Last month, a member of my favorite online community the social bookmarking site reddit.com posted a last-ditch plea for help. User stilesjp’s mother couldn’t make her mortgage payments and his sister was working two jobs because the family’s soap-making business Soapier had become a victim of the current recession. Stilesjp shared his story and asked us to simply buy some soap at a discounted reddit rate and the response is yet another example of what I love about the Internet.
Most “redditors” have never met one another, and after three years on the site I could only name for you a handful of users. But what makes this and other online communities so special and important is that we share a bond as strong as any felt in the “real world.” People came out in droves to support stilesjp and his family: purchasing “soap by the slice,” registering for the e-newsletter, forwarding the link, and providing marketing and Web site design advice. A quick look at compete.com shows the Soapier site’s traffic went from 456 unique visitors in April to 16,738 in June.
The resulting attention spread far beyond reddit alone. Bay News 9 in Tampa interviewed the family, and WomanEntreprenuer.com featured Soapier in a blog post on the merits of social media. Soap orders continue to pour in as more and more people hear about the company. All this because a site full of programming nerds and Digg defectors not your likeliest target audience for handmade soap decided to upvote a stranger’s post.
In a true testament to just how far we will go for a fellow redditor, the community requested and received our own personalized soap with the reddit logo. It comes in reddit’s favorite scent, bacon, as well as a more socially acceptable orange-scented version.
A few weeks ago my buddy asked to come over and help him put together some patio furniture. The promise: with the two of us, it shouldn’t take long. Really? Three hours later (and one trip home to get my can of WD-40 and power screwdriver), we were done. Phew.
All that time turning screws provided me an opportunity to think. It was no small step for my friend to purchase that furniture. He’d been waiting over 18 months to pull the trigger. During that time, he was content to make do with his aging outdoor set. With a little patching here and there, and some prayers that his larger friends didn’t choose the fragile chair, he made it through. Like many of us, the economy just wasn’t right to write a check that could wait.
This month, he decided to take the plunge. My friend knew he had squeezed as many miles as he could out of those durables. He pushed the limit. There are many other folks out there who are at the same point now. People who have pent-up demand for replacing the borderline “necessities” that they’ve held off on buying as the stock market went south, jobs more tenuous and bonus money a quaint notion.
As a marketer, I observed my friend as he made his move back into the high ticket market. He didn’t go in lightly. He did his research. He looked at dozens of retail websites, scanned peer review lists, read blogs, talked to friends, and prepared to ask hard questions. When he arrived at Costco, he was ready to negotiate and, as a result, actually improved his bargain. He even arranged for some cheap labor
me.
My friend is not unlike many new consumers slowly returning to the market. They are transformed. Informed. Empowered. Ready to deal. Looking to make purchases that will last.
NEW YORK –Marina Maher Communications, Inc. (MMC) announced expansions and added capabilities to its health offerings as well as three new client wins.
MMC HEALTH
The agency, which has rebranded its healthcare practice as MMC HEALTH, now offers clients global access and enhanced medical communications insights and capabilities via a strategic alliance with AXON Communications and the formation of a five-member medical advisory board.
“Pharmaceutical companies targeting consumers must understand their needs from a 360-degree perspective. MMC HEALTH’s new partnerships add to our deep knowledge of consumers by strengthening our scientific credentials and our understanding of the clinical perspective,” said Megan Svensen, executive vice president and MMC HEALTH practice leader.
AXON is a specialist healthcare consulting firm with offices in Toronto, Montreal and London (UK) offering medical communications and clinical research services. Its new office in New York is based at MMC.
The MMC HEALTH medical advisory board includes leading physician experts in epidemiology, neurology, family practice, women’s health and dermatology.
MMC HEALTH has added VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies to its client roster, which also includes Pfizer, NovoNordisk and Merck. VisionCare, based in Saratoga, Ca., is developing an implantable telescope for regaining central vision loss due to end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The device, under review by the FDA, is the first medical device to be recommended by the FDA Ophthalmic Devices Advisory Panel to treat end-stage AMD, a leading cause of untreatable blindness in the U.S. MMC HEALTH will support FDA approval and launch of this device.
MMC WELL-BEING
MMC WELL-BEING, led by Diana Littman, Group Senior Vice President was established to support OTC, nutrition, and personal care clients who want to accelerate brand growth in the wellness area. MMC WELL-BEING recently added two new clients, both of which are relaunching their lead brands.
*Zestra® Essential Arousal Oils™. Zestra is a safe, hormone-free, patented blend of botanical oils and extracts proven to increase a woman’s feelings of desire and arousal. Zestra is being launched by Semprae Laboratories, Inc., a company founded by women and focused on women’s sexuality. Visit http://zestra.com/.
*Dynova Laboratories’ Sinus Buster and Allergy Buster, nasal sprays formulated with pure, clinically proven capsaicin extract from the cayenne pepper. Buster Brands nasal sprays are highly effective, non-habit forming and 100% natural, providing powerful and safe alternatives to widely available OTC nasal sprays and tablets. Visit http://sinusbuster.com/.
Marina Maher Communications, Inc. is an independent, marketing public relations agency known for building brand relationships. The agency was named a best agency to work for by the Holmes Report during 2009. The New York-based firm creates award-winning communications programs for clients in the packaged goods, healthcare, HBA and food/nutrition categories. MMC is a member of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, the world’s largest consortium of independent public relations firms.
After my brief trip to Germany in February, my thirst for travel was not quite satiated, so a good friend and I decided to plan a true vacation. We booked flights to Prague, and left the rest to figure out later.
A week before our trip, I felt woefully unprepared. We had booked our hotels, having decided to make a mid-week trip to Vienna for two nights and return to Prague for our flight home. Being in PR, my instincts urged me to develop a “Vacation Binder” with an itinerary and key information. Instead, I printed the flight/hotel information and several emails from friends with their personal recommendations for things to see and do, packed a light duffle bag and decided to go with the flow.
Going with the flow worked well for us. Our week began on a high note with a surprise upgrade to business class and continued to run smoothly. Armed with a borrowed book on the Czech Republic and a copy of The Prague Post, we set out to explore. We saw the standard sights (Old Town Square) the unfortunately-under-much-construction Charles Bridge, Prague Castle) as well as some unexpected gems (historic Vyehrad, beautiful gardens by the castle, a rainbow over the city).
After two and half days in Prague, we were off to Vienna. Guided by an email and a very helpful tourist map, we successfully saw several of Vienna’s key sights in less than two days. The highlights for me were the whimsical Hundertwasser House and Prater, where I took a ride on a ferris wheel for the very first time (I kid you not).
When it came time to fly home, though we would have been happy to continue exploring Europe, we both felt ready to move on from Prague and Vienna. I actually found myself missing New York!
Now it’s time to plot my next trip
. suggestions anyone?
Recessionista Chic we’ve all heard the term by now. Brands are capitalizing on consumers “trading down” and consumers are rejoicing over some incredible economic finds. (Restaurant Week has never tasted so good.)
This summer I’ve found myself either braving the $15 round trip casino bus to the shore, en route to my family’s beach house (ACES, even with the discount Greyhound still has you beat) or enjoying some recession-chic activities in the city. For some great ideas check out Elisa’s “Summer in the City” post.
I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy the scene at the Carrera Summer Escape at the Cooper Square Hotel; and at 21 floors above the streets of Manhattan, it truly is an escape. 10am Yoga from David Barton Gym completed with Fuze smoothies kicks off the day that winds lazily through the afternoon with spa treatments, Bustelo Cool coffee, sun bathing on comfy West Elm furniture, 360 degree views, Hasbro board games, cocktails and a sunset that makes you forget that you’ll end the evening in your tiny New York apartment. It truly is a product placement playground and the city’s answer to the Malibu Beach House, so I eagerly played the role of key influencer, told all my friends and enjoyed the time well spent with each brand. I now have great beach house gift ideas (thank you, Hasbro), my parents are hooked on Bustelo Cool and I now know how to mix a great Fuze cocktail (after 12pm of course).
This weekend marks the second Summer Escape weekend of three this summer and VanityFair.com tips off to an all-star lineup of indie rockers. Who needs traffic, 15 people to a house, crazy cover charges and the crowds escaping the city? I can escape too, just 21 stories up and with some of my new favorite brands!
Summer road trips can be great reminders of what’s all around us. I have family up north in the State of New York
.and when I say up north I do mean north! They are only 15 minutes from the Canadian border and an international bridge located on a Mohawk reservation. I recently made the 10hr and 15min drive during a 3 day weekend. You could drive it in a shorter time by staying on the interstate for most of the trip but oh the things you’d miss!! With a car full of my favorite CDs and my willingness to sing along at the top of my lungs (I had consideration of wildlife and humans and kept the windows closed) I was off and running. From the Taconic Parkwy to Albany then to the AdirondacksTrail the beauty of NY State surrounds you.
The signs for the Trail start when you enter Lake George (my first stop) and I forget until that point how much I love it. From Lake George it’s on to Loon Lake then to Schroon Lake. At this point the crossing moose signs begin, really, and I am quite alert because boy do I want to see a crossing moose
well actually I wanted to see a standing moose, I don’t want one crossing into the front of my car. Alas the moose decided to completely evade me for this trip. As I approach the 6 hr mark I reach Lake Placid my first true stop and a great favorite of mine. Then as if they were tracking me on GPS, my phone begins to ring and my fellow MMCers as well as family call to check to see where I am and if all is well. I assure all that I’m having a great time and will push on after a break. I began posting pictures to facebook so they could see my whereabouts and how lovely each spot is. From Lake Placid I push on to Saranac Lake then to Tupper Lake my final body of water (I like lakes) that leads to Route 53 and the final leg of my trip that leads to family that I’ve missed and can’t wait to see. My family and I pack a lot into my short time with them then it’s off to do the whole thing again
this time enjoying the Adirondacks in the early morning hrs on my way home south. Still no moose, but I did see deer, eagles, beaver and pheasant and have lots of new memories, oh and a picture of a moose crossing sign that gives me the giggles whenever I see it
Northern Exposure anyone?
