AS THE PUNCHLINE of more than its fair share of boring-job jokes, selling insurance has gotten a bad rap for years. Yet it’s no easy undertaking. Doing so successfully requires the salesperson not only to bring up the stuff of people’s worst nightmares—natural disasters, fire, death—but to place each in the context of certain reality. They’re the universal bearers of bad news. And by default, the sector’s promotional products have about as much symbolism as the hooded cape and scythe. Thankfully, however, this downer of an image has started to fade away in favor of more useful, lighthearted product offerings. Mark Yokoyama, director of marketing
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FORGET THE FOUR SEASONS. 2008’s fashion forecast is all about states of mind. Better-cut styles will have wearers exuding confidence. Reinvigorated color choices illustrate newfound energy. Going corporate takes a turn toward the future, while organic looks keep consumers’ feet and thoughts on terra firma. Below, suppliers take stock of their offerings for the industry’s most fashion-friendly new year in recent history. “For 2008, we are thrilled to introduce our brand new Missy division, which features basic to fashionable apparel that is cut to fit the everyday woman. Nine new styles will be available at the start of the year.” —Dean Vuong, vice
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NOT TOO LONG ago, the Northwestern University women’s lacrosse team got invited to the White House. The resulting photo, which should have been a source of parental pride for years to come, soon became the stuff of media buzz legend. “You wore flip-flops to the White House?!,” proclaimed an e-mail sent to one of the four players who, while posing in the front row, was captured wearing the offending sandals. But the choice of footwear shouldn’t have surprised anyone—it’s merely a sign of the times. In general, the public’s attitude toward clothing styles has become more and more laissez-faire over the years. Suits, once a
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TO THINK, A mere two decades ago, the World Wide Web still was a new-fangled contraption. Yet, with the advent of podcasting, SMS, even adver-gaming, it’s about as old-timey as the phonograph. Simple Web sites certainly are adequate, but for marketers looking to proactively connect with clients, the Internet as a cutting-edge communication tool has approached a crossroads marked “new media.” What’s the buzz about? Have traditional tactics taken a nosedive? And what, exactly, is “new media,” anyway? For answers to these questions and more, Promo Marketing turned to Holly Berkley, interactive marketing consultant and author of “Marketing in the New Media,” for a pro’s
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OPERA IS EXPLAINED by the irrepressible Richard Gere in the equally irrepressible romantic comedy “Pretty Woman” as something that engenders an extreme reaction. “If they love it,” his character said, “they will always love it. If they don’t, they may learn to appreciate it, but it will never become part of their soul.” One could say America’s love affair with chocolate is born out of a similar level of passion. On the one hand are the ’holics—no explanation needed—and on the other, those who can hold their indulgence to once in a great while. But level of fancy aside, and discounting the universally pitied bunch
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CAROLE JACKSON MEANT well. Back in the now-comically wayward 1980s, at least fashionably speaking, her book, “Color Me Beautiful” was a must-read. Women everywhere flocked to “get their colors done”—the seasonal palette from which they should never, ever stray—and promptly followed the process by chucking each tube of lipstick and shoulder-padded blazer that didn’t make the cut. The downside, of course, was with every new color consultation (because who could stop at one?) came a new set of hues, so one can only imagine the complete state of confusion in which the decade’s would-be fashionistas found themselves. In today’s apparel sector, by comparison, color’s faddish
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