The Crunchiest Marketing Nuggets from 2009Year in Review

Shared by

http://crunchymarketingnuggets.wordpress.comLisa H. Fritts

December 21, 2009

Purpose

• To take a look back at 2009 and see what were the key takeaways in the marketing world and in consumer behavior patterns.

2009 Key Takeaways

• To see these trends as not just trends – but to view them as a springboard for opportunities in 2010.

2010 Opportunities

• And as you’ve come to expect from Crunchy Marketing Nuggets…shared in a light, palatable – yet insightful − presentation!

Crunchy Marketing

Nuggets Style!

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2009 Marketing Trends

In 2009, Crunchy Marketing Nuggets delivered over

200 posts – woo wee! And within these daily tid bits

about marketing, brands, consumers, and retailers (oh

my!), five themes rise to the top as the key takeaways for

the year. They include:

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Recession Obsession

Socially Acceptable

Experiential Traditional

Health & Wellness

Feeling Good About Doing

Good

2009 Trend: Recession Obsession• By far, the state of the economy was the biggest

influence on consumer behavior and marketers’ decisions in 2009. From it, came…

Growth of Private Label brands and

consumers’ acceptance of PL.

A free for all of sampling, couponing,

and “relief” offers.

Marketers reshaping and redefining “value” in delivering offers and new products. As well as consumers’ quests to find brands and retailers that fulfill “best value.”

Somewhat surprising, yet somewhat expected, insights into what categories consumers chose to prioritize and continue to spend their money on.

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2009 Trend: Socially Acceptable• Social spaces boomed with consumers. Social

Marketing emerged as a “must do” on even conservative brands’ radars.

Some brands set the pace. Truly maximizing social spaces, and becoming role models for other marketers. It was fun to watch and inspirational for ideas!

Consumers of all demographics became familiar with social spaces. Stats surrounding social sites were so very crunchy – and even went viral on YouTube, with a stat slide show receiving over 1.1 million views! •350 million users on Facebook by November 09. If it were a country, it would be #4 between the US and Indonesia.•YouTube is the #2 largest search engine in the world. •According to Nielsen, 90% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know, while 70% trust consumer opinions posted online –that includes strangers! Both are higher than any other media vehicle. 5

2009 Trend: Experiential Traditional• Technology brought so much excitement, innovation,

and smart marketing extensions to the most traditional of media vehicles.

Augmented Reality and Quick Read (QR) codes turned flat communications into engagement pieces.

Tried and true tactics took on fresh new structures with consumer behaviors driven and rewarded via technology.

Text messaging seemed “old” as mobile marketing headed beyond SMS, and into branded apps, delivering real-life usages and true user value. 6

2009 Trend: Health & Wellness• Let’s face it, consumers will always want to have their

cake, and not only eat it, too – but to also be healthier, feel good and live longer as a result!

Flu fears and food recalls turned consumers into extra-cautious, hand-sanitizing, germ avoiders.

Consumer demand continued to crave functional, super foods that provide a high punch of healthy ingredients. Even if it was just simply the flavor of the super food in not so healthy versions.

Keeping it simple, knowing exactly what’s in the product and where it came from were key benefits to new product intros that made consumers feel better about their choices.

Health Care was the buzz in the press and at retail.

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2009 Trend: Feeling Good About Doing Good

• The opportunity to give and to help is no longer reserved for the holidays, or Earth Day, or a dedicated cause month.

Thanks to social sites and viral technologies, helping others and showing support became as easy as a click, or creating online artwork, or becoming a fan, or allowing an application, or submitting a message, or sending an e-card, and so on…

Tree planting was this year’s new reusable bag --the “it” giveaway as a cause-related premium idea.

Offering consumers charity choices was a key means to drive participation and engagement.

Teaching compassion is now a must-do for today’s parents.

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A Few Buzzwords from 2009

Augmented Reality

• Web cams and mobile devices that combine a tech image with a real-life image.

Alternate Reality

• A scavenger hunt that combines on and offline searching.

MoSoSo

• Mobile Social Software.

Tweets, Tweet Up, Twitition

•Twitter communications; meet-ups of like-minded users; and a petition on Twitter

App, Appvertising• Short for application and a

branded app. Can be mobile or social network based.

Flashpacker

• 20-something who has time, money and desire to pick up and travel on a moments notice (remember when?!).

Edible Nostalgia

• A fancy way of saying “comfort food.”

Conceptual Consumption

• I buy, therefore, I am, e.g., yoga mat = yoga master!

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If you wanted to look cool – and perhaps, even smart − in a brainstorm this past year, you could have said…

So, Nugget Girl…What’s Next?

• Even in Power Point, you’re such a great audience participant -- you rock! Here are the 2010 predictions and growth areas from three, really awesome, trustworthy sources.

Consumer restraint in spending.Brands need to offer value beyond pricing.Retailer store brands will continue to grow.Grocery retailers will consolidate.Retailer assortment simplification will cause assortment

wars among remaining brands.

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What’s next…

Real time collaboration and sharing. Location based mobile services. Augmented reality – but really useful apps. Content curation – pointing you to the most relevant finds online. Cloud computing – data that exists in a location where it is accessible

by you from anywhere, and can be used by others in real time. Internet TV and movies. Technology that specializes in specific tasks will present conundrums

for do-it-all devices, e.g., e-reader vs. iPhone. Social gaming. Mobile payments – via Twitter, smart phones. Concerns over personal privacy online.

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What’s next…

Consumer Resilience – Better attitudes and resolve, having been through a difficult 2009.

Reviewing & Re-evaluating - Consumers will look for best values and the best brand engagements prior to purchase.

Prove it & Accountability – Consumers will demand proof and results in order for brands to gain their trust.

Escapism – Consumers will splurge on purchases that provide a break from reality.

Media Evolution – As technology makes consumers’ daily lives easier, brands will need to work harder in order to connect with them through tech channels.

Ethical Responsibility – Brands will need to deliver more emotional benefits through environmental and ethical claims. Consumers will scrutinize support for any ethical claims.

Stability – As consumers have readjusted to the “new economy,” brands that provide variety in product options and price points will thrive.

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OpportunitiesBy no means, can I share one-size-fits-all next steps for every marketing situation.

However, using 2009 trends and 2010 predictions as a starting point, we can set goals. Here are six, “resolutions” for a marketer’s new year!

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Define “Value” for Your Brand

• A common theme in next year’s predictions is that value will win. Figure out what this means, and what will resonate with your target.

Tech Yourself

• Predictions point to so many continued growth areas in tech spaces: social, mobile, digital, etc. If you’re one of many marketers who “can’t be bothered,” you need to change this attitude! Hands-on experience is the best means to learn in any tech space. Download an app. Fan Facebook Marketing Solutions. Share a great, branded FB fan page. Blog. Review a product. Sign-up for Google Wave. Do it now!

Learn from 2009

• So much of what is predicted in 2010 is based on 2009. That said, before starting fresh in 2010, take a step back and really evaluate what you did in 2009. Look at what worked well, what didn’t, and how it could be improved for 2010.

Opportunities - Continued

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Surprise & Delight Your Target

• Truly, it’s the best way to stand out and connect with your target. Make it your must-do challenge to figure out how!

Find Yourself a Partner

• Make 2010 the year your brand seeks and finds an excellent, long term partner. Given consumer spend trends and retailer shelf shifts, you can only benefit from the shared costs, equity, and differentiation.

And lastly…Follow a Good Resource

• This is by no means a shameless plug to read my blog! Rather, choose one or two excellent push emails or publications and commit to reading them everyday. Easier said than done, but you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll look and feel smarter! Fast Company, MediaPost, MarketingVox, Mashable, TechCrunch, The New York Times, and yes, Crunchy Marketing Nuggets are all good picks and among my very favorites.

Questions? Comments? Need to share your own, nuggety insights? Want help in customizing these

opportunities to fit your business needs?Please feel free to drop me an email:

lhfritts@optonline.net

Thank you and come back for more crunchy, nuggety goodness in the new year!

http://crunchymarketingnuggets.wordpress.com

Appendix

Nugget Sources:

Socialnomics09, “Social Media Revolution,” posted on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8

NielsenWire, blog.nielsen.com, “Nielsen Global Advertising: Consumers Trust Real Friends and Virtual Strangers the Most,” July 7, 2009

Drug Store News, “Nielsen shares top five CPG spending trends for 2010,” Alison Cerra, December 16, 2009

Mashable.com, CNN.com, CNNtech, “10 Web trends to watch in 2010,” Pete Cashmore, December 3, 2009

FoodProcessing.com, “Mintel Reports Global Consumer Trend Predictions for 2010,” Mintel.com, December 11, 2009

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