Working closely with our All-Things-Beverage client ‘First Beverage Group’ we at TimeZoneOne have been learning all about the USA beverage scene. I came across this very interesting fact last week and thought I would share it with all the beverage lovers out there…
Three firms control 89% of US soft drink sales. This dominance is obscured from us by the appearance of numerous choices on retailer shelves. This has created an illusion of diversity which hides a lack of real choice.
To visualize the extent of this illusion some smart boffin (for some reason boffins have loads of time on their hands) designed the below cluster diagrams to represent the number of soft drink brands and varieties found in the refrigerator cases of 94 Michigan retailers, along with their ownership connections.
TimeZoneOners now have a quirky reason to look forward to stepping into the office. Thursday is now Crocs day. It’s a small part of our Up Close philosophy. TimeZoneOne not only creates love of a brand through fantastic graphics and copy, our Up Close advertising creates loyalty and a physical relationship by allowing the customer to see, touch, hold, taste, feel and own. So the question is will having our own individual relationships with the product we are creating advertising for make us even more understanding of that physical relationship the customer has with the product that we create? It may have some effect; we will have fun in our Crocs on Thursdays regardless. We are an Up Close agency our advertising gets up close to the customer, it’s effective. We know this because Crocs and TimeZoneOne’s marketing strategy increased crocs sales by 180% above target and won us an Effie.
I have asked a few zoners to comment on their crocs.  Kim owns 3 pairs of beaches and a pair of Athens. ‘Best jandals I’ve ever owned. I like to wear crocs’n'socks in the winter, a real fashion statement’.
Rose is also wearing her crocs today. ‘ They’re just so comfy and versatile; I can’t bring myself to stop wearing them. I don’t need to worry if they get wet, I can wear them after swimming, when I’m cycling, and they make great driving shoes. These Alice’s are great with jeans and skirts, and can be worn winter or summer.’ Â
Tim is wearing his Hi-Crusiers today ‘Hi-Crusiers, Santa Cruz, and Sobeks. Crocs like all good things take time to appreciate. Crocs aren’t about their look (at the moment); they are about their inner beauty – comfort being the key. It took time, but this zoner can say he wears his Crocs more often than he would like to admit!Â
And  me – I’m wearing my new YOUbycrocs Mykonos. I like them they are summery and girly, a great transition into summer. YOUbycrocs are my favorite Crocs. The spring/summer range is on sale at the moment and I’m planning on buying another pair.
My 3 year old is also wearing her Crocs today she looooves her ‘tiger shoes’ (Disney tigger pelican) and without fail will run around the house every time she puts them on roaring like a tiger. Sounds cute and it is, but it makes life interesting in the morning when I’m late for work. The fact that she gets so much enjoyment from an item of clothing is pretty cool though.
 So there you have it Crocs day is off to a good start.
 Maybe if the bestman at this wedding had been wearing Crocs his friend’s marriage would have had positive beginning as well. Something for Rose to think about.
Last week Tim, Murray and myself, had a rapid fire visit to Boulder, Colorado. The home of Crocs , the Dushanbe Teahouse and the characters’ house from the “Mork & Mindy ” television show. This was my first visit inside the US of A and it blew all my misconceptions of the place away.
I spent a good amount of the time suffering from insomnia and lack of appetite, but my personal highlights from the Crocs bootcamp were:
“Its Toasted” – Tim “happy chappy” Chapman coined the phrase as part of the new TZ1 language for decision making.
Being The First “Adman” through US customs.
Rick Rolling (gangster style) through Boulder in the “Loredo” listening to the non stop 80′s channel.
Adventures to the Firewood Lot with the “trusty” navigator Navman.
Sharing a room with messy Murray in the semi-murderous underground bunker.
Embracing the most organic city in North America by eating goats cheese and the huge variety of mushrooms , at least once a day to smell my best.
Being interviewed by Barns and noble about our knowledge of books, and Tim stealing the show.
Celebrating my 26th birthday with the Crocs brithday bear.
Seeing the US B-team and meeting the friendly felluhs at Crocs.
My current favorite TVC at the moment is Pink Batts here in New Zealand. For those of you who don’t know, Pink Batts are thermal insulation for keeping your home warm. Really quite a boring and unattractive product, a pink fluffy square. A problem a lot of good TVC’s face is you watch the ad, think it’s great but can’t recall the company or product. Somehow Pink Batts have made a heart-warming, emotive commercial that leaves you with warm fuzzies and clearly remembering the product being advertised. A TV commercial success. They have been nominated for many upcoming awards and I for one will have my fingers crossed for them.Â
The day seems to have flown by, so here is a link to keep you entertained until tomorrow. It showcases talents in graphic design, web, illustration and packaging. http://www.graphic-exchange.com/
The excellent book Value Creation: The Power of Brand Equity by William Neal and Ron Strauss dives deep in to the importance of a brand and makes some very valuable points, especially in the current economic climate – with revenues under pressure a powerful brand offers you additional levels of protection. The book discusses how a brand is a defensible long-term asset a company owns. Competitors can quickly replicate product or service performance; they can meet or beat prices; they can enter channels and markets freely. But your competitors cannot quickly build the confidence of your consumers and clients. And therein lies the value of a brand.
A successful brand reduces uncertainty among buyers, employees, suppliers, investors and other stakeholders.It offers trust and confidence – just what is needed in the current market. So with the economy wobbling a strong brand is a very good asset to have on your side. Speaking of strong brands, we are just updating a beautiful communication piece for The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). The ‘Roadshow’ brochure (see visual) which was developed last year helps communicate to perspective students the creativity and ethos of the School. It is excellent brand building work like this that has played a big part in growing the enrollment numbers. Congratulations to Maryann and Jonathan at the SAIC for having a strong vision for the SAIC brand and message.
“The 22 immutable laws of marketing” is a great read for all marketers. Written by Al Ries and Jack Trout, I recommend you put it on your must read list. It is hard to pick a favorite law but if I was pressed, I would go with law #3: “It’s better to be first in the mind than to be first in the marketplace.” You see this time and time again in consumer and business to business marketing. Be first in the consumer’s mind and sales will follow. For example, the ipod was not the first mp3 player, but it is the first in peoples minds… Nigel Foley, TimeZoneOne
