The 3 Worst Ways Companies Waste Money in Social Media

They say you learn something new every day... 

And one of the things I recently learned was a new oxymoron: a social media budget. Because in most companies, it simply doesn't exist. They expect Fans, Followers, Likes and Pins to fall from the sky. 

But that's not the worst part... 

No, the worst part is when you see how companies actually spend a social media budget if they have it. 

Because most of the time it's wasted on vanity metrics and hot trends. 

And the problem typically resides with the HIPPOs (highest paid person's opinion), because the highest paid person is also (usually) the least knowledgeable and furthest away from the front lines. 

Here are three of the worst ways that companies waste money in social media. 

Money Waster #1: Squandering Your Offline Resources

One of the best ways to grow a social network is to funnel people from existing sources. That could mean your existing website traffic or email database. Or it could simply mean your foot-traffic and other offline sources. 

This is the best source of visibility and awareness most companies have. But by overlooking a few key principles, they're wasting time, energy, effort and money. 

For example, the typical offline, social media call-to-action (CTA) usually looks like stickers in a store window saying "People Love Us On Yelp." 

In this case, all you're doing is promoting Yelp (and cluttering up your window). There's no CTA, and no customer benefit. 

And this problem isn't isolated to small mom-and-pop shops either. 

Large corporations and big ad agencies do this all the time on commercials. Next time you're interrupted during your favorite television show, count how many commercials show a Facebook icon, and...nothing else. 

No Facebook page URL, no direct call-to-action, and no reason or incentive to actually get-off-the-couch and take action. 

Again, all they're doing is promoting Facebook. And promoting Facebook is a terrible long-term strategy (which we'll discuss in Money Waster #3 below -- and why you should use email marketing instead). 

Now compare this to a good example from a paper receipt that reads "Want 20% off? Go to Yelp and write a review. Bring it in with this coupon and receive a 20% discount." It has an extremely clear call-to-action, and a compelling reason to take action. 

Now think about how powerful this is... 

Customers are MUCH more likely to leave a negative review on Yelp than a positive one. But if you can incentivize people after a good experience, than you start to really harness the potential of customer-generated marketing. 

Money Waster #2: Community Management Free-For-All

"The average, large company in the U.S. has 178 corporate-owned social media accounts," according to Marketing Pilgrim. 

Contrary to popular belief, social media isn't free. So exactly who in your organization is responsible for managing 178 different social media accounts? Who's going to create new content for each, and respond to customers in a timely fashion? 

The tiny, underfunded, understaffed Social Media department? 

The cost associated with proper community management is significant. And for 178 different accounts, it's astronomical. 

But that's not even the worst part... 

You're also completely confusing your customers. Which accounts are they supposed to follow or interact with? Who do they respond to with general questions, product support, or service follow-up? 

Countless psychological studies have shown that when people are presented with too many options, they freeze up and don't make a decision. 

So they give-up completely, and are left with a bad taste in their mouth. Or instead of working through their customer support issues, they go trash your business on Yelp. 

Money Waster #3: Facebook Double Taxation

It's been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly but expecting different results. 

Keep that in mind as you read the next few lines... 

In the early 1990s, America Online (AOL) spent over $300 million in mailing CDs to everyone's mailbox. According to then-CMO Jan Brandt: 

"At one point, 50% of the CDs produced worldwide had an AOL logo on it. We were logging in new subscribers at the rate of one every six seconds." 

In a decade, AOL rose to over 25 million users -- an unbelievable number at the time. They were the hottest company in the world. And they began opening up new opportunities for brands to reach consumers. 

Companies raced to build up their AOL brand pages, and you would see "AOL" all over the commercials. 

But eventually it fell out of favor (like every social network to date), and lost users in droves. Those huge marketing investments companies made into AOL were wasted -- because it was a "closed system." All the data and user information belonged to AOL, not the companies who worked so hard to build it in the first place. 

Today, we have the same exact thing going on with Facebook. 

Companies love talking about "Likes" and promoting their pages wherever they can. But here's the problem... 

Facebook is starting to double-tax you to reach your own fans. According to The New York Observer, "Facebook acknowledged it as recently as last week: messages now reach, on average, just 15 percent of an account's fans. In a wonderful coincidence, Facebook has rolled out a solution for this problem: Pay them for better access." As their advertising head, Gokul Rajaram, explained, if you want to speak to the other 80 to 85 percent of people who signed up to hear from you, "sponsoring posts is important." 

So if you want to reach more of your own fans -- the ones you already spent time, money and energy acquiring in the first place -- you have to PAY AGAIN with advertising. That doesn't seem very logical, does it? 

Getting referral traffic from Facebook is great. And using it to reach new people, while also increasing engagement and retaining customers is good, too. 

But don't throw a lot of money down the drain by investing in a closed system that you don't own or control. 

If you're looking for awareness, then track visits, not "Likes." If you're looking for sales from repeat visitors, then use email marketing, not Facebook. 

Because social media has changed the medium -- not the principles. And timeless marketing strategies still apply.

(Source: Brad Smith, Digital Marketing Consultant and Founder FixCourse, published in Social Media Today, 11/19/12) 

Tablets Capturing Newspaper Viewers

According to a recent comScore study, from its TabLens service, nearly 2 in 5 U.S. tablet owners read newspapers and/or magazines on their device in August, with 1 in 10 reading publications almost daily. 

Analysis of readership activities across platforms revealed that Kindle Fire users displayed the strongest propensity for reading newspapers and magazines on their device. 

Mark Donovan, comScore SVP of Mobile, says "...tablets are...redefining how people consume news and information...with the format more conducive to reading longer form content...in the case of online newspapers, tablets are now driving 7% of total newspaper page views...impressive...considering the relative infancy of the tablet space..." 

In the three-month average period ending August 2012, 37.1% of tablet owners read a newspaper on their device at least once during the month, with 11.5% of tablet owners reading newspapers almost every day. 

Kindle Fire users demonstrated the greatest tendency to read newspapers, with 39.2% doing so in August, slightly edging out iPad at 38.3%. NOOK Tablet owners boasted the greatest percentage of high-frequency newspaper readers with 13.4% doing so on a near-daily basis. 

Magazines/periodicals showed even higher readership rates than newspapers with 39.6% of tablet owners reading magazines on their device during the month. Kindle Fire owners once again showed the highest readership rate at 43.9%, followed by iPad users at 40.3%.

Newspaper and magazine tablet audiences closely resembled one another in gender, age and household income distribution, says the report. Newspaper audiences were 17% more likely to be male compared to an average tablet owner (index of 117), while magazine audiences were 11% more likely to be male (index of 111). 

People between the ages of 25-34 represented the highest share of readers, accounting for 27.4% of newspaper consumers, and 28.2% of magazine/periodical consumers. People age 35-44 accounted for 1 in 5 readers in both categories. More than half of readers had a household income of $75k or greater, while those in the highest income segment of $100k or greater skewed most heavily toward readership.

(Source: The Center for Media Research, 11/16/12) 

Small Business Saturday is a Big Hit

There was nothing small this year about Small Business Saturday sales. 

Small Business Saturday, when consumers are encouraged to support their local small businesses two days after Thanksgiving, gets bigger every year, says Small Business Administrator Karen Mills.

"We see tremendous momentum out there," says Mills. "This Small Business Saturday has really gone viral."

Small businesses can't usually compete with big-box stores' big sales on Black Friday, so many hope to use Small Business Saturday to get a piece of the action during the biggest shopping weekend of the year.

Small Business Saturday is the most important shopping day of the season for 36% of independent retailers, according to the National Federation of Independent Businesses. Only 24% say that day is Black Friday.

Leah Daniels, owner of Hill's Kitchen, says this Small Business Saturday was probably twice as big as last year's, and the store was packed all day.

"Color me a happy person," says Daniels. "Let's hope this means there's going to be a big holiday season."

Ross Steinman, psychology professor at Widener University, says the popularity of Small Business Saturday is a revolt against big-box stores from consumers who are willing to pay extra and see the money go to their communities.

"There's so much negative attention in recent years on Black Friday and the rampant consumerism that's associated with it," he says. "Small Business Saturday is a response to that."

Laura Smith, 52, says she's a big fan of Small Business Saturday. She spent the day shopping at all her favorite stores in Terrytown, Va., and was sure to have lunch at Can Can, a locally owned French restaurant.

"It was really pleasant. It was fun and kind of like back in the old days where people would just walk up and down the street visiting the local stores," says Smith.

Jim Brownell, VP of retail solutions for GT Nexus, says that Small Business Saturday is a great opportunity for retailers because there are "a lot of feet on the street," but it doesn't work unless they get the word out about promotions.

"It's unfortunately going to require some sort of service promotion or product promotion to draw people into the stores," Brownell says. "You can't sit back and hope that the SBA with all their advertising is really going to be the ones that will bring everybody in."

Alan Au, co-owner of Jimmy Au's For Men 5'8" and Under, a fancy clothing store for shorter men, had a big Small Business Saturday sale on pretty much everything, but refused to advertise the sale beyond individual invitations to customers.

"The more full the store is, the harder it is to help anybody," says Au. "I function a lot better with a steady stream of customers."

Nevertheless, the store was busy the whole day, and Au says it's a good indication December sales will be up as well.

When Au's store was in the Glendale, Calif., shopping mall, his Black Friday sales drew customers who were already in the mall to make other purchases. However, once the store moved to a street location in Beverly Hills, he found he was trying to compete with the big retailers at the mall, whose Black Friday crowds he previously relied on for customers.

"We tried to compete against that with some really killer deals, but we can't beat something like that," says Au. Now he holds the sale on Saturday.

(Source: USA Today, 11/26/12) 

Retailers Find Ways to Win Over Smartphone-Using Showrooming Shoppers

In recent years, brick-and-mortar retailers have grown increasingly weary at the sight of customers showing up at their stores with smartphones in hand. 

Apps now let shoppers make price comparisons on the fly. Scan a barcode, and you can immediately find out where the product on the shelf can be found cheaper. The result: Hordes of shoppers visiting retail locations to "showroom" -- test out a product in the store, then go home and buy it online at a lower price. 

It's a problem that retailers are scrambling to address this holiday season, and a couple of retailers will even take the potentially costly approach of offering to match the prices of online competitors like Amazon. But some experts suggest that a smartphone-equipped shopper should be seen not as a problem, but as an opportunity.

Hey, Big Spender

That's especially true in light of the latest iteration of Deloitte's annual Christmas shopping survey, released last month. The survey found that so-called omnichannel shoppers -- those who shop both in-store and online -- will spend 71% more this holiday season than store-only shoppers, with an average expenditure of $600 on gifts.

Why this should be the case isn't entirely clear -- it may simply be that those with smartphones and tablets are in a higher income class, and thus have more disposable income to throw around at Christmastime. But as smartphone penetration has soared over the last five years, it has become less of a signifier of income. 

Rather, it may simply be that consumers are more likely to make a purchase if they're able to convince themselves that they've researched their full range of options and prices. 

"The folks that use the omni approach as a consumer -- checking prices, using social media, reading reviews – maybe they feel more comfortable spending," says Joe Welter, a partner in Deloitte's retail practice. 

Whatever the cause, there's little doubt that this is a market segment that retailers should be eager to please. And that means tailoring their sales approach in a way that gives these savvy consumers the multichannel convenience to which they're accustomed. 

"The smart (retailers) early on have adopted an omnichannel vision that says you can buy online and pick it up in-store," says Welter. "Or you can see it, feel it and touch it in the store, then go to a sales associate and they'll ship it with gift wrapping." 

The former approach is seen at most retailers with an online presence, allowing consumers to get the convenience of online shopping without having to pay shipping fees. (Walmart, for instance, offers free site-to-store shipping on most items.) And the latter is also on the rise. Take Target, which has fully embraced smartphone-equipped shoppers by putting QR codes on select items; shoppers with Target's app can scan a QR code, buy the product online and ship it anywhere for free. 

Deals, Deals, Deals

Other retailers are wising up to the fact that the smartphone in that shopper's hand is another channel for delivering promotional offers. 

Walmart's mobile app, for instance, embraces omnichannel customers in a number of ways: You can shop Walmart's website through it, or if you prefer to shop at your local store, it will show you the aisle numbers of the items on your list. And it also recognizes the value of letting customers get promotional offers from their smartphones. The app lets you find your weekly ad, and also lets you "clip" coupons of your choice for use in store. 

Unfortunately, it's not a totally convenient process. Rather than letting you simply bring up the coupons on your phone while you shop, the app emails you a link to your clipped coupons. You must then open the email on a computer, install a printer plug-in from Walmart.com, then print them out and bring them to the store. 

But others are offering a more seamless experience. Coupons.com, which carries codes and printable coupons for supermarkets and department stores alike, announced Wednesday that it's integrating with Passbook, one of the new features of Apple's iOS 6. Intended to relieve some pressure on your overstuffed wallet or purse, Passbook lets you store everything from boarding passes to movie tickets to gift cards and coupons on your iPhone or iPad. 

While the Coupons.com app doesn't yet integrate with Passbook (there, as with Walmart's app, you'll still need to email and print at home), the mobile site works well with the new feature. If you have iOS 6 on your iPhone or iPad, visiting the site will show coupons from a variety of retailers that accept coupons on phones; clicking "Send to Passbook" will do just that, and participating retailers -- including Barnes and Noble, Macy's and Old Navy -- will be able to scan the coupon right from your phone. 

That's convenient for consumers who don't want to physically clip coupons, and like the idea of grabbing deals while they're standing in the store. But it's also a boon to retailers. "We're seeing the convergence of e-commerce and the in-store shopping experience, and as long as the opportunity to save online and in-store is equal, consumers are very happy to make that purchase (in the store)," says Coupons.com CEO Steven Boal. "And if they can have a fluid experience, they're more likely to buy."

And more and more shoppers are seeking out ways to get deals on their phones. In survey results released recently, price-comparison site PriceGrabber found that 70% of shoppers intend to download and use coupon apps this holiday season. 

Of course, price is still going to be the bottom line for many consumers, and particularly savvy shoppers with the full range of price-comparison apps might still go home and buy on Amazon or another e-commerce site if they find a lower price even after couponing. 

But as J.C. Penney has learned the hard way, the promotional value of coupons and special offers can't be underestimated. If retailers can seamlessly deliver those offers directly to a customer standing in the store, that customer is a lot more likely to make a purchase on their way out. 

(Source: Matt Brownell, Daily Finance, 10/24/12) 

Advertisers Are Still Missing the Mark with Online Video

Focus On Pre-Rolls and Branded Entertainment Is Counterproductive 

Online video advertising should be ushering in a new golden era for our industry. Except it's not, because most of the ad business is focused on the wrong things. 

There are essentially two areas of discussion that dominate the conversation when it comes to online video. Both are tethered to the Mad Men world of "things we've always done." 

The first is pre-roll -- putting spots in front of content. We focus on this because it's what all the big agencies are set up to do and it's where the dollars are. 

The second is the creation of branded content. Another page from the history books. We did it with soap operas. Red Bull seems to have made it work. Let's do it again. We focus on this because people who work in advertising all secretly wish we worked in Hollywood. 

These are important opportunities for sure, but to limit our attention to them is myopic.

Advertising used to be about things like persuasion, perception, inspiration, desire. It was Bill Bernbach who said "It's not the numbers of ads you serve, it's the impression you make. Today, the word "impression" has a whole new meaning, and advertising is about spreadsheets and quantifiable ROI. 

It can be about both. It should be about both. Online video can bridge that gap. 

Marketers should be thoughtful about considering every opportunity that digital video presents. Here are a few: 

Discoverable content

Google is a zillion-dollar business because they stumbled upon something powerful in the marketing funnel -- intent. When people want something, they search for it. 

Rapidly, video is becoming a more and more critical part of that search. This summer, I decided to put my BBQ skills to the test and figure out how to make a brisket. It didn't even occur to me to read a recipe. I went straight to YouTube to learn how. I went through dozens of crappy home videos before I finally found a good one. 

Shame on Kingsford Charcoal for not making sure I discovered a quality, search engine optimized video they produced. That's a big missed opportunity. 

What are your customers looking for? Make sure you help them discover it. 

Owned media

Often, brands will put budget into high production value for spots, but treat video created for their own website like a Cinderella stepchild. The thinking is that less people will see it, so let's spend less producing it. 

That's silly. Sure, the audience that will see them is smaller, but certainly they are not less important. These are the people raising their hands, clicking their mouses and saying, "Yes, I want a deeper relationship with your brand." 

No one is saying you should run out and try to create the next Bud TV. You don't need to become a TV station. 

I'm talking a great opportunity to tell a deeper story to the right audience. Why skimp there? 

Native video

One big trend in that the VC community is buzzing about today is "Native Monetization." Sponsored Stories on Facebook is an example of an ad that is "native" to its platforms. Now, all manner of content providers are devising ways to integrate brand content -- particularly video -- into their actual content. This can be highly effective. 

When Buzzfeed readers checked out a piece of content called "This is how you get on Santa's Naughty List" last Christmas, they got to see a cute video from FootLockerabout a teenager holding a reindeer hostage to get Santa to get him new sneakers. Like most Buzzfeed content, it's designed to put a smirk on your face. And it does the job. 

Experience integration

One of the most compelling opportunities open to brands today is to delight or create value for consumers through digital experiences. Video can be integrated into those experiences to make them more powerful, more compelling and yes, more engaging to your customers. 

We created a campaign for Adobe called "Real or Fake?" that challenged players to guess whether a series of images were real or faked with Adobe tools. We used AfterEffects to create a video of a ballerina dancing on top of the Roosevelt Island Tram. After guessing if it was real or fake (it was fake), 50% of people who played the game and checked out a tutorial on how they could do it themselves. 

(Source: Adam Kleinberg, CEO of Traction, a San Fancisco interactive agency, Advertising Age, 11/01/12) 

The Cost of Living Longer

Andee St. John is searching for an assisted-living facility near Columbia, S.C., for her 69-year-old mother, who was hospitalized recently after several falls. But finding the place with the right combination of price, amenities and services has been difficult. 

So far, Ms. St. John has consulted with a financial adviser, a geriatric social worker and an elder-law attorney as part of her research.

"It's been very eye-opening," Ms. St. John says. "You don't just pay one fee a month for assisted living. There are all these different add-ons."

A growing number of families are wrestling with the same dilemma: rising costs for long-term care and a mind-boggling array of options.

Nationwide, long-term-care costs in a number of categories have risen faster than inflation over the past year, according to research released on Tuesday by insurer MetLife's Mature Market Institute. At the same time, care providers are changing the types of services available or bundling services in new and at times confusing ways.

But there are strategies that can help. People who identify the specific services their loved ones need, haggle aggressively on price and explore alternative-care options can save money -- or at least get more care for the money they do spend, experts say.

The broad category of "long-term care" includes a variety of health and daily-living services, either in facilities or in people's homes, for people with chronic illnesses or disabilities.

Costs are rising for most kinds of care, according to the MetLife study, which surveyed nearly 6,700 long-term-care providers and is the first to analyze the ways providers have started bundling together various add-on services, such as transportation or extra meals, in their fee structures.

The average rent at assisted-living facilities, which provide help with day-to-day activities but not necessarily round-the-clock skilled-nursing care, shot up 17% to $3,486 over the past five years, according to the study. That is based on facilities offering six to nine services.

The price of a private room at a nursing home, meanwhile, rose 4% over the past year to $248 a day. And while prices for home-health aides and adult-day services didn't rise, on average, the brief respite comes after increases in recent years. Home-health-care spending by Medicare beneficiaries, for example, climbed 129% to $19 billion from 2000 to 2010, according to a March report to Congress by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.

With fees rising and the menu of services changing, here are some strategies families are using to stretch their long-term-care dollars further.

Paying for Care

Before exploring which kind of long-term care a family member needs, you should be clear about how you are paying for it.

Some consumers have long-term-care insurance, which covers an array of expenses. But the policies often have been money losers for insurers, and in recent years several have exited the business. The ones that remain have raised premiums, cut back on coverage for new policies or both -- meaning consumers will have to pick up more of the tab themselves. 

Most people simply reach for their checkbooks. But there are a couple of ways to ease the sting.

Married couples with some savings might want to consider buying an immediate annuity that pays benefits for a set number of years, to preserve savings for the "well" spouse while the other spouse receives care, says Gary Cotter, a certified financial planner in Sun City Center, Fla.

The benefit: Such an annuity wouldn't count against them in qualifying for assistance from Medicaid, the state and federal program that pays for health and long-term care for the poor. The catch: The well spouse has to live through the entire period the annuity is making payments. If not, the state has the first claim on any remaining payments, Mr. Cotter says.

One often-overlooked benefit is available to millions of families of wartime veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs' aid-and-attendance benefit pays up to $2,020 a month to married veterans who qualify. Single veterans and surviving spouses might qualify for smaller payments.

Choosing the Right Care

Once the financing is settled, it is time to choose the kind of care you need. That should start, experts say, by cataloging the various daily living tasks you and your loved one can and can't perform. That will give you a sense of whether a few hours a day of personal assistance can do the job, or whether it is time to make a costlier move.

Genworth, one of the country's largest long-term-care insurers, uses five levels, ranging from independent (level one) to completely dependent on skilled-nursing care (level five).

At the second level, the older adult suffers from disease symptoms or early dementia and typically needs help shopping and paying bills, tasks a family member often can perform at no cost. At level three, people need four to five hours a day of help with activities that take place at predictable times. People at level four need considerable assistance from someone who is constantly on call.

Experts say most families wait until there is an immediate need for more care before they research and shop for it. A better approach: asking your loved one's doctors for help anticipating what you might need next. That way, you have more leverage. You can figure out in advance which assisted-living facility has vacancies and might waive a move-in fee or other charges, for example, and which one has a waiting list.

Some families turn to geriatric-care managers, typically social workers or registered nurses who charge an hourly fee. The managers can help you figure out what kind of care you need and review contracts before you sign to make sure there are no hidden charges, such as move-out fees.

Assisted Living

Of all of the various long-term-care options, assisted-living facilities are becoming the trickiest to figure out, experts say.

That's because, in the past five years, a growing number of facilities have started packaging more services together, rather than charging for them a la carte. This year, for example, 65% are providing six to nine services in their base rate, up from 59% five years ago, and 31% include 10 or more services.

The problem: People who need added services often must choose plans with a higher base rate that lumps more services together -- and end up paying for some services they don't need. The "personal-care" category -- which may or may not include dressing, bathing or other tasks -- costs an average of $504 a month, according to MetLife.

But many services have wiggle room for discounts, experts say. A good starting point, they say: move-in fees and monthly "wellness fees" that sometimes include only blood-pressure checks, which many residents can do on their own with a $30 cuff from a drugstore.

Kathleen Dempsey, a geriatric-care manager in Minneapolis, often recommends that clients buy a medication-monitoring system rather than pay for a nurse to do so, a service that costs $347 a month on average, according to MetLife. The website e-pill.com offers several different choices.

Jalaa McNeal, a 71-year-old retired physical-education teacher, moved to an assisted-living facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this summer after she was diagnosed with water on the brain and had a shunt implanted. When she moved in, she needed to have her medicine administered a few times a day. But after months of therapy, she was tested by a neuropsychologist who said she can manage her medicine on her own. She canceled, saving $500 a month.

Independent Living

Some families are delaying or avoiding costly assisted-living care by moving to so-called independent-living apartments. Traditionally, most of these communities were little more than age-restricted apartment complexes. But in recent years, many have added nonmedical services such as transportation, meals and concierge desks. Families can hire their own home care separately if they need it.

One big advantage: Unlike fancier continuing-care retirement communities, independent-living facilities typically don't require lump-sum payments, says Mr. Cotter, the Florida planner.

"A lot of people prefer independent-living apartments because they can contract with a home-health provider themselves," he says. "It puts them in control of the whole thing."

Kevin Skipper, a financial adviser in Columbia, S.C., paid $2,000 a month for his mother's independent-living apartment, which included rent plus three meals a day. When he added companion care, the total cost was $2,900 a month, allowing him to delay moving her to a nearby assisted-living facility, which was charging $4,500.

Home Health Care

Many people prefer to remain at home rather than move to a facility. It can be costly, but there are ways to save. People who don't need 24-hour care can sign up for hourly services. Rates average about $20 an hour for basic services such as housekeeping and meal preparation, and $21 an hour for hands-on assistance with bathing, dressing and other activities, according to MetLife.

Families using home care on a consistent schedule, or for several hours or more every day, might be able to cut the rate by a few dollars an hour, experts say. A good starting point is Medicare's Home Healthcare Compare tool (medicare.gov/homehealthcompare), which allows you to search for local agencies and see their quality of patient care.

To get a better deal, consider hiring caregivers on your own, rather than through an agency, which usually runs about 25% more, experts say.

You might get lucky and find a caregiver through word-of-mouth from a friend also caring for elderly loved ones. Otherwise, you probably will need to place ads online or in newspapers.

Alternative Options

Other types of care often are overlooked, but can relieve family burdens and financial stress.

"Adult-day services," for example, provide health, social and therapeutic activities in a group setting for people with functional and cognitive problems. Some are free-standing; others are housed within nursing homes, assisted-living facilities or hospitals. Some offer a high level of medical care, and charge an average daily rate of $79. The services work well for patients who can sleep through the night at home, experts say.

Another option: Many assisted-living facilities offer "respite-care" programs, through which older adults who are cared for at home can check in for a weekend or longer when a family caregiver needs to leave town. It is an option that can help a family delay having to use a more expensive assisted-living facility, says Rona Loshak, a long-term-care insurance broker in Roslyn, N.Y.

Many families also can tap hospice care, generally meant for patients in the last stages of a serious illness, earlier than they might realize, and often with Medicare's backing.

Linda Fodrini-Johnson, a geriatric-care manager near San Francisco, recently moved her mother, who qualified for Medicare-backed hospice care, from a skilled-nursing facility costing more than $10,000 a month to a small residential-care facility with six private rooms -- at about half the price.

(Source: The Wall Street Journal, 10/29/12) 

Social Moms Lead the Way to Mobile

Moms More Likely to Own Smartphones, Tablets Compared to General Consumers

According to a new eMarketer report, "The Mobile-Social Mom: Speeding the Trend Toward 'Mobile First'," if you want to know who is moving over to mobile social media, look no further than mom. eMarketer estimates that as many as half of all moms with children under 18 in the household will use mobile devices to access social networks in 2012. 

Moms are on the leading edge of a behavioral shift that has marketers and social networks scrambling. They may soon become the first demographic group who will use the mobile phone or tablet more often than the computer to access social networks. 

The change is happening due to a number of factors. Moms are highly likely to own one of these mobile devices; February data from Arbitron and Edison Research found that 61% of total U.S. moms surveyed owned a smartphone in 2012, ahead of the 44% of total consumers who owned one. The percentage of moms who own a smartphone has grown enormously over the past couple of years. As recently as 2009, just 8% of moms had one, according to Arbitron. 

Tablet ownership also trends higher for moms compared to the population as a whole. Arbitron and Edison found in their February 2012 study that just over one in five U.S. moms had one, compared to one in six total consumers. 

And these mobile devices allow moms to log in more frequently: Arbitron and Edison found that 46% of U.S. social networking moms surveyed visited social networks multiple times per day in 2012, up from 37% in 2011 and 32% in 2010. Mom may not have time for long visits to social networking sites but mobile allows her to snack throughout the day, whenever she has a spare moment. 

As moms start to put mobile first for social media, they are changing the rules of the marketing game. It is not enough for companies to simply add mobile to the mix. They must consider moms' social media usage holistically and plan their marketing accordingly -- not only taking account of when and where they use social media, but also how and why. 

Businesses that take this approach not only stand a better chance of reaching moms now, but they can prepare themselves for the inevitable usage shift that other demographic groups will make.

(Source: eMarketer, 10/16/12)

The Sales Funnel...Rebooted

I read a great article by David Edelman.  David illustrates how the traditional sales funnel has been updated into something much more complex.  Basically, what used to work doesn't anymore. Sound familiar?

The sales funnel isn't dead, it’s just outdated. Today’s consumer takes a much more complex iterative path thru and beyond purchase. The classic funnel shows an ever-narrowing array of decisions and choices until purchase, when in fact the channel-surfing customer today often is expanding the set of choices and decisions after consideration. Just as importantly, treats the post-purchase process with the same level of importance as the pre-purchase journey.

It’s a pretty simple concept really but I like it because this visually highlights and isolates the most important aspects of the journey.

1. Consider: What brands/products do consumers have in mind as they contemplate a purchase?
2. Evaluate: Consumers gather information to narrow their choices.
3. Buy: Consumers decide on a brand and buy it.
4. Post-purchase: Consumers reflect on the buying experience, creating expectations/considerations that will inform a subsequent purchase
5. Advocate: Consumers tell others about the product or service they bought.

This visualization of the journey helps focus conversations on where to spend money, where the opportunities are, what sorts of people and processes you need to deliver on them, where you’re weak and your competitors strong. 

September Surge Changes Auto Forecasters' Tone

New-vehicle sales hit their fastest annual pace in more than four years in September, but the month could have been even better. After all, fleet sales were flat, fuel prices were unseasonably high and automakers laid off the incentives. 

September's seasonally adjusted annual selling rate of 14.9 million exceeded expectations by a wide margin, and the surge was driven entirely by retail gains, said Adam Jonas, Morgan Stanley's top auto analyst.

So are long-term forecasts being revisited?

The strong September -- in which sales rose 13 percent to 1,188,899 units -- has so far not prompted official forecasts to rise. But it has changed the tone of conversation among automakers and analysts, many of whom had revised 2012 forecasts downward since the first quarter.

Bill Fay, Toyota Division general manager, still expects 2012 industry sales of 14.3 million but now adds "and maybe a notch above."

R.L. Polk hasn't raised its forecast of 14.3 million this year and 15.2 million in 2013, "but we reviewed it for upward revision after August and September sales beat expectations," said Tom Libby, North American forecast manager.

TrueCar.com is still forecasting 14.4 million this year and 15.0 million next year.

Morgan Stanley's Jonas called September's 14.9 million annual selling rate "dreadful, no better than 1978." But he says the underlying strength of the market is consumers being forced to replace the aging U.S. vehicle fleet, which he says averages 11 years old with 130,000 miles on the odometer.

Fleet volume rose just 1 percent in September and retail jumped 15 percent for the seven largest automakers, which dominate sales to fleet buyers, according to theAutomotive News Data Center.

"If fleet had been as strong as retail, the September SAAR would have been 15.2 million," Jonas said.

Kurt McNeil, General Motors' U.S. sales boss, said GM pickup sales slipped because fleet volume fell in September, but the company isn't turning to incentives on them.

"We don't necessarily have the newest truck in the industry, but we still have the lowest incentive spend," he said.

Industrywide, per-vehicle incentives ranged from flat to slightly lower in September, according to TrueCar.com.

And gasoline prices, which normally decline after the summer peak driving season, remained unusually high. The mid-September average of $3.83 a gallon was only five cents off the year's highest level, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said.

That may have helped sales of fuel-efficient new cars in September, TrueCar.com analyst Jesse Toprak said, but it was a damper on trucks.

"Trucks are hurt by lingering high fuel costs," he said. "Small cars are remarkably strong, but trucks are weak."

In addition, small businesses may be spooked by the uncertainties of the upcoming presidential election and Congress' so-called Dec. 31 fiscal cliff and therefore deferring pickup purchases, Toprak said.

"Truck sales are based on prospects of business growing," he said. "Maybe the deals are not that great on trucks and so buyers are waiting. We'll probably see more incentives in the fourth quarter as is typical."

GM's McNeil believes auto sales will continue to outperform the slow recovery pace of the general economy, "which is particularly good news for GM as we walk into a cadence of new product in 2013 and 2014."

(Source: Automotive News, 10/15/12) 

Sales Tip: Rushing to Judgment

As a salesperson, you should work to focus all of your attention on your customer and his/her needs. It's all too easy to swoop in to present a solution instead of listening to your customer's complaints and the specifics of his/her situation.

In this rush to cut to the chase, you're in danger of coming across as arrogant, and your customers end up feeling their input is unimportant and unappreciated. This understandable mistake happens for two reasons:

* You want to come off as the "expert" or "hero," showing off all your knowledge by providing the solution before your customer even has a chance to finish her thought.
* You're in a hurry and don't have the time and energy to devote to your customer.

For example, let's say you're about to leave for a week's vacation when a prospective customer calls. He starts to go into a long story about his business and all the problems he's encountered in the last five years. You realize that you have heard his story -- or at least a similar one -- many times before, so you interrupt him to give your answer to his problems. You try to end the call as soon as possible so you can leave for vacation.

In this case, even though you might have given your prospect a good solution, chances are he won't feel satisfied with the conversation. He didn't have an opportunity to tell you about his business, so he feels shortchanged.

What should you have done? Next time, embrace any information your prospect gives you, whether you believe it's valuable or not. If you truly didn't have time to talk at length with this prospect, you should have requested the opportunity to call him back after you returned from vacation. Otherwise, you should have put down your briefcase, closed your office door, and listened to him for as long as he needed.

Remember, even if you hear the story all the time, it is unique and personal for each customer. Instead of interrupting your customer with your standard solution, let him have the floor and explain his problem. Only then can you proceed with the process of finding a solution for whatever ails him.

Technomic Study Provides a Snapshot of Quick-Service Restaurant Customers

What does the typical frequent quick-service restaurant (QSR) consumer look like? Recent research finds that he is Caucasian, between 25 and 34 years old, accompanied by his spouse or significant other, and likely dining in the restaurant.

So finds a demographic analysis of almost 38,000 consumers polled for Technomic Inc.'s ongoing Consumer Restaurant Brand Metrics research and analyzed for the recently released Understanding Quick-Service Restaurants and Their Customers Market Intelligence Report. 

"The quick-service restaurant segment includes some of the largest and most innovative companies in the U.S., as well as some interesting up-and-comers," says Technomic Executive Vice President Darren Tristano. "But at the same time, increasing competition means that it's more important than ever to understand what consumers value about fast food and where QSRs have opportunities to improve."

Technomic's Consumer Restaurant Brand Metrics program provides chains with a unique scorecard to benchmark performance against their peers and track results over time. The study asks consumers to rate the importance of certain attributes when deciding which QSR to visit. Based on initial survey analysis, Technomic ranked the top attribute categories.

Attribute Importance Ranking
(percentage of consumers giving a top two box rating, based on a 1-5 scale where 1 = not important and 5 = very important)

1. Food -- 91%
2. Cleanliness -- 88%
3. Service -- 86%
4. Value -- 84%
5. Beverage -- 78%
6. Atmosphere -- 61%

Leading Chains in Each Attribute
(top five, in alphabetical order)

1. Food -- Chick-fil-A, Culver's, Golden Corral, Jamba Juice, Papa Murphy's
2. Cleanliness -- Chick-fil-A, Cold Stone Creamery, Culver's, In-N-Out Burger, Papa Murphy's
3. Service -- Chick-fil-A, Culver's, In-N-Out Burger, Krispy Kreme, Papa Murphy's
4. Value -- Chick-fil-A, CiCi's Pizza, In-N-Out Burger, Krispy Kreme, Papa Murphy's
5. Beverage -- Caribou Coffee, Chick-fil-A, Jamba Juice, Old Country Buffet/HomeTown Buffet, Starbucks
6. Atmosphere -- Caribou Coffee, Chick-fil-A, Cold Stone Creamery, Culver's, Starbucks

The first in a new series of related segment-specific reports, Understanding Quick-Service Restaurants and Their Customers examines the demographic composition, behavior and attitudes of quick-service restaurant consumers. The report is powered by Technomic's Consumer Restaurant Brand Metrics program, an ongoing comprehensive study that demonstrates how consumers rate the importance of roughly 50 restaurant attributes regarding food, service, atmosphere, value, convenience, reputation and more, as well as the performance of 52 leading quick-service chains on these attributes.

Findings include:

• 82 percent of QSR consumers rate the food quality at their recent visits as good or very good.
• QSR patronage tends to peak with the 25-34 age group, then decrease with each age cohort.
• Consumers form opinions about products and services whether they have had first-hand experience or not. 66 percent of consumers feel that the average QSR is good or very good at emotional connection; and 58 percent say the same of brand image.
• Consumers give QSRs an average rating of 56 percent for advertising effectiveness, but those numbers range from a high of 69 percent who believe the top chain is good or very good to a low of just 33 percent.
• Eight out of 10 consumers say they are willing to recommend the quick-service restaurant they rated to friends and family.

Source: Technomic Inc., 10/01/12) 

Health Care Law's Impact on Businesses Varies

Companies specializing in driving down spending on health care, whether through electronic records, preventive care or consolidating services, are turning out to be the biggest winners from the 2010 health care law. 

Investors, analysts and policymakers say any business that can help health care providers cut costs or keep patients from being readmitted to the hospital soon after an in-patient visit is attracting more customers and seeing more investment.

"We must drive down the cost of, or maintain the cost of, health care," said Albert Waxman, co-founder of Psilos Group, a health care venture and growth equity fund. His firm is investing in companies specializing in controlling administrative costs for health care providers.

He has company: Investing in health services rose from $261 million in 2010 to $368 million in 2011; second-quarter 2012 investments are up $11 million from second-quarter 2011 investments, says the National Venture Capital Association.

Health care information technology spending for the second quarter hit $293 million, up from $86 million for the same period last year, according to Mercom Capital Group, a market research group that looks at health care technology. Those deals included telehealth technology, as well as mobile devices that providers carry to keep tabs on patient data.

Several businesses traditionally associated only peripherally with health care providers may also profit, because the law is forcing change in the way the medical field operates.

There are now 221 accountable-care organizations made up of hospital and physician groups, as well as insurer-based groups, according to a Leavitt Partners report issued in June. Technology, administrative and home care providers that help the ACOs save money stand to do well.

Any preventive-care organization that can help employers or insurers cut costs by lowering rates of diabetes, heart disease and respiratory issues -- such as fitness plans or smoking-cessation programs -- could also see a sudden surge in customers, says Kenneth Thorpe, who co-directs Emory University's Center on Health Outcomes and Quality.

Waxman invested in a company that uses information technology to monitor employees' health habits and to reward them when they go to annual health exams, get checked for chronic diseases and work to take care of any potential health issues.

"We're very excited about the future," said Martin Watson, CEO of SeeChange Health. "Without health reform, we figured we'd get to the $800 million mark (in earnings) by 2016. With health reform, it looks like we'll hit $1.5 billion by 2016."

SeeChange works with clients such as UnitedHealth by providing technology to cut premiums for beneficiaries who engage in healthy behaviors, tracking claims data to see which areas might need improvement, or adding cash to a health benefits account if a person stops smoking or begins a weight-loss program.

Cigna health insurance began moving toward accountable-care organizations in 2008, long before the law took affect. But Matt Manders, who heads Cigna's accountable-care initiatives, said the law has worked as an "accelerant." Cigna has 32 "collaborative accountable-care" organizations and plans to have 100 by 2014.

"It takes some time to have demonstrated results," Manders said. "But more than half (of the 32) have seen significant improvements in quality and cost reduction."

While many for-profit organizations will benefit, non-profits could do well, too. "In 2014, insurers can't profit by denying coverage anymore, so they need to keep people healthy," said Thorpe. That could mean prevention efforts, such as the YMCA's diabetes prevention program, could see an influx of cash.

Investors also see potential in accountable-care organizations, which are included in the Affordable Care Act. Private businesses have been working toward them for a few years.

ACOs gather providers, insurers and pharmacists, as well as home health care and palliative care providers, into a team. Those teams share data to avoid errors and duplication of tests and procedures.

Michael Sparer, health policy chair at Columbia University, cited Montefiore Care Management, a not-for-profit health organization in New York's Bronx, as a good example of a group that began making changes before the law started taking effect.

Henry Chung, Montefiore chief medical officer, said the group decided years ago to be paid by patient, rather than service, to cut costs. Now, it's one of 32 Medicare pilot sites.

As health care continues to change, Chung said, he sees several financial winners. In a non-fee-for-service system, primary-care physicians have an opportunity for greater reimbursement. There will be a greater need for care coordinators who keep patients well and out of the hospital. There will also be a need for palliative and home care services, and for community doctors to make sure they reach everyone in the community who might use their hospital.

"The spotlight will be on plans like ours," Chung said.

(Source: USA Today, 09/24/12) 

U.S. Homebuilder Confidence Surges to Six-Year High

Confidence among U.S. homebuilders rose this month to its highest level in six years, and many expect the housing recovery will strengthen in the next six months. 

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Tuesday increased to 40 in September. That's up from 37 in August and the highest reading since June 2006, just before the housing bubble burst.

Any reading below 50 indicates negative sentiment about the housing market. The index hasn't reached that level since April 2006, the peak of the housing boom.

Still, a measure of builders' outlook for sales in the next six months rose to 51. That's up from 43 in August and also the highest level since June 2006.

Builders also reported seeing the best sales level since July 2006. And turnout by prospective buyers returned to levels not seen since May 2006.

The positive trends have helped bolster optimism that the U.S. housing recovery will endure.

"We think things have turned around and this recovery is sustainable," said Patrick Newport, an economist with IHS Global Insight. The rise in builder confidence means that new-home construction is likely to increase over the next six months, Newport said.

The survey, which is based on responses from 445 builders, has been trending higher since October. After a dismal 2011, homebuilders have seen their fortunes begin to turn around this year as the housing recovery has steadily gained momentum.

Sales of both new and previously occupied homes are running ahead of last year. Home prices are increasing more consistently, in part because the supply of homes has shrunk and foreclosures have eased. And mortgage rates remain near record lows, beckoning potential buyers with good credit.

Still, the housing market remains depressed. While the turnaround will continue next year, a complete recovery in home construction isn't expected before 2016, Newport said.

The housing market isn't expected to recover fully until job growth improves and the unemployment rate, now at 8.1 percent, declines further.

Still, sales remain on the upswing at Taylor Morrison, which builds homes in five U.S. states and caters to entry-level and move-up buyers, as well as seniors.

The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company's sales are up 40 percent from last year, said Graham Hughes, the builder's vice president of sales and marketing.

Hughes says the lower inventory of previously occupied homes for sale has helped drive stronger demand for new homes. Demand has been especially strong in markets like Phoenix, where the builder's sales are up 80 percent. That's made it possible for Taylor Morrison to hike prices there by an average of 15 percent.

Taylor Morrison expects to close out 2012 with 15 percent more employees than last year. It also anticipates boosting payrolls by another 10 percent next year.

"I'm definitely optimistic now," Hughes said. "We've turned the corner and we're at the bottom and starting to look up."

Though new homes represent less than 20 percent of the housing sales market, they have an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in tax revenue, according to the NAHB's data.

(Source: The Associated Press, 09/19/12) 

Drivers Want -- And Will Pay -- For More Efficient Cars

A growing number of Americans are demanding not only more fuel-efficient cars, but those that run on cleaner alternatives to gasoline -- and they're willing to pay, according to a pair of new studies. 

That could be good news for manufacturers fretting about the cost of meeting the government's strict new Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, mandates requiring an average 34.5 mpg by 2016 and 54.5 mpg by 2025.

"Cost is a key issue," especially with more radical alternatives such as electric propulsion, said Phil Murtaugh, the head of California-based Coda, a start-up in the emerging market for electric vehicles.

A study conducted for Ford Motor Co. by Penn Schoen Berland found that seven in 10 drivers are taking steps to reduce gas consumption, most reporting they are driving less and nearly half saying they've slowed down on the highway. Others have adopted somewhat more extreme steps, such as drafting behind larger vehicles.

Meanwhile, 21% said they have purchased a newer vehicle that is more fuel efficient.

And 25% told researchers that if they had an extra $1,000 available at the time they made their next vehicle purchase they would opt for a hybrid rather than a conventionally powered vehicle. That could signify a notable shift in consumer sentiment. Conventional wisdom has suggested motorists want greener, more fuel-efficient products but weren't willing to pay for the necessary features to get there.

Ford is one of a growing number of manufacturers offering steadily more hybrid technology options, such as the gas-electric version of the 2013 Fusion sedan and the hybrid and plug-in versions of the new C-Max model. Toyota has promised to introduce hybrid versions of virtually every model in its lineup over the next few years and its Lexus luxury brand hints that it could have several more dedicated hybrid models coming.

A separate study by Phoenix Marketing International finds that a solid majority of American motorists are now willing to consider some form of alternative propulsion, whether hybrid, pure battery-electric or something even more radical. In fact, the vast majority of buyers under 40 see that as a real-world choice to consider, the study indicates.

Surprisingly, perhaps, the study found those in the luxury market more open to alternative propulsion, by a margin of three-to-one. In more mainstream product segments it's still two-to-one willing to consider alternatives.

The younger the motorist the more open they are, with only 10% of those under 40 not open to cleaner or more fuel-efficient powertrain technology, reports Phoenix, which polled in July 1,800 consumers who were either just in the market or were still looking for a new vehicle.

"For automotive marketers that means there is immense opportunity for developing and delivering alternative fuel messaging around their brand," said Phoenix Senior Research Analyst Kevin Severance, especially in marketing aimed at younger buyers. "As alternative fuel vehicles continue gaining popularity, cultivating and communicating an alternative fuel image will be critical. Honing related messaging will be step one in persuading consumers who are unsure about the technology to consider their products."

Among non-luxury brands, Toyota had the most buyers inclined to consider alternative fuel vehicles, the survey revealed, followed by Ford, Honda and Chevrolet. Among luxury brands, BMW led the way, followed by Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

The biggest challenge for the auto industry is to translate purchase interest into an actual purchase. Recent studies have repeatedly shown that shoppers will at least look at hybrids and alternatives but when it comes time to buy they largely return to conventional alternatives.

But while hybrids and other battery-based vehicles currently account for barely 3% of total new vehicle sales, the total number of those vehicles registered during the first half of the year rose by roughly two-thirds compared to a year earlier, according to another new study by Experian Automotive.

And those who market diesels, another fuel-efficient alternative, are also reporting strong results. Volkswagen has seen demand for the diesel-powered version of its Passat sedan climb to 26% and now believes it will nudge beyond 30% once it expands capacity.

As for battery-electric vehicles, Murtaugh told TheDetroitBureau.com he expects that as consumers become more comfortable with cost and range issues he expects demand to rise, although it could take years before that technology moves into the mainstream, he acknowledged.

(Source: The Detroit Bureau, 09/13/12) 

Sales Tip: The No. 1 Factor in Customer Loyalty -- You!

It is devastating when you lose a long-term customer to a competitor. It's even worse when you have been there for them, consistently providing top-notch service for years. You feel betrayed by their lack of loyalty.

Plus, you're ticked off at your company. You did everything possible, but they didn't give you a good enough price to compete effectively. Or, your offering just wasn't quite as good as your competitors.

Here's the deal. You may be seriously deluding yourself about the reasons you lost the business. Recently the Corporate Executive Board did an in-depth analysis of customer loyalty drivers. Here are the primary factors they uncovered and the percentage of their contribution to loyalty.

19% -– Company/brand impact
19% -– Product and service delivery
9% -– Value-to-price ratio
53% -– Sales experience

Stunning, isn't it? You are the biggest factor of all. Your personal impact during the sales experience is greater than all the other factors combined.

Clients stay with your firm because of what it's like to work with you. But it's much more than just having a "great relationship" with them or taking care of all their problems.

Your customers want you to be an invaluable resource to them all the time. Specifically, that means they want you to:

* Bring them ideas, insights, and information to help them achieve their business objectives.

* Guide them about how to make a good decision, as well as who needs to be involved and the next steps.

* Keep them up to date about any changes that could impact them -- positively or negatively.

* Challenge their thinking and provide them with fresh perspectives.

Are you doing that with your best clients? If you're focused on just your relationship, it's simply not enough. You may be at serious risk of losing them if a competitor comes in and provides the value they're looking for.

There's No One-Size-Fits-All Mom

Marketers like to bucket us into categories of the second life mom, the Millennial mom, Gen X moms, Gen Y moms, the vibrant mom, the survivor mom -- to name a few. The truth is, it’s very hard to categorize us. We are a huge demographic. And the growing multicultural mom is barely being addressed. 

Most research is done through surveys, which don’t really bring to life what it’s like to be in the midst of today’s highly social mom. The moms I’ve met don’t care one iota if you are a single mom, a divorced mom, an older mom, an empty nester, a WAHM or a SAHM. It is motherhood that binds us together along with a desire for camaraderie and shared information. And these virtual moms are often our BFFs. Gone are the days of moms hanging over the picket fence and spending a few minutes socializing. We’re all just too busy. Brands looking to leverage social media should be looking for the influencer moms who have built networks of mom relationships and where trust has been established. These networks have little to do with categorization. 

There are several things that marketers can remember regardless of “mom type.”

1. Moms have one foot in today and one foot in the future.

She thinks about the immediate and what lies ahead. She likes brands that save her money today while keeping an eye on our collective future through sustainability or eco-friendly practices.

2. Enlist an opinion of women/moms to weigh in on your marketing ideas.

Moms are eager to talk to brands. We don’t bite. But brands often forget to include the very audience they are trying to attract. Translating marketing insights into campaign materials that will resonate is often a big misstep because research is often taken so literally. Just because it says we “like” to garden, doesn’t mean you throw photos all over the communication materials of moms gardening. Think about gardening from a different perspective: why is she gardening? Is it because it’s therapeutic? Is it calming, “me” time?

3. Don’t be so overt that you’re marketing to mom.

Mom has become a huge focus of today’s marketing. But that doesn’t mean you have to start off things with headlines or voiceover copy saying, “Hey, moms! This is for you.” And don’t use pink-unless it’s brand appropriate. We don’t buy things because they’re made for moms, we buy them because we need them. Brands need to sell from the perspective of what she is looking for, not from the fact she is a mom. 

4. Use social media to beta test your marketing ideas.

The great thing about social media is that it is a living, breathing research resource of your audience. You can put out ideas to the audience to see their reactions before spending lots of dollars. Moms are happy to give opinions within reason. The influential mom will want to be paid to give a brand advice, but it will be money well spent. 

5. Remember marketing to a mom is marketing to the family.

Brands targeting mom need to know she’s choosing with her family in mind. And because today’s families are so busy, she’s looking for things that bring the family together. Watching YouTube videos and gaming are the new family entertainment. That new popcorn brand she just picked up was not chosen because she was hungry, it was chosen because she thought the family might like to try something new.

Make a great product and she’ll find your brand. Make a great product with great customer service and you’ll have her for life. And this is true of any categorization of mom. Brands need to look at their products in addition to their marketing efforts and mix. Moms aren’t going to socialize a crappy product at least not in the way a brand would want. Start with providing detail. Moms like information and to be educated about the products they are bringing into their homes. Remember Moms are well equipped to adapt to the changing social media landscape. Moms do their homework and understanding the details is part of the homework regardless if they are a Latina mom, a boomer mom, a second life mom...


By Holly Pavlika Friday, Sept. 7, 2012

Auto Sales Rate for August Projected to Reach 4.5-Year High

An influential auto forecasting firm said on Friday it expects August to yield the highest U.S. retail sales rate in four-and-a-half years. 

LMC Automotive projected the seasonally adjusted annual rate of sales to individual buyers at 12.3 million units. The overall SAAR, which includes fleet sales, is forecast to reach 14.5 million vehicles, on par with this year's high of 14.47 million in February.

"The strength in August light-vehicle sales takes some of the pressure off expectations for the balance of the year, but a high level of risk lingers," Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive, said in a statement. "We expect the current seesawing in auto sales to continue for the foreseeable future, but the overall picture in 2012 remains positive."

LMC and four other independent forecasters see August's selling pace falling within the range of the year's previous seven months.

TrueCar.com issued the lowest August projection, an overall SAAR of 13.9 million, the same as May. LMC's forecast of 14.5 million was the highest.

Through July, 8.4 million light vehicles were sold in the United States, up 14 percent from a year earlier. July sales rose 9 percent.

But citing consumer and business uncertainty from Europe, the November presidential election and the prospect of a Congressional deadlock, some analysts are lowering full-year forecasts. Both LMC and TrueCar.com earlier this month cut 200,000 units from full-year outlooks and are now at 14.3 million, and Morgan Stanley last month slashed its forecast to 14.4 million, 400,000 units lower.

In 2011, U.S. auto sales totaled 12.8 million.

Automakers will release their August totals on Sept. 4.

LMC is the auto forecasting partner of J.D. Power and Associates.

(Source: Automotive News, 08/24/12)