Tissue Pack Marketing

One of the more clever concepts in awareness marketing in Japan is starting to get attention in the United States, advertising on the front of small packs of tissues.  Advertising agencies have stuck logos on just about everything imaginable, but how many times in the winter do you wish you had a small packet of tissues handy to take care of a runny nose?

The Future of Retail

Interesting article today in the Wall Street Journal by Tom Hayes and Michael Malone highlighting the rapid and significant change in media and the potential impact on how retailers find and connect with the customer.

Retailers now must reimagine a world where consumers experience products in stores but ultimately buy them on the Web: Stores are for experiences, the network is for inventories. And what in turn prepares potential customers for what to look for in stores? Online communities.

Although the statement above is a bit for effect to help lift sales of their upcoming book, it does raise a legitimate and serious question about the future of the retail experience.  With the majority of shoppers checking reviews online before they purchase, the impact of social networks and word of mouth referral can not be overstated.

How Narrowcasting Can Increase Your Readership and Customer Base

Narrowcasting is both a subset and the opposite of broadcasting, which is the wide scale dissemination of content through electronic and traditional media channels, in order to reach a large audience.

Narrowcasting focuses on spreading messages to smaller niche audiences that are defined by their demographic profile, individual preferences and values.

This means you should intentionally target a specific group of potential consumers by giving them customized messages only applicable to their interests or profile. The aim of this is to provoke a direct response from them, be it to purchase your product or perform a specific action (spread your message, donate money etc).