Yanny or Laurel? How Cajam Marketing Listens and Learns

Yanny or Laurel? How Cajam Marketing Listens and Learns

May 16, 2018

The morning started like any other at Cajam Marketing: project updates, upcoming meetings and Philly sports team bragging or bashing (more bragging than bashing lately). We have all worked together for a while – some of us for over two decades, but who is counting – and we are comfortable with speaking our minds and sharing our unique perspectives. So when the question “Yanny or Laurel?” came up, the office erupted in a discussion full of different tones and pitches, followed by Google searches to prove which side, the Yanny team or Laurel team, was correct.

Apparently the Laurel team is correct, based on the report that this audio experiment was generated by a high school student using the audio clip of the word “laurel” from vocabulary.com. While the Yanny team is not convinced – we are all in awe of the 14.8 million plus views this clip has gained so far.

How A Well-Synched Team Sees Things Differently

Throughout the day, linguistics professors, scientists, and audio specialists have weighed in on social media and television about acoustic patterns, frequencies and other theories to explain the phenomenon. At Cajam, we marveled on how our well-synched team can hear different things – or see different things. Our graphic design team still hasn’t fully recovered from the white/gold vs. blue/black dress debate. As marketers, this is a valuable reminder that even a targeted audience, grouped together because of a common interest, sees, hears, and processes information differently.

Yanny or Laurel –  Who Hears What?

Our unscientific, internal Yanny or Laurel results seem to show the more artistic staffers hear “Yanny” and the analytical leaners hear “Laurel.” Keep in mind, this blog post is being written by someone who took Calculus as a pass/fail class – and the analytics team members would argue our sampling won’t yield significant results…but I think our Yanny or Laurel results could also match with the team’s divide between cream or no cream coffee drinkers or Philadelphia or New York sports team fans.

Strength in Our Differences

The one thing the entire Cajam Marketing staff agrees on is how our company is stronger because of our different perspectives. With every project, we all contribute our unique skills and input. As an analytics marketing partner, Cajam Marketing offers the best blend of creativity, intuition, facts and figures. Yanny or Laurel, we work together to bring fresh ideas and solid numbers to your marketing. Learn more about the Cajam Marketing process.

From Underdogs to Top Dogs – Celebrating Champions

From Underdogs to Top Dogs – Celebrating Champions

Feb 8, 2018

Philly! Philly! In the far reaches of South Central New Jersey, the Philadelphia Eagles fans at Cajam Marketing are celebrating the team’s first Super Bowl victory.  DVRs are set for the victory parade today, and a Cajammer or two may take a longer than usual lunch break to catch a few minutes of the parade on TV.Minutes after the final whistle blew on Super Bowl Sunday and the Philadelphia area erupted into a huge street party, Cajam Marketing President Kathy Gould texted our team about the victorious Eagles and the parallels to our business model. Even during a Super Bowl celebration, Kathy’s marketing wheels are turning.

Underdogs Become Top Dogs

Who doesn’t like a good underdog victory story?  As e-commerce marketers, we root for the little guys and gals every day as they go up against the mighty Goliath, Amazon.com. Amazon has transformed the online marketplace faster than most could have imagined. One company, Amazon, grabbed an estimated 50% of all 2017 holiday retail sales.

We’ve seen e-retailers struggle in the wake of Amazon, but we’ve also seen some businesses evolve and strengthen their niche markets and bottom lines. In a small organization, it’s easier to be nimble, innovative and stealth. Just like the awe-inspiring “Philly Special” trick play, the small companies can catch the bigger companies by surprise.  The right marketing capitalizes on a small company’s strengths and tells a victory story.

“…A Team Can Make a Miracle”

In his victory speech, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson celebrates his team with his words, “An individual can make a difference, but a team makes a miracle.” This sentiment especially resonates with Cajam Marketing’s Kathy Gould. “At Cajam, we celebrate the team every day. At bigger agencies, frequent staff changes and turnover can disrupt the continuity and growth of an account. At Cajam Marketing, we are proud of our team’s tenure. Linda and I have over 50 years of combined experience. Our team members have all worked with us for more than a decade. When you work with Cajam Marketing, you get the stability of a real team — each of our team members is an expert in his/her speciality area, and we come together as a brain trust for your business,” says Gould.

Never Give Up

Even New England Patriots fans have been touched by Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles’ personal journey to victory. In his post-game speech, Foles recounts how he almost quit. With the support of his teammates, and a lot of hard work and dedication, a second string quarterback triumphs in the biggest game of his career.  His story is inspiring on and off the field.  This message is especially important for small business owners. Smaller companies can feel overwhelmed, but with the right team around you and steadfast faith that hard work will be rewarded, the little guys and gals can triumph too.

Photo credit: This top dog has waited a long time to wear this Super Bowl championship hat. Thanks to Cajam Marketing friend Beth for sharing this photo with us. 

The Best Recipe for a Successful Marketing Plan

The Best Recipe for a Successful Marketing Plan

Jun 8, 2017

As marketing professionals, we tend to look at everything through an advertising filter, even during our off-hours. For fun, we share great subject lines, take screenshots of eye-catching retargeting ads and watch full video ads on YouTube, even when we can skip the ad after four seconds. We pore over “junk” mail and read catalogs cover to cover. We “like” Facebook ads, just to see what happens next.

We even approach the most universal dilemma of the day – “what’s for dinner?” – with a marketing slant. If we were chefs by profession, our take on popular meal kit delivery services would be much different. But as marketers, we are just as interested in the brand building as the perfectly proportioned spice packets.

Here’s what our recent experience with Blue Apron meal kits reminds us about the essential ingredients of effective marketing  (as well as incorporating kale into a healthy dinner).

The Main Ingredient: Solve a Problem

Solving a problem is the keystone of all marketing. Blue Apron and other meal kit delivery services offer an easy solution to the common time-consuming challenge of planning, shopping and preparing a meal.

Takeaway: Whatever you are selling, focus on the benefits to the end-user.

Mise En Place: Everything In Place

Top chefs stress the importance of prep time, to make sure all the essential tools and ingredients are in place and easy to find. This same principle applies to building a brand through a well-planned marketing campaign from the start.

While lamenting my lack of a dinner plan to a colleague, she forwarded me a Blue Apron email with a coupon code and said her family was enjoying the service. I was familiar with the brand because I had seen Blue Apron ads on Facebook and noticed some friends were fans. Blue Apron had everything in place to convince me to give them a try: a friend’s recommendation, a coupon code that worked and brand recognition through social media. This was no coincidence; it was a well-coordinated effort to get my business.

Takeaway: Think about where your customers will find you and take the time to develop a consistent, multi-channel marketing plan.

A Good Presentation Makes It More Appetizing

“That looks good!” A great meal employs all the senses – it smells good, looks good, and has a nice texture. Great marketing invokes the senses too. The Blue Apron website is visually pleasing and easy to navigate. The site’s images are beautifully photographed, and the meals look delicious. The shipping box and meal kit are nicely branded. The recipe card is well designed and printed on high quality paper stock. Blue Apron purposefully makes a great presentation at every step, with top quality details you can see, feel and taste.

Takeaway: Pay attention to the details. Good photography, clean design and quality packaging can really make a difference and will set your business above your competitors.

Easy to Follow Recipe

How many times have you scrolled through Pinterest or flipped through a cookbook and ruled out a recipe because it seemed too complicated? Blue Apron simplifies meal preparation – but more importantly, they make it easy to join, select meals and pause meals. They offer free shipping with an exact shipping date. They also make it easy to cancel a plan or contact customer service.

Takeaway: Keep it simple. Make it easy for customers to buy your products. Most customers want to know about return policies and shipping before placing an order, so make sure this information is easy to find.

Share a Meal With Friends

“Try this!” A delicious meal is even better when shared with friends. Blue Apron does a great job of turning happy customers into brand ambassadors through social engagement. They encourage customers to share their meal pictures on Shapchat, Facebook and Instagram. They rely on the power of referrals, allowing members to send free meals to friends and family.

Takeaway: Encourage customers to share pictures, reviews and referrals.

Adjust to Taste

A favorite recipe evolves over time, with substitutions and adjustments. While this blog post was in the works, Internet Retailer published a story about Blue Apron’s recent IPO filing. According to Internet Retailer, Blue Apron spent about 17% of its total operational spending on marketing last year. In fact, Blue Apron warns potential investors of the high cost of acquiring and retaining customers. Notably, Blue Apron reported 92% of revenue in 2016 came from repeat customers.

Takeaway: Customer acquisition can take a big chunk of your budget. Good marketing analytics are necessary to assess the costs and returns of your marketing spend. Just as you modify a recipe to your taste, you’ll need to evaluate and adjust your marketing plan, using analytics to guide you. In addition to marketing, it is also important to consider the other ingredients that affect customer acquisition and retention such as fulfillment, operations and competition.

Learn more about Marketing Analytics.

Cajam Marketing Receives Small Business Enterprise Certification

Cajam Marketing Receives Small Business Enterprise Certification

May 26, 2017

Cajam Marketing, based in Millstone, New Jersey, recently received certification as a New Jersey Minority and Women’s Small Business Enterprise.  As a local businesswoman, Cajam Marketing President Kathy Gould is proud of the SBE designation.  “We are honored to join a strong network of women and minority business leaders in our community. Cajam Marketing’s clients include diverse businesses of every size across the country, but at the heart of it all, I am still a Jersey girl. Our local roots and Jersey can-do spirit have helped Cajam Marketing flourish,” Gould shares.

Well Versed in Many Industries

From welding supplies to bourbon, the Cajam Marketing team is well versed in marketing to a wide range of industries. Gould founded Cajam Marketing in 2001 with Linda Delp, a colleague and data analyst. “We combined our creative and analytic strengths to focus on data driven marketing,” explains Gould. “We started our careers in print advertising, before Google Adwords or Amazon shopping were a thing. Our strong foundation in offline marketing has really helped us excel and match pace with the ever-evolving digital marketing ecosystem.”

Delp and Gould are joined by a seasoned staff of writers, graphic designers, web designers, developers, data analysts and digital advertising experts. Cajam Marketing specializes in offline and online marketing, offering an array of services from website development to social media marketing.  “Whether you need a banner and brochures for a tradeshow booth or a targeted email campaign for your business, Cajam Marketing does it all,” says Gould.

Giving Back to the Community

As a small business owner with deep ties to her community, Gould likes to give back. One of her “pet projects” is raising and training puppies as guide dogs for the Seeing Eye non-profit group of Morristown, NJ. Gould adds, “Having my own business gives me a little more flexibility to incorporate volunteer service into the work day. Plus, the Cajam team gets its fix of cuddling puppies, which is a great job perk. We are excited about our Small Business Enterprise certification because this will offer us more opportunities to work within our community and make a difference.”

About Cajam Marketing

Founded in 2001, Cajam Marketing is a full service consulting firm specialized in maximizing offline and online marketing initiatives through analytics. Services include web analytics, web design, email marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, digital advertising, affiliate marketing, marketplace marketing, print marketing and brand building. For more information about Cajam Marketing, visit www.cajammarketing.com

Back to Basics: The Human Connection in Digital Marketing

Back to Basics: The Human Connection in Digital Marketing

May 11, 2017

At the risk of over-sharing, here’s a tidbit about Cajam Marketing: our marketing team often talks in song lyrics, and just about any topic can inspire a tune. A recent discussion involving lots of charts and acronyms like ROI and AOV called to mind Bruce Springsteen’s “Human Touch,” “…just a little of that human touch…” (Cajam Jersey girls give extra points for Springsteen lyrics), as well as Rick Springfield’s “we all need the human touch…” For marketers, a brief musical flashback to a pre-digital era is a good reminder of the timeless quest for human connection.

In data-driven digital advertising, there’s a tendency to lose touch with the human side of marketing while sorting through numbers. We tally “conversions,” an impersonal term for a very human moment. A real live person needs something, looks for it and finds it on your website. Using emotions like trust and reasoning, this person decides you have the best solution, enters a payment method and clicks the order button.

Online retailers, in the absence of face-to-face interaction with shoppers, need to work a little harder to build a relationship with a website visitor. With a combination of song titles and marketing wisdom, here are a few tips to add the all-important human touch to the digital shopping experience.

“Make Me Feel Your Love”

Interpersonal Communication 101: Everyone wants to feel special and loved. (Go ahead, hum whatever song popped in your head about feeling special and being loved).  Keep this basic human need in every step of your marketing plan.

What makes a customer feel special?

  • A handwritten thank you note in the shipping box or post-purchase
  • A free sample
  • A non-salesy phone call, especially to diffuse a potential conflict like a shipping snafu
  • “My account” customer registration to foster a sense of belonging. Amazon Prime membership is a prime example.

Chewy.com postcard

This handwritten postcard from Chewy.com adds a personal touch.

“Baby Hold On To Me”

Offer a tangible reminder of your brand. Send something your customer can hold onto like a friendly, well-designed postcard or branded swag related to your product line (like the mini pencils IKEA keeps in easy reach in its stores)

Other ideas:

  • A postcard mailer with an offer to a targeted list (we recently received postcards from HelloFresh, Chewy.com and Boxed.com, and guess what? They worked.
  • A printed card with product tips, recipe, etc. included in the box

“Don’t You (Forget About Me)”

Continue to grow your customer relationship after the first sale. Post-purchase emails with tips related to the product and links to other relevant information like a blog article or idea book can strengthen your bond. Despite the “e” in “email”, an email can evoke a clubby feeling of community. A branded box and creative branded packaging are often retained for future use, keeping your brand name in sight.

“99 Problems”

Be the solution. In the simplest terms, every person who visits your website is in search of an answer. Helping someone solve a problem builds trust and gratitude. Be sure to focus on the benefits of your products, and pay attention to your visitor’s needs.

“The Power of Love”

If you show the love through genuine customer service, friendliness and care, your customers will love you back. A happy customer becomes a repeat buyer and a brand champion. Customers who feel connected to your brand will share their love with friends. Encourage customers to post photos and videos featuring your products on social media, write product reviews and spread the love.

Need marketing help? Cajam Marketing offers guidance, planning and creative resources to help you build your brand and grow your business. Contact us.

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