Product Placement is Boss...

Whether they know it or not, the public relations team for Kohl's Department Stores got a little added product placement this past Sunday in CBS' “Undercover Boss.” It seems when Belfor CEO Sheldon Yellen was getting ready to get down and dirty on the job site, he chose to wear work boots from the sportwear-inspired Kohl's-exclusive collection Sonoma life + style(R).

An opening shot in the program pictured Yellen  in his closet, which looks more like a small clothing and footwear emporium. “He likes shoes...” quipped Yellen's wife. The thing is, Yellen  has very expensive taste, preferring fine European goods to mass-market synthetics.

So perhaps I was a bit surprised when Yellen was getting ready for his first day on the job site that he chose work boots from Kohl's. Hey, I work as a Kohl's shoes department supervisor, and I know our stuff...those work boots were Woody by Sonoma. How can I be so sure—after all—couldn't they be a look alike? I can't know 100 percent that they were Woody, but compare the still frame of Yellen's feet to the Kohl's.com product photo following this post. The tan-with-red laces. The same-shaped toe and stitching. The faux dirt and distress markings. Convinced yet?

First and foremost, for a guy who confessed to having an affection for fine luxury goods, what is he doing wearing Kohl's merchandise? Woody, with its synthetic sole and upper, is not exactly Armani-quality footwear.

Regardless, Kohl's got a little bit of product placement. This is just like the incident I blogged about last spring when the seasonal Croft & Barrow misses sandal collection got some press in an AP photograph. Now the big question is, can Kohl's exploit this to its advantage? Perhaps a Facebook and Twitter mention of the product placement? How about a mini-blog entry featuring a model sporting a pair of Woody by Sonoma along with some Sonoma distressed denim and a complimentary polo shirt?

I'm just saying—Woody hasn't exactly been the most popular seller from this season's collection. It's not steel toed or waterproof—two virtues of a heavy-duty work boot—while the faux dirt has served to confuse some shoppers who think the boot is actually dirty. Kohl's has an opportunity to exploit this little bit of product placement and perhaps build some awareness for a product that, as its selling season quickly winds down, has not been the most popular shoe of the shelf.

Kohls.com product photo

CBS still frame

Latest Footwear Trend Takes a New Tone

Congratulations, Skechers…you’ve done it again. Toning shoes is a category of footwear that makes use of wedge rocker soles and/or bulging air pods in the sole of shoes to promote instability. Instability when walking? Don’t pumps, wedges, and other women’s shoes already cause them to trip and fall at an alarming rate? The claim behind toning shoes is that instability forces leg and butt muscles to work harder, thus toning up said muscles. Skechers even claims its Shape Ups promote good posture.

So what has Skechers done so effectively with Shape Ups? Well, it has taken toning shoes which was a niche footwear dominated by anti-shoe maker MBT, and has made it available to the masses. MBT footwear is unique and expensive. Skechers formulated their own design, and compared to $200+ for a pair of MBTs, was able to more than cut the price in half. Skechers has a much wider distribution network including mid-level shoe stores, department stores, and factory/outlet stores.

As Shape Ups caught on, other shoe makers took notice. Avia introduced AviMotion. Reebok has its sex-appeal charged EasyTones.  Nike is a holdout.  But plenty of other less popular shoe makers are jumping on the tone-up bandwagon as well. K-Mart’s TheraShoes are less than $40 per pair.

What Skechers did was take a good idea, and leveraging their marketing and logistics, make it available to the masses. Toning shoes are no longer niche, they’re made-in-China, big-box, mass-marketed goods. While $115 is hefty to drop on a pair of kicks, it sure beats $245 for a pair of MBTs.

Working as Shoes Supervisor with Kohl’s, I’ve found toning shoes to sellout as fast as they come in (literally, one case never made it to the floor as almost every pair fulfilled a rain check!).  Skechers are definitly customer's top-of-mind brand.  Plenty of men are angry that we only carry toning shoes for women at my location.  Reebok has caught on quickly, and some are finding a cheaper alternative in Kohl's exclusive FilaFit lineup.  Many ladies wrinkle their nose at Avia. 

It all goes to prove an important point: Recession or no recession, women (who largely comprise the toning target market) will spend just about any amount if a product promises them a sexier rear end for less effort.

Fast forward to the future and I wonder, will toning shoes deliver? So far the user reviews that I’ve heard have been overwhelmingly positive. But someday, will mass-produced toning shoes have the unintended consequences of foot problems? Will the Skechers company die a painful death at the feet (no pun intended!) of class-action lawyers? Toning is trendy right now. It’ll be interesting to see how this trend plays out.

P.S. – I gotta cool it on the footwear blogs…seems that all I talk about lately!

With Foot in Mouth...Our Linguistic and Podiataric* Challenged Society

Being a writer/copy editor by night and a Kohl's Shoe Department Specialist by day, I can’t help but pick up on customers’ errors of pronunciation when it comes to footwear. Allow me to explain:

SKECHERS

This California-based maker of ultra-trendy footwear actually does not use a “T” anywhere in it’s name. Look closely and you’ll see it’s SK-E-CHERS not SKE-T-CHERS. Apparently the errant “T” is a common misconception; the company owns the web domain for both the correct and the extra-T spelling of its name.

Perhaps the biggest challenge is for the shoppers who do realize the T is missing. They frequently call the brand SKI-CHERS. Undoubtedly this brand name gives people the most problems. Some other misconceptions I’ve heard for Skechers:

• Stretchers – Usually from elderly folk who probably imagine a shoe that stretches over every corn, bunion, and foot malady that they insist on showing me.
• Skaters – Yes, Skechers makes skateboarding shoes, but so does Vans and Zoo York.
• Shapers – This one is semi-excusable; it no doubt comes from the Skechers Shape Ups line.
• Steppers – Step Up by Skechers is a junior’s flat, not the name of a brand.

DOCKERS

The timeless brand often thought of for its pants (and pantless Superbowl commercials!) also makes shoes. This label has been around a while. Calling it “Dockets” is simply unacceptable. A docket is a court document, whereas my guess would be that Dockers takes its name from boat shoe heritage.

NIKE

This one surprises and never ceases to annoy me. People pronounce Nike in such a way as to rhyme with “bike.” The word may appear to be pronounced this way, but we all know it’s NIE-K-EEY.

KEDS

Seems the elderly love these shoes, and for a good reason. Keds was one of the original makers of vulcanized rubber sneakers. Calling them “kids” is simply unacceptable, although Keds does make a few styles in kids’ sizes.

MOOTSIES TOOTSIES

This is an off-label by Nine West. It's such a stupid name that it's hard to prononuce correctly with a straight face. I had to bite my lip as I dealt with a customer who was unhappy with her “Mushy Tushy” sandals. Mushy sandals? Mmmm…sounds comfy.

DANA BUCHMAN

Once a designer with Claiborne, Dana Buchman signed on exclusively with Kohl’s last year. Her last name is not pronounced “BOOO-K-MAN.” It’s Buck-Man. Not Buckingham. The buck stops here.

ELLE

Elle is another Kohl’s exclusive label. If it was intended to be called “Ellie” it would be spelled as such. “Ellie” by Elle was, in fact, a metallic-colored wedge sandal that Kohl’s shoppers may still be able to find on clearance racks.

KICKIN’ OFF MY SHOES…

Maybe I’m just knit-picky, but I thought it be fun to provide some laughable humor at our linguistically challenged society. Give it long enough, and I’m sure someone else will butcher the name of another shoe brand. Until then, hope you enjoyed this short list.

* Podiataric is a James-ism.  Couldn't think of a better word.

Power of Positive Press

Whether or not those tracking press coverage in the Kohl’s Corporate offices noticed or not, an AP photo—hitting the wires this past weekend—shows a distraught traveler napping in an airport lounge. The lady is a victim of grounded flights caused by wild volcanic activity in Iceland. The significance of the picture is that the lady has kicked off her shoes. And not just any shoes. As a Shoes Department supervisor at a Kohl’s store, I knew those shoes right away.

They’re actually spring/summer sandals and the name is “Bridget” by Croft & Barrow. Croft is a highly profitable private label featured only in Kohl’s Department Stores. Private labels in department stores are kind of a funny thing. Imagine the brand building that must go on behind the scenes. Generally, when you go to the grocery store and buy off-brand, it’s perceived as cheap. When a customer goes to Kohl’s and asks for St. John's Bay (JCPenney equivalent of Croft&Barrow), that’s demonstration of brand building in action.

Anyway, the AP photo of Bridget sandals shows them in the fuchsia iteration—bright and contrasty in the otherwise-dull airport lounge. Bridget features a triangular design and metal buckles, both embellishments that are popular this spring on women’s footwear. Today Bridget is the front-page feature on new Kohl’s ads where she’s on sale for $11.99. And most Kohl’s Charge holders will take additional discounts of 15% and upward. Each spring Kohl’s introduces a near version of this popular sandal, and each spring women absolutely trash the displays of them. Imagine the positive effect this photo could have on Kohl’s sales: Women saying, “Where did she get those shoes? I want them too!” Kohl’s should try to find a way to profit from this free advertising.

At my store we’re implementing several measures, including color-coded boxes and on-site trash bins to hopefully maintain order and prevent a buildup of tissue paper on the floor. I leave for work in a little while. Wish me luck: The crazy ladies are probably already tearing apart the display of Bridget sandals.

NOTICE:  The original picture and licensing details may be viewed at AP Images.

Nuanced Nouns and Verbal Venacular can Make a Marketing Mess

As someone who writes frequently and studied copywriting in college, I tend to pickup on little nuances and mistakes of other writers. I thought it would be fun to compile a list of misused nouns and verbs that I often see creeping up in our contemporary vernacular.

Nouns:
• Say you have chapped lips. You apply a lip balm. I’ve often heard Chapstick used as a generalization for lip balm. But what if you use Blistex, or Vaseline, or Soft Lips?

• What do you blow your nose into? A tissue of course. Now it may be a Kleenex-brand tissue, or it may be Puffs. “Hand me a Kleenex” is another misuse of a brand name.

• Make a photocopy and it may be done on a Xerox-brand machine. Or it could be a Hewlett Packard. You don’t make a Xerox of a document. A Chicago Tribune article published in last Sunday’s Buffalo News used Xerox incorrectly. Shame on the editor.

• Portable CD players are nearly as extinct as the Walkman. Why? Because of MP3 players, Apple’s iPod which is a bellwether among them. But referring to all brands of MP3 players as iPods? This is just another common misuse.

Verbiage:
• My generation has one phrase that is synonymous with doing research: “I’ll Google it.” Google, a thing (noun) has become a something you do (a verb). What if a web user doesn’t like Google? Can they Yahoo! something? Or MSN it? How about we AltaVista it?

• I edit my digital photos (and display many on this blog).  While I prefer Adobe Photoshop, does that mean I Photoshopped my photos?  I could always use Corel or Picassa.  Often similar results can be achieved. 

• Getting directions off the internet has also become commonplace, especially for those who don’t have an in-car navigation system. So do you Mapquest your final destination? Or do you Bing it? Or Google Map it?

• VCRs, even recordable DVDs, are so last decade. In 2010 we record our TV shows digitally off of cable, satellite, etc. Maybe we use a Tivo set-top box, or maybe we use the Scientific Atlanta iteration offered by Time Warner Cable. “Tivo-ing” a TV show has, however, become a catchall verb for using a DVR.

• Back to Xerox again. If you just Xeroxed that document, you quite possibly used this verb incorrectly.

• Kohl’s is my employer. They’ve craftily turned Kohl’s (a noun) into something you do in the latest ad campaign: “The More You Know, the More You Kohl’s.” In my case, the more I owe, the more I [must] Kohl’s.

I suppose there are probably a lot more, this is just a few little nuances I’ve picked up on lately. Feel free to add to the list. There’s a Comments section at the end of this post for a reason.

This funky photo is of my iPod Shuffle that died.  It was replaced under warranty and died again.  That's when I got Creative—as in a Zen Nano by Creative Labs.  See why it's necessary to not lump all MP3 players as iPods?  And that nifty colorized effect?  It's Photoshopped...

Some Deal Discoveries I've Used to Save Money

Here’s a change of pace: I’m going to share a few coupon deals I’ve found lately.

I’ve always been a coupon clipper, but just recently have turned to the internet. Some useful websites I found include:

• http://www.smartsource.com/
• http://www.redplum.com/

Both of these have regular coupon circulars in the Sunday paper and offer easy searching and printing for their websites. They’re also trustworthy sources that don’t ask you to disclose all your personal information.

For more specialized coupons, however, I’ve found turning to the manufacturer’s site is often a great start. Usually you have to join a mailing list (which you can later unsubscribe to) in order to receive the free offer. I recommend setting up a G-Mail, Hotmail, or other free account specifically for this purpose. Once you’re on their mailing list, manufacturers will generally email you promotional messages on a regular basis. Many of these contain additional coupons and offers. However, you probably don’t want this stuff clogging up your main inbox. Save the “e-coupon-clipping” and sorting for a rainy day.

Anyway, here are a couple samples of deals I’ve found lately:

• $1.00 off any Applegate Farms organic/natural meat product. http://www.applegatefarms.com/
• $1.50 off any Kashi TLC snack or cereal. http://www.kashi.com/
• $0.75 off any half-gallon of Silk soymilk. http://www.silkissoy.com

Many retailers and even some restaurants also offer coupon deals (through their email lists):

• Borders Rewards offers all kinds of coupons on books, music, and other media. Occasionally, there’s even an offer for a beverage or pasty at the Seattle’s Best Café in most Borders locations! http://www.borders.com/
• Kohl’s gives you a $5.00 store voucher just for your email address. They can, however, become a bit of a nuisance with near daily reminders to shop the latest and greatest sale. Whether or not you unsubscribe, the $5.00 is yours to spend. http://www.kohls.com/
• Bed Bath & Beyond offers its ubiquitous 20% off one item coupon for your email address. http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/
• Depending on the current offer, join TGI Friday's affinity club, and you'll get a free appetizer or possibly even better. https://www.tgifridays.com/gmms/GiveMeMoreStripes.aspx

When all else fails try searching _________ coupons (insert product, manufacturer’s name, etc). Look among the search results for the manufacturer’s website, as this tends to be the most reliable source.

I’m sure there are plenty more good e-deals out there, as I read about them all the time, but until now have paid little attention. I’m just getting in on this new world of web couponing, but it’s quite fun. If this keeps up, I probably should start looking for ink cartridge coupons next for my printer…