Christmas's Golden Ticket

This is a dream. I am usually not a huge fan of the Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalogue because what fun is it to just "look" at things that you can't afford. However, this year Neiman Marcus and Dylan's Candy Bar have teamed up to bring all Willy Wonka fantasies to life with a real life edible gingerbread house. That's right, you can eat this thing. And I am sure that it is every mother's worst nightmare to expose their child to so much sugar at one time, but if you have $15,000 laying around to spoil your children this would be the perfect gift from Santa.

Post-College Roomies

In an article published on today's CNNMoney.com, it states that 85% of college graduates are moving home after they get their diploma. So parents are becoming the ol' reliable roomie. The ones you know will always clean up after themselves and be courteous (maybe a little too much so). Unlike the typical roommate they might even slip you a $20.

Fun, right?

The article claims the rate has grown from 67% in 2006, and the unemployment rate for 20-24 year olds is currently a whopping 15%. Of course, a lot of factors go into these rates each year, but as a college graduate in 2007, options seemed endless and moving home wasn't one of them. Instead, going on for a second degree and prolonging the "real world" at the time seemed like the best option. Besides, who turns down 2 years in Austin, Texas? That's what I thought...until I was forced to compete with job seekers 10 years my senior for the same low paying positions.

So while initially it wouldn't have been very understandable to graduate and just move back home - it became a reality for more people than ever. This forcible shift in what happens after you graduate will change a lot of thing - and if you don't think it will change how marketing to this group of young adults, you are wrong. Everything changes that - even the new roommate situation.

The effects of this situation is unknown now, but in a few years once this group lands jobs and gets back on their feet undoubtedly the way that they think about buying will have changed. Their mindset about products will change and their brand loyalties will change from the 20 somethings that we have known in the past who did not have to rely on their parents for income and a roof over their heads post-grad. I, for one, know how much loan money can buy you - it can be lavish and fun, but once those automatic payments stop coming in and you realize you somehow have to pay all those good times BACK (and then some)...it's a blow all around. Research is already showing that these consumers are much more money conscience than their predecessors. They are cutting back on a lot - way back. According to a Mintel report conducted in August, Generation Frugal, I mean Y, is spending more time watching movies at home (43%), watching TV (32%), reading (36%), cooking dinner (37%) and playing on the internet (46%) rather than going to the movies (15%), theater (13%) or a live event (13%). Why? Because they don't have the money - and that is now more evident than ever.

As marketers, the challenge is to take these hard facts into consideration and decide what the impact will be on this generation's mindset as they progress into their careers. Learning the value of money without multiple job opportunities and salary negotiations will change their habits (and expectations) forever. Connecting with them will require sensitivity to the value they place on products and what they define as a "good deal."

Rooming with Mom and Dad for awhile won't just be a temporary fix - it will be a permanent shift in how Gen Y consumers...possibly forever.

iPads for Everyone

No, that title isn't Oprah's latest giveaway. This week, our beloved retail god, Target began to sell the iPad (16G WiFi version only). At first you think, "wow, what a great idea - now I can get all my essentials in one place - nailpolish, toothpaste, iPad - perfect" but then you think, "hmm, do I really want to get an iPad with my toilet paper?"

It isn't the first time that Apple products have been available outside their signature white stores, but it is clear that their selling strategy has clearly shifted. And this isn't without reason.

Take the iPhone. While we are inundated with iPhone apps, maps, ads, covers and capabilities each day they make up only 23% of the smartphone market. Google Android phones surpassed Apple's share in August with 27% of smartphone sales for the first time ever. So, 1 in 4 smartphones are iPhones - not bad, right? But what you may not know, is most Americans don't even have smartphones - only 17% of us. Which, in the mobile market is barely a dent (so don't think that an iPhone app will solve the world's problems - it won't).

The fascination with Apple is arguably a lot in the design and the difference they have brought to usability of their products. You go into an apple store and you have the opportunity to interact with the product, see what the capabilities are first hand instead of reading about them on the back of a box. The store experience enhances the brand. The white walls make products pop and the Genius Bar, is, genius. When mixed with a bunch of starburst signs and bulls-eyes, you are no longer capable of having the Apple experience - especially when you have to track down the nearest employee that is half way across the store to undo the locks to touch just the box that your iPad is in. It is understandable from a business standpoint to soak these high traffic retailers like Target with Nanos and iPads but what happens to the consumer experience? What about up-selling? C'mon, you know you NEED that Macbook Pro too if you get an iPad...

The essence of the brand gets lost when it is sharing shelf space with $59.99 digital cameras. While convenience and mass appeal shines - the allure dulls. No longer do you have to enter into the trance of an Apple store - just follow the bulls-eye.

Female Fans Rejoice

If you are a woman, and you are a sports fanatic, you can finally put away your safety pins and hair ties that you once used to make your team jersey "fit." Ladies, the days of buying men's smalls and youth jerseys are officially over. Thank you football gods.

Just as the 2010-2011 season kicked off, the NFL launched a $10 million dollar marketing effort to promote their new apparel for women. The website lives at www.nfl.com/women where you can find a "lookbook" for the season as well as a behind-the-scenes video of the photo shoot and a "Strut Your Stuff" contest to win Super Bowl XLV tickets and prizes. The website also highlights the "NFL Fit for You 5K" event that will be held in both Indianapolis and Washington, D.C. as an opportunity for women to come out in their gear and support their teams. All proceeds will benefit the NFL charity Play 60.

The inspiration behind the apparel is to give women the freedom to look feminine while cheering on their favorite teams. Until now, there has not been nearly the offering of apparel that the NFL has put together. On their website and lookbook, they have combined all brands that offer women specific pieces all in one place - this includes Reebok, Modo, Logo Art and celebrity Alyssa Milano's Touch line (you may have seen this line before when she launched her own MLB apparel in 2007). There is everything from purses, to jackets to v-neck tees, to bedazzled jerseys and even team jewelry. They even use women of the NFL family - wives of NFL players and staff such as Michelle Ryan, October Gonzalez and Christy Cooley - in the lookbook and website as ambassadors for the new looks from the NFL.

This isn't our first introduction however to a more feminized sports line. Beyond Milano's Touch line, Victoria's Secret launched their own line of collegiate Pink apparel in 2008 and has continued to collect more colleges in their line-up of sweatshirts, tees and underwear to support favorite teams. Earlier this Fall, VS also started to carry NFL teams as well. They offer similar styles to the NFL, however they are currently limited to licenses with only 13 teams. Which means, you aren't guaranteed to find the perfect pair of your team's undies for game day. While the NFL apparel has all teams represented, there are limits on inventory as well as some teams have already sold out of items in it's short launch period.

But, do real, hardcore fans really want sexy necks and tiny tops?

Why not - it'll sell. But it is hard to tell when the only one's representing the apparel are wives and celebrities. What is consistent about both is that these are women who have money and often the desire to look like it. Of course they are going to want tight tops and short shorts with their husband's logo on them (they are trying to keep them around). And the fact of what type of message this may be sending little girl fans from the fit of some of the apparel is a whole other issue. But the generalization doesn't go for all women who are married into the league and more importantly all women who are NFL fans. The site combats this notion with the "Strut Your Fit" contest encouraging "real" fans to show off their game day pride. It doesn't require that women dress in the new gear, but rather support their team in their own unique way. So, if you aren't down with the "sexy" Steeler look - feel free to wave your Terrible Towel however you want.

As the NFL believes, this should be a great opportunity for women to feel more like women as they are cheering on game day. Kudos for the NFL recognizing that it isn't just men who are fans, and giving women options...that they will actually wear.

Sexy Veggies

It is no secret that our nation has been facing an obesity epidemic, especially in the past few years. Maybe it is the effects of an economic downturn that have our dollars finding fattier options because they fill up for a buck, or because it is scientifically proven that we feel better about ourselves and our lives after one (or five) cupcakes. Regardless of the reason, there has been an incremental shift in how we are spending our money and on what types of foods we are eating. As the fattest country in the world, almost 7 in 10 adults are considered overweight and 1 in 4 kids the same. So, what then is the most logical solution to get people back on track with healthy eating and stop this epidemic?

Simple. Make carrots sexy.

At least, that is the strategy behind Crispin Porter + Bogusky's new campaign for carrots. Public school systems across the country are being put at risk as the National School Lunch Program is about to expire which is designed to provide children with low-cost, well balanced lunches. If left to their own devices and wallets, cheap and easy greasy foods threaten to replace current meals on the daily menu. At the thought of this happening, carrot farmers around the country have reportedly united for a whopping $25 million dollar campaign to make carrots the new "junk food."

Two high schools, one in Ohio and one in upstate NY, have already installed carrot vending machines to surprising popularity giving students a healthier snacking option where they used to find the Snickers and Twix. The theory is, if this is all they have, then this is all they will eat. While that's not entirely true, as carrots don't have nearly the satisfying craving power as Cool Ranch Doritos, it raises a bold attempt to take something common and turn around the perception. Just like the sexy ads that you see for a variety of other CPG products, especially fun candy and junk food, the carrots campaign delivers in the same AXE type tone. Gorgeous models eating carrots are coupled with flirty, innuendo-ed voice over that are over the top cheese, but at least have some resonance and attention getting power. Which may get the attention of the pimply faced teen boy, but these oversexed ads are getting old and we are talking about a vegetable. However, sex does sell - and if it means a few less obese teens, then it may be worth its weight. Literally.

New packaging for the carrots however, is an attempt to make the carrots not only cooler, but more customized - as we know this generation loves. They'll customize just about anything, so being able to choose the bag their carrots now come in? Perfect. Instead of finding the carrots in large bags with boring farm logos and graphics, the chic new designs add an element of cool to the eating experience. While carrots have had a mainstay as a boring, "because mom said so" side dish, these baby versions are the perfect size for snacking.

But will kids buy into the hype?

With the campaign living on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and actual vending machines in select schools, it gives these little veggies, if nothing else, exposure. The test period for the vending machines is only for the next two months. Many schools across the US count on vending machine money as a source of revenue for funding, but the group of carrot farmers has committed to the associated electric cost for the machines. The small bags of carrots are around .50 cents per bag, which is on average a bit less than regular snacks that are stocked. All of the money collected from the machines will go directly back into the schools - a win, win for both board members and students (well, mainly their health).

While it seems like an interesting attempt and already booming PR stunt for both the carrot and the farmers, it has questionable longevity unless you can completely re-categorize the carrot and call it candy. It will get its 15 minutes, and may turn a few more kids on to the sticks, but it is going to take more than just a few fancy machines to turn around the way that teens think about food. Not to mention, with so many schools falling short of funds for healthy lunches, spending millions on advertising seems retroactive.

Should we really be "selling" carrots to help with health?

What-A-Wrong!

There is something incredibly ironic about a video article encouraging people to consider the health effects of high-risk behavior such as using smokeless tobacco... and then advertising milkshakes on the same page.

Smokeless tobacco products = heart disease, lung cancer, stroke

Shakes = heart disease, stroke, obesity

In an age of being able to track, tag, like and comment, we should be able to match up these ads with more content consideration. As a consumer interested in health risks and benefits of a better lifestyle, a shake in the face accomplishes nothing.

Pick your poison.

Are you ready for some football!?

Due to lack of inspiration and an overload of real world things, focus is being redirected to writing again. This is partially blamed on my friend Richard Kofi Awuah-Boadu (say that 5 times fast) and his ability to both inspire and excite me in one swift stroke of a keyboard. As you click on each team to enhance the view of the new uniform, you are met with a rally cry of words that have the ability to put you on the 50 yard line no matter which team you choose.

In the spirit of all things college football, Nike has launched their Pro Combat line of uniforms with an interactive microsite for 10 major football programs: Pitt, Boise State, Miami, Virginia Tech, THE Ohio State, West Virginia, TCU, Florida, Oregon State and Alabama. From swagger, to pride, to hell, to swamps - each of these schools is represented by their history and their unique presence on the field. My fellow UT Ad Grad has successfully put his own allegiances aside and given the voiceover incredible life. One of the reasons that marketing can be so appealing is the way that messaging can incorporate emotion, whether blatant or subtle, into the position of a product. In the way that Awuah-Boadu describes these teams with words, the new design of the uniforms give them such a strong and proud presence that could make anyone a little (okay, a lot) jealous that not all NCAA teams are represented here.

What better to get ready for rivals than to see some awesome new uniforms and feel heartbeat behind some of the greatest teams...