Complex human nature

There might be an average person who corresponds to the image created by research companies. For example aged 25-35, works, has 2 kids, a dog and drives a Toyota. Stereotypes are easily adapted, but to really reach somebody, a marketer has to realise the complexity of a human nature.

Most marketing people make decisions according to research data. It’s not so black and white. Communities cross and if a person belongs to one group, does not matter that he/she can’t belong to another. For example if a customer flies first class and has higher income than average then it does not automatically mean that he/she likes to drink beer from glass and wear a white shirt and a tie.

Is cause marketing mainstream or not?

Cause-marketing is, to put it simply, when a non-profit organization and a business combine forces in a good cause. Usually non-profit organization provides PR and business provides ”resources”. A good worldwide example would be Product Red®. It was created to support The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria and includes companies such as Starbucks, Apple Computer, Motorola, Giorgio Armani, and The Gap as participants.

In Estonia some large corporations show their social responsibility mainly during Christmas time, where donations are collected for children, dogs and disabled people. In everyday advertising and PR noise cause-marketing messages do not make a relevant percentage, so they would be noticed enough.

While Estonian people seem to show some compassion only during Christmas or via shock advertising, then in US cause marketing seems to be getting mainstream. According to marketing survey by Cone, Inc. 89% of Americans (aged 13 to 25) would switch from one brand to another brand of a comparable product (and price) if the latter brand was associated with "good cause". The same study also indicated that a significant percentage surveyed would prefer to work for a company that was considered socially responsible. Asked if people hold a more positive image of companies that support causes, 92 percent said, “yes.”

A survey by Golin Harris showed that American consumers cared about:
1. Environment, Pollution

2. Education

3. Energy Conservation

4. Human Rights (e.g. - race, gender, lifestyle)

5. Consumer Rights

Estonian consumers have totally different priorities, which can be seen from the preferences made by corporations choosing partners for cooperation.

One very good and colourful example from cause-marketing in Estonia, in my opinion, would be Kaubamaja, a Department store.

Kaubamaja opened a newly renovated department for youth fashion. The colourful messages in the campaign spread the message of joie de vivre and all the profits from the badges sales go to social entrepreneurial program for youth called SINA. Not only is this campaign positive and full of life, it also carries a social message. People, who are not the target group, walking by and not getting very deep into the campaign, understand this just as a positive thought spread by Kaubamaja during hard times. This is like 2 in 1 campaign, which makes it even more genius, as it first seems.

As some parts of the world have discovered already the positive side of good causes and positive corporate image then let’s hope that in here more companies start to notice others around them also. I m not talking about the large corporations. They know already how to make it work for them. This could be a very good way to position themselves for a medium or small business and get the publicity and recognition needed. Only thing to remember is that the good thought could turn into bad publicity in a second, as consumers smell greediness. Sincerity sells.

Kit Kat launched "intriguing" website

Kit Kat launched a first worldwide website where nothing happens. The idea is to “have a break” form flashy websites.

http://www.thefirstworldwidewebsitewerenothinghappens.com/

• It’s not the first. In the majority of websites nothing happens actually. Nothing relevant to be accurate. 
  
• The address is so intriguingly long, that I do not even want to bother to type it in. Only way for people, who really want to see it, is to click on the URL somewhere - like in here.
  
• Luckily they have thought of the people who can't spell right and registered URL- s with some words misspelled. As this does not direct to the correctly spelled domain, many people truly believe that Kit Kat has made a mistake in registering the domain name. This creates a buzz. Buzz is good.  

Y Water

Ever heard about the “impossible” tasks to sell ice to the Eskimos etc? Mission impossible seems also to sell water to the children. Although water is essential, water is boooooring as hell and tastes like... nothing. Well, if you can’t sell plain water, think further and add something little extra, to make it special. Add functionality that attracts the parents and design that makes kids go crazy.

Y Water is playful, interesting and seems to make kids healthier, opposite to the traditional beverages sold in stores. It comes in four options: brain water, immune water, muscle water and bone water. Even if the children have consumed all the content and the bottle is empty, they can link all the bottles together with knots and live out wildest fantasies constructing whatever comes to their mind and give a new life to the empty bottles.

I like the website. Its childlike and playful, yet gives factual product information to the parents at the same time.

But still there is on little but. There is still sugar inside. How can you call it "water", when it contains also sugar? So here’s a lesson. How to sell water to children? Put sugar inside and make it colourful. Some little extras like design and functionality would be nice also.