Will you be my valentine?

Men are just as likely as women to plan ahead for Valentine’s Day, according to a national study by the research division of the St. Louis-based Aragon Consulting Group, a management consulting and market research firm.

"We found that the variable which affects this planning process the most is income. Individuals of both sexes are more likely to plan to do something special for their loved one as their income increases," says Gary Miller, president of Aragon Consulting Group.

About a third (34.1 percent) of the participants in the study, which was conducted prior to Valentine’s Day 1996, planned weeks in advance how they would mark Valentine’s Day. Of those earning $25,000 to $50,000, 37.9 percent already were planning weeks ahead for Valentine’s Day, as were 43.9 percent of those earning $50,000 to $75,000 and 50 percent of those earning $75,000 or more.

By contrast, 70.5 percent of those earning less than $25,000 annually had not started planning for cupid’s visit. Nearly 42 percent of those with a college degree said they were planning to do something for their loved one, while nearly 68 percent of those with a high school education had not given it any thought.

Nearly 58 percent of those surveyed who had started planning for Valentine’s Day were men, while only 42 percent were women. Those planning to buy a gift said that they would spend $50 or more on their spouse or significant other with an average expenditure of $65 anticipated.

The greeting card industry benefits most from those who take Valentine’ s Day to heart. More than 70 percent of those who plan to celebrate the day of love said they would buy a greeting card.

The study also showed women are more likely to buy a Valentine’s Day card than any other action for the holiday, and nearly four times more likely to do that than plan a "special dinner at home" or go out for entertainment. Men, on the other hand, were nearly as likely to plan a dinner out as they were to buy a card.

In addition, survey results revealed that nearly 57 percent of America’s couples planned to go out for dinner and more than 50 percent planned to give gifts. Nearly 12 percent of the respondents had "something else" in mind other than a card, gift, night out or a home-cooked meal for their spouse or significant other, but that "something else" was not defined. (Which is probably just as well.-Ed.)

More than 40 percent of those buying gifts planned to purchase flowers, and 73 percent of those purchases would be made by men. More than 30 percent of those who select gifts will be trying to satisfy a loved one’s sweet tooth. A national random sample was drawn to complete this study. The margin of error was +/-5 percent.

Study finds Spanish ads more effective

Can English language advertising reach U.S. Hispanics? This is a question frequently asked by advertisers and marketers who would like to reach the Hispanic market. Many advertisers would rather consolidate their advertising in the English language instead of having to advertise in Spanish to Hispanics.

The data presented here, however, substantiates that Spanish language advertising is much more effective than English language advertising in reaching Spanish-speaking Hispanics.

It is understood that U.S. Hispanics have different levels of proficiency in the English language. Still the Bureau of the Census has published data indicating that about 75 percent of U.S. Hispanics speak Spanish at home. In addition it has been documented that only about 40 percent feel they are fully conversant in English.

With these considerations in mind, Hispanic & Asian Marketing Communication Research, Inc., Belmont, Calif., conducted a random telephone survey with 312 Hispanic female heads of household who indicated speaking Spanish at home most of the time. The study was conducted in the San Francisco/San Jose Bay Area during November and December of 1996. The following are key findings of the study:

  • Almost half (46 percent) of these Spanish-speaking female heads of household indicated they have been influenced by a Spanish language television ad in purchasing a product in the past month.
  • Less than a fourth (23 percent) indicated that an English language ad influenced them to purchase a product advertised on English television in the past month.
  • Thirty-nine percent (39 percent) indicated they would believe the Spanish television version of an ad more than its identical English language counterpart on English television. Only 3 percent indicated they would believe the English version more.
    These trends highlight the importance of Spanish language advertising in reaching the Spanish-speaking consumer. Spanish language ads are not only more effective in communicating the main message intended by the advertiser, but they are more credible as well.

U.S. workers rank among world’s most committed

Despite conventional wisdom that some people live to work, and others work to live, a new study found that workers in Canada, Finland, Spain and the U.S. have the highest levels of commitment to their employers, while workers in the Asian countries (excluding Japan), Germany and the U.K. are least committed.

The study was released by Indianapolis, Ind.-based Walker Information and the CSM Worldwide Network, which asked more than 7,500 workers from large companies in 13 countries a series of 97 questions. Each country completed a minimum of 400 interviews. Survey data were collected by using methodology most appropriate for each local market. Sample sizes then were weighted relative to the total population to ensure representation based on census data.

The study questions tapped a variety of dimensions of workplace culture to determine employees’ commitment to their companies. Questions focused on the employees’ perceptions about their companies’ focus on customers, quality and employees, and whether the employees believe better job opportunities exist elsewhere.

In addition to revealing that employee commitment differs by country, the study found that what drives commitment changes from country to country. For example, a focus on continuous improvement might drive commitment in one country, whereas an employee focus might be the key driver in another. For companies’ improvement efforts to be effective, they should allow for different sets of key drivers in different countries.

Finally, the study showed that people in different countries use response (i.e., agreement) scales differently. Cultural differences affect the way employees answer survey questions, which makes understanding survey scores across markets more complicated. The study determined cultural tendencies to agree, then scores were adjusted accordingly.

1996 saw record number of new products

Packaged goods companies shifted their new product marketing efforts into high gear in 1996 by introducing a record number of new product introductions, according to Naples, N.Y.-based Marketing Intelligence Service, Ltd., a new product reporting and product retrieval firm. Marketers introduced a total of 24,496 new food, beverage, health & beauty aids, household, and pet products in 1996, breaking the previous record set in 1994. For the third year in a row, new product launches topped the 20,000 mark. By industry, 11,072 new foods were introduced in 1996 (up 2.4percent from 1995), 3,524 beverages (up 36.5 percent), 8,204 health & beauty aids (up 40 percent), 785 household products (down 5.3 percent), 467 miscellaneous products (up 15 percent) and 444 pet products were introduced (up 41 percent).
While new products were abundant in 1996, truly innovative new products offering significant new or added benefits were a decided minority. According to Marketing Intelligence’s Innovation Ratings, 7.2 percent of 1996’s new products featured innovations in any one of the following five areas: formulation, positioning, packaging, technology, or creating a new market. That’s an increase from 1995’s 6.7 percent rate, but is still far below the peak innovation rate of 18.6 percent in 1986.

While packaged goods marketers introduced new products at a record pace in 1996, the unfortunate fact is that most new products fail, primarily because they don’t offer the consumer anything that is really new or different. Rest assured that the following 10 products do offer outstanding new benefits. These top innovations were chosen by Marketing Intelligence Service from the more than 24,000 new entries reported in 1996 in the firm’s Product Alert publication. All were introduced nationally, regionally or into test markets in 1996.

  • Pillsbury OneStep Ready to Bake Pan Cookie proves that there’s no such thing as a chocolate chip cookie that’s too big. Stealing a page from the pan pizza makers, this refrigerated cookie dough is packaged in its own circular shaped aluminum foil pan. Bake it in the oven for 10 to 14 minutes, slice the cookies in wedges or pieces to share or eat the whole thing yourself! Forget about mixing, spooning or cleanup; since the cookies bake in their own pan, there’s no mess. OneStep is new from Minneapolis, Minn.-based Pillsbury Company.
  • With 25 percent of all U.S. households consisting of just one person, up from 7.7 percent just 50 years ago, products that offer the ability to prepare smaller portions should strike a chord with consumers. If so, that’ s good news for Jell-O Stir ’n Snack Instant Pudding Mix from Kraft Foods, Inc. Packed in a resealable canister complete with a measuring scoop, Stir ’n Snack lets you make as much or as little pudding as you want, when you want. It’s quick too - Stir ’n Snack is ready-to-eat in just five minutes.
  • Are your mornings so rushed you don’t have time to butter your toast before you fly out the door? Now there’s a solution with Co!onial Toaster Magic Bread from St. Louis, Mo.-based Earthgrains Co. Each slice of this loaf bread is packed with honey and butter or cinnamon and butter nuggets so you don’t have to lift a finger or spread a knife.
  • Today’s increased time demands mean that breakfast (if it’s not skipped) may be eaten behind the wheel of a car and lunch consumed at a cluttered desk. Dallas-based State Fair Foods has created the perfect meal for "stuffed schedules" with its State Fair Incredi-Bagel Stuffed Bagels. The no-mess way to eat on the run, the center of each of these bagels is filled with breakfast or lunch foods for a convenient meal. Varieties include pizza, ham & cheese, sausage, egg & cheese, and bacon, egg & cheese.
  • Kick the can (canned soup, that is) with Stockpot Classic Soups Soup Concentrate from Redmond, Wash.-based Stockpot Soups. Packed in resealable pouches, these soups are sold in the refrigerated dairy case where they’re the fresh alternative to canned and dry soups. Each 10 oz. pouch makes four bowls of hearty homestyle soup with ingredients like fresh-cut vegetables, real dairy products and premium meats & seafoods.
  • Hot chocolate lovers who can’t get enough chocolate would be wise to give Hershey’s Goodnight Kisses Hot Cocoa mix and Hershey's Goodnight Hugs Hot Cocoa Mix a try. Milk chocolate flavored Goodnight Kisses and white chocolate flavored Goodnight Hugs both offer the added plus of tiny Hershey’s Kisses milk chocolates in each envelope. When combined with hot water in a cup or mug, the Kisses melt to provide additional richness for a delicious treat. The product is new from Hershey, Pa.-based Hershey Foods Corporation.
  • Of all household cleaning chores, window washing ranks right up there with cleaning the toilet or scrubbing the bathtub on the list of least favorite tasks. If racing to catch drips isn’t your idea of a good time, then try new Windex NoDrip Glass Cleaner. NoDrip eliminates the race to catch drips because it stays where you spray it, sticking to glass surfaces without running. It’s from Racine, Wis .-based S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
  • The Instead 12 Hour Feminine Protection Cup is hailed as the first real advance in feminine protection in over 60 years. This "cup" is worn internally to collect rather than absorb menstrual fluid so it can be worn twice as long as a tampon on heavy flow days and up to 12 hours on light flow days. And since Instead conforms to the shape of a woman’s body, it fits comfortably even while sitting, swimming or exercising. It’s new from Ultrafem, Inc. of Missoula, Mont.
  • An upset stomach won’t be enough to keep junior from missing school with new Fort Washington, Pa.-based Johnson & Johnson Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co.’s Children’s Mylanta, the first upset stomach remedy made just for children. Aimed at kids between the ages of 2 and 11, the bubble gum flavored product relieves stomach discomfort and makes kids feel better fast. It even contains calcium, an important nutrient for kids.
  • If you like Tupperware brand containers but wish they were less expensive and maybe even disposable, you’re in luck. New GladWare Tight Sealing Containers are the equivalent of disposable Tupperware - resealable plastic containers you can afford to lose. Top-shelf dishwasher safe, GladWare can be used over and over again and comes in two sizes: soup & salad size and entree size. It’s new from Danbury, Conn.-based First Brands Corp.

New product innovation wasn’t limited to the U.S., as demonstrated by these five top international innovations chosen from the innovations featured in Marketing Intelligence Service’s International Product Alert.

Thorny Rot Weiss (red white) Ketchup & Mayonnaise is the perfect picnic companion since it’s the only tube that offers portions of both ketchup and mayonnaise. New in Germany from Thorny GmbH, the product has a red and white swirl design when squeezed out of the tube.

Cocktail mix in an instant - literally - is the concept behind Kruger Cocktail mit Alkohol, which is offered in Germany by Kruger GmbH & Co. KG. Offered in three varieties, irish coffee, lumamba, and piña colada, the powdered mix actually contains the alcohol and only requires the addition of hot water or cold milk.

Tampon buyers who want two different absorbencies are stuck buying two different packages in the U.S. That’s not the case in Australia, where Cotton Choices Tampons come in 16-count and 32-count packs of regular/super and light/regular tampons. They’re new from Cottons Australia.

Infants suffering from congestion due to a cold had few choices, until now. Debuting in the U.K. is Johnson’s Baby Breatheasy Bath, the first decongestant bath product that’s mild enough for infants starting at six months of age. Breatheasy contains a blend of rosemary, eucalyptus and menthol. Johnson & Johnson is the manufacturer.

U.S. consumers will have to wait for FDA approval of the new Persona Home Ovulation Kit from Unilever’s U.K.-based Unipath Ltd. Touted as the biggest thing to happen to contraception since the 1960s, Persona measures a woman’s hormone levels via urine tests, indicating days of the month when pregnancy is most likely to occur. The disposable urine-test stick is read by a monitor which gives a green light on safe days and a red light on at-risk days. What’s more, the monitor also acts as a database, storing data that’s used to determine a woman’s specific fertility pattern.