Terri Harmening, brand strategist at Go East, was the lead speaker of Go East’s January 26 Eye Opener seminar. She spoke about the importance of Millennials and the ways in which they are changing the marketing game. Harmening kicked off her presentation by explaining that many researchers assign different age ranges to Millennials. Go East chose to go with Iconoculture’s definition: those born between 1979 and 1996 (currently ages 16-33). Millennials are also referred to as “trophy kids,” “digital natives” and “Gen Y.”

This group spans a wide range of life stages as well as ages, so Harmening advised when marketing to them it’s important to consider where they are in their life. Teenage Millennials obviously have very different views than Millennials who are parents.

As with any generation, history has shaped this generation’s values, and many of the recent major events, such as 9/11 and the recession, have influenced Millennials. They value relationships, especially the relationship they have with their parents. They are comfortable with technology of all kinds and they are the most educated of all generations. They have grown up in a multiracial society, so they don’t see diversity as anything that’s out of the norm and, finally, they are confident and therefore optimistic. “Confident,” “connected” and “open to change” are the three main descriptors for this generation.

Harmening shared this quote from Publisher’s Weekly: “Millennials are the most racially diverse and ideologically tolerant population the U.S. has ever known and the best networked group of humans in history. Believing that every consumer choice, every vote, every blog post and tweet matters, young people come of age expecting to be heard and to make change.”

Harmening wrapped up her presentation by providing five insights into how Millennials want to be viewed and how to best market to them:
I’m a friend, not a consumer: Engage with me.
I want to make a difference: Stand for core values.
I like it all at once: Redefining integration.
I’m in the driver’s seat: I want to express myself.
I am savvy and get bored easily: Make it fun.

Go East’s next Eye Opener is scheduled for March 15. The topic is “Content Strategy: The Ins and Outs.” We will explain what content strategy is and how it can clarify, strengthen and energize your digital marketing efforts. For more information, contact kwisser@goeastdesign.com.

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Why do you need to understand the female shopper? Well, if you’re a retailer, the answer is easy. “Female retail shoppers make over 80 percent of buying decisions,” explained Terri Harmening, brand strategist at Go East. “To be a successful brand, you must understand what’s relevant to them.”

Harmening and Go East retail strategist Laurie Langerud presented valuable information about the female shopper in the first of an ongoing series of “Eye Opener” seminars that Go East plans to present throughout 2012 and beyond. The seminar series is free and open to anyone interested in attending.

According to Harmening, successful brands do more than market to women. Why? Because it’s not about marketing; it’s about branding. And women don’t buy brands, they join them. Successful brands communicate to women by telling stories to them in ways that are relevant to them and their lives. Building brands is a relational thing and women, more than men, want a relationship with a brand. And the relationship between a brand and its female audience needs to be experiential and it needs to be two-way.

In essence, successful brands understand women. For example, they know that the people in women’s lives are a priority to them. They also know that women love to share with others, rely on other women’s opinions when they’re thinking about purchasing and want an opportunity to support causes they care about. Female shoppers say, “I want brands that speak to my heart, enhance my life, understand my priorities and express who I am.”

The more women feel that they can tell the world about themselves through your brand, the more loyal they will be to your brand.

A full house enjoyed this successful seminar. The next Eye Opener, “Millennials: How They’re Changing the Game,” takes place on January 26. For more information, contact kwisser@goeastdesign.com.

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Go East is pleased to welcome Ellery Connell, Assistant Professor of Multimedia Design at UW-Stout, to the Twin Cities for a workshop on modo®.

This four-day seminar for beginners is based on Connell’s new book, 3D for Graphic Designers. Sessions are designed to provide solid and applicable knowledge of 3-D modeling, texturing, lighting and rendering. Connell will address all aspects of the 3-D creative process, from initial concept to final product, and participants will receive a copy of his book as well as DVDs with recordings of the sessions.

Monday, August 29 – Thursday, September 1, 2011
8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Go East
403 Hayward Avenue North
Saint Paul, MN 55128

Cost: $1,200 per person

Bring your own Mac or PC. Participants will be able to download the free demo software needed for the class. Lunch is not included. Class is limited to 15 people. Registration deadline: Aug. 25, 2011

Register here >
For more information, email us or call 651.702.2900.

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Go East enjoys working with Tubman annually to provide thought leadership and creative support to help further Tubman’s mission of promoting safe and healthy individuals, families and communities.

For the past several years, Go East has developed Tubman’s billboard creative and has received incredible positive feedback on the impact of the billboards. The feedback was the inspiration for the idea to re-create a billboard as part of the Fund-a-Need event at the soiree.

Our principal Ric Pace introduced the concept to the soiree attendees. The billboard was divided into six puzzle pieces. Each piece represented a dollar amount that Tubman wanted to raise. As soon as one person bid the dollar amount associated with the puzzle piece, that puzzle piece was placed in its corresponding spot on the billboard. Anyone who bid at that level had his/her name written and displayed on the puzzle piece. The goal was to complete the puzzle and raise $6,000.

The result? The puzzle was completed in record time and Tubman raised more than anticipated to exceed the Fund-a-Need goal for the evening. The puzzle piece billboard is now displayed at the Tubman center as a reminder of the fundraiser’s success.

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Companies everywhere are thinking of ways to be more green. Less packaging. Less waste. More recycled materials. Some have been successful while others have struggled (think SunChips®). Last fall, Scott Naturals introduced tube-free toilet paper. Even though the tubes are recyclable, Scott’s research shows 85 percent of consumers throw the tube away. That’s 17 billion tubes tossed each year. That’s enough to stretch to the moon and back 2.4 times! That’s enough to fill the Empire State Building twice! OK, you get the idea. Now the question is, is it a good product? The toilet paper may not hold its round shape as well, but once it’s on the roll, it stays in place and works like any other toilet paper. I have to wonder … how long before paper towels go tube free?

(Thanks, Sweeties Freebies, for the images)

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Product design is influenced by trends coming out of Europe, fashion and home decor. Coming to a Post-it® Note, iPad case and throw pillow near you, here is a sampling of what we will see in 2011:

Garden Party
There are a few events in England that will influence the world in 2011, including the royal wedding and the premiere of the final Harry Potter film. We’ll see florals and lace with muted tones and a vintage feel. This Garden Party trend is romantic with a sense of tradition and formality, but with a playful and younger touch — think Kate Middleton.

Greige Glamour
Greige Glamour is a structured look that is a combination of grays and beiges with minimalistic shapes and patterns. There is a high sense of sophistication to this trend. The neutral tones of greige will take center stage this year.

Global Bazaar
Consumers will look to new color combinations from foreign lands based on their desire to escape their everyday challenges. Global Bazaar is bright with saturated hues and bold patterns inspired by nature, travel and exploration. This trend is influenced by Turkey, Africa and India with tapestry-like patterns and traditional tribal design elements and color, as well as natural materials.

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Overwhelmed by all the technology coming your way? Let us help you get a grasp on what’s happening and give you a glimpse of what’s to come:

NOOKcolor

Tablet Devices
The tablet personal computer market is exploding. In 2010, there were more than 30 new models available. This year, in addition to standard devices like the iPad 2, Playbook and HP Slate, look for full-color combo e-reader/tablets, such as the NookColor, which offers features such as built-in Wi-Fi for access to the Web and social media. (Read more about e-readers here.) With the O2 Joggler, a virtual calendar and messaging device, you can watch videos, get weather reports, check headlines, text message and listen to your favorite Internet radio station. And this year, Google will launch Honeycomb, the first mobile system software optimized for tablets that can be upgraded.

Smart Meters
Smart meters are advanced utility meters that allow you to manage the energy usage in your home, by day, season, time or appliance remotely from your kitchen countertop. With energy costs rising and more people pledging to lower their carbon footprint, smart meters are bound to gain in popularity.

Mobile Devices
The usage and selection of mobile devices is ever-expanding. Secure, fast checkouts from a mobile device will give consumers the option to purchase as they continue to shop. In the grocery store, computerized grocery carts mounted with high-tech video consoles will provide shoppers with suggestions and advice as they peruse the store. Another new mobile device-related technology is wireless charging pads, which charge devices without annoying cords or plugs.

Cost-Saving Technologies
As companies strive to save money, they will look to virtual desktop infrastructure and cloud computing. These technologies eliminate the need to purchase software licenses and hardware for new employees and locations in favor of using a service for software and server space.

Here at Go East, we use “in the cloud” Google Docs and billing software, both of which allow access from anywhere via the Internet. If you have multiple Internet-accessing devices at home, you may want to look into a personal cloud: online services and software that work together to help users access, organize and share information.

Wi-Fi Direct
Wi-Fi direct offers a new way for devices to communicate directly with each other without having to connect first to a conventional Wi-Fi access point.

If I had to pick the device I’m most interested in, it would be the tablet. I like the idea that it’s portable and larger than a smartphone, not to mention the multitude of ways it can be used: e-mail, shopping, social media, games and books. I would never be bored or out of touch.

Here’s hoping that some of this new technology will help keep us all better connected, make life simpler and perhaps save us some money in 2011!

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E-books, eReaders, ebooks, e-readers … while the jury may still be out on spelling, there’s no denying that electronic books and readers are one of the biggest trends happening in 2011.

I bought my wife a Kobo™ for Christmas and she loves it, but being more of a traditionalist, I temper my enthusiasm for new technology with a certain amount of kicking and screaming.

While I know there is some debate as to whether e-books will replace traditional printed books, I think it’s important to remember that it doesn’t have to be an “either/or” decision. Each medium has its own benefits and practicalities. Let’s look at the following five criteria to see how they compare:

1.) Common Format

The electronic book market is currently in a format war, with the Kindle (Amazon), Kobo™ (Borders) and NOOK™ (Barnes & Noble) all battling for supremacy. Who will win is anybody’s guess, but the printed paper/bound cover format gets points for longevity.

2.) Overall Reading Experience

E-books offer a vast array of features to enhance the reading experience. For example, if you are a card-carrying member of the “American Bifocal Wearers’ Society” such as I, you can enlarge the text size to whatever size is easiest for you to read.

Some higher end models such as the Nook™ offer a lending feature, allowing owners to lend their favorite e-books to family or friends.

On the other hand, a printed book is more tactile allowing the reader to engage their sense of touch as well as sight.

3.) Safety

Drop a book and it’s safe. Drop an electronic reader and … well, you’ve got a 50/50 chance.

4.) Archival Storage

Paper has definitely proven the test of time (Dead Sea Scrolls anyone?) The typical lifespan of a high-tech device is somewhere in the neighborhood of 2-5 years. However, since e-books are still in their infancy, this one is hard to call at the moment. Check back with me in 2-5 years.

5.) Ownership

Once you purchase a printed book, it’s yours to keep. When you buy an electronic book, you are technically just licensing it from the publisher who could potentially take it away (rare, but at least one case has been documented).

So there you have it. I leave it to the readers (be it acoustic or electric) to choose the medium that best suits them.

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