industry thoughts from Clarteza

In a recent study, Millward Brown and The Jim Stengel Company compiled a list of the 50 fastest-growing brands, both consumer and business, over a ten year period.  Brands were analyzed in terms of both customer relationships as well as financial value.  The common link between the 50 brands, which cut across categories and segments, including both products and services, was that all of the brands were based on ideals.  The study defined an ideal as a higher order purpose or benefit that the company or brand … Continue Reading

Last year Clarteza was approached to provide a point of view on Return on Investment (a.k.a. ROI) as it relates to restaurants. We believe, that  ROI is an important issue for any business so we decided to write this piece.

Marketing ROI continues to be one of the most complicated and difficult things to measure, giving those who know how to effectively do it a major competitive advantage. Technology and sophisticated statistical tools play an important and costly role in the ability to effectively measure and predict the ROI but the fundamentals of a marketing mix remain the same. And a … Continue Reading

In our recent post on qual vs. quant research, we touched on one of the critical issues facing market researchers today, the question of how we use, store and re-use data we obtain from the investments we make in research and information.  The amount of data available to us continues to grow in magnitude and scope.  We have qual data, quant data, syndicated data, social media data, competitive intelligence data, all coming at us all the time in … Continue Reading

Both quantitative and qualitative research data play important roles in understanding consumers, developing and designing products, and creating effective marketing strategies and executions. Quantitative research provides a wealth of broad-based data on market sizes, demographics, and user preferences and helps us understand differences between groups of people, products and usage occasions.  But, quantitative research can also lead to an over-reliance upon numbers, leading researchers to analyze percentages and statistical significances, rather than people.  Qualitative research, on the other hand, can sometimes lead to biases based on the opinions of a small set of people, at a certain place or time.  … Continue Reading

“Why Then Can One Desire Too Much of a Good Thing?” – Shakespeare

These days, it feels like the discourse between the Marketer and the Consumer has become something like a Shakespearean sonnet on steroids:  No longer is the Consumer being poetically wooed in a 60 second commercial, She is being craftily urged with texts, video billboards and in-store TV offers each shorter than an iambic tetrameter for “brevity is the soul of wit” says Shakespeare.  Despite all the attention, nay, the beloved Consumer seems rather disinterested as She has to manage Her smart phone, home phone, blog, email, Facebook page, … Continue Reading

The term “re-frame” has never been more appropriate than in marketing today.

It is apparent that a massive paradigm shift in the way marketers approach their marketing and communication plans is well underway (for those who haven’t previously embraced it).  For years now, front-loaded plans where the bulk of thought and resources are spent influencing the consumer well before she sets foot in a store have been giving way to a more holistic approach where the integration and synergy of brand messaging across multiple consumer touch-points is not only important, but essential.  But more recently, the key player in the game … Continue Reading

Yeah, the “binder full of women” comment was a bit like a deleted scene from The Simpsons where Mr. Burns (the decrepit boss at the neighborhood nuclear power plant) whispers to his assistant, “Smithers, bring me the binder.” But then it gradually occurred to each of us at Clarteza that, hey, we’re kinda like that binder.  The whole point of the now infamous reference guide is that it was like a well kept secret of trusted talent.  And, to obtain the almighty “three ring” would be like getting a powerhouse or a Dream Team of professionals.

Just think of all … Continue Reading

Picture yourself at a cocktail party filled with near-strangers.  What is the best way to start a conversation with someone you don’t know well?  Ask them about themselves.  Why? Because people are most connected to their own life experiences and therefore most likely to be engaged in a topic in which they play a central role.  Truth be told – people love to talk about themselves.

This is not only a great tip for the most socially-awkward among us, but it also has important implications for marketers dealing with the challenges and opportunities that social media presents.  It is this very … Continue Reading

This year’s Cannes Creativity Conference was the busiest ever: 11,000 delegates from around the world overflowing the halls of the auditorium, theaters and award shows, with everyone eager to learn and network.

For those not as familiar with this event, the Cannes Creativity Conference is the crème de la crème of advertising conferences. The most aspiring, entrepreneurial, deserving, over-achieving, bright and talented people attend. Everyone learns from each other, relationships are built, and great speakers and coaches share their knowledge and wisdom. And of course, there are celebrities and former heads of state –the most notable presentation this year was given … Continue Reading

The last several months have gone so fast that it’s hard to believe our last post was in March. (Yes, I know….It’s been a while). This is not to say that we had nothing to say.  To the contrary, we had too much going on with our projects, our families, in our lives overall. All elements contributed to the fact that our blog was kindly put on the ‘back-burner’ so I hope you don’t mind.

Now, since the summer is nearly over (and I’m so not ready for Fall!), all of us had some time to re-charge and reflect.  Here’s what … Continue Reading