$211 Billion and So Much to Buy -- American Youths, the New Big Spenders

The New Big Spenders

Youths are extremely engaged in all aspects of technology and media and influence family's purchases. Plus they have huge spending power of their own.

Eight to 24 year olds are ready to spend money in 2012. 211 billion dollars, to be more precise. According to the 2012 Harris Poll YouthPulse(SM) study, the purchasing power of today's youth is something that should not be overshadowed by the spending power of adults. Over half of eight to 12 year olds will spend their own money on candy (61%) and toys (55%) while a quarter will buy books (28%) and one-in-five will purchase clothing (19%). Teens, those 13-17, still crave candy, and half (51%) will make a point of treating themselves to sweets. However, clothing (42%) and entertainment, like movie tickets (33%) have become bigger priorities for this older group.

Analysis

People of the earth, hear me now understand me later, ...

'Traditional advertising is losing the battle in where this demographic consumes content."

I would submit that while there may be parts of Puerto Rico which do not have high adoption Internet rates. I insist that we have to think of this demographic as the first completely digital people.

Their Internet connectivity and participation in social networks is 100%. Or a number so close to 100 that they still mean the same thing. You want to reach this group you've got to get past their bullshit filter and engage with them as humans, unique people each and everyone. And it had better be online, on YouTube or TMZ.

Top 5 brands in Facebook for Puerto Rico

According to the social metrics analysis site, SocialBaker, the island has 1.45 million Facebook users. This represents a %36.47 poluation penetration of the inhabitants of Puerto Rico. Curiously, the site is also reporting that %149 of all Puerto Rican Internet users access Facebook.

Top Puerto Rico Facebook Brands:

1. Medalla Light Official
   
2. Burger King Puerto Rico
3. Doritos PR
4. Ticketpop
5. Smirnoff Puerto Rico

Conclusions

There's an old meme that is still very pertinent today as it was 5, 10, or 20 years ago. It's called the paradox of choice. The paradox is that we believe that having a lot of choices makes things better for us, when in fact, more choice instead causes fear and indecision.

SocialBaker is one of 20 or 50 web sites trying to cash-in on the desire for social media metrics. From Klout to Kred, they are all trying to help people make sense of the madness that is social media marketing.

So the paradox of choice reigns when it comes to the entire mess that is social media marketing. Which social networks to use? Which metrics to focus on? Which tools are best? But perhaps, most importantly, how can I use social media to gain more customers, increase my revenues, lower my costs, and increase my profits. For me, those are the real questions to be asking.

However, always remember this, your results may vary. Every situation is unique. What might work for one company may fail horribly for another. There is no one size fits all solution. It's all about trial and error, measurement, and iterating towards your business goals.

SME 2011 Annual Convention - Day One

While I was busy watching the livestream of the O'Reilly Web2.0 Expo from New York, I've been keeping an eye on the 5 channels I identified earlier:

• SME Puerto Rico Facebook Page
• SME Convention Home Page
• SME Convention Event in Linked In
• SME Twitter Feed - @SMEPuertoRico
• SMEPR Home Page

Day One Results

Well I did find out that @SMEPuertoRico was promoting the #readysetmarket hash tag. So one bonus point, for trying. Otherwise, here is the extent of the activity during the whole first day:

• SME Puerto Rico Facebook Page - 4 wall posts/pictures/etc.
• SME Convention Home Page - No change.
• SME Convention Event in Linked In - No change
• SME Twitter Feed - @SMEPuertoRico - 3 tweets.
• #readysetmarket Hashtag: 7 posts.
• SMEPR Home Page - No change.

Analysis

In general Puerto Rico is a late adopter in nearly almost every technology. While recognizing that everyone is waiting for a leader to break from the pack and begin to outperform with social media, maybe there's something else going on.

When hunted, gazelles prefer to stay in a pack. They believe that there is safety in numbers and they know that if anyone pulls away from the pack, they are quickly dinner for the lions hunting them.

In our case-study, I would compare the SME's leadership on social media, more akin to an ostrich, instead of a gazelle. They are perfectly willing to just stick their heads in the sand and pretend that phoning it in on social media will protect them from the hungry lions. All I can say, is thank you. Please continue to stay together and collectively hide from this exciting new medium. The lions are getting hungry, and I'm not sure how much longer they are willing to wait.

GFR Media Group Formed to Manage El Nuevo Dia and Primera Hora

A new media company has been created to manage the two biggest newspapers in Puerto Rico as part of a restructuring move.

The editor of El Nuevo Dia and Primera Hora says both papers will continue to be published under the format of their current print and digital editions.

Maria Luisa Ferre Rangel said Wednesday that the sales, advertising, human resources and other departments at both papers will not undergo any changes either.

But she said an internal news agency will be created as part of the restructuring move to produce news 24 hours a day for unspecified local media sites.

Ferre will oversee operations at the newly created GFR Media Group. Newspaper officials said they would release more information Thursday.

Analysis

Considering the depression the Puerto Rico market has been in for the last 12 years, this new company might be an attempt to pull together the diverse assets of El Nuevo Dia and Primera Hora to consolidate their respective values. I've heard that the Ferre Rangel family has wanted to sell the papers for a long time.

On the other hand, I'd like to remind everyone of the stranglehold that this new company has on local advertising spending. With over 65% of the local ad spending, this new company has solid short term earnings potential.

We should also recall that GFR Media Group is deeply integrated in the advertising agency monopoly that has so far successfully stunted the growth of Internet marketing in Puerto Rico. Please remember that Puerto Rico is unlike the United States, where television is the leading beneficiary of advertising spending and Internet Marketing is > 9%. In Puerto Rico, Internet Marketing is not even it's own category, with < 1%. Of the Internet Marketing happening in Puerto Rico, I assure you, GFR Media Group has an even bigger percentage due to their collusion with the advertising community.

Conclusion

El Nuevo Dia has been aggressively trying to replace the revenue lost to the free online classified advertising web sites. Just within the last five years they have launched InfoPaginas.com, a printed telephone book, and an online e-store. If were running GFR Media Group, I would be very worried. They've been able to survive the declining revenues that have claimed many local newspapers, however, the outlook does not look good.

I don't believe the vise-like grip that the duopoly of GFR Media Group and the local advertising agencies can hold back the self-service, convenience, and cost-effectiveness of Internet Marketing. Once the Internet Marketing dam breaks, I believe GFR Media Group will bleed red ink like it's been shot in the femoral artery. So if I were running GFR Media Group, I would slap a ton of lipstick on this pig and sell it as quickly as possible.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: Travis Lawton

Walking the Social Media Marketing Walk

There's one aspect of the Internet that escapes nearly everyone. Because the Internet is made up of a bunch of computers networked together, the amount of data generated and collected is staggering. Many of our leading Internet companies thrive on that data, and those who use it wisely, grow. Think of Google, Amazon, NetFlix, and Walmart. These are all big data companies.

As you read about this vast, widely connected mesh of computers, you say to yourself, but of course. Everyone knows business in the 21st century is an IT competition. However, there are some secondary implications of this mesh of computers. For me, there is no conclusion more important than, it's very hard to trick or cheat against computers. They are very adept at making the data they collect freely available on the Internet.

On the Internet: We know if you are not walking

While many people and companies can rack up affiliations, leadership experience, and large networks, if they are not using the Internet how the Internet is designed, it will show. Furthermore, each of the wide variety of social networks, each one has it's own unique style and accepted practices. On our social networks, we can tell who is using them efficiently, and who is just there, well just because, you are supposed to be there.

So while, we still may not know if you are a dog on the Internet. I can tell whether you walk like a social media expert should. I would only declare yourself an expert if the metrics on the Internet indicate that you are one. Otherwise, you're actually a dog in a social media expert's clothing.

Step Two - Unite

Okay, so we know that Puerto Rico is under utilizing the Internet to conduct marketing. We know that in order to market on the Internet, we have to remove the negative stigma that it has among marketing and advertisers. We also know that we are clearly at a transition point for marketing in Puerto Rico.

The signs are everywhere, or more correctly, since there are a large number of billboards that are empty or contain obsolete ads, there are very few signs. Conclusion: Advertising budgets have been decimated and therefore marketers are unable to buy advertising like they used to. It's also noticeable in El Nuevo Dia. The number of advertising pages has dropped considerably. And while we can mostly ignore the empty billboards, because they make up such a small percentage of overall advertising spending, a shrinking Dia is alarming. Making up 60% of all ad dollars spent, if the Dia shrinks it means that the advertising community is hurting.

A slippery slope

Finally, we also know that the advertising and marketing community still refuses to deal with the obvious conclusion to this dilemma. With shrinking advertising budgets, they need a more cost effective way to reach their target demographics. I wonder if such a magic medium exists? Is there a mass media available that allows me to accurately target audiences in a very effective way?

Aha, I know, what about the Internet? I bet they are actively pursing all manners to get their messages out over the Internet. Well we know, from looking at all of the known metrics (and here), that local advertisers and marketers are NOT using the Internet. I wonder, why not?

Oh yeah, tee hee, I wanted to share another set of metrics with you. I wonder who comes out as the leading authority on Internet Marketing and Internet Advertising in Puerto Rico? Yes, it's true! I bet you didn't see that one coming did you? Really sad when you think about it, but none the less, it is what it is.

While I know that I've mentioned it somewhere, but after nearly 800 posts I can't seem to find it, so I'll repeat myself. It's probably either here or here. Anyway, the reason that the advertising community doesn't want to accept the Internet, is because they see it as a slippery slope to reduced profitability. If they begin to sell their clients on Internet marketing campaigns that cost a tenth (a hundredth?) of what they now charge for their current services, they believe that it will cannibalize themselves.

Their fear is that by selling services that are much cheaper than billboards, radio spots, television commercials, and full page ads in the Dia, they lose revenue. Guess what folks? I know you already are! Didn't we just cover that above, you know the smaller El Nuevo Dia and empty billboards.

What to do now?

Kind of makes you wonder though. If most companies are shrinking their advertising budgets, how are they getting their brand messages out? I guess they're not! Which is another nail in our economic coffin. If you accept the maxim that advertising equals sales, then we must conclude that since advertising is down, then revenues and profitability are also down.

In a way, I think that Banco Popular has it right, "Juntos se Puede." However, in my opinion, I think that they are going about it in all the wrong ways. More on that, in my next post. In many ways, it's gut check time. It's time to check our personal interests, our egos, and our "What's in it for me?" attitudes at the door and enter into a grass roots reinvention of marketing on the Internet in Puerto Rico.

It is time for everyone in the marketing, advertising, and technology community to band together and admit that the rules have changed. Marketing budgets will never return to what they were in their hey day in Puerto Rico. That means that, like it or not, the Internet must receive a larger amount of advertising dollars, but it also means that we've got to admit that the "faith" that we've placed in past technology leaders was done in vain (good word choice, don't you think?)

Step Two in Improving Internet Marketing for Puerto Rico

So I guess, what I've concluded is that we need to form a non-denominational group of participants in this new world of Internet Marketing for Puerto Rico. What I mean by non-denominational, is that this has to be a group of people organized around the belief that what is good for everyone is good for me, and that therefore means that no one "owns" the group that has a direct benefit from the success of the group. I've seen too many attempts at organization which have turned into a land grab for the credit of improving things.

You may not realize it, but Puerto Rico has a disturbingly empty technology community. In most large cities through out the world, technical user groups abound. For every key technology, there is a very active and organized user group. There are nearly NO user groups in Puerto Rico. Of course, this stems directly from our old friend the "zero-sum mentality." The hidden message behind the odd absence of user groups in Puerto Rico is that if I share technical knowledge with my peers or competitors, I'm giving them the tools to take away some of my pie.

Of course, nothing is further from the truth. What most people don't get is that ideas, or knowledge for that matter, is nothing with out execution. If I tell you how to market more effectively on the Internet, you still have to do it.

Recently I got a heads up about organizing a PodCamp in Puerto Rico. While I have a mixed set of emotions, as described above, maybe a regularly scheduled set of non-conferences is just what we need. If that's not it, then we'd better come up with something else, and quick. Every moment that we ignore the huge pink elephant in the room (Internet marketing and advertising is THE way out of our advertising slump), the more revenues and profits will decline. Which is the exact opposite of being helpful.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: @dipek

Lack of Control Scares Marketers

A while back, in one of our thousands of discussion about DóndeEs.com, the Internet, and marketing in Puerto Rico, Jose came up with a great observation. I guess I had forgotten it, because when I read a recent post by Seth Godin, I immediately remembered his comment.


Jose's comment was that local marketers mistrust (read fear, because we all fear what we don't understand) the Internet because they can not control it. That's exactly Seth's point, which he makes in a slightly different way. Often it's only when we are presented with two (many) sides of the same problem that it takes hold. With the new perspective, we grok the problem. Seth says that the web doesn't care. He says (and he's spot on):

This [the Internet] is the first mass marketing medium ever that isn't supported by ads.

If a newspaper, a radio station or a TV station doesn't please advertisers, it disappears. It exists to make you (the marketer) happy.

That's the reason the medium (and its rules) exist. To please the advertisers.

But the Net is different.

It wasn't invented by business people, and it doesn't exist to help your company make money.

And then here's the real rub. Most marketers are only concerned in "helping" their client and collecting a commission. And in my opinion, nearly all companies are only interested in one thing, the survival of their company. Seth asks this question:

"How are people (the people I need to reach, interact with and tell stories to) going to use this new power and how can I help them achieve their goals?"

Or as one of my very favorite speakers and writers, Kathy Sierra, puts it in her blog "Creating Passionate Users", how are you going to make your users (your customers) kick ass? Because if you don't care whether they can or are kicking ass, I can assure you that they really don't care about all the kajillions of dollars you're spending to promote your brand, and therefore, don't really care about your products. Think about it!

Bonus: Need further proof? This other post by Seth shows how that marketers are so out of touch with how to really reach and influence consumers that they have stooped to advertising their advertisements. And for a double bonus, don't you wish we lived in a world that his fiduciary rule for big brand marketers were true?

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: llawliet

5 New Rules for Internet Marketing in Puerto Rico

Sometimes it seems like the only thing more prevalent than pornography on the Internet, is web sites that want to help you make money with your web site. While these sites can be very annoying and pushy about their products and services, some times thar's gold in them thar web sites.

As I mentioned previously, I was searching for rules for Internet Marketing and let me tell you, I found a lot of pyrite, but I finally struck gold when I found Nach Maravilla's rules. He is the CEO and Publisher of PowerHomebiz.com. His five rules for Internet Marketing I believe would work wonders for a lot of brands in Puerto Rico. I'll leave it up to you to read his explanations, but his rules are:

1. Understand that everything starts with content.
2. Be persistent.
3. Use different techniques.
4. Track and measure your results.
5. Learn, learn, and learn.

Sound advice, any way you look at them.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: gluemoon

20 Business Blogs for Puerto Rico

I just came across an interesting web site, it's focused on using word of mouth advertising to push specific products. In their latest campaign, they are pushing a new book by the founder of the web site. The book is called 'A Word of Mouth Manual, Vol. II' and it is written by by Dave Balter.

1. 37 Signals - Signal vs Noise, Jason Fried
2. 800-CEO-READ Blog, Todd Sattersten
3. Brand Autopsy, John Moore
4. ChrisBrogan.com, Chris Brogan
5. Church of the Customer, Jackie Huba
6. Culture Buzz, Emmanuel Vivier
7. Digital Influence Mapping Project, John Bell
8. Duct Tape Marketing, John Jantsch
9. Flybridge Ventures, Jeff Bussgang
10. Greg Verdino's Marketing Blog, Greg Verdino
11. How to Change the World, Guy Kawasaki
12. Influential Marketing Blog, Rohit Bhargava
13. HBSP : Game Changer, Bill Taylor
14. SHIFT PR, Todd Defren
15. Seth's Blog, Seth Godin
16. The Social Customer Manifesto, Christopher Carfi
17. tompeters!, Tom Peters
18. Trend Hunter, Jeremy Gutsche
19. Six Pixels of Separation, Mitch Joel
20. What's Next in Marketing, Mitch Caplan
21. Creating Passionate Users, Kathy Sierra (I just had to through this one in, it has such great information I'd be ashamed to leave it out.)
    

What's the web site? Oh yeah, it's called BzzAgent.com. If you want to learn about word of mouth marketing, then you can start by downloading the PDF of the book for free, starting at this page. You'll have to visit one of the 20 blogs to get access to the PDF, but if you're already convinced, you can pop over to Amazon and buy a limited edition print copy.

Between the 20 blogs listed and the 'A Word of Mouth Manual, Vol. 2', you've got a lot of reading to catch up on. I'll wait here until you're finished.

Internet Marketing in Puerto Rico

In preparation for my next few posts, I wanted to see what was out on the Internet in terms of what "experts" think are the basic rules for Internet marketing. I think this is a worthy research, because from our experience, we may have to redefine what Internet marketing is all about in Puerto Rico. Before we get into that, let's first examine the State of the Internet Marketing in Puerto Rico. While I touched on this before I focused more on Internet advertising.

Unfortunately Puerto Rico has fallen victim to group think when it comes to Internet Marketing. While I've not met a lot of the Internet Marketers from the advertising side of the equation, I probably know everyone who is anyone on the technical side of the equation. No one I've met has a clue about what Internet Marketing is really about.

In a way it's been sort of a perfect storm for coming to the wrong conclusion. Internet Marketing sits at the cross-section of technology and marketing. Unfortunately that cross-section has become a no-mans land. Think about it, marketing on the Internet is the first medium that involves any real dependence on computers. How much would an advertising company need to know about creating a print ad, radio ad, or television ad? They merely needed to conceive of a creative approach and then implement.

The Internet is a unique medium

Then comes the Internet, which is fundamentally an online print medium (HTML = hyper text markup language, markup means applying styles to text) on steroids. However when you throw in the whole hyper text element, mix in audio, video, and animation, you end up with an entirely unique medium. However, the real difference is that last word in HTML, language. When you refer to a language on computers it only means one thing, programming. And now that's a horse of different color all together. Bottom line, in order for a marketer to use this new medium most effectively, they HAVE to understand a few things about the Internet and programming.

Hello marketers, a word to the wise. Just because you're not interested in computers, software development, or the Internet you HAVE to learn how this medium works if you are going to use it effectively. Oh yeah and don't think of this trio of technologies as if they are from the next Harry Potter movie. They are not magic.

On the contrary, they are the exact opposite, they are pure science, computer science that is. Ones and zeros people, nothing more, nothing less. Throw in a large heaping of mathematics and there you have it. And believe me, it may seem complex, but there are rules that computers MUST follow; once you start to get a handle on those rules, you'll be on your way. One more thing, please pay attention while we're making an attempt to explain these rules to you. We can see when your eyes gloss over; we know it means you're thinking about your Gucci handbag or the new BMW you want to buy, instead of listening to our techno-babble.

11 years of disgrace

On the other side of this cross section, we have 11 years of almost total disgrace. When the web designers and developers in Puerto Rico should have been leading the charge of teaching everyone about this new medium, we had a bunch of unqualified jerks hell bent on a quick buck. Collectively this group of charlatans have screwed more companies than you can imagine and forever polluted their customer's perception of the Internet.

In addition to that, techies (web developers and programmers) are typically geeks. Their view of everything is from the technology perspective. They might learn one technology and then that's it. They become a hammer. And when you're a hammer all problems look like nails. So very few take the time to learn a little about marketing so that they help their clients to understand more about the Internet and can then begin to communicate more effectively with them.

The majority of these geeks ramble on about HTML, CSS, ASP, or an endless stream of other technobabble. Earth to geeks! No one understands what the hell you're talking about! Ever heard that advice, explain it to me as if I were in 4th grade? Use it! If you can't effectively explain to your clients WHY a technology is beneficial in simple terms, then you need to do more homework.

No man's land

In the end, Internet Marketing in Puerto Rico has become a business specialty where neither of the sides is willing to meet in the middle. Therefore a huge canyon has emerged between them. This canyon makes it incredibly difficult to communicate; neither speaks the others language; each sees the challenge from a completely different perspective; one side is only interested in the money; and one side has no trust in the other. Therefore, all attempts crash against the walls of the canyon and are blown away with the wind.

So listen up everyone, Internet Marketing is not:

1. Merely reconceiving your print ads so that they look pretty on the Internet. Of course this is mandatory, but it is the starting point not the end result.
2. About just one campaign, it's about building your brand. As long as your company is in business, that should be your number one priority.
   
3. Just a website that you finish and then NEVER update until the next marketing or IT director decides it's time to change the site. Internet marketing involves not only consistenly publishing new content, but it also requires monitoring the effectiveness of that content or advertising and adjusting your priorities accordingly. The days of a "Field of Dreams" , build it and they will come, are over.
   
4. A oneway communication medium. You see the Internet, like no other medium before it, actually allows the consumer to respond IMMEDIATELY to your content and advertisements. Oh, and by the way, just becuase you use Adobe Flash on your site does not make it a two way communication. Making it interactive is just the start; you need to get feedback, you need to measure responses, track your traffic, and respond with content that delivers what consumers are seeking.
   
5. Achieved by focusing merely on your website and no other site on the Internet. No website is an island, all must bow down before the mightly search engines, the blogosphere, and now social networking sites.
   
6. A static target. What works today, might not tomorrow. Google constantly changes their search algorithm, you fall off the first page of results and now you're toast. You've got to be constantly learning what is working and adapt as quickly as possible to leverage new technologies, new sites, or new techniques.
7. Not about implementing features it's about impacting behavior. If consumers are not visiting your site, clicking on your ads, or consuming your content, your'e not conducting marketing, your publishing. Best leave that to the professionals and stick to building your brand.
8. About cost effectiveness. You really do get what you pay for. If you accept or offer the lowest price, then you're going to be missing the necessary business practices to ensure a high quality result. Part of which are tools that make it easy to keep your site alive once it's launched.
9. Does not involve advertising a web site offline. Ok, follow me here, if Internet Marketing assumes consumers taking immeidate action, how does someone driving 65 m.p.h take immediate action on a URL posted on a billboard? Oh sure you're going to impact a few consumers who get stuck in a tapon in front of the billboard, but I submit that those same dollars used online would have greater impact, where people are ALREADY on the Internet.

Next, five basic rules for Internet Marketing in Puerto Rico.

Word of Mouth Marketing Roadmap

For many in the marketing community, the new road that is being blazed by the likes of YouTube, Flickr, Blogger, and most importantly the social networks (MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, etc) ventures into foreign territory. This new road doesn't follow the familiar routes that traditional marketing has taken for the last 50 years. No sir-ree, this new road has most "traditional" marketers feeling very uncomfortable and out of place; which is not a place that no anyone that is supposed to understand how to reach consumers should be.

Word of Mouth Marketing Roadmap

Well I ran across an article that I think lays out a new road map. A road map to understand how to successfully pierce the fog of confusion surrounding this new road, but without getting lost. As most people, traditional marketers, are hesitant to stop and ask for directions (help) from explorers (entrepreneurs) who are unafraid of driving around on this new road until they find their way, no, old-school marketers would rather just wish that the new road didn't exist in the first place. Unfortunately for them, this road continues under construction as daily tens of millions convert it from a two lane country road into a 8 lane super highway.

Entitled the "The Microfame Game," this article from Rex Sorgatz of the New York Magazine describes an eight step road map to micro-fame. And while micro-fame is certanaly not the goal of most marketers, the same essential steps are involved in getting your brand, product, service noticed. And while I'm just a starving high-tech entrepreneur and not really understand or believe in traditional marketing, in these days of mass-marketing over-saturation, I do know that getting noticed is the goal of marketing in this new territory.

The article is extremely well researched and gives you plenty of examples to study and imitate. As I've said earlier in this blog, YouTube plays a signficant role in this new road-map and any marketerer who chooses to ignore this new channel will do so at their own peril.

Well I'll leave you to start your analysis of these new steps, and a little word to the wise, don't be like the proverbial alpha-male who refuses to ask for direction when lost in the country, find an intrepid explorer (entrepreneur) of this new road as a guide. You'll get where you want to be a lot faster and you'll please your clients in the process.

8 STEPS TO MICROFAME

1. Self-publish
2. Stylize
3. Overshare
4. Respond
5. Ally
6. Diversify
7. Create Controversy
8. Persist

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: twenty_questions

Liberty Cablevision Misses Their Mark

Crema, Cremita, Avena, or if you prefer Oatmeal, was never a big item for breakfast in the childhood home of Señor Don Dees. Nope, for me it was cold cereal. Which now that you think of it makes no sense at all. In the midwest of the United States were I grew up, it's cold over half of the year, but we eat cold cereal. In Puerto Rico, where it's bake your brains hot, well, pretty much all year long, mothers give children hot cereal. Go figure!

Anyway, some of my favorites were the obligatory Captain Crunch (with Crunchberries), Frosted Flakes (Zucaritas), and Fruit Loops. But probably my all time favorite was Lucky Charms. A delightful concoction of toasted oats and marshmallows. I mean come on, when you're a kid getting your Mom to let you eat marshmallows (read candy) for breakfast was pretty clever.

But in this classic post by Seth Godin, he uses a story about how a teenager he was talking to about Lucky Charms wasn't even aware that they were "Magically Delicious." Which is, of course, the slogan General Mills uses in all of their advertisements for the cereal. See here for an example: Don't you just love YouTube? The point here is that General Mills has spent millions drilling that slogan into everyone's head and yet, a typical teenager doesn't even associate "Magically Delicious." with Lucky Charms. Here's Seth's take (which is as sweet as marshmallows in the morning):

"Some marketers are still relying on the idea that they can drill a catch phrase or benefit or USP or differentiation into our heads through ceaseless ads. It sure worked on me.

Is this the core strategy behind the growth of your business?

Not sure it's going to work any more."

Liberty Cablevision's 100% Campaign

Recently I started seeing some intriguing advertisements (teasers actually) announcing something BIG and NEW. I was hmm, I like big news, I wonder what it is? In terms of marketing, I was right where the advertiser wanted me. However, when I finally got to see the big news, the only thing big about it was the amount of money they were spending. The ads were from Liberty announcing that "Con Liberty puedes disfrutar el mundo al 100%." I was like uh huh, and so what? Where's the marshmallows? Where is anything in this new ad that zaps me in the ass like a cattle prod to call Liberty immediately?

So let me get this right, I think? I only subscribe to Liberty's BitTorrent choking Internet service. They have 3 products VoIP, cable, and Internet. So I'm only enjoying 33% of my world? But you want to know the real killer? We were actually talking seriously about upgrading to there triple offer of all three products. If they had announced some inspiring offer, I'd have called immediately to upgrade. Instead they have started drilling into my head that with Liberty I enjoy 100% of my world. Here's news for you Iberty, I enjoy my world just fine without you.

Conclusion

At times marketers can really hit the mark, as an example the old ladies advertising SunCom or Mr. I-lim-i-tado. Both of these ads had people copying them when they come on the television, repeating them voluntarily, and even copying them. Unfortunately for Liberty, I'm afraid that your new campaign misses the mark by 100%.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: kaibara87