little re-branding. But here's the twist: they're removing the Starbucks name from stores.This trial re-branding effort is taking place in at least three Starbucks stores in Seattle. A few months ago, Starbucks began remodeling stores to reflect a more rustic, eco-friendly asthetic. Instead of keeping the Starbucks name on the door, the coffee purveyor is naming stores

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-55933354320838388592009-07-17T06:40:00.000-07:002009-07-17T06:59:54.593-07:00

Research and trends powerhouse Yankelovich sent out a MONITOR minute (their free trends email subscription) about coupon users [sign up for these here]. From January to June 2009, looks like there were more coupons downloaded than in all of 2008. Not surprising. What is surprising is this: Coupon usage is not just about saving money. There's more to it than that. It seems that coupons users (

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-37809572284301246552009-07-16T14:40:00.000-07:002009-07-16T15:13:44.896-07:00

Early predictions about the 2009 Back to school shopping season are starting to make their way into the media. And it’s not looking good for retailers. Most parents of kids K-12 say they will cut back in spending this year due to the economy and the increased frugality that is becoming more of the shopping norm. NRF’s 2009 Back to School Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey (conducted by

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-7711015328793655242009-07-16T12:26:00.000-07:002009-07-16T13:22:17.642-07:00

This ad for Amnesty International is the first-ever poster to employ eye-tracking technology. The poster is an anti-abuse ad that depicts a smiling couple - at least when you're looking at it. When you look away, it shows a man hitting a woman.According to blog Gizmodo, this is how the technology works -“The billboard works by scanning its proximity with an eye-tracking camera, which triggers an

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-22751779348677823672009-07-16T12:24:00.000-07:002009-07-17T06:15:47.331-07:00

And so the social networking site continues on its quest for world domination.[via facebook]

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-53298867311888436332009-07-16T12:06:00.000-07:002009-07-16T13:10:56.258-07:00

Chipotle, the ever vocal champion of organic and sustainable food practices, has partnered with Food Inc., a new film that examines unsavory practices within America's food industry.The partnership is a fitting move for Chipotle, as they hope to shine a spotlight on their "Food with Integrity" philosophy. [via brandweek]

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099083781172035742.post-8814942397894461382009-07-16T11:45:00.000-07:002009-07-17T06:19:17.348-07:00

A new consumer survey about customer service found there are five major areas that contribute to a great shopping experience. However, survey respondents cited a total of 28 elements that can contribute to a great shopping experience.According to the report, an experience that really "wows" shoppers typically contains 10 of those 28 elements – simultaneously. And to further reduce a retailer

sbcadvertisingconsumerlabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05828208471236840026noreply@blogger.com0