We probably should file this week’s AH-ha! in the file marked “Dumb Things That Smart People Do.”
The New York Times published a lengthy story on its website last Thursday about “How Companies Learn Your Secrets” and it sort-of let the cat out of the bag, explaining how mega retailer Target is using your shopping data to market to you. For those of us in the direct marketing space, this is not news. Continue Reading…
Chrysler’s “It’s Halftime in America” 2-minute-long inspirational tribute to America’s spirit with Clint Eastwood didn’t make the top five Super Bowl ads but it resonated with us last week. We debated whether it was a political statement, whether it was politically blue or red, and we were unable to decide. We did decide that it was a powerful communication and probably won’t sell any cars. That’s disappointing because beyond building image, the goal of marketing is to influence the next sale. This ad did neither. Continue Reading…
Cohorts has been a favorite term for marketers and market researchers to group like-minded and like-thinking consumers together. It simplified the older idea that “birds of a feather flock together.” I learned that in my first market research class back in the 60s.
Today, many marketing teams rely on a cohorts strategy to segment consumers into groups, such as financial cohorts, economic cohorts, social cohorts, generational cohorts and a new one, Hispanic cohorts. This week’s AH-ha! moment suggests that marketers may be putting too much reliance on a cohorts application to build a marketing strategy. Continue Reading…