Understanding your target market is one of the first steps in crafting a successful marketing strategy. Equally important is seeing the problem you’re solving through the consumer’s eyes rather than your own. However, the typical socio-demographic information used to describe a target market is not enough to gain insight into their lives and how your…
Integrated Planning
Donald Draper had it easy. It used to be that you’d produce a TV spot, spin out a few print ads, buy some media and be done with it. Today, planning is exponentially more complicated, requiring marketing strategists to be Jacks (or Jills) of all trades. It’s all about integrated planning and medium independent ideas….
The Medium Independent Idea
Below is one of the best explanations I’ve found of the types, or perhaps progression of integrated campaigns. Central to the explanation is the concept of a medium independent idea. This type of idea comes from one cultural insight that is executed differently across various mediums. The pages above are an excerpt from the ebook…
Reality in Advertising
If you’re in marketing, you’ve probably heard the phrase unique selling proposition (USP), even if it was 20 years ago in marketing 1001. The term was coined by Rosser Reeves in the 1950s and was the focus of his 1961 book Reality in Advertising. In addition to looking like he’s straight out of Mad Men, Reeves was also…
Symbols for Sale
In 1959 Sidney Levy published Brands, Consumers, Symbols, & Research. It was one of the first books to apply behavioural science to the field of marketing and challenge the prevailing concept of ‘economic man’ and rational decision making. The traditional approach assumed that consumers made decisions rationally and by weighing the costs and benefits of a purchase. While this…
Peter Drucker: The Practice of Management
Born in 1909, Peter Drucker has been called the founder of modern management. A professor and consultant, he authored nearly 40 books, and established the first executive MBA program. His work examined the strategy, structure and management styles of the corporation and the realities of how people, both employees and customers really behave. He was…
The McElroy Memo and the Birth of Brand Management
Neil McElroy might be better known for his time as President of P&G, or perhaps as the former U.S. Secretary of Defense. But before that, in 1931 he was a junior executive at P&G managing the advertising of soap. And it was then that he penned a memo often credited as the birth of brand marketing. In…
Behavioural Economics and Energy Efficiency
While energy generation and markets continue to evolve quickly, efficiency will remain an important part of providing reliable and least cost energy to customers. However, customers can show persistent resistance to energy efficiency, even when it is in their personal best interest. Behavioural economics has become a bit of a hot topic when it comes…
Debunking the Millennial Myth
This report by LoyaltyOne demonstrates the substantial differences within this demographic cohort and illustrates how data can support behavioural segmentation with greater effectiveness that simple demographic audience groupings.
takeCHARGE ScallyWags
takeCHARGE is Newfoundland and Labrador’s energy efficiency program. takeCHARGE combines the expertise and customer reach of Newfoundland and Labrador’s two electricity utilities: Newfoundland Power and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro. They work together to bring energy efficiency awareness and rebate programs to the province. m5 works with takeCHARGE as their agency of record. For the new…
Discovery Centre. Stay Curious.
We’re all born with an innate sense of curiosity and a desire to understand the world around us. But somehow many of us lose that spark. Life gets in the way. Our routine, our responsibilities. That’s why places like the Discovery Centre are so important. To help us rediscover our curiosity and inspire the…
Social enterprise — it’s just smart money.
Originally published as a Letter to the Editor in The Telegram. Creating a better future requires smart investments today. But that can be difficult when government, organizations and individuals are struggling to pay the bills. The demand for Choices for Youth’s services has increased by 70 per cent over the last four years, and that…
m5 & Our Innovative Clients
Over the past few years, m5 has worked with a number of NL based companies creating innovative, knowledge-based products for export markets. We’re proud of the small role we played in the continued success of these homegrown companies. Below are a series of corporate videos developed with our sister company Wavelight Productions showcasing the positioning…
strategy minded 