Many cash-strapped consumers cut back on their vacation plans this summer and took their "staycations" to the extreme by just staying home and not doing much of anything. Now, it's early autumn, the weather's been pretty great, and the natives are restless!

Well, if you are a regular reader of my blogs, or even the articles I write for the Hudson Valley Business Journal, you already know that there are loads of amazing things to do here in the Hudson Valley.

Supermarket retailer, Target has taken notice of the staycation trend and has begun sponsoring art and culture events in cities including NYC, Boston and Miami. Their sponsorships range from free Friday night attendance at the Museum of Modern Art to the Oklahoma City Arts Council's Twilight Music series. Going out to art museums and performing arts events for day trips are a great way to find excitement when a larger scale vacation just doesn't fit the budget.

This is another example of how local sponsorships can prove to be a strong asset to your business and help enhance the community. Take a page out of Target's book and sponsor local youth and arts events. People are looking to get out and find fun, low cost things to do and they will remember your company for being the one that sponsored the event that allowed them to do it.

June Bisel
BBG&G Advertising, Inc.
junebisel@bbggadv.com
845-291-7399
Visit us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BBGGadv
BBGGadv.com

Labels: art events, daycation, marketing advice, sponsorships, staycation, summer

Many people still do not know what Twitter will do for online marketing in the future. Whether it will be a powerful online marketing tool, or become a passing fad, has yet to be realized.

There seems to be a divide between ad-folk and the average consumer over the future of Twitter. Advertising insiders are more likely to think that Twitter can amount to something big, while 70% of consumers surveyed said that they didn't even know enough about Twitter to predict how effective it can be. So that begs the question: How useful can an online medium be if 70% of consumers don't even know what it is?

Twitter is still very young, and there is the ever-present generational divide of the internet that must also be accounted for. Twitter is used and recognized most by younger audiences and 1 in 5 advertising professionals think it will stay that way. Even among industry professionals, those under 50 had the most faith that Twitter would grow quickly within the next 5 years.

If your tweets can be interesting and useful to others, I believe that Twitter has a future in the online world. If you are considering using Twitter as part of your marketing, remember that its usage is highest among younger age groups, so craft your tweets accordingly but make sure you don't talk down to this audience.

I twitter. Do you? Click on the link below to see my twitter page.

June Bisel
BBG&G Advertising, Inc.
junebisel@bbggadv.com
845-695-1880
Visit us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BBGGadv
BBGGadv.com

Labels: advertising to teenagers, internet, internet marketing, marketing advice, marketing social network marketing web 2.0, relevant advertising, social media, twitter

Back to school time is here. I know firsthand how much kids hate the audacity of marketers pushing back-to-school season earlier and earlier in the summer. Wal-Mart had back-to-school supplies fully stocked and displayed shortly after July 4th. At Wal-Mart, Independence Day meant just the opposite to students just beginning to enjoy their summer vacation.

For college-bound kids, back to school season means something very different than their younger counterparts. For many, it means moving out of the house again and back into the textbook jungle. This, like nearly everything else about our lives has become slightly soured by the recession. In fact, more students will be opting to stay home and commute to school this year. If a student is looking to save money, cutting out housing costs is a great way to do it.

This is an opportunity for retailers to profit by showing students that they understand what they are going through. I see an opportunity for businesses to allow students to Create Their College Workspace. Many students' bedrooms at home haven't been updated for a long time and are lacking the workspace function that would suit their current collegiate needs. Therefore, businesses can still sell desks, chairs, lamps, and organization materials that these young adults will need to create a college environment in their bedroom at home.

June Bisel
BBG&G Advertising, Inc.
Insight@bbggadv.com
845-291-7399
Visit us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BBGGadv
BBGGadv.com

Labels: age demographics, back to school, college spending, marketing advice, marketing opportunities, summer

I came across a recent study on customers' satisfaction with their web shopping experience which shows it has dropped in recent years. Standards for the web are rising, and your business needs to keep up. Many of the top web retailers, including Apple, saw many consumers dissatisfied with their online shopping experience.

Let's face it. We all have higher expectations for web stores than we do for brick and mortar stores. We expect websites to be updated regularly and for the technology to be improving quickly. We are pretty impatient. And the more advanced technology gets, the most demanding we get!

As recently as May, Netflix and Amazon were #1 and #2 respectively in consumer satisfaction. Web sites with accompanied brick and mortar store chains, like Kohls.com and Target.com also saw improvements in customer satisfaction. Experts expect companies like these to incorporate in-store pickup into their web offerings.

Diversifying your web presence is important to consumer interaction. Increase the number of touch points between your business and consumers. Give your web developer a call to discuss all the options available through social media and advancements in technology.

June Bisel
Partner, BBG&G Advertising and Public Relations
BusinessCardContacts.com
SmartStrategies@BBBGGadv.com
845-695-1880

Labels: marketing advice, marketing communications, Web 2.0 marketing, web site enhancements

In a weak economy.., consumers tend to only buy what they need. If consumers feel that they can do without your product/service — whether that's actually the case or not — your business is going to be significantly impacted.

Since 2006, many household products previously regarded as necessities have been placed in the luxury category by consumers. Microwaves, clothes dryers, air conditioners, and televisions all took a hit and have been dropping in sales.

Granted, this can be partially attributed to emerging technologies. For instance, there are now a variety of ways for consumers to watch TV — on their computers, mobile phones, and other little hand-held gadgets. And speaking of mobile phones, that's one industry that hasn't been hit by this economy. In fact, just as many consumers who felt that they needed a mobile phone in 2006 feel the same way today. (Read the report at http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1199/more-items-seen-as-luxury-not-necessity)

All is not lost if public opinion is saying that your product is no longer a necessity. People are still purchasing these products. College students will always need a microwave, and it will be interesting to see how many people feel that air conditioning isn't a necessity when the real summer heat hits.

Oftentimes, all it takes is the right marketing angle to show customers that they do need your product. If you feel that consumer opinion is placing your product in the luxury category because of this recession, let's talk. Or, better yet, talk amongst yourselves. I would LOVE to see the Hudson Valley business community come together and start doing some collaborative marketing. I always like to find the good in things. If one good thing comes out of this recession, it will be that our business community comes out stronger than we went in.

June Bisel
BBG&G Advertising and Public Relations
BusinessCardContacts.com
845-695-1880
smartstrategies@bbggadv.com

Labels: advertising in recession, bbgg advertising, household necessities, luxury items, marketing advice, marketing opportunities, marketing research, pew research

Labels: earth day, environmental awareneess, green initiatives, marketing advice, marketing opportunities, non-profit, nonprofit fundraising, venture capitalists

But not all consumers are impacted in the same way. I have come across some research indicating that while the behavior of the Baby Boomer generation and Generation X(ages 25-34) is actively changing in response to this economy, the behavior of other age segments is being impacted less by the trials and tribulations of the economy.

Labels: age demographics, economic downturn, marketing advice, marketing opportunities, marketing research

Earlier this week, we discussed the current trend of Americans using more olive oil in their diets in order to eat healthier. What I've also noticed is the consumption of soda is declining as part of this same trend.

Consumers are turning away from soda over concerns about weight loss, adverse health effects from high fructose corn syrup and from the use of other artificial sweeteners. Thirty-four percent of beverage buyers say that they have turned from soda to bottled water for these reasons. Personally I still love my Diet Pepsi. What do you drink?

In the past five years, energy drink consumption has nearly doubled and a recorded 11 million adults have started drinking sports drinks. Tea and coffee have also found success in the decline of soda usage. Retailers should make sure that you carry a good mix of these different drinks. While consumers will still buy soda, the shift in demand is one that you cannot ignore.

June Bisel
Partner, BBG&G Advertising and Public Relations
BusinessCardContacts.com
845-695-1880

Labels: consumer trends, healthy living, marketing advice, soda consumption

I have had a profile on Facebook for some time now and one thing that I have noticed is that the ads are as organic and ever-changing as my profile itself. In fact, the ads are always changing, and offering me things that seem to coincide with my interests as outlined in my profile. This is no accident. Facebook places ads that are specifically targeted to me. This is part of Mark Zuckerberg's plan to make Facebook profitable.

So, how does Mark Zuckerberg's plan influence your business? I'm not telling you to go out and buy Facebook ad space, unless that is part of your marketing plan. It is still not certain how well this type of advertising in the social media space works.

A lesson that you can learn from the college-boy wonder is to get to know your consumers. Read industry research. Read this blog. Utilize customer surveys. Ask customers questions. Then create marketing programs that address what the consumer wants.

Labels: advertising, facebook, marketing, marketing advice

Labels: affordable marketing, coupons, marketing advice, Ruby Tuesday, sales promotions, strong advertising