SHOOT FROM THE HIP

If you have been following us for long, you know that every month or so A Squared Group creates a vibrant, dynamic and interactive new experience in the White Space, also known as the Gap Concept Store. This space is adjacent to Gap’s flagship store at 54th and 5th in Manhattan. The transformation of this space is always exciting, and provides Gap an opportunity to introduce new ideas and products to both Gap loyalists and every day New Yorkers alike. This summer, the space has been busier than ever – highlighting the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists’ reimagining of khaki, Gap Pure Body and, most recently, the latest Gap (PRODUCT) RED endeavor.

Anyone walking by the Gap Concept Store is immediately struck by the juxtaposition of what is happening inside to what is happening out on the street. The space provides an oasis from the hustle and bustle of everyday New York life.

During the first few weeks of July, for example, the space became Gap’s Pure Body Studio. The new Gap Pure Body line of layering essentials adorned the walls, in soothing colors. New Yorkers were invited in – to escape from the chaos of daily life, to acquaint themselves with the super-soft new clothes, to quench their thirst with refreshing flavored water, and to simply pause for a moment of fun exploration. They were also encouraged to sign up for free yoga classes – to be held in the space and to be lead by top yoga gurus Ashley Turner and Sadie Nardini, respectively.

On two consecutive Saturdays, lucky yoga class participants were able to relax in a bubble of calm, and improve their Downward Dogs under the gentle guidance of experts, while the rest of New York frantically raced by outside. Additionally, they gained free Harmony yoga mats and blissed-out smiles.

By all accounts, it was an amazing experience for beginners and pros alike.

Prior to hosting the Gap Pure Body Studio, the Gap Concept Store housed inspired designs by CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists Alexander Wang, Albertus Swanepoel and Vena Cava’s Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai. This year’s finalists were challenged to rework Gap’s iconic khaki fabric. Their achievements, along with captured quotes conveying their thoughts about fashion, resulted in a crisp, monochromatic look and adventurous vibe.

If you walk by the Concept Store today, however, you may think it is an art gallery. Actually, you would be correct. A collection of artwork, created to inspire Gap’s new limited edition series of Artist Inspired T-Shirts in support of (PRODUCT) RED, is now on display. Consumers have the opportunity to view over 20 original pieces, from 10 established and up-and-coming artists, in the laidback environment of the Concept Store. Within the same heartbeat, consumers can see the artists’ visions captured on soft Gap T-shirts, which they can touch, feel and own. Fifty percent of profits will be donated to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS in Africa.

Each installation is fun, hip and interactive. It catches consumers by surprise and stirs their imagination.

But it is never around for long! So, have a look while you can.

We’re just days away from reimagining the Gap Concept Store once again. I won’t tell you yet what the next incarnation will be, but you can check out previous ones here and here. Just know that, for mere hours, the Concept Store will revert to being a blank, White Space. Then, it will morph into yet another awesome, new experience for New Yorkers, and anyone else who happens to visit.

Having just returned from an invigorating four days in Chicago for BlogHer, I am still mulling over all the conversations I had with other bloggers in attendance, and the information shared during the conference sessions. One issue, in particular, is at the forefront of my mind and, based upon the blogosphere chatter, on other attendees minds as well… SWAG. Was it an effective way for Brands to reach their target audiences, or did it do more harm than good?

As Jack Neff discussed in his article for AdAge, and I can attest, there was an abundance of swag at BlogHer – at sign in, at most sponsor booths and at almost every party. Obviously, there were a variety of reasons why over 1200 women (and men) attended BlogHer. The expectation of swag was clearly one of them. In fact, some bloggers brought extra, empty suitcases in which to cart home their loot. With so much stuff, Brands struggled to get noticed in the midst of a lot of clutter.

Based upon my experience, and numerous conversations with women throughout the conference, here’s how it looked from the ground…

The acquisition of swag took on a life of its own. At the SocialLuxe event, which, by most accounts, had the best swag bag, some bloggers did indeed morph into coyote scavengers, taking bags that were designated for others and/or more than one bag. This party took place on the night before the main conference started. The frenzy to take stuff only grew from there. It wasn’t about brand awareness or brand loyalty. It was about possession.

Some attendees approached representatives at booths and in suites with queries about free stuff in lieu of a more commonplace greeting, like “hello.” Quantity usurped quality. Collecting overrode conversing. At the ShutterSisters event, on the final evening of the conference, the hostesses made a radical decision to hold back the promised swag bags, opting to send them to RSVP’d guests after the fact, simply in an attempt to return a level of civility and purity to the proceedings.

What happened to all the stuff?

As a result of all the frenzy, what happened to much of the branded material was… NOTHING. Coupons were abandoned on lunch tables. Multiple branded thumb drives and Mrs. Potato Heads were left for hotel housekeeping. Tote bags were recycled. As Mr. Neff attested, “…maybe even check out one of (Chicago’s) pawn shops this week” to discover where all the stuff went.

Is this what Brands want?

It can sound very impressive to say a Brand has reached every influential female blogger – 1200 targeted consumers – in attendance at BlogHer. Every company that had a coupon or gift in the BlogHer registration bag can make that claim. It is a hollow claim, however, if the brand impression is fleeting, or makes more of an impact on the Sheraton cleaning staff or pawn shop clerk than The Bloggess.

If Brands want to establish lasting relationships with their consumers, motivating long-term loyalty and genuine word-of-mouth enthusiasm, the “bury them in swag” approach does not appear to be the most effective vehicle for communication. Instead, Brands should concentrate on nurturing one-on-one dialogues and memorable brand experiences to foster a level of engagement that doesn’t dissolve upon check-out. Bellhops may have less luggage to wrangle, but bloggers and Brands will ultimately be better served.

After teasing me last week for my experiment in abstaining from SmartPhone usage during meetings and lunches, A Squared Group has decided to conduct a second experiment, on a much grander scale. The team will attempt to curb our enthusiasm for emailing and texting each other at all hours. We are a passionate group, we get excite by what we do, see and learn, and we like sharing it with each other, in the office and out. Sometimes, though, we can get a little overexhuberant. That’s where The Pain Scale comes in.

Before you start picturing some weighing-and-measuring torture contraption of Herculean proportions, let me assure you that The Pain Scale is actually designed to streamline communication. Or, at least, that’s how we’ll be using it.

It was actually devised to assist with pediatric protocols. Created by Dr. Donna Wong and Dr. Carol Baker, and known in the medical community as the Faces Pain Scale, it is commonly used to help children communicate their physical and emotional pain.

At A Squared Group, however, we’ll employ this visual barometer to determine whether to hit send.

This experiment will run through the summer and should be a fun challenge for all of us here at A Squared Group. As an added incentive to change our wayward ways, we’ve also come up with a prize. If the whole team follows The Pain Scale correctly, for an entire month, we’ll earn half-day Fridays during the following month.

We’ll let you know how it goes!

A Squared Group just installed the latest ‘exhibit’ in the White Space concept store next to the Gap flagship store on 54^th St and 5^th Ave in Manhattan.

In case you missed it, the last couple of months in the space featured a Ballet Studio complete with mirrors and barres. 

New York youngsters were invited to ‘Drop in, Dress up and Dance!’.  Budding ballerinas donned Gap Kids’ new line of tutu-inspired tulle skirts with ballet slippers, and picked up some tricks from some of Ballet Tech’s top teachers. 

The newest incarnation of the space features a partnership with Havaianas, the buttery-soft rubber flip flops from Brazil. 

As a special treat, New Yorkers will be able to adorn flip flops purchased in the store with a personal accent: initials, rhinestones and other embellishments that staff will attach to their sandals on the spot.  On weekends, the customization possibilities will be turned up a notch when shoppers can mix and match thong and sole colors for the sandals too. 

Fun!  Open now through June 13.

This past weekend, A Squared Group attended the Mom 2.0 Summit in Houston, Texas. There were some really great ideas generated though the panels and conversations over the course of the weekend and some valuable take-away messages for both bloggers and marketers.

Guy Kawasaki was a guest speaker in the first keynote conversation.  He suggested a need to shift the paradigm from marketing to Moms to marketing with them.  He proposes that instead of dictating the reasons that bloggers should be enthused about a brand or product, marketers should re-imagine their approach as an open conversation.

One recurring attitude that I heard echoed throughout the conference was that a blog should not be shaped around overtly promoting a product.  Obviously, there is a goal to monetize product posts but when written in an overtly sales-driven tone it loses an authenticity that is necessary to engage readers.  Instead, a product or brand-related post should convey the writer’s unique personal experience and genuine enthusiasm in their own voice.

 Ultimately, the middle ground between monetizing and remaining authentic is matching sponsorship to content.  The hook that both bloggers and marketers should endeavor to use was eloquently expressed through a metaphor from panelist Holly Buchanan, author of the Soccer Mom Myth.

 Holly likened the cupcake to the emotional connection that marketers need to establish between a blogger and the brand.  I think that the same metaphor can also be used for the unique and authentic content that a blogger needs to have on their blog in order to attract and keep readers and sponsors alike. 

Barbara Jones evoked another great analogy when she likened the social media world to the Wild West.

A suggested avenue for bloggers to create meaningful content is through partnerships with charitable organizations and non-profits.  This gives bloggers a vehicle for social responsibility and a story to tell that demonstrates an emotional connection to their brand.  For non-profits, the benefit of partnering with bloggers does not have to behoove funding and donations since it raises awareness and discourse about their cause.

 Another valuable insight emphasized throughout the conference was the assertion by Moms that as primary purchasers they should not only be pitched for products that only speak directly to motherhood or being a woman.  Given the diversity of challenges that parenting implies, it follows that mothers should also be considered targets for products such as batteries and Gatorade which are conventionally marketed to men.

The ultimate take-away from Mom 2.0 is a need for brand and bloggers to forge real relationships in order to create a true and authentic message.  The protocol and rules of engagement are constantly evolving as new technologies emerge.  Marketers and bloggers need to carve out a common ground where both can benefit by pairing relevant brands and products that match to the ideology and personality of the individual blogger.