A light, yet insightful look at marketing trends from 2009, predictions for 2010, and a list of New Year's resolutions for marketers.

1. The Crunchiest Marketing Nuggets from 2009
Year in Review
Shared by
http://crunchymarketingnuggets.wordpress.com
Lisa H. Fritts
December 21, 2009

2. Purpose
2009 Key • To take a look back at 2009 and see what
were the key takeaways in the marketing
Takeaways world and in consumer behavior patterns.
2010 • To see these trends as not just trends – but
to view them as a springboard for
Opportunities opportunities in 2010.
Crunchy • And as you’ve come to expect from Crunchy
Marketing Marketing Nuggets…shared in a light,
Nuggets Style! palatable – yet insightful − presentation!
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3. 2009 Marketing Trends
In 2009, Crunchy Marketing Nuggets delivered over
200 posts – woo wee! And within these daily tid bits
about marketing, brands, consumers, and retailers (oh
my!), five themes rise to the top as the key takeaways for
the year. They include:
Recession Socially Experiential
Obsession Acceptable Traditional
Feeling Good
Health &
About Doing
Wellness
Good
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4. 2009 Trend: Recession Obsession
• By far, the state of the economy was the biggest
influence on consumer behavior and marketers’
decisions in 2009. From it, came…
A free for all of Marketers reshaping
sampling, couponing, and redefining “value”
and “relief” offers. in delivering offers and
new products. As well
as consumers’ quests
to find brands and
retailers that fulfill
“best value.”
Growth of Private
Label brands and
consumers’ Somewhat surprising, yet somewhat expected,
acceptance of PL. insights into what categories consumers chose to
prioritize and continue to spend their money on.
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5. 2009 Trend: Socially Acceptable
• Social spaces boomed with consumers. Social
Marketing emerged as a “must do” on even
conservative brands’ radars.
Consumers of all demographics became
familiar with social spaces. Stats
surrounding social sites were so very
crunchy – and even went viral on YouTube,
with a stat slide show receiving over 1.1
million views!
•350 million users on Facebook by November 09.
If it were a country, it would be #4 between the
US and Indonesia.
•YouTube is the #2 largest search engine in the
Some brands set the pace. Truly world.
maximizing social spaces, and •According to Nielsen, 90% of consumers trust
recommendations from people they know, while
becoming role models for other 70% trust consumer opinions posted online –
marketers. It was fun to watch that includes strangers! Both are higher than any
and inspirational for ideas! other media vehicle. 5

6. 2009 Trend: Experiential Traditional
• Technology brought so much excitement, innovation,
and smart marketing extensions to the most
traditional of media vehicles.
Augmented Reality and Tried and true tactics took on fresh new
Quick Read (QR) codes structures with consumer behaviors driven
turned flat and rewarded via technology.
communications into
engagement pieces.
Text messaging seemed “old” as
mobile marketing headed
beyond SMS, and into branded
apps, delivering real-life usages
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and true user value.

7. 2009 Trend: Health & Wellness
• Let’s face it, consumers will always want to have their
cake, and not only eat it, too – but to also be healthier,
feel good and live longer as a result!
Flu fears and food recalls
turned consumers into
extra-cautious, hand-
sanitizing, germ
avoiders.
Consumer demand continued
to crave functional, super
Health Care was the buzz in the press and at retail. foods that provide a high
punch of healthy ingredients.
Keeping it simple, knowing exactly what’s Even if it was just simply the
in the product and where it came from flavor of the super food in not
were key benefits to new product intros so healthy versions.
that made consumers feel better about
their choices. 7

8. 2009 Trend: Feeling Good About Doing Good
• The opportunity to give and to help is no longer
reserved for the holidays, or Earth Day, or a
dedicated cause month.
Thanks to social sites and viral technologies, helping others and
showing support became as easy as a click, or creating online
artwork, or becoming a fan, or allowing an application, or
submitting a message, or sending an e-card, and so on…
Teaching
compassion is now Offering consumers
a must-do for charity choices was a
today’s parents. key means to drive
Tree planting was this year’s new reusable bag -- participation and
the “it” giveaway as a cause-related premium idea. engagement.
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9. A Few Buzzwords from 2009
If you wanted to look cool – and perhaps, even smart − in a brainstorm this past
year, you could have said…
Alternate Reality MoSoSo
• A scavenger hunt that • Mobile Social
Augmented Reality combines on and offline
searching. Software.
• Web cams and mobile
devices that combine a
tech image with a real-
life image. Conceptual
App, Appvertising Consumption
• Short for application and a • I buy, therefore, I am, e.g.,
branded app. Can be yoga mat = yoga master!
mobile or social network
Tweets, Tweet Up, based.
Twitition
•Twitter communications;
meet-ups of like-minded Flashpacker
users; and a petition on
Twitter • 20-something who has
Edible Nostalgia
time, money and desire
• A fancy way of
saying “comfort
to pick up and travel on
food.” a moments notice
(remember when?!).
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10. So, Nugget Girl…What’s Next?
• Even in Power Point, you’re such a great audience
participant -- you rock! Here are the 2010 predictions
and growth areas from three, really awesome,
trustworthy sources.
 Consumer restraint in spending.
 Brands need to offer value beyond pricing.
 Retailer store brands will continue to grow.
 Grocery retailers will consolidate.
 Retailer assortment simplification will cause assortment
wars among remaining brands.
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11. What’s next…
 Real time collaboration and sharing.
 Location based mobile services.
 Augmented reality – but really useful apps.
 Content curation – pointing you to the most relevant finds online.
 Cloud computing – data that exists in a location where it is accessible
by you from anywhere, and can be used by others in real time.
 Internet TV and movies.
 Technology that specializes in specific tasks will present conundrums
for do-it-all devices, e.g., e-reader vs. iPhone.
 Social gaming.
 Mobile payments – via Twitter, smart phones.
 Concerns over personal privacy online.
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12. What’s next…
 Consumer Resilience – Better attitudes and resolve, having been through a difficult
2009.
 Reviewing & Re-evaluating - Consumers will look for best values and the best
brand engagements prior to purchase.
 Prove it & Accountability – Consumers will demand proof and results in order for
brands to gain their trust.
 Escapism – Consumers will splurge on purchases that provide a break from reality.
 Media Evolution – As technology makes consumers’ daily lives easier, brands will
need to work harder in order to connect with them through tech channels.
 Ethical Responsibility – Brands will need to deliver more emotional benefits
through environmental and ethical claims. Consumers will scrutinize support for
any ethical claims.
 Stability – As consumers have readjusted to the “new economy,” brands that
provide variety in product options and price points will thrive.
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13. Opportunities
By no means, can I share one-size-fits-all next steps for every marketing situation.
However, using 2009 trends and 2010 predictions as a starting point, we can set
goals. Here are six, “resolutions” for a marketer’s new year!
Define “Value” for Your Brand
• A common theme in next year’s predictions is that value will win. Figure out what this
means, and what will resonate with your target.
Tech Yourself
• Predictions point to so many continued growth areas in tech spaces: social, mobile,
digital, etc. If you’re one of many marketers who “can’t be bothered,” you need to
change this attitude! Hands-on experience is the best means to learn in any tech
space. Download an app. Fan Facebook Marketing Solutions. Share a great, branded
FB fan page. Blog. Review a product. Sign-up for Google Wave. Do it now!
Learn from 2009
• So much of what is predicted in 2010 is based on 2009. That said, before starting
fresh in 2010, take a step back and really evaluate what you did in 2009. Look at what
worked well, what didn’t, and how it could be improved for 2010. 13

14. Opportunities - Continued
Surprise & Delight Your Target
• Truly, it’s the best way to stand out and connect with your target. Make it
your must-do challenge to figure out how!
Find Yourself a Partner
• Make 2010 the year your brand seeks and finds an excellent, long term
partner. Given consumer spend trends and retailer shelf shifts, you can only
benefit from the shared costs, equity, and differentiation.
And lastly…Follow a Good Resource
• This is by no means a shameless plug to read my blog! Rather, choose one or
two excellent push emails or publications and commit to reading them
everyday. Easier said than done, but you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll
look and feel smarter! Fast Company, MediaPost, MarketingVox, Mashable,
TechCrunch, The New York Times, and yes, Crunchy Marketing Nuggets are all
good picks and among my very favorites.
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15. Questions? Comments? Need to share your own,
nuggety insights? Want help in customizing these
opportunities to fit your business needs?
Please feel free to drop me an email:
lhfritts@optonline.net
Thank you and come back for more crunchy,
nuggety goodness in the new year!
http://crunchymarketingnuggets.wordpress.com

16. Appendix
Nugget Sources:
Socialnomics09, “Social Media Revolution,” posted on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8
NielsenWire, blog.nielsen.com, “Nielsen Global Advertising: Consumers Trust Real Friends
and Virtual Strangers the Most,” July 7, 2009
Drug Store News, “Nielsen shares top five CPG spending trends for 2010,” Alison Cerra,
December 16, 2009
Mashable.com, CNN.com, CNNtech, “10 Web trends to watch in 2010,” Pete Cashmore,
December 3, 2009
FoodProcessing.com, “Mintel Reports Global Consumer Trend Predictions for 2010,”
Mintel.com, December 11, 2009
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