Brave New Marketing

What CSI Can Teach Us About Shopper Behavior

Joel Rubinson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:14:58 -0500

Great retailers know they must be in the rhythm of societal trends. We know how contemporary Apple stores, Abercrombie, Sephora's, and Coach stores feel. But I want to talk about plain old grocery shopping.

Like a CSI episode, where the evidence at first is invisible but then magically becomes apparent to the talented investigator throughout the crime scene, the forensic evidence about what people want from retail and what keeps them up at night is right there in their shopping cart.

Online Marketing Research: It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times

Joel Rubinson — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:33:57 -0400

A little more than two years ago, just when online research had become a major source of data for marketers looking to keep their fingers on the pulse of consumers, Procter & Gamble's marketing research leadership dropped a bomb: They said that two online surveys from the same provider conducted a week apart delivered diametrically opposed results.

GM to Start Selling Cars on eBay: Now, the Auto Industry Should Reinvent the Dealership!

Joel Rubinson — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:16:28 -0400

I applaud GM's move to start selling cars on eBay, but it doesn't go far enough; let's reinvent new car dealerships from scratch, turning them into experience and servicing centers. Move ALL new car transactions to the Web (potentially in a kiosk area at the experience center), and take the high-pressure "salesman" out of the negotiating loop. In one fell swoop, the auto industry could:

Building Brand Runways

Joel Rubinson — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:34:02 -0400

The New Rules of Brand Competition

Joel Rubinson — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:29:44 -0400

The old branding model is past its "sell by" date. It is a product-centered model that comes from packaged goods in the '70s and '80s; offer differentiated benefits that a particular consumer segment is thought to care about. "My peas are picked at the peak of sweetness"...that kind of thing. This model is breaking down as people try store brands and find they are "fit for purpose" at a better price. Now what?

What's Love Got to Do With It?

Joel Rubinson — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:20:20 -0400

A reality check from Tina Turner for brand managers: most customer/brand relationships are marriages of convenience not finding a soul-mate. There are plenty of annulments, divorces, and lots of sleeping around.

The Need for Simplification Marketing

Joel Rubinson — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:59:11 -0400

Photo Credit:Andrei Zmievski

Innovating Innovation: The Best Ideas Can Come From Anywhere

Joel Rubinson — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:38:09 -0400

Traditionally, new product development has been a linear process. The "new product" team creates many alternative versions of the core idea, winnows them down in various stages of testing and re-development until a winner emerges and gets launched.

And then expect 4 out of 5 to fail.

Seven Predictions About the Future of Advertising

Joel Rubinson — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:27:49 -0400

Let's start with what we know about media habits, structural changes in advertising practices, and advertising effectiveness.

Credit: Paul Carlon