Web redesign

I've been tasked with managing a redesign of a website for a client. So during the past few weeks I've been reading, studying, watching online videos and completely scaring myself about whether I have the background and capabilities to do this project.

And you know what... I do. Yes, things have changed - the focus NOW is on inbound marketing, blogs - like this - twitter accounts, facebook, etc. But it's mostly about making sure that the content that is on the website is memorable. That it provides value. The key difference is now you need to keep it fresh... a new story, a new case study, even a failure by the brand. Just make sure people know that there is someone there. Keep it simple, keep it fresh, keep it updated.

... but I hadn't updated this blog in ages... so turning over a new leaf - an updated blog weekly... it all starts with marketing yourself!

Super Bowl Ads - Why do they hate women?

Did anybody notice the anti-female nature of the Super Bowl commercials this year? The television critics couldn't ignore it - some of their comments:

As Time's James Poniewozik put it,
"Wow, Super Bowl ad men really hate Super Bowl ad women this year, don't they? ... Why would CBS turn down a Super Bowl ad from a gay-dating service, then run a bunch of ads with the message that men can't stand to be around women?"

Or Seth Stevenson in Slate:
"Is it me, or was this year's dose of casual misogyny a little rawer and angrier than usual? Are men feeling especially threatened by the fragile economy and by the fact that the vast majority of job losses have afflicted traditionally male, working-class strongholds like manufacturing and construction?"

USA Today offered a simpler view
"Some odd trends surfaced this year, including the recurring theme of men of all kinds as buffoons or as wimps. Dockers had men marching in their underwear singing, "I wear no pants." And FLO TV showed an utterly spineless guy whose girlfriend takes him to the shopping mall on the day of the Big Game."

and the Washington Post's Tom Shales noticed something off:
"An oddly recurring theme had to do with men asserting their masculinity, or attempting to assert it, as well as the perpetual male fear of emasculation."

I always have my little notepad out - judging for myself the Super Bowl ads - it's fun, and as a 20+ year marketing person, I look for the creativity, personality, positioning - as well as the trends they are foreshadowing for the year. To my surprise, I was unimpressed (well trying to be polite here) at the number of ads that ignored the fact that 50% of the viewers were women. And this was the most watched Super Bowl ever - in the world, not jut the US. How do we justify as marketers this lack of respect for women?

Oh well, next year I'm sure the trend will be reversed, we will have strong women in strong relationships (hmmm, will the men still be wimps)?? At least the trend of advertising spineless men and bitchy women got us talking. So until next year - enjoy the ads. (btw - my favorite was the Slug Bug ad from Volkswagon - humor and bringing back fad from the past)

How Ford Got Social Marketing Right

There's a really good article from Harvard Business Review on how Ford got it right using social media
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/01/ford_recently_wrapped_the_firs.html

This is a really good Example of how web 2.0 and social media can be used to increase awareness of a new product. By involving your customer in the marketing of your product and using their input - it can increase not only product awareness, but also the brand image. Though I am not very sure if the sales numbers can be traced to this specific campaign, I believe these types of innovative campaigns are the way to market products in 2010 and beyond.

The Importance of Listening

I got a kick out of this article about how P&G listens to customers to get new products ideas. "Swiffer kitties? Just attach little dusting pads to your felines' paws, so they can help keep your floors clean while making their rounds." http://tinyurl.com/ydobrwe

A New Year - A New Business Focus

Welcome to "The Catalpa Group"! As three professionals with diverse backgrounds, we've joined forces to establish a marketing practice that helps clients launch new products. Our new look and website are under development and will be up soon at http://www.thecatalpagroup.com.