There's been a fresh wave of line extensions amid this recession (Kentucky GRILLED chicken, anyone?), but that still doesn't mean it's a good idea. While reason would seem to dictate that if your category's business is shrinking, you should expand your wares, sound retail marketing insight dictates otherwise, as this excellent article over at Ries' Pieces articulates. Check it out.

The first filmed advertisement aired in 1906, for Sunlight Soap (a Lever product).



Compelling, isn't it?

Talk about media buying! This is the top winner in the outdoor category at the recent Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. Quite the provocative headline, eh? Read the unique campaign's full story here.

Meyer & Wallis is prepared to award $1 million to anyone who can correctly guess the product this spot is advertising before the reveal at the end:




Okay, not really. Especially since I can't figure out how to disable YouTube's displaying the video's name. But this is quite the set-up. Do you think it works?

Recently released photos of the Ahmadinejad Rally in Iran were photoshopped to make the crouds appear larger.

I wonder if the state media has a license for their copy of CS4?

Though we're but a local Milwaukee ad agency, we've had several supermarkets as clients over the years — located throughout the midwest and beyond. You could call retail marketing one of our core competencies.

Anyway, many of them offer private label brands along side the local and national ones. As private labels are less expensive by nature, the recession has caused many to consider them. And a new study indicates that 91% of people who have recently switched to store brands because of the economy think they'll make the switch permanent.

WOW.

now if only supermarkets actively advertised their private labels.

Meyer & Wallis has set up shop in some pretty cool spaces over the years. Our first office was in the oldest building on Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Milwaukee. Twenty years and three offices later, we find ourselves on the corner of Jackson and Mason.

This is the first space we've had that we've been able to build to suit. It's pretty cool. With in-house facilities for everything from media buying to broadcast production, we really are a full service advertising agency.

The first space you enter off the elevators is our reception area.



Behind the hiding receptionist, and below our target logo, you can see a few of the awards we've won over the years.

There are more of these. In fact, we have a couple "walls of intimidation" throughout the place.



And another:



In fact, we've won so many awards, they can be found throughout the agency, anywhere there's shelf space. Like here, with our software manuals:



I'm not trying to brag. It's just that, well, we've won a lot of awards for our work. Anyway...

Our walls are covered in galvanized steel on which we can display our work however we wish.



We've also been known to display some personal "Flair" outside our offices, as well.



The floor really feels like a creative space. Even our common area feels fun and inviting. On the back wall: the famous Meyer & Wallis Christmas Card Retrospective.



And, finally, throughout the agency you'll find these unique displays representing beliefs that our company has been built on:



They remind us why we do what we do, and why we do it better than most.

If you'd ever like to get a closer look at the place, Bob Meyer loves giving tours. Just a warning: he'll probably want to talk about your advertising, too.

Several years ago, there was a supermarket chain here in Milwaukee called Kohl's. It was a higher end food store, and dominated the local market with about 45% market share. That's far more than any one of its competitors. 

The company that ran Kohl's food stores had also recently opened some department stores, also under the name Kohl's. Long story short, ownership of all the Kohl's brands changed hands, and the new management was much more interested in the department stores they had acquired than the food stores. So they started running the food stores almost as an afterthought, devoting no resources or attention to them at all. Within months, market share had plummeted from 45% to about 12%, and public opinion of Kolh's food stores was downright abysmal. People were actually angry over what had happened to the chain.

About this time, Meyer & Wallis (R.L. Meyer Advertising at that time) was asked to help. Bob Meyer's pitch was pretty simple: "You've lost the trust of consumers because you've mislead them. You've changed a store they've come to know and love without any forewarning, and you will continue to hemorrhage customers until you start telling them the truth. I've got a plan that will save this company, but for it to work you have to tell your customers the absolute truth from now on." They agreed.

The first TV spot that aired was much like GM's. It was an apology; an acknowledgement of the trust lost and the expectations unfulfilled. "But give us a couple weeks," the ad asked, "and we'll show you a whole new kind of super market."

Over the next couple weeks, and with our help, Kohl's reevaluated their practices and prices. They got back in touch with what had once made them so popular, and redesigned their stores around these strengths.

The stores reopened as a new TV ad began to air. It rebranded the stores "Kohl's II," and promised a new shopping experience to consumers, combining the high quality they remembered with low prices that might surprise them. Within weeks, Kohl's food store's market share climbed back up to about 21% — nowhere near the 45% they once enjoyed, but almost double where they had been. (As I talked this over with Bob Meyer, he was quick to make an important point here: it's much easier to hang onto market share than to regain it. Getting Kohl's back to 45% market share could have easily taken years, because repairing a brand is a slow process.) After losing money for 10 straight months (sometimes millions per month), Kohl's food stores were able to buy a nearby grocery chain with the sudden and unexpected revenue the campaign helped generate.

Alas, this story does not end well. As happens all too often, management at Kohl's was quicker to credit themselves for the stores' turnaround than our marketing campaign, and cut ties with our agency in favor of a marketing direction they could feel more in charge of.

After losing money year after year, all Kohl's food stores were finally closed in 2003. Nowhere near 12% of the market missed them.

Anyway, there are two morals here: (1) Meyer & Wallis are turnaround specialists. We excel at identifying the unique claims a struggling business can make within their industry and helping them make them in a cost effective yet highly creative way, with the ultimate goal of getting results. Time after time since the Kohl's campaign, we have proven our ability to do this. We'd love to talk with you about it. And yet, (2) No campaign, no matter how effective, can save a brand that isn't willing to match the claims it is making. If a company makes its own advertising claims out to be lies, it has no one to blame but itself if the public picks up on the inconsistencies.

We'll all find out soon enough if GM can match its marketing claims.

When it comes time for us to dream up a retail marketing strategy for your brand, our precise and painstaking brainstorming techniques have not been made well-known. And that's intentional. Sure, everyone knows we like to "think inside the circle." But what does that mean???

Well, the secret's out.

I'd be willing to bet a fair amount of money that you've seen a video of Susan Boyle's first performance on Britain's Got Talent. It's basically the most popular internet video in history, with an untouchable 220 million views since April.

But the company that produces Britain's Got Talent and owns the rights to her performances has struggled to make any profit off of her popularity on the internet. Read the interesting article in the New York Times here.

Interactive Media is a funny thing. We all know the internet is hugely popular, and the place more and more people turn to for fresh content. But they rarely want to pay for it. What to do?

As has been discussed on this blog before, there isn't really a formula for making a viral video. We've seen more than one internet ad agency claim that they can virtually guarantee a viral hit. Even if that's true, ensuring that the effort somehow pays off for the advertiser also matters. A lot.

Meyer & Wallis is a full service advertising agency with the interactive know-how to create hugely "viral" campaigns — even before the help of the internet! (click here) But we also have 40+ years of marketing experience that helps us keep the success and growth of your brand as our top priority. Contact us to find out more.

So have you heard the rumors about the new iPhone coming out in a couple weeks?

If you have, don't thank Apple. They haven't said a word.

Actually, they've been very open about the new version of the operating system the forthcoming phone will run. We pretty much know all the changes the software will introduce. But what about the device itself??

No, long before the rest of the world did, Apple figured out how to turn its customers into evangelical investigative reporters. They've created such a mysterious aura about their secretive product development process that they don't really need to advertise during the run-up to a new product. Their customers do it for them.

There's a story on CNN right now about the new iPhone. And on eWeek. And on CNet. And on hundreds of blogs an Apple fan sites. And each article's content is entirely speculation and investigation about what the new iPhone will be like, because Apple hasn't said a word. They haven't even admitted that a new iPhone is forthcoming.

What if your consumers were so enamored with your company, your brand and your products that they took time out of their busy days to gush with wonder about what you might be up to?Interestingly, whether your customers do this isn't just dependent on the quality or integrity of your products. It also depends on the way your brand is marketed.

So how can you get your customers talking about your brand? Nay, how can you get them evangelizing others, extolling the ________ness (insert your brand's favorite adjective) of your brand? Even this is a question of marketing, and the right advertising agency can help. As I talked about in yesterday's post, sometimes the best advertising is just the truth. And the truth is, there's something true about your brand that isn't true about your competitors. And if you can claim that truth in the clearest, cleverest way possible, people will identify with your claim and your brand.

Apple's claim? "We're the first to think of it and the first to bring it to market. We don't follow, we lead." You can be sure all the fanboys writing about Apple's latest product that doesn't exist yet would love it if people thought the same thing of them — they lead, not follow. They're the first to do something even if no one else is.

What truth about your brand do you need to claim in the marketplace that will rally your customer base around you like never before? That sounds like a conversation we'd love to have. You know how to get in touch with us. (hint ——>)

Bob Meyer, our CEO, has been known to say this about advertising: "When all else fails, tell the truth." At Meyer & Wallis, we'd like to think the strongest story we can tell about your brand is a true one. It' the story most likely to connect with consumers. But this is proving to be more true than ever.

This afternoon, I got a call from my wife at home. A nice young man had come to the door, she said. He represented a home security company, and noticed that our house was on a very visible corner lot. Since they're looking to make their company more visible in our area anyway, his story went, he wanted to offer us a free security system and free installation if we'd just put a little sign representing his company in our front yard.

Since this is 2009, my wife asked him to come back later, so that she and I could "talk about it." And by talk about it, she meant research the company online. And what did we find?

They make the same offer to everyone. Free system and free installation, lovely corner lot or not. You know what else? They're one of the more expensive options out there. You know what else? Customer reviews paint them in a rather "sketchy" light, at best.

It's really, really risky to try to get away with this kind of thing as a retailer these days. Social networking has all but eliminated a large company from pulling the wool over anyone's internet savvy eyes. Now, when he comes back later tonight, I'm going to be more suspicious of his claims than ever.

Sometimes, your strongest marketing message is to just tell the truth. Even if it's not as great as you'd like it to be. If your claim can't be tested (and it will be), it's just not a safe claim anymore.

I recently read an article online (sorry — no link... it was a while ago) about how several mainstay food companies — Kraft, Bird's Eye, etc. — have begun marketing the frugality of their products, complete with recipes for delicious, dirt-cheap meals. They're positioning themselves as fitting right in with the average consumer's concerns in this down economy. And since it's not going anywhere anytime soon, that's really smart (and relatively easy to do when you already sell boxes of macaroni for 89 cents).

But imagine for a moment that you're a different kind of food retailer: a retailer that everyone has come to love — nay, physically depend on, but that was born in an economic climate of excess and personal luxury. Imagine that you're Starbucks.

There's a great article here by Jon Talton of the Seattle Times on the dilemma they find themselves in. He wonders if Starbucks isn't just "an artifact of an economy that's not coming back." Ouch.

You know, it's not just the designer coffee industry that could be easily associated with the boom years of the late 90s and 00s. Everyone from realtors to restauranteurs, jewelers and car dealers are now being looked upon with a suspicious gaze that seems to say, "you want HOW MUCH for THIS?"

I don't have to tell you that this economy has already killed plenty of great companies, along with their great brands. And I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that I've been known to privately predict the fall of Starbucks in hypothetical economic circumstances much like our present.

So what is your brand doing about it? Time is of the essence. Every day that Starbucks adds another gimmicky item to their menu to entice you to get that $6 20-oz. beverage is another day you're getting a McMocha instead.

Meyer & Wallis has been called a turnaround specialist before and loved it. We love taking dying brands — not dying because of the quality of the product but dying because of the industry's changing landscape — and surprising everyone by reviving the brand to become a leader in its category. Don't believe us? Call. We'd love to talk examples with you.

You know how you sometimes get the option of what kind of advertising to watch on hulu.com? That's permission marketing. Ever sign up for an email newsletter? That's permission marketing. Do you subscribe to the RSS feed of this blog? That's permission marketing. Ever heard of the term "Permission Marketing" before? That's Seth Godin, whose book by the same name was first published 10 years ago today.

Before Google, high-speed internet or email marketing were really on anyone's radar, Seth saw a future cluttered with information and advertising messages, and imagined consumers opting in to the offers and messages most appealing to them. Now, permission marketing is a driving force behind almost every "new" idea in marketing, as evidenced by the examples above. To an extent, figuring out permission marketing will mean ensuring the success of your company's marketing strategies for the foreseeable future. And Seth knew that before almost anyone.

You can still go to his book's original site, permission.com, and download the first four chapters of his book for free (which, by the way, his publisher thought was a crazy idea. And yet, he's sold millions of copies of his book).

Meyer & Wallis has extensive experience with permission marketing. We've managed several email marketing campaigns, customer loyalty programs and the like. If you'd give us the permission, we'd love to talk more about it with you today!

When it comes to retail advertising, sometimes reaction time can make all the difference.

My wife is obsessed with Pinkisthenewblog.com. My brother, on the other hand, would rather visit PerezHilton.com. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, these are celebrity gossip websites. They're a big hit with consumers as well as advertisers. And, for the most part, they're a stable and established bunch.

But recently, a new player has emerged. Unlike the aforementioned blogs, this one is run not by an enterprising individual, but by MSN. But, despite its corporate backing, wonderwall.com's look and feel is decidedly cool.


As its name suggests, Wonderwall.com gives you with all the celebrity gossip you can stomach, presented in a mosaic of pictures that expand to reveal an abstract or the full story as you roll over and click then, respectively. The whole site scrolls horizontally, setting its functionality apart from virtually every other celebrity gossip site in a standard vertical blog.

While I have almost no interest whatsoever in celebrity gossip, I found myself poking around wonderwall.com much longer than I planned on. The layout allows you to see many more stories at once than in a vertically scrolling blog, and allows you to read little snippets about each story without clicking to commit to reading the whole thing.

Here at Meyer & Wallis, and especially on this blog, we regularly argue that content drives the internet. Content brings customers to your website. New content will bring them back.

But it also helps to have a slick interface.

Only a few months old, wonderwall.com now ranks 4th in traffic among celebrity gossip sites, and the length of time that visitors spend at wonderwall.com puts other gossip sites to shame.

So it seems that wonderwall.com's winning combination is great, regularly updated content, and a quick, appealing, informative interface. That's harder than you might think, and as an internet ad agency, it's fun to see it done well.

If you're struggling to find the right balance of style and substance to bring new and returning customers to your website, we can help. Click to the right to shoot us an email, or give us a call today.

If you're a parent, there's a good chance you've found yourself in this dilemma: Your little one is begging from the back seat for the latest Bratz doll, but you really need to pick up some penne pasta and marinara sauce for dinner. You only have time for one stop.

Oh, what is a parent to do?

Well, Toys "R" Us thinks they've got a solution for you.

In a move to make shopping more convenient, they are unveiling "R" Market in about half of their US retail locations. Within the "R" Market, you can find cereal, canned goods, beverages, paper towels — anything you might need to pick up in a pinch that could otherwise keep you from visiting Toys "R" Us.

Interesting, hmm? While Toys "R" Us isn't the first retail store to expand their selection past their core products (virtually all Target and Walmart stores now offer a vast selection of foods), it is perhaps one of the most... interesting pairings.

There's no clear segue here, so I'll just put it like this: If you own a regional chain of automotive tire and lube service locations, and you're thinking of adding some integrated bowling alleys and family dental practices, Meyer & Wallis would love to help. At least let us buy your media.

Oh, Convenience, you're an alluring muse. What will you make us think of next?

We're not the smartest bunch, you and I. As consumers, we tend to gravitate towards specific selling angles, even if we haven't completely thought them out.

For example, I've often been in Target and other "Big Box" stores and found some kind of item — let's say t-shirts — "bargain priced" at three for $20. If you look at the tag, however, you may find that each shirt is individually priced at $7.50. If you buy three, you're only saving $2.50. But it sounds good. "3 for $20" just sounds like the original price of the shirts has been drastically rounded down.

In the current economy, retailers are finding that consumers are reacting more to the percentage of the discount than the actual price. They want to know exactly what they are saving.

For example, you might be running a promotion right now, selling an item at $14.99 that regularly sells for $49.99. You might even have big signs proclaiming this deep discount to your customers. The funny thing is, it seems they'd be more likely to make a purchase if you simply told them the item was "70% OFF!!!"

Perhaps our collective math skills ain't so good, or maybe seeing the percent off better prepares us for the inevitable conversation with our better half. ("But honey, it was seventy percent off!") Either way, it's an interesting finding. Read more about it in the New York Times here.

Speaking of deep discounts, did you know Meyer & Wallis can save you money on advertising? Over 40 years, we've developed some special relationships with suppliers, producers, publishers, tv and radio stations. These allow us to keep our costs controlled in ways younger agencies just can't. When it comes to media buying and production costs, we can offer you world-class work at some seriously competitive prices. Get in touch with us to find out more.

Design by Committee:

Stories are flooding the internet of consumers who look right past this container in their search for their beloved Tropicana Orange Juice, consistently mistaking it for a generic store brand. Why? Because it looks like a generic store brand. I'm sure the Arnell Group (the group also responsible for Pepsi's new logo) has plenty of research to suggest that this packaging had broad appeal in focus groups. Vanilla has broad appeal, too. Because it's vanilla.

Whose idea was this? One guy? An entire design team? What do you think they had in mind — current Tropicana consumers and the product they'd come to know and love, or expressing their own ideas about branding via their clients? (Remember the new Pepsi logo?)















Design by Strategy:


This is one of several packaging designs we did for one of our clients, Palermo's pizza. They're a family owned business based right here in Milwaukee, and they make some of the finest frozen pizza money can buy. (And I'm not just saying that. It's good.)

Their pizza is good because it's based on generations-old family recipes from Italy.
What other regional frozen pizza company can make that claim? Probably not a one. So we wanted their packaging to reflect their unique offer — frozen pizza that tastes like authentic pizzeria pizza because it actually is. So the packaging is imbued with subtle, rustic Italian imagery. Nothing groundbreaking, really. Just stubbornly on target. We wanted the package to really suggest the taste of the product and the ethos of the company that makes it.

And what happened in both of these examples? Well, sales of Palermo's Frozen Pizza have pretty much been steadily up since. More than any other regional frozen pizza maker. They've launched in new markets and introduced new pizzas. (There's even reason to suspect other manufacturers have tried to copy their packaging layout and color scheme.) As for Tropicana, they've pulled the new packaging in favor of the old, familiar carton we'd all recognize. That was an expensive experiment!

Here at Meyer & Wallis, we don't just do retail advertising (although you should hear the radio spots we've done for Palermo's). We're also a graphic design company. We're media buyers. And we're good at all this stuff. We won't run an experiment on your brand. Instead, we'll leverage our 40+ years of experience to achieve exactly what you need us to. That's how we roll.