Drawing Conclusions From Marketing Stats
Chip Martin, Mannequin American
The Russian Solution to the Medical Insurance Issue?
Russia is grappling with a major public health crisis ... citizens are essentially drinking and smoking themselves to death. About a million Russians die each year from alcohol and smoking-related causes. Between 600,000 and 700,000 of those deaths are attributed to drinking alone.
Who's to blame? Maybe the government! Unlike other countries, Russia has refused to levy hefty taxes on cigarettes and alcohol to discourage smoking and drinking.
As a result:
- The average Russian drinks 50 bottles of vodka a year.
- A bottle of beer can be purchased on the street for less than the cost of a bottle of water.
- Twelve million of Russia's 141 million residents have died over the past 15 years due to alcohol-and smoking-related causes.
- A pack of cigarettes can be purchased for about 30 cents.
- The average Russian male lives to be 60 years old, dying 15 years earlier than his American counterpart. Russian women die 13 years earlier than American women.
Although the country has launched a series of television commercials encouraging Russians to choose healthier lifestyles, many critics say this is of little benefit.
So far, Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused recommendations to raise taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, with some health critics saying the Kremlin would rather the Russian public stay "pacified and anesthetized." I say it's Russia's way of handling the issue of medical insurance. As long as everyone dies an early death ... there's no need for costly long-term care.
Booze Death Calculator
Let's be honest, Russians aren't the only ones who drink. So as a public service, you can click here to find out how many of your "drink of choice" it would take to kill you. (See, I'm much more enlightened than the Russian government. I provide pre-emptive information.)
Thanks for Telling Your Friends
Readership of this blog rose 30% in August, which is a little surprising since it's the peak month for people to go on vacation. But I have you, my readers to thank because it's word of mouth that increases readership. That and the fact that this blog is now on FaceBook, Blogged.com, Bloggers Choice Awards, and linked to many other blogs and additional social media venues.
As always, I continue to be the catalyst for attracting attention to the Brown & Martin, Inc. Web site, http://www.bmpr.com/, which got a 48% increase in traffic this month. I take full credit for that, but others say it's because B&M's Web site is continually updated with new content and informative white papers. Dale's Web site, http://www.dale-brown.com/ also gained 22%, probably because I linked to Dale's new Motivational Keynote video. (What would he do without me?)
But again, it's you who help increase loyal readership; so "Thank you," to all who have recommended this blog to others. For those of you who aren't carrying your share of the load, forward this blog to co-workers, friends, family, vendors, customers ... whoever. They'll thank you, and I'll be indebted to you. Come on it doesn't take much effort ... so do it!
Drawing Conclusions from Marketing Stats
For some reason, my blog followers send me a lot of condom-related marketing examples. Recently I found some research behind those examples to be very interesting. Not surprisingly, marketers know what type of person buys specific brands of condoms.
Brand leader Trojan is known as the brand men grew up with, the "Boy Scout" of condoms, if you will, for its preparedness in the wallet. The No. 3 biggest brand, LifeStyles, is associated with the "partying lounge lizard." The No. 2 seller, Durex is somewhere in between. It's buyers are less likely to be a first-time condom buyer, more experienced, more likely to know exactly what he or she likes in "sexual health" products, more likely to be passionate and deeply involved with their partners. The company is using that niche in its new "That's My Pleasure" campaign breaking this month in Sports Illustrated, Maxim and other venues. Below is a sample ad from that Campaign.
Interestingly, Durex market share is around 15%, compared with more than 70% for Trojan, 8% for LifeStyles and 13% for other brands. So if I'm reading these statistics and the marketing information properly, there are a lot more people looking for one night stands than there are in long-term, meaningful relationships ... right? Just saying ...
We Never Made it Big, but we Know a lot of Others Who Did - No. 8
In the yellow shirt at the bottom right of the photo above is Pete Michaels, a talented New York area vent who has appeared many times at the Apollo Theatre and throughout the east coast. He's very talented and very funny. Go to his Web site to learn more.
At the bottom left side of the photo is our close friend Bob Rumba and his two look-a-like Mannequin Americans. Bob is more than a vent. He is a talented juggler, magician and balloon sculptor extraordinaire. He's perhaps best known for his walk-around impressions of Charlie Chaplin, Groucho Marks and Barney Fife ... all hilarious.
The lady in the middle with the two puppets on her lap ... Oh, wait a minute. Those aren't puppets. I'm bad.
To the upper left is retired Chicago vent, Bob Isacson. To say the Bob is one of the "nice guys" doesn't do him justice.
Bob, Bob and Pete are all on the Advisors Board of Vent Haven Museum.
The most gratifying thing about this photo to me is that there are so many young vents in it. Within the past few years, Jeff Dunham, Jay Johnson, Terry Fator, Kevin Johnson and others have helped to significantly increase the exposure, popularity and status of the art of ventriloquism. As a result, an increasing number of young people are trying their hands and mouths at ventriloquism ... which is a very positive thing. (Let's face it ... it must be pretty easy or Dale would never have been able to do it.) In any event, the conVENTion has evolved to have more workshops aimed specifically at beginning and younger vents, which has helped attract and meet the needs of this new, young audience.
