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Intentions Vs. Execution: Office Max And Women

Brands that embrace women as their key consumers and then invest in serving them better get a lot of points in my book.  That’s why the latest campaign launch from Office Max is a bit of a disappointment.  Best intentions gone awry?  I am wondering if their team utilized their 5,000 member customer advisory panel, “Office Talk” to its utmost potential.

How else might the retailer be led to develop a theater ad effort that misses the mark, while also publishing a direct mail catalog that hits that mark – dead on .

The tagline for the whimsical, partially animated, fairy-tale style video ad is: “Life is Beautiful.  Work Can Be Too.”  With light and airy music playing in the background, an almost Snow White-style young women floats into a dull, gray cubicle environment and releases (with the help of a little bird) a ball or color, patterns and design that really brighten up the place.  Very different from the usual office supply retailer ad?  Indeed.  Effective in reaching the 28 to 45 year old target market of women (administrative assistants to managers and entrepreneurs)? I don’t believe so.

This is where my comment on female office supply buyers came in, when I spoke with Marketplace reporter Mitchell Hartman on January 16th:

… anybody who’s gotten any way further in their career or wants to reflect a more professional look or feel about themselves, is going to hesitate to sort of doll it up in that way.

So, the video fails to resonate (but for teen or tween girls?).  Yet, the re-designed Office Max catalog should hit the proverbial nail on the head.  (Read Natalie Zmuda’s Advertising Age article for more).  Laid out with larger photos, lots of white space, and Lucky-mag style tabbed stickers, the piece speaks both the language of professional, supply-buying women (of any age) and that of their perhaps more design and color-oriented non-work selves.  This new catalog looks to make the formerly tedious process of selecting office products a lot more fun.  Exactly what Office Max was going for, I am sure!

So, there are good intentions all around, but a disconnect as far as execution on one half of the endeavor.  Are the women who will love the catalog the same who’d find that fairy-tale style theater ad relevant?  When considered as a pair,  the video and catalog seem like two completely separate efforts (if not brands).  How does that happen when you so wisely have 5,000 women to help guide your creative and marketing processes?

My advice: Office Max should use the catalog as the beginnings of their brand “standard” (look, feel design guide) for any marketing-related promotion, and make sure to use the wisdom of their customer advisory panel to its fullest from now on.  The results will be worth it.

[Note: For a different take on color/design/marketing of office supplies that appeal to women, consider SeeJaneWork.  Thanks to Joy at Stauber Design - and her great design eye - for the tip.]

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Monday, January 19th, 2009 in Consumer Behavior and Research, Design, Grading The Ads | Tags: , , , , ,

  • http://www.InspiredWebWorks.com Patty Gale

    I was just in Office Max yesterday.

    Truth be known, I’ve never been a big fan. When I walk into any Office Max, my initial impression is that the store shelves are “just about” stocked.

    The selection of what I’m looking for has never been outstanding.

    As a solo business owner, while the new line of office desk supplies is pretty, I would never buy them and here’s why.

    Beautiful, overpriced desk accessories, while they may look good, are not going to make me any more money.

    I don’t have employees, although I can’t see many employers spending this kind of money for their female office staff, either, especially in this economic environment.

    If you buy for one, wouldn’t you have to buy for all?

    I need efficiency and functionality at an affordable price tag.

    My ‘boring’ black stapler, manila file folders, and regular ol’ desk supplies have served me just fine all these years as I’m sure they will into the future.

  • http://www.ssmirnov.wordpress.com PR Mama

    Andrea, I normally agree with you but I gotta admit it — I like this spot. Am a 40-something executive and while my cubicle days are (mercifully) behind me, I do still struggle every day to reconcile “work me” and “personal me.” Without sacrificing professionalism, executive presence or polish, I strive to bring color and visual flair to my work environment. I found the imagery charming vs cloying. I get flora and fauna and rainbows as metaphorical possibilities for creating a more beautiful 9-to-5 (or 6, or 7, or 10…), and that’s ok by me. I have to say, the spot is helped mightily by the music which for those who don’t know is “Edge of the Ocean” by Ivy. Love it now…loved it six years ago when Holland America Cruise Line used it in their advertising.

  • http://learnedonwomen.com Andrea Learned

    Thanks for the input, both Patty and PRMama. I appreciate diverging opinions about the video spot – and also wonder how readers feel about the video and catalog effort together/as a whole campaign? Will the average female consumer find the package of the two marketing elements relevant? Keep the comments coming!