Mike Swenson from Ad Age wrote a great article about cause marketing and how it is surviving in this economy. The article covers valuable points that are applicable to almost any campaign (consumer participation at a lower price point, female customer behavior/purchasing patterns, and cause marketing dollars benefiting nonprofits with shrinking donations). It’s interesting to consider how much the consumer mindset has changed this year. Giving back is a conscious part of our thought process right now because we have an easier time empathizing with people who are in tough situations- much like many of our own. Swenson goes on to discuss what clever advertising agencies, both large and small, are doing to keep their heads (and the heads of their clients) above water these days in his blog below.

When times are tough, cause marketing can make all the difference in a client’s marketing strategy. Mike Swenson, exec VP-chief marketing officer of Kansas City, Mo.-based Barkley, tells why.

If you compare our current economic abyss to a game of “Survivor,” with marketing programs vying to avoid being voted off the island, it appears we have a winner. Cause-related marketing might just be the true survivor in this economy.

Anecdotal evidence is everywhere. Entire ad campaigns by major brands range from simple hints about the good they are doing for society to entire campaigns centered on causes and giving back. At Barkley, we have two clients that made cuts in their marketing budgets but did not stop the development of cause programs set to launch later this year.

The primary reason is consumer demand. Giving back is part of the consumer mind-set now. A perfect example is a study from Opinion Research Corp. telling us that 76% of consumers are willing to pay more at the cash register for environmentally friendly products. This debunks the perception that consumers will buy green only if it doesn’t cost them.

Our most recent Barkley cause survey, done in partnership with PR Week, brings consumer support for cause marketing into even sharper focus when you consider the female consumer. Since women are responsible for more than 80% of all spending, what women want matters to marketers. Two of three women have purchased a brand because it supports a cause they believe in, and three of four have recommended a brand to others for the same reason.

The headlines tell us that philanthropic giving is down during the economic slump. So why is cause marketing surviving? It’s simple: As a person’s disposable income drops, his or her ability to make philanthropic donations drops as well. Cause marketing provides outlets for consumers of all financial means to give back, since most programs carry a modest level of donation.

Simply stated, cause marketing is surviving in this economy because consumers not only want to give back but also can afford to do it through cause-marketing programs. And since we see the mountain of evidence telling us consumers will reward companies that offer cause-marketing programs, the reasons not to make cause a part of the marketing mix are dwindling.

The benefits are numerous for a brand that commits itself to cause marketing. One of the most important is the internal impact of support for a cause. When consumers put on their employee hats, they want to work for companies that care. Two out of three CMOs Barkley surveyed in late 2008 said their cause programs resulted in improved employee morale and retention. That was especially true for employees in their 20s and 30s.

A second benefit is directly linked to the troubled economy. We all know that value pricing has its limits. A competitor can always undercut a price point. Think of value a different way. A brand can hold steady on some prices when it adds value to the purchase, such as support for a cause. Consumers will be willing to pay a bit more if they know the product they purchased will support a good cause.

With consumers living their lives more and more online today, marketers can offer a year-round cause-marketing presence, thus reinforcing their status as brands that care. It also makes it easier for consumers to engage with the brand. Our client Lee Jeans has experienced this firsthand through Lee National Denim Day, which supports the fight against breast cancer. Denim Day began 14 years ago as a workplace program using traditional methods of marketing and communication to spread the word. Today, the entire program exists online at denimday.com, where anyone can form a team, make donations and learn new ways to get engaged in this grass-roots cause program.

Finally, brands engaging in cause marketing can fill a big need in today’s economy. Nonprofits are being hit hard right now, which means the people they serve are being hit harder. Nonprofits are being squeezed from all sides. They have less help from government, foundations, direct donations and volunteers.

Combine that with the fact that companies today are searching for any edge they can find to drive business and grow their brands, and it will bring you to a simple conclusion: Cause marketing will give a brand the edge it is looking for and will help the nonprofits collect much-needed dollars to support their missions.

Brand marketers need to ask themselves a question right now: If your best customer asks you what you stand for, do you have an answer? Cause marketing will help give you that answer.

by Jonathan Marshall

After letting Microsoft and Apple battle and wear each other out with aggressive and targeted advertising campaigns, Google has finally thrown its hat into the ring as a newcomer in the trash talk game. The timing is not surprising as a necessary response to Microsoft’s Bing, and their ad-campaigns that allege consumer dissatisfaction with Google’s keyword-based search engine. The creative advertising round robin is interesting to watch unfold, and further demonstrates the industry dominance that each one of the digital giants have, let alone their collective influence.The Channel Wire published an article that further discusses the reasoning, behind-the-scenes game plan and competitor-focused campaigns below.

Microsoft has spent much of the past year taking shots at competitors through advertisements, and company executives have been crowing about the positive impact this is having on Microsoft’s brand perception. Perhaps that’s why Google is now getting into the act with some Microsoft-focused advertising of its own.

Google on Monday launched a billboard advertising campaign that will highlight the frustrations associated with using Microsoft Office. Over the next four weeks, billboards in Boston, Chicago, New York and San Francisco will illustrate how an anonymous IT managers’ struggles with Office leads him to recommend that his company switch to Google Apps, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Sometime in the second half of 2010, Microsoft will offer Office Web Applications, lightweight versions that run in a Web browser and will be available in advertising-supported or subscription versions. Microsoft hasn’t revealed pricing for the subscription versions yet. Google Apps Premier edition is $50 per user per year, but the Standard edition costs just $10 per year for a domain name. That’s a pretty low bar to match for Microsoft, which has spent years milking the Office cash cow.

This type of advertising isn’t exactly Google’s bailiwick, but the Big Dog in search probably feels a need to respond in some fashion to Microsoft, whose recent slew of Bing advertisements suggest that the poor signal-to-noise ratio of today’s search engines is frustrating to users. Microsoft is also trying to create the impression that Google’s keyword-based search business model is to blame.

Google’s billboards will also focus on the high cost of software upgrades as one of the advantages of using Google Apps. That’s a delicious stroke of irony given Microsoft’s recent efforts to do the same to Apple through its Laptop Hunters campaign. Microsoft has scored points by playing up the higher price tag of Macs, and last month Apple’s lawyers asked Microsoft to change one of the ads to reflect recent price cuts.

Microsoft’s advertising campaign has been expensive, but executives are clearly pleased with the results. And the Apple-focused campaign has been cheered both by shareholders and partners who’ve admitted to feeling a certain queasy feeling every time they saw one of Apple’s brilliant “Get A Mac” spots.

Google may have watched the dynamics between Apple and Microsoft play out and decided to get some skin in the game. And, by using billboards as the medium, the search giant may be looking to get a bigger bang using fewer bucks.

by Jonathan Marshall

As our grandparents and long-lost 9th grade homecoming dates find us on Facebook, I think it makes sense to have a strong understanding of new groups and personalities as they relate to users of social media. I will preface this by saying that some people fall into more than one of the groups that Peter Madden has setup, so there are no limitations. Between myself, co-workers, friends and family- my entire network collectively represents a good cross section of people using Facebook. Peter, who was featured in Advertising Age last week, goes on to further discuss these groups and the categorized personalities that exist on Facebook in his blog below.

So away we go on the top “Lucky Eight” personalities on Facebook, with a little insight for the internet marketing gurus out there on how to approach each type.

1. Super Mom. As Tupac said, we got our name from a woman and our game from a woman. But make no mistake, no one has game like FB moms! Running marathons, running after kids, running a business, going to every sporting event under the sun. They still have time to post photos of the kids doing everything from sitting like a mushroom to throwing a temper tantrum because of a lost pacifier. Man, are they candid, too! Can someone please help me understand why Olivia got up at 4 am AGAIN? Another Soccer Game — aaaaargh! I can’t believe I’m at the Jonas Brothers — Blah! Marketer angle: You better give it to ‘em straight. They don’t have time for fluff. Unless it’s on “Oprah.”

2. The Thing. If they’re into biking, running, sailing, going to concerts or sheep herding, every single update, and I mean every one of them, is going to relate to their one thing. Whatever the activity, I will assume that these people would make flapjacks during their run/bike/sail/etc. if they could. Marketer angle: Unless you have something that is laser-focused on appealing to their thing, making them better at their thing, or the new thing for their thing, fuggedabouit.

3. BraggaBROcious. Don’t let “Bro” confuse you. Men and women alike share this title, given to those who save all updates for incredible adventures that are typically reserved for the wealthy, or the Jonas Brothers. Just bungee jumped in Chile — what a rush! Can’t believe I’m hanging with Jay-Z — he’s taller in person! First-class flight to Vegas here I come! Marketer angle: If it’s going to make them feel like a master/mistress of the universe (even in their own mind), go for it and save no bell or whistle.

4. Emotionally Yours. These types are in search of therapy from their friends. I’m blown away by the honesty! From figuring out or trumpeting their love life, work life or other life, they’re in search of being heard. I just had a total blowout with my husband. Why are people so mean to me? So tired of being used. What a way to wake up! Hello, is anyone listening? Marketer angle: Are you listening? Or are you just part of the noise? Feel their pain/joy and have an answer to get them from A-Z. Or even A-B. Simple, right?

5. Constant Contact. I assume members of this group bring the laptop into the bathroom. They don’t miss a beat, constantly updating on every possible thing they’re feeling, person they’re with, or activity they’re partaking in. Up at 6 a.m. — hello world! It’s 6:05, can’t believe the phone is ringing! 6:07, it was my mom calling — WTF?! 6:09 — guess it’s time for a shower. Marketer angle: These people want to be played with, entertained and engaged (though online only, please). Just make sure that whatever you’re selling is something enhancing their virtual world, because it’s the only one they’re livin’ in, baby.

6. The Drinker/Eater. We know our food and alcohol supply will forever be in danger with this group at the grill/restaurant/bar. The margaritas at the Concord are unreal! Grilling mahi mahi for the Ms. Half price Peroni at the Princeton (never). Marketer angle: If you’re selling anything that can be ingested, fire away. It just better be good or prepare for your dish to be dissed.

7. Honored Mom/Dad. I wish I had grown up with my parents thinking I was the superstar that prevails in parenthood thinking today. Or maybe they had the theory that makes the Irish so tough — let him get his a** kicked and figure it out. Timmy scored 2 goals! Laura painted the best picture I’ve ever seen! So proud of Jamie — what a report card! Marketer angle: Nothing is too good for the super kid in mom and dad’s mind, so let the love fly and make sure you also realize how incredible Junior is. Look out, world!

What will we do with all of these thoughts at the end of the Facebook rainbow? Where do all these thoughts go? Will there be scrapbooks that parents keep of their updates? In any event, there’s a wide world out there, but I still wonder if fans actually convert to real dollars. My jury decided that social media is a part of the marketing pie, though it’s a small one.

by Jonathan Marshall

Charlotte, NC-based advertising agency, BooneOakley uses YouTube’s Video Annotations feature to create an interactive series of videos that serves as the agency’s entire website. On YouTube, the Video Annotations feature allows users to personalize their videos with links to relevant information, or to other videos. Additionally, it can be used to create interactive video narratives, where viewers click to choose the next scene.

Many of the comments from viewers underneath each video describe the BooneOakley series as “the most clever agency website ever.” While I think that is a bit of a stretch, it’s definitely impressive and I have never seen or heard of another agency doing this. If the agency website is on YouTube, on ehas to assume that a huge contribution of many of their campaigns comes from Interactive and Viral mediums. The most popular video in the series, “home page,” has nearly 500,000 views on YouTube.

The videos use linked hotspots on the left side of the screen to provide such typical website elements as tabs. These hotspots are: “work by client,” “work by medium,” “news, bio, etc.” and “contact us.” The animated video is mostly hand-drawn and the three minute “home page” video tells visitors of Billy. Billy is a marketing director, who is told by his boss to seek out a large, trendy and typical agency to create an advertising campaign that ultimately disappoints Billy’s boss. Unfortunately, this leads to him getting fired and then immediately being shot by his wife. Not dramatic at all, but slightly humorous.

“We needed a new way to tell our story, and today the best forum for a story is YouTube, where we can use narration and really crappy animation. As an embeddable video, the new BooneOakley website presents our work in a unique, and also more easily accessible, way. And it can live anywhere that supports YouTube videos, including blogs, other websites, and many cell phones,” says David Oakley, Creative Director.

The idea of putting an entire agency’s website on a series of YouTube videos is clever, but in many ways it limits the company. Clearly there is no comparison when it comes to navigation, usability, and functionality to more typical agency websites, but then again- what is “typical” anymore? While I can’t speak for how well BooneOakley is doing these days, I can say that they have a unique and intriguing idea for how they market themselves- and that clearly has people talking. Especially since they were the first to do it. Thumbs up to BooneOakley for standing out in a creative, innovative and constantly-evolving industry.