2008: B-to-B Marketing Preview

It comes as no surprise that b-to-b marketers plan to increase their spending online and decrease print advertising in 2008. What may surprise folks, however, is that spend on direct mail and events is forecasted to rise in 2008.

We’re finding this to hold true with our own clients, too. I think this is because, in our technology-driven lives, we welcome a chance to re-connect with folks in a tangible, one-to-one way. Whereas maybe three years ago direct mail effectiveness was on the decline, folks are so overwhelmed now with email and online banter that they are starting to glaze over those and once again pay attention to what’s coming in the mail, especially if the creative is eye-catching and the offer relevant. And as great as virtual tradeshows are, you can’t beat the chance to pitch your product or service face-to-face at an event. Besides, we wouldn’t want to put the tchotchkes vendors out of business. ;)

In other forecasting news, the same study found that two-thirds of b-to-b marketers plan on increasing their overall marketing budgets – largely because they also plan on embarking on new campaigns. And, in terms of what online areas marketers will invest in, Website, Webcasts, email, search and video leads the pack. Finally, despite all of 2007’s hype around social media, only 20% of marketers are currently using it as part of their strategy and 69% are not planning to increase spend in this area.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

While everyone else in our region was busy last night with the big rivalry weekend and watching the Pats/Chargers game and the Sox/Yanks game, I was enjoying my own favorite past time...the start of awards seasons, and thus, the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year – TV premier season.

As anyone who knows me will tell you, TV is not just a nice-to-have, it's a need-to-have, can't-live-without-it passion. There is no other time I look more forward to more than when all the new shows kick off and I can finally let my everyday worries be cast aside by the drama that's going on between Meredith and McDreamy and whether the new Gossip Girl series really will finally replace the vacant spot left in my heart when the OC went away.

The unofficial start to the fall TV season has always been the Emmy Awards, which aired last night. I watch every year, starting with the pre-show on E!, to see who's with who, who's wearing what, and of course, who wins. Usually, the pre-show outshines the actual show itself. But, I have to say that thanks to Ryan Seacrest, a cooler show format, the stellar nominees, the Kanye cameo, and the better-than-the-super-bowl commercials, the main event was fantastic.

I was thrilled to see the Sopranos take it for Best Drama and maybe the best character on TV right now - Jeremy Piven's Ari Gold - win Best Supporting Actor. Despite the fact that I didn’t agree with all of the winners (How can you not give James Gandolfini the Emmy…it’s Tony Soprano for god’s sake!! And as much as I adore Katherine Heigl, Chandra Wilson is by far the star of Grey’s!), the show overall was entertaining, lively, and a lot of fun to watch…more fun, I’m sure, then the Sox game. :)

So here’s a toast to TV…for bring sexy back to the drab awards shows and making my weekday evenings more complete. Cheers.

BluePoint Summer Outing

Toyota is KING

There has been a new king of the auto industry crowned today, as Toyota has passed GM in sales of cars and trucks, not just in the US, but world wide. (See the story here) Spearheaded by the car-of-the-people Camry, Toyota has been inching ever close to GM’s coveted spot as the global leader in automobiles, finally passing them in 2007’s Q1 report.

I think pretty much everyone saw this coming. With GM producing lackluster car after car, designing what looked more like people transportation utensils than autos with a soul, Toyota took the “slow and steady wins the race” approach, coming out with not great, but pleasing designs, with superior quality at a great value time after time. It is only recently that GM has managed to inch back onto its wobbly two feet, importing cars from their European brands to do so.

With some of the largest branding and ad budgets of any company, the auto industry knows the importance of marketing’s impact on the bottom line. Here, we’ll take a look at a few of the brands and ads from GM and Toyota, and hopefully, figure out, at least in part, what went wrong.

Tundra vs. Silverado Winner: Tundra

The launch of Toyota’s updated Tundra line of trucks has more people than just David Ortiz smiling. Sure, any truck can drive through the mud at a construction site in their ads, but how about driving on a steel bridge right off a cliff only to brake before falling to a watery death? Or up the largest see-saw known to man? You won’t see a Silverado do that any day of the week.

Prius vs. Greenline/FlexFuel - Winner: Prius

The biggest fashion statement of the 21^st century, the celebrity-driven Toyota Prius, sets the standard for eco-conscious driving in the US. The powerhouse vehicle has dominated the hybrid market for years, and has seen little competition from GM in this arena. Though Saturn has their “GreenLine” brand of hybrids, their performance doesn’t necessarily justify price, and to be honest, I don’t think anyone really knows about them, GM hasn’t put much money on their success as far as marketing goes. But who can blame them; it’s hard to compete with a car owned by Larry David.

FlexFuel, a new engine that runs on Ethanol as well as gas, is a great concept, but GM may have jumped the gun a bit on this one, as Ethanol is still nearly IMPOSSIBLE to find…time will tell, but I think they may be on to something here.

Lexus vs. Cadillac – Winner: Lexus

Both Lexus and Cadillac still have some work to do in the luxury segment. Aside from the Escalade, which seems to be popular among rappers and the country club set alike, Cadillac’s cars are not selling as great as they were right out of the gate, and the brand still lacks a “halo” vehicle or flagship luxury sedan.

Lexus, on the other hand, has taken huge strides in their latest round of product refreshes. The quality and technology are top notch, but many balked at the $100k price of a new LS (until they found out it could park itself). The company also offers hybrid models, giving the eco-wealthy a luxurious way to drive green.

Scion vs. ???? - Winner: Scion

Scion, Toyota’s decidedly young, hip, urban brand created on the cheap by the importing small, funky looking cars originally intended for Japan only has made a big impact despite only selling 3 different models. The brand has hit the mark as young people are actually buying it. The median age of a Scion driver is 39, the lowest in the industry. While Scion may still just be getting its legs in the auto industry, it is a perfect example of how important it is to “get ‘em while they’re young”. With the Scion brand sitting below Toyota and Lexus in the chain, there is a huge opportunity for them to build lasting relationships with customers, the axis of customer and brand.

GM is struggling to conjure up a vehicle or brand that resonates with young buyers. The company has small, affordable options, yes, but giving a car like the Aveo a tag line like “The Mighty Mouse of Cars” will not get you many 20 something males lining up to buy a re-badged Daewoo.

The company suffers from a crowded offering of brands, positioned too linearly. Pontiac, Saturn, Chevy and Buick all offer cars at relatively similar price points, and none of these namesakes seem to have enough prestige attached to position one above the other. Saturn’s upcoming Ion replacement, the Astra, seems like the company’s first great shot at a car for young people, and I really hope it succeeds.

Tiger Woods vs. Eddie Murphy - Winner: Eddie Murphy

Tiger Woods is an amazing athlete, and a symbol of excellence and precision, but did you watch that Eddie Murphy ad? 30 seconds of pure genius!

Toyota’s new title is well deserved, and, more importantly, a wake up call for American auto makers. While sales have been lagging for a while now, this could be considered their first real nail in the coffin.

Looking out my window right now there are 2 Toyotas, 2 Lexuses (Lexi?) and a Saab (a GM product). Proof God wanted me to write this? Yes. But also a pretty good indicator of at least the Northeast’s Toyota consumption, the highest selling region in the country for the company, and apparently, the world feels the same.

It’s time for Detroit to start giving the people what they want – better cars, better fuel economy, and if there’s a few bucks left over, hire Eddie Murphy.

Learning Curve

Last week I was asked by a former classmate of mine at Babson College – now a business management teacher at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School – to participate in a business panel at the school.

The point of the panel was to describe what area of business we work in and reflect on how we got to where we are. I still consider myself pretty young (and I like to think hip), but let me tell you – there is nothing more intimidating then getting up in front of a few hundred high schoolers (especially when I thought I’d only be addressing a classroom of 30 kids!). Talk about a good chance to practice my public speaking skills!

I was there to represent marketing, and was joined by an impressive roster of other area professionals representing various aspects of business – the VP of Operations from Finale Dessert Co., a CPA from PricewaterhouseCoopers, a human resources manager from Monster.com, a retired CIO turned math teacher, and a young entrepreneur and recent PVMHS grad.

Although most of the kids were probably looking for an excuse to get out of class, there were a few students who really did show an interest in the speakers and asked good questions at the end of the panel (albeit, after much prodding from their teachers!).

Overall, the panel was a success (I hope!) and I know I’m hoping we’ll be asked back next year – anything I can do to even start to make a difference to these kids (our future!) is well worth it. If you’re ever presented with an opportunity like this, I’d encourage you to dive right in.

“The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.” -- Herbert Spencer

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from BluePoint's unofficial mascot Daisy! If you're in Lexington Center today, make sure you stop by and say "hello"- we'll be doing our part by handing out candy from 2-5 to all the kids in Lexington as part of the town's annual Trick or Treat Celebration.

Markoff on Carly's "Tough Choices"

So I read John Markoff’s piece on Thursday about the debut of Carly (Your So Vain) Fiorina’s book “Tough Choices” and then read it again. And, then looked at it a third time and I am still confused about one thing. I get the point about the main point of the story, which is that HP, under Carly’s watch, began to initiate the initial investigation around leaks to the press by members of the HP board. Markoff gets a few other points across too, mostly Carly’s resentment toward HP’s directors.

Where I’m scratching my head is this: According to Markoff’s piece, the book is “embargoed for release” until next Tuesday, which is October 10^th. However, HP made the book available to reviewers if they were willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Markoff is obviously a news reporter, not a book reviewer so he was not given this opportunity. Yet Markoff writes that a New York Times reporter purchased the book at a bookstore Wednesday, Oct. 4. So what I am wondering is why sign an NDA if you ca pick it up already? And, why is the book is on sale ahead of the alleged release date? Did a clerk at a single store goof here, or is yet another example of an “intentional leak” by HP? Incidentally, a quick scan of the NYT web site’s book review section reveals that their Book Review desk has yet to pen anything on “Tough Choices.”

Finally, some what ironic is that opposite Markoff’s story and Carly’s mug on the site is an ad for HP blade server systems. I’m sure Carly isn’t engaging in much blade server talk these days.

Cheers from Ireland

Just wanted to hop on quickly mid-way through my trip to say hello to all from Galway City, Ireland. So far, we've travelled all around Counties Galway, Clare, and Kerry - enjoying many pints in many pubs - with the best stops being Dingle Bay (Co. Kerry), as well as beautiful Clifden (Co. Galway) - right on the beach. Hope all is well state-side, and look for another post upon my return to the US. Cheers!

All I Really Need to Know I Learned…where?

I was in a doctor’s office the other day, and was saw that poster that we all undoubtedly had in our rooms or in our office at one point in time – All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.



Adapted by the best selling book written by Robert Fulghum in 1988, it was definitely the mantra for many people my age growing up. This poster spawned many imitations. All I Really Need to Know I Learned From…My Cat, My Dog, Watching Star Trek - you name it, the list goes on.

Well I’m here today to propose a new version to this undeniable classic – All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Working in Marketing. It would go a little something like this:

Most of what I need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I’ve learned from working in the marketing industry. These are the things I learned.

Be original. Don’t be afraid to draw outside the lines or think outside of the box. It’s all about the ideas.

First impressions really do matter.

Don’t be afraid to take risks. After all, what’s the worst that can happen?

Be patient. Patience is indeed a virtue, and one that should be celebrated in our field.

Push back. Don’t take no for an answer. If you have a good idea and believe in it, then stick with it. Be heard.

Write it, read it, and then read it again (and again).

Perfection isn’t unrealistic, it’s expected. And, if god forbid you do make a mistake, reflect on it and learn from it.

Keep your eyes and ears open. You never know what you’re going to learn by being observant.

Compromise. Like a good marriage, sometimes we need to meet the other party in the middle. After all, what’s a little give with out a little take?

And finally, have fun. What good is working hard if you can’t have a little fun at the same time?

Have any lessons to add to the list? Please share – who knows, maybe we’ll go into the publishing business some day!

Rock the Vote

Today is primary day across the Bay State and like many of you over the last few weeks I have thought more seriously about how I was going to rock the vote. I even watched the nightly profiles of the candidates on the local news. Ok not all of them. Unlike previous local elections when I gave more thought to who I was going to vote off American Idol or what unlucky Survivor’s torch would be put out, this year I feel prepared. On my morning drive this morning downing my Dunks coffee and listening to the radio I realized how much I do care about who gets elected as governor and for the first time in many years feel very strongly about my vote.

My vote has typically been based on influencers like charisma, likeability, and sometimes even a good suit or cute family. Party lines were not something I took enough time to understand. Ironically, I was brought up in a very strong political viewed house and my dad taught us that every vote counts and we can’t complain about issues if we don’t vote. So today don’t get bogged down in the media hype, the attack ads or even the cute suits. Think about what makes you tick – real estate taxes, after-school programs, keeping young talent in Boston, stem cell research or immigration.

No one really likes to complain, so we should all do ourselves a favor and vote. This way we have one less thing to complain about and we can whine about real issues in our life. Like the Red Sox and the weather.

Think about like this – it’s the seventh game of the World Series and the Yankees are at bat with 1 out and two men on. Who do you want at the mound?

About That Triathlon...

All I can say is that it was a total blast and a great way to get this 40-something body moving. Thank you to Team Moore for putting up with my training stunts - namely Charlie for not laughing when I told him my plan, my kids who loaded up my iPod with motivational music and brought encouragement and very creative signage to the race course.

Thank you also to team BluePoint who put up with my odd schedule this summer and, well, didn’t laugh either (even though I AM the oldest person in the office).

Finally, a BIG thank you to Bob Burns of Partners Financial- an old college friend and BluePoint's financial planner and insurance provider extraordinaire for showing me the way and actually doing the race with me. I was a bit discombobulated before the race – making him turn back before the start to retrieve my forgotten wetsuit. As Bob said "After knowing you for 25 years, you picked a funny day to start being a ditz". (I guess I was a little nervous).

I am humbled by the fortitude of three of my fellow racers - one who fell off her bike ahead of me but got back in the saddle and passed me several miles ahead. In the final lap, we met up and ran together for the most exuberant mile of the race. I watched her cross the finish bloody and sore, but in good time and in one piece.

Another woman experienced an anxiety attack in the water. (Not so far-fetched in very cold and gray ocean water with a lot of swimmers surrounding us). She kept her cool and kept talking for awhile until she regained her breath and finished nicely. Imagine the willpower THAT required.

Finally, I realized after the race was done that I had injured a toe from accidentally kicking another woman. If whatever body part I kicked feels anything like my toe, I am amazed she was able to rise above the injury. I did stop to check in with her and she said she was OK but I wonder how she felt after the race.

It was a moment of sad irony as I scrubbed my race # markings off my leg, hand and arm to put on a black suit and deliver a eulogy in NYC for my mother's best friend. This friend isn’t just turning in her grave – she’s apoplectic with hysteria over even the slightest notion that I would take something like this on. (You have to understand that I run like a Neanderthal with the backs of my hands facing forward and my knuckles nearly dragging on the ground.) Where I am so thankful to others for NOT laughing, I wish with all my heart that my wicked auntie had been here to throw her head back and howl with a scotch in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

I am at peace with my matronly pace and feel so lucky to have finished strong and whole. It beats the heck out of the alternative.

Our Very Own Tri-Athlete!

We are proud to support our very own aspiring Olympian - BluePoint Managing Partner Alison Moore!

On Sunday, August 27, Alison (#42) will brave the chilly Maine waters and rough roads to embark on her first triathlon, supporting the West Kennebunk Fire Company, Kennebunk Fire Rescue, and the Kennebunk Police Department.

Check back next week on the sure-to-be-impressive results, and maybe even a picture or two (if we can convince her to let us post them!).

Goooooooooooooooooooooo....Alison!