Well, Advertising Age readers came to the same conclusion as Brandweek — and named Hyundai it’s Marketer of the Year (”Marketer of the Year: Hyundai,” Adage.com November 9, 2009). I already blogged the Brandweek article/video combination. This article provides additional details on the campaign.
Retailers are trying many new strategies to deal with the economic downturn. Many are concerned that they are witnessing the beginning of a long-term shift in consumer behavior. This BusinessWeek combo includes an article (“’The Hard Sell,’ How retailers are fighting for the hearts and minds of the new consumer,” BusinessWeek.com, October 15, 2009 ) and video interview (”Retail’s New Normal,” BusinessWeek.com, October 15, 2009, 2:08 — see video below) with the story’s primary author. There are several related articles on specific retailers. The video is an interview with the story’s author primary Jena McGregor.
“A Clip-and-Save Renaissance,” The New York Times, September 23, 2009. There are lots of stories about how increasingly frugal consumers are responding to the current economic downturn. Coupon redemption has declined since its peak in 1992, but in 2008 and 2009 that trend seems to be reversing. The article offers examples that could be used in discussions of consumer behavior, the economic environment, segmentation, and pricing.
“Brandweek’s Grand Marketer of the Year ’09: Joel Ewanick of Hyundai” Brandweek, September 14, 2009. This is a great package of story, audio, and video content. The article describes how Hyundai came to understand that customers weren’t buying new cars because they feared losing their jobs. So Hyundai promised consumers that they could return the car if that happened. Below you can see the television commercial Hyundai used on the Super Bowl to launch the program. The program resonated with consumers and spurred sales.