Trench Workers Have Great Opinions Too! Listen To Your Front Line Workers

Trench Workers: The employees who work the front lines. In retail it would be the cashier or store manager, at a bank it's the teller, and in market research it's the survey interviewer calling from a database or the manager fielding a project for a client of theirs.

Trench workers are important to listen to because they have a unique perspective: They see both the customers and company's point of view at the same time. Their opinions stem from their work environment to the current projects they are working on. Failure to listen to the employees often result in unhappy workers who will try to find other jobs and the company will have missed opportunities to provide better or more efficient products/services. Managing employee opinions is not just an HR thing!!! In the B2B world clients who listen each other and communicate on a regular basis are often more satisfied with their relationship and will not shop for a new vendor/partner to work with. Many people worry about collecting biased opinions when listening to trench workers but as long as you know how to filter these out you will be pleasantly surprised to uncover valuable feedback that can make your company even more profitable.

At The Market Research Event in San Diego, CA, the vice president of customer relations at Best Buy spoke about empowering their front-line employees by offering a channel to get their voices heard. They set up a system that allowed them to track what customers are saying on the sales floor and gave the employee an opportunity to share it with upper management by simply logging into the computer/register. As a result Best Buy made changes to their warranty agreements, offered more customer-driven products and services, and employees feel more empowered to share their thoughts and are happier with their work environment.

Now I'm not suggesting for you to add a bitch button to the cash register like Best Buy but it would good to implement a system that can quantify employee experiences into actionable data. What their company did will not work for everyone, however establishing an open-line of communication is important to receive feedback and empower your employees to care about their job more. As the researcher it's our job to collect all types of feedback and the items using open-ended text analysis tools, crowdsourcing tools, and reveal actionable results. As a socially conscious marketer we are showing respect to all levels of employees and giving them an opportunity to make a positive impact to their work environment. Go ahead and empower your employees. This is a win-win situation for all.

The Art of Listening: The Skill Every Market Researcher Must Continually Work On

Listening - a simple action word that's really hard to do. I've been thinking a lot about this word and how I can improve my listening skills in every aspect of my life. If you are married like me sometimes it's hard to listen to your spouse. I see my husband's mouth moving but nothing is registering. My selective hearing skills are very impressive...which is not a good thing.

Not only is listening really important in maintaining good relationships with your friends and family but as a market researcher we need to continually challenge and hone our listening skills. By trade market researchers should be the best listeners in the world. Even better than therapist I dare say. Why? Because there are a lot of money at stake.

To get started on becoming a better listener I've put together 4 main questions you should ask while listening to your customers/respondents:

1) Is anything distracting me from giving my full attention to listening to my customers?

The world of cell phones, internet, email, etc. has detrimentally affected our ability to give full attention to specific tasks at hand. There is nothing wrong with being a multi-tasker, however, in the event of listening to respondent/customers it's important to pay special attention to what they are saying. Put your phone on silent, don't review or reply to emails when they are giving you their opinion or reviewing their survey answers. One small distraction may end up costing your company revenue down the road.

2) Am I being completely unbiased and open to what people are saying to me?

It's human nature to act a certain way based on our past experiences. Life experiences shape who we are and our opinions. As a market researcher, especially in the consulting world, it's important to stay as neutral and unbiased as possible. I remember many times I had to remind myself to check my personal opinions at the door. Easier said than done of course.
While gathering data it is also important that the tools and methods to collect data are not biased either. Have coworkers review your survey to identify any loaded questions and don't be afraid to question whether the clients you are working with are skewed with their own agenda.

3) Am I tapping into all possible channels to listen?

I don't want to call anyone out but I've known companies who use selective hearing when it comes to listening to their customers. Some of them only want to hear the good and not the ugly.
Ignorance is not bliss in this case. Sorry, but every company must be able to hear the good and the bad or risk having it come back and bite you in the ass. Have you Googled your company? Have you checked your comments on Facebook or Twitter? Is anyone talking trash and if so who is it? Although you are not in the business of moderating a bitch-fest it's important to take what they say into consideration and be able to prioritize which opinions require an actionable response.

4) Do I really understand what people are saying to me?

As a researcher I recall myself reviewing data and instantly categorizing the responses into specific data segments. It's hard to remember that I'm not just presenting data- I'm presenting real people and real customers who want to give their opinion. We spend a lot of time putting together an outline for a project, a statement of purpose within a specific budget and deadline to meet. Spend ample time understanding the voice of your customers from different angles. I even challenge you to throw out your research outline (just as an exercise during your project) and just talk to them. Isn't it amazing what you hear when you don't have a preconceived agenda?

Should We Blame Marketing for Bad Romances?

OK let's set aside all of the daddy and mommy issues for now and dive right into my title question, "Should we blame marketing for bad romances?"

Everybody knows that 50% of all marriages end in divorce. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center last month found that of the 2,691 Americans surveyed, 39 percent thought marriage is becoming obsolete, up from 28 percent when Time magazine asked the same question in 1978. Many say a lot of these attitude changes are a result of cultural changes in our society but as a socially conscious marketer I have to wonder if we can prove that past marketing efforts made by companies have affected people's opinions on romance and relationship expectations. The bigger question would be how badly has it effected people's opinions on romance and relationships?

The other day at the gym I caught an episode of "Millionaire Matchmaker." A millionairess who's made her fortune being on the cover of romance novels (female Fabio) came to the Patti Stanger, the millionaire matchmaker, to help her find her "prince charming." She was an attractive and very fit women in her 40s with just a bit too much botox on her forehead. As she spoke more and more I thought she sounded quite delusional as though he was reenacting a scene from a Disney movie. She thought she had her fairytale wedding but got divorced and she's now a lost princess in search for her handsome prince. Though I do not have a degree in psychology clearly this women needs some serious therapy before putting herself back on the market. The show ended with her finding a younger man who owned a security company who took her on a fairytale date in Central Park. Throughout the entire show Patti the matchmaker kept saying, "Romance is still alive, chivalry is not dead!" Good marketing for her services right? Sure, but the other message is to hold on to your princessy dreams waiting for that perfect man. Same goes for all the other romance shows like The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Blind Date, Rock of Love, and more. Sorry but nobody's perfect and all this expectation is going to lead to serious disappointment down the road.

Let's look at another factor that contributes to the bad romance epidemic: The "Bad Boy" effect. You know who they are! The ones who asked you to skip classes and hang out at the movies, the ones who act a bit mysterious and distant. Yeah, I'm also talking about that guy at the bar who promised to call you and take you out on a nice date but only calls you after 10:00 PM asking if you want to hang out. I don't think women were completely drawn to assholes until it was sensationalized in movies, music, and other media outlets. Women in their early 20s are encouraged to have fun with Mr. Right Now only to find their hearts falling in love with the unemotionally available asshole. I've seen way too many of my girlfriends stay with Mr. Right Now even though they candidly admit the man is not good for them. Even I have personally experienced this in the the past as well. Should we blame the girl completely or can we say she is a product of her environment and that includes a daily attack of advertisements that portray an ideal lifestyle?

Obviously there are many other factors to consider when looking at the bad romance conundrum. Careers, families, finances, personal experiences, etc. all have a role in picking out the type of mate you want right now or the rest of your life but I believe the influence and effects of marketing in this sector of life has been severely under-rated far too long. In the end those who search for the ideal mate portrayed in marketing campaigns will be left broken hearted and alone...just like Jillian and Ed from The Bachelorette (picture above).

Should Marketing and Medication Mix?

This article, I admit, is going to be a tough one for me to write about. Why?

-I do not have any medical background whatsoever.

-I do not work in a pharmaceutical lab.

-I don't have any major illnesses that require for me to take any medications.


However, I do have experience in:

-Market research for pharmaceutical companies

- Physicians network development for insurance firms

This article will not address over-the-counter medication, but specifically about drugs that require a prescription from your doctor.

Pharmaceutical companies pour tons and tons of money into research and marketing campaigns. I can't open up a woman's magazine without finding at least 3-4 full-page ads for depression and birth control. Pharmaceutical sales is a very tough job. Rolling around a suitcase of samples and brochures while sitting in front of disgruntled doctors ain't easy.
Trust me: I tried getting a job as one and got rejected.

The ethical question is: Shouldn't your doctor, the one who actually knows your medical history, be your main source of information for new medication, and not some actress mumbling through the side-effects of the advertised medication?

It's unfortunate that most people's doctors aren't actually good family friends friends any longer. Some people don't even go to the same doctor for different ailments. As a result, this leaves a gaping hole for pharmacy companies to "market" their information on you. Once, when I was 24 yrs old I went to the doctor and insisted on this medication that one of my friends claimed gave her bigger boobs (a side effect, BTW). Ads were everywhere of young women going about life and feeling free of all inhibitions. I wanted to be like them: swimming miles in a pool and running through a field of flowers with my larger tits. The doctor shrugged, said ok, and prescribed me a 3 month supply. Did I get bigger boobs? Yes! But I also gained 25 pounds in 6 weeks and had the worst mood swings ever. Nooooo! The caution on box did say, "May cause weight gain...."

So what's a person to do in this situation? Call the doctor's office? Bother the Nurse? Talk to the legal drug dealer, a.k.a, the pharmacist?

This is going to a hard recommendation. Ethically I believe that the health-care system has an obligation to educate their patients about these different offerings and be the gate-keeper to a person's health. On the flip side, a person needs to have unbiased, qualified, and available resources to verify medication claims. In general, people are too jaded by the FDA to trust many of their research findings. As of right now, I can't really think of a good solution but I do know that something is wrong - marketing and medication, especially in the case of prescription drugs, should not mix.

Hmmm...Is it ok to Rip Off Dumb People?

I wanted to share with you an informative and entertaining blog from Tim O'Conner, CMO of PCDI/Ashworth.

Using the story from the movie, "A Face in the Crowd," Tim highlights a recent report on NPR on impulsive buying habits and how the brain's chemicals change during this type of behavior.

My husband would definitely call me an impulsive shopper: I go into the store with 1 thing in mind and leave with 9 additional items.

As marketers there's a fine line to straddle here. Do we want to entice people's impulsive behavior to buy our client's products, or do we want to market to consumers ethically so they can have better control of their purchasing decision process?
To read more, click this article: http://researchaccess.com/2010/07/neuromarketing-ethics-why-is-it-ok-to-rip-off-dumb-people/

10 Marketing Strategies We Can Learn From Today's Celebrities

There are people who truly deserve to be famous because of their talent and contributions to this world. Oprah, Kanye West, Steve Jobs are a few examples of people who are well deserved of their notoriety. Then there are those who for some god-forsaken reason the media loves to follow: Kim Kardashian, Speidi (Barf! WTF is wrong with them?), Ashton Kutcher, and all those "Housewives," to name a few. The word celebrity is used very loosely these days because there is such a crap shoot of "famous" people out there.

Setting aside guilty pleasures of reading smutty celebrity news, let's take a look at these celebrities objectively - What kind of marketing strategies can we learn from people like LeBron James and Heidi Klum? And as a socially conscious marketer how can I implement celebrity marketing strategies into my everyday work environment?

Here are 10 major marketing strategies used by celebrities today:

1) Control What Gets Leaked into the Press

Let's face it everyone. Mel Gibson is pretty screwed right now. His baby momma's got all the power with the leaked tapes and her exclusive interviews with Radaronline is making her boku bucks. Lebron James and his PR team sure know how to rile up NBA fans by making a big fuss about his free agent announcement. I was bored to tears with the NBA until all this crazy buzz about Lebron started happening. Where is he going? Chicago, New York, or staying in Cleveland? Leaks upon leaks came through but nobody could confirm any stories. ESPN PAID King James to televise his announcement! He is quite the "balls" handler, eh? David Stern, commish of the NBA, denounced LeBron's actions, but secretly, I bet Mr. Davey's pretty jazzed about it.

Lesson: Control the leaks/Control the story. Simple.

2) Be Everywhere

How can you miss Kim Kardashian's sweet sweet uh....smile on every red carpet?
I don't even know what she's famous for, but for some reason she's always striking a pose on every red carpet around the world. And she looks good. Girlfriend definitely knows how to work it and get into all those super market magazines with a tight outfit that shows off her "assets."

Now I'm not going out there wearing stilettos and hot pants to get people to notice my marketing efforts. I'm going to leave that to Miss Kimmy. Instead, I'll be looking into more work-appropriate opportunities to like local happy hours, promoting and doing online presentations, blogs, commenting on other blogs, and associate myself to anything and everything positive related to my company's industry.

Lesson: Go where the action/buzz is whether online or in-person and make an appearance.

3) Pump Ample Time and Effort into Social Media Networking

Can you name one adolescent female who hasn't caught Bieber fever? OMG, this Justin Bieber kid is the new Jonathan Taylor Thomas of our time (I grew up in the 90's with Home Improvement). Even my 14 year old nephew went out and got his hair cut like Bieber's to appeal to the ladies. Bieber fever started with this kid posting performances on YouTube and the next thing you know Usher and Timberlake all wanted to record this kid's album. His YouTube videos are #1 and he puts in time to tweet and update his blog regularly, or at least he has Bieber minions keeping him plugged in with his audience. The kid's got a genius marketing strategy...and he's not a bad singer either.

Lesson: Spend more time connecting with others through social media outlets and see your core audience grow.

4) Stay Relevant by "Reinventing" Yourself

Heidi Montag, Madonna, Jennifer Hudson, Lady GaGa - What do all of these ladies have in common? Reinventing themselves! JHud lost a ton of weight and she looks spectacular, Lady Gaga not only entertains us with her music but also with her never-ending display of outrageous costumes, and Madonna never stopped reinventing her music, personal style, and along the way she tried out a couple of religions (Kabbalah, anyone?) and adopted a Malawian baby. Who ever spoke of Malawi until she went there?

Unfortunately for Heidi Montag, whom many of the tabloids now call Franken-Heidi, not all reinventions (ie. 10 plastic surveys in 1 day) garner expected results.

Lesson: Don't be afraid to reinvent yourself or your company to stay relevant within your niche. Also know that reinvention can also come with pitfalls that may unhinge you from your core audience so choose your reinvention strategy wisely.

5) Publicize Comments on News, Blogs, and Press Releases and Turn it into News About Yourself

Nothing annoys me more than stories on celebrity's comments on other celebrity news. Do I really care about Michael Lohan's opinion on the Tiger Woods cheating scandal? No but I saw that he commented about it anyways. Yes, it's sad that I know the name of Lindsey Lohan's parents. Nobody really wants to see this grubby man's face all over TMZ, Perez, Radar, etc., but he keeps popping up all over in a terrible attempt to reconcile with his daughter. So far his strategy has not worked. Sorry Michael, but if my dad ever did this to me I'd pretend he didn't exist too. (Picture of him not included in this section...purposely.)

Lesson: Comment and share opinions on press releases that are in tune with your marketing goals. Be clear with your intentions and you will become well-known and respected by PR firms, readers, bloggers, and other commentaters.

6) Quickly Come Clean when Scandal Breaks

Who doesn't love to read about a good scandal these days? But when the tides turn and the scandal happens to you, what would you do? Despite the whole Monica Lewinsky scandal, Bill Clinton is still considered to be one of America's all time favorite presidents. How did he do it? Simple: He televised a carefully crafted statement of what he did, asked Americans to forgive his actions, and showed everyone that Hilary supported him 100%.

Lesson: Carefully choose the words to address the scandal and make sure your strategic partnerships will stand by your side during this time.

7) Build Partnerships with other Brands that Compliment You

Before the massive cheating scandal, everyone wanted Tiger Woods to promote their product. Money from golf tourneys paled in comparison to the endorsements deals he pulled in. At his peak Woods earned over $100 million dollars a year from his endorsement deals and it is estimated nearly 90% of his income comes from endorsements. Tiger's team strategically selected endorsements that fit his former squeaky clean image. Gatorade? Nike? Gillette? Yes. Online gambling website? No.

It's said that Tiger instantly lost over 30% of his endorsement revenue after the scandal broke.
Yikes, that's got to hurt!

Lesson: Network and partner yourself with other like-minded firms and promote like crazy. Also re-evaluate partnerships. Ask, "Does this partnership remain strategically significant to my brand and overall goals?"

8) Accept That Any Kind of Media is Good Media

If you love reality tv (like me), then you just finished watching Ali pick Roberto during The Bachelorette. Her show was the highest rated Bachelor/Bachelorette show ever. It wasn't because Ali's personality and good looks that made it the most watched show. Rather, it was the major media buzz on smutty magazines and blogs such as RealitySteve.com (awesome blog, BTW) that really had people watching. ABC tried everything to shut Reality Steve down and forced E! to cut his segment out of an E! special"Bachelor/Bachelorette: Where are they now?" In the end, ABC should have sent this blogger a fruit basket for it's success.

Lesson: Publically acknowledge media coverage from others with appreciation and clarify the truth if needed.

9) Give Back to Your Community & Tell Everyone About It!

Angelina Jolie is modern day's Mother Theresa. The UN really hit PR gold when they asked Jolie to become one of their prestigious ambassadors. Nobody ever talks about her pre-Maddox days when she was married to Billy Bob Thorton and wore a drop of his blood around her neck or that she used to cut herself and was slightly manic depressive at times. Nope! Instead she's really turned her life around and is giving back and shining light on those who are less fortunate and desperately need help.

Lesson: Find a charity or opportunity to give back and share with all your fans and readers via press release, website, and share why you are involved in these programs.

10) Bring More Than One Talent to the Table

Hello J.Lo! Jenny from the block markets herself as the ultimate entertainer: singer, actress, dancer, clothing designer, restaurant owner, co-producer, the list goes on and on. Sure, her notoriety has died down a bit, but she's still around making money "entertaining" the masses. How many girls from "In Living Color," do you know ever reached the height of J.Lo's success? Sorry, but the judge, Cari Ann, from Dancing With The Stars doesn't even come close. In an uncertain economy we need to show everyone that we don't play just one note on the keyboard.

Lesson: Be flexible and offer a whole array of untapped talent or skill your employer could use to further the business. More than likely you will be the one to get/keep the job.

Dinosaur Marketers A.K.A. Marketer Who Refuse to Accept Growing Trends in the Marketing Industry

Dinosaurs are fascinating.
Plain and Simple.
Large Teeth, Big Bones, Heavy, and Looooooong necks.....these creatures that used to rule the world have tickled my imagination and haunted me in my dreams ever since I was a little girl. I used to imagine, "What if dinosaurs and humans had to live side by side? Would I be able to survive in that world?"

In many ways I find the marketers who love to say, "Well, I've been doing my market research and marketing this way for 25+ years" fascinating as well. Most of the time these statements come up while defending their way of doing things and they don't want to change anything about it. I call these people "Dinosaur Marketers." They fascinate me with their experience and knowledge, tickle my imagination with their stories, and haunt me in my dreams as well.

Now, I'm not saying that their marketing or market research tactics are wrong. And I also I agree that relying on technology will not gather the same kind of research as an in-person interview. In their defense it must be hard to accept the fact that the demand for outsourced marketing and research has shifted greatly. Less and less companies have money to do in-person focus groups and using an online forum to conduct research is much more cost effective. I've seen $90,000/yr employees being replaced by software that only cost $12,000/yr to use and maintain.

Most long-term business relationships are paved with good intentions, but in the end even a good relationship will be reviewed and evaluated if something newer, flashier, cheaper, and easier to use is out there.

Many of you may be asking, "Hey...is this even cool to put experienced marketers on blast? Are you worried you are going to burn bridges in the marketing community, and what does this have to do with 'socially conscious marketing?"

The reality: it's happening and it cannot be stopped. Regardless of experience levels, we all need to admit that the industry is changing, and different jobs in marketing and market research are becoming extinct. It's critical to make changes to sustain a company and in the end provide a job that will keep a roof over your head. Being socially conscious also means being aware of the trends and being flexible enough to stay relevant in your niche.

The solution is a tough pill to swallow: You need to change with the times, reinvent yourself, and offer these choices to your clients or risk losing them forever. If you are anti-Twitter, stop! If you don't have a Facebook fan page, start one now! If you don't have a blog then you missing out on prime opportunities to reinvent your company brand.

I hate to compare the hard-headed marketers who are unwilling to change to dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are extinct and unless they make drastic changes, someday they will be too.

Would Getting Rid of Ronald McDonald Make Us Skinny?

Hey Ron!

How's it going man? Long time no see. I remember I used to really like you. Which says a lot because I grew up terrified of clowns.
But not you.
No sir.
You were the nicest guy in the whole wide world.
Ronny, you were the man who loved bringing hamburgers, toys, and utter happiness in an otherwise dull and rainy Seattle day.
My fondest memories was when I was 6 years old and you came to visit my elementary school and you threw rubber chickens in the gym's basketball hoop. Dude, that was the coolest thing I've ever seen at that age.
Ronald McDonald was my hero.
I loved Happy Meals. There's nothing like holding that box with the golden arches handle.

But I'm here not to give you props but to chastise you. In the end you are no better than that clown from the movie "It." Your greedy corporate officers approved sinister marketing campaigns that pitted me against my mother's home cooking. No, her food did not come with a toy or in a fun box so how could she compete? How could I, at the tender age of 4,5 or 6, know any better?

According to Consumer Reports magazine, "young children have difficulty distinguishing between advertising and reality in ads, and ads can distort their view of the world."

Research has shown that children between the ages of two and five cannot differentiate between regular TV programming and commercials. Young children are especially vulnerable to misleading advertising and don't begin to understand that advertisements are not always true until they're eight.

You, Mr. Ronald, knew this very well and took full advantage of it. Now children advocate groups want you dead, but no, you are Steven Segal. You are "Hard to Kill." Shareholders want to keep you going and the President and CEO of Micky D's because of all the wonderful things you do.

And you do good work.

I really like the Ronald McDonald House and charities you are involved in. Unfortunately, I wish you would be doing a lot more than that by promoting better food items, teach kids how to count calories, portion control, and engage others in healthy exercise.

It's not your fault that America is fat. It's not your fault that I am considered overweight for my height. But I do believe that with your power and influence you and make a better difference in the lives of young children who will forever remember how you reached out to them like you did when I was a young kid.

About the Author: E. LaVielle is currently a Senior Account Manager for a software company in Seattle, WA, with a degree in Marketing from Western Washington University and over 7 years of work experience in marketing, health insurance, and e-commerce. Her passion for marketing made her write this blog. Seriously...it did.

Dove: High Praises for Positive Beauty Campaign

It is a sad world we live in when 7/10 young girls between the ages of 7-12 years old say they don't think they are good enough or suffer from low self-esteem. What is causing all of this?

We've witnessed the effects of marketing cigarettes to children and have seen many policies put a kibosh on it, however, should we also be looking at other products and images that may shape a child's mind and self-perception for the rest of their lives?

Let's look at the beauty industry for a bit.

Lets face it: The idea of beauty is not always dictated by the everyday human, but by the culture and it's dominate media force. What is stereotypically beautiful in the US is not what's beautiful in Korea or India. A lot of these were set by powerful marketing campaigns and now we see these as the norm.

Dove is doing something different from their competition. They are taking ladies of all different shapes and sizes and celebrating them. None of these people are surgically enhanced and they look proud to be who they are. Their mission is "to make women feel beautiful everyday by widening stereotypical views of beauty." It's a refreshing breathe of air that people young and old can learn from. Their Campaign for Real Beauty and Self Esteem fund have reached 3.9 million people with the hopes to reach out to 5 million by the end of 2010.
Learn more about their Campaign for Real Beauty: http://www.dove.us/#/cfrb/about_cfrb.aspx

I commend the marketers at Dove. They are one of the pioneers of socially conscious marketing competing in the the harsh beauty industry today.

About the Author: E. LaVielle is currently a Senior Account Manager for a software company in Seattle, WA, with a degree in Marketing from Western Washington University and over 7 years of work experience in marketing, health insurance, and e-commerce. Her passion for marketing made her write this blog. Seriously...it did.

10 sneaky marketing tactics you need to avoid - iMediaConnection.com

"Great Article! It's true that as a marketer you are always faced with that "gray" area that can get you and your company in trouble."

It can be tempting to get crafty with your online marketing practices, but certain shortcuts will harm your brand more than you think. See why you need to steer clear of these common deceptions.

View >>

What Kind of Meal Can You Purchase for $3?

I just got back from my honeymoon (I know: congrats!) in Vietnam. It was my first trip outside of North America and I was really shocked by many of the cultural differences that were evident every step of the way. One of the things that really made me think was how cheap fresh vegetables and fruit were in comparison to packaged snack foods. Why buy a small bag of salted potato chips when you can buy a bushel of bananas, jack fruit, and oranges for the same amount? Even our dinner at fancy restaurants ended with a plate of fruit and not a wildly decedent dessert. Hardly anyone in Vietnam is fat or obese. In fact, I was probably the fattest person (height/weight-wise) around.

Could there be a connection here?

In America people are responsible for themselves by exercising good stewardship in choosing what and how much to eat. It's freedom of democracy demonstrated by what's stocked at our grocery stores. And don't get me wrong, I love having all these wonderful options especially since I can afford it. But what if you can't afford it? What can you buy with $3?

Curious to try this mini-experiment, I ventured to my nearest grocery store: PCC. Ok, so a PCC is for the rich yuppies who automatically feel healthier with one step through the door, but this is an experiment of convenience. I imagine you may get similar results at a Safeway or Fred Meyers if you went mostly organic. Most of the foods that would fill me up were packaged processed snack foods or small bakery items like cookies and a roll. In the canned food aisles I can get a can of organic beans and or soup. In the produce aisle I could buy 1 organic apple and a head of lettuce with $3. I couldn't even afford one of their frozen dinners at $3.99. Next I went to my local convenience store, good ol' Seven-Eleven! With $3 I can get a hot dog with all the fixings, a large beverage, and a small bag of chips or candy bar. Wow! Dinner, drink, and a dessert to boot.

I just didn't understand: How come all this junk food is so cheap? Then I learned about government incentives for companies and farmers. Apparently there are many government incentives put in place to entice farmers of America to overproduce more corn and soybeans than needed, resulting in a drop in prices. The incentives were paved with good intentions until large food corporations squeezed themselves into the middleman position. Some farmers under contract with large corporations have been bullied into piling on mountains of debt in order to meet their demands in making their processed foods.

A quick side note: The average chicken farmer in America makes about $16,000/yr. That's about $8.33 an hour. The rest is paid to the corporation and it's shareholders. Does that sound like the government incentive helping these guys out?

Dr. Barry Sears, author of Toxic Fat: When Good Fat Turns Bad, argues, “The problem lies with America’s continually subsidizing of corn and soybean production.” Government subsidies generate “an oversupply of cheap refined carbohydrates and cheap vegetable oils that when combined give rise to increased diet-induced inflammation.” This inflammation in turn “activates the genes in people who are genetically predisposed to gain weight with relative ease,” giving rise to all the health problems connected to excessive weight. Medical spending for obesity is estimated to have reached $147 billion in 2008, an 87 percent increase in the past decade.

Simply put: Cheaper Processed food = Fattest Country in the World!

People keep saying that if we want a healthier America, government should no longer subsidize farmers one penny, leaving the market free to give us the information we need to make good decisions. They look to the Obama administration and Congress to do the country an enormous favor if they stopped assisting the production of food that contributes to poor nutrition. This would be real progress toward better stewardship of our bodies, and better health, right? Yes, but this is not the only solution.

The quickest change can be influenced by socially conscious consumers, marketers, and food companies. Already we see an organic movement increasing by 25% each year, and marketers and food companies are scrambling for new marketing strategies to appeal to a healthier lifestyle. Even then we need to be wary of these products and read the labels. The more we spend on healthier food products the lower the prices will be. The rule of supply and demand will always prevail on tangible items.

As marketers we need to promote campaigns that create consumer awareness about healthy living for a stronger and vibrant America. We need to take a stand against deceptive marketing tactics, and as a marketer within your company you have a lot more power to change things than a mother with an obese child with diabetes. So what if you lost that soda pop account! Let Joe Blow Marketing Group (a fake name I pulled out of thin air) take the blame for contributing to the obesity epidemic. I certainly don't want that on my conscience and neither should you.

About the Author: E. LaVielle is currently a Senior Account Manager for a software company in Seattle, WA, with a degree in Marketing from Western Washington University and over 7 years of work experience in marketing, health insurance, and e-commerce. Her passion for marketing made her write this blog. Seriously...it did.

ConsciousMarketer.blogspot.com: The Mission for this Blog

Hello World!

I told myself a while ago I was never going to become a blogger and write a bunch of jibberish for nobody to read. Terrible with grammar and too busy to spend my free time hammering the keys (which I do all day for work), I thought bloggers had no social lives outside of waiting for comments on their articles to roll in.

But one day I snapped and changed my mind. Here I am today. You want to know why?
It's because I'm pissed off and tired of marketers and companies not holding themselves accountable for influencing our society, culture, and way of life. As a person working in the marketing industry I admit I've worked on my fair share of tobacco and fast food projects without blinking an eye. Looking back on that I realize it was wrong. It's funny how I don't even smoke or eat fast food regularly, yet somehow I may have contributed to America's obesity epidemic without realizing it.

So who is going to stand up to their employer and tell them we should not take jobs with companies who are toxifying our social and economic environment? In this economy it's hard to be picky. "We should be happy for the jobs that we do have," is what I've been hearing over and over again. Money speaks louder than our conscience especially when the bills are overdue.

Recently I viewed "Food Inc." and the thing that struck me is that the US Government does not have the power to change a company's marketing strategy. A company will change it's marketing strategy only if the consumer wants to spend their money on it. The example shown in the film was Walmart striking a deal to carry Stonyfield Farms Organic Yogurt. Sure, it was the potential of making a lot of money in the organic movement that motivated Walmart, but in the end, it may result in a healthier consumer, right? That's what owner of Stonyfield Farms, Gary Hirshberg, thinks. Although I frown on Walmart's motives, I can respect Gary's opinion on this.

Consumers need to continue this trend towards healthier and wholesome products, and as marketers we need to help point our clients into a socially conscious way of marketing their products. The end result would be (in my dreams) a mentally, physically, and environmentally healthier world to share for generations to come.

This blog will highlight burning topics associated with socially conscious marketing while spot-lighting marketing firms, companies, and other bloggers (I know you are out there and I will find you) who are passionate about bringing socially conscious marketing to the forefront.

About the Author: E. LaVielle is currently a Senior Account Manager for a software company in Seattle, WA, with a degree in Marketing from Western Washington University and over 7 years of work experience in marketing, health insurance, and e-commerce. Her passion for marketing made her write this blog. Seriously...it did.