New and Improved Marketing

These are some very interesting times for companies who sell the stuff you and I use every day. Things like toothpaste and laundry detergent and shampoo. Now, while life would be pretty near impossible (or at the very least quite dirty and smelly) without these products, the fact is we don’t spend a lot of time thinking about our dish-washing liquid. We buy more when we run out. Or we might stock up when it’s on sale. But we don’t give it much space in our brain. Certainly a lot less space than that shiny new car we’re lusting after. Or the awesome plasma TV we deserve. Or even those super light running shoes we truly need. And it is rarely the hot topic at cocktail parties or backyard barbecues. Even when there’s a brand new dish-washing liquid that promises to get your dishes more sparkling clean than ever.

In the past, this lack of interest was not a huge problem for packaged goods companies. They told you about their new and improved products in 30 second increments/interruptions  as you were watching your favorite sit-com or soap opera. Then they told you again. And again.

Today, of course, things are not so simple. As we all know, it’s much harder, and considerably more expensive, to reach people who buy consumer packaged goods using conventional media. And since their target is spending an increasing amount of time online (nearly equaling or even surpassing the time they spend watching TV, depending on whose research you read) CPG companies are logically turning to the internet to reach consumers more efficiently. Of course, earning (because that is the name of this game) people’s attention online is a lot more difficult than creating a 30-second TV spot. And I say that with no disrespect to my friends who make TV spots for a living. It’s simply the truth.

This blog will explore the new ways that companies are using the internet to market CPG, food and beverage and other low-interest consumer products. I am fortunate to toil as a group creative director at Digitas, a large interactive agency. The clients that I serve daily manufacture and market some of the world’s most well-known consumer products. And like I said uptop, these are some very interesting times for all of us. It is my hope that you’ll find this blog interesting as well.