Kids Today

300 million

I read this interesting article about the U.S. population reaching the 300 million mark today.

Gerber’s really thinking outside the box and centering a marketing campaign on this milestone. It ran ads leading up to today with tag lines of America’s Expecting.

What out-of-the-box ideas have you had fun with?

The power of advertising

I got this video in my email the other day. It’s an ad that ran once, during a Super Bowl. There is no script. No product is shown.

You can find it all over the Web, along with people praising and condemning Anheuser-Busch for running the ad. Some said the 9/11 tribute is moving; others said the company was trying to exploit the tragedy. 

I think it’s incredibly powerful. Despite the fact I prefer Guinness to Budweiser, after watching that ad I wanted to go out and buy a case of Bud because the ad made me feel good about the company. One can argue Anheuser-Busch’s motivation all day long, but any time a company can do something to give consumers a warm, fuzzy feeling about them they’ve succeeded in growing their brand.

Tapping into consumers emotions is a powerful marketing tool. It’s certainly more noticeable and memorable than ads that shout "Sale! Sale! Sale!"

Since people buying the products in our industry already are experiencing one of the happiest times of their lives, doesn’t it make sense to target them with marketing that strikes an emotional chord?

How do you strike a chord with your customers?

Should ABC be an open show or not?

A few more readers have expressed their opinions about my September editorial on the idea of opening the ABC Kids Expo to all buyers. Even though they take issue with my views I appreciate the emails from George Gunderson and Mike Schaffer and as a journalist I thoroughly support their right of free speech.

Lisa,

I found your editorial on the ABC Expo to be naive and what we would expect from a Wal-Mart shopper. Why should this format bother you? As you probably already have heard from other independent retailers, the boxes and internet only group has the JPMA and private showings with the vendors. I guess you want Home Depot and Lowes to go to the ACE and True Value Hardware shows. There is more to being an independent then your self righteous article claims. We pride ourselves on being different then the boxes and not carrying the dumb downed items they do. By the way the next time you ask for a survey of independent results and merchandise sold from my store," GO ASK THE BOX STORES FOR HELP!!!" seeing that they are your allies.

George G. Gunderson - Owner
Magic City KIDS - Billings, MT

I stand by the points I made in my editorial. I’m not advocating mass merchants over independent retailers because thankfully we have a free economy and live in a democracy where consumers have a choice of shopping venues. I think independent retailers set themselves apart by their very nature—they’re independent. As I said in my note, “Being different is about you, the owner; it’s about how customers feel in your store; it’s about how you display the merchandise and more importantly it’s about customer service.” I realize the mass merchants and big boxes have private shows. It’s very similar to the furniture and other industries where manufacturers invite their best customers in to preview product before the rest of the world sees it; sometimes the manufacturer even goes so far as to make a slight change in finish, color or design to make a product exclusive to a certain retailer. I understand ABC is a show committed to independent retailers, but as we’ve all witnessed, Internet and mass buyers do get in. Vendors who sell to mass and Internet retailers do exhibit there. I find nothing wrong at all with a vendor having an exclusive showroom or one that sees buyers by appointment only. My point is that the show itself shouldn’t exclude buyers; it should be the responsibility of the manufacturer/vendor.

Dear Lisa,

I was very disappointed with your editorial about the ABC Show. ABC is the largest and most successful Juvenile Products Show in the world. It is also, perhaps not coincidentally, the only show devoted to the needs of the independent specialty store. You should know that the mass merchants and the big boxes have their own private shows, to which no independent retailer has even been invited. It is unfair and, perhaps unintentionally, misleading to suggest that ABC’s exclusivity is a one way street. Times and admission policies can change. What I hope and expect will never change is ABC’s dedication to the independent specialty store, and its commitment to leveling the playing field.

Sincerely,
Michael J. Schaffer
Chairman All Baby and Child, Inc.
President
Creations