Entries in consumer (4)

Thursday
Sep172009

My day at Sonic Drive-In

DateThursday, September 17, 2009 at 11:26AM

On Wednesday, August 26, 2009, Sonic opened its first store in Massachusetts. Until then, the nearest Sonic had been 150 miles away in Kingston, NY. But for some reason it never stopped them from airing their commercials in the Boston area over the past few years. It always seemed like a questionable tactic -- lazy even -- to run ads in a market where your product doesn't even exist.  But then Sonic finally came to Massachusetts, and the customers came in droves. I was among them.

Going against everything I generally avoid -- fast food, chain restaurants, driving, suburbia -- I made a pilgrimmage to the Sonic in Peabody, MA. We went on Saturday, and despite being a few days late to the party, we found a long line of cars, with traffic re-routed to accomodate the rush, and waited for over an hour for the chance to eat fast food delivered to our car by servers on roller skates.

The line of cars felt like a tailgate, with people chanting and joking with other folks in the car line. As cars left Sonic, having triumphantly received their meal, they yelled to the people still waiting, "It's totally worth it!" without a hint of sarcasm. The line weaved past an empty Wendy's parking lot. We even sent someone in there to get some chicken nuggets for us while we waited in the Sonic line, knowing there would be no wait.

Eventually, we got our food, which I would rate as adequate. But it was the buzz that Sonic managed to generate that qualified their Massachusetts opening as a success. Here are my takeaways from the day.

TV advertising still works. Sonic's successful opening went contrary to all the talk that TV advertising is dying. Not only did their TV ads serve as the primary way to build the Sonic brand, they managed to drum up interest in a region where their product didn't even exist yet. Instead of frustrating consumers, it just got them more excited. It's a testament to an engaging brand.

People flock to experiences. Sonic is unique to any type of fast food experience that this region has.  When it comes down to it, the food isn't particularly unusual, but the menu (i.e. Tater Tots, Ocean Water) and drive-in restaurant experience is. People knew Sonic well enough to feel like they would be missing out on something by not going. And, like a good movie, they wanted to be in on the conversation.

Word of mouth trumps social media marketing. I had heard months ago via Facebook status updates that a Sonic would be opening, and that's how I heard it had officially opened as well. Until I started writing this post, I didn't even realize Sonic had a Facebook fan page (although I'm not surprised). Had they rolled out a larger social media push, would it have really mattered? Some buzz just lives on its own.

It's nice to have people seek you out. When I heard Sonic had officially opened, I actually couldn't confirm it. A Google search didn't reveal any stories or news reports that the restaurant had opened its doors. The Sonic website didn't either, and no official address was available -- although I knew the general area it was located in. (The Facebook page I just found today had announced it, apparently). Yet, people found out where Sonic was and went. Although, I would recommend actually providing addresses of newly-opened locations on your website, Sonic must have been pretty happy they didn't have to.

My conclusion isn't anything radical. Sonic is a unique, branded experience, and it's part of their success. Don't do everything the way it's supposed to be done, and you have done something different. Seems like a pretty basic concept, but for a lot of brands, it's not.

Authoradam stewart | CommentPost a Comment |
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Friday
Jan112008

CES and reducing electronic waste

DateFriday, January 11, 2008 at 3:57PM

I couldn't let the week pass without a mention of CES. But since there's been plenty of coverage of the gadgets, I wanted to instead mention a great post on PSFK calling out the electronics industry for their negative impact on the environment. An excerpt:

Ironically, CES says that it is reducing its own impact on the environment wherever it can - but it doesn’t seem to register that it’s actually contributing to a greater problem than the number of nonrecycled water bottles left over at the end of the show. The fact is that the CES is another gory broadcast of all the products we don’t really need and that we’ll have to replace very soon. It’s fueled by the blogs like Engadget and magazines like Wired that hype the consumption of this plastic-metal and ignore any modern notions towards sustainability. Wired sadly continues to talk double standards - their magazines praise 100mpg cars, their retail projects sell 21mpg cars and their coverage of the CES with 50+ posts, Wired fails to review the show with any eco-concern that can often be found in the pages of its magazine.

It's difficult to say why electronics have been immune to the standards that are now being applied to everything else we buy. The momentum of the digital information age has made the primary concern about functionality, speed and look. The environmental impact of making each model better than its predecessor becomes secondary when a new sexy, sleek device begins being marketed to replace the one you bought less than a year ago. Even as Apple began to re-ascend with the iPod and take their position as an innovation leader, the impact of the toxins used in their devices was overlooked until Greenpeace was able to initialize a Greener Apple. And, to the point made by PSFK, Wired hasn't exactly challenged anyone to make a change in this realm.

Obviously, there are production processes that can be implemented for waste reduction by device manufacturers. But another problem is that companies and retailers do not make it easy to recycle your old devices. I make an effort to find a place for every old device that has been updated, but it usually requires me going out of my way. Sites like Second Rotation and BuyMyTronics are already accepting old devices for cash.

One way to encourage recycling and increase your profile among environmentally-conscious consumers is to offer x% off a new cell phone or plasma TV when they turn in old devices. I'm sure the companies will be smart enough to adjust percentages to ensure they are making a profit -- 5% off a plasma TV is a lot different than 5% off of a cell phone -- but the reality is that they are creating goodwill among environmentally-conscious customers while getting devices that they can reuse/re-furbish and sell back to the consumer, all while reducing the negative impact of their product. Imagine if recycling an old laptop was as easy as redeeming a soda can.

Update: Over the weekend, the NY Times Magazine reported on eWaste in Afterlife of Cellphones.

Authoradam stewart | Comment2 Comments |
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Wednesday
Dec192007

Millennials and the new workplace

DateWednesday, December 19, 2007 at 2:25PM

Broadcast Newsroom (via YPulse) published an excellent speech by Pat Esser on the expectations of Echo Boomers as they enter the job market. Echo Boomers (also called Millennials) number 80 million will soon comprise the majority of the work force, and by 2014, they will dominate the U.S. population. According to Esser, Echo Boomers are "poised to become the most powerful generation thus far".

  • They're confident in their ability to succeed, and they're optimistic about their place in the world.
  • They are collaborative team players, who are able to think, work and achieve in groups.
  • They're practically immune to gender gaps and racial divides.
  • They're smarter than previous generations. Their aptitude test scores are up.
  • They're activists. They want to live and work where it's clean, safe and green.
[...]Echo boomers' propensity to 'hop around' is not necessarily because they don't want to stick with a company long-term, it's just that they get impatient when their needs are not being met quickly enough. As employers, we must recognize that many echo boomers don't mind being on Blackberry all weekend as long as they have flexibility during the week. In a nutshell, an echo boomer's dream job likely includes: social networks; work/life balance; personal growth; work that matters; opportunities to do good; quality of life; and creativity.

But Current Boomers are understandably concerned as a new generation begins to dominate the workplace and consumer landscape. A recent report from 60 Minutes paints a mostly negative picture of the Millennials, challenging their work ethic and attitude, but also conceding that expectations are high in part because of standards their parents have set.

To Millennials like myself, our entry into the work force feels like a changing of the guard. And although many employers recognize this new school mindset, few of them can fully prepare to meet the needs and expectations of Millennials. The companies that do will be the first to really see what types of effects that an Millennials workforce will have on their business.


"Echo Boomers: Changing the Pace and Face of Business" (Broadcast Newsroom)
"The Millennials are Coming" (CBS News)

Authoradam stewart | Comment1 Comment |
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Wednesday
Nov282007

Holiday Consumers Thinking Green

DateWednesday, November 28, 2007 at 12:52PM

Unless you've been underwater for the past year or so, you probably haven't been able to go more than a few hours without hearing or being marketed "green". Some consider it a fad that will go the way of the snap bracelet, but reassurance that green is more than that comes from a recent consumer survey from Cone on holiday buying attitudes:

  • 48% of Americans will buy fewer gifts or holiday products because they are concerned about the effect of their consumption on the environment
  • 59% are more likely to buy green products than they were in the past
  • 54% say they are willing to spend more on green gifts

Holiday shoppers are also seeking products that are energy-efficient, environmentally responsible and made with recycled content. 52% of those surveyed attributed their change in attitude to guilt associated with holiday consumption.

Consumers typically adopt a "more is more" outlook during the holiday retail season. This shift shows that more consumers are adopting a new outlook on what they consume. It will be interesting to see if customers hold true to these ideals as the holiday season reaches its manic peak.


Update: The NY Times has a great article on Americans' cultural struggle to adapt their holiday consumption.
2007 Cone Holiday Environmental Study (via TreeHugger)

Authoradam stewart | CommentPost a Comment |
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