What Québec Wants

L’alowine, the French and Quebeckers

There’s a delightful story by Peter Mayle, author of A Year in Provence, in last Saturday's New York Times, about how the French came to celebrate Halloween.

Here’s an excerpt:

There is a tendency among the French to welcome certain aspects of American life with immediate and uncritical enthusiasm: hamburgers, Jerry Lewis, baseball caps, elderly television series (“Starsky & Hutch” is still running on French TV), Westerns, Marlboro Lights, button-down shirts — these and much more besides have crossed the Atlantic to become firmly embedded in le lifestyle français.

The Celtic-by-way-of-America celebration of Halloween is one more example that has always stuck in my mind because it arrived in France about the same time that I did, 20 years ago.

I remember the moment well. I was passing the window of a shop that specialized in avant-garde underwear when my eye was caught by a small pumpkin, half-concealed behind the lacy thickets of a black brassiere. A hand-lettered sign tucked into the bra read, “N’oubliez pas l’alowine!” — as if one could ever forget Halloween when reminded of it in such an exotic fashion.

But there was a problem. In those unenlightened days, hardly anyone in France had the faintest idea of what alowine was.

Interest in Halloween is fading.

According to Halloween expert Jim Farrelly, Hallloween isn’t what it used to be. "I'm sure that kids will be instructed not to touch anybody as they go door-to-door and that hand-sanitizers will be used between stops. It's going to be a very clinical Halloween."

Demographics also play a role. In 2008, the number of children aged five to 14 sank to 3,807,039 — the lowest level since hitting 3,798,425 in 1990. For more on this, read this article from Canwest News Service.

Not surprisingly, spending on Halloween (in the U.S.) will likely drop this year. Consumers this year are expected to spend an average of $56.31 per person on Halloween, down from $66.54 in 2008, while total spending on the holiday is expected to reach $4.75 billion, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2009 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch.

For more data from this survey, click here.

Also, for more Canadian data on Halloween, have a look at Stats Can’s annual "Halloween by the numbers". You’ll learn about costume rental, pumpkin production, scary movies, coffins and caskets manufacturing, embalmers, candies, crime on Halloween night, and worshippers of Satan.

Quebeckers, ghosts and witches.

According to a survey conducted by Leger Marketing in 2001, 30.2% of Canadians believe in ghosts while only 20.9% of Quebeckers do so - the lowest level of all provinces. 15.2% of Canadians believe in witches. Almost one in four residents of B.C. (23.4%) do so while only 9% of Quebeckers do so – the lowest level of all provinces.

However, the same survey reveals that Quebeckers are more likely than Canadians in the rest of Canada to have attempted to communicate with the deceased.

Brand storytelling

Every brand tells a story. Some just tell a better story than others.

This post isn’t about marketing in Québec specifically. It’s about an amazing example of storytelling. Make that a 5 minutes plus story of the Johnnie Walker brand delivered in one take by Scottish actor Robert Carlisle.

Unique Naming for Liquor Brands | Branding Beer and Wine Products

via www.brandchannel.com

An interesting look at the naming of wine and beer brands in Canada. Learn about Dead Frog, Dirty Laundry and La fin du monde (The End of the World).

Quebeckers hand shaking and air kissing.

According to a recent survey by Harris Decima, 60% of Canadians have declined to shake hands out of concern for passing the flu along to someone else.

Quebeckers (76%) are more likely than Canadians in the ROC to have done so and they’re the least likely to be offended if someone declines to shake their hands out of concern about spreading H1N1 flu.

No data on what’s happening with the more sanitary habit of air kissing in Québec.

Olympic sponsorships

What marketers are looking for. What consumers expect.

Canadians expect a lasting impact via greater community involvement.

An interview (in French) on TFO's Panorama - you can view it online here.

For more on this, read our survey results here.

Course correction?

A follow-up to a recent post about the federal Liberals’ advertising in Québec.

The campaign was described by its creator as the first of several courses in a long meal. I may have missed the next course but it seems the impact of the first dish wasn’t what the chef expected. Here's one of the spots.

An Angus Reid Strategies opinion poll conducted from October 13 to 14 (roughly five weeks after the feast began) suggests that Ignatieff’s momentum is plummeting in Québec.

From the report:

For the Liberals, the situation is much tougher than it was at the start of the summer. The latest survey shows a drastic drop for Michael Ignatieff, particularly when compared with a poll that was conducted just days before he withdrew the party's support for the Tory minority government. The Grit leader is markedly seen as more arrogant and inefficient than he was two months ago.

While there were of course a few unforeseen developments in Québec since this campaign started (Denis Coderre’s resignation as Québec lieutenant wasn’t on the menu), the carefully planned meal might now require some improvisation or at least a careful look at some of the ingredients used.

Unsolicited advice for Coca-Cola

How the ‘real’ real thing could become the choice of a 'new' new generation in Québec.

Some may argue the exact numbers but Pepsi is well ahead of Coke in Québec.

Coke dominates the global market with 51 per cent of the total sales compared with Pepsi’s 22 per cent, according to John Sicher, editor of Beverage Digest. But in Québec, the Pepsi stable of soft drinks owns 61 per cent of the market to Coke’s 20, said Manon Lavallée, market development manager for PepsiCo Canada. It’s dominance unseen anywhere else in North America, although Pepsi does nudge out Coke by a slight margin in the Atlantic Provinces and a few states. Coke officials told The Globe and Mail recently the gap is not that large in Québec when restaurant, hotel and sporting events sales are factored in, but did not give specific numbers. (Source: The Montreal Gazette, July 10, 2009)

Much has been written about what drove Quebeckers’ attachment to Pepsi over the years. The 1993 CASSIES case still tells a great story. Also, this article in the NYT offers a more recent perspective on the brand’s latest marketing efforts in Quebec.

Coke has also at times tailored its message specifically to reach Quebeckers. And it is apparently planning to feature Québec athletes in its upcoming Vancouver 2010 advertising – according to Coca-Cola’s David Moran quoted in the NYT article.

Perhaps Coke needs a more fundamental signal of its ‘difference’ to appeal to Quebeckers.

What if Quebeckers were allowed to discover a different kind of Coke? One that is only available in Québec, in Mexico and in some parts of the U.S.? Could this tap into the same sense of belonging to a distinct market that helped fuel Pepsi’s success in Québec? Could Coke also exploit a sense of pride associated with a need to stand out from the rest that, in some cases, reward the brands that reinforce this feeling?

This might sound crazy or naïve. It also goes against the idea that there is only one Coke - the ‘real’ thing – around the world. After all, messing with it resulted in one of the biggest marketing blunders in history.

A piece by Rob Walker last weekend in his brilliant column in the NYT Magazine suggests it might not be that crazy or naïve after all.

It seems there isn’t just one ‘real’ thing called Coke. There’s a different Coke in Mexico. One with a cult following there and in the U.S. So much so, that Mexican Coke has crossed the border and is now sold at Kroger, Costco and various independent grocers. Mexican Coke connoisseurs will even pay more for Coke that’s Hencho en Mexico. And there’s a real cult following online with loyalists extolling the virtues of Mexican Coke.

What’s so special about Mexican Coke?

Here’s Rob Walker’s explanation: “Coca-Cola bottled in Mexico is sweetened with sugar, while the U.S. version is (almost) always made with high-fructose corn syrup. That is so. And it’s surprising, given the degree to which uniformity defines the Coke idea. Who knew the “secret formula” could accommodate ingredient variation?”

It apparently makes a significant and discernable difference in taste. Even if it doesn’t, perception is probably reality in this case.

This brings me back to Québec.

Coca-Cola should consider making the real cane sugar Coke available to Quebecers only. Chances are they'll prefer the taste. Even if they don't in blind tests, they'll be buying into a perceived different taste from Coke, one that only Mexicans and Quebecers from the new, new generation enjoy.

No need to go big and risk alienating loyal Coke drinkers in Québec. Let the ‘real, real’ Coke enter Québec with select distribution. And go viral to tell its story. If there ever was a story that can engage people online via social networks, it's the notion that Coke is different in Québec than in the rest of Canada. What does Coke have to lose?

When corporate social responsibility, celebrities and engaging advertising meet.

I’m a big fan of BOS’ advertising for St-Hubert BBQ in Québec. I can’t say that I’m a Céline Dion fan but the way this campaign leverages some of Québec’s celebrities to highlight the restaurant chain’s corporate social responsibility is smart.

There’s nothing new about using well-known individuals in your ads who donate their fee to the charity of their choice. Harry Rosen does it well with the business crowd with ads featuring, among others, Robert Deluce, President and CEO of Porter Airlines and Rob Guenette, CEO of Taxi.

Yet the primary purpose is to showcase Harry’s clothes and link the retailer’s brand to the image of success.  “Innovators in their respective fields who share the belief that maintaining their own personal brand in uncertain times is integral to projecting confidence and ensuring success as leaders.” (Source: Harry Rosen’s press release)

The St-Hubert campaign goes further. It seamlessly combines brand sell, celebrity endorsement and the company’s corporate social responsibility strategy. If you think that I’m giving St-Hubert and its agency too much credit, read the company’s position on CSR, watch three of the spots in this campaign and draw your own conclusions.

Social responsibility

For more than 55 years, St-Hubert has been an enduring favourite among Québec consumers of all ages and has become an integral part of our culture. The Company is keenly aware of its responsibility to look beyond corporate interests and contribute to the sustainable development of the society in which it operates. St-Hubert is committed to fulfilling an important philanthropic role by helping to improve the quality of life in communities where it maintains a presence. Through involvement in economic, cultural and social development initiatives, St-Hubert gives back to communities and to the families and children living in them.

Philosophy

St-Hubert devotes at least 1% of its before-tax profits to social and community projects. The Company focuses its efforts and resources on empowering partner organizations in their charitable work. St-Hubert is also involved in innovative projects that share its core values of respect, passion, integrity, pleasure, authenticity, creativity, team spirit and a customer-centric approach.

Community commitment

- Assist organizations and foundations whose causes touch various communities in Québec.
- Prioritize assistance for non-profit organizations and charities.
- Direct financial contributions toward the areas of: Health / Welfare, Education / Arts and culture, Environment

The St-Hubert spots can be viewed on Infopresse’s website. Click on the links below.

• Celebrity endorsement: Céline Dion
• Brand sell: The diva and her sisters evidently enjoy St-Hubert’s food and the Dion look-alike waitress reminds us of the restaurant’s convivial atmosphere.
• Link to CSR: Ms. Dion’s fee is donated to the Association québécoise de la fibrose kystique  

Click here to view the spot.

• Celebrity endorsement: Louis-José Houde  
• Brand sell: The comedian loves St-Hubert’s chicken so much he’s unusually quiet.
• Link to CSR: Mr. Houde’s fee is donated to L’Oasis and Oxfam-Québec.

 

 Click here to view the spot.

• Celebrity endorsement: Claude Dubois
• Brand sell: The lyrics in the singer’s famous song dramatize the St-Hubert experience and how it is part of the community.
• Link to CSR: Mr. Dubois’s fee is donated to la fondation du Camp musical des Laurentides.

Click here to view the spot.

 

Thanks to our conceited sponsors

Online translation is free and easy. However, its results can make those with the best intentions look silly. We've come across some funny ones over the years but this one gets a special mention.

The Canadian Amputee Golf Association is thanking its PROUD sponsors.

Enter PROUD in Google translate (which many use to translate text, webpages and documents) and you get FIERS. That's what is usually used as the translation as in FIERS COMMANDITAIRES.

Google translates also gives you options. The first is ORGUEILLEUX. Perhaps the CAGA folks thought is sounded nicer so they used it instead of the more common FIERS. Here's a subtlety that's lost on Google and most translation software: ORGUEILLEUX means conceited, vain or snooty.

Few small businesses using Facebook.

Findings from a Citibank/GFK Roper survey of 500 U.S. businesses with fewer than 100 employees reveals that very few small businesses in the U.S. have adopted social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter for business uses.

76% of the small business owners surveyed say they have not found sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn helpful for generating business leads or expanding business in the past year.

86% say they have not used social networking sites for information or business advice. Instead, 61% of respondents say they general search engine sites such as Google and Yahoo! to seek business advice or information.

42% percent of small business owners and managers reported that in the past year they have made greater use of their company's website to generate business leads and sales. Among companies with 20 to 99 employees the percentage rises with 57 percent saying they have made greater use of their website.

Survey respondents are also using email marketing (28 percent) and online advertising (25 percent) to generate business leads and sales.

Here’s a link to Citibank’s press release.