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Youth Style + Culture

Hey All, I’m looking to gain insight from your kids with relation to their style choices and influencers. I would love to have you share this link and allow them to take the survey (11-25 year olds only please). It will be confidential and only used by me to assess a new business opportunity. This is part of a discovery process and will help in defining the opportunity and to gain additional understanding of their style desires and drivers. Thanks for your willingness to participate and stay HYPE!

START SURVEY: CLICK HERE

Here is a visual overview of the survey for reference.

Why Sport? The Youth Sports Crisis

Why do we push our kids to play sports? Take a moment to consider the question…

I’m curious where you landed. I don’t suppose it’s to gain a college scholarship or go pro.  Maybe it is, but if not, then why do we press so hard on our kids when participating in sports?  Why do we crank up the pressure for perfection?  

Next time you’re at your son’s or daughter’s game take a moment to listen to the “agro” (over the top) parents.  Put yourself in your kids shoes and listen to what they hear barked at them game in and game out.  I’m certain it will surprise you. Maybe you are that “agro-parent.” Truthfully, we’re at a crossroads in youth sports and it’s time for a reality check.

My own reality check…

So, I wasn’t the full on “agro, a-hole” parent, but somewhere in between depending on my mood or engagement in the game.  I pressed my boys to perform. I wanted to see that true passion for the game.  I wanted to see time put in off the court (practice?, we talkin’ bout practice) and show a certain level of respect for the game.  I’m using “I” quite a bit.  Huh!?!  Disappointing, I must say…

I finally came to the realization that my boys are not me, and I really don’t want them to be.  They are, firstly and most importantly, unique individuals and students with high potential.  They continuously show a high level of curiosity that makes me proud.  They are academically achieving and headed on the right path to become great leaders and contributors to generation next. That’s what matters, right!?! 

Sports, then, are just a microcosm of life:  teaming, learning roles and responsibilities, understanding the rules, gaining leadership opportunities, building communication skills, striving toward a bigger goal, sharing in accomplishments, etc. 

So why the hyper-aggressive, helicopter sports parents?  Why the endless skill building and individualized coaching? Why the focus on a single sport at such an early age?

I may never know the true rationale. Fortunately, I was recently gifted two moments of clarity to help me rise above the craziness of American youth sports.  Frankly, I’m quite thankful for these gifts of enlightenment, as they have fundamentally changed me:

1) Matheny Manifesto

I was gifted the Matheny Manifesto from my son’s baseball coaches in Portland, Oregon.  It was handed out and very lightly discussed during the first parent meeting, but we were encouraged to read it – really read it.  It was the first time I’d ever heard of the Matheny Manifesto.  It delivered a profound effect in how I mentor and communicate with my boys in sport and life.  The Manifesto provides great insights into being a better parent and sideline voice in sport (and life).  Although written with a slant toward parents of baseball players, it’s 100% applicable to any sport.  It’s worth the read and a some introspection with relation to your actions.  It will change your outlook and behavior with relation to mentoring your children.  Take the 10 minutes to read it, consider it, and, if necessary, change your approach.  You’ll be better for it, I promise.

The GOAT acting the Matheny Manifesto approach live and direct.
Preach, teacher, preach! Game, respects game.

2) The In-Game Incident

I recently encountered the absolute worst in youth sports, the agro-parent who continuously barks at his kid, teammates, referees, or anyone within earshot.  I was new to my youngest son’s basketball program and had heard his incessant BARKING for the first 5 games.  I hit a tipping point, so I called the individual out for constantly berating the kids and referees.  An unusual course of action for me, but it was important to take a stand.  My point to the individual, “There is a coach over there (pointing across the gym).  Let’s just watch and enjoy.  We don’t need to hear your banter and negativity. It’s 6th grade basketball for heaven’s sake.”  I might have said a bit more to be honest…

With this commentary, I lit the powder keg of testosterone, as next thing I knew he was chest bumping me and my wife from behind the last row of bleachers.  Next, a bit of verbal jawing and posturing. Then a fist and forearm struck my back and side.  Whoa! Getting physical in the stands with a dad of one of our players.  We’re on the same team, my friend.  WTF!?!

Truly a crazy experience and something I’ll never forget.  After the game, I went over to be a better man and shake his hand.  No harm, no foul, right!?!  As I shook his hand, I saw a look in his eyes that I’d never seen before.  A look of a man teetering on the edge of pure rage, tears of anguish or total embarrassment.  Not certain which, maybe all of the above.  Sadly it escalated to that level, but in the end,  he’s been a better fan and more subdued.  Maybe a lesson learned…

In retrospect, we are here to raise upstanding and compassionate sons and daughters.  We want to share our love of sport and model behavior we’d be proud to see in them.  Sports are life, so let’s band together to be better parents, more supportive of our kids, and foster the spirit of community and team. I’m making a change for the better, so join me…

Again, I ask, “Why do we push our kids to play sports?”  Let it sink in and give it some thought… Oh, do check out the Matheny Manifesto. 

PLAY ON!!!

Always play and support your team with swagger, but be thoughtful, supportive and compassionate for sport is life…

Share a comment, contrast my opinion, or help me gain greater insights to the craziness of American youth sports culture. Thoughts welcomed…

Driving Leads: Consultative B2B Marketing

The Challenge | Opportunity

2018-04-03_16-32-29As part of my evolving strategic leadership role at Wacom, I took over global marketing alliances and the new business development team in mid-2017.  The Consumer Business Development team was a small, agile team of four (4) sales managers that spanned the globe:  US, Western Europe, Japan and China.  Under my direction, the team supported existing Consumer Electronic channels, plus an increased level of focus on penetrating strategic, new channels:  Carrier/Telco, Enterprise, and Premium Incentive.

Shortly into my management of the team, I realized that with such limited resources, large geographies to cover, and a burning desire to rapidly accelerate B2B sales (i.e., volume orders), we needed a new approach to penetrate these new channels.

Leveraging insights, market trends and a cross-functional digital marketing team, I initiated the development of an integrated, scalable B2B lead generation program for Bamboo Smartpads:  Bamboo@Work.  This was a first-of-its-kind program for our Consumer Business Unit that previously had been 100% focused on B2C marketing and selling.

 

Program Objectives | Goals

  1. Build awareness for Bamboo Smartpads as a new tool for business productivity
  2. Drive qualified leads to Business Development team: 20 leads per month
  3. Accelerate volume sales via margin efficient channels (e.g., eommerce, distribution)

 

Honing the Target Audience

We had to focus our programming and outreach, as we had a limited budget and time to get this digital marketing program launched in key regions.  While assessing various B2B target audiences – sales managers, event planners, HR professionals, office managers – we quickly narrowed in on sales / business development professionals associate with SMBs.

Why Sales / Business Development Professionals?  Our market insights pointed to the fact that:

  • This was a large target audience that spanned geographies and consistently looked for productivity gains.
  • SMBs proved to be more informal in their buying patterns and had fewer layers of decision-makers (i.e., they could move quick from interest to purchase – less than 3 months).
  • Sales managers were consistently being coached to put laptops away during client meetings, unless running presentations, and focus on the conversation and the client’s needs.
  • Sales managers were taking copious handwritten notes and follow-up actions, yet their workflow and productivity was being compromised with the need to retype notes and archive their content.

Bamboo Smartpads proved to be a winning solution to help sales professionals stay present with clients, manage simple note taking routines, and gain productivity with powerful bridging technology from pen/paper to digital.

For more insight into the sales / business development target audience persona see below.

Slide13

 

 

Thoughtful Customer Journey

In setting the digital customer journey, we wanted to build an interactive landing zone that provided added value content, new ideas for productivity gains, and established the potential for a consultative sell.  Our approach was to drive awareness and engagement via paid media, sponsored content and PR outreach targeted at leading SMB sales professionals.  With the help of our digital agency, RoboBoogie (great name, right!) the journey was thoughtfully constructed to take potential customers from an high-impact ad unit on Facebook or LinkedIn to a highly targeted landing page that brought Smartpads to life with a clear value proposition and relevant case studies from KinderCare, Google, and Concordia University.

Mapping the customer journey and conversion path:

Customer Journey

During our program run, we found that LinkedIn advertising, although more expensive than Facebook, was the most effective in attracting highly engaged and qualified leads in the US.  Additionally, a run of sponsored content with Entrepreneur.com netted the greatest level of ‘fast-track’ engagement in the US with over 1K visitors during a 2-day stretch.

 

Cultivating Leads

Once on the landing page, the use of a powerful value proposition for Smartpads, value-add gated content, and special offers helped to drive lead generation.  We had several micro-conversion points that drove high and medium priority leads to the business development team and positioned them as consultative experts in helping optimize smartpad deployment in leading organizations.

The team was focused on moving quickly to follow-on with leads to initiate discussion and share learnings about how smartpads empower teams and boost productivity.

A quick look into the (preliminary) landing page layout and functionality.

Slide14Slide15

 

Results | Learnings

  • Established >$2M sales pipeline in <5 months
  • Drove >20 leads per month in key geographies:  US, France, Japan, China
  • US program drove >40 high-quality leads per month (2x goal achievement)
  • Distribution partners in Europe, Japan and China were able to successfully leverage program assets and extend the program to their B2B clients
  • Leads auto-populated Microsoft Dynamics CRM system for easy retrieval and tracking of pipeline opportunities

 

 

Bamboo@Work

Program Landing Page

<Click Here>

 

 

Example of Analytics from Bamboo@Work Campaign

 

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Escape to the High Country

An insider’s guide to a summer getaway in the high country of Idaho

Our lives run hard and fast.  Work demands, tight timelines, texts pinging us, to-dos pilling up, kid activities, endless cart-arounds, social media check-ins, workout schedules (what is that?), etc.  It’s just a fact that we haft to come to terms with, but alas we have the coveted summer getaway.  The family escape to reboot and reconnect.

2017-08-01 12.34.03-1While there are tons of options and everyone has their favorite dream destination,  I’ve found one that, for me, brings me closer to what I love in summer, fall, or winter – the high country of central Idaho.  Idaho?  Really, WTH!?!  No really, Idaho!

It’s a forgotten zone of natural beauty, enlightening adventures, and family fun.  In particular, the Ketchum / Sun Valley area is a perfect landing zone for adventures of all kinds.  I’ve been exploring and enjoying the area since my childhood and it never disappoints.  It’s magical in the Sawtooth Mountains of central Idaho and accessible from nearly everywhere with direct flights or a few hours driving in the family truckster.  Honestly, it’s worth consideration for your next summer (or winter) getaway…

So here are a few insider tips to boost your interest and help in planning for an epic summer getaway in Idaho.  Think of it as a family getaway that has potential to bring out that ever elusive smile on a 13 year old or a comment like, “That was a lot of work…but it was pretty cool.”  Plus, as a bonus, you’ll find a little part of the Wild West to revel in.  Consider your options and venture on…

 

The To-Do List for Ketchum | Sun Valley

Summer in the high country is the greatest with the opportunity to hike, bike, boat, fish, laugh, swim, skateboard, scooter, pickleball, golf, etc.  The list goes on, so you’ll need to choose your own adventure.

Here are a few ideas for a quick win:

 

Frenchman’s Natural Hot Spring (20-min from Ketchum)

Just a quick 20-minute drive from Ketchum out Warm Springs Road you’ll find an adventure that will truly amaze: Frenchman’s Hot Springs.  A natural hot springs that pop up and warm the water to 110-degrees along Warm Springs Creek.  Easily accessible from the road, but note that the best pools are just a simple, although cold-AF, wade to the far side of the creek.  Soak and enjoy the refreshingly healing waters and amaze the kids with your deft handle of the origin of a warm springs.  (For a cheaters guide to warm springs formation, click here.  Carry on…)

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Redfish Lake (60-min from Ketchum) – Highly Recommended

I would put this on my list of truly magical places, and this year we FINALLY did it right.  It’s a pristine alpine lake about 60-min drive from Ketchum that will give you a whole new perspective.  And if there was ever a place where smartphones disappear and conversations fade to take in the beauty, this is the place.  Outside of the vistas, the Redfish Lake Lodge and Marina are the main attractions.  Great spot for locking down for a day of fun on the lake or an extended stay at the rustic lodge.

So, how did we do it right?  Well, we’ve always ventured to Redfish and enjoyed the lake, but this year we rented a small boat and ventured to the far (south) end of the lake.  It’s a 25-min boat ride to the far end and you’ll find it to be majestic, quiet, and a memorable voyage for the family.  Don’t worry if you’re not a nautical wizard (I’m not) – the Red Fish Lake Marina has your back.  The boats are so simple and worth the $110 for the 4 hours filled with swimming, rock jumping, exploring and solitude on the water.  Don’t miss it or you’ll forever be sorry…

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Sturdo’s Bike Rentals

Looking for bike rentals for getting around town, hit up Sturtevants for great deals.

 

Around Town Highlights

Sun Valley Lodge

Historic, renovated, and beautiful – worth checking out the whole village and staying for lunch.  If you have a rainy day or just want to stay chill for an afternoon, checkout the bowling alley and arcade on the bottom floor that’s open to the public – beers, bowling and fun times…

Sun Valley Golf Course

I’m not a big golfer (anymore), but this place is great and worth the greens fees.  Beautiful views on the Trail Creek Course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr.

Elkhorn Village Courts & Swimming

You’ll need a pass to get in, but the Elkhorn area is ideal for locking down as home base for the week and enjoying the pools, tennis courts and pickleball courts.  Fun for all and low key area for the stay.

Lifestyle of the Rich & Famous

Many a Hollywood star and Fortune 500 CEO has a fortress out in the Wood River Valley.  So ask around and you might hear something, or just go venturing around to see the great homes and architecture.  The area is certainly dotted with the famous and uber-rich, but it’s still down-home, rustic Americana, so enjoy and map your #squadgoal homes.

 

Eats Around Town

With all that adventuring, you’re gonna need to know where to go to grub and grab drinks.  Here are a few of my recommendations, that have been winners for the family.

 

Breakfast

Kneadery

Outstanding, big breakfast, big crowds, so go early pre-10 o’clock.  It’s rustically charming and occasionally you’ll see someone of note:  Arnold “Get to the Choppa” Schwarzenegger, Miley Cyrus, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Hanks, etc. Keep your eyes peeled…

 

 

Big Wood Bakery

Great breakfast and sandwiches – simple and quick.  Great for grabbing to-go food for the local hiking getaway, two locations Giacobbi Square in central Ketchum or the industrial district in Ketchum.

 

Lunch

Lefty’s

A local’s joint that welcomes the wallets of visitors – on corner of Washington and Sixth street.  Great grub and beers, this place isn’t fancy, but refreshing on the back porch in the summer.  Grab a table, pop to the front to order up, and then settle in for a great lunch.  Do note that the sandwiches are huge, so splitting is recommended.  Bonus: Ms. PacMan can be found near the front door for the OG Hustlers.

 

Irving Red Hots

My kid’s favorite spot for a quick hot dog.  It’s a food cart that is typically located at Main and Fourth street in the summertime.

 

Dinner

Pioneer Saloon

This is that one spot that everyone knows and hits up for that true Sun Valley dining experience.  Expect the Wild West at it’s finest.  It’s always packed, so go early and get your name on the list then walk town a bit.  Great steak, trout, bison, and baked potatoes, of course, it’s not cheap but it’s worth it.

 

Limelite Hotel

A new hotel in Ketchum run by Aspen Groups.  It’s right off Main Street as you enter town.  Think W Hotels x Sun Valley – a much-needed non-rustic spot in town.  The back deck and main bar are great for people watching, drinks and appetizers, kids are welcome and it’s fabulous.

Smokey Mountain Pizza

Authentic pizza joint with arcade for the kids – great for a quick, simple meal

 

Drinking / Partying

Whiskey Jacks

This is quintessential Ketchum – rustic, big crowds on live performance nights.  Good for an evening out with friends, but a place that you may not love come the next morning…

 

Grocery Shopping 

If you can, avoid grocery shopping in Ketchum due to massively inflated prices.  Venture down valley to Hailey and shop Atkinson’s Market, good selection and better pricing

 

For more information and insights for the visit, checkout:

Visit Sun Valley

Sun Valley Maps (Interactive)

Explore Idaho

2017-07-31 17.19.02

A trip to the high country of Idaho will refresh you and the family, build new connections, and great memories.  I promise there will be ZERO ‘grumpy’ tractors on this adventure.  Rise up as one and enjoy life together!  Epic adventures await in the Valley of the Sun*.

Note: If you have additional insights and shares, drop it in the comments.

sun-valley-color

* Please note that I have no affiliation with nor reimbursement from Sun Valley resorts.  I’m just a dude, sharing knowledge and finding new ways to connect with family…  

For more interesting content, visit:
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Building New Categories: IOT Smartpads

wacom  bamboo

The Challenge

downloadWacom’s Consumer Business Unit needed to attain +40% YOY growth and it certainly wasn’t likely to come from our existing portfolio of mobile accessories, capacitive and smart stylus.  We needed a transformative technology to broaden our customer base, drive channel diversification and deliver on our growth targets.  So creative minds got to work…

The Approach | The Results

The cross-functional team initiated a two tier process to:

  1. refine the development of our emergent technology and
  2. dive in deep with customers to understand their pain points, desires and frustrations in the space of note taking, visualizing and sketching.

In partnership with Human Spark, an experience innovation agency, we leveraged ethnographic research to unearth deep insights into the minds of creative thinkers and doers.  Our in-depth understanding of the customer and the tangible insights fueled our project work; proving invaluable to the development of products, value propositions, visualizations, and strategic marketing plans.

With this knowledge, the team set forth to develop a first-of-its-kind product that bridged the analog to digital divide.  Several months of development mixed with consumers insights, engineering and marketing expertise, Wacom’s proprietary EMR technology, a smart pen, analog paper, and a cloud app platform delivered an internet of things (IOT) device:  Bamboo Smartpad.

Bamboo Smartpads allow students, knowledge workers, and creative types to write freely with a pen and (any) paper, then with a touch of a button convert their notes, ideas and sketches into flexible digital files for storing, sharing and editing in the cloud.  Hence, the next generation of notepads that streamline your workflows, save you time and fuel idea collaboration is here…

Important Fact:  Research proves that handwriting helps us process and remember lectures, meetings, classes at a heightened level, so handwriting is not dead.  Many of us still do it and appreciate what it ‘unlocks’ in our work and personal life…

 

Bamboo_Folio_Infographics_EN.jpg

 

Digital Marketing – Optimizing the Consumer Journey.  

How to lift a totally NEW category on a shoestring budget?  First, collaborate with the BEST cross-functional team of innovative marketers and content creators to develop a comprehensive digital marketing program that drives engagement, builds consumer trust, rapidly increases purchase intent and builds retail momentum.  (Note: I’ve got a great team.)

Second, fast-track efforts to invigorate the business through authentic content marketing and fully integrated programs from earned, to owned, to paid media.  With all facets of the plan in alignment, we began to connect with our target audience (Networked Students and Knowledge Workers), gain traction in market and accelerate the consumer business.

  • Activating insights to optimize value propositions, user experiences, and marketing
  • Launching leading-edge content marketing program to significantly increase organic site traffic, customer engagement and D2C conversion rates
  • Revitalizing POS messaging to establish category leadership: packaging, shelf and freestanding displays, A+ content at Amazon, wacom.com content, etc.
  • Deploying omni-channel marketing program to achieve 20% growth D2C business
  • Achievement:  2x growth in Smartpad sellout over 9-month period  

 

Collaboration and persistence pay off FTW in lifestyle media: Today Show 

 

Establishing an online portal for Bamboo’s authentic voice and value-add content:   

Bamboo Blog

 

Sharing value-add content with product seamlessly embedded in the storytelling…

Just a quick peek into some the leading edge content being developed by the team that’s beginning to take hold and help consumers see what’s possible with Bamboo Smartpads.  (Note: Looking for a kickass production/video crew?  Seek out Always Outdoors.)

 

bamboo-slate-gallery-8-g.jpg

OK, enough of the consideration.

Get it @ Amazon now…

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Growing Wacom’s Consumer Portfolio

wacom_logo_nb_c.png    bamboo

 

The Challenge

Wacom had been a brand associated with best-in-class performance in creative arts.  Think of all the animated movies, cars, clothes and shoes you LOVE, and I bet you they were designed on Wacom products.  In fact, I’ll almost guarantee it!

We owned the creative community with 95% market share, but in niche markets growth is hard to come by.  Wacom needed to expand into the broader consumer market, and fast.  That has been my directive at Wacom.  I jumped in headfirst and lead the US development of the Bamboo line of consumer products to grow the business…

 

The Approach | The Results
  • Led 5-member team in the management of the Wacom | Bamboo line of consumer products in the US marketplace
  • Reinvigorated art hobbyist portfolio by leveraging consumer insights and launching use-case positioning to grow mature digital pen tablet line by 25%
  • Drove Wacom’s category captain merchandising program to increase inventory turns +15%, which included online and in-store merchandising activities (e.g., Amazon, Best Buy, Apple, HSN)

Bamboo2011-boxes.png

Market research showed that consumers struggled to find the right Bamboo pen tablet for their needs, so we redefined the Bamboo line of creative pen-tablets to focus on use-cases (above).  This transition helped to clearly differentiate the offerings and simplify the purchase process.  Sales jumped 25% and consumers traded up to more profitable SKUs.

 

 

  • Spearheaded Wacom’s strategic marketing programs for emergent new category – capacitive and smart stylus for mobile tablets – established 3rd party category leadership and deep integration with leading app makers to enhance performance
  • Bamboo has broken through the clutter to become the global leader in the premium segment of the stylus accessory market >$19-$79 USD

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Bamboo Stylus has come along way from the early days as an opportunistic product line extension into a full blown business unit delivering insight driven new product innovations, new product categories and revenue streams north of $35M USD.

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Innovating the Future @ Philips Sonicare

 

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Problem Statement

sonicare-airflossmessageSonicare had been playing in the power toothbrush category for over 12 years, with limited or, let’s be honest, no true innovation.  OK, maybe some feature improvements and UV brush head cleaning lights and such, but nothing major.  I was asked to lead a Six Sigma Black Belt  process improvement project in innovation management as part of a high potential program within Philips Domestic Appliances division.

It was an opportunity to jump headfirst into building our 3-5 year plan for growth in the oral care division and step into entirely new categories for the business.  We needed innovations to win in market and maintain our leadership position, yet we needed a new, insight-driven approach.  I was their guy to make this happen…

 

Program Development 

I had the opportunity to build out a team and process from scratch that ultimately became a Philips model for innovation management.  In overview, I accomplished the following:

  • Worked to disrupt the oral care category with the help of a 6 member cross-functional team consisting of engineering, marketing, clinical studies, product development and finance, plus an external innovation agency, Maddock-Douglas
  • Staked out Sonicare’s 3-5 year product innovation pipeline plan based on leveraging market trends, dental professional insights, ethnographic research and technology mapping
  • Delivered 5 new, fully vetted product propositions that showed high-level purchase intent based on quantitative market research
  • Set a portfolio that was valued at $50M of NPV, plus $3M of R&D efficiency gains
  • Pioneered innovation management process that has been recognized and used across Philips Domestic Appliance as a best-in-class approach

 

In-Market Result

Identified next generation win for Sonicare with the AirFloss.  airfloss

  • A simple concept that played off the insight – consumers don’t floss and hate to floss
  • The idea:  let’s simplify flossing (or eliminate it) with a handheld micro-burst system that is as efficient as flossing without all the hassle
  • An easier way to floss was born – Sonicare AirFloss

Print

Now you know…

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Flexing Product Architecture for Growth

 

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Objectives

Establish an architectural platform for Sonicare to:

  1. Achieve R&D / Operational process and cost efficiency
  2. Provide portfolio flexibility: 3-5 SKUs with clear differentiation
  3. Establish a brush head attachment format that achieves cost-efficiency / simplicity

 

Results
  • Simplified platform with total flexibility up/down line
  • Clear differentiation in featuring from low to high offerings
  • Excellent visualization of trade-up / premium featuring
  • Revised brush head design allows for single head across line and lower cost profile
  • Maintains Sonicare’s premium aesthetic with updated appeal / featuring

2016-10-01_11-33-31

tritoninmarket

 

Insights to Innovation with Sonicare FlexCare 

FlexCare leveraged the new architectural platform for design and cost efficiency, yet pushed the limits to deliver innovative features that were born from consumer insights:

  • Personalized oral care, which grew into the multi-modal care options: Clean, Sensitive, and Massage modes
  • Routine-based brushing options:
    • Go Care – 1min brushing mode for those times you just want to brush-n-go
    • MaxCare – 3min max cleaning in the evening
  • Clean, bacteria-free brush heads, which was the birth of the UV brush head sanitizer

 

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Sonicare Elite: Integrated Launch

elite-crm  good_sonicare_logo_op_800x303
Challenge
  • Drive awareness and purchase interest in Sonicare’s new, highly advanced power toothbrush: Sonicare Elite
  • Engage and educate consumers with relevant product information
  • Build fully integrated, cohesive campaign from awareness advertising to on-shelf presence

 

Key Initiatives

Public Relations

  • Deskside Briefing Tour – Establish meetings with key editors of top-30 long-lead magazines
  • Editorial Content – prepackaged news stories for distribution to short-lead media
  • Net Effect: 150M Impressions

 

Point of Sale Leadership

Objectives:

  • Maximize shelf impact / new from Sonicare
  • Premium positioning
  • Communicate Elite is different/better

 

Loyalty Trade-up Programs (CRM)

Objective:  Inform 8M Sonicare users of new product and drive upgrade with special offer

Achievements:

  • 1.2M reached by direct mail/email offer
  • 2% response to upgrade offer:  100K units  |  >$10M revenue

 

Advertising Campaign

  • Standard :15, :30, :60 second TV ads
  • Print advertising in leading lifestyle magazines
  • Online search and targeted banner ad campaign
  • Budget: $20M
  • Reach/Frequency: 95% | 24x | Impressions: 4B

 

RESULTS
  • Breakthrough launch with massive professional / consumer impact
  • Unified positioning platform and compelling product proposition
  • Premium, synergistic brand materials to support launch
  • Garnered 15% sales growth
  • Achieved all-time high brand awareness of 42%

 

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Philips x P&G: Innovation in Oral Care

good_sonicare_logo_op_800x303ics
The Challenge(s)

Philips | Sonicare established a strategic alliance with P&G | Crest.  Now what?  We needed to build the team and focus on bringing to market the first-of-its-kind integrated power toothbrush that could replace flossing (well maybe).

This partnership with a leading FMCG organization was a first for Philips’ Oral Healthcare division, hence we had to develop new ways of working, refine our stakeholder alignment processes, co-branding standards, clinical development programs, etc.  A huge, yet enlightening undertaking…

The Result

Over the course of 18 months, I co-lead the alliance team with a counterpart at P&G to successfully bring the Sonicare | Crest Intelliclean System to the market to rave reviews from media, consumers and dental professionals.

We managed through many challenges in design, brand, clinical trials, production, and advertising, yet with focus on the customer and winning in market we persevered to deliver oral care innovation to the world.

My involvement crossed over many areas, most notably:

  • Successfully leading a 7 member cross-functional team (e.g., Market Research, Product Management, Marketing, Design, Engineering and Sales)
  • Strategic marketing development: value proposition, efficacy targets, co-branding standards, launch planning, advertising development, and front-end retailer pitching (e.g., Amazon, Costco, Walmart, Target, Walgreens)
  • Management of alliance’s $65M A&P budget
  • Development of Product Profile strategically used to engage regional marketing and sales offices on new products: productprofileintellicleansystem-final04-14-04
  • Creative development and media planning for “One step closer to flossing” ad

 

 

ics

 

PS – I you get a chance ask me about the Today Show and Anne Curry.  Classic!

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Launching New Motion @ Precor Fitness

 

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Problem Statement

As I arrived at Precor (Nov 2006) the engineering team was in late stage development of the Adaptive Motion Trainer (AMT). This was slated to be the biggest innovation within the Fitness industry in 10 years, since Precor introduced no-impact fitness with the EFX™ Elliptical.

In less than 4 months, my team was to launch AMT to the world at the industry’s biggest tradeshow (IHRSA 2007), yet there we’re NO launch plans in place nor support material underdevelopment to build broad-based awareness for this new-to-the-world exercise modality – a single machine let you step, walk, jog or run.

Building Fast-Track Solutions

Leading the Commercial Marketing team, I quickly rallied the team to:

  1. Develop a strategic go-to-market plan
  2. Refine the positioning and tagline for AMT, thus deliver a unified, consistent message across all communication material
  3. Proactively collaborate with Sales to provide interactive tools that engaged and excited customers about the next BIG offering from PRECOR
  4. Create a stable of launch support materials to effectively target customers, raise awareness, and drive sales of AMT
Positioning the AMT for the WIN

AMT provided for a totally adaptive fitness experience that was based solely on the user’s desired motion: run, walk, and/or step. Totally a user defined workout experience, so finally a machine doesn’t control the user, rather user controls the machine. Ultimate freedom of motion in a no-impact format.

We developed a unique selling proposition around: Freedom of Movement

amt-motion-endless

 

Launch Excellence – Building the BUZZ Among Gym Owners

Gaining trial of this new to the world equiment for use in leading fitness centers was mission-critical.  We leveraged the fitness industry’s global tradeshow, IHRSA, to make waves with AMT.

But that wasn’t it, we leveraged immersive trial at leading gyms to give owners a feel for the user’s excitement around this new way of moving.

We also enable the Enterprise selling teams with a AMT pitch kits and introductory kits for use with leading accounts.

AMT Intro kits.jpg

Results
  • Most notable new product launch in Fitness industry in 10 years
  • Viewed as Amer Sports / Precor gold standard for new product launches
  • Deliver immersive trial and impact at IHRSA
  • Achieved 120% of sales and 112% of ASP targets

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Building Awareness & Trial: Precor x Hilton

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Problem State

Precor Fitness had launched into a strategic alliance with Hilton Hotels worldwide, as their fitness outfitter of choice. With the immediate integration of Hilton | Fitness by Precor workout rooms across the leading franchise locations, we wanted to develop promotional material that could be leveraged across the Hilton online properties to highlight their new gym amenities.

Result 

Playing from consumer insights, we collaborated with Hydrogen Advertising (Seattle) to develop this video that detailed our commitment, along with Hilton, to the best workout experiences on the road:  inspired experiences, quality equipment, clean facilities, best in class technology, etc.  Plus, in collaboration with sales development, we catapulted Precor to the #1 fitness provider in the hospitality industry.

Hilton | Fitness by Precor 

The freedom to move your way when your far away from home. 

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