Nilewide Marketing Review articles from February 2005

Nilewide Marketing Review archives from February 2005

Marketing goes haptic.(tactile learning)
February 6, 2005... Touch remains the least understood input into learning, but it is clear that touch is fundamental to how we create our mental pictures of the world around us. Neither sight alone, nor someone telling us facts, can tell us about aspects of...

Dreaming of consumption.(consumer behaviour)
February 6, 2005... While numerous studies are based on actual consumption, and intentions to purchase, less attention has been given to consumption dreams. These are the wakeful dreams that people have about things or experiences they would like to have, such as...

Hope sells.(advertising strategies)
February 6, 2005... Many studies have looked at basic emotions, such as happiness or fear, but few have attempted to understand hope. This is surprising, given that hope is such a common word in everyday language. In fact, hope is a positive emotion evoked in...

Advertising and imperfect memory.(advertising strategies)
February 6, 2005... Neurobiology has taught us that rather than being a "snapshot" stored away and awaiting to be recalled, memories of objects and experiences are broken down and stored in different parts of the brain, waiting to be remembered. This is why...

Why are ad ideas free?(advertising agency)
February 6, 2005... The search for a great idea is central to the work of an advertising agency. Yet, the way the industry is structured ensures that ideas are not really what clients are buying. This is in part because of the way it was first set up by J Walter,...

Pricing, incidentally.(pricing effects)
February 6, 2005... Considerable attention has been paid to what is known as the anchoring effect of the price of competitors within a category. Far less attention has been devoted to the anchoring effect of incidental prices - the ones a person may be exposed to...

Put down the phone!(telemarketing)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2005... The telemarketing industry is suffering on two fronts: the impact of legislation, and the fact people are becoming increasingly resistant to being called. One study claims that cold calls will not be viable in 5 years. Do not call registries,...

Why we shouldn't think too much.(consumer buying behaviour)(elaboration likelihood theory)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2005... In their quest for persuasion, advertisers are interested in generating or changing attitudes to the ad and subsequently, the brand. According to the elaboration likelihood theory, the amount of information processing is the quantitative...

False truths.(change management ideas)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2005... While many people claim to want new ideas, they are quick to discredit any that threaten the status quo. This is particularly so when an idea directly contradicts conventional wisdom. Yet there are times when the minority is right and the...

Does search really pay?
February 13, 2005... Search engine optimisation is an increasingly important part of most marketing strategies, because approximately 75% of net users use search engines. The key question is not whether to pursue optimisation strategies but what is the impact on...

Keep an eye on the big picture.
February 13, 2005... The endless chant that the world is changing faster than ever before and companies must be flexible and ready to jump on the next trend, drones on through the marketing and business media. The call satisfies our desires for the new, for the...

Simply wrong assumptions.
February 13, 2005... The tendency to oversimplify complex issues is almost impossible to avoid, because it is a defence mechanism to ensure we do not get lost in complexity. In other words, it is a means of at least believing we can grasp a complex issue. Yet, it...

Multitasking for marketers.
February 13, 2005... Multitasking is expected in today's business world, for example, reading email, talking on the phone and adding up figures simultaneously. It is also the norm in parts of our non-work lives, for example, people read a magazine and watch TV at...

Marketing for CEOs.
February 13, 2005... Many marketers know expectations of marketing departments are higher than ever. But it is less clear exactly what marketing should be delivering. A recent survey of CEOs suggests five opportunities: strong brands are assets, consumer data...

Trust to bank on.(building trust among customers)
February 13, 2005... As banks have moved further towards electronic processing, first with ATMs and then through internet banking, they have been faced with lower levels of consumer trust. One reason for this loss of trust has been the reduction face-to-face...

Seriously anti-brand?
February 13, 2005... Despite the sales of No Logo and the success of documentaries such as The Corporation, it does seem that many companies do not take the anti-brand/anti-corporate movements very seriously. When they get into social difficulties the response is...

Smell that car.(Automobiles Citroen S.A.)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2005... Retailers, including supermarkets, bakers and Krispy Kreme, have understood the impact of smell on customer mood and behaviour for over 20 years. Yet, despite its direct effects on wellbeing and mood, many categories still ignore the potential...

Not everyone likes robots.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2005... The spread of technologies around the world, such as IT, would seem to support globalisation and a belief in the convergence of cultures. However, this may be a rather superficial view as we slowly begin to recognise the importance of people's...

Tired promises.(customers tired of brand promises)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2005... Anecdotal reports suggest that people are becoming less loyal to brands and products, and are increasingly sceptical of the promises brands make. Many reasons for this are proposed but one of the less widely discussed reasons relates to the...

Content: via the customer?
February 20, 2005... Analysis It is difficult to ignore the marketing media hype over the convergence of brands and content, especially in the US media, which has dubbed it Madison and Vine. As we begin to consider the implications of this trend, it is worth...

Forecasting a net attack.(internet usage predictions and survey)
February 27, 2005... The dot-com bust should have taught us that, when the hype is too rosy, it should be ignored. Yet the opinions of many people who hyped the net in the late 90s are still important, because they now bring some hard experience to making fresh...

Speak their language.(using language as a tool for marketing)
February 27, 2005... The power of language, to alienate or attract, is undeniable and is a critical role in marketing. Yet marketing professionals often forget this fact when speaking to their internal customers. Rather than make their case clearly, using terms...

The Rescue Principle.(corporate social responsible investments)
February 27, 2005... Calls for all organisations to contribute more to the fight against global poverty and illness abound at forums, such as The World Economic Forum. But many business leaders continue to struggle with how to reconcile their potential roles with...

All the senses or nonsense?(usage of senses or non-verbal communications in marketing)
February 27, 2005... It is well recognised that 90% of communication is non-verbal and there is a growing body of studies into the role of the senses in communication. These range from tone of voice and facial expressions to smell. Critically, non-verbal...

The old or the new?(anlysis of consumer buying intentions towards new brands)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2005... Brand extensions remain the preferred way to enter new markets, reflecting the belief that extensions are less risky than launching a new brand, when 90% of new product introductions fail. However, analysis of 22,000 launches by Research...

Not knowing what to customise.(analysis of consumer preferences on customized offers)
February 27, 2005... The appeal of mass customisation to companies is obvious, as it allows them to get to know their customers better and encourage loyalty. However, customisation is based on the assumption that customers know their own preferences and that they...

Stress decreases memory.(consumer psychology, and applying neuroscience in marketing)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2005... Memory and how to improve it relative to brands remains a fundamental challenge in marketing, and this is fuelling the interest in applying the growing knowledge of neuroscience to marketing. One aspect of memory that is not always considered...

Merely measuring.(consumer intentions of purchasing grocery online)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2005... The mere measurement effect has been well recognised since the mid 1990s, for example, asking about intention to purchase, leads to an increase in short-term purchasing. Yet, relying on only short-term purchase and repurchase data may be...

The corporate parasite.(competition and brands)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2005... A key tenet of the theory of evolution is survival of the fittest, which is predicated on always being ready to compete for resources. It also fits neatly with the military idea of fighting the enemy, and this may be why it often goes...

Investors prefer commercial sponsorships.(Brief Article)
February 27, 2005... One way to assess the value of a corporate decision - and it is often more telling than the balance sheet - is to watch the share price. In theory, the share price should automatically take account of any known information about a company. In...