A BIT OF FRIDAY FROTH – and some marketing lessons learnt

I would normally call myself a Herald man (read the business titles of Scotsman, Herald, Telegraph etc)…..  but when travelling to work by train, I read the Metro, just like hundreds and thousands of others.  Metro is a product developed from a marketing department understanding the situation of the customer – it focuses on the traveller, time pressed, reading on the train, its free so it is a no brainer, the quality of reporting and writing is good (great and funny article today about Peter Andre – good copy is not yet dead) and it gives a flavour of the main news with little political bias.

What was in it today?

Flat White – the latest in coffee product development.  Costa Coffee are now advertising an alternative to your morning latte - a flat white!! – Velvety smooth of course.  Research and focus groups will have shown changing consumer tastes in coffee consumption and the return on investment in the advertising will have been worked out.

The ‘flat white’ is not made, it is created by a coffee barista, even the name of it sounds guilt free – and it will appeal to millions!! – (to me, it looks like a failed cappuccino- but that is just being ageist of course, - not in the target market.)

The Nikon Coolpix – a must have for males
Apparently to look cool, you have to wear your Nikon Coolpix.  By the look of the regular bloke surrounded by exotic girls in the night club on the back page, the Nikon Coolpix camera is the latest ‘must have’ product.

It talks less about the features (lens speed, video capability etc) and more on the benefits – pulling power!!  Many companies focus on internal product features and not the customer benefits which is of course……… customer pulling power!!

For more information, contact russ@rfm.co.uk