VW - Is this Relevant?

I found this blog the other day. After visiting the VW site, I decided it was worth a mention and a debate or two.

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VW begins polling everyone... about everything
Per AutoBlog, Apr 29th 2008 by Michael Harley

Volkswagen knows that 73% of the people want to take the tiny soap and shampoo from hotel rooms. They also know that 60% of ice cream buyers prefer cones over cups. On an apparent quest to learn everything, Volkswagen's just-announced multi-faceted polling effort, known as "It's what the people want,"...is a way of keeping in touch with what matters to people today," according to Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing for VW of America.

In addition to the web-based polling, VW has also taken their efforts to Times Square where consumers may participate in live-polling, via text SMS, with the ABC Supersign (pictured above). If music is more your style, VW is also encouraging people to visit Pandora to influence the playlists of two Volkswagen radio stations. While we endorse any effort by an automaker to understand what the public really wants, this obsession to learn everything may have gone too far. We just can't seem to overlook the notion that while Volkswagen accepts the fact that 65% of the people want boxers, not briefs, they still haven't fully grasped the concept that we also want the new Scirocco on our shores. Where's that poll?
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After reading Michael's entry, I visited the website (www.vw.com/whatthepeoplewant). According to Volkswagen, "the initiative is part of Volkswagen's new global brand platform, Das Auto, and underscores its fundamental message of It's what the people want...Volkswagen's interactive polling program has produced interesting questions and findings on timely issues in current events, lifestyle trends and social behavior - ranging from the everyday to the quirky." I answered some questions and found there's a bizzare list...with little-to-no apparent relation to cars or VW. Here's a sampling:

• Do you want cops to get pulled over for speeding?
• Do you want to wear shoes when going through airport security?
• Do you want dogs to be dogs, not accessories?
• Do you want to be able to nap in the workplace?
• Do you want a 5 year renewable contract for marriage?
• Do you want more home schooling?

I'm not quite sure what the purpose of this campaign is. They're achieving buzz, I'll give them that. And people are having fun playing with the website. It also has elements of co-creation, which I'm all about. But I'd be curious to learn how it is helping people co-create their product experience with VW AUTOMOBILES. Shouldn't the poll have been in relation to cars and drivers and things of that sort? The user interaction is fun...and you can submit what ever question you want. And sure, some of the questions are funny. But how VW will use these answers and how it is relevant to making customers feel like VW is building the right vehicle for them is beyond me. Based on this poll, are they going to offer ice cream cone holders instead of cup holders? A place to store all those mini shampoo bottles from hotels? A car that turns into a bed so you can take a nap when you're at work? My opinion is VW's campaign is telling customers "we know all the weird stuff about you...but still don't know what you really want when it comes to the products we produce for you." Just my take. At the bottom of the VW website it says "the people want German engineering." So the question I submitted in the poll: "The people want a German engineered car: Yes or No" We'll see the outcome...or if they yank it before anyone votes.

Consumer Safety Concerns - Will this concern Nalgene?

On the Today Show on April 9th, a consumer alert was issued regarding the safety of plastic beverage containers. This isn't the first time many of us may have heard about the dangers of polycarbonates. For instance, we've been told over and over again not to microwave food in plastic for fear chemicals will leak into consumables. Even more recently, we've been told not to re-use plastic water/soda bottles since even after washing them, germs and bacteria can remain. We are also told not to purchase bottled water for environmental reasons since around 8 out of 10 plastic bottles end up in landfills. Now, it seems we also need to be concerned with chemicals from the plastic bottles leaking into our beverages and negatively impacting our health.

In The Financial Post on February 23, 2008, Hollie Shaw reports "Bottled water consumption has been on the rise, but will fears of chemical contamination spur consumers to head for the taps?...Should you guzzle your H20 from disposable or refillable plastic bottles --both have come under intense scrutiny in the past year for possible health and environmental effects-- or from trendy refillable metal canteens? And, is it better to imbibe tap water, which critics caution can contain traces of anything from hormones to nitrates?" Much of the concern with durable polycarbonate bottles is in regards to the bottle leaking harmful levels of Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, into beverages. BPA is a substance that can interfere with hormone function and mimics estrogen. Scott Belcher, professor of pharmacology and cell biophysics at the University of Cincinnati has been involved with various BPA studies. Scott and his team discovered that when the liquids in polycarbonate bottles were heated up to boiling, BPA leeching occurred 55 times faster than at room temperature (http://www.sciencefriday.com/). What sort of negative impact this may have on consumers’ health is still being studied, although most speculate this probably isn't a good thing.

Water bottle manufacturer Nalgene (

www.nalgene-outdoor.com), a Rochester, N.Y.-based company, has based its brand image on brightly colored plastic bottles and an eco-friendly reputation. In October of last year, Brand Channel, in an article entitled "Fantastic Plastic" reported: "(Nalgene) bottles have even spawned urban legends that they are unbreakable...over time, those outdoors people came to adopt Nalgene as one of the top companies for camping equipment." Although starting as a popular item with outdoorsy types, Nalgene has attracted a rather large market over the years now being found in mass quantities on college campuses and in fitness facilities. However, with all of this media hype and studies being done by scientists, will this company who has been so dependent on plastic water containers suffer a severe loss in sales due to consumers' mistrust even if they modified their bottles to be made out of another material?

A statement regarding BPA is on Nalgene's website. It reads: “As a responsible manufacturer of polycarbonate consumer products, Nalge Nunc International has monitored scientific research concerning the safety of our products including Bisphenol-A for many years. Based on the findings of the Food and Drug Administration, The Environmental Protection Agency, The American Plastics Council and other reliable sources from around the world, we continue to firmly believe in the safety of our products.” Although HDPE (high density polyethylene) bottles are still considered to be safe, I don’t know this statement buried several links back in Nalgene's website is enough. I think the company may be doing a great disservice to their brand image by not eliminating BPA-containing materials from their products. Consumers are being bombarded with all sorts of information these days and have to decide whether to believe a trusted brand or the media/scientific studies. Presently it seems they are leaning towards believing what they hear on T.V. since sales of metal bottles are exploding (ex/ Sigg (www.mysigg.com), Klean Kanteen (www.kleankanteen.com)). Wonder if Nalgene will wake up and take notice...

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04/24/08 - Follow-up: I just found the following article on The Denver Post and it looks like Nalgene is definitely doing the right thing to protect their brand. They plan to phase out production of BPA containing bottles over the next several months.

Nalgene to Phase Out Production of Consumer Bottles Containing BPA

Business Wire News Releases
Published: 04/18/08 08:30 AM EDT

In response to consumer demand, Nalgene® will phase out production of its Outdoor line of polycarbonate containers that include the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) over the next several months, it announced today. Nalgene’s existing product mix, including the recently launched Everyday line, already features a number of containers made from materials that do not contain BPA.

“We have always been focused on responding to the needs and concerns of our customers,” said Steven Silverman, general manager of the Nalgene business. “With 10 different product lines in several different materials, we have the largest bottle offering on the market today. By eliminating containers containing BPA from our consumer product mix, our customers can have confidence that their needs are being met.”
The company recently unveiled its Everyday line, an assortment of bottles manufactured with Eastman’s Tritan™ copolyester. The line includes favorites such as the OTG (“On the Go”), the iconic 32-ounce Wide Mouth and the Grip-N-Gulp sippy cup. Tritan is impact resistant, withstands a wide range of temperatures and does not contain BPA. The new Everyday products are already available in stores and will be available through

www.nalgene-outdoor.com next month.

To help consumers easily determine the bottle and material that is right for them, Nalgene also recently launched Nalgene Choice™, an online information resource at www.nalgenechoice.com. Nalgene Choice provides consumers with information to help them understand the features and benefits of Nalgene’s wide assortment of products and materials. The result – individuals can choose the product that is right for them.
“Today, everyone from hikers and outdoor enthusiasts to commuters and kids on the go are using Nalgene products to reduce the use of disposable bottles and containers,” said Silverman. “Based on all available scientific evidence, we continue to believe that Nalgene products containing BPA are safe for their intended use. However, our customers indicated they preferred BPA-free alternatives and we acted in response to those concerns.”

A Natural High? Red Bull Cola...

So...have you heard the news? Red Bull plans to enter the cola market and take on the likes of cola power brands Pepsi and Coke. Using the tag line "Strong and Natural" the beverage will be all natural (100%) using actual coca leaf and kola nut. (Does that make it more of a "Coca Kola" than Coke itself?) The product's US launch is slated for June and it will command premium prices.

Looking at this product introduction from a marketing/branding perspective, I'm not sure if branding the drink as Red Bull is the best idea. Why? First of all, when you think of Red Bull the energy drink, natural doesn't seem to be a prime connection (for example, a major ingredient in it, taurine, is synthetic). Also, being branded Red Bull, most people will expect the drink to be a super-powered, energy cola. Since the cola isn't out there yet, I'm not sure how much of an emphasis will be placed on the trademark "giving you wings" factor. Having a large focus on natural makes me think Red Bull should have branded this under it's Carpe Diem brand (the name of its botanic water). I guess time will tell whether or not this was the right branding strategy -or- right tag line for this new cola.

Balancing Act: New Balance Says "Don't Be A Hater"

Can convincing your consumer to become more of a lover and less of a hater strengthen your brand identity?

Watching the NCAA tournament over the past month, many of you may have noticed the latest New Balance ads (by BBDO New York). One commercial starts out showing a man in bed who later is seen running in the dark. "Running kicks you out of a warm cozy bed and into a cold hard world...Every day is a question of your commitment." In another, called “You Broke up with Running,” there’s a guy sitting in a park watching people run by him. "You broke up with running last week. And now you see running everywhere. Looking really, really good." He’s envious of the runners who made the choice to run while he sits eating fast food on a park bench. Strike a chord with any of you?

New Balance, tired of being outrun and out marketed by Nike, plans to triple its ad spending in an attempt to double sales by 2012 (to reach $3B globally). Sure it’s a lofty goal, especially when you think of how Nike has been a dominant player in the athletic-shoe category and has only increased it market share over the years. So how is New Balance going to "do it" (no pun on Nike's 'Just Do It' tagline intended)? AdAge.com reported that the company has come out with a new campaign - the Love-Hate campaign - to chase casual runners and hit home with 18- to 29-year-olds (their current loyal customer base tends to be serious runners over the age of 30).

So what has the New Balance brand looked like over the years? Their website says they have “been a brand concerned with meeting the needs of the everyday athlete…a superior product will sell itself better than any superstar athlete ever could.” In 2005, The Boston Globe reported that “instead of hiring sports stars to pitch shoes, Boston's New Balance has a philosophy of ''Endorsed by no one." Instead of focusing on fashion and teenagers, as many rivals do, New Balance...emphasizes function, something his baby-boomer customers appreciate.” In 2004, Ageless Marketing by Marketeer David Wolfe argued that “New Balance’s success in projecting values that resonate across generational divides led it to having faster growth rate in market share among consumers under age 40 than either Nike or Reebok.” The blog even highlighted marketing techniques used by Nike and New Balance and claimed New Balance was attractive to the older consumer set because they had more "feminine" values. Source: Ageless Marketing, 2004

So what is it about the Love-Hate campaign that should hit home with a broad consumer base? Well, what is one of the most important things behind an effective ad campaign - finding something that taps into a key insight about the consumer. If you visit the New Balance website, the first message that pops up says “For every runner there’s a constant struggle between pain and pleasure. Between good days and bad. Between LOVE and HATE....Feel the LOVE. Feel the HATE.” I think New Balance has figured out something that hits home with both serious and casual runners.

The ads have met some criticism, however. For example, on WonderBranding: Marketing to Women, Michele Miller states “Corporate New Balance has made a conscious decision to move completely away from the older demographic and are going for, in their words, ‘young runners’…It just breaks my heart that this is the direction they are going in.” Marketeer David Wolfe responds “They have committed a classic marketing error of stupendous proportion: departing from the brand’s traditional essence. Rarely do brands succeed in making so sharp a break with their past...Not since the ill-fated “It’s not your father’s Oldsmobile” campaign have I seen such a display of ignorance of the psychodynamics of brand management. Someone needs to get to Jim and Ann Davis (NB’s majority owners) before it is too late.”

So why don’t I agree with Michele and David? I don’t see these ads as being young (i.e. only appealing to a high school/college-aged demographic). I see them pinpointing a key insight in to how people feel about running. Running is challenging. And it does make you feel guilty about having an on-off relationship with it. It’s a struggle any person who has ever run - even just once - can relate to. And it's a universal feeling - i.e. not gender or age specific. The ads attempt to make you believe that New Balance shoes will help you find a way to love running...be your support group. None of the other shoes will give you that balance between LOVE and hate.

Since I was able to find criticizm of the campaign, I decided to do some searching to see what other opinions were out there. I found a couple of runner’s forums and noted very positive comments about the campaign. On a triathalon forum, one user said “There's something about the guy sitting with a generic bag of fast-food in this one that really appealed to me. Could be that I'm that guy right now.” On RunnersWorld.com one runner said “love the ads...gave me the push I needed to get out the door on Friday night,” while another said “Totally! Great ads - bring some light to the sport of running... finally.” On SoundBite Back, Anthony Juliano (who happens to be a runner) talks about how he fell out of love with New Balance. “Part of the problem is the New Balance brand itself. It's always been kind of vanilla, lacking the intangible allure of other brands. It's not that New Balance had a bad image--it just didn't seem to stand for anything at all. And that made customers like me pretty vulnerable to good advice from people they trust…So, what's a brand to do when it runs into a relevance problem? Well, New Balance is investing in a new advertising campaign. And I have to admit, I think what they're doing is great. And smart.” Dead on.

Sure the ads could be improved by focusing more on why the New Balance shoe will help switch the balance to give you more love and less hate for running (ex/ shoe design, comfort, maybe even an online users community for you to get support/find running partners). But it’s only the beginning of the campaign, and New Balance has given themselves some great building blocks.

So marketing critics, what do the rest of you think?

Scotts Gets Co-Creative with Customers

It's approaching mid-March and STILL winter here in Michigan (yes, I'm getting a little stir crazy from all the cold weather). In fact, I shoveled another 5 inches of snow from my driveway just last week. But that doesn't prevent me from thinking about spring and all the things that come with it - flowers, green grass, warm weather, gardening. I've actually started browsing mail order catalogs trying to figure out what plants to add to my garden this year. So the Scotts Company had perfect timing when they sent me an e-mail announcing their new "Miracle Grow" website.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Scotts Company's brand portfolio, it consists of Scotts, Ortho, Round-up, Miracle-Gro, and most recently, Smith & Hawken. (In October 2004, the Scotts Company acquired Smith & Hawken for $68.5 million and announced plans to sell Smith & Hawken items at major retailers like Home Depot. Many of you may be Target shoppers and have noticed the dedicated Smith & Hawken aisle...with higher priced gardening/home decor items.)

The Website
On Scotts' new site, the login screen reads: "It's all about you. Jump in and customize your experience.

• Save your supply lists: Keep track of everything you need from the store.
• Create personal blogs: Share stories of your lawn and garden prowess.
• Participate in forums: Post questions and get answers quickly.
• Offer ratings and write reviews: Give your opinion on products and projects.
• Get customized recommendations: Get info based on your specific interests.
• Make a personal page: Keep everything in one convenient place.
• Grab what you need: Download personalized info to your desktop."

Sounds like they thought of just about everything a web-savvy gardener would want! Exploring the website I discovered several useful areas. For example, you can customize your own lawn care program. Through inputting some information, the website will give you recommendations on fertilizers, watering, etc. for different zones and grass types. I think a lot of this information was available on the old website, but not as easy to find and with less detail. There's also a link called "My Supply List " where you can add the Scotts products you want to purchase to a list you can print out and take to the store with you. In looking into the other areas of the site, there were spaces to:

• Grow- An area where you can find information about lawns, various types of gardening (flower, vegetable & herb, indoor and container), birds and wildlife, trees, hedges, hardscapes and organics.
• Learn - An area with links to projects including a "learning library," annual lawn care program, and lawn & garden calendars. This area helps take the guesswork out of yard work, providing you with things like seasonal feeding, watering and maintenance plans (you click on your region of the country to get the perfect plan for you) and help in identifying your grass type.
• Solve - A section on the site for you to find solutions to problems. For example, it can help you identify what may be causing those round patches of brown grass in your lawn.
• Connect - The key interactive part of the website where you can join the Scotts Lawn community, post and browse photos in lawn, garden, and pet photo galleries, start your own gardening blog (or read someone else's), post comments or ask questions in online forums, receive advice from Scotts' experts, and sign-up for email newsletters/hot issues alerts (ex. if there's an unusual insect infestation in your area).

Besides areas to "grow" and learn you you can create a profile that will be your identity when participating in the Scotts Lawn community. So what might your profile page look like? Below is what I created in a couple of minutes. You can upload a photo, and tell everyone about your dream job, what you do to relax, where you'd love to visit, your favorite type of music, what neighbors say about your lawn, and your zodiac sign (what some of this has to do with yard work and gardening I have no idea. I'd personally prefer to list areas of gardening I like, yard specialties (for example, maybe you have a knack with roses...this would be good for others to know in case they are looking for some advice). And things you need help with. For example, some of my plants are a magnet for spidermites.)

My Thoughts
First of all, I want to give Scotts props for getting co-creative with its customers. What do I mean by co-creation? Co-creation essentially means a company wants its customers to create their own unique experiences with their product/brand. To accomplish this, the company will provide some sort of platform for users (in this case a website allowing for some personalization). The results of this are easier access to consumers and their opinions, which generally helps assist the company in making better products and service experiences for its customers. Instead of being one-way interaction (i.e. Scotts providing all of the information to it's customers), it allows for multiple-way interaction - customers can interact with each other and with Scotts, customizing the experience to be unique for them. Personalization...gotta love it.

I have a feeling Scotts will get some great feedback from its customers as a result of this site's launch. As more people use the site, they'll also discover what improvements/additions customers would like to see be made. Something I'd like to see Scotts improve on, for example, is in the lawn care program section. I'd like this section to let me put in the actual date that I applied my last lawn treatment and then send me an e-mail when I need to apply again (right now it will notify you of generic timing when to apply, but doesn't record when you actually applied the treatment to your lawn.). I'd also like to see some minor mods to the profile area - although putting in my zodiac sign and favorite type of music might be fun, it doesn't really help other community members know where my lawn & garden expertise may lie -or- in what areas I could use some help. These are just minor things and overall, I think this site is a great start to getting more in touch with customers. Being a lawn & garden enthusiast, I know I personally will be using the Scotts site as a resource for my growing tips, helping make my thumb a little more green...even in the months that Mother Nature isn't cooperating with me :)

Attention Foodies: Get Yourself a Tasty Tastebook!

As some of you may have gathered from my previous blog entries, I really enjoy cooking. As a result, you'll find me quite regularly flipping through Bon Appetit and visiting the websites of epicurious and the Food Network to find recipes to try out over the weekend. Pulling together a weekend menu earlier this week, I happened to visit epicurious and noticed something new. On the right hand side of the screen, there was a link saying "Turn your Epi recipe box into a personal cookbook." So I clicked on it and was instantly interested.

What I discovered was http://www.tastebook.com/. For those of us who love to cook but have lots of random recipes that we wished were in a neatly organized, nicely printed book, this site is something we've been looking for. (Just last year I attempted to create a cookbook on Shutterfly...which obviously is much more user friendly for photos than it is for formatted text).

So what is Tastebook? Tastebook is a website that helps you create a personalized, hardcover cookbook. (No more hand written recipe cards for me! ) The book is actually a binder...so if you don't use up the 100 recipe quota the site gives you per book, you have an opportunity to add more recipes to it later. And the price isn't too bad seeing that it equates to about $0.35 per recipe (sells for $34.95/book).



Through Tastebook you can add your own recipes (including photos, tips, sources, etc.), search for recipes from Bon Appetit and Gourmet magazines, and import your recipe boxes from epicurious.com. Pretty neat!
And besides creating your own book, there's the option to purchase one of several pre-prepared books. The nice thing about these is you can also add recipes to them to make them further customized. I'm personally not that big on just selecting a cookbook with recipes I haven't tried since I have plenty of those already. But this would be nice for people looking for some new recipes to try out. There's even a place on the site to add contacts. So once you complete your Tastebook you can share it with friends. You also have the option to send the cookbook as a gift. The cool thing about this is if your cookbook has 80 recipes in it instead of 100, it gives the person receiving the gift 20 free recipe credits. Neat.

I do have a couple complaints so far in using the website. First, I haven't quite figured out how to organize my recipes in each section. For example, I have several cookie recipes in the "Desserts and Treats" section. The only way I've figured out how to clump them in the same area is to rename the recipe titles to call out what it is first. For example instead of "Spice Roll Out Cookies," I would rename the recipe "Cookies: Spice Roll Outs." But this doesn't work in the case of imported recipes since I can't change them (Tastebook does not give you the option to edit imported recipes). The good news is the site is in its Beta version, so that means some additional changes may be on the way.

So what are my recommendations to Tastebook? For future upgrades to the site, I'd advise Tastebook to:

• Enable "sub-categories" under the main divided sections for those of us who are overly organized so we can lump chicken recipes, cookie recipes, etc. together. Maybe even let the category be customizable.
• Enable editing of imported recipes. Maybe there's some copy-right restriction on allowing this...I'm not sure. But we know people modify recipes. For example, if you visit the Food Network site and click on a recipe, many users have rated the recipe and included their own tips/modifications/experiences. So if there's a way to let us edit imports, great. Otherwise I'll be hand typing in recipes instead of importing them which is more of a hastle for me.
• Offer a group compilation page. I.e. provide an area just for friends to upload recipes and create a book together. This would also come in handy for groups creating a recipe book to sell.
• Allow high resolution photos to be uploaded for a more customized cover. Although there is a nice selection of photos on the site (40 in all), I'd like to be able to make my book a complete "Sarah Creation."
• Garner a deal with Food Network and other popular food websites so we can import other recipes to the site as well. Or let people on the site vote for favorite cooks and garner deals with those chefs (I'll be voting to add Rachael Ray, Ina Garten, and Giada De Laurentiis to the list...)

How to Get Your Sexy Back

We all know (and have probably used) the trite marketing mantra "sex sells." But does it really? In a Washington Post article from this morning, C. Britt Beemer, head of America’s Research Group, stated “sometimes sex doesn’t sell as well to a woman as it does to the men.” Well maybe we should clarify that statement. At least in the case of women's intimate apparel, sometimes sex doesn't sell as well to women as it does to men.

Intimate apparel retailer Victoria's Secret saw fourth quarter sales of bras, panties and beauty products decline (amid growth in its fragrance and Pink lines). In fact, VS's sales have been so dismal lately Blogging Stocks reported "Standard & Poor's is threatening to reduce the company's debt ratings to "junk" status, and the stock has been on a steady downward trend." What's happening to Victoria's Secret? The problem here definitely isn't brand awareness. In fact, many women probably think of Victoria's Secret as #1, top-of-mind when they think of lingerie brands. So what's up?

This past November, Fortune reported “Victoria’s Secret could use a little lift.” It claimed Kohl's, Target, J.C. Penney, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, American Eagle Outfitters and others were adding new lingerie lines or updating existing offerings (renovating dressing rooms, bringing in bra fitters) and thus were "stealing Victoria's Secret's thunder." Some critics also believed that Gilly Hicks (Abercrombie & Fitch’s new lingerie line) would put some pressure on VS. I'm not sold that the issue is competition though. For example, even though Gilly Hicks' cotton and lace lines are somewhat less provocative Miss Vicky's, I doubt this will threaten VS's core. Why? Gilly Hicks' ads show naked models in true Abercrombie-esque fashion (i.e. appealing more to VS's Pink customer than the 20-30 somethings). And even though department stores are adding new lines and renovating, there's still something appealing about the sales model Victoria's Secret used to have - purchasing a high quality, specialty product in a somewhat private setting with knowledgeable, approachable sales staff.

So if it isn't competition that's fading Victoria's Secret's glitz and glamour, what is it? Victoria's Secret believes one issue is they've been heavily focusing on their Pink line. In many mall stores it’s the first line you see when you walk in. It's almost like VS forgot they had customers (many with much higher disposable incomes) other than the high school/college set. Sharon Turney, Victoria’s Secret CEO, in a Columbus Dispatch article also from today, states “Victoria’s Secret has lost its way in part by chasing after the Pink customers with all its other merchandise…All of Victoria’s Secret’s sub-brands “tried to be young” to imitate Pink’s success…when they should have focused more on the quality and sophistication that appeal to women in their mid-20’s and older.” Sure this is some of it. But essentially Victoria's Secret is losing sales because they're trying too hard to be SEXY (picture this word in hot pink, neon, blinking lights) and have forgotten what sexy really means and feels like to a woman (wonder why the current Dove ads have hit home with women?). Victoria's Secret has strayed from what their brand used to stand for...the softer, sometimes secretive, more alluring side of a woman. (Based on comments to multiple Victoria's Secret articles I've read online, I'm sure some VS employees will jump all over me for that statement. But let's be honest ladies...it really jilts us the most when it's TRUE).

When did the brand make a wrong turn with its products and image? I would argue it was about the time (in the late '90's) when VS ventured into making lingerie a public fashion statement, creating fashion shows highlighting intimates and even offering up a completely-unaffordable-and-not-practical-to-the-target-consumer, multi-million dollar diamond bra. I remember the first time I noticed how far Victoria's Secret had gone awry. Several years ago my sister who lives in Columbus (home to Limited Brands and VS), took me a new Victoria’s Secret store in the Easton Town Center mall (the second store that had opened there). She wanted me to see the North location, saying I'd be shocked. And she was right. I was almost embarrassed to be seen entering the store. With its different themed rooms, hot pink and black lacquer accents, mannequins wearing gigantic angel wings, and neon signs hanging on the walls, I felt like I was in a XXX video store waiting to watch a dirty "film" rather than try on bras. The store didn’t feel exotic and expensive, it felt trashy and cheap, and it was entirely too cartoonish - more "Vegas showgirl" than "real woman." I thought to myself "There's nothing in here I'd want to wear, the quality of the product is lacking, and it's entirely too expensive for me to purchase "every day" underwear here. I mean, with this for a brand image, does anyone really believe Victoria has any sort of secret anymore? Seriously?" Several articles have been released today with Victoria's Secret stating they believe they have become "too sexy" and need to scale things back. I argue they haven't become "too sexy," instead they've become trashy. And there's a big difference between the two.

My sister and I actually had a discussion about lingerie/intimate apparel a few months ago and were talking about how difficult it was to find underwear that was classy, comfortable, yet still sexy these days. We thought whoever could accomplish this and open a chain of stand-alone shops to take on VS would be landing a gold mine. Besides looking for ourselves, we'd been searching for lingerie gifts for a couple of brides. We both had visited VS and found the stores to be lacking in selection with only a couple of cheaply made, yet expensive "nightie" offerings in their stores. I'm almost embarrassed to admit (due to their own "trashy" image) but I ended up purchasing a babydoll from Fredericks of Hollywood since it had a better style, was made of a better material, and was offered at a better price.

Sometimes if you say the word too much people start to think you’re saying it to make yourself believe it. So Victoria's Secret, don't tell me it's "sexy," show me why it's sexy. Don't you remember? Women generally like to take it slow, maybe even play the tease. Foreplay can be everything. Back on January 30, the AP reported that Victoria’s Secret releases the “What is Sexy” list. Ryan Seacrest made the list and VS spokeswoman Monica Mitro was quoted as saying "What's sexy about (Seacrest) is he doesn't act like he is.” Hmmm…maybe a tip for VS to apply to their product development and marketing models!

We’re all familiar with Justin Timberlake’s song “Sexy Back.” So here are my recommendations to "Miss Vicky" to help her get her sexy back (and get me back in to her stores). Essentially it's all about getting back to basics:

• Focus on the product. What is is that women want in intimate apparel? They don't want to be "obvious" all of the time. VS needs to remember that there's a practical need for underwear too. It isn’t always about being sexy or turning on the opposite sex. Most women also want to feel comfortable. You probably won’t be going to the gym in a mesh number, wearing a thong doing chores around the house or a lacy number that’s uncomfortable under clothing to class or to work. Sexy can be subtle, it can be flirtatious, it can be demure, and it also can be comfortable. Quality is important too since women don’t want the bra they just spent close to $50 on or the panties that were $16 a pop to have stringers of elastic or fall apart in the gentle cycle of the wash after a couple of washes. Is that too much to ask? One epinions user (lori17) writes "Victoria's Secret Used to Be Wonderful...Until recently, I was customer...I decided to write this review because I can't believe that so many women don't see how much the quality has declined or don't recognize the terrible quality from their first purchases. VS used to be amazing. The bras, panties, sleepwear and robes were very high end and lasted forever..." If it's not going to last, I'm not going to pay for it.
  


• Focus on the experience. Why is an intimate apparel store appealing to a woman? If you read different reviews of Victoria’s Secret on sites like Yelp, many women complain about the overall experience in the stores...it's no longer intimate for them. For example, some stores have men working the sales floors. Not to discriminate guys, but a lot of women are uncomfortable about trying on lingerie and picking out bras around strange men. On Yelp, Sara C. from Brooklyn, NY sums it up by saying “Sorry, big dudely dude. Do NOT come up to me while I'm browsing for articles of clothing that are going to be touching all my most intimate areas, clothing that is meant to be shared with only a select few, and start getting all up in my business. This is a private moment. I do not want you to show me anything. I am mortified at the prospect of asking you questions about anything. In fact, I'm not even entirely comfortable with uttering words like "demi-cup" or "negligee' in your presence, considering that you're not my mom or my best friend and I'm also not planning on screwing you later (which are the three types of people I'm generally willing to talk lingerie with, unless you are a very approachable and FEMALE lingerie store clerk). Oh, and don't even THINK about measuring me for a new bra.” I'd say she's covered the thoughts of most female shoppers to a "T." Regarding people who work in your store, we know you probably can't discriminate in your hiring, but women truly do feel more comfortable buying intimates from women. Men following us around, asking us questions, etc. is simply creepy. Remember how embarrassing it was to buy tampons at the store for the first time and how you really wanted to avoid the check out line with a male cashier? The same feeling applies here. Shopping in privacy for intimate items is very appealing to us. Sure we might bring our boyfriend or husband into the store with us, but they're part of our private lives. So how can you make the experience enjoyable for the woman and not intimidating? Something that's fun and exciting and comforting at the same time. Maybe like going to the spa...going in stressed, coming out feeling radiant and confident.
  

BTW...there happened to be a Post Secret card that pretty much sums up how many women currently feel about Victoria's Secret (see below). For those of you who don't know, Post Secret (http://postsecret.blogspot.com/) is "an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard". Actually the concept of this blog would have been an interesting marketing campaign for Victoria's Secret (asking customers to anonymously share their secrets on their website). Something else to help bring some secrets back to Miss Vicky.