Tripp Co. Creative's Blog

Hispanics are the United States’ largest growing demographic. Making up a whopping 15% of the nation’s population and looking to jump to 30% by the year 2050, it goes without saying that marketing towards Hispanics is essential for any and all businesses. In fact, companies like Target, Allstate and JC Penny’s have all invested more than 10% of their marketing budget towards Hispanics.

It is integral that businesses today, large and small, focus on welcoming the Hispanic population as a part of their marketing campaigns. In order to target this market, time must be taken to research this ever thriving population effectively.

Cultural diversity amongst Latinos

The Hispanic/Latino community within the U.S. is largely made up of persons from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Spain and other Spanish speaking countries in Central and South America. Although they are all unified by language, many of these countries have their own unique idioms and cultures that separate them from each other. It is within these sub-cultures that extensive research must be done to help keep the focus on the population as a whole, without excluding anyone. Focusing on the Hispanic cultures view of family for example, and their strong ties with religion, can help keep the campaign focus on this ever growing population.

Utilizing appropriate media tools

Hispanic households tend to be very culturally diverse in and of themselves. Many households have more than one generation residing within its walls. With different generations also come language preferences. Older generations tend to stick with the traditional Spanish language; younger ones go for a mixture of Spanish and English, typically dubbed Spanglish. With this assimilation also comes the use of newer more innovative media technology such as mobile media and social media networks. While the amount of Hispanic households that watch television are ever increasing, so too are those households whose individuals utilize face book, twitter and viral video. It is therefore of essence that marketing campaigns focus on using these media tools in order to reach out to target audiences.

Understanding bilingual campaigns

It is of great importance when focusing on bilingual campaigns, that the integrity of both languages is upheld. So many times, phrases in English are translated into Spanish literally, and lose their meaning completely.  Even worse, the meaning changes so significantly that the message because more of a joke or sometimes offensive. We are all familiar with the Dairy Association’s iconic “Got Milk?” campaign. Unfortunately for them, when the campaign was translated, it asked the Latino market ““Are you Lactating?”

So how do you get started?

Tripp Co. Creative has bilingual staff members waiting to assist you with all your Hispanic/Latino campaign needs. Let us be your eyes and ears into this rich culture and allow you to better implement techniques for marketing to the Spanish-speaking world. Tripp Co. Creative expertos en mercadeo y publicidad.

Our next few posts are going to focus on targeting specific audiences. As marketers, we are alway looking for dems that are not only willing to spend money, but are trend-setting consumer adventurers. Did you know there is a demographic out there that fits that exact profile? And if your company isn’t marketing specifically to this segment, you could be missing out on a generous, brand-loyal revenue stream.

It is estimated that Gay and Lesbian buying power will reach $835 billion by next year. And the average median income per household ranges from $62,000 for singles to $130,000 for couples living together (a group referred to as DINKs… Double Income No Kids). What is your company doing to tap into it and, more importantly, are you doing it right? According to a 2008 report conducted by Prime Access and Planet Out, gays and lesbians are 68% more likely to purchase from a company that is perceived to be “gay-friendly”. And just how do they find out if a company is gay-friendly? 69% say advertising/marketing. 89% of respondents said they are more likely to support a company with favorable LGBT employment practices (you don’t want a Target incident).

So what does this mean? Does your company have to start flying a rainbow flag and showing up at every gay pride event? Sure—if you want. But more importantly, you need to reach out to them in their media of choice. 95% of gay men made purchases on the internet. 85% consider advertising in LGBT publications to be a favorable motivator to purchase.

But here’s the kicker, it is NOT enough to advertise in Gay & Lesbian publications and say you are gay-friendly. You have to walk-the-walk, avoid stereo-types and, above all, treat the Gay & Lesbian market as equals (not only in your marketing efforts, but in all your company policies). It’s a tricky process and thinking your company can earn some fast cash and dash is the wrong approach. Consistency in your presence and messaging will reap greater rewards and earn  brand devotion with this segment (a good policy to have for all your markets actually).

Need help creating effective marketing campaigns aimed at the Gay & Lesbian market? Give us call and we can guide you to success.

Next up? Hispanic marketing.

The sudden rise in social gaming has taken some of the worlds top game companies by surprise. A recent study by POP Games and Information Solutions Group found that the average player of games on Facebook is 48-years-old. Oh yeah… and they’re women. We think there are a couple of reasons for this… first, the games are more simplistic than games you would play on a console like the Xbox or Playstation. Second, you can play them in bite-sized pieces. They aren’t starting a campaign to win a battle during WWII or trying  to conquer the demons of Hell. They are harvesting crops, running a virtual cafe and trying not to Farkle.

So now you want to create the next Farmville. There are a few questions you need to ask before travelling down that road and putting it in the mix of your social media strategy.

• Is your tattoo expandable into an online game environment? Be aware that not every brand is. A virtual accounting department probably won’t be a hit (no offense to our accounting friends out there).
• Does my brand appeal to the mass market? Remember what we said here, the average demographic is a 48-year-old female. If you’re a skate boarding company, then most likely you aren’t talking to the right people. You should go where the kids are. But let’s say you’re a hospital or a grocery store chain. Both used by the demographic. And both easily translatable into a social game environment.
• Can I provide a legitimate means for social interaction? Can you offer the player a way to expand their followers and “team members”? Can you keep expanding if the need calls for it? Mafia Wars, for example, added different countries to keep the Mafia Bosses interested.
• Are you willing to put your name on the back burner? Let’s face it, no one wants to play “Panera Bread’s Cafe World.” But let’s say you keep the name as just Cafe World and then add little Panera Bread signage and ads, etc. Now you can still get the awareness without being too “in your face.”

Of course there are a plethora of other issues that need to be addressed before launching the next Bejeweled Blitz. But before you begin, make sure you can answer the above basic questions prior to heading down the long, and sometimes expensive, road of social game development.

What’s the difference you ask? Well let’s look at the proper definition first:

Customer:
1. a person who purchases goods or services from a store or business.

Client:
1. a person or group using the professional advice or services of a lawyer, accountant, advertising agency, architect, etc.

To us, the choice is clear. We are looking for “clients”. If YOU want to present your business in the best light and have truly creative solutions that propel you in the marketplace, you should be looking for an agency that wants a relationship and not just someone out to do what you tell them (no matter how wrong or misguided it may be) then snatch your money and run.

Still unclear?

Let me tell you a little fable:

Once upon a time, a small creative services firm had someone approach them asking for a logo, marketing materials and a website. Being a small agency it’s difficult to turn away work, so the firm took the job. Right away the customer was negotiating and him-hawing about the rate they quoted and then the client claimed he/she was a graphic designer and photographer so he/she knew exactly what he/she was doing and what he/she wanted—he/she just didn’t have time to do it him/herself. All the while this client is degrading what the creative firm does for a living and keeps saying “no offense” after every offensive thing he/she says. Ever hopeful they would prove him wrong, the creative firm kept steering the ship into rough waters. Then the client’s spouse gets involved… BUM BUM BUM BUMMMMMM.

So long story short, the firm provides several different logo options because the client was wanting to update their image. And then the client changes his/her mind and decides he/she likes elements of the old, horrendous logo and wants to merge the two. Then, after the creative firm spends several hours on the option that merged the old and new, the client tells the firm he/she wants all new options “just to be sure”.

This is an example of a customer. If that firm were a restaurant, this customer would be the complainer that sends everything back and then bellyaches to management in hopes of getting a free meal.

We provide creative services and advice on marketing tactics, etc. We really want the relationship between us and the client to be mutual and respectful. That way we can learn about your business, your needs and challenges and how to solve them. If you just want a logo created from a sketch you’ve done on a receipt for a Big Mac, we are probably not going to be a good fit for you and you are probably not going to benefit as much as you could if you were open to the advice and solutions we can provide.

When I decided to start this business, I made a conscious effort to “dream big”. That doesn’t mean I wanted to grow the business big, just dream my ideal work situation. So now that I have dared to dream, my motivation is not letting the dream die. That said, as a new business venture, it gets frustrating and overwhelming when it comes to finding new business and growing business relationships. There are companies with which I know Tripp Co. would mesh well. The trick is finding that “in”. LinkedIn is definitely a resource for us but I have grown to believe that LinkedIn is just a working stiff version of Facebook. Most people are on there to meet up with old co-workers and look for employment. They don’t play the networking game well and maximize it’s potential. If someone asks for an introduction, give it to them… or as a professional courtesy, explain to them why you are not doing so. It’s not called “anti-social media”.

Now that I’m off the soap-box we can continue… I am now starting to explore traditional networking avenues — Chambers of Commerce, RCGA, even a speed networking event. I don’t know if these will prove any benefit, but I figure that it’s worth the try. They’ve worked for centuries so I don’t want to abandon them just because LinkedIn is the bright shiny penny.

There was a time when it was prestigious to have the biggest creative firm around on retainer. A CEO could be on the golf course and brag about how he uses [Big agency name here]. “They’re expensive so that means they must be good.”

We hate to tell the big agencies this, but that time has passed. Oh sure! We all LOVE Madmen and get nostalgic for “the way it used to be.” Who wouldn’t love to wear some of those clothes? Okay maybe not.. they are polyester after all. 

Welcome to 2009. An age where customers expect you to be open, honest and communicate directly. Consumers don’t want to be talked at any more, they want to be talked to. New channels of communication are opening all the time. If you don’t know what a tweet is, then you are playing catch-up. And big “agencies” aren’t always your best choice when looking for solutions.

The key word is “solutions”. Most clients are looking for them. Sure, there are some that just want a flier; just want a folder; or just want a website and we are more than capable of delivering those. But most of the time we find that our relationships with clients work best when they present us with a challenge (a.k.a. problem) and they need a solution. That’s when we do our best work. Our brains get going and we offer up a slew of options. Maybe you DO need a new brand identity, but perhaps you would also be well served to look at a social media component or even an employee communications program. 

So once we have a firm grasp on the challenge, we can start pulling in the subject matter experts (SMEs) we need to tackle it and come back to the table with solid answers. We don’t need to be “big”. In fact, in the long run, you’ll save money for the same, if not better, thinking. We like to get our hands dirty and we LOVE to collaborate. We want to work with our clients. Strange idea we know. Most big agencies have been excluding the client for years. “We’ll go away and come back with the best ad ever.” But what if you don’t need an ad? Why aren’t they asking you for your insight? After all, you know your target markets best. Arrogance and insecurity; that’s why.

We beleive that a small agency (shop, studio, firm, etc.) is where the ideas are. It’s not about the media buy and the mark-up on printing and maximizing billings against the retainer. It’s about the ideas (at least in our shop). We are passionate about what we do and we hope that passion becomes contagious to our clients.