P&G Brands Provide Relief to Those in Need
With all the news, images and heartbreaking videos coming out of Oklahoma, it’s impossible not to be saddened by the devastation left behind after this week’s storms. It is times like these that it’s easy to get distracted by all of the sad news and forget to notice what else comes from natural disasters like this: compassion, support and a helping hand.
Often large national brands and corporations are criticized for being too big and uncaring, but in some cases that couldn’t be farther from the truth, and a great example is Procter & Gamble. P&G is one of the largest consumer goods companies in the world, and it has done a fantastic job creating cause-related marketing through a number of programs. TheTide Loads of Hope, Duracell Power Forward and P&G Relief Center programs help communities by providing basic, but absolutely necessary services during a time of need.
P&G states, “We all know in the wake of a disaster, many of the simple things like clean clothes, a shower and making a phone call to loved ones become difficult. In an effort to restore a sense of normalcy, P&G people and our brands join together to help relief workers and families whose homes, clothing and personal items have been impacted and help to renew a sense of hope in a difficult time.”
It’s hard to understand how comforting such small necessities can become during these times. Below are three of P&G’s most successful relief programs (mentioned above), and more information about what they provide to families and relief workers in need.
Tide Loads of Hope
Tide Loads of Hope started after Hurricane Katrina. Since its inception, Loads of Hope has travelled to 31 different cities (that’s 40,025 miles!) and has helped 27,128 families by washing 35,717 loads of laundry. P&G acknowledges that Loads of Hope has become the pillar of the Tide brand and is now the No. 1 source of traffic to the Tide website.
Duracell Power Forward
We live in a highly connected world, and after a natural disaster, there is both an immediate and ongoing need to stay connected so we know loved ones are safe. But, finding working power outlets in these times can be a challenge. Following in Tide’s lead, Duracell rolled out its Power Forward Community Center in 2010 and more recently, its Rapid Responder, as a way for people in disaster stricken areas to charge their devices and distribute batteries. A marketing executive for Duracell said, “This is what the brand is about – empowering people through devices; connecting their families.”
P&G Relief Center
Staying true to the notion that after a disaster the smallest forms of normalcy can feel comforting, P&G recently launched the P&G Relief Center. This provides those in need of showers or personal items a place to go. The brands that can be found at the Relief Center are: Always, Secret, Pantene, Olay, OralB, Crest, Ivory, Tide, Gain, Duracell, Old Spice, Head & Shoulders, Aussie, Pampers, Mr. Clean, Joy, Dawn, Febreeze, Swiffer, Iams and Eukanuba.
Efforts like P&G’s remind us that even in a world where sad news always seems to overtake our media outlets, there is still a lot of good happening out there. And, it’s not just people in the local communities, but large national brands as well.
Humanitarian, Do-gooder Brands
I started writing today’s post about the recent controversy surrounding Abercrombie & Fitch and the effect on its brand, but I discovered I couldn’t be happier that I’m not a reporter – no matter how I approached it, I couldn’t be objective. A few links surrounding the story are below this post; feel free to make your own conclusions.
So, I decided to turn a negative story into a positive blog post and focus on humanitarian brands – brands that do good, and look good doing it. The following are a few brands I admire for how they represent themselves and what they do.
In January 2011, two young entrepreneurs Dale Partridge and Aaron Chavez got together with the mission of leading a generation toward generosity. With a belief that people mattered, they began a journey to change the world. On June 13, 2011, Sevenly was born. By creating weekly cause campaigns where customers could purchase products that gave $7 to a weekly charity, Sevenly successfully unlocked not only a way to crowd-fund for causes, but to drive massive social awareness as well.
charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. There are 800 million people on the planet who don't have clean water. It's hard to imagine what 800 million people looks like really, but one in nine might be easier. One in nine people in our world doesn't have access to the most basic of human needs. Something we can't imagine going 12 hours without.
We're not offering grand solutions and billion dollar schemes, but instead, simple things that work. Things like freshwater wells, rainwater catchments and sand filters. For about $20 a person, we know how to help millions.
To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also invest directly into treatment and recovery.
As the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) represents a force of more than 1.5 million members and supporters nationwide – all committed to making HRC's vision a reality.
Founded in 1980, HRC advocates on behalf of LGBT Americans, mobilizes grassroots actions in diverse communities, invests strategically to elect fair-minded individuals to office and educates the public about LGBT issues.
Finally, I stumbled across this last week and I find it a beautiful, philanthropic gesture from Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett – what’s even more incredible are those who have joined their pledge and the stories they tell.
The Giving Pledge is an effort to help address society’s most pressing problems by inviting the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to commit to giving more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes either during their lifetime or after their death.
I know there are hundreds more benevolent brands and organizations out there- and personally, I can’t wait to spend my time learning about them. Feel free to share your favorites in the comments!
# # #
As promised, here are the Abercrombie & Fitch story links
- The original interview (from 1/24/06): “The man behind Abercrombie & Fitch,” Salon.com, https://goo.gl/1mBZG
- Greg Karber’s video: “Abercrombie & Fitch Gets a Brand Readjustment #FitchTheHomeless,” YouTube.com, https://goo.gl/Bq6yu
- The story Karber’s video references: “Abercrombie Says It Would Rather Burn Clothes Than Give Them To Poor People,” EliteDaily.com, https://goo.gl/yrp27
- Well-rounded story (IMO): “Half-Naked, All-American Models Won't Be Enough To Keep Abercrombie Afloat,” Business Insider, https://goo.gl/LI0a8
- Finally, just because she’s awesome, here’s Ellen’s take: https://goo.gl/sw0Le
Brands We Love: Publix
Plain and simple, I love Publix. It’s a love affair that‘s going on 20+ years, and with the Florida-based grocer now entering my adopted home state of North Carolina, it’s an affair I don’t see ending anytime soon.
There are so many reasons to love a grocer whose tagline is “where shopping is a pleasure,” but for today’s post, I’m going to discuss two things that make the Publix brand stand out: Its private label brand and its advertising, specifically its holiday commercials.
But first, a little history on Publix.
Publix is an employee-owned supermarket founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins. According to My Private Label Buyer, George was managing a Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Winter Haven, Florida when hard times brought a drop in the store’s sales volume and staff pay cuts. When George learned the owner had sold his store to an Atlanta businessman, he looked forward to a visit from the new owner, but as time passed there was no meeting. So he took initiative and made his way to Atlanta to introduce himself. George never got the face-to-face meeting he hoped for and left Atlanta feeling a bit scorned, but also extremely motivated to start a store of his own, and that store was Publix.
Publix now operates over 1,000 stores in the Southeast. Publix brought in profits of $1.5 billion in 2012 and is ranked #106 on Forbes’ Fortune 500 list. Publix’s accolades don’t stop there though - it’s consistently ranked as one of Fortune’s top 100 Best Companies to work for, and according to a report compiled by Deloitte in 2010, Publix took the top spot on the most valuable retail brands list, even beating out big-time players such as Amazon, Ikea, and H&M.
To learn more about its history, check out this video that a Tampa news station produced for Publix’s 80th anniversary in 2010.
Publix Private Label:
The Publix Private Label brand has a loyal following, and with good reason. Those who regularly shop at Publix know that buying private label means they won’t have to sacrifice quality for price – something that most shoppers might take for granted - because you see, not every private label brand holds their goods to the same standard that Publix does. It’s this sort of standard that has propelled the Publix private label brand to account for 20 percent of all its sales. The Publix private label is projected to have sales of $6.6 billion by 2014.
And the packaging hasn’t hurt the brand’s success either. In 2003, Publix redesigned its private label packaging across all offerings, and now features a clean, simple and prominently white design that clearly separates it from big label brands.
Publix Commercials:
A standard branding “must do” is creating emotional connections with your customers. Do that and you’ll have a greater chance of bringing that customer back time and time again. This is something Publix does better than almost anyone. If you haven’t seen a Publix commercial, you might wonderhow a grocery store can do this? Publix is just another store to get the food I put on my table. That may be true, but you’d be hard pressed to find another brand – in any market – that capitalizes on human emotion more than Publix does. Liz Crawford, senior vice president, business and communications strategy with Mars, a shopper marketing agency, summed it up quite nicely when she said, “Publix conveys this image, particularly in its television advertising, of family and a good meal, it’s almost like love on the table.” There’s a warmth there that any national chain, even the really successful ones, just can’t seem to match. I get the sense that Publix really is lodged in the hearts of its shoppers.”
Grab your box of tissues and check out some the most memorable Publix commercials below.
As Publix begins to extend further north, so will the impact of its brand, and personally, I can't wait to see it in my backyard again.
Branding 101: Product Placement and TV Shows
Branding has become such a general term – a catch-all for everything relating to a brand: names, logos, portfolio organization (we call this architecture), advertising, public relations and marketing. In its purest form, branding is defined as “the promoting of a product or service by identifying it with a particular brand.” So, sticking with this black and white definition, we’re going to focus on the evolution of product placement in television shows.
Historically, product placement could be as simple as the use of Reece’s Pieces in the movie “E.T.” (one of the most memorable examples of product placement), or as obvious as Fed-Ex in the movie, “Cast Away.” Television show equivalents are Carrie Bradshaw’s Apple laptop in “Sex in the City” and the recurring iPhone or Chevy presence in “Glee.”
What’s the evolution of this type of branding? Instead of simply placing a product in a show, it’s actually written into the script. When done well, viewers aren’t hit over the head by the placement, but are, instead, quite pleased with its integration into the storyline. Television viewing has become complicated for brands. And, with the emergence of DVRs and streaming options like Netflix and Hulu, a shift to incorporating products into plots is necessary.
Scripted versus Reality
Scripted television shows have gotten pretty creative when it comes to product placement. A few examples are below.
- Possibly the most famous (or infamous, as the case may be) is “Sex and the City.” The show’s primary focus on fashion and NYC style made brands like Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo household names. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg- Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Versace made multiple appearances as well. And, the show’s incredible success eventually led to a myriad of product placements in the first “Sex in the City” movie.
- Throughout its seven season run, “30 Rock” became somewhat synonymous with product placement. Some endorsements were exceptionally funny, e.g., Verizon, while others were a branding cash cow, like Kraft’s sponsorship of “30 Rock’s” Kraft sponsorship storyline. Talk about product placement coming full circle!
- “Revenge” took product placement and sponsorship to an entirely new level in a November 2012 episode. Target and Nieman Marcus were the ONLY sponsors of the show, and the ads featured a storyline that was a subplot of the main episode, and even included the show’s main characters. “It was a whole new level of integration,” said Jeff Jones, Target’s chief marketer.
Reality versus Scripted
Product placement has absolutely exploded in reality television shows. Check out these examples:
- In a single month, “American Idol” has inundated viewers with more than 200 in-show product appearances. The most notorious placements? Coca-Cola, AT&T Wireless and Ford.
- “Biggest Loser” repeatedly incorporates Subway, Extra Sugar Free Gum, Ziploc and Brita into its programming.
- And, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” leveraged brands for rebuilding homes as well as for family vacations. Examples? Sears, Ford and Disney.
Does product placement really build brand awareness?
Reviews are mixed. Psychologically, the mere exposure effect suggests that people feel a preference for things simply because they are familiar. Need proof? Reese’s Pieces experienced a 65 percent increase in sales after its placement in E.T. So, if you subscribe to this belief, then more equals better for your brand, but viewers don’t always agree. There is a very precarious line that brands have to be careful not to cross, or they may lose some of their followers.
Knowing all of this, here are some final points to ponder: Which brands have you noticed in your favorite TV shows? Does your show handle the product placement well, or do you end up rolling your eyes when you see it?
Sources
Merriam-Webster
“’30 Rock’ Satire of Kraft Sponsorship Is Sponsored by Kraft,” New York Times
“Target, Neiman Marcus Look to 'Revenge' to Launch Anticipated Holiday Collection,” Ad Age
“Product Placement Hits High Gear on ‘American Idol,’ Broadcast’s Top Series for Brand Mentions,” Ad Age
“Mere Exposure Effect,” PsychCentral
“Product Placement Can Be A Lot More Powerful Than We Realize,” Psychology Today
For the Love of Moms
With Mother’s Day this weekend, we found it apropos to focus on how brands capitalize on this holiday to generate buzz and attention.
First off, a little history about Mother’s Day: 150 years ago, Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, organized a day to raise awareness of the poor health conditions in her community, a cause she believed would be best advocated by moms. When she passed away, her daughter began a campaign to memorialize the work of her mom and lobbied prominent businessmen and politicians to create a special day to honor mothers. Nine years later, Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother’s Day as a national holiday.
From its humble beginnings, Mother’s Day has grown into a commercialized, branding free-for-all, and it has become the second most popular holiday for gift-giving, following Christmas. With 85 million moms in the U.S., this influx of gift-giving equals huge market potential and exposure for brands.
So, how are brands leveraging Mother’s Day? Well, most obviously, the sheer amount of promotions, giveaways, deals and sweepstakes being offered this week by florists, jewelers, greeting card companies and restaurants is staggering. But what’s really fun to see are brands joining the conversation in creative ways:
- Building on its recent kid-focused advertising campaign, AT&T has created a microsite allowing people to create a Mother’s Day video card.
- Coach has also introduced a card-making app on its Facebook page.
- Disney/Pixar has released an adorable, Mom-focused trailer for their upcoming “Monsters University” release.
- Planet Fitness is donating its enrollment fees to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (May 8-15). They are also running a Best Mom on the Planet sweepstakes for a chance to win a year membership.
Finally, we love when companies effectively use nostalgia to tell a story – and Mother’s Day is the perfect occasion. These examples show exactly what we mean, and make us love their brands even more. Enjoy!
- Google: Here’s to the Moms
- Publix: Making Pinwheels
- Procter & Gamble: Thank You, Mom
- Johnson & Johnson: You’re Doing OK, Mom!
Sources
Hallmark, U.S. Census Bureau
The Appeal of Shopping Local
Here on brandsalsa and at Addison Whitney, we spend a lot of time talking about big global brands, and with good reason - they’re the most recognizable and impact our daily lives. It is also fascinating to watch brands that have been around for decades develop innovative and creative ways to stay relevant. But, today, we’re paying homage to brands that aren’t global players – and honestly never will be – and, we’re examining the emotional and economic impact these brands and activities on have their communities.
So, why Local Brands?
Emotional Appeal
Where we shop, where we eat and where we have fun -- all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of a city. When someone comes to visit, you don’t take them to the nearest chain, you take them somewhere that you feel shows off something unique.
Local brands, stores and businesses have the ability to create tighter bonds with their communities and it is that connection that makes them attractive to consumers. We love meeting store and restaurant owners and hearing their stories – why they opened, what they love about what they do, who they are. . It gives you a strong sense of pride to know your money will directly help them, their families and continue to drive their passions.
Economic Impact
Aside from the emotional appeal, there are strong economic impacts from shopping local. A recent study by Independent We Stand, an organization dedicated to educating communities on the importance of shopping local, showed that:
• Local businesses reinvest in their local economy 60 percent more than chains.
• Small businesses account for 75percent of all new jobs in this country.
• Small businesses employ over half of all U.S. workers.
In a recent report, the executive director at the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies said the “buy local first campaign helps bring local businesses together to build community health and wealth from the bottom up.” Her organization found that communities with a “buy local” initiative reported revenue growth of 5.6 percent compared to 2.1 percent for the communities who did not have such an initiative.
Learn More:
To learn more about how to support local businesses your community, visit Independent We Stand. Now get out and shop local!
The Secret Ingredient to Naming a Blog
The Secret Ingredient to Naming a Blog
By: Brittany Scott, Verbal Branding Associate
To some, naming your blog may not be the most exciting aspect. However, the name of your blog drives traffic to your site, gives readers an idea of what your site is about, and most importantly, makes your site memorable so readers will come back! So in fact, a name could be one of the most important aspects.
To earn a coveted spot in most users’ bookmark list, your blog name must be either descriptive or memorable (and hopefully both!). Alliteration, word play, and literal meanings can all be employed to create a name that is uniquely yours.
The descriptive name explains the blog’s content so users can quickly understand your blog’s purpose. If you choose to go this route, your ultimate goal is to create a descriptive name that doesn’t fall flat. AutoBlog is a great example. It informs users about the content (everything automotive) while remaining short and memorable. It may not be flashy, but it still gets the job done in a succinct and resourceful way.
Word play is often used in naming to capture the essence of content. Take, for instance, the gaming blog Joystiq, which plays off of the common word “joystick.” While related to old-school gaming, a deeper meaning and trendy spelling makes this name more striking.
Neologisms, or made-up words, are one of the best options for a unique, memorable blog name. Bakerella and Fashionista are examples of ownable terms that hint at content and provide name recognition in a crowded space.
A pun involves a word or phrase that has more than one possible meaning. Buns In My Oven, a cooking blog, takes the literal approach to a common idiom. Girls Just Wanna Have Funds, a personal finance blog, uses a popular song lyric to tackle the often awkward topic of money management. And Watts Up With That? is a blog about energy usage and global warming. If the play on “wattage” wasn’t enough, the fact that the author’s last name is Watts makes this even more clever. Our author succeeded in doubling his word play!
Some blog names are just arbitrary, words chosen at random to capture a feeling or style rather than literal meaning. Gwyneth Paltrow’s site, Goop, is a prime example. A lifestyle blog at heart, the name suggests shampoo, oily stuff, or possibly even gooey desserts. The blog is broad enough to encompass all of these things and more. The name intrigues readers and keeps them tuning in.
Creating a blog that is informative, enjoyable, and trend-setting can be tough. Creating a name that encompasses all that your blog is can be even tougher. But those who do it well will be rewarded with the praise of daily followers. What are some of your favorite blog names?
Follow us on Twitter @AddisonWhitney or join the conversation on Facebook and Google+
The 3% Conference: a phenomenon part II
As promised here is part II of my 3% Conference recap. I hope you all enjoy these posts as much as I enjoyed the actual conference!
GUYS WHO GET IT
During this session, Kat interviewed Tom Jordan and Courtney Buechert on stage. Suffice to say these men do get it. And here I must mention my early morning hours—you’ll see why. My conference day began next to the elevators on the 5th floor of the conference hotel. A man who later turned out to be Tom, one of this session’s panelists, kept up a commentary on the psychology of elevators that had me laughing. When we saw each other on the auditorium floor about 30 minutes later, we pointed at each other and laughed. He is one delightful fellow.
FUTURE OF THE AGENCY WORKPLACE
At this point the first of two breakout periods began. This breakout’s panel of Sally Thornton of Forshay and Will Burns of Ideasicle was moderated by Shelli Strand of STRAND Strategy Partners and covered trends in recruitment and engagement strategies. Will’s description of the unusual structure at Ideasicle was interesting, and Sally, a recruiter for contract projects in marketing and HR, kept me focused on every word.
PAY IT FORWARD: MENTORSHIP
This was the session I moderated. Panelists Nancy Hannon, Kammie McArthur, and Cheeraz Gorman shared their thoughts on mentorship and fielded questions from how to make time to mentor others in an agency environment to how they choose and use their own mentors. With such an engaged audience, much of the session felt more like a warm conversation between the panelists and the women packed into the space. (Standing room only!) One audience member volunteered to mentor another on the spot.
BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE
Nancy Hill of the 4As moderated this session, with panelists including Sam Jhans of Améredia, Jennifer Pozner of Women in Media & News, and Lauren Connolly of BBDO discussing what agencies with the best track record for female leadership do differently. I admired Jenn’s strategy to support those in the minority: she won’t speak at an event if there aren’t other women or non-Caucasian women speaking. During the Q&A, Cindy Gallop took the stage once more to address an audience member’s distress at seeing members of her generation leaving the agency environment. Cindy and Kat brought the house down for a fitting finale to a truly great conference—one I won’t soon forget.
I can’t wait for next year—if I could register now, I would.
Guest blogger Tiffany Jonas manages the Verbal Branding department at Addison Whitney. She spends her days developing taglines and brand names for companies, products, pharmaceutical drugs, clinical trials, and just about anything else you can think of.
The 3% Conference: a phenomenon
In a word, wow.
The 3% Conference in San Francisco last week was the first of its kind. Based on a premise that still shocks me no matter how often I write it—though women are responsible for 80-85% of buying decisions, only 3% of creative directors are female—Kat Gordon of Maternal Instinct brought together creative directors from across the globe for a one-day powwow.
I’ve since talked with several of the women who attended, and the reaction is the same: a sort of positive bedazzlement. Filled to the brim with amazing moments, the conference went by far too quickly.
For me, the most magic was in the positive dynamics between the women themselves. Powerhouses from big-name agencies, women from the Fortune 500, and entrepreneurs alike supported each other and the idea behind the event.
My role was in moderating “Pay It Forward: Mentorship,” and panelists Nancy Hannon of The Martin Agency, Kammie McArthur of Swirl, and Cheeraz Gorman of Alchemy 7 Creative were fantastic. The room was filled with an audience who brought thoughtfulness and energy to the conversation.
Because there are so many good stories to share this recap will be done in two parts, one today and one tomorrow. So without further ado here’s a recap of the conference with personal highlights, and don't forget to also check out a video montage of the 3% Conference.
HIGH COSTS OF LIVING IN A 3% WORLD
A ball of fire led off the day: Cindy Gallop (of TED conference fame) gave the morning keynote. I came away with three key thoughts:
HAVE WE REALLY COME A LONG WAY, BABY?
Joey Cummings of The Joey Company moderated this panel with Susan Hoffman of Wieden+Kennedy, Margaret Johnson of Goodby Silverstein & Partners, and Cynthia Maller of PayPal. I was struck by how fearlessly candid each panelist was:
MISS REPRESENTATION: INTERVIEW
Author Jess Weiner, Dove’s Global Ambassador for Self Esteem, interviewed Jennifer Siebel Newsom, director of the 2011 Sundance documentary Miss Representation. What sticks with me is Jennifer’s tale of prepping for an interview with Rosie O’Donnell along with other women who had appeared in the film. Surprised when she arrived in the green room at the appearance of her cohorts, who had been heavily made up by the show’s makeup artists, her request to have her hair pulled back in a simple ponytail was met with dismay. Special approval, it seemed, was required for a hairstyle considered less than sexy—an ironic blind spot on the part of the network, given the interview topic was to be the exploitation of women in marketing and the media.
OUR OWN WORST ENEMIES
In this, one of the sessions I enjoyed most, Carol Williams of CHWA moderated a panel with Stanford’s Lori Nishiura Mackenzie, executive coach Barbara Mack, Christie Cordes of Ad Recruiter, and Lauren Tucker of The Martin Agency.
NEEDED: MORE CANNES IN CANNES
EMMY-winning creative director Hélène Coté and panelists including Ale Lariu of SheSays and Karen Mallia of the University of South Carolina discussed awards given by guys for ad campaigns created by guys.
LUNCH
A gluten-free treat (thank you, organizers!) awaited us in a sunny courtyard: a delicious salmon lunch. At my table were the superb Ana Blaj of senior care startup ageModern and the super fun Kari Niles of Razorfish, along with five other wonderful women and a lot of lively conversation: Kristi Faulkner and Susan Sabean of Womenkind, Emily Honigsfeld and Christine Gault of Colle+McVoy, and Ann Lehman of the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women.
I hope you've enjoyed what you've read so far, and check back tomorrow to hear more about this great conference. It only gets better from here!
Contributed by Tiffany Jonas.
Guest blogger Tiffany Jonas manages the Verbal Branding department at Addison Whitney. She spends her days developing taglines and brand names for companies, products, pharmaceutical drugs, clinical trials, and just about anything else you can think of.
Birchbox Delivers Brand Satisfaction
They say good things come in small packages. With products ranging from Luna bars, perfume, earbuds, green tea and mascara, brands are seizing the opportunity to distribute product samples in a little package called, Birchbox.
Birchbox.com, is a subscription-based service that delivers a monthly box of beauty samples to your door for a small fee of $10 a month. This NYC centered business was founded by Katia Beauchamp and fellow Harvard alum Haley Barna in 2010. Birchbox chooses products based on a beauty profile you complete when you sign up. From a brand’s perspective, this is a way to upsell existing customers and to acquire new customers by putting the product in front of them that they may not otherwise have been exposed to. A recent box brought me a fun colored nail polish, Kate Spade perfume and a delicious-smelling hand cream. I was so excited to receive my box of goodies, it felt like Christmas as I opened it! In my opinion, Birchbox satisfied me as a customer as it delivered products that I currently use and a few I hadn’t experienced before. I loved the hand cream and bought it on the Birchbox website once my sample size diminished. Bottom line, both Birchbox and the brands benefitted from my purchase that day!
Birchbox has been on the market for two years and has seen rapid growth, both with new female consumers and new business partners, such as major brands like Kiehl’s and NARS. It offers a way for big brands to get their products into the hands of young, e-happy customers with money to spend. Over 200 brands have joined Birchbox because they see the benefit of pushing their products to female consumers each month. Brands such as Elizabeth Arden are scrambling to give away samples to Birchbox’s more than 100,000 subscribers as they see the value in distributing their products to females who love a new beauty item to brag about.
The startup has been so successful gaining female consumers that Birchbox Man launched in April 2012. Now, guys can sign up and, for $20 a month, get their own “Birchboxes.” Products shipped in the boxes will include shaving cream, cologne, headphones and watches, with more lifestyle and tech items planned for the future.
Birchbox is a place where brands can find new customers and engage with them in a very intimate environment-their homes. This subscription-based system introduces customers to small and large brands, helps smaller companies start to find their consumer base, and larger companies find new audiences.
For a small fee and new products shipped to your door each month, would you sign up for Birchbox?
