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Hello. I'm Stacey Pilcher. I am a strategic marketer and brand consultant who is passionate about helping my clients build their businesses.
I started my business in 1999 and believe inspiration comes from within - and also within the Grand Canyon - that's why you can find me hiking there every year.
I started this blog to help my clients think about new opportunities. How can I help you?
Posts Tagged ‘marketing’
Monkey see, monkey do. How the consumer experience drives brand equity.
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
In the early 1990s, while studying the brain activity of monkeys, neuroscientists discovered specific neurons would fire in a part of the brain’s frontal lobe with specific activities. What they also found was the same neurons fired in the monkey who was just watching the action. Mirror neurons let the observer experience at least part of the action taking place.
More recently in Daniel Goleman’s book Social Intelligence he says our brain is designed to make connections. If someone is angry with us, we have a similar reaction. If someone smiles at us, we become happier. “The fact that we can trigger any emotion at all in someone else–or they in us–testifies to the powerful mechanism by which one person’s feelings spread to another.”
Human actions and emotions register in others and in a profound way provide the power to change those that observe. How companies look, act and communicate with customers, then, has a great effect on their brand equity. An empathetic voice, a smiling face, and confident actions will go a long way in building trust.
This research reminds me how important it is in marketing to paint a picture and tell a story to customers – to make an emotional connection. And how easy a positive connection could be lost with a negative interaction.
Tags: brand development, brand equity, consumer experience, marketing
Posted in 2010 | No Comments »
How to Say “Good Luck” in Japanese?
Monday, April 26th, 2010
Culture has a great influence on how people communicate and process information. The Japanese culture is clearly steeped in tea. So how much of a challenge has it been to sell coffee in this country? In the 1970s Nestlé first asked this question. They hired Dr. Clotaire Rapaille, a market researcher and psychologist to help them determine the answer. What Dr. Rapaille found was that the Japanese had no connection or “imprint” to coffee. Without personal or cultural reference to the product, any attempts by Nestlé to sell to adults would likely fail.
So, Nestlé began by introducing coffee flavors in candy for children, to create an “imprint” so later in life these individuals would have a positive emotional response to the idea of coffee. In 1970, coffee sales in Japan were nearly non-existent; today Japan is the world’s third largest importer of coffee.
Speaking of culture, candy and Nestlé, the BBC reported the popularity of the KitKat bar among Japanese college students at exam time. Was it the green tea or cherry blossom flavor that boosted sales? Not entirely. It seems that the name KitKat is close to a Japanese expression “kitto katsu” meaning “I hope you will win” and used by students to wish each other luck before finals.
KitKat bars not only taste good, but are a good luck charm. What a perfect blend of culture, communication, and candy! Delicious.
Tags: consumer experience, consumer perception, marketing
Posted in 2010 | No Comments »
Quack Marketing
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Yesterday while reading the ever serious Harvard Business Review, I really quacked up.
A piece expertly written by the CEO of Aflac, Daniel P. Amos entitled “How He Fell for the Duck“ was the culprit. It was about how he fell for the duck, how the duck grew the business and how the duck went global. It reminded me how important it is to approach marketing with an open mind.
FreeFoto.com
Not that a duck, or for that matter a gecko is right for every client’s marketing campaign, but being safe usually is not a big winner either. In marketing moving forward with calculated risk is a good thing.
Calculated? Think of a game of bridge. It is defined as a game of skill and chance. Decisions are made based on the players’ knowledge of what has already transpired and their tactical abilities. The style and demeanor of each team factors into the play, and of course the luck of the draw. In marketing we are faced with much of the same challenges.
1. Know the market – What has already transpired and what is the projected environment?
2. Recognize the advantages – What makes your company/product/service special?
3. Study the consumer – What are their motivations and why are they relevant?
4. Set objectives – What are the desired results of the campaign?
All these questions help assess risk. But how much risk should you take? Mr. Amos said, “Don’t risk a lot for a little; don’t risk more than you can afford to lose; and consider the odds.” The duck debuted on New Year’s Day 2000. If you are risk adverse, play it safe. Puppies and cute babies are always a sure bet.
Tags: advertising, global marketing, marketing, risk
Posted in 2010 | No Comments »
Old Dogs. New Tricks. Social marketing and brands.
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009
Social media is all the buzz. Interactive firms are the agencies of record. Digital is the panacea for marketing.
But is it really?
According to a recent survey by the Keller Fay group, 22% of word-of-mouth conversations are sparked directly by traditional advertising and those people are more likely to include brand recommendations than the remaining 78%. An even higher proportion of online buzz, 30%, is generated by ads.
Could it be that social media is just another tool? During a recent webinar there was a question about whether or not reviews and questions posted online should be answered by a company. One participant answered “Would you ignore a ringing phone?”
A recent study by Harris asked Americans what type of ads were most helpful in making purchase decisions. Over one-third (37%) said television ads are most helpful. Interestingly 50% of people aged 18-34 said television ads are most helpful. Big surprise, one third (31%) of the older Americans 50+ selected newspapers as the medium most helpful. Old dogs perhaps?
In the interactive world, 14% said internet search was most helpful and only 1% selected internet banner ads. On the flip side 28% said that no ads were helpful in making purchase decisions.
The fact is that marketing is much more than the product or service’s presence in the digital world. It is about presence in traditional mediums. It is how consumer concerns are answered online and on the phone, it’s about the quality of the product, it’s about pricing, it’s about the emotional connection communication makes with the consumers. It’s about service after sale.
Has marketing really changed? Isn’t marketing about creating a relationship with your customer? Telling them about new things – items they want, ideas they talk about, products they use and recommend. Building a relationship is building a brand.
The cool thing is that the methods to communicate are constantly changing. With all these new tools, old dogs can learn new tricks.
Tags: brand building, marketing, social media
Posted in Brand Adages | No Comments »
A Picture Paints 1000 Words – Advertising that Connects
Tuesday, October 21st, 2008
The value of a picture is in the meaning it conveys. The point when a picture becomes an image. The power of the image lies in the interpretation by the consumer. Every consumer will interpret a picture differently, depending on their perspective.
Painting an image that connects with your consumer opens communications and helps create more meaningful marketing and advertising. The key is in understanding your consumers’ point of view. It is not enough to know their age, income or marital status. It’s almost like you need to see inside their head and then help them build an image they believe in, one they can own.
Cognitive scientists do look inside people’s heads. Professor of Business, Emeritus, at Harvard Business School, Jerry Zaltman, studies the human brain. How it works. He has a patented process that uses visuals and metaphors to unlock the underlying beliefs and feelings that influence consumer behavior.
It’s called ZMET (Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique.) In his new book, Marketing Metaphoria, he unlocks eight deep metaphors shaping human thought: balance, transformation, journey, container, connection, resource, and control.
Tapping human metaphors or images that relate to feelings and connections makes communications more meaningful. It is what makes a picture into at least 1000 words or 1000 words into an idea.
Tags: advertising, consumer perception, marketing, metaphors
Posted in Brand Adages | No Comments »
Two Heads are Better than One – Marketing Planning
Monday, April 28th, 2008
According to research conducted by two Princeton economists, two heads are better than one. Experiments were conducted between groups and individuals solving the same problems. They found groups outperformed the individuals. Groups were also not any slower in solving the problems.
John Morgan, assistant professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton said. “Our results suggest that even in complex environments, groups are not paralyzed by indecision. Moreover, groups use the data they have on hand to make timely — and better — decisions.”
A professor at Northwestern University challenged an engineering class to tell him how a cat is like a refrigerator. Panic ensued as the engineers froze. Then the professor had the students get into groups of three. Remarkably, the minds began to thaw. The results: “They purr.” “They smell.” “They are hard to get rid of.”
In approaching creativity in marketing, groups are essential. And the more diverse the better.
Mix it up.
What could a mechanic, a lawyer, a database expert, homeowner, graphic designer, salesman, contractor, internet geek, and psychologist have in common? Together, they make up a team created to understand how homeowners look for, interact with, and purchase new home appliances. Individually, each brings an area of expertise. As a team they define an experience.
Groups in marketing are the best way to find simple ideas that make a huge difference in a consumer experience. When the consumer experience is well defined and filled with relevant insights, the marketing is also more relevant. And better equipped to impact the bottom line.
In mythology, Janus symbolized change and transition – being able to see into the past and ahead to the future. In business, putting more heads together will not foretell the future, but two heads are still better than one.
Tags: consumer experience, creativity, marketing
Posted in Brand Adages | No Comments »
Two Birds & One Stone – Brand Strategy
Monday, January 21st, 2008
For the past seven years, The New York Times Magazine has published the “Annual Year in Ideas” to highlight some of the most interesting ideas, perspectives and innovations from different disciplines during the year.
One entry was particularly telling and relevant to marketing. “Two-Birds-With-One-Stone Resistance.” Psychologist Ayelet Fishback of the University of Chicago conducted an experiment that showed connecting one tool or method to multiple goals weakens the mental association between the tool and any one goal.
In one study, participants were informed that jogging both strengthens muscles and increases the body’s level of oxygen. When researchers reinforced the idea of strengthening muscles, participants illogically decided that jogging was less effective for boosting oxygen.
In another study, test group participants were shown a pen and told about its dual function as a laser pointer. Later, they joined a control group to complete a short form and were given the choice of the laser pen or a conventional pen. Of the participants in the test group 17% selected the laser pen, in contrast 50% of the control group chose the laser pen.
Knowing that the pen had more than one purpose made the students reluctant to use it. Fishback explains, “Once you associate the pen with another function, that same pen doesn’t come to mind as easily when it comes to writing.”
So, it is not possible to communicate two or more things with equal effectiveness and doing so could be damaging to the message of a campaign.
One Brand. One Voice.
Messages bombard people everyday – watching television and listening to the radio; driving through the city and driving a shopping cart: reading the newspaper in a kitchen or online; in airports, restaurants, movie theatres, malls, and at ballgames; through text messaging, e-mail blasts and sky writing. It’s a wonder that any messages get through at all. That’s why the messages that are the most successful are the ones that are simple, clear and single focused.
Bill Bernbach founded DDB Advertising in New York in 1949. He said, “Our job is to simplify, to tear away the unrelated, to pluck out the weeds that are smothering the product message.”
It may be tempting to try to kill two birds with one stone, but as research shows it just doesn’t work. In fact, it could confuse consumers into selecting the competition, because they can’t remember your brand, your voice, or your message.
Tags: advertising focus, brand development, brand strategy, innovation, marketing
Posted in Brand Adages | No Comments »