Millenium'
The American coffee craze enters the new millenium. As I sip my extra hot,
nonfat vanilla latte I realize that my Chico State University days are now just
a faded, distant memory. Seven years have passed and the late night cramming
sessions while sipping tepid mochas served by vapid-looking grungesters in Caf
Maxx are just a hazy blur. I am now entering the New Java Millenium.
Recently, I thought about my most favorite research paper I wrote in college. I
was an American Studies minor and for an American I wrote about Americas Coffee
Culture. The project still burns brightly in my caffeinated brain. Whats
happened to Americas coffee culture? I am slowly realizing that America has
entered the Millenium and the java culture has boomed without me. As we move
into the 00s, Americas coffee culture literally spills into our every day lives.
The most recent jab at the modern coffee scene was depicted in the campy,
independent mock-u-mentary film, Best in Show. A whiny, yuppie couple details
how they met at Starbucks. Actually, he frequented one Starbucks while she
clacked away on her laptop at the Starbucks across the street. The hilarious
dialogue of their soy latte whipped frappes and extra hot double capps made me
laugh. Best in Shows satirical diatribe on Starbucks accurately depicts coffee
culture influence amongst Millenium suburbanites. Not only am I a certifiable
java junkie but I make it a point of observing other java addicts in their
natural habitats: lurking in coffeehouses and other eateries where a cup of joe
is the beverage of choice. As a teenager, I thought coffee was for older
people. As I stare vacantly ahead in line at Starbucks, I watch in amazement as
Britney Spears-esque girls order double espressos and then shoot them down
without batting an eye. Didnt their parents warn them that coffee stunts their
growth? I guess not. I didnt know teenagers were drinking coffee these days.
Although, there are still many tried and true coffee drinkers that stick with
their Maxwell House and instant Folgers and steer clear of froofy drinks, as my
father affectionately coins espresso drinks. My dad would be one of the
lingering breeds of black coffee drinkers. Although, my dad has caught up with
the java elite and he now frequents Starbucks on a regular basis. Even my
father has given into the Milleniums coffee culture. The other coffee
phenomenon that is catching on quickly is the cyber caf. You can grab a latte
and then catch up with your email. The conception of the cyber caf depicts where
our fast-paced, techno-culture is taking us: where two addictions (coffee and
the Internet) are coupled together in the most sinful of relationships. The
marketing concept is brilliant and appeals to those who need to satiate both
addictions in one quick fix. The other fascinating trend that reflects our
current culture is the obsession with healthy coffee alternatives. My mother is
a prime example. She is very health-conscious and has to watch her dairy
intake. Her favorite concoction is a decaffeinated soy latte. Soy? When I was
in college, soy wasnt even invented (well, it was but I think it was used to
feed livestock). With the influx of Americas healthy habits, coffee
establishments offer milk substitutes such as soymilk. Also organic,
chemical-free coffee beans are sold and served in coffeehouses which again
reflects Americas health consciousness. As my caffeine buzz fades and I log on
to my computer, I reminisce and try to conjure up the good old days of Americas
coffee cultureah, when a mocha was a mocha and Starbucks was a new concept. It
looks like I need to wake up, grab my soy latte, and join Americas coffee
culture at the cyber cafes. Welcome to the New Java Millenium. About the
AuthorTherese Pope is a non-profiteer fundraiser by day and a freelance writer
and poet by night. Her works have been published in various e-zines and
literary anthologies. She is a yoga fiend with a penchant for writing with
latte in hand. She resides in Sacramento, Calif. - Determining the "best" time
to do a particular marketing event or run a promotion is a decision fraught with
indecision, incomplete information, and a fair amount of hoping that the winds
of fate don't conspire against you.One easy way to tip the scales in your favor
is to "calendarize" your marketing events against known holidays, events,
celebrations, etc.By taking the time to evaluate major events and activities,
you can plan marketing activities to exploit these targets of opportunity. You
can also prevent your marketing from conflicting with other activities that
might compromise their efficacy. A good annual marketing calendar helps
coordinate your overall marketing strategy. It helps you determine when to
implement your advertising and other promotions and often helps you determine
your marketing priorities. Understanding your annual calendar can be dynamite
when planning media releases and media events.What can happen if you don't do a
calendar? You can bump against scenarios like having a reception on the night of
the Academy Awards television show and have very few people attend, and of those
that attend, a good portion may not be your real "target" audience. This is the
type of conflict that can be avoided if you know your target audience, have
factored in their interests and have scheduled events or advertising or other
marketing efforts for a time and place where they will see it and be receptive
to it.It is highly advisable that you "block out" your annual calendar with
dates, events, occasions that are either vital to be seen during, or times when
you wish to avoid marketing efforts before you commit to your marketing
strategy. Trying to market a new organic suntan lotion to Minneapolis residents
in February would be an obvious mistake! By using a calendar and blocking out
dates, it will allow you to generate a marketing plan that takes advantage of
key events during the year.What should you consider putting on your calendar:1)
Personal Schedule. Think about what is happening in your personal life that
might impact your overall marketing and advertising strategy. Here are some
examples: Vacations Medical procedures scheduled Family commitments2)
External Events. There are lots of things going on in the world that could
impact your business. There are many events that you can plan for or around
(such as the Super Bowl, Academy Awards presentations, etc.) Here are some
examples to consider: Major elections Major sporting events Major TV events
(e.g. Award shows) Local community or city celebrations and events Local
expos, balls, social activities3) Seasonal cycles. Many businesses are sensitive
to seasonal or industry cycles. The sensitivity of the suntan lotion to the
weather is a great example. Obviously, winter is a key season for ski resorts.
Here are some other examples to consider for your calendar: Seasonal variations
that impact your business due to weather Quarterly and annual financial reports
Tax season Summer vacation Winter vacation School holidays Government
budget cycle (this is critical if you bid to the government or lobby to preserve
funding) Government procurement cycles4) Major Industry Events. Most industries
have major events that can impact businesses in that industry and many other
businesses. Here are some examples: Major tradeshows Industry reports Annual
lobbying Major corporate budget and procurement cycles5) Major Holidays. You
would be shocked at how many businesses fail to take into account the impact of
holiday seasons on their business. Depending on what you do, holidays could mean
more or less business. For example, business-to-business advertising is often
ineffective during the Christmas holiday, but consumer advertising promoting
Christmas gifts can be critical. Definitely consider the big holidays, but don't
underrate the significance of some of the smaller holidays, particularly
religious holidays.For example, if you observe one religion, but have customers
that observe another; you don't want to be insensitive to their religious
observance calendar.6) Major Competitor Activities. Understanding your
competitor's key timing for their marketing efforts, or their strategic timing
of events, it can help you create marketing to exploit their weaknesses and
mitigate their strengths. For example, if you know your competitor will have a
product release in March, you could advertise your new product in February and
get first to market advantage (razor blade companies do this all the time. As
soon as one announces a new item will come to market, the competition floods the
market with "buy-one, get-one" offers or sends through direct mail samples,
etc.). Anything that would be a major event to your business may also be a major
event for your competitors. Here are some things to watch for: Quarterly and
annual financial reports Major sales Product releases Major annual
promotional events (if you know they will occur every year) Major procurement
activities Major conferences and related events they will attend7) Important
Prospect and Customer Activities. This one is essential. If you understand the
cyclical nature of your prospects' and customers' key annual events you can
fine-tune how, when, and where to target your marketing to them. Here are things
to watch for: Preferred buying seasons Times of the year when they won't
purchase Major events they would attend (conferences, trade shows, social
events) Holidays If they are a business, their product cycles, financial
reporting cycles, R&D cycles, budgeting cycles, vendor relations events,
procurement cycles and events, and much more.Not all of these things may apply
to your industry or business. This is more of a prompt sheet to get you thinking
about how the calendar can make the difference between success and failure when
marketing. Look for conflicts with other events on your master calendar. How can
you minimize the impact of these on your results? Look for synergies. How can
you exploit these? Look for marketing opportunities you might have missed if you
hadn't laid out the master calendar. Finally, based on the year's planned
activities, anticipated return-on-investment and other factors, and prioritize
your marketing.If you haven't done an annual marketing calendar, take some time
out before you start to execute any of your marketing plan and put one together.
It can save you a lot of money and help you really optimize your marketing
strategies.David Zahn is a two-time author addressing the issues of
entrepreneurship and consulting ("How To Succeed As An Independent Consultant,
4th Ed." and "The Quntessential Guide To Using Consultants") as well as being a
frequent interviewee and contributor to articles in publications like,
"BusinessWeekOnline, Entrepreneur, BrandWeek, Training & Development,
CTPostOnline, and others. For a free "business readiness assessment," please
click on http://www.startupbuilder.com
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