Category Archives: Trend: Reducism

Trend: Reducism

A distinct and intentional move away from excess, although not counter-cultural; the casting off of that which is superfluous; a focus on purity, essence; making-do, but with high standards for aesthetic design and functionality

posted by Kevin

Apr 11, 2011 @ 5:42pm

Lonely Days are Virtually Over

A recent Pew Research Center study found that 1 in 3 Americans doesn’t know his neighbors.

As suburbs sprawled, front porches disappeared and screened porches morphed into Florida rooms. Sidewalk parking — heck, sidewalks in general — disappeared, as carports became three-car garages. It’s today’s reality: In our communication-starved society, there’s little hope of neighborly dialogue between the garage and the kitchen’s granite topped island.

Enter the great reboot of the American dream. For the first time since 1950 (when the average size home was a mere 983 square feet), houses are getting smaller. Many people now prefer to rent rather than own. Security has replaced more as the American ideal. So how has this impacted marketing?

Facebook is the current decade’s front porch.

Put simply, people are starved for human connection. On Facebook, people can see you sitting right there, just watching the world go by and waiting for a friendly visit. Human connection via IM, but connection nonetheless.

You can see it playing out on TV as well. Lay’s potato chips wants us to “know the farmers.”

A far cry conceptually from “No one can eat just one.”

California Milk and Cheese is adopting a similar strategy.

Again, the shift is pronounced. “Got milk,” the dairy association’s legendary campaign, focused on the consumer. Now the focus is on the integrity of the product.

What’s key is realizing that relevance is no longer enough. Now there must be value and values – even for a potato chip. Sustainability, community investment and charity aren’t ancillary messages anymore. And the perfect place to parade them is right in front of today’s virtual front porch.

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posted by Kevin

Jan 04, 2011 @ 6:00pm

Rainy Day Ads

The long New Year’s weekend included the luxury of a cold, rainy Saturday, one that offered some guilt-free lounging in front of the television. Some observations:

  1. Lots of people have a structured settlement and need cash now.
  2. Everything is on sale.
  3. A dozen or more spokespeople used to wear huge pants.

OK, so numbers two and three are seasonal, but commercials across the board seemed way out of step with prevailing sentiment.

In their book, Spend Shift, John Gerzema and Michael D’Antonio discuss the radical realignment of sentiment and behavior following the Great Recession. Here are some things to keep in mind:

55% of Americans have adjusted their lives to seek greater balance and fulfillment

36% are Southerners

78% are happier with a more “down to basics” lifestyle

The values-led movement cuts across socio-economic and generational lines. What unites them is “a common sense of optimism and newfound purpose.” Not sales, markdowns or the size of a spokesperson’s old pants, but optimism.

It’s time to focus marketing messages on what’s meaningful to the majority of Americans. Let’s begin this year by understanding the need for more fair weather messaging.

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posted by Kevin

Sep 13, 2010 @ 3:37pm

A wondrous time of year

It’s time for our 13th annual pro bono all-nighter for nonprofits, CreateAthon. I love it because we’re exposed to all manner of new and sometimes atypical problems that marketing can help solve. This week, we’re busy finalizing strategy for this year’s nine new 24-hour clients.

The volume and concentration of these worthwhile organizations clearly illuminates one thing. Messaging is fragmented. Message fragmentation is pervasive among those seeking our counsel, paid and pro bono alike.

The current business climate demands, and richly rewards, focus. This is not a new phenomenon. Al Reis penned his book Focus: the future of your company depends on it more than 10 years ago. Yet due to the current economic atmosphere, companies seem more determined than ever to be all things to all people.

Back in June, I wrote about GM’s newfound sense of focus and its resulting return to profitability. Some months later, I continue to follow GM CMO Joel Ewanick’s combination of unrelenting focus and highly distilled common sense.

Joel recently sat down with Advertising Age for an interview. That Chevrolet needs to do some storytelling about the legendary designs influencing new models is a breath of fresh air. In addition to this focus, Ewanick has the common sense to understand the wrong turns Chevy took. On Americana, for example: “The nice thing about Chevrolet is that people know it’s an American brand. We don’t need to remind them of the obvious.”

Economic free fall is behind us at last. We’re going to be in a sideways economy for a long time. Let’s embrace this new reality with the conviction to stand for something rather than for everything. I know it’s hard, and it seems risky. Then again, if GM is more agile than your hospital, bank, or restaurant — it’s time for a leap of faith.

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posted by Kevin

Jun 14, 2010 @ 10:25am

Three Lessons to Learn from GM

The fact that we might be able to learn a thing or two from GM is proof that even dreadfully dire situations can be salvaged. Sure, $50 billion in government loans helped a little, but a retooled marketing strategy has hastily pulled the company out of the ditch during this not-so-sound phase of modest economic recovery. Here’s what I’ve learned:

1.     Step back, assess and edit.

Or in GM’s case, truncate. Through its family of brands, GM had something to offer everyone. The problem was, cars like Saturn and Pontiac found themselves in a very crowded middle market. GM cut back to the core, pruning underperforming products and refocusing where they knew they could succeed.

2.     Focus on your product.

GM had a stable of products that had not been updated in more than a half dozen years. Yes, they’re still making the Impala. New design sells. It was time to reinvent and revive the old as well as introduce some new.

3.     Speak plainly.

Break Through. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit. Art and Science. Mark of Leadership.

Cadillac alone has had all four of these taglines, and all in about as many years. The above lines were developed when the Cadillac line didn’t leave marketers anything tangible to promote. In the absence of performance, awards or technical innovations, GM’s agencies gravitated to emotional fluff the cars themselves could support. New leadership favors a more direct, rational approach. GM is in the process of shifting the discussion to one about, well, cars.

The new economy consumer is a mix of cautious, rational and skeptical. He demands proof of product excellence and the justification needed to part with his dollar. It’s nice to see GM begin to meet his standard.

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posted by Kevin

Mar 29, 2010 @ 10:00am

Facebook – a 1970’s phenomenon

McDonald’s “You deserve a break today” campaign is a mainstay of 1970′s pop culture. It ranks number five in AdAge’s top 100 advertising campaigns of all time. “You deserve a break today’s” extraordinarily success lies in a perfectly timed strategy. Economic decline during the 1970′s introduced the dual family income household, starring a time-starved mom. Middle income Americans faced unprecedented economic hardship. McDonald’s was there, offering a highly accessible much needed getaway.

Rising oil prices, declining household incomes, long hair, patchwork leather pocket books and a serious love for the color brown are back. It’s the 70′s all over again. Today’s consumer is yet again time-starved, budget-crunched and facing large cultural shifts. It’s time for a 70′s approach to marketing.

Facebook is a perfect example of 70′s behavior. Some of the busiest people I know, Moms with full-time jobs and multiple kids, make time for Facebook. They take quizzes, post high school prom photos and fan their favorite stores and restaurants. Why are the busiest people among us making time for such frivolity?

Just like McDonald’s in the 70′s, Facebook is a getaway. It’s a getaway that satisfies a need born from economic stress. It’s better than MacDonald’s. McDonalds’s is fast, cheap and tasty. Facebook, is fast, free and non-fattening.

The era of superlatives and bragging rights is over. We must get back to the basics of satisfying what our customers need. And we must relearn how to keep the message simple.

HCA hospital system in South Florida recognizes that people need to know how long they will have to wait in the emergency room. So HCA hospitals post current wait times on outdoor boards and online. Instead of bragging about doing more surgeries than their competition, HCA is satisfying a need, and admissions are up.

We manage social media for client Moe’s Southwest Grill. Contests, offers and give-aways entertain, and hopefully endear, Moe’s to their customers. But they only work when they are simple. It can’t take more than a minute to process or respond. Moe’s is enjoying success in this sluggish recovery because they know how to keep it simple. Mom may not be sporting a polyester pantsuit just yet, but she still doesn’t have time to cook dinner. Kids Eat Free Tuesdays at Moe’s satisfies a need with no need for explanation.

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posted by Kevin

Dec 08, 2009 @ 3:10pm

The New Normal

My colleague, Katy Miller, and I attended the 29th Annual Economic Outlook Conference last week at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business. We attended last year as well, just as the economy began to diabolically unravel, and as Riggs Partners began to offer commentary through this New Economy Consumer blog.

Last year’s predictions at the conference were dire, and they all came true. As a result, we were more than eager to hear discussion on 2009 and all prognostications concerning 2010.

Sure, most economists agree a modest recovery has begun. While many indicators remain negative, they are at least relenting a bit. Last Friday’s unemployment figure of only 11,000 jobs lost was a welcomed surprise.

Still, worries remain. Much of our financial system remains unsteady. The U.S. cannot afford another stimulus package. Dubai, UAE offered another ripple in the fallout that persisted throughout this year. Fears remain about the solvency of much of the commercial real estate market, and of a possible bubble fueled by the Chinese economic stimulus efforts. The consensus is that the recovery will be long and hard-fought.

Simply put, most of us remain worried, intent on retiring outstanding debt and increasing our savings. Historically, Americans have had short memories, and old spending, or overspending, habits seem almost genetic. Yet from the onset of this crisis, we at Riggs Partners have hypothesized that this time was different, more acute, and most likely to result in fundamental attitudinal and behavioral shifts.

Now brings us to understanding a new normal.

To summarize comments from Coastal Carolina research economist Donald Schunk, the new normal means individuals spending money they actually have, banks making loans to those who have sound credit and companies investing in endeavors based on the likelihood of a favorable return on investment rather than the inexpensiveness of leverage.

Enter the era of common sense.

Common sense tells us we can’t avoid overspending forever. It dictates that our choices be prudent. And it tells us that the companies with whom we do business demonstrate relevance and value.

The new normal is basic – stripped-down, and devoid of nuance, subtlety or gimmick.

The resulting ramifications for marketers are huge. If your product is a commodity, evolve or perish. Our current business environment is over-populated with parody products and services. It’s time to be aggressive and rethink what you are selling, and retool your organization and marketing communications efforts accordingly.

The new normal is full of opportunity for businesses and individuals. Don’t let it pass you by.

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posted by Cathy

May 04, 2009 @ 5:19pm

The Power of Simplicity

The second in a series analyzing seven new economy trends

“Let’s make it more complicated.” In 20 years as a creative director, I don’t believe I’ve ever uttered that sentence to my team or to a client. So it seems a little silly to spend time and energy writing here about the need to keep your communications simple.

Except that so few of us ever truly work the other end of the spectrum with intent. That is to say, how often do we look at a program and say “How can we make it more simple?” In the daily rush of deadlines and wildfires, we develop solutions, integrate layer upon layer of “collaborative” input (usually to get it approved quickly and easily), and as fast as is humanly possible, we deploy.

And where do we aim? Right at today’s new economy consumer, a person so emotionally overwhelmed he or she can hardly process critical information, much less a complicated marketing message.

My advice is this: The next time you develop a piece of communications, add to your process a step in which you take a moment, step back, and say with intention: How can we make this more simple? Then start stripping away. I guarantee your properly targeted audience will not only be more receptive—they’ll consider your offering a welcome lifeline.

Up Next: The Power of Control

The third in a series analyzing seven new economy trends

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posted by Teresa

Jan 23, 2009 @ 11:32am

The Repentant Consumer

We all know the economy is the monster birthed by the oil giants, financial industry, insurance kingpins, and every other human being who ever dared to sport a pinstripe suit. The MAN has done it to us, once again.

Boo. Hoo.

Did THE MAN force us to create our own personal artic air mass with the touch of the AC button every time the temperature dared to reach 70 degrees? Did HE shove you and your co-workers into separate cars every day, only to have you arrive at work at the same time Monday through Friday? What about that Lipitor? Surely you can’t be expected to think about what you eat and get some exercise to control your cholesterol. You’ve got to rush back to work for an hour and a half between dropping off and picking up the kids for ballet, tennis and soccer. Come on.

Yet surprisingly, this wasn’t always the case. There was a time when people actually turned the lights off when they left the room and slept with the window screens open. They returned little green Coke bottles to the corner store, and got 5 cents for their trouble. There was one bottle of aspirin and some rubbing alcohol in the medicine cabinet. If those two things couldn’t help you, you were probably dead already.

But here we are today, in debt, fat and on five kinds of antibiotics. And mad as hell at THE MAN for doing it to us.

Smart companies facing this kind of consumer backlash have two choices:
1.    Keep pushing more of the same kind of excessive, mass consumption on consumers
2.    Enlighten consumers on how we can all have more by consuming less

Case in point: Getting consumers to take responsibility for their own energy choices. Sure, making a conscious decision to run the dishwasher at 11:00 pm rather than 7:00 doesn’t sound like much. But when we all think about the way we’re consuming energy, it can make a huge difference. And odds are, we’ll feel better about ourselves—and even the energy company— when we accept the fact that we all had a hand in this mess.

Whether you’re the producer or consumer, there’s an appropriate level of repentance due from us all. Getting out of the blame game and channeling it into positive action is the payoff for us all in the days ahead.

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