Recently, I’ve been caught up with the Pepsi Refresh Challenge Program; both as an ongoing admirer of great marketing, but also personally because the Cure JM Foundation is trying to win a $250K grant from Pepsi. If you haven’t heard of this program, check it out. And when you check it out, vote for Cure JM. At the bottom of this blog you can learn more about Cure JM’s participation in Pepsi Refresh Challenge.
As a life-long student of marketing, I appreciate how well this program taps the essence of word-of-mouth marketing. People who are passionate about their causes vote everyday and the non-profits who tend to win these grants truly spread the word about Pepsi everyday via email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. The Facebook sign-up process is incredibly easy and lends itself to sharing effortlessly.
With social media that you don’t market too an audience, you market through an audience. So Pepsi has developed the perfect formula for letting very passionate people do their marketing. These people may not even be Pepsi fans. However, they are passionate about their own causes and are extending the Pepsi brand is the result.
There are only three areas I believe Pepsi could improve this program.
1) Communications – I think Pepsi could step-up the communications to those who vote by asking if voters want an opt-in daily reminder email (and link) to vote. For people with the best intentions, life gets busy and they forget to vote. An opt-in reminder would not be intrusive and would reinforce daily that Pepsi is doing great things.
2) Facebook app – It would be great if the app was easier to place on your FB page and if it could also show the other charities you support.
3) Mobile app – I’m floored that Pepsi does not have a terrific mobile app for Pepsi Refresh. Voting is exactly the type of activity one could do while waiting in line…to order a Pepsi. Like “video snacking”, “vote snacking” is a great way to keep people thinking about a brand.
All that said, The Pepsi Refresh Challenge is still a powerful brand building program. I truly hope Pepsi keeps it going into next year.
Below is the Cure JM participation info:
The Cure JM Foundation has entered the Pepsi Refresh Project to win a $250,000 research grant.
NOW WE NEED YOUR VOTE!!
HOW TO VOTE
Please go to: http://www.refresheverything.com/makejmamemory to vote for Cure JM. Click on the grey button that says Vote for this idea. You will be prompted to sign-in. It only takes a minute to register, and after that, click again on Vote for this idea. The Pepsi site will let you know that your vote went through. For the rest of the month, you will follow the same process; although it will be faster because you’ve already registered. You will always be prompted to sign-in, but this only requires your email address and your selected Pepsi Refresh password. You can vote EVERY DAY through July 31st for Cure JM….and each family member (age 13 or over) can vote too.
SPREAD THE WORD
Please spread the word to family, friends and colleagues. Reach out to at least 20 friends to ensure they vote once a day, EVERY DAY, until July 31st. Each family member (age 13 or older) can vote.
Click here for tips on how you can spread the word
MEDIA COVERAGE
Are you friendly with the local news media? Ask if they'll run a story about Cure JM and the Pepsi Refresh challenge.
Cure JM desperately needs this grant to continue funding our research centers and to ultimately find a CURE.
Thanks for your support!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
3 ways to drive local retail promotions with Social Media
Last week, Sarah Needleman published a terrific article in the Wall Street Journal on some new services that make it easier to combine social media and marketing, especially for the local retailer.
She mentioned a bevy of new services that help merchants create one day promotions, but cautioned that some of these services could be expensive if the promo flopped.
1) Groupon Inc.
A Chicago men’s suit retailer used Groupon to run a one day promotion last Fall. During this one day promotion, customers could buy a $95 gift certificate online using Groupon and the retailer would honor that certificate at a $225 value for up to one year. Now the catch was, at least 50 cards needed to be purchased before any would become valid. However, this was not a problem as the company sold 850 gift certificates that day.
The retailer said their promotion was shared all over Twitter and Facebook that day and over half of the cards were purchased by first-time customers. Groupon’s cut was about 50% of the revenue for each card. That sounds high, but assuming there will be “breakage” from unused cards that simply expire and that the retailer can convert at least half of the new customers to returning customers; this promotion set the retailer up nicely for business in the coming year.
2) FourSquare
FourSquare is becoming all the rage with people who what their social media to I.D. where they are when out. Using the FourSquare app downloaded to a smart phone, a FourSquare user can “check in” when at their favorite restaurant or merchant. The more you visit that retailer, the more points you can accumulate; eventually giving you the status of “mayor” of that establishment. Needleman gave the example, a Milwaukee burger joint offering free burger and fries to anyone who “dethroned” its current mayor to become the new mayor. The restaurant also ran a promotion where customer could get a free cookie by posting a recommendation on their FourSquare profiles of a menu item they like or something they do while at the restaurant like play cards.
The concept of this automated tracking is great when it is semi-private between the loyal customer and merchant; think grocery stores, Starbucks, airline programs – and yes, I know it is not completely private as database marketers are tracking your buying habits. However, time will tell if people will stop playing with FourSquare because of sites like Please Rob Me, which largely reveal the whereabouts of FourSquare users not at home…hence "go break into my house."
3) Twitter
Less automated and more like traditional advertising or word-of-mouth are the many shops and restaurants around the country just using Twitter and Facebook to promote their daily lunch specials or upcoming sales. For the most loyal customers, the enticement of a discount or promotion is not necessary. Sometimes just know what is in stock or what’s on the menu is enough. A few months ago, I met Melani Gordon, the founder of http://www.taphunter.com/ which lets micro-breweries tell customers via Twitter and smart phone apps which beers are on tap for the night and when the kegs of a specialty beer run out. She said, she has seen lines of people waiting to get into a micro-brewery for a new beer unveiling, frequently checking the app to see if the keg will still be pouring enough for them to have a few by the time they get through the door.
These days are a Guerrilla Marketers dream. As long as you have a great product or service, a loyal customer based and a good imagination, the sky is the limit. Because as many are learning, with Social Media you don’t market too an audience you market through an audience.
She mentioned a bevy of new services that help merchants create one day promotions, but cautioned that some of these services could be expensive if the promo flopped.
1) Groupon Inc.
A Chicago men’s suit retailer used Groupon to run a one day promotion last Fall. During this one day promotion, customers could buy a $95 gift certificate online using Groupon and the retailer would honor that certificate at a $225 value for up to one year. Now the catch was, at least 50 cards needed to be purchased before any would become valid. However, this was not a problem as the company sold 850 gift certificates that day.
The retailer said their promotion was shared all over Twitter and Facebook that day and over half of the cards were purchased by first-time customers. Groupon’s cut was about 50% of the revenue for each card. That sounds high, but assuming there will be “breakage” from unused cards that simply expire and that the retailer can convert at least half of the new customers to returning customers; this promotion set the retailer up nicely for business in the coming year.
2) FourSquare
FourSquare is becoming all the rage with people who what their social media to I.D. where they are when out. Using the FourSquare app downloaded to a smart phone, a FourSquare user can “check in” when at their favorite restaurant or merchant. The more you visit that retailer, the more points you can accumulate; eventually giving you the status of “mayor” of that establishment. Needleman gave the example, a Milwaukee burger joint offering free burger and fries to anyone who “dethroned” its current mayor to become the new mayor. The restaurant also ran a promotion where customer could get a free cookie by posting a recommendation on their FourSquare profiles of a menu item they like or something they do while at the restaurant like play cards.
The concept of this automated tracking is great when it is semi-private between the loyal customer and merchant; think grocery stores, Starbucks, airline programs – and yes, I know it is not completely private as database marketers are tracking your buying habits. However, time will tell if people will stop playing with FourSquare because of sites like Please Rob Me, which largely reveal the whereabouts of FourSquare users not at home…hence "go break into my house."
3) Twitter
Less automated and more like traditional advertising or word-of-mouth are the many shops and restaurants around the country just using Twitter and Facebook to promote their daily lunch specials or upcoming sales. For the most loyal customers, the enticement of a discount or promotion is not necessary. Sometimes just know what is in stock or what’s on the menu is enough. A few months ago, I met Melani Gordon, the founder of http://www.taphunter.com/ which lets micro-breweries tell customers via Twitter and smart phone apps which beers are on tap for the night and when the kegs of a specialty beer run out. She said, she has seen lines of people waiting to get into a micro-brewery for a new beer unveiling, frequently checking the app to see if the keg will still be pouring enough for them to have a few by the time they get through the door.
These days are a Guerrilla Marketers dream. As long as you have a great product or service, a loyal customer based and a good imagination, the sky is the limit. Because as many are learning, with Social Media you don’t market too an audience you market through an audience.
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