The other day at the grocery store, I noticed what looked like a ‘70s-style Brady Bunch-inspired package design for a Doritos bag. Retro labeling is all the rage right now. Just look at your Cheerios box or Downey fabric softener bottle — both now with throwback- designed packaging. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, the trend is driven by consumer-product giants having to compete against cheaper store brands.

The “original” products are showcasing their longevity and “reminding consumers which brand came first,” according to Steve McGowan, executive creative director at the branding firm Landor Associates.

I agree that this is partly the motivation behind big-name brands using retro labels. However, I think another key reason relates to emotional factors. In hard economic times, people like to think of the good times. Nostalgia sells … we’ve seen it help promote not only products, but also movies and television shows. Just look at the litany of remakes of classics and sequels (e.g., The Smurfs, Hawaii 5-0, Karate Kid, etc.).

Package design has become a $1 trillion industry – and the competition is fierce. So make no mistake about it, branding experts don’t just rely on the color palette to get your attention … psychology is also at play.

Only time will tell if retro labeling will become more popular. But my bet is that if and when the economy gets better, you’ll see this trend fading and brands embracing new labeling designs. I’d love to hear your labeling thoughts and if any retro labels have caught your eye.

While last year’s updated AP Stylebook focused largely on adding social media guidelines, the recently released 2011 book took a different turn … toward culinary terms and food trends. Designed in response to the growing number of food and restaurant writers nationwide, the new 16-page section features more than 400 food names and terms, including an official AP Recipe Style. So, for those of you who may have struggled in the past with how to correctly write “adobo sauce” or “amuse-bouche,” fret no more.

The new guide doesn’t completely deviate from last year’s social media focus and gives a nod to Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare by including “geotagging,” “geolocation,” “unfriend” and “unfollow.” And in the spirit of simplicity – similar to last year’s change from “Web site” to “website” – the edition removed spaces and hyphens from “smartphone,” “cellphone” and “email.”

Although a complete list of all the book’s changes is not available online, you can purchase the new guide through the Associated Press’ website.

What do you think about the new food inclusions? Are they necessary or not? Is there anything you would rather see make the cut?

The rivalry between Twitter and Facebook lives on through the latest finding that indicates Facebook has a better return on the highly coveted marketing dollar. Mashable recently published an article that touts the fact that an individual Facebook “like” drove more ticket sales than an individual tweet by the same company.

According to the organization’s analysis: “An average tweet about an event drove 80 cents in ticket sales during the past six months, whereas an average Facebook ‘like’ drove $1.34.” This difference is significant and may have implications for marketers across the board. The profitability was determined by Eventbrite, an event registration company.

At best, social media is supposed to be engaging – a two-way conversation. Both Facebook and Twitter provide an outlet for conversation. And when used correctly, both can be effective.

Personally, I tend to place more value on a “like,” because it goes beyond information and adds a little personality. “Liking” a Facebook status, post or picture leaves a mark of preference, agreement or humor without having to say – or type – anything.

Which do you do more often – “like” or retweet? As a consumer, is one more valuable to you than the other?

Please leave your comment below and feel free to “like” or retweet this post.

I recently saw an advertisement in The New York Times print edition that caught my eye. It was an American Express ad featuring numerous “tweet testimonials” from people sharing the reasons why their businesses are “booming.”

The ad is part of the American Express “Start Booming” initiative, which is a “celebration of innovative and successful small businesses.” The campaign ultimately serves as a platform to showcase American Express business cardholders.

At the end of the ad, it states that for a chance to appear in another upcoming The New York Times ad, you can post your #booming tweet at: openforum.com/whatsbooming.

I was super intrigued (and engaged). Expecting to find cheesy PR-written testimonials and articles on the website, I was proven wrong.  People from Twitter shared interesting thoughts. Some of my favorites include:

And the @OPENForum Twitter handle retweeted some of these insights. There were also thoughtful “tip articles” and videos about American Express cardholder success stories – I especially enjoyed the one about the Alpaca ranch.

The strategy in using Twitter for this campaign is a good one, since many small business owners use the platform to learn about organizational growth and strategies.

Business author Thomas J. Peters said that “the best-run companies stay as close to their customers as humanly possible.” America Express embraces this philosophy and that’s why I think its ad campaign is #booming.

This past weekend, I went to Charleston, SC for a mini-getaway. (Side note: What a beautiful city. If you haven’t had a chance to visit, I highly recommend it!!)

Since this was my first visit to Charleston, I wasn’t sure where to eat or what tourist attractions to visit. I could have asked the hotel concierge or checked out the visitors’ guide. Neither of those won out. Instead, one “old school” tactic and one “new school” tactic helped me experience the best of this impressive place.

First, we needed to eat. We searched the Yelp iPhone app, which produced a list of suggested restaurants – some with excellent reviews and some with warnings to stay away. Blossom came very highly recommended on Yelp. And, once again, Yelpers came through. The meal was a-maz-ing.

Then, we went old school. We wanted to take one of those horse-drawn historical tours of Charleston. On one street corner, we found a vendor handing out flyers to passersby. Well, the guy seemed nice and the flyer made them sound like the best option in town … so, that’s how we chose this vendor over the others. Pretty, simple right?

Here’s the point: It doesn’t matter how you reach your potential customers … as long as you reach them. Yelp, Twitter, Facebook, flyers, direct mail – those are all just tools that make it easier for customers to find you. As marketers, we need to make sure we’re incorporating the right tools so people can easily find our companies. (Hint: A static, corporate web site is not enough.)

How about your company? Hard to find or easily accessible? What are some innovative ways companies are using tools – old or new – to be more “findable?”

Photo Credit: Bill Ward

We live in a time-shifted world. RSS feeds deliver news to us. DVRs allow us to watch our favorite television shows when whenever we choose. We can listen to audio programs on the go thanks to podcasts. Today’s consumers expect to have access to content when they want it … where they want it.

Businesses need to understand and adjust to this new way of living. (Don’t believe us? Failure to adapt to a time-shifted world contributed to the newspaper industry’s recent struggles.) This isn’t just an operations or management issue. PR/marketing folks need to put their “time-shifting” hats on as well.

• Customer service can’t be a 9-5 task if it really is the new PR. In a time-shifted world, people expect access to good customer service all the time – at their convenience … not yours. That means having an employee monitor and respond to the company’s Twitter account after hours, making “live chat” available even after the close of business, offering extended call center hours. These may not sound ultra-innovative — but your customers will notice, and appreciate, the extra effort.
• Press conferences don’t happen nearly as frequently as they used to; however they’re not extinct. Even so, reporters have less time to attend events — press conferences or otherwise. If you’re a PR professional, are you giving reporters the tools to get the information on their terms — or are you making their job more difficult? (And, for the record, just e-mailing a press release with a post-event photo doesn’t cut it.) Provide reporters with audio or video to incorporate into their reports. Create a Flickr page with high-res photos. Livestream events and post relevant clips online.
• How often are desk-side meetings taking place nowadays? Hardly at all – unless you have a very high-profile client or a major news story. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t get your CEO in front of the reporter. More and more interviews are happening via e-mail — even with major, national newspapers. Know why? Because the reporter can review the answers when they have time. With that in mind, why not conduct “mock interviews” and distribute the responses to targeted media? You know what questions a reporter will ask, so ask them. (But, don’t just serve up “softballs” and provide a reporter with fluffy answers. They’ll ignore you.) Go the extra step and provide the files in a format that can be viewed or listened to on an mp3 player. The idea is simple: Give them the information without requiring them to conduct a time-intensive interview.
• Much has been written about the diminishing ROI of traditional advertising. But, it’s not dead … not by a longshot. That said, advertisers need to adjust. A recent study found that 85% of respondents (~1,000 people) used their DVR to skip at least three-quarters of all commercials. If you’re producing commercials that only communicate verbally – your message isn’t being heard. Smarter commercials get the message across even while being fast forwarded. (One example: Apple’s Macbook commercials.) 

How is “time shifting” impacting your business? And, what innovative ideas can you offer to thrive in this new paradigm?

By now, you know about Facebook and MySpace. But did you know that there are a whole host of social networking platforms that may be better tools to help companies reach key audiences? Sound like targeting? That tried and true marketing principle is even more important in today’s online world.

Mashable compiled a list of 350 social networks — ranging from connecting families … to shopaholics.  Here’s just a sample of some targeted networks that you shouldn’t overlook:

• Ning — create your own social network
• CarGurus — connecting car lovers
• Shelfari — where booklovers gather
• CafeMom — uniting moms and mothers-to-be
• Flickr — sharing photos
• LinkedIn — professional networking

Bottom line: Don’t just create a page on Facebook because you think it’s “the place to be.” Instead, do a little research. You might be surprised to learn that you can engage a network that provides direct access to your target market.