Augmented Reality: The Digital Trend Every Beauty Company Wants

As a beauty fanatic since age 3 (back when I used to play with every possible nail polish color with my aunt), I’m going to first start by sharing I’m so excited to write about this topic.  As a girly girl and marketer, the beauty industry is fascinating to me. It is creative, it is fun, and it is going places. And as a tech nerd, I love that it is becoming more integrated with the latest technologies.

Augmented Reality 

In case you haven’t caught on, the biggest tech innovation in the beauty sphere is augmented reality. Let’s define it quickly.

L’Oreal Buys Augmented Reality App 

L’Oreal, one of the most successful companies in beauty, of course is doing it right. I remember on my birthday back in December, I went to their YSL pop-up, where they had augmented reality in-store. Before purchasing products, a customer could try on different colors to see what would look best on them in a digital mirror. This was ideal for someone like me who LOVES lipstick but finds it troublesome to try on a variety of colors and keep having to wipe it off. While I can be skeptical about non-traditional routes to the in-store experience, this form of digital marketing actually made the overall experience better and I didn’t leave the store empty handed.

The concept of augmented reality is intriguing and innovative because:

1. It’s revolutionizing the way we use makeup in-store and out of store (i.e. Benefit’s perfect brow-finder, Sephora’s virtual artist app & Samsung’s Bixby Vision’s make-up tool for the S9 and S9+).
2. The advanced technologies that can detect our face in the most accurate way (i.e. some companies can create AR mirrors to superimpose makeup on your face in real time).
3. It solves a pain point for customers like me who don’t always have the time or patience to try on a bunch of products.

Recently, I read that L’Oreal has decided to buy beauty app maker, Modiface – who develops augmented reality apps for mobile and desktop. Why? Because L’Oreal knows that in order to keep promoting their family of brands – they need to stay at the forefront of innovation. Even as a giant in the industry. It’s one of the most cluttered places to be and there are emerging small competitors (hi, Glossier!) that are killing the game. You can never be too safe.

Is Augmented Reality A Good Thing? 

The trend of augmented reality within the beauty industry and for companies like L’Oreal can ultimately help with lead generation and customer retention. For example, I was never a YSL make-up customer – but after I experienced the pop-up store and saw how innovative they were, it totally changed my perception on the brand. Why wasn’t this in my favorite retailer, Sephora? There was something really refreshing about it. In terms of customer retention, I think companies like L’Oreal can retain their customers as they show them that they are consistently innovating. Brand loyalty is hard to get, but if you create compelling digital experiences for your customers and they are willing to put their reputation on the line to share with friends, that is something.

Now, there are always pros and cons to any concept or trend in digital marketing. For me the pros have already been listed – it is revolutionary, it is advanced technology, and it solves pain points for customers. That’s what you need to do in marketing – find your customer persona and solve their problems. However, I can see cons being that some beauty fanatics prefer the traditional route. They may not be intrigued by augmented reality, because well, it is augmented. They don’t have this feeling of it being real enough or only trust using a product on their face directly. It really depends on the type of customer and his or her needs.

Is Augmented Reality A Fad? 

Augmented reality in my opinion is not a fad. A fad assumes that something is short-lived. However, technology in our lives is not short-lived. It is the future and I believe augmented reality will be something that will always be around – whether a company decides to invest in it or not. Some companies can make it a primary business objective whereas other companies can use it as an accessory to enhance their brand.

Would I recommend it to a client? Depending on the client, yes. Why? Because as I mentioned earlier, in certain industries, trends like augmented reality make a lot of sense. Companies like L’Oreal in the beauty industry have to stay up-to-date on what is happening in the world and how consumers are changing their behaviors. Behaviors are changing as we are increasingly being exposed to new technologies.

Think of millennials and Bitcoin. Why do some not invest in the stock market but find Bitcoin appealing? Perhaps because it is the trend that so many of their peers are following. Similarly, influential demographics like these, are shaping the path for brands, and are essential to study. Let’s be honest, they will always want to try the latest and greatest. Who wouldn’t?!

Thanks for reading!

RT

 

 

Digital Marketing: Impress Your Company And Client With These Five Tips

Normally, the title of this blog would include the number 3, instead of 5 – but this week, we’re going to discuss the power of 5. Why? Because I have learned so many important concepts in Professor Tombrakos’s digital marketing class this semester. There is absolutely no way to share only 3!

Customers Are Ahead Of You

Let’s first start with the quote from the image above. What I LOVE about being in Professor Tombrakos’s class is that she interweaves quotes throughout her powerpoint presentations. At a young age, I was always inspired by quotes. Whenever I was going through an obstacle in life, I would look up quotes to make me feel better. In this case, the power of quotes are as strong because they unfold the true art of marketing.

“The argument could be made that this is the first time in history of business when customers are fundamentally ahead of the brands that serve them.” This quote from Mitchel Joel, President of Mirum Agency – could not be more accurate. The first concept I’ve learned in digital marketing is that it’s all about the customer.

As I mentioned in my previous blog post on the new customer journey, customers have more power than brands in ways they didn’t have before. Take the idea of the influencer, or how social media has made it so easy for consumer voices to be heard. As technology evolves, it’s crucial that your business think of the customer first before taking any action on your digital strategy. And don’t think you’re too busy to create a persona of those consumers to fully understand their needs, wants, and aspirations. You and your agency must find ways to interact with them genuinely and honestly and solve their problems. In the end, you want true and loyal advocates of your brand.

Real-Time Marketing 

The second concept for digital strategy is that it is all about now. As part of our curriculum, we have been reading The New Rules of Marketing & PR by David Meerman Scott. Quick PSA by the way: this book is terrific and probably one of my favorite reads while at NYU. The way Scott writes is easy to read. He has a lot of charisma that leaves you wanting to read more and he always hits the mark on digital marketing.

In Chapter 9, he discusses marketing and PR in real time. A great takeaway for your business is that while some organizations tend to operate slowly, yours should not. For a business to win in today’s market, speed and agility are the way to go. If you don’t operate quickly, the chances of you succeeding are fairly slim. Some ways you can do this are:

1. Create advertising based on real-time events
2. Respond to fans right away
3. Produce a real-time product
4. Donate your product to a cause
5. Tweet thoughts while consumers are watching

My favorite one of these is creating advertising based on real-time events. I was lucky enough while I worked for Samsung to create a real-time marketing campaign on Snapchat for the 2016 Rio Olympics. As a sponsor with a new phone coming out, we created national geo-filters aligning to 4 key events in swimming, gymnastics, track & field, and basketball.

While we wanted to generate brand awareness about our new phone and its features, we also wanted to make this fun for viewers, who were tuned into Snapchat & their television sets. Whenever the US won a medal, our filter would change in real-time to reflect the color of the medal. If we won gold, the filter would turn gold. If we won silver, the filter would turn silver. If we won bronze, the filter would turn bronze. All as soon as we won it, thanks to Snapchat’s ad operations team. This is just an example of how a brand capitalized on a real-time event to create advertising that just wasn’t about selling their product.

The Long Tail Approach

 

The third concept is one of the most interesting — the idea of the long tail in marketing. According to Scott in his book, this translates to: “our culture and economy are increasingly shifting away from a focus on a relatively small number of major hits (mainstream products and markets) at the head of the demand curve and toward a huge number of niches in the tail.” Now, you may be wondering – well what does this mean for me and my business? It took me a couple times to understand it as well, but once I did – i was profound.

What Scott is trying to say is that businesses cannot loop consumers into one-size-fits-all containers like in the past. It’s now about narrowly targeted goods and services that are becoming economically more attractive than the mainstream. For example, think about Amazon. They are using the long tail approach because they make it easy to search for and buy all types of niche products. Think about Netflix and how they transformed the idea of blockbuster rentals to making it easy to search and watch movies and tv shows based on your interest. Your business needs to think of just-right content like these businesses that find ways to aim towards a narrow target.

The UX Experience

In none of my jobs, was I ever taught much about the user experience. Most likely because my jobs were never too technical or in the website arena. I am glad to know as a marketer the important components to building your website – that can drive intrigue and profit for your brand. Here are my top 5:

1. Just like the cartoon above, your user experience has to be easy-to-use. No customer wants to be frustrated, and if they are – they’ll leave your website quickly.
2. You need to understand the science behind human thought. How do people want to navigate a website?
3. Users don’t read, they scan. It’s all about utilizing the most important information and illustrating it in a compelling and useful way.
4. Content should look the same across devices: tablet, mobile, and desktop.
5. Is it a pleasure to use? This goes back to the consumer – do they enjoy using your website?

There are so many other important things to know about UX, but these are the fundamental elements you should know before designing a brand’s website.

The Power of Blogging 

How could I end the five things you need to know for your business, without discussing BLOGGING. I never understood the power of this tool until I had to write my own blog for the first time. I always wanted to, but never got around to it. Do not overlook blogging and bloggers. Below are 4 uses of blogs for marketing today.

1. What people are saying about you – you can use blogs to monitor what people are saying about your organization, its products, and the market as a whole.
2. Commenting on other blogs – you may be a blogger already allowing you to participate in the conversations of this world by commenting on others’ posts.
3. Work with bloggers – today everyone has a voice and there are so many bloggers out there. It could be beneficial to your business to work with bloggers that can advocate for your company and its products.
4. Create and write your own blog – this can be a company blog or your own personal blog that can ultimately gain you new opportunities you wouldn’t have had before.

Conclusion 

To sum it all up simply, here are the five things to know as an agency and/or client to impress.  

1. Customers are fundamentally ahead of the brands that serve them
2. Real-time marketing is the key to success
3. Long tail marketing is the new trend
4. Don’t overlook the UX experience
5. Keep thinking on how to utilize the power of bloggers

With the above, your digital strategy will be golden. See you next time!

RT

 

 

 

Is Big Data The Darth Vader Of Marketing?

Big Data and Privacy

This past month, we witnessed one of the biggest messes in digital marketing history, (thanks to Facebook and Cambridge Analytica), bringing about greater questions on big data and privacy. Is big data a part of the dark force? Can it be the Darth Vader of marketing?

Facebook will probably be one of the best case studies of how policies allowed for the misuse of data that turned into a breach of trust between the company and its users. The users who share data with Facebook every day and expect protection in return. While this wasn’t illegal and isn’t only Facebook’s fault, it caused an absolute outrage due to a major violation of people’s trust – an issue that is pervasive in the ethics of big data. 

Why Big Data Is Good

As a business marketing graduate student and professional, I think big data is a good thing because it has been a game-changer and transformational shift for our work that is heavily reliant on understanding people and their behaviors. Many companies have access to several amounts of data, but also face complexities due to changing customer behavior, competitive pressures, and emerging technology.

To be a good marketer, you have to provide data to support anything you do. You can’t just pitch a strategy to your boss or client because it sounds cool. You have to support it with the why. And the why comes from data. Now we’re seeing that people in the field are using artificial intelligence and other forms of learning to examine data and draw conclusions. There’s even an option of predictive analytics to understand what customers and potential customers are likely to do with their future habits.

A company like Netflix can be more successful because it has huge amounts of user data to create more personalized recommendations to keep that user on the platform. Similarly, e-commerce websites are able to understand what people are doing on their website and what actions they take to increase sales. We live in a day and age where consumers are hungry for personalization and they want genuine connections with brands.

If you want to succeed in marketing, here are 3 ways you can use big data:

1. The Customer Journey- comprehending the decision journey is important to keep existing customers and acquire new customers. Big data can deliver insights on where your customers are, what they need, and how they prefer to be contacted. It also shows customer retention and loyalty – what keeps your customer coming back again, and then again.
2. Real-Time Buyer Insights- we hear it all the time, effective marketing is about sending the right message, to the right person, at the right time. Big data gives marketers the insights they need to engage customers who are interested in their product in real time. Furthermore, you don’t need to make an educated guess.
3. Pushing Down The Sales Funnel- In the past without big data, we wouldn’t be able to fully back up our conclusions to determine if our crafted strategy led to specific sales. Now, marketers can hone in on strategy around content topics that resonate with buyers the most, that ultimately influence them to purchase.

How Does Big Data Affect Privacy? 

Now of course as a someone who is building her career in the digital and technology industry, I’d say the more data we have, the better. But there are limitations with data, especially when a social platform does not have a capability built in yet. For example, while working on Samsung, we always wanted to obtain the most detailed information on fans who switched from an iPhone to a Galaxy device but we were limited on what Facebook and Twitter could provide on users at the time. Past behavior is definitely important, but as our digital world continues to evolve, technology companies need to get us the most real-time and relevant data as possible. 

Can we trust every bit of data that we get? Maybe not. I remember while working at Edelman Digital, we had a situation where there were fake and duplicate accounts that were affecting our data to create a Twitter custom audience. We had to manually figure out on the backend what to do. Sometimes, it’s easy to tell there’s something wrong with the data, but other times it’s not. Ultimately it can’t be the only thing that we use to make a marketing decision, but it can set a great foundation for our decision. Without it, it’s like shooting in the dark. I’m not sure how we could keep up with our target audiences, without the most information about them.

This brings about another ethical question. What does privacy have to do with big data? This goes back to the current Facebook and Cambridge Analytica debacle. Companies like Facebook are valuable to advertisers because of not only their reach, but the data capabilities built in that can lead to profits for companies, and Facebook. Are these companies always thinking about their customers’ feelings on privacy? I don’t think so – they are thinking about how to generate productivity and profit gains to improve returns. Do I think that’s wrong? Not necessarily. If we know what we’re doing and we’ve given them the data willingly, it’s on us too. 

The Final Takeaway

In conclusion to the title of this blog, yes big data can be the Darth Vader because it does increase customer vulnerability and make people feel like they are susceptible to potential harm from their privacy stolen. However, customers will always have negative reactions to these type of practices, and may be suspicious of company policies (Facebook obviously…). Increase in privacy controls will also affect the accuracy of big data if there isn’t a lot of access to a customer. While big data is a good thing overall, companies need to be smarter about the potential ramifications of the data and how to prevent negative outcomes. No one wants to deal with what Zuckerberg had to, do they?

 

The Email Marketing Cheat Sheet You Will Want As Your Bible

If you’re slightly naive like me, you would think that email marketing annoys most people and well, it’s just not the most sexy form of advertising. However, I’ve learned in not one, but two of my classes at NYU, that email marketing is vital to getting your message across and reaching your customers.

In fact, according to some data I learned this semester from my digital marketing professor, Joanne Tombrakos, 81% of people say they are likely to purchase a product after they are targeted with an email ad. With just that statistic alone, I automatically realized the importance of email marketing.

I was skeptical because according to Professor Tombrakos, emails aren’t that memorable. But there are three main ways that marketers can make them more memorable: 1) personalization, 2) dynamic content, and 3) individualized recommendations.

If you’re interested in learning more about this form of marketing, I have created an infographic below that shares data and the basic key components to any successful email marketing campaign. Keep in mind, as a company you should get permission from people to email them and you should allow an easy opt out should they want to unsubscribe.

See you next week!

RT

Facebook, I Love You, But Your Leader? Not So Much.

Where In The World Was Mark Zuckerberg? 

Last week, I remember one of the first articles I read about the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal, it was titled “Where in the world is Mark Zuckerberg?” There couldn’t have been more accurate words to summarize my feelings on the situation. But before we get into how strongly I feel about Zuck, let’s discuss what happened.

In case you hadn’t heard about the controversy yet (which I may judge you for), Cambridge Analytica, a British data firm (hired by President Trump’s 2016 election campaign…*rolls eyes*), gained access to private information on more than 50 million Facebook users. The question of what Facebook knew, and when, has led to much debate about the tech giant’s ethics and whether they can be trusted.

Here’s 3 reasons why the world was shocked.

1. Cambridge Analytica had tools that could identify the personalities of American voters and influence behavior.
2. Data acquired was taken from Facebook users without their consent. 
3. Facebook knew about this for years. 

This infuriated so many people, and of course to every controversy there are two sides.  Some people were not phased by the scandal because they knew life would go on and Facebook was always going to be a part of their lives.

However, other people vowed to #DeleteFacebook including WhatsApp Co-Founder, Brian Acton (side note: remember Facebook bought WhatsApp in 2014 for $16 million…yikes) and one of the most influential people today, Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Now, I’ll admit I LOVE Facebook as a user and I would never delete it or my other social networks because privacy is an on-going issue across these platforms. BUT, my issue with this whole debacle is none other than Facebook’s leader. 

Is Mark Zuckerberg’s Apology Sufficient?

Before he even apologized – (which was days later), a lot of us were wondering where Mr. Zuckerberg was. It really was like playing a game of Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego (great game btw, just not in real life). Where was the leader of the single largest global network? You’d think that after stating his goal for 2018 was to run his company better, he would have made more of an effort. But the basis was that he didn’t have answers. 

Zuck’s initial apology started out with something like “we let the community down and I feel really bad and I’m sorry about that.” Ok Zuck, not sure that means anything. What took you this long to tell us? It took you days after we found out, and oh some years of hiding? Some may say he needed time to gather what to say, but I think he was scared.

Moving on, he recently issued a statement apologizing for the “breach of trust” in full-page newspaper ads across major publications including The New York Times and Wall Street Journal in the U.S. and others in the U.K. like The Observer and The Sunday Times this past Sunday. Below is an example.

Now as much as I’m still mad at the company’s CEO and founder, like I said earlier, there’s always two sides to every controversy. And that goes the same for this question: was his apology sufficient enough? Some may say yes and disagree with me. For example, his words stand strong here “We have a responsibility to protect your information. If we can’t, we don’t deserve it.” Zuck, I’m glad you came to this conclusion because nothing could be more true. I appreciate that he promised to do better for us, but I am one of those people, I’ll believe it when I see it.

Can We Trust Facebook’s Leader? 

The fact that it took Mr. Zuckerberg days to face this issue after it was out in the world truly baffled me. Hiding does nothing for a company. It only makes consumers grow more suspicious of you and find reasons to lose trust in you and your brand. Often times, a company’s CEO is really seen as the face of the brand — i.e. Elon Musk and Tesla. If we lose trust in the face of the brand that inevitably makes us question the brand itself.

I remember when I worked at Edelman Digital on Samsung Electronics of America and the Galaxy Note 7 blew up. The way it was being handled by the brand was so concerning to my team and I. Why was a global brand sweeping what happened under the rug? It was the Korean culture that attributed to this, but as an employee, I wondered what was going on because consumers these days are smarter than before and will see through your leadership’s bs. 

It’s extremely crucial for brands to face any crisis immediately and with true sincerity. There’s no better way to keep your brand perception on the ups. In this case, some may say Zuck is too young and it is his inexperience to blame for this. Some may say Sheryl Sandberg should have told him what to do. Do I agree with these claims? I can’t say I disagree. In a brief interview with CNBC, Ms. Sandberg even said the decision for her and Zuckerberg to wait before publicly speaking about Cambridge Analytica was a mistake. 

Do companies speak too slowly? A lot of the time. Do they have regrets? Sometimes. Do I think both of these factors happened for Zuck? Absolutely. While age and other leadership in the organization can be part to blame, it doesn’t change the fact that he should have done and known better. There are going to be major repercussions for his actions. For example, we’ve seen Facebook’s stock decline rapidly. While I don’t think Facebook will be a failing company given its massive global appeal and integration into our daily loves, I am sorry Zuck, your apology just doesn’t do it for me. 

 

 

Did Dove’s Social Media Crisis Cost The Brand?

The Beauty Industry’s Social Media Crisis of 2017

I don’t know about you, but lately I’ve been feeling like brands are under an intense microscope.  With our divisive political climate, the public is more empowered to express their opinions. Through the velocity of social media, the power of the consumer voice, and the growing skepticism of each generation, it is more important than ever before for brands to consider how their marketing could be perceived. A social media crisis can be just one tweet away.

Before I get into discussing one of the larger social media misses of 2017, I’m going to start by saying I’m a loyalist to the brand at fault here, Dove. I’ve been using Dove since middle school. Dove’s spray deodorant is the only one I ever want to use, and I’m more than likely to pick up their cucumber & green tea scented body wash or daily moisture shampoo and conditioner. Dove is a brand I always trust. Plus, let’s be honest, their Real Beauty Campaign was revolutionary and touched many women across the world.

However, I was shocked this Fall when I saw one of their Facebook ads, which has now been removed (see photo at top). Dove posted a three-second video on its US Facebook page in early October showing an African American woman who removed her top to reveal a smiling Caucasian woman underneath after using the brand’s body wash. Now I’m not one to always read into things, but here’s the 3 problems with this:

1. Many saw the ad as a racist message about the African American population and their cleanliness.
2. This goes against what Dove has historically stood for with their Real Beauty Campaign – that encourages women to embrace who they are.
3. What happened in the room of creative strategists who came up with this ad? How did they NOT see this as an issue?

The bottom line: do we think Dove missed the mark here?

How Dove Responded & The Popular Consumer Opinion 

Dove removed the ad. They soon took to Twitter to apologize for missing the mark about representing women of color thoughtfully in a tweet.

As a woman of color, I was happy with how Dove responded honestly to the offense and that they felt deep regret for it. But at the same time, as a marketer, I question their marketing department. See sometimes when we are group brainstorming, we don’t think of ALL reactions that may come with an idea. Our goal is to come up with an original idea. Yet, how did this ad pass so many approvals without ONE person noticing the issue at hand? That is more of what I still wonder months later.

After the tweet was posted, many users expressed their anger at the ad and the brand.

Now do I agree with all these consumer responses? Not exactly. I don’t think what Dove did is big enough for a boycott, because it wasn’t intentional. However, I do think there is and will be repercussions for their actions. As a consumer, we often feel strongly about the brands we choose and if we start losing reasons to believe, we can shift our choices easily.

Do I think the situation could have been avoided? Yes. The amount of controversy this one ad caused for the brand is not good. Do I think the social media crisis cost the brand? No. I think they can rise from it if they pay deeper attention to their marketing efforts. This also brings about an important question…

In a Digital World, Who Is Most Responsible To Handle These Sorts of Crisis – PR or Marketing?

In my opinion, both PR and marketing should handle these sort of crisis. The history of PR has been to reach influential sources like the media and thought-leaders. Marketing has always been about reaching everyone. Over time, PR and marketing have blended together. In companies, both business units work more closely together and often in some companies, the Head of PR often reports to the Chief Marketing Officer.

In other words, it is pertinent that Dove’s PR protects its reputation to the general public and manages relationships with key influencers who could affect any backlash. It is also pivotal that Dove’s Marketing department addresses and owns their creative decisions and keeps a close eye on future marketing campaigns to eliminate controversy and consumer distaste. One mistake can be overcome, but continually making the same mistake will drive away brand loyalty and consumer trust.

Thanks for reading!

RT

 

 

The New Customer Journey

The Customer Journey

One of the most crucial points of marketing to study and probably one of my favorites is the customer path to purchase, or rather the customer journey. In almost every marketing class I’ve had at NYU, this concept is one of the first to be discussed. It’s also something we actively re-evaluated at my last job when looking at the purchase journey of current and new Samsung mobile device owners. Let’s first define it:

The customer journey is the full number of experiences that customers go through when interacting with a company and brand. Instead of looking at just a part of a transaction or experience, the customer journey documents the full experience of being a customer.

Now when we think of our purchasing habits today, I think we’d probably say they weren’t the same even a few years ago. Like Mike Richardson mentions in his article, The Customer Journey: A Smooth Path?,  “the rules have been (and are still being) fundamentally rewritten” given the rapidly evolving digital era.

The Rules Have Been (And Are Still Being) Fundamentally Rewritten

It used to be the supplier who had the power to create interest in their product and services. Now, the customer has the power and is charge of the journey to purchase — often preferring to educate themselves.

Here’s three reasons why:

1. The availability of online information including company websites, reviews and pricing sites have given consumers more transparency on potential purchases.
2. Mobile technology allows consumers to engage and interact anywhere in the customer journey.
3.  The power of influencers on social media networks are influencing purchase decisions of fans who admire and trust them.

In the article, Richardson also describes a trend in the new customer journey: “the growing appetite for authentic, personalized, and emotional engagement with brands” in the world of social media. He states “Forbes shared 62% of millennials are more likely to become a brand loyalist if a company engages them honestly on social media.” As someone who worked in social media for 3+ years, I’d say this is more true than ever. Millennials are sharper than we think and are a generation that can truly challenge a brand, if they don’t believe in it.

The Six Key Stages Of The Customer Journey 

Now let’s discuss the six key stages of the customer journey and how brands can optimize towards each:

1. Awareness: Building awareness is the key driver of the path to purchase. Brands need to dig deep to understand their audience, what channels they use, their needs and wants. An integrated marketing framework across multiple mediums is important to manage a consistent messaging strategy.

2. Interest: Once you’ve encouraged users to visit your website and other channels, you have to analyze their interaction and discover their preferences. Engagement and human connection is key in this stage to encourage users to communicate with your brand by asking for questions and feedback.

3. Consideration: This is one of the biggest stages to master. It’s important to improve your brand’s visibility and customer reviews on the right channels. According to Richardson, “over 80% of consumers seek peer referrals before making a purchase.” Let’s face it positive word-of-mouth or online reviews are possibly our strongest purchase influencers.

4. Purchase: Analyzing purchase behavior is essential — knowing the channels the customer used to make the purchase and how satisfied they were after is pertinent. It can help you improve the experience for future customers and lay the groundwork for repeat customers and immense brand loyalty.

5. Retention: It’s easier to retain a current customer, then acquire a new one and it’s cheaper. While it’s easy for customers to switch brands, post-sale engagement for brands is vital whether through email marketing or other channels to ensure the customer experience was seamless.

6. Advocacy: You want a customer that will be loyal to your brand and advocate for your brand to the point they are willing to put their reputation on the line. Brands can do this through promotional offers, product add-ons, and keeping loyal customers engaged with social media content. Customers love sharing good experiences and by showing you have happy customers, more people are likely to be interested in your brand.

To Sum It Up

Our purchase behaviors are constantly shifting. Marketers have to stay on their toes and keep up with the latest marketing techniques to engage their customers. Social media is a key driver and word-of-mouth is one of the strongest purchase influencers.

The power has shifted to the voice of customers vs. just brands. This means brands and companies cannot rely on the same marketing approach year after year. They must continue to re-evaluate the customer journey to attract a greater number of brand promoters vs. brand detractors.

RT

 

Juice Generation Continued: Are Supa Dupa Juicy Rewards All We Want In A Mobile App?

Am I the only one who thinks of the Mamma Mia song, Super Trouper, when I see the words Supa Dupa advertised to me on a mobile app? I swear it gets stuck in my head every time.

“Super trouper lights are gonna find me
But I won’t feel blue
Like I always do
Cause somewhere in the crowd there’s you.”

Okay, *end dance party.* It’s probably just me…but the one sentiment that isn’t the same, is that I do feel a bit blue after downloading Juice Generation’s mobile app. I’ll tell you shortly why, but first an important marketing question for us to think about.

Mobile Marketing Strategies 

What’s the best use of mobile? 

• Is it apps or mobile sites?
• Is it apps as a marketing strategy?
• Is it apps or ads?
• Is it apps as a business?

This is something we discussed in my digital marketing class this week. And the answer is: IT DEPENDS!

And it does. But I’ll be honest after reviewing Juice Generation’s website on mobile last week and its mobile app this week, the website is W-I-N-N-I-N-G. It’s the real super trouper…and just like another Mamma Mia song, The Winner Takes It All. 

The Juice Generation App 

Let’s dive into the app though. Here’s three reasons why it may be useful and three reasons why the app needs improvement.

1. The app is most useful for its main purpose: the loyalty program – it gives you a good estimate of how many points you are away from your reward and you can tap to pay.
2. The app is personalized – when you sign up, it asks you for your favorite location and favorite product.
3. The app is innovative – one of the interesting things about it is that it includes a customized branded Spotify playlist.

While the app ultimately follows the same aesthetic design as the website (easy to read font and similar use of imagery) and its easy to navigate, I don’t think I’d prioritize it as one of the apps that HAS TO stay on my phone – even as a brand loyalist. It’s clear the app is made for loyalists who care to download for the loyalty points.

1. I personally much rather have the option to explore different products and order my juice for pick-up or delivery through the app – that’s what’s going to keep me the most engaged with a brand.
2. I get it, everyone is obsessed with loyalty points especially if you’re a loyal member of a brand but I rather have an app that serves me multiple purposes, not just one – especially if i live in my phone – where I want to discover new things.
3. Nowadays, users thrive on technology. I’m not saying the app isn’t a pleasure to use but finding ways to use gaming or other innovative techniques would serve Juice Generation well in the competitive juicing industry.

The Bottom Line 

The bottom line is, I for one, am one of those people that thinks very carefully about the number of apps on her phone. I won’t download an app and KEEP it unless I truly think it serves a unique purpose in my life. Most of my friends are shocked when they see how empty my screen is, but the truth is I rather focus on a few apps that have multiple purposes around discovery like the Equinox app (I can sign in through the app, I can sign up for classes all across the US, and I can see how many calories I’ve burned) or UberEats (I can discover new restaurants in the city, I can see the top picks in my favorite food category and I can track where my delivery is).

For Juice Generation, it seems their app is just another accessory targeted to one demographic. They don’t see their mobile app encompassing all things because they probably rely heavily on the in-store experience and e-commerce. While there is nothing wrong with that, in today’s mobile first age as marketers, it’s important to capitalize on the strength of what a mobile app can do and improve for your brand, especially in a new and differentiating creative light. Ultimately, brands need to see mobile apps as an equal platform to drive their overall mobile strategy.

RT

 

 

What Do You Get When You Mix Two Of America’s Biggest Trends? Juice Generation

The Two Trends We Can’t Escape

Juice Diet, Juice Cleanse, Juicing…

At this point, I can safely say I don’t know one girlfriend who hasn’t considered the above three diet terms at least once…especially before “that trip to Mexico that just creeped up on us” or “we need to look skinny for this weekend’s shindig.”

One trend we can’t escape is the US health trend that’s increasingly prevalent in our daily lives. A lot of us are turning to healthy juice shops to start our day, for an afternoon snack, or that dinner alternative that will make us feel better about ourselves the next morning.

The second trend is the power of e-commerce in which we find ourselves more digital savvy and reliant on home delivery. We’re turning to the web to order via brands’ websites and to discover brands we can later trust. This is great news for juice companies like NYC’s Juice Generation whose website is pretty impeccable.

The UX Experience 

Now to an important marketing term: UX. If you google UX in the dictionary, here’s what you get:

The keywords here are “absolutely seamless” and “users prefer that.” Let’s take a look at the top 3 things Juice Generation does to provide a seamless online experience for its users.

1. The design of the website is eye-catching and innovative with its opening video of acai bowls that lure the user in. (I’m drinking bubble tea right now… and totally wish I ordered a bowl instead). One note: because of the horizontal nature of the devices, this translates better on desktop and tablet versus mobile where the image is more cut off in the vertical frame.
2. The overall website serves a clear purpose and is useful. More importantly, it is user-centered because it educates healthy consumers on their selections, acquires new customers through subscription, and encourages users to shop their favorite items. And the organization of the site (including social media icons) and speed across all platforms is fast and accessible.
3. It’s also designed to be responsive and it reflects the aesthetics of the brand through its easy to read typeface and main images that are captivating on a clean white background. It’s a pleasure to use and is desirable. For example, I bet they have a pretty solid conversation rate based on the easy navigation of the site (keep in mind the initial menu is easier to view via desktop/tablet vs. mobile) and the powerful imagery chosen. I mean I still really want that acai bowl…

What Makes Juice Generation’s Website Unique 

While the above are all great criteria and Juice Generation definitely makes the user experience checklist, I want to discuss the 3 things that set the brand’s personality and character. You know, those content elements that make it entertaining, convincing and inspiring.

1.  They add an extra spice to their product images including names like “Supa Dupa Greens” (my personal favorite) and “Mr. Greengenes” (Or maybe this one is better?!). Either way, I love the quirkiness of their content.
2. On their website, they give customers the opportunity to design their own mixtures — which for picky eaters like me is great, because well, we’re picky! It’s important for brands to include personalization and customization, and by doing so online, you’re more likely to gain repeat customers who feel they are at the very center.
3. And lastly my favorite… the JUICE FARMACY! They have a selection of products easy to find that are all for when we have a cold or when we’re about to get a cold. A juice pharmacy… what could be cuter? Some favorite item names: “Cold Warrior,” “Lemon Lozenge” and “Fighter Cider.”

Is It Fascinating? 

As I discussed last week, brands have to work hard to capture our attention in 7-9 seconds. The UX for Juice Generation illustrates the brand’s message: “healthy living can be accessible to everyone — and that the key to a sustainable lifestyle is good habits that stick.”

This message is fascinating along with the brand’s online marketing efforts to drive intrigue amongst its users. For me, this was primarily due to the brand’s entertaining personality reflected on its website and its opening video images that expand and make you want its fresh ingredients now. Speaking of which, I think it’s time to go get that acai bowl…

Until next time!

RT

 

 

What Is The Power Of Fascination?

What Is The Power Of Fascination?

As humans, did you know we have a 7-9 second attention span? That’s lower or about the same as an attention span of a goldfish!

That wasn’t the only takeaway I learned this week from Sally Hogshead’s Ted Talk about the power of fascination. In her talk, she describes this power simply: in a universe filled with distraction and competition, we as people or brands only have 9 seconds to fascinate. That’s why it’s absolutely pivotal to have people or customers fall in love with our ideas instantly.

Three important points she shares are: 1) We have to understand our natural fascinating talents, 2) Our brains crave fascination, and 3) There are triggers in the brain that allow us to fascinate. As she likes to call them, fascination triggers (as seen in the image below).

The Fascination Advantage Test

These triggers play a deep role in The Fascination Advantage Test by Sally herself. The test is the first marketing-based communication and personality assessment about how the world sees you. Not everyone enjoys a good personality test, but this got me excited. I have a psychology minor from my undergraduate degree and as a marketer, I’m fascinated with the psychology of people and brands. But I never quite analyze my own personality enough. Except for those occasional Buzzfeed quizzes…

The test is comprised of 28 specific statements in which you rate how close it is to something you feel or not, using a range from “not me” to “totally me.” At the end of the test, your archetype is revealed of what makes you fascinating. This also includes your primary and secondary advantages in the world. For me, these tests can be challenging because sometimes we struggle with the want to be one way vs. what way we actually are. I had to carefully think about my answers and keep honest with myself in order to not manipulate the results to get a particular outcome.

My Archetype And Advantages 

The archetype I got was The Catalyst. Based on the image below, the world sees me as out-of-the-box, social, energizing, enthusiastic, and creative — all pretty true to my personality. My primary advantage is passion and my secondary advantage is innovation. Passion is no surprise to me for three reasons: 1) We as humans are trained to react and attract with emotion, 2) It’s the number one word I identify with, and 3) I don’t do anything WITHOUT passion. Passion drives me to be a better person and employee.

Another result that holds true for me is buoyancy (the second word I identify with: bubbly!) and social. I embrace new situations as best I can and I build strong personal and work relationships. My strength in the workplace, particularly at my last job, was creating those connections and I do it as much as possible on a 1:1 relationship. Without relating to people, I find the art of collaboration difficult and communication dwindles.

Marketing And The Idea Of Fascination

This brings me back to the beginning of this blog post and the idea of fascination. As marketers and brands, we only have 9 seconds to fascinate. According to Sally, that means it’s crucial for brands to analyze what their dominant trigger is and how to leverage their primary and secondary advantages. Without understanding the psychology of your brand and how customers view you, you’ll fail to fascinate them.

RT