Fraud awareness month

Stephen Fry is the new face of an anti-fraud campaign, 'The devil's in your details', warning social media users about disclosing personal and financial details. Find the campaign on Facebook and YouTube.

March is Fraud Awareness Month, so Canadian media are looking at various aspects, including protection plans. In the US, identity theft is increasing as more people log onto social media via mobile, tablet or other digital device.

Interestingly, a recent report indicates that UK credit card fraud is at 10-year low, with cheque and phone scams on the rise instead.

What to do? Don't post too much personal information; keep all operating systems and anti-virus software updated; and be alert to possible scams of all sorts.

The season of low-fare airlines

With consumers getting their spring and summer travel plans ready, low-fare airlines are in the news again. How low can their fares really go? Given the high price of jet fuel, "low" is meant to contrast with the higher fares, more extensive schedules and higher service levels of established airlines.

Iberia Express, a startup (left) owned by the company that also owns British Airways, will initially fly from Madrid to cities within Spain, with one-way fares as low as £21.

Because budget airline Ryanair is currently the market leader (by number of passengers carried) among airlines operating in Spain, Iberia Express offers an opportunity to compete in a price-conscious environment.

Alitalia's Air One budget subsidiary (right), just entering its third year of operation, is ready to fly to and from Marco Polo Airport in Venice, an expansion timed for the peak summer travel season. It already serves Milan and Pisa, but the Venice expansion allows Air One to serve new international routes with low fares.

If jet fuel prices stay high and competition forces ever-lower fares, will these budget airlines be able to compete over the long run?

Marketing Harris Tweed

"Harris Tweed" is a special designation to be shown only on products made from cloth handwoven by islanders of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra using pure virgin wool from the Outer Hebrides.

When the parent company of fast-fashion retailer Zara mistakenly suggested that a blazer was made from Harris Tweed, the Harris Tweed Authority pursued the matter until Zara apologised and corrected its error.

Demand for Harris Tweed has been rising, especially in brand-conscious Asian countries. Last year, Harris Tweed Hebrides was unable to meet the strong demand, and it anticipates another record year in 2012. By the way, the company has a Facebook presence and other social media accounts, adding a 21st century flavour to a young company marketing a product made from materials that are rooted in old traditions.

How can Tesco win back customers?

Tesco's Big Price Drop scheme didn't win it enough customers to prevent 2011 loss of market  share to ASDA and other rivals. In fact, Tesco reported its worst Christmas sales results of the past 20 years. So its boss, Philip Clarke, is reportedly returning to the aisles to gain insights from shopper interaction, as Tesco's UK head leaves the company.

Marketing Week suggests that Tesco pursue a bold branding approach, which is a good idea.

But Nielsen, which tracks shopper purchasing and store sales, also says the Big Price Drop has started to show results in recent weeks. Yet Nielsen notes that price-sensitive customers must become loyal customers for this strategy to have long-term success: 

'Shopper promiscuity continues, with nearly all retailers seeing a small growth in their shopper numbers, but the challenge now is for them to convert this footfall into increased sales.'

Meanwhile, Tesco's price-cutting was in the headlines a few days ago, when the new Apple iPad was briefly offered for £49.99 on the store's site (see below). The offer was quickly withdrawn, with Tesco citing IT error, and nobody was able to buy at this obviously low price. One expert wonders: 'Was this a convenient error or a fantastic strategy from an online genius?'

Marketing and trust

Marketing Week has an interesting article today, asking: 'Can marketing overcome its trust issues?' Unilever's Marc Mathieu argues that customers want to be involved with brands and want ideas they can believe in. Mathieu's background with Coca-Cola, in branding and sustainability, gives him a good perspective.

Yet in recent years, consumers have often felt wary of marketing, distrustful of possible manipulation and concerned about corporate greed. At the same time, they prefer to trust product information and reviews from other consumers more than what marketers say. No wonder so many marketers are encouraging reviews on brand web sites and opening Facebook forums to encourage discussion among consumers.

Marketers must remember that building authenticity and reinforcing trustworthiness is a long-term goal--and trust may be seriously damaged by one thoughtless marketing action or when a product is recalled.

Car Brands Accelerate Sales in Brazil

Brazil's fast-growing middle class is an attractive target market for many well-known car brands, from Japan's Nissan to Germany's VW. Here's a brief look at what some brands are doing in the Brazilian market:

• Nissan raised brand awareness and increased sales with its viral video for the Frontier truck, which has ponies (horsepower) under the bonnet. It is now looking at reviving its Datsun brand (which was dropped 30 years ago) for emerging markets.
• Volkswagen's new diesel Beetle is selling well, not just because of its fuel efficiency but also because of its sleek redesign.
• Chrysler is opening parts-distribution plants to support sales of its cars and trucks in Brazil.
• Renault is speeding ahead in Brazil, where it aims to achieve 8 percent market share before 2016.

Your chocolate personality is...

What's your chocolate personality? Nestle will help you discover it and customise collections of luxury chocolates to your taste, under its upmarket Maison Cailler brand.

Adapting the customisation strategy that has made Nespresso into a major international coffee brand, parent company Nestle wants to help you find the exact choco flavours you like, send you a sampler to test, profile your preferences and then encourage you to buy your customised boxes of Swiss-made chocolates on a regular schedule.

For now, Maison Cailler will be online only, serving two European countries with expansion plans to follow. Or you can visit its retail boutique in Switzerland at the newly-opened Maison Callier chocolate centre, which offers tours and even a chocolate train.

From 23 March: 'Hunger Games' Movie

The first Hunger Games book in Suzanne Collins' trilogy will be in movie theatres from 23 March, although the London premiere will take place on 14 March. Catching Fire, book #2, will be in movie theatres starting in November, 2013.

Also, tie-in items (such as the 'movie edition' of the original book) have been out for some time, as this shows.

More than 88,000 fans are following the Facebook page. Many, many fewer are following the Twitter account. May the odds be ever in your favour.