Alex Woodruff Biz Buzz

Holding out in hope. Why does this insurance company keep writing to my home address? They were clearly told to go away. They used to insure the Woodruff car until it became clear that they were offering better rates to new customers. When this was pointed out to them, they failed to come back with [...]

How far can product testimonials go? The credit card from Usher? Beef steaks from Donald Trump? Yes, it’s true. Save me. Product managers will try anything these days.

The Action part of AIDA is important when it comes to finally getting someone to do something (ie, buy). One approach is to let people try the product for themselves. Like test driving a car (by which time advertising for awareness and gaining interest should be under the bridge). Try me. Break me… This product [...]

Well if this isn’t official, what is: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7359927.stm The world of blogs, mashups, podcasting, RSS, social networking, widgets and wikis is set to hit global marketing, big time. So when are German companies going to wake up to this…? Or have they done so already? I decided to search for signs of Web 2.0ism at [...]

Looking for new product ideas is never easy. So you segment the market, and again, and again, until bingo! The ultimate must-drink product… coffee made from cat poo: Source: BBC News website. Whatever will they think of next? They’d have to pay me £50 to drink this, not expect me to part with that much [...]

While many German retailers try to cut costs and make customers feel like cattle (especially discounters like Aldi and Lidl), others have worked out that customers like to feel comfortable in their surroundings. If they do, they tend to buy more. One of my favourites is DM. Good on them not only for some great [...]

The police in England recently unveiled their campaign for increased vigilance (watch out for those terrorists now…). But rather than scare us and cause panic they really have gone the British stiff upper lip and softly-softly bobby-on-the-beat route. I was expecting to see nasty gun-wielding murderers. But no. That is precisely the point. Terrorists blend [...]

Brand bibles: cast in stone? As my students will know, I strongly recommend coordinating brands in the long term by setting up what I call a Brand Bible (what others seem to call a Brand Manual). The reason I recommend one: marketing Johnnies are by nature job hoppers and continuity is a constant pain in [...]

Need some sexual relief? Try this. Source: company website screenshot Well, some product manager was obviously slightly challenged in thinking up a name for this product. Perhaps, so involved in the product world, benefits, consumer needs, USPs and competitive positioning, everyone involved – from R&D to the packaging designers and marketing department – forgot to [...]

This poster for a Baden-Württemberg bank has a fundamental logical flaw. It states that, “Good advice is give and take”. Agreed. So, dear bank, what will you give…? Well, unfortunately the poster continues by saying “WE TAKE…” Ok, they take time (not the literal translation, indirectly they mean they’re happy “for things to take the [...]