Experimental Marketing
March 9, 2009 The Cotton Research & Promotion Program was created to recapture lost markets, maintain existing markets and establish new markets for cotton. Beginning in the 1960s, chemical-based fibers became the preference of U.S. consumers. It took several years before Cotton Incorporated’s television advertising and consumer marketing campaigns re-established cotton demand. Just as times have changed, so too have the demographics toward which we today market cotton’s advertising message. Consumers exposed to that initial campaign now have children who must be convinced that cotton should be the fabric of their lives. That’s why in 2005, we experimented with a new type of marketing effort. It’s called “expiriential” marketing and for the last two years, we have been addressing that new audience – an audience that will control billions of shopping dollars for decades. What is experiential marketing? It integrates live events and interactive experiences in controlled environments to engage and inspire people to recognize and become dedicated to a brand. Cotton Incorporated’s most recent experiential market event is called Cotton’s Dirty Laundry Tour, and it is being held on college campuses across the United States. I urge you to visit cotton www.accesscotton.com, see the participating colleges and learn more about Cotton’s Dirty Laundry Tour.
Consumer Web Site Now In Spanish
AnnuaL purchasing power among the Hispanic population has reached well into the $1 trillion level. Of this group, more than 40 million have Internet access – and of these, 75% prefer to visit Web sites that feature at least some Spanish-language content. Because of these trends, Cotton Incorporated has introduced a Spanish-language version of its consumer Web site – www.lateladenuestrasvidas.com. Ranging in content from apparel and home fashion tips to fabric care information, the English-language version of this Web site – www.thefabricofourlives.com – has been extremely successful – attracting nearly one million hits annually. “Hispanic consumers are significantly shaping today’s shopping trends,” says Cotton Incorporated’s senior vice president, consumer marketing, Ira Livingston. “Lateladenuestrasvidas.com has a unique dual focus on both family and fashion. We believe that it will become a primary resource for Spanish-speaking women, as we are servicing their everyday needs.”
Cotton. From Blue to Green
While students across the country are well into their fall college semester, they are learning that by donating their old denim clothes, they can help rebuild a primary school in Louisiana destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. In a joint effort with Bonded Logic (www.bondedlogic.com), Cotton Incorporated has a new addition to this year’s Cotton’s Dirty Laundry Tour called “Cotton. From Blue to Green.” The “denim drive” educates students about the sustainability aspect of cotton and converts their donated denim into insulation called UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation. “By presenting these students with the opportunity to give back to such a worthwhile cause like Katrina victims, we are generating awareness that cotton is a reusable and very sustainable fiber,” says Cotton Incorporated’s vice president, consumer marketing – strategic alliances, Paula Rosario. Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton’s Dirty Laundry Tour, an interactive mobile marketing event geared to heighten awareness of and exposure to cotton among college students, is making stops at 14 colleges this year.
GET THE NEWSLETTER TODAY!
