Imagine what you could do if you could combine the science behind successful direct marketing with the power of personal influence and advocacy in social media?  That’d be pretty powerful. And it would make counting “likes” to show your success seem a little silly.

Well, you can do it right now.  Download our newest ebook “To Sell in Social, Stop Getting “Likes” and Start Building Advocacy” for a guide on taking a direct marketing approach to social media.  Social marketing doesn’t have to be all about “likes” – it can build the authentic, influential advocacy that influences others and drives sales.  It just requires a direct marketing approach.  A lot of what direct marketers have perfected from precise audience targeting, message customization, call to action testing, and sales and ROI measurement can be apply right here in social media.

Here’s how you do it. Download this new ebook for ideas that’ll add a sales turbo charge your social media marketing machine.

As usual, Seth’s argument is sound. But it’s also not the whole story. Sampling done the right way can be very powerful for businesses. If you are very targeted in who you give samples to, offer a feedback mechanism to hear what those people think of the product, and measure the heck out of resulting sales, then you’ve created some real value.

Sampling is powerful. Make sure you do it the right way.

Peter explained that shopper marketing has been around a very long time. The focus was always about the store and how signage and promotions can influence purchase.  But that all changed a couple years ago.  The recession was roaring and it created a new breed of value-seeking shoppers. At the same, millennials were coming of age.  Millennials are digital natives – they grew up with web access relied on it for everything.  Their influence showed new groups of consumers how to compare prices, share offers, find reviews and discuss purchase decisions with others all across the web. The Internet became a powerful influence on the path to purchase.

Marketers have responded. Their shopper marketing programs now embrace digital coupons, online promotions, and advocacy. It’s created a “drafting effect” that has a direct impact on brick and mortar sales. Social networks can now introduce a new product to millions of people and encourage them to share personal reviews and recommendations with their own groups of friends and followers.  That’s a phenomenon many marketers didn’t even consider just a few short years ago.

Personally, I think there’s never been a better time to be in shopper marketing. Here’s Peter’s presentation.

Lynn shared some of her insights on the trends in CPG now. I’ve summarized them here, and a recording of her session is embedded below.

Over 40,000 new CPG products are launched each year.  By most estimations, 80% of those will fail.  For a product to succeed, the team behind it must have a strong understanding of the consumer and the current trends influencing their thinking. Here are the 5 trends Lynn shared in her presentation.

1. Wellness is Inescapable

Wellness is everywhere in CPG products. It’s more than just eating right, it’s about achieving spiritual, mental and emotional health.  These live better / well-being messages show up in every product category and they appeal to almost all consumers.  Lynn suggests that CPG marketers should think about how their products fit into wellness ideals, regardless of the category you are in.

2. Authenticity of Where

Consumers want to know where their products come from and why it’s significant. It’s all around us – Florida orange juice, California raisins, Idaho potatoes, Maine lobsters, and Maryland crabs. In each of those examples, the location implies a certain quality that can’t be found elsewhere. Lynn says it’s today’s version of buying local and she points to craft beers as a perfect example.  Craft beer brands have strong connection to their place of origination.  Lynn recommends marketers use their heritage and make sure consumers understand why it’s important.

3. Mainstreaming Natural

All-natural has become all-too-common.  Consumers have become skeptical about the all-natural label.  Without regulation, claims have been stretched and exaggerated to the point where they’ve lost credibility. So marketers are now talking specifically about the attributes of the product’s ingredients. Natural isn’t just about premium prices any more. Walmart has an all-natural product line that makes it accessible to everyone.

4. Value is for Everyone

Speaking of Walmart, there’s been a rapid expansion of value brands.  But it’s not just about the lowest price. Products with multi-serve sizes offer lower per serving costs. We are seeing premium products in value channels and value is popular in premium channels. Lynn calls value a “situational benefit” and any company can play in the space.

5. Phoenix Brands

Sometime the best inventions are re-inventions. Older brands that stay true to their core values can be reinvented for another chance at success.  Lynn suggests that marketers look at failing products to see how they can be reinvigorated.

Just take a look at Tide Pods.  These portable laundry detergent capsules were the sensation of the Hypeworthies. It was the near unanimous favorite among judges in the Household Products category and it received the People’s Choice award with more consumer social media votes than any other product.

But this isn’t a new idea.  Tide first came out with a detergent capsule back in 2000 and it failed quickly. The design was flawed – the shell of the capsule required hot water and it didn’t always dissolve completely.  It was creating a laundry room mess, which was exactly the problem it was looking to solve.  Tide didn’t give up. After 8 years, 450 product sketches, 6,000 consumer tests and hundreds of millions of dollars, the product was reinvented as Tide Pods…and it has been cleaning up in the category.

Winners included a cake flavored vodka, peanut butter flavored cereal, a candy that changes flavors as you eat it, and an Italian parmesan breadcrumbs mix.  Now that’s a meal.  Here’s all the winners:

• Alcohol – Pinnacle Vodka, Cake Flavor (Beam)
• Baby – Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash (The Clorox Company)
• Beverages – V8 V-Fusion, Strawberry Banana Smoothie (The Campbell Soup Company)
• Candy – Starburst Flavor Morph™ (Wrigley/Mars, Inc.)
• Coffee – International Delight Iced Coffee, Mocha (Dean Foods)
• Cooking – Kraft Fresh Take Cheese Breadcrumb Mix, Italian Parmesan Recipe (Kraft Foods)
• Cosmetics – Garnier Skin Renew, Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream (L’Oreal)
• Diet – Skinny Cow™ Dreamy Clusters (Nestle)
• Household – Tide Pods, Mystic Forest (P&G)
• Packaged Foods – Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter (General Mills)
• Personal Care – Crest 3D White Vivid Toothpaste (P&G)
• Pets – Beneful Healthy Fiesta Dry Dog Food (Nestle/Purina)
• Snacks – Ritz Crackerfuls, (Kraft Foods/Nabisco)

If there was a big winner of the show, it had to be Tide Pods. This product connected with everyone. Judges loved it. It won the Household products category by a landslide. And consumers couldn’t stop raving about it. It received the most social media votes of any of the 78 products nominated, earning it the coveted “People’s Choice Award”.

The online ceremony featured keynotes from Lynn Dornblaser of Mintel and Peter Hoyt, the founder of the Path to Purchase Institute. Lynn shared the top 5 trends she in CPG products and Peter discussed the state of shopper marketing today. A variety of guests from all walks of supermarket life joined for the event to announce the winners. Check out the replay of the event in the player above.

Thanks to the judges, all you who voted, and everyone who helped make the first ever Hypeworthies such a great success.

New data from Nielsen’s “Global Trust in Advertising Survey” finds that the number of people trusting earned media most has risen 18% since 2007.  That puts it way up at 92% now.  Looking specifically at consumer reviews shared online, the study shows that trust in these posts have jumped 15% in that time.  Not too shabby.

Guess where this growth came from? Since 2009, confidence in TV has fallen 24%, magazines have dropped 20%, and newspapers are down 25%.  Considering they were dropping pretty fast back then, we are in very low territory.  Nielsen says the continued proliferation of media messages is having a negative impact on how well they are resonating.  Randall Beard, global head of Advertiser Solutions at Nielsen said “successful brand advertisers will seek ways to better connect with consumers and leverage their goodwill in the form of consumer feedback and experiences.”

And that’s coming from the guy in charge of selling advertising products.

I think it’s safe to say you don’t have to worry about talk of social media burnout or social media losing its effectiveness. It’s not. Social media’s been around for years and the influence of peer recommendations continues to rise.  It’s all in how you tap into it.  Focusing on building Facebook “likes” doesn’t get anyone talking about products.  The focus has to be on building advocacy.  If your audience is losing trust and confidence in advertising, shouldn’t you?

Joining us for the event is a panel of expert judges, well versed in emerging trends in the supermarket product category. They’ll share knowledge around the rising stars among the nominees in each product category, guiding us toward winning factors that make these products stand out in a crowd.

This year’s judges include:

Sign up now to save your spot for the big reveal. And don’t forget—you’ve still got time to cast your vote!

She chose Dave Balter.  Sarah did such a great job capturing the story behind Dave’s personal journey as the founder of BzzAgent, we thought we’d share her article here. Great job Sarah, you have a brilliant future as a journalist!

Through the Grapevine: Dave Balter and the ‘Bzz’ of Word-of-Mouth Marketing

By Sarah Marston

How do you get 2,000 marketing campaigns to reach more than 400 million consumers, using mostly volunteers to spread the word? If you’re Dave Balter, it takes a village of 800,000.

Balter is the founder and CEO of Boston-based BzzAgent.com, an ethically conscious, international network of consumers who voluntarily participate in word-of-mouth programs to promote a variety of products and services.

Companies and manufacturers – including the likes of Dunkin’ Donuts, Nestle, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Disney, Kraft Foods, L’Oréal and Dove – hire BzzAgent to market specific products through social media. BzzAgent then deploys its “Agents,” a network of more than 800,000 volunteer marketers, to try the products and share their honest opinions online.

“If you’d said to me 10 years ago, ‘Hey, what about creating a company to help retailers to get real people [as marketers]?’ I would have said, ‘What are you talking about, that’s crazy,’ ” Balter reflects, sitting at his desk in BzzAgent’s South End office. “But business has evolved.”

BzzAgent was founded by Balter in 2001 with no capital and initially had to offer its services for free. Since its humble beginnings, it has used innovative marketing strategies and old-fashioned resourcefulness to become a pioneer in the word-of-mouth marketing industry. The company was acquired last year by dunnhumby Ltd., a subsidiary of giant U.K. retailer Tesco, in a deal valued at approximately $60 million.

The company’s trailblazing spirit extends beyond its marketing strategy. When BzzAgent launched, there was no ethical code in place for word-of-mouth marketing. Balter has since co-founded the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to the responsible development of such marketing practices.

It all started with Balter’s simple marketing idea: That great things happen when you give people the chance to talk.

‘Like a Lightning Bolt’

Balter worked as a marketer in corporate America for a few years before venturing out on his own in 1996 and founding two promotional agencies, Retro-Fit Merchandising and 360merch. After selling both companies in 2001, he was ready for a new challenge. He was reading about mobile companies when a colleague came into his office, gushing about a book he had just read.

When the colleague left his office, Balter wondered: Why would this guy rave to me like this? “He ran into my office, he pitched me the book like a product,” Balter recalls. “And it just struck me like a lightning bolt: If companies could do this, harness a bunch of people to [pitch like this], it would be amazing.”

He put his research book on mobile companies in a drawer that same day, and started to create BzzAgent. After approaching nearly 200 investors with his word-of-mouth marketing idea and not securing a dime of capital, Balter decided he needed to take a different approach.

He threw the $30,000 he had from the sale of his old companies into the new project, and adopted a new strategy. “We went out to a whole bunch of companies and offered the service for free,” he says, smiling.

Out of the five companies he approached, only one said yes: The Penguin Group. And so BzzAgent took on its first marketing campaign for the 2002 novel, The Frog King.

“We had no money, we had Penguin as a free client, and so we proved to them that this could actually work,” Balter says. “We got 400 buzz agents to try the book and tell others about it.”

BzzAgent grew slowly but steadily, building up its client base. Nearly three years later, with about $3 million in sales under its belt, the business began to make profit.

“The way people build companies now, at least in the start-up world, is really different,” Balter explains. “Then, it was: We’re not going to take any money, we’re actually going to sell stuff to clients, and if they buy it, then we’ve got a good company. This isn’t how it happens today. Today, it’s: We’ve got a great idea, who are we going to raise money from? If we can’t raise money, there’s no company.”

‘There Was No Standard’

BzzAgent Senior Vice-President Malcolm Faulds describes Balter as an innovator: “Dave has a unique talent for identifying new market opportunities and energizing teams to pioneer those opportunities.”

Balter’s groundbreaking efforts also extend to ethical concerns. When he embarked on BzzAgent, there was no ethical code in place for word-of-mouth marketing. Many marketing companies sent people out to push products without disclosing their affiliations.

“There was no standard, and the previous way of thinking about businesses like these was to actually fool people,” Balter says. “As this business started to take shape, there was a lot of negativity towards us. We weren’t doing that, but … we were lumped into that. But we take real opinions, and let people talk about them.”

Early on, it became clear to Balter that a code of conduct was needed for the industry. It started as a non-legal code of ethics on the BzzAgent website, with such transparency rules for buzz agents as: “You will always be authentic.”

As the BzzAgent code of ethics began to grow, Balter joined forces with Pete Blackshaw, chief marketing officer of Intelliseek, and Jonathan Carson, president and CEO of BuzzMetrics, to formalize industry standards. Together, in 2004 they founded the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA).

The non-profit organization works to develop and maintain appropriate ethical standards for marketers and advertisers engaging in word-of-mouth marketing practices, identify meaningful measurement standards for such marketing practices, and define “best practices” for the industry.

“WOMMA took our code and made it much more industry-encompassing, strengthened the words, made it feel real,” Balter says. “Now you had a governing body saying, this is the way to do things. … That totally reset the stage for the industry because now you had some other company that was saying what to do, and how to do it right.”

‘Aren’t We a Start-Up?’

Just as ethical guidelines fortify BzzAgent’s culture of transformative thinking, the company’s physical office space nurtures innovation through creative collaboration.

In 2009, when a lot of people were getting laid off during the economic recession, BzzAgent opened its doors to people who wanted space to work on their own projects. Since then, the office’s extra workspace has evolved into a sort of “mini incubator” for several Boston start-up companies. Current companies sharing BzzAgent’s space include: Smarterer, ProctorCam, Help Scout, Alphabet Arm Design, Eat Boston, PromoBoxx, the Artist in Residence and, launching in April, a new business called Intelligently.

“In the early days, we were this young, crazy up-start,” Balter says. “And then as we matured, as we raised capital, I felt this pull. Why are people going home at 6 p.m.? Aren’t we a start-up? We have so much work to do. As my way of holding onto the idea that we were a start-up culture, we started letting other companies spend time here.”

The result has been very symbiotic. Start-up companies see BzzAgent in action, and get a glimpse of what it’s like to grow into a mature business. In return, Balter’s employees are motivated by the start-up workers’ energy, work ethic and new ideas.

“Every day is different!” quips Marie Bova, Balter’s executive assistant.

‘That Retail World’

Today, BzzAgent continues to adapt as the word-of-mouth business keeps pace with social media channels, translating online discussion of products into purchasing power.

“In the past year, we’ve been pioneering the intersection of retail marketing and social media,” Faulds says. “This is huge territory and tremendously exciting.”

“Like any industry, this one has evolved,” Balter says. “We’re now owned by dunnhumby. I can now engage a variety of real consumers to have brand experiences, and then they share that with their peers [online] and offline. … Those people are now purchasing products in store at retail [prices]. Where we really evolved to is right into that retail world.”

In other words, by working with dunnhumby and Tesco’s other manufacturing partners, BzzAgent has become part of a major retail playground. Combine that retail advantage with inventive promotional techniques, moral high ground and creative office space, and BzzAgent becomes a serious marketing player.

“We’ve taken this idea of real people talking to others and creating impact, and we’ve tied it right to in-store purchase and to retail,” Balter says. “Retailers need to use social media to create return, and we live in that space.”

Only one method, the analysis of sales revenue generated relative to the program investment, delivers ROI in the way it is meant to be measured –  in financial terms. If you think of that as the center of the measurement universe, here’s how the rest of the social measurement solar system might look:

Buzz is right! Check out the Online Buzz chart below, where Skinnygirl Sangria (dark blue) is bursting with buzz and picking up steam. Consumers can’t stop complementing this delicious new drink. From a show to a food line to a brand new beverage, Bethenny Frankel has the magic touch!

Skinnygirl Sangria isn’t alone on in shoppers’ carts–Donna Hood Crecca, Senior Director at Technomic, notes, “Among the fastest growing spirits brands, we see a definite shift toward sweet and also spicy flavors, with flavored vodka, rum and whiskey products gaining speed.” The Hypeworthies voters are right on-trend, with flavored favorites and sweet treats, Smirnoff Coconut Vodka, Pinnacle Cake Vodka, Patron XO Cafe Coffee Liqueur, Parrot Bay Freeze & Squeeze Mango Daiquiri Tropical Malt Drink, and Smirnoff Signature Screwdriver all making the final cut!

Who doesn’t love to hit happy hour for a Hurricane or settle into a sunset with a Skinnygirl Sangria? It’s five o’ clock somewhere, right?! Well, it’s definitely time to cast your vote for The Hypeworthies!

Consumers are now voting on the finalists in each category through social media and sharing thoughts on why the product should win. With over 50,000 social votes cast so far, it’s clear that these products can get people excited. At the end of April, an esteemed panel of judges from several top marketing and research firms will review all the entries and announce the winners during a live event on May 3. It’s kinda like American Idol for groceries without creepy comments from Steven Tyler. Got it dawg?

It’s fascinating to see what products are hot in shopping carts across the country right now. A few of these new gems have started generating hype in my household now. But what’s most interesting is what this array of products tells us about the current trends shaping shopper behaviors today. Looking at all the products nominated for the Hypeworthies, the following three shopping trends emerge.

1. Heart Healthy

The most common attribute across all the Hypeworthies finalists is health. We have an entire category just for diet-friendly foods, but skinny, low-fat, light, multigrain and diet show up in almost every category. Some of the personal care products are organic and even our pets are eating like they are training for a marathon.

Decadent treats like Hershey’s Pieces are generating a lot of discussion, but most of the other candy products are Skinny Cow and all natural.

Americans are obsessed with healthy eating. The Food Marketing Institute reports that about half (46%) of food shoppers are very concerned about the nutrient content of their food. This number has risen 5% in the past 2 years. This is especially true among women. According to Mintel, women in all age groups are highly likely to say that living a healthy lifestyle is important to them. As they age, women say the importance of living a healthy lifestyle increases. Makes that Skinnygirl Sangria nominated in the alcoholic beverages category sound even more appealing right now, doesn’t it?

2. Traditional Fruit Flavors

The second most common Hypeworthies trend is fruit flavoring. You might think this is somewhat related to the health point above, but it’s not. This is more about taste. I’m not sure anyone buys Mixed Berry 7-Up, Starburst Morph or Sour Patch Kids Berries for their nutritional value.

Traditional fruit flavors like these are making a big comeback. They are now one of the top flavors in all new food products, and a lot of the growth has come at the expense of “superfruits”. The superfruit rage of a couple years ago has all but dried up. Acai and pomegranate were top 5 flavors in 2009, now they are both down in the 18 to 20 range. Elizabeth Sloan, Contributing Editor of Food Technology, said that superfruits appealed to a very specific type of consumer, and they’ve moved on to other products like herbs like cloves and oregano for a more concentrated antioxidant punch.

Hypeworthies voters must have spring vacations on the brain. Tropical fruit flavors like mangos, coconuts, cherry and banana flavors seem to be everyone’s favorite.

3. Portability

The third most common Hypeworthies theme is portability. We are constantly on the go and we want our products to move as fast as we do. That means they have simple to use and easy to take along with us. Whether its Starbucks Veranda Blend single serve instant coffee packets, Oscar Meyer’s Lunch Combos or the immensely popular Tide detergent pods, consumers want products that give them quality in a small package.

Mintel says this “less is more” thinking is linked to convenience and value. Consumers are buying single use packaged items rather than more costly, larger items. Like the Starbucks, Oscar Meyer and Tide pods products, portions are pre-measured so consumers can take exactly what they need without worrying about waste.

 Hypeworthies judging is going on right now, so if you have an idol among these potential superstar products, visit www.hypeworthies.com and tell the judges why your favorites should win.

You clearly crave cocktails! The Alcoholic Beverages category is a tight race between Parrot Bay Freeze & Squeeze Mango Daiquiri Tropical Malt Drink, Skinny Girl Sangria, Smirnoff Signature Screwdriver and Pinnacle Cake Vodka, with over 1,000 votes each.  You never know…with time left to vote, a new Hypeworthies star could always emerge in this category.

Tide Pods Mystic Forest are cleaning house in the Household Products category, but don’t count out Ziploc VersaGlass Containers and Reynold’s Wrap Non-Stick Pan Liner (we know what we’ll be using to batch up baked goods for the family this weekend!).

Our mouths water just thinking about Hershey’s Pieces Milk Chocolate with Almonds, and clearly yours do to…they’re a fan favorite in the Candy & Gum category. Looking for a tasty treat that’s light on calories? Check out Skinny Cow Dreamy Clusters, a chocolately delight that’s stocking up on votes in the Diet Friendly category.

The race is on, the competition’s hot, and it’s up to you to decide the winners. Share your favorite new products of 2012 to cast your vote for The Hypeworthies!

This time around, we partnered with SymphonyIRI to study the lift in sales volume CPGs are seeing with social marketing. We analyzed the results of the social marketing programs we measured using their matched market analysis, and the findings were just as impressive.  When social is used to build widespread consumer advocacy, is generates an average sales lift of 6.7% for CPG brands.  Results varied slightly by product category. Food products had an average lift of 6.3%, while personal care products jumped an average of 7.2%. (Read the release)

If you are not familiar, match market analysis is proven media measurement practices used by brands to determine the retail sales lift of all types of marketing initiatives.

When applied to social marketing, the principles are the same.  Two similar geographic markets are selected, a social marketing program is exposed to people on one of the markets, and SymphonyIRI applies statistical techniques to match store-to-store sales data that isolates the sales impact of the program.  Various adjustments are made for variables like price and promotion occurring in the markets at that time.  Even though social sharing occurs nationally, our research shows there is a sufficient concentration of people in the individual’s local area to make the results statistically valid.

That means you have sales data you can plan a strategy around.  Try building a strategy around a report of “likes” and “re-tweets”.

Check out the press announcement for more details, and read about our approach to measurement in this ebook.

So whether you like it thick and chunky, lime flavored or hot, join hoops fans from every team in a dome-sized bowl of delicious salsa this weekend.

How long does the voting last?

Visit The Hypeworthies website to cast your vote now through April 20th. From bubbly beverages to clean concealer and breakfast biscuits, this is one impressive list of grocery goodies – don’t be afraid to get out and do some sampling! Remember to check back on April 26th to view the winners during a live awards show.

How do I cast my vote?

Get creative! Choose one of three simple ways to vote for your favorites:

1. Share your favorite products on Twitter or Facebook through The Hypeworthies website
2. Tell us why you love each of these supermarket stars
3. Upload a favorite video or photo of your choice for the winner

View the nominees!

• Alcoholic beverages
• Baby
• Beverages
• Candy & Gum
• Coffee and Tea
• Cooking Needs
• Cosmetics
• Diet Friendly
• Household
• Packaged Food
• Personal Care
• Pet Food
• Snacks

 What are you waiting for?!

It’s up to you to choose the hottest new everyday products of 2012. Visit The Hypeworthies website, and vote for your favorites today!

Two weeks ago, we launched The Hypeworthies, and the nominations have been flooding in. From salty snacks to savory and sweet treats, household helpers and pet products galore, you clearly have a few new favorites this year. With so many new products to choose from, the race is on during the final hours of the nomination period. Cast your vote to help choose the winners of The Hypeworthies!

Haven’t cast your nomination yet? What are you waiting for?! Remember, your nomination will help determine the final list of products that could win The Hypeworthies. Follow The Hypeworthies on Twitter and find The Hypeworthies on Facebook for the latest updates, and check The Hypeworthies website for the final list of nominees to cast your vote on March 26th!

BzzAgent just relaunched BzzAgent.com with a new responsive design approach so the site works better for Agents on any type of mobile phone. The site can now identify the device and browser you are using so it can adjust the page layout, images and navigation specifically for your phone. Talk about personal attention!

If you’ve spent any time surfing the web on your phone, you know most mobile sites are basically limited and watered-down versions of the real site. Considering we spend so much of our time on mobile devices, it’s not much fun. The new BzzAgent.com solves that by giving Agents on iPhones, Androids, Blackberries and Windows phones every feature of the desktop site.

Don’t forget, we still have an awesome iPhone app.  It’s been a great success with Agents and it will continue to evolve. We know not everyone has an iPhone or wants to download an app, so now you have a choice.

If you’re not on one already, hop on your phone now and check it out: www.bzzagent.com.

It’s easy to say that your marketing is customer-centric. Everyone does.  But do new messages or offers based on customer market trends and surveys really put the customer first?

True customer-first marketing requires a different approach. Matt Nitzberg, EVP of Communications and Media at dunhumby, discussed this at the Promotional Marketing Association’s GameChanger Conference in Chicago last week.  He said that marketing’s got a big problem right now. There’s just way too much of it coming at consumers and it’s pushing good customers away.  I know we’ve been talking about marketing overload for years, but Matt referenced a recent Wall Street Journal article that proves this isn’t just a cliché.

The article stated that the nation’s top 100 retailers sent an average of 177 emails to each of their subscribers last year. This is up 24% from 2010, and up a whopping 87% from 2007. Some of the most aggressive retail emailers, like Neiman Marcus, sent over 500 emails last year.  That’s 10 emails every single week. Multiply that by the number of other retailers you frequent and you have one crowded inbox.

Matt’s reaction was, “if they can communicate that often and feel it is worth it, they have some very wealthy customers”. Or, he said “they are just burning them out”.  That’s exactly what’s happening for most marketers. Email open rates have dropped 34% (from 19% to 12.5%) and click rates have dropped 28% (from 3.9% to 2.8%) since 2007.

The WSJ article says there’s too much email.  Matt says that may be true, but the root problem is really a lack of relevance. Marketers aren’t using customer data to make their marketing more meaningful to each customer.  Offers are pushing products that the company wants to sell, not what might be most appropriate for the buyer. Every generic and irrelevant email screams “I don’t know what you want”. It’s insulting to your best customers and it drives them to unsubscribe. Then you’ve lost the ability to market to them again. It’s a high price to pay… probably higher than most realize.

dunnhumby has found that a brand’s best customers, those in the top tier of annual spending activity, are worth 18-20 times more than the customers in the brand’s lowest tier, those buying just a couple times a year.  But most marketers spend all their time and energy trying to get the lowest tier to buy more while marketing to their best customers like strangers.

This doesn’t happen in a customer first marketing approach. Good customers are the focus, so consistently more relevant messages make them happier and coming back to the brand more often. Getting there requires an entirely different approach to marketing. In the following chart, Matt compares a customer centric approach to the traditional brand centric style:

Here’s proof it works. Matt explained that dunnhumby’s open rates are 4 times the industry average, click rates are 5 times average, and they are riving double-digit increase in conversion and redemption rates.

Social marketing is the same thing. Your best customers love to talk about you and many would jump at the chance to participate in an advocacy program.  What’s more customer centric than a personal conversation about a product between a passionate loyal customer and their friends or online followers?

So, who’s in the lead? We can’t tell you just yet! But we’ll fill you in on a few favorites that are clearly crowd-pleasers. Mio flavor enhancing water has more than a few fans. You’re using it to add a little punch to basic beverages. Vicki N.wrote, “It really helps water taste yummy, and it’s free of calories.” Sounds like a good way to get eight glasses a day!

You rise and shine with Emerald Breakfast on the Go, Danone Key Lime Oikos Greek Yogurt, and more. Find yourself reading your cereal box every morning as you enjoy your favorite new breakfast bites? Check out this infographic we found about the Birth of the Breakfast Cereal.

New TidePods, a detergent, stain remover and brightener are also at the top of your grocery list. “Less waste and easier to use! No Mess!” said Tina H., one of the many fans who love this laundry leader. People can’t stop buzzing about this hot new item – that’s what TheHypeworthies are all about! Shout Color Catcher, Downy Unstoppables and more are also picking up speed, so there’s still room for a few new favorites to take the lead.

It’s up to you to nominate the products you rave and crave!  Remember, whether it’s a new flavor or an entirely new product that hit the grocery aisle shelves this year, you can nominate the hottest new products of 2012 through March 23, 2012. Follow The Hypeworthies on Twitter and find The Hypeworthies on Facebook for the latest updates, and check The Hypeworthies website for the final list of nominees to cast your vote on March 26th!

Hot new products can generate a lot of excitement.  When you come across one that blows your hair back, you don’t want to keep it to yourself.  You want to share your experiences with everyone. Not only is it a great source of conversation, but you know others are going to find this gem of a product just an interesting as you do. Maybe they’ll try it and want to tell all their friends about it.

Hype around new products isn’t limited to cars, movies or the latest iWhatever, it’s often about the products we see every day in our supermarkets aisles.  That’s what the Hypeworthies are all about, and we need your help to nominate what’s hot in your shopping cart.

Nominate Your Favorite Products

Visit hypeworthies.com now to nominate your favorite new supermarket products.  We’ll be collecting nominations until March 23, so tell all your friends.

Finalists Announced March 26

Finalists for each product category will be announced on March 26. Come back to Hypeworthies.com on the 26th to vote for your favorites. The Hypeworthies are all about sharing our enthusiasm so we encourage you to submit your own stories and photos about these products, and discuss your favorites on Twitter and Facebook. Our panel of judges will review your recommendations along with metrics on overall consumer buzz and market sales data from leading measurement companies to select the winners in each product category. We’ve saved one category just for you, the People’s Choice award will be based entirely on your votes.

Attend the Hypeworthies Award Webinar April 26

The Hypeworthies wraps up on April 26 with a big online event to announce the winners. The event will feature several prominent marketing leaders discussing the winners in each category, consumer reactions to the products, and their recommendations for building hype that makes everyday products remarkable.  This is an event you don’t want to miss. Reserve your place now and add it to your calendar.

Join the Conversation

This is going to be fun. There’ll be a lot to talk about during the next few weeks, so stay tuned to this blog, @hypeworthies on Twitter and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hypeworthies.  Our hype connoisseur Sarah Hodges will be leading a lot of these discussions so we hope you get involved.