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Choices.  People just love choices.  Choices present options, opportunities for customization, and lots of reasons to try or buy.  Right?

I was in meeting recently, reviewing competitive intelligence for a very cluttered category.  Among the findings was the abundance of features the different competitors offered consumers.  And having pored through so many competitors with so many choices, I found myself in the shoes of their shopper, completely overwhelmed and uncertain which I would personally choose.

Immediately, I thought: “jam!”  Not as in “brain jammed by too many options,” but rather, strawberry, grape, and other flavors.  Specifically, a study I recalled that was conducted by a Columbia University professor, a California gourmet market, and a premium jam maker.

In the study, a sampling booth set up in a gourmet market enabled consumers to try different types of one brand of jam.  Every few hours the assortment was changed between a larger set of flavors and a smaller set: twenty-four different flavors, to just six.

On average, consumers tasted at least two kinds of jam, and everyone received a dollar off coupon to purchase.  But what ultimately drove sales stemmed from the number of choices the consumers were presented.  Sixty percent of the shoppers were drawn to the large assortment, while only 40 percent stopped by the small one. But when it came to actually making a purchase, all those choices actually paralyzed the consumers.  Thirty percent of the people who had sampled from the small assortment decided to buy jam, while only 3 percent of those consumers who had to choose from the two dozen different jams purchased a jar.

Similar studies have been done around chocolate, 401k plans, and speed dating, all with similar results.  A large assortment of choices may attract attention, but when it comes to actually making a choice and buying, it’s distracting.  Additional research also concluded that ultimately, when a consumer does make a choice from among many, he or she is more likely to feel less satisfied, less happy with the choice and even insecure, asking “did I make the right selection?”  In other words, walking away with a negative experience.

So often we see brands, clients and even agency people thinking that more is more.  Give them choices, give them options, and let them choose!  But in the end, providing a focused, more streamlined offering leads to “happiness” and ultimately, a sale – whether it’s features and functions, or product benefits, or even creative choices.

(Source:  New York Times, “Too Many Choices: A Problem That Can Paralyze,” Alina Tungend, February 26, 2010)

It happens at this time every year, and it’s inevitable. I call it “Christmas Creep.”  It’s when sparkly garland, lights, toys, and other festive holiday offerings start creeping into the aisles of my regular retail stops.  And just in the nick of time (St. Nick…of time?), the National Retail Federation has released a holiday survey, taking a pulse on consumers’ holiday spending plans for this year.

This is important because it gives us an uber-snapshot of today’s consumer profile. When faced with a must-spend occasion, we know what they’re thinking and doing.

Today’s consumer is:

1.  Showing optimism

-  Expected to spend $688.87 on the holidays this year, up a tiny bit from last year ($681.83), but nowhere near years past (e.g., 2007 = $755.13).

-  Translating that feel-good into looking good with jewelry!  Asking for jewelry has made a 10% jump up from last year—demonstrating a higher comfort level in discretionary spending. (more…)

It has over 2.9 million fans that “Like” it on Facebook.

In August this year it hit the 1 million subscriber mark for its YouTube channel, with individual videos receiving view tallies well over 20 million each.

It made the current Bloomberg Business Week “Popularity Issue” as the Top Web Series. And it was recently discovered by my family during our annual beach vacation. Ugh! Why the ugh? It’s the Annoying Orange.

And it’s exactly that. Annoying Orange is the wisecracking, purposely irritating punster who stars in his own YouTube web series.

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Let’s face it, we’re a society who wants to have our cake and eat it, too.  We’re consumers who say one thing…but embrace new products and services that indicate something else.  Often, for a brand person, it’s seemingly impossible to serve up engagements that satisfy these mixed signals among consumers.  How do you address the needs of a consumer when they say one thing, and you have the brand or product that offers great benefits, but then they just don’t buy it, or they just don’t act, or they head in another direction?  Honestly…when all is said and done, it’s simple:  don’t just satisfy consumers, make them feel good.

A great example of the contradictions in behavior is with food.  Look at the landscape in recent, food headlines and news bytes (no pun intended).  And then take a peek at what’s tantalizing our pallets as trends and recent intros.  The juxtaposition not only demonstrates consumers’ contradictions in choices, but at its core, it reveals consumers’ desire to be surprised, delighted, and to just walk away feeling happy. Check out this “salty and sweet mash-up” of sorts…

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At this time every year, Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) issues an interesting report about what they call “pacesetter” products.  Essentially, it’s the best performing new product introductions from the prior year for consumer packaged goods, food and non-food.  Now, aside from the brand-specific details (e.g., “Love those Arnold Flat Breads!” or “Bud Light’s beer with lime flavor, who knew?!”), what’s interesting are the consumer behavior implications and trends.  Given that most new product launches fail, and that consumers – particularly in today’s economy – tend to purchase their known favorites, these trends are interesting indications of what’s sticking with consumers today.

So what’s grabbing consumers’ attention and share of wallet?

•    Known Equities – Line extensions and slight variations in products made consumers feel comfortable with their choices, for example, Campbell’s Select Harvest was #1, selling $201.8 million in better-for-you soup.

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Oscar Wilde said that “to expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect.” He was right.

The reality is that things never go as planned. But when you think about it, is that a bad thing? Those shaping the world make a difference by going beyond the expected. They figure out ways to capitalize on the unexpected twists and turns that come their way. They relish in the opportunities that are presented when unexpected things happen and as a result make great strides in the economy, environment, society, etc.

Business owners and entrepreneurs…the best bubble up when they expect the unexpected. They plan for the unexpected. They know that nothing should be taken at face value. And even further, it’s their ability to capitalize on unexpected opportunities that really makes them superstars. (more…)

I decided to round up some interesting facts, figures and best practices on online video, while many of my fellow Sigmites are out this week producing them.

Recently comScore reported that in April 09, U.S. Internet users viewed 16.8 billion online videos.  Nearly 152 million folks watched an average of 111 videos, and an average online viewer watched 6.4 hours of video.  The age of online video viewers trends slightly younger, however, viewership by Generation X and older boomers are at no small scale.

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Rarely does a day go by without my reading or hearing a going-out-of-business article/message.  Each time I hear the company/brand name, I ask myself, does it matter to me (as a consumer) that they will no longer exist?  Sure, there are some that make little or no impact on my life, but there are far more brands/companies that I say, “it matters.”  Why?  Because I have a personal relationship and connection to them.  Those relationships range from personal preferences to convenience to reminiscence of what some of them meant to me at some point in my life.  (more…)

How should marketers tackle the economic downturn, diminishing budgets and changes in consumer habits that are happening everywhere?  Many companies/brands have already cut back on their marketing/advertising efforts, while others are taking this moment to reassess, reinvent and revitalize their brands/companies.

I’m a firm believer that challenges open doors to opportunities, and opportunities bring innovation with possibilities to further advance and emerge as a leader – as many brands did during the Great Depression.

As eMarketer CEO/co-founder Geoff Ramsey puts it, “Consumers are still consuming.” They are still out there, looking for deals and recommendations to make product choices. They are relying on all available resources to find what is right for them. For marketers, the good news is there are more options than ever to make a connection with customers.

Below is a compendium to Geoff Ramsey’s presentation at the Fuel for Thought event in November. It’s based on his recent whitepaper Digital Marketing Now: Seven Strategies for Surviving the Downturn that is available for free at eMarketer.

That’s it for today.   I hope we sparked some new ideas and look forward to seeing your test programs in market.