When the customer does not want to hear from you

While preparing a workshop on the use of social media in students’ recruitment, I came across this study on university selection, which had the following piece of insight: Students are more likely to respond to information they found on their own, than material that was sent to them. Hardly ideal, right? These students - … Continue reading When the customer does not want to hear from you

A great marketing lesson an unlikely place: drug dealing

Sometimes, good (marketing) lessons come from bad places. For instance, the dark web gives us great lessons about branding, reputation and social proof. And here is another one. It is an interview with an ex-drug dealer, Coss Marte, for the Gimlet Media's podcast Start-up. The interview gives us an amazing insight into: Segmentation – There … Continue reading A great marketing lesson an unlikely place: drug dealing

Why parents talk about their children on social media

The increasing popularity of social media has led to the emergence of the phenomenon of sharenting, whereby adults (parents, relatives, school administrators, …) share, on social media, details (pictures, videos, status updates, …) about the children in their care. All very innocent, right? Well, there are many disadvantages, too – and I am … Continue reading Why parents talk about their children on social media

Amazon enters the fresh food delivery market

Amazon is entering the fresh food delivery market, competing directly with supermarkets. It promises same day delivery. Though, for the time being, it is only serving Premium customers in the London area, as reported by the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36494472/embed I said before that, for me, the killer advantage of Amazon vs. other retailers is not same … Continue reading Amazon enters the fresh food delivery market

Consumer education: how can we make salt’s harm visible?

Earlier this month, the British Association of Dermatologists published a press release with the highlights from a survey of Britain’s sun protection habits. The highlights included: 80% don’t apply sunscreen before going out in the sun and then shortly afterwards; 70% fail to reapply sunscreen every two hours as recommended; 35% would only seek shade … Continue reading Consumer education: how can we make salt’s harm visible?

Three steps to spot brewing social media crises

User generated content (UGC), like tweets, blogs or videos, which criticise brands, can spread widely and quickly. If marketing managers leave these conversations unattended, they can go viral, and threaten the brands; whereas handling the negative UGC will reassure other customers (including potential ones) that the company listens, cares and is in control. So, brands … Continue reading Three steps to spot brewing social media crises

Oh, don’t you love the smell of 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline?

Today, a marketing lesson from the kiddo: What he is talking about, here, is the role of smell as a stimulus. Smell (and other stimuli like colour, temperature, or sounds) can create an affective response in shoppers. This can either be a direct emotional reaction to the stimulus (e.g., the smell makes us feel hungry); or … Continue reading Oh, don’t you love the smell of 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline?

The limited value of ad views

Think with Google published the results of a very interesting study measuring the effectiveness of different video versions of an ad for a new product. The study uses three alternative approaches – with very different results. The product The ad was for a new line of make up from L’Oreal Paris. The ad … Continue reading The limited value of ad views

Want feedback? Ask your customers… or maybe not

A trip to the gym last weekend resulted in an unexpected market research lesson, which I talked about on Snapchat*: Our usual instructor had been away on the previous weekend, and had been temporarily replaced by somebody else. This one had a very peculiar style – ‘though love’, if you wish. He kept telling … Continue reading Want feedback? Ask your customers… or maybe not