So I created this blog thinking this is where I’d put the info I usually share directly with colleagues and I’d save time and have everything in one place.  But of course, this isn’t a substitute for personal communications so I’m just doing things backwards - writing individual emails and then hoping I have time to put the info here.  So here’s today’s topic:  QR codes.   

I recently added one to my sales collateral because I liked the idea of giving readers the option of going directly to my LinkedIn profile.  Personally, I also like them in Entertainment Weekly where they take me to movie trailers and I’ve occasionally thought about accessing them in retail environments but have rarely chosen to take the time.  Overall,  I find most other applications unmotivating.

The information I’ve been sharing today is from by Cynthia Fedor in “The Direct Marketing Voice” where the following data was cited:

What type of consumers are scanning/using QR codes?

• 25 to 54 age range constitutes about three quarters of users
• Mostly male with a baseline income of $50K
• iPhone and/or Android-oriented people

Of course the last bullet isn’t much of a revelation.  But I’m surprised at the older demo and wonder whether this is really an indication of the most enthusiastic adopters of the technology or a reflection of the places the codes are being used.

You know how they give you a sticker on Nov 7th that says “I Voted”?  I want a sticker that says “I put money in the Salvation Army pot”.  Not so that all  strangers will know that I did it - just so that the other bell ringers all over town will know. 

It’s hard to go from one grocery store or mall to another where I make a donation in the morning and then be faced with additional bell ringers later in the day.  I desperately want to say “I already gave!” but instead I just avert my eyes and mumble “Merry Christmas”.

I know this problem isn’t anything so bad as being homeless or hungry.  I’m just saying it would be nice if the bell ringers gave out stickers. 

Kirill Falkow posted this wonderful blog entry by Martin Weigel,  the Head of Planning at Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam.  It’s basically a long essay on the fallacy of “engagement” and is well worth reading. 

For those who prefer brevity, here are his 9 bad habits of engagement thinking.  (Numbers 6 and 8 are my personal favorites since a marketing strategy that starts with engagement as an unrefutable tenet immediately limits a planner’s ability to explore all options.)

1. Assuming engagement is a metric
2. Claiming ‘engagement’ is something entirely new
3. Failing to recognise ‘engagement’ is an intermediate measure
4. Assuming that interruption is dead
5. Assuming that more ‘engagement’ is the route to more loyalty
6. Overestimating people’s appetite for participation
7. Treating ‘engagement’ as if it had intrinsic value
8. Assuming that people care deeply about brands
9. Staring down the wrong end of the telescope

MarketingVox reports, “The system combines AARP data with Scarborough Research data and demographic data. Users are segmented into age groups in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. to segment members into categories such as people in their 50s with kids in the household, or empty nesters in their 60s.”

I’m not clear exactly what contact info they’re going to release (address, email?) but this could become a rich source of information on an important target audience.

Mashable reported last month that Facebook is working hard to get users to use their Friends List feature. 

Personally, I’ve been using it for a long time.  Maybe it’s my natural inclination toward marketing segmentation, but I can’t imagine any other way to be comfortable using FB.  I mean, what can I possibly post that would be of interest to both my close friends AND business colleagues and still be any fun? 

The problem is that FB’s list tool isn’t that easy to use — even in its newest incarnation.  Certainly nothing as simple as Google+.  However, if you like to post to Facebook and you haven’t segmented your “friends” into lists it’s worth the effort.  Certainly it will reduce the number of recipients who “hide” your posts because they’re irrelevent AND, if you’re out of work it will keep your business associates from knowing how you’re spending all your time off!

I decided to start a blog because I was spending a lot of time sharing tools, ideas and research with colleagues on an individual basis.  Using Tumblr lets me just post everything in one place, although I have to admit I’m still sending things around to individuals because it gives me a chance to stay in touch with friends and I’m all about a customized experience!

But here’s something for everybody.  A tool called Pinterest that was recently featured on Mashable (I think).  If I’d known I’d was going to like it so much I would have paid more attention to the source of the information.

Pinterest allows you to take images from around the web and capture them on a single screen, like you’re pinning it to a bulletin board.  It even retains the source.  I’ve found it tremendously helpful for personal  (kitchen remodeling ideas) and professional applications.

Check it out at pinterest.com or facebook.

Thought today I’d share a neat tool for presenting the voice of the customer in presentations in a lively way.

The website is called Wordle.net and it lets you create word clouds, like the one I’ve made above.  You can use any number of inputs:

• Paste a block of text - I like to use focus group transcripts
• Link to a URL - great for illustrating what bloggers are talking about
• List any words of your choice

It’s an easy way to add a little fun and you can even alter the colors so if there’s an Art Director working on the deck you won’t make any enemies.

Really excited to see the news today that LinkedIn has added a section to let users include their volunteer work.  Personally, I’ve been using my direct marketing experience to help my local animal shelter improve their fundraising and Facebook Fan Page over the past few years and given time to mentor teenagers in the foster system. 

I think a person’s volunteer commitments are as important an indication of their skill and character as any other part of a resume and am glad to see LinkedIn recognize this.  

I had the pleasure of working on the Kraft Food account for Meredith Integrated Marketing from 2007 - 2008.  At that time the primary assignments included content for  kraftfoods.com and creating every edition of their magazines, Kraft food & family and their Spanish title, comida y familia.

I loved trying to master the different consumer segments and Kraft was a great company to work with because they invest a lot of time, money and talented people in researching the needs and interests of their target. 

Oh yes, my point.  Because of my work on Comida I continue to read about the hispanic audience.  Mostly I’m amazed that these articles/research often don’t distinguish among the many sub-segments of this audience.  “Hispanic” is far too general a way of thinking about the Spanish speaking audience.  They come from a variety of geographies, have different levels of acculturation and interests.  It’s always good to look at what a group has in common, but a real understanding only comes from studying the differences.

Often I see families with twins and triplets and I automatically think “fertility clinic”. I know I’m not always right, but the CDC estimates that two-thirds of multiple births between the late 1970’s and 1987 are attributable to fertility treatments.*

It feels a little strange that looking at multiples provides an insider’s knowledge of a family’s reproductive choices.  There it is - a deeply private and personal topic - suddenly and unintentionally paraded before strangers.

But a New York Times article suggests that many of us may not be strangers after all.  According to this article, a single sperm donor’s specimen has been used to father 150 children and this is not a unique occurrence.

In addition to concerns about spreading genetic abnormalities, there is growing worry about accidental incest because of the likelihood that these half-siblings live in the same area near the sperm banks their parents used.  It’s an interesting story and can be found at  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/health/06donor.html

* Here’s where you can find the full report: “Trends in Twin and Triplet Births: 1980-1987” http://www.multiplebirth.com/statistics.html