Future of print: Large Format Sexy Ads!

April 2, 2010 2 Comments

Fact: printed matter is going down

Future of print is large format

Future of print is large format

Have a look at the amount of brochures, catalogues and newspapers that are printed today – compared to 10 years ago. Indeed, commercial printed matter decreases year by year. Of course, packaging printing will continue to exist. You can’t deliver without properly packing the good. But you can sell without a printed brochure or catalogue (just put it online as a PDF and it’ll do the trick).

Fact: large format prints add value

In the above I stated that packaging will continue to exist. This will also count for large format print. Large format prints provide additional value compared to commercial prints. Large format prints grab the attention of people. A brochure isn’t read thoroughly anymore – after all, they find the content on the world-wide web.

Suggestion: sexy large format prints

Sexyness has always been a trick to grab people’s attention. Nevertheless, sexyness should be used appropriately. It doesn’t make sense for all products. This page depicts a good example of sexyness within a large format print concept. It depicts a good-looking women next to a big shower head. The copy (Feel Dirty?) enforces the “sexual” aspect as well as it provides appropriate information about the company’s products: they provide solutions to make your body clean…

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Power of mobile web for newspaper publishers

February 26, 2010 Leave a comment

The power of mobile websites

Half a year ago I finally got myself a smartphone. Hooray for the “laggards” (referring to Rogers Adoption of Innovation studies)! Since then I’m able to browse the worldwide web on my mobile phone. My preferred mobile websites are social network sites and a website of a newspaper. Why? Both have done their best to create a website (or even an iPhone app) that is optimized for mobile devices.

The power of a good news website
I never read that financial-economic newspaper before. However, I started reading it on my mobile device for usability reasons. After a while I noticed that I also browsed their website for news on my laptop. I liked the website for providing news very fast, the e-book feature, etc. That website also offered the printed version for free for 2 months… I agreed… Now I read the printed version of a newspaper that I disliked before!

Reading on paper is a habit / ritual

The marketer of the newspaper truly hopes that I will enjoy the printed version that much that I will sign up for a year. Maybe a 2 months free trial will not be sufficient to get me as a full-time reader. Nonetheless, providing free time to learn to read on paper, to enjoy the paper, to make a habit of reading a printed version while drinking your morning coffee, etc… might prove to be effective. Maybe the romanticism of reading on “yellow, dirty” paper will empower the effect?

What’s the power of mobile web for a newspaper?
It got me reading a printed newspaper (for at least 2 months!) that I’d never bought or read before.

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Reflections on Carrefour to drastically cut jobs in Belgium

February 23, 2010 Leave a comment

Google screenshot "Carrefour" keyword

Google screenshot "Carrefour" keyword

2 of my most visited Carrefour supermarkets will be closed …

The plan calls for cutting 1672 jobs and closing 21 stores in Belgium by end-June, Carrefour Belgium said in a statement on Tuesday. (yes, this is the first sentence on a Google search on Carrefour and I’m so lazy I just copy/pasted it, and that’s why it’s in italics). But the point is, I rarely visit a Carrefour but have 2 of them very close to my place. However, Carrefour has turned out to be my lifesaver: it’s open until 20h! Both of those Carrefour supermarkets are on the closing list. I guess I’ll never see a Carrefour from the inside again.

… my friend in India however will soon meet Mr Carrefour.

Njummie! All that good stuff he’ll soon enjoy!

On that same google page result I noticed the statement of carrefour going into India. I am almost tired of writing, so I quickly want to provide the reader some insights on a possible “why” of this decision.

AFP Carrefour press release

AFP Carrefour press release

Marketing strategy?

    Facts & Figures from Belgium: 10 million inhabitants struggling to keep their wealth as high as in the past, a government that has almost the highest debt rate in the world, etc.
    Facts & Figures from India: estimated population 2010 1,177,424,000, increasing wealth, etc.
    Marketing strategy background: the economic core of the world economy is moving east, it’s over there that money will be made.
    Marketing strategy: “Carrefour will develop its activities in India with the start of cash-and-carry activities in 2010,” the company said in a statement emailed to AFP.

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