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Marketing is a Teddy in the Window

Covid-19 you little so-and-so. Not only have you infected our bodies, you’ve got your nasty little spikes into almost every facet of our world.  You’re impacting our lives, livelihoods, relationships, freedoms, economies and look, you’re the topic of this critically important opinion piece too.


For most of us, especially those with young kids, it’s been tough staying positive and entertained over the last few weeks. And those teddy bears (and parrots, puppies, monkeys, ponies, et al.) appearing in the windows are simply genius. A kind, clever and entertaining activity to help kids (and their parents) escape the confines of their Covid bubble for an hour or so each day. 


 There’s no denying the world needs information on Covid-19; how it is affecting us and our cousins in other countries, how to keep ourselves safe, how the virologists are progressing on a vaccine, etcetera, etcetera. And this Covid information wave is not going break any time soon.


 That’s why it’s so important we step outside the virus bubble once in a while and go hunting for teddies - or whatever takes our minds off it.  Spend a bit of time away from the daily reminders and morbid running infection totals. It’s how we’re going to stay sane and avoid slipping into the gloom of COVID fatigue.


As our media consumption increases during lockdown and social distancing phases, most of us would have noticed a plethora of virus-related marketing activity. Messages from brands who want to reassure us they’re here for us during these ‘uncertain times’. As someone commented on social media, “I never knew so many brands were thinking about my wellbeing.” If you haven’t noticed it, other people have.
Check out this piece from the US.

Now is not the time to jump on that bandwagon. However, it is an excellent opportunity for businesses to have a voice during this time.


Why is now a good time for your business to have a voice?

  • Marketers can build brand love by ‘being the teddy in the window’ and offering their audience a little escapism during a time when most brands are unsure what to say.
  •  People are spending more time-consuming media than they have in recent years. While people are in lockdown and socialising in their bubble - marketers have a captive audience.
  •  Surprisingly, people want brands to be active.
  • Businesses who keep their marketing active during a recession bounce back faster and grow more after the recession ends. Watch this: Marketing in the Time of Coronavirus.
  •  Active businesses can take pride in helping drive the economy forward.
  •  Some marketers will pull their budgets, creating opportunities for lower-tier brands to grab a share of the voice.
  • Staying active before a recession will give your staff reassurance and confidence that you are going into a recession with a positive mindset.

In these uncertain times (teehee), it’s important for businesses to be certain about how they’re going to approach the impending recession. And that’s not by being quiet, or absent from people’s lives. Make a commitment to fight Covid fatigue. Be the Teddy in the window and offer people a little escapism. And stay true to your values - because now’s not the time to be ‘uncertain’ about what you stand for.

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The why, what and how of Internal Product Launches

By Sonja Corbett • November 21, 2021
WELCOME TO THE LOW DOWN ON INTERNAL PRODUCT LAUNCHES. One of Mágico’s areas of expertise is Internal Product Launches. So I thought I’d use this 90 Seconds of Magic to give you the low-down on the why, what and how of Internal Product Launches. Why should you host an internal product launch? Your team is your biggest brand advocate. So getting them involved in the latest news is as important as the experiences you create for your customers. Introducing new products developments and offerings to your team will improve morale and build a sense of culture. Engaging IPLs build pride in the workplace. IPLs provide an opportunity to enhance workplace connections. What should your internal product launch look like? An IPL should reflect your brand identity and company values. It should be a seamless part of your customer marketing plan. It should feel like they come from a single-minded idea. How to make an internal product launch magical & memorable 1. Careful preparation Choose a time that causes minimal disruption will result in a higher turnout. Consider your company's usual rhythm and operations Aim for a duration of around 60 minutes and no longer than 90. Choose an accessible location – you'd be amazed at how we can transform a familiar company communal space. Consider an engaging theme to dictate the tone of delivery. Have a focal point eg: a display or backdrop to support your these. 2. Attention to details Send invitations with ample time to ensure guests can prioritise the event in their diary – and send reminders. Consider what medium would get the most engagement e.g. calendar invite, an emailed video invitation or a physical printed invitation 3. How will guests feel when they arrive? What’s the first thing they see? What important messages should they engage with? Is this the first time some guests have seen the product? 4. Feed the right people the right information Do you need a 2-tier launch with different levels of information? Consider how guests should receive the information. Printed collateral? A presentation? Or are there opportunities for a hands-on experience? It's important not to overwhelm your guests, so refine your information and prioritise the key messages. 5. Consider every touchpoint Put yourself in your guests’ shoes and walk through their intended experience; from invitation to post-presentation follow-up Work through the event, including: arrival, greeting, waiting, visibility at seating, food/coffee service etc. Finally, review departures, takeaway material and post-event follow-up. 6. Check your checklist Before sending out the invitation, go through your Product Launch Checklist. This should cover information about the product, the IPL and market launch. If you don’t already a checklist, you can download our Product Launch Checklist and edit it to suit your needs. You can also download our Product Launch Guidelines to refer to them later.

Entering a new epoch of life

By Sonja Corbett • November 21, 2021
Holocene. Cretaceous. Jurassic. Devonian....we have entered a new epoch of life. Emerging from the murk of our living room forts and home offices blurry-eyed in the bright autumn sun. We are determined to find our way in this alien new world. We’ve been told what to do, how far to stand, where we can go and who we can see. And what an amazing effect it has had on the invaders. Hats off to us all. But if hoarding loo paper pre-lockdown was about control (cultural, not intestinal) in times of uncertainty, we are now entering a time of defiance. We’re back. And we want our luxuries. We want our cheeseburgers, our coffee, our secret herbs and spices, our fresh tattoos and a fresh fade for the bonce. And we’re prepared to stand in line at midnight for them. Life has changed. We haven’t...much. Lockdown has been a dramatically life-changing event for many of us. For the other 98% of us, this has been a ‘life-tweaking’ event. There’s definitely a feeling that we’ve accepted the change but we’re not willing to give up our simple pleasures. With every drive-thru coffee or Wicked Wing, we’re shouting, “ Take that COVID-19! You can take away my European Cruise, but you’ll never take away my freedom...I mean, my fancy almond croissant .” In this post-lockdown, travel restricted world, luxuries will be re-evaluated. Snorkelling in the tropics will be replaced with bubbles in a new spa pool. A family trip to Germany will be replaced with a schnauzer puppy. Twelve-course degustation’s will be replaced by a bucket of the Colonel’s finest, and an all-night drinking session in the city with friends will be replaced with an all-night drinking session in the city with friends, sitting down. If anyone can adapt, it’s us Koi-wois. With our number 8 wire and blah blah blah...you’ve heard it all before. So, what can marketers learn from all of this? Well, it’s simply that Kiwis still believe in treating themselves, and are more than happy to fork out some of their government subsidy for the simple pleasures. But this is also a time where Kiwis are re-evaluating their options; (some of us have even reached for wholemeal flour when the good white stuff ran out. Desperate times these are.) If you’ve got a new product (or an old classic) there’s never been a better time to get it in front of the country. Now is not the time to stop talking to your audiences. Give them options. Give them the chance to consider something new. Give them the chance to support locally made and community-minded. The new normal will be much easier to swallow when we all feel better about ourselves.

When marketing activations truly make a difference in the community

By Sonja Corbett • November 21, 2021
"Bike It Forward" is an idea that's already changing Kiwi lives. It’s also an idea that dramatically demonstrates both the power and the very real significance of what's typically called marketing activation (or sometimes experiential marketing). The "Bike It Forward" idea began, as many worthwhile endeavours often do, with people talking amongst themselves. Then the whole concept took on a life of its own. Lina Montero Soto was chatting to other parents as she watched her young daughter prepare for the upcoming Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon. During the conversation, Lina was surprised to hear that for some children the TRYathlon is simply not an option, primarily because they don't have access to or can't afford a bike. It was, everyone agreed, a real shame that some Kiwi kids were missing out on experiencing the fun and adventure of riding a bike and from participating in events like the Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon. Most community conversations, like this, tend to generate surprise, a little outrage and then a bout of headshaking—but not much action. Not this time. Lina, who is General Manager of Auckland activation marketing agency Magico, was determined to do something about the problem. Her investigations revealed that there are often many well-to-do households that have an old bike stored in the garage gathering dust, not going anywhere. Some require repairs and maintenance, others only need some TLC. "What if," Lina wondered, "there was a program to encourage such bikes to be handed in, to be refurbished and made available to children whose families couldn't afford to buy or rent their own bikes?" Using the collective skills of Magico, Lina promptly put together a proposal to create such a program, henceforth to be known as "Bike It Forward". She took the idea to Bike Barn, an existing Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon sponsor. To cut to the chase: Bike Barn loved the idea and, in combination with Mágico, made "Bike It Forward" a reality. Bike Barn trialled the campaign in Auckland in December 2018 in partnership with the Weet-Bix TRYathlon Foundation and received more than 50 bikes that were refurbished and donated to children at Homai School and Manurewa South School. Tone Kolose, Principle at Manurewa South School said that being part of the “Bike it Forward” campaign had made a huge difference to the lives of the kids at the school, a sentiment echoed by Bathsheba Tofilau, Associate Principal at Homai School. What sort of difference? The children spelt out their enthusiasm in their own words:
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