Unscented Deodorants May Still Have Fragrance; Unilever, Proctor & Gamble, The Dial Corporation, Revlon Cons Prod Corp called out

Many products are listed as “Unscented” but if you take a closer look they may still be scented with a “masking fragrance”.  This makes absolutely no sense to me….. why list it as unscented when they have put a scent in it? Are the companies too lazy to name the scent? Did the marketing departments run out of silly naming ideas like cool breeze, fresh rain, and powdery shower?

The “unscented (but not really)” label is very noticeable in the deodorant aisle…. read the ingredients on the back of all the anti-perspirants listed as “unscented”. You may be surprised to see how many brands do this.

It is labelled "unscented" but it is not Fragrance-Free. Check the back for the ingredients.

The ingredients list a "*masking fragrance".... why call this "unscented?"

Why am I complaining about this? Because I am sensitive to fragrances and I have purchased products expecting them to be fragrance free and they were not. I am wiser now and always check the ingredients on the back.

Proctor & Gamble’s Invisible Solid PH Balanced Secret isn’t the only brand that does this, there are many more. Here’s a list of a few I’ve found labelled as unscented but contains a fragrance….

• Unilever’s Dove Sensitive Skin Invisible Solid Unscented
• The Dial Corporation’s Dry Idea Clinical Complete Invisible Solid Unscented
• The Dial Corporation’s Dry Idea Clear Gel Unscented
• The Dial Corporation’s Dry Idea Clinical Complete Roll-on Unscented
• Proctor & Gamble’s Secret Crystal Clear Gel Flawless Clear Unscented
• Proctor & Gamble’s Secret Invisible Solid Flawless Renewel Unscented (these two are different from the other one pictured)
• Revlon Cons Prod Corp’s Mitchum Smart Solid Unscented

I do give Revlon Cons Prod Corp some credit, the Mitchum line does offer an unscented clear gel deodorant for men that does not include fragrance. Mitchum Clear Gel Unscented is the only men’s deodorant that I can find in major stores that is truly without scent. I would think men would want less perfume.  I find it strange that more options are not easily available.

Unilever tends to market themselves as healthy with the Dove campaign. I do love Dove’s Sensitive Skin bar soap. I’m sad that they allow one of their deodorant’s to be marketed in a misleading way.

I would love to know why companies market a product as unscented when it clearly isn’t…. perhaps there is compelling argument to be made. I welcome company responses to smell INC.

[Via http://smellinc.wordpress.com]

Museums: Don't be scared of the re-brand (Pt. 2)

(You can read Part 1 by clicking here.)

Sometimes Re-branding is Necessary

It is imperative that museums constantly reevaluate the messages they project about themselves to the public, what can be considered branding. Re-branding is a part of revamping or even creating an identity for the institution. Thor writes that re-branding:

“is not simply a marketing initiative. It’s a holistic process that must consider and represent every aspect of any organization. Branding is not just about how you want to be seen. It’s about showing the world what you are and what you believe in…your brand must capture your vision, mission and values, not just a subset” (para. 6).

DeLouise suggests, “Re-branding is always an act of imagination. The question to ask if you want to re-brand is “will this propel our mission?” (para. 5). Also called brand repositioning, this process can be difficult and time-intensive. Notwithstanding the financial burden, a museum may not have the resources necessary to change the public’s mind about who they are and what they offer. If an institution is going to re-brand, this not only means a overhaul of its current messaging, logo, graphic standards, and communications processes, but also requires the organization to strategically determine how they are going to persuade visitors and non-visitors to think about their museum in a different way, away from the frame of previous experiences and impressions.

VanAuken (Branding Strategy Insider) offers the following conditions under which an organization might re-brand:

• “Your brand has a bad, confusing or nonexistent image…
• Your organization is significantly altering its strategic direction…
• Your organization has acquired a very powerful proprietary advantage that must be worked into the brand positioning.
• You are broadening your brand to appeal to additional consumers or consumer need segments for whom the current brand positioning won’t work.”

VanAuken operates from a commercial standpoint, but his ideas resonate with museums, which also struggle to establish a reputation due to a bad image. The catalyst for change may be that the organization wishes to alter their focus from being an institution known for putting on blockbuster exhibitions to one that showcases more regional art and artists. Many non-profits want to reach out to a younger demographic like Generation Y, individuals born between 1977 and 1998. Appealing to a new segment of the population may require a museum to change its brand so that it is more easily communicated across electronic media platforms like a Facebook fan page, an e-newsletter, or a blog.

How does a museum ensure that its new brand will thrive? As with any investment, monetary or otherwise, the return-on-investment is not always guaranteed, but there are ways an organization can strategize for brand success. Brothers Chip and Dan Heath (of “Made to Stick” notoriety) use the term “stick” to describe ideas that are “understood and remembered, and have a lasting impact—they change your audience’s opinions or behavior” (p. 8). In the twenty-first century, institutions should rely on an integration of traditional and guerilla marketing techniques to communicate a new identity to the public. The process of re-branding may only last one to two years, but establishing an identity and creating meaningful relationships with visitors requires long-term strategizing and commitment to a consistent message and image.

Case Studies

The New Museum of Contemporary Art and NCMA are two examples of museums re-branding and are analogous in many ways. Through the re-branding, both organizations have sought to occupy a more unique position in the marketplace and to mean something more to their publics, to stand out and modernize their brand. The New Museum designed an inventive contemporary building to exhibit art, and crafted a new look and logo to exemplify their mission of “New Art, New Ideas.” NCMA is currently redesigning their building, and the architectural improvements have been supplemented with a complete re-design of the logo, signage, and graphic standards. Due to its establishment of a permanent location and a successful re-branding process, the New Museum increased attendance by 600%. According to the North Carolina Museum of Art, its goal is to communicate consistently while using the flexibility of their system in exciting new ways.

NCMA began its re-branding process by launching a building project, adding 127,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 449-seat open-air amphitheater, and a 163-acre sculpture park complete with walking trails. To augment its architectural improvements, the NCMA hired Pentagram, a design firm, to create a new logo, graphic standards, and signage, essentially “a new graphic identity that would reflect the boldness of the museum’s transformation.” Pentagram designers used a Bauhaus-inspired typography to devise a unique alphabet for the museum, and it is currently being used on brochures and even as the icon for NCMA’s Twitter profile.

The museum re-opens April of 2010, but already the logo has received mixed reviews from the community of Raleigh. On its website, local online newspaper New Raleigh praised the museum for hiring a preeminent design firm like Pentagram and going to great lengths to match their new graphic appearance to the incredible expansion project. However, feedback in the comments section of the article represented a wide range of opinions, from “horrible” and “not very readable” to questions about the cost of such a re-design to opinions that it is beautiful and challenging. While this represents only a smattering of opinions about the new logo, it conjures questions of whether or not the museum bothered to invite the public to have a stake in the re-branding process before embarking on what one can imagine was a pricey venture with Pentagram. The logo visually binds the museum’s various social media platforms together, but what message does this send to their public? Is it one of access or one of exclusivity? This will remain to be seen when the museum unveils its complete transformation in April.

The New Museum in New York City re-branded its image employed a similar technique of using architecture to alter its identity and perception to the public. Marianak writes, “The expressions of the New Museum identity are striking and distinctive in achieving a coherence between mission, building, and identity” (para. 9). The mission of the New Museum is “New Art, New Ideas” and the new building looks like giant boxes stacked haphazardly one top of one another. Designed by Tokyo-based SANAA associates, Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, the buildings blatantly contemporary look and bright exterior stand in stark contrast to the rest of New York City. Nancy Schwartz (a.k.a. marketing guru) writes that motivating factor for the re-branding of the New Museum was due to the fact that “it had fallen from the public eye after an initial decade or so of attention” (para. 4). With its eclectic exhibitions and vibrant history, it could not claim a place to call its own and needed to achieve architectural stability before anything else. The planning fell into three steps: development, strategy, and execution, a collaborative effort between the museum’s administration, the architects, the designers, board members, and the like. As a result of early strategic planning and leadership, “the Museum was reward with extremely successfully processes and products on the brand development and roll-out fronts” (Schwartz, n.d., para. 35). The result was an astounding 600% increase in visitors, and 400% increase in new members (Schwartz, n.d., para. 32). Ongoing audience surveying and enthusiastic staff members are propelling this institution forward, fueled by the initial re-branding that was necessary to reposition the New Museum to its public.

Conclusion

When a round-table of some of the top museum directors in the United States convened in the early 2000’s, branding was described as disposable; something that is imposed on the museum but is not “of” the museum; a short-term strategy; a self-destructive strategy; and is incongruent with an institution’s plans to create long-term relationships with their publics (Cuno, 2004, p. 175). Such staid mindsets still exist, but are gradually giving way to innovative marketing plans that involve social media tools, virtual exhibition spaces, interactive websites, and creative approaches to re-creating the identity of a museum by changing what it means to brand a non-profit organization.

Museums should glean information from the for-profit sector on how to effectively brand their institutions, while also staying aware that their mission is different from the goals of a business. Increasing funds and membership is a fortunate by-product, but is not first and foremost an entrepreneurial means to an end. The purpose of a brand in the non-profit sector is to further the mission, not necessarily to sell a product or service. .

Click here for a PDF of the references cited in both parts of the re-branding article.

[Via http://mjwrites.wordpress.com]

Top 5 American Brands, Target switching with Home Depot ... but

Target leapfrogged Best Buy and Home Depot to 2nd place, according to the Interbrand Design Forum’s second annual list of the nation’s top retail brands. They streamlined their strategy to align with the customers needs and made it look good. They shifted their focus to brand value while captivating the audiences attention. Brass tax to the Target executive board, increase of 49% brand awareness.

1. Walmart
2. Target
3. Best Buy
4. Home Depot
5. Walgreens

Looks Target ads took a strategy page from Walmart and started to focus on flashy lifestyle advertising not dry corporate commercials like “lets build something”. Solution, Home Depot needs to continue to nail home the “customer service” based advertising. It is one definitive advantage they have over everyone in the top 5. Seriously, walked through a Home Depot lately, they are all customer service with a smile? Time for Home Depot to emphasis this strategy with their brand managers and do it quickly, the spring season is almost here. PS split your campaign 2 ways garden and paint. Single campaign emphasis on customer service and specialists who really know their stuff. You already have this knowledge but clear through the corporate red tape and use it, that’s what really matters, doesn’t it?

Signed,

Brand Guy Blog

[Via http://brandguyblog.wordpress.com]

Essential elements of an elevator pitch

I stumbled upon this long time ago, but couldn’t remember the exact “formula”. Found it again at Newt Barrett’s blog:

1. It must contain a benefit for the potential member of the audience, that is, his imaginary elevator companion.
2. It must contain the word you, meaning the audience.
3. It must contain some reference to emotion, because emotion is more engaging and memorable than intellectual information.

[Via http://mentalbursts.wordpress.com]

Education and Experience

This post will cover some of the importance’s of education, what classes to take and why in this post. These suggestions will allow you to set yourself apart from the thousands of others looking to get into the great game of baseball.

Yes, it is important to get a Bachelor’s Degree in order to break into baseball. Although, I have seen people establish themselves in the game without a degree. I happen to know a fairly successful person in the business that has no more than a year or so of college. They quit school after they broke into baseball and haven’t had to look back since. Sure you can get lucky like this individual and break into the game without finishing your degree, but in 99% of the cases you need to have at least a Bachelor’s Degree. If for nothing else, so as not to leave any glaring wholes in your resume. Now a Master’s Degree, well that’s another story. I’ll touch on additional schooling a little later on.

If you are someone that didn’t realize that you wanted to break into baseball until after you graduated from college without a Sports Management Degree, well don’t fear there are still opportunities for you. I know plenty of people working in the game of baseball with an English, History, Business or Psychology Degree. If you are one of those individuals I suggest you keep an eye out for some of my future posts that may apply to you. Right now, I’d like to focus on those individuals that are not yet in college or have not finished.

As you are working on your Sports Management Degree it is just as important to pick the rest of your classes wisely. It is that minor or second major in your degree that can help set yourself apart from the other 1,000+ resumes in the stack.

I suggest that you take several computer classes and I’m not talking about Typing or Microsoft Word classes. Take Photoshop, Illustrator and/or Website Design classes as they often are an area few candidates have experience in, but all ball clubs need. There is a constant need for flyer creation, website design, print piece design, videoboard logos and whatever else may pop up during a season. Most staffs in baseball are lucky to have one or two of these talented individuals so this can be an easy way in for many.

Financial classes (Accounting, Finance, etc.) may not necessarily help you at the start of your career but could come in handy much later on. As you begin to deal with budgets and running a multi-million dollar ball club it will be helpful for you to work magic with numbers.

If your school offers a sales class(es) take it!!! It is probably safe to say that 80-90% of all people in baseball are involved in sales at some level in their position and the percentage of entry level positions that are sales-intense is even higher. This tends to be the largest disconnect between the Sports Management Programs and the teams. Universities are failing to tell the students that if you want to get into the sports industry then likely nine out 10 graduates will be starting off in sales (most likely ticket sales for that matter). Of the hundreds of interviews I’ve done over the years only a handful of students had some type of sales class, sales experience or showed interest in learning more about sales. Each one of those students instantly jumped ahead of the hundreds of other candidates for the open position.

Anyone with hopes of being a manager of personnel, I strongly suggest Psychology classes as a must. There is no doubt in my mind that I use my Psychology Degree more than I do my Sports Management Degree on a day to day basis. Psychology comes in handy whether you are managing a challenging individual, handling personnel issues or learning to understand your customers better.

Communication classes are key as well in the game of baseball. Speech classes will not only help you in front of a Community Relations visit with the local Rotary Club, but it will help with your sales skills. English and writing classes can be important even for those individuals outside of the Media Relations Department as sales staff put together proposals or management proof read things before going out.

Another area to explore that will help set you apart from other candidates is adding a second language. A second language can be extremely handy in different markets across the country. It could also be key for you as the game of baseball expands into other markets across the world. Who knows where in the world your career path could take you.

Retail classes can help you land that position within the Merchandise Department. The same goes for Food and Beverage, as more and more Minor League Clubs take over management of their own F and B Operations.

This may come as a surprise but marketing should be one of someone’s last choices for secondary classes. Not only is it on 75% of all Sports Management resumes, but I cannot tell you how many college students when asked what they want to do in baseball, respond with “Work in Marketing.” The number of baseball jobs that are solely marketing focused is so extreme. There may be one of those jobs at each of the Major League Clubs, but those jobs just do not exist at the Minor League level. That type of response instantly shuts me down in an interview because I know the candidate hasn’t done their research and likely doesn’t know much about what they are getting into. Marketing in baseball sounds like a dream job, but for the most part that position alone just doesn’t exist.

Master’s Degree in Sports Management – just not necessary…unless. For many that worked hard, diversified their experiences and have done a couple of internships already then a Master’s Degree will not make much of a difference. However, the Master’s Degree comes in quite handy for those that decided late to get into sports, have little or no internship experience or just haven’t found the break they’ve needed to get into the game. In baseball there is no pay bump for a Master’s. There is no special treatment even if you’ve done the extra schooling. You will still start off as an intern answering phones, picking up trash or making sales calls just like everyone else.

So you have decided to go to school for Sports Management, now what? Get an internship as soon as possible. I hear from college students all of the time that say, “I don’t need to get internship credits until my senior year.” If you wait until your senior year to do your internship then you are behind the ball and in a career field that is extremely competitive it makes it that much more difficult for you to break in. Do not wait until you are in your junior year, or even until after you’ve taken your first Sports Management class. Start some type of internship the second you know you want to be in the game of baseball. You cannot start too early. Some of the best interns I’ve seen were sophomores or juniors in High School. They end up having five or six years of various experiences in the business by the time they are done with college and ready to be hired. When you get your very first internship, be open to any type of position even if it is just picking up trash, answering the phones or filing paperwork. These are all opportunities for you to get your foot in the door and if you work hard then bigger and better things will come along. Keep your eyes out as I’ll cover internships and how to get your foot in the door in a future post.

I’ve tried to cover a lot in this post, but obviously can’t cover everything. Please feel free to post your own experiences here or ask questions as well. You may also reach me on Twitter @workinbaseball or by email at workinbaseball@gmail.com. I look forward to your feedback and hopefully my guidance can assist you in landing the career of your dreams.

[Via http://workinbaseballnow.com]

5 Reasons To Have Your Own Video Channel

A video channel is your own space on the web where you can be creative, advertise your products and services or just express your opinions to the world. For a business; a video channel allows you to reach a global audience and you can quickly establish yourself as an expert in your industry.

Having your own video channel adds a new marketing technique to your existing campaigns. Web users can subscribe to your channel and see when you add new videos. By regularly keeping in touch with your prospects and existing clients you’ll increase your businesses reputation and win new clients.

In this article we’ll look at 5 reasons to have your own video channel. Although there really are an infinite number of reasons you should be using the power of video on the net, we’ll focus on the 5 main reasons.

1 – Gain subscribers

When running a business; the money’s in the list. If you can maintain a list of hundreds of information hungry prospects; you just need to provide them with what they want. Providers such as YouTube allow web users to subscribe to any channel at the touch of a button.

2 – Be seen as an expert

By releasing regular videos that offer quality information in your industry; you’ll set yourself as an expert. Your subscribers will likely ask you questions about the information in your videos. Answer their questions. Give full and quality answers. You’ll soon build rapport with your subscribers which will gain your respect and trust.

3 – Some people prefer watching videos to reading

A video is much more interesting and attention grabbing than an article. Besides, not all people enjoy reading. Take this article for example; if it were presented by an attractive female or male and used large words on the screen to make it easier to follow, you’d find it more exciting and you’d be less likely to browse away from the page.

4 – Save bandwidth on your website

By using websites such as YouTube to host your videos on you’ll save money on your hosting bill. Most hosting providers charge their users based on the amount of space and bandwidth they use. By uploading your videos to another website; you’ll reduce your own costs. Your visitors will also experience faster and more reliable video downloads from a specialist video hosting website.

5 – Search engine rankings

Because YouTube is owned by Google, related videos will often appear at the top of the search results. So when you type something into Google, you might see a couple of YouTube videos that are related to your search query at the top of the search results page. This is an excellent way to get more visitors to your website, since your videos can all include a link back to your website.

So, if you haven’t already started using video channels to promote your business, start doing it today. It’s a complete marketing channel on its own and you’ll see an increase in business if done properly. Start promoting your business using videos through the power of the web today!

[Via http://iotamedia.wordpress.com]

Top ten mobile marketing tips by Mark Brill

Mark Brill CEO of txt4ever and chair of Mobile Marketing at the Direct Marketing Association and a regular speaker at industry events gives his top ten mobile marketing tips.

1. Get a response. Use SMS when you are looking for an immediate and high response rate. Whilst email is lower cost, only 25% are opened, compared to 95% of text messages. Response times to an SMS are also faster, usually within 1 hour.
2. Use an SMS shortcode. Including a shortcode in advertising campaigns has been shown to increase response rates. In car advertising the uplift is over 10%
3. Give an offer. Most marketing wisdom will tell you that an offer is important. This is particularly so with SMS, as it is such an immediate channel.
4. Provide a simple call to action. Many people make the mistake of having a call to action that is too complex. For example ‘register on our website’ sent in an SMS is too much. Making it simple and easy: ‘call us now’ or ‘reply to this SMS’ is likely to have the best response. The harder you make it for the customer, the fewer the responses.
5. Target your audience. The mobile phone is a highly personal medium, so the better you target your customers the greater the results. For example, a retail store will get the best results by promoting a specific store nearest to the mobile recipient.
6. Make it personal. Personalising a campaign can bring higher responses. For example, rather than offering a general discount, give the mobile user a voucher that can be redeemed.
7. Timing is everything. As SMS is so immediate, the time of day is crucial to the success of the campaign. Studies have shown that mobile phones are used most between noon and 6pm. Although it depends on the product, the best time to send a marketing campaign is mid-late afternoon.
8. Respond quickly. People’s memories are short when it comes to mobile marketing. Respond quickly once they have opted in to a mobile campaign. An auto response is essential for a shortcode, and follow up messages should be within a few days.
9. Gain the users trust. Make sure that you clearly identify your company, and provide an opt-out route. This is a legal requirement, but including a STOP shortcode in the SMS makes for the best practice (txt STOP to 871234).
10. Use a clear opt in process. Whilst it is acceptable to send either service messages or marketing messages to customers for similar products, without their prior consent (soft opt in), this is not always the best practice. Make it clear that you intend to send marketing messages, and send an SMS to ask them to opt in.

Tips Provided by Txt4ever.com Bulk SMS, Web SMS and Mobile Marketing

[Via http://axnach.wordpress.com]