What Québec Wants™

Amanda commented on Rebecca's photos. So what?

What in heaven’s name made you think you could monetize the real estate in which somebody is breaking up with their girlfriend? – Ted McConnell, Procter & Gamble

The kids were home for the holidays but they never really left their friends – thanks to Facebook. As I watched them spend hours sending messages, telling others what they’re “doing now”, writing on walls, and commenting on newly posted photos, I kept wondering whether marketers were actually reaching them through their ever-expanding social networks or if they were simply there adding to this growing noise and clutter.

Of course, there’s Sean who became a fan of Canadian Club. And many others like him who will gladly become brand champions online. I don’t question the value of word-of-mouth but I’m skeptical about the ROI and the effectiveness. Which is why I found recent statements by Procter & Gamble’s general manager of interactive marketing and innovation so refreshing at a time when everyone’s gone gaga about the marketing power of social networks. Speaking at a recent Digital Conference, Ted McConnell bluntly declared: “I really don’t want to buy any more banner ads on Facebook.”

He went on to say:“Social networks may never find the ad dollars they’re hunting for because they don’t really have a right to them. What in heaven’s name made you think you could monetize the real estate in which somebody is breaking up with their girlfriend? I don’t think everything every consumer says to someone else and writes down is somehow monetizable by the media industry.”

Is the pendulum swinging back?

For data on social networks and Quebeckers, see this previous post.

 

 

Quebeckers, New Year's Eve and Resolutions

New Year’s Eve celebrations are a big deal in Quebec.

Ipsos Reid asked Canadians in 2007 what they were planning to do on New Year’s Eve.

Four out of ten said they were having a quiet evening at home. The only significant difference was in Quebec where only 28% were planning to go quiet. Almost four out of ten (37%) in Quebec were planning to attend a New Year’s Eve party at someone else’s home, or have a party themselves.

The same survey asked Canadians if they were planning to make New Year’s resolutions in 2008.

On average, 29% of Canadians said they would. And Quebeckers were significantly more likely to say they would at 37%. But before you conclude that Quebeckers are more motivated to lose weight, stop smoking or drinking, get organized, become a better person, etc., keep in mind that most resolutions are doomed to fail.

According to McGill psychology professor and human-motivation expert Richard Koestner, "Most of us find that we fail at our resolutions year after year.”

Limited self-regulatory strength

Koestner's research makes the case that even if you follow all of the standard goal-setting tips, you are still likely to fail thanks to that pesky matter of willpower, or what those in the human-motivation business call, "limited self-regulatory strength."

Question your motivation

But there are two things people can do to overcome willpower limitations, his research suggests.

First, like a serious actor, question your motivation. "Unfortunately, many of the resolutions we set are actually things we feel others want us to do or things we feel guilty about not having done." Second, simply setting the goal is not enough. Bolster your goal with specific plans about when, where and how you will take steps to reach it. Ideally, your plan should make the pursuit of the goal almost automatic so that you don't have to keep relying on that elusive limited self-regulatory strength.

For more on this, read this article in the McGill Reporter .

I like Koestner’s final recommendation:

This is something people may want to keep in mind every day of the year: "There is a danger in evaluating life too much in terms of goals met or missed. It's a shame if someone looks back at the year and says, 'Oh boy, I did not lose 10 pounds and get a promotion like I resolved to,' when, meanwhile, they may have made three new friends, helped their family and been a great neighbour. Social relationships are probably the most important factor in determining the quality of one's life but they are not what we tend to make resolutions about."

Maybe that’s why Quebeckers are more likely to party with friends on New Year’s Eve and resolve to party again next year.

Happy New Year.

It’s the thought that counts.

The email from Amazon is asking if I’m “in need of some thoughtful but thrifty gifts for fellow book lovers” this holiday season -  “thrifty” being the operative word.

It’s the kind of appeal that should resonate with Canadians these days. A new survey by Interac, Canada’s national debit network, reveals that Canadians are adopting budget-friendly strategies for gift giving this season.

Half of Canadians have already set or are planning to set a holiday shopping budget this year. Of those who said they would keep to a budget or decrease holiday spending (budgeters), 73 per cent indicate that they will research prices before buying to stay on budget, while 60 per cent have bought early to take advantage of sales throughout the year.

Other methods to manage spending include setting spending limits per person or overall (71 per cent each), making purchases throughout the year in order to avoid one large sum at one time (51 per cent), and cutting back on other purchases to put towards holiday spending (36 per cent).

Reuse

72 per cent of budgeters plan to re-use wrapping paper, gift boxes and ribbons, 48 per cent will participate in gift exchanges or give group gifts to keep costs down and 21 per cent plan to re-gift a present they received from another person.

Re-gift

Ontario budgeters were the most likely to re-gift this season (25 per cent), while those in the Quebec/Atlantic region were least likely to re-circulate unwanted gifts (15 per cent).

Make-your-own gifts

The desire to keep holiday spending in check is resulting in one-of-a-kind gift-giving among many Canadians. Thirty-one per cent of budgeters say they are planning to make their own gifts instead of buying them and 43 per cent plan to make a small donation to charity instead of spending money on gifts.

Among budgeters across the nation, one-of-a-kind gift-giving was highest in British Columbia, with 39 percent planning to make their own gifts and 51 per cent planning to make a small charitable donation. Those in the Quebec/Atlantic region, were least likely to plan to make their own gifts.

Quebeckers and gift giving

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Quebeckers are least likely to re-gift or make a small charitable donation.

Surveys from previous years consistently indicate that Quebeckers generally spend less on gifts for the holidays and give fewer gifts of lesser value. And data from Stats Can reveal that Quebeckers make lower charitable contributions than Canadians in the ROC. We should perhaps conclude (or hope) that, in Quebec, the thought counts more than the gift.

Self-fulfilling prophecy

The person greeting me at the front desk of the hotel I checked into last night in Quebec City was busy chatting about the economic “crisis” with a colleague. The folks sitting next to me at the airport this morning were talking about the Mazda dealer who’s offering a “buy one get another one for a penny” deal on brand new Mazdas.

Could it be that Quebeckers have a greater sense of doom and gloom in these troubled economic times than Canadians in the rest of the country?

A new Canwest News Service/Global National/Ipsos Reid survey released December 1, 2008 suggests they do.

Agreement with the statements:

From what I am personally seeing at work or in my community, the economy is grinding to a halt.

Atlantic 30%
Quebec 76%
Ontario 52%
Prairies 34%
Alberta 39%
B.C. 42%

 

I have pretty much stopped spending money on anything but the bare essentials.

Atlantic 32%
Quebec 60%
Ontario 46%
Prairies 42%
Alberta 42%
B.C. 54%

 

Perhaps more concerning is the fact that Quebeckers are least likely to feel they can do their part to improve the economy.

Consumers have to put aside their personal self-term interest and instead work as collective to spend in order to resuscitate the sagging economy.

Atlantic 71%
Quebec 44%
Ontario 65%
Prairies 60%
Alberta 62%
B.C. 64%

A uniting "oui"

I discussed in a previous blog ( Words and elections ) that the Quebec Liberals had borrowed the sovereignists’ OUI as their election campaign's slogan. Like many Quebeckers who overdosed on elections after the US and Canadian elections, I didn't pay much attention to what the leaders had to say.

This weekend Jean Charest explained his "oui". Quoted in La Presse, he said in French that the "oui" he wants is an inclusive "oui" that unites all Quebeckers in the face of the economic crisis. Judging by the latest polls, Quebeckers are about to say "oui" to the Liberals. And so-called soft nationalists can't say no to that.

What brands say about politicians in Quebec. And vice versa.

Jean Charest is more Loblaws.  Mario Dumont more Kia. And Pauline Marois more Miss Vickie’s.

Here are the results from a survey conducted by La Presse among 5,000 readers of its online edition cyberpresse.ca. Respondents were asked to identify the brands in various categories they most associate with the three party leaders.

Coffee shops;

Mario Dumont = Dunkin Donut
Pauline Marois = Van Houtte

Automobiles;

Jean Charest = BMW and Volvo
Mario Dumont = Kia
Pauline Marios = BMW and Volvo

Computers;

Jean Charest = PC
Mario Dumont = PC
Pauline Marois = PC

Supermarkets;

Jean Charest = Loblaws
Mario Dumont = Super C
Pauline Marois = Metro and IGA

Quick service restaurants;

Jean Charest = Subway and McDonald’s
Mario Dumont = La Belle Province
Pauline Marois =  Subway and La Belle Province

Magazines;

Jean Charest = L’actualité
Mario Dumont = 7 Jours and La Semaine
Pauline Marois – Paris Match

Chips;

Jean Charest = Lay’s
Mario Dumont = Cheetos
Pauline Marois =  Miss Vickie’s

Diamonds are forever.

In good times and in bad.

De Beers is running full-page ads in the New York Times to drum up its Christmas sales. That’s to be expected. But it’s the creative strategy that I find interesting. It’s recession talk for people who have lots and are faced with the prospect (or reality) of having less. In either case, it’s making it chic among the affluents to have less. The ad is all text with a beauty shot of diamond earrings.

HERE’S TO LESS.

Our lives are filled with things. We’re overwhelmed by possessions we own but do not treasure. Stuff we buy but never love. To be thrown away in weeks rather than passed down for generations.

Perhaps it will be different now. Perhaps now is an opportunity to reassess what really matters. After all, if everything you ever bought her disappeared overnight, what would she truly miss?

Perhaps it will be different now??? If everything you ever bought her disappeared overnight??? This is as close as it gets to a luxury marketer using the “R” word when talking to people who won’t face foreclosure but will most likely face a year-end without a bonus.

According to an article in Mining Weekly, De Beers believes the idea of an enduring item that retains value will persuade consumers to buy diamonds despite the financial crisis and economic downturn.De Beers is hoping that the notion that our lives are filled with things we don’t treasure will resonate now more than ever.

And it’s a view that Quebeckers seem to share more than Canadians in the ROC.

Data suggest that Quebeckers are more likely to seek voluntary simplicity. Ten years ago, Yankelovich asked Canadians if they agreed or disagreed with the statement: “I have a great need to get rid of some of the non-essential in my life.” 58% of Quebeckers agreed while only 45% did in the ROC.

It’s not clear however if, in reassessing what really maters, Quebec women will wish for everlasting diamonds or less expensive costume jewellery. According to PMB 2008, women in Quebec are generally more likely to buy costume jewellery than fine jewellery.

Fine jewellery personally bought in past 12 months
Quebec: 16%
ROC: 20%

Costume jewellery personally bought in past 12 months
Quebec: 25%
ROC: 22%