How much does your casino’s monthly coupon mailers cost each month to produce? What about the expense of those small-run postcards that target a specific player tier, or tout a special one-day promotion? Remember your answer when you discount the importance of collecting email addresses and mobile numbers; mining that particular data can be a [...]
It’s 2010 and we are now marketing to the “post-recession consumer”. Much like the consumers who survived the Great Depression, current thinking is that the effects of this recent downturn will forever change today’s consumer. What we do know is that in 2010 we are marketing in untraditional times and that calls for smarter thinking and [...]
This month marks the one year anniversary of events that are now recognized as the start of the global recession. More than previous downturns, this recession has led to profound shifts in how consumers think, react to marketing and buy. The phrase “responsible consumerism” is rapidly replacing “mass consumption” as people move beyond aspirational buying [...]
Market Turmoil. Unemployment. Recession. Issues of the new year that are on everybody’s mind. A business person’s instinct is to protect profits, spend less and, yes, cut advertising as an expense when times get tough. It’s a strategy that is much like being in a race and saving money by not buying fuel to get [...]
As the end of the year approaches, your company is probably initiating strategic planning for 2009. Most people agree that 2008 presented challenges unlike recent years and are hopeful for a brighter 2009. It wasn’t business as usual. The status quo approach didn’t work. And what worked in the past was less than successful the next time [...]
Generally speaking, advertising professionals don’t like rules. That’s why we tend to “think outside the box”. However, through the years we have come across a few “truisms” which have proven to be useful guidelines time and time again: Don’t put 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5-pound bag. Simply put, don’t cram so much information [...]
A new Keller Fay study of the brand-related conversations of consumer influencers estimates that a mere 15% of consumers account for 1.5 billion brand impressions per day. This 15% of consumer influencers (approximately 32 million individuals) are involved in 184 word of mouth conversations a week, more than 1.5 times the average consumer. Since this [...]
A magic act was Bob Kochan’s calling card. The act landed him his first job at Six Flags Over Mid-America, and later he parlayed his skills into creative advertising for clients of his Kochan & Co. agency. Clients from Raging Rivers Waterpark in Grafton to Argosy Casino and Pasta House Co. have been with him [...]
Two recent studies by the Promotional Products Association International show that promotional items can positively influence consumers. One study examined pizza consumers and the other trade show participants. In each case, when promotional products are used as a key element in a brand’s marketing mix, they create a more positive outlook toward a brand and [...]
Three words. During a job interview years ago, that’s all Bob Kochan was allowed when asked to sum up his managerial philosophy. He delivered a succinct sentence that continues to define his style more than two decades later: People equal success. “It’s the chemistry of the people. That’s what really makes us who we are,” [...]
