Kim Yu Na Goes for the Gold

Later today, the final figure skating competition of this Olympic year will held--with Kim Yu Na of South Korea heavily favoured to win gold.

Whatever the colour of her medal, this skilled skater is already at the gold level for endorsements.

She represents a number of major Korean brands, including Hyundai and Samsung Electronics. She has also appeared in local adverts for dairy products and sweets, among many other goods and services. And Nike and Procter & Gamble have teamed with Kim to endorse some consumer products worldwide.

Given all her deals, Kim is among the highest-paid endorsers of all the 2010 Olympic athletes. Whether she takes first, second or third place tonight in the ladies' figure skating competition, her endorsements are golden and are enhancing the brands of the companies she represents.

The voice of the customer in reviews

Thomas Cook just signed an agreement to add TripAdvisor content to its travel pages. It already publishes reviews by customers who have used Thomas Cook to book travel plans, allowing potential buyers to read what others say before they make a buying decision. This is only the latest indication that the voice of the customer is steadily gaining power and influence.

TripAdvisor is one of many "review" sites popping up to bring consumer views to public attention. Cruise Critic is another example, featuring candid reviews of cruise holidays around the world. Media outlets such as the Telegraph now go beyond professional reviews to offer blogs and discussions about travel destinations and activities. The result: more informed buyers, and more trust in marketers that encourage and post reviews.

Domino's, Snow and Susan Boyle

Turnover and profits at Domino's Pizza are up, thanks to bad weather and Susan Boyle.

Severe winter weather and heavy snow in Europe has encouraged more consumers to order Domino's takeaway pizza.

Challenging economic conditions may have played a role, as well. Consumers are buying cautiously and instead of spending for a big restaurant meal, many choose takeaway for a modest splurge.

Domino's also says its sponsorship of Britain's Got Talent--especially the final, featuring Susan Boyle--was a major factor in increasing turnover. The Domino's brand enjoyed a halo effect by association with BGT . . . and there was a definite sales bump, according to the chief executive:

It's difficult to pull out a figure and attribute that entirely to BGT, but we did have a record week when we had the final, so it does have an effect on sales.

In the US, Domino's is running a "turnaround" campaign to show that it's improving its pizza, adding more herbs, better cheese and a special glaze on the crust. Few firms are willing to publicly admit their products need improvement, so Domino's US approach is a refreshing change and an intriguing campaign.

Burberry's 3D Style

Burberry is using technology to support its repositioning as fashion for the "now" generation, becoming the first fashion house to stream its fashion show live in 3D.

During London Fashion Week, February 19-24, all London designers will have their new styles streamed live.

To see fashion history will be made on February 24, when Burberry shows its latest styles in 3D.

Marketing fashion requires much more than new technology, of course. But the brand's rejuvenation is gaining momentum, in part thanks to Emma Watson as the lead model for its women's fashions.

The Guardian sums up the marketing change with this headline:

Burberry trenchcoat: From jumble sale to heirloom

Buy now, pay how?

Paying for purchases by mobile is nothing new in Japan . . . and another long tradition in that country is ordering something, paying for it at the local 7-Eleven convenience store and picking it up later at the same store (or the store of your choice). This "buy now, pay locally later" option has fueled e-commerce in Japan for more than a decade.

However, micropayments (paying for small purchases, such as for virtual gifts, impulse snack items or beverages) are not as well integrated into customer behavior and retailer routine in other nations.

Now 7-Eleven convenience stores in the United States will accept micropayments for virtual products purchased online to use in Web-based games and sites. The company behind these micropayments is Kwedit.com. One participating site is FooPets and a second is Puzzle Pirates, both geared towards youngsters.

To buy, youngsters print out bar-codes for the virtual items they want, bring the codes to a nearby 7-Eleven store, and pay with cash or another method (parents might be persuaded to pay via cash or credit, for instance). The virtual items are relatively inexpensive and therefore affordable by the younger crowd.

Kwedit's micropayment arrangement with 7-Eleven is being promoted as a way to increase purchasing among potential buyers who want or need to pay by cash only.

How will micropayments evolve in the coming years?

Preview: New edition on the way

The second edition of my Essential Guide to Marketing Planning will be published in May!

Pearson Education just announced the book on Amazon, along with a preview of features and benefits that you can scroll down to read on this page. You'll find detailed step-by-step instructions for creating a practical marketing plan, along with new case studies, new extended examples, and info about the latest marketing trends and concepts.

This new cover has the arrow pointing up--symbolic because a good marketing plan is intended to help companies move forward towards their goals. Please take a look!

Top trends of 2009

The Marketing headline "Top five consumer trends in 2009" was dated 15 December, 2009. Often "top trends" articles are predictions rather than recaps. In this case, Marketing was looking back on the year as it was about to end. These are the top five trends identified by the publication:

1. Decline of trust (I agree, and makes sense in this era of economic instability and frequent corporate/management changes)
2. Credit-crunch chic (frugal was in, conspicuous consumption was out--agreed)
3. Canny consumers (hardly a new trend, but agreed--consumers are still shopping around before buying and they know exactly what the competition is doing)
4. Social networking neurosis (what should brands do about blogs, Twitter, and so on? IMHO, this is not really neurosis but the normal shaking-out of new communications technology)
5. Crowdsourcing (not new but gained more momentum in 2009--agreed)

What would you add to these top trends from last year? I'd add "established brands dominated." Last year, consumers (and retailers) were more interested in the stability and security of established brands than they were in experimenting with unproven products.

As a result, the barrier to entry for new products was higher than ever in 2009. Financially, this made sense. From a marketing perspective, it narrowed the possibilities and opportunities.

I expect the second half of 2010 to be quite crowded with the introduction of many more new products than in the entire 2009 period. The global economy is strengthening, consumers are tired of postponing purchases and retailers need new products to perk up their aisles.