They're Loud, But They Shouldn't Be Proud

I'm not one to compare common ethical business practice with illegal heroin rings, but I must direct you to Brand Autopsy, where they have a series of posts comparing the modern business world with the character of Frank Lucas in American Gangster. Most notably, this post:

The Loudest is the Weakest

Extremely relevant for the current environment and what we'll see this coming Sunday...brands that front up enormous sums of money to voice their product for seconds. We've touched on this before here at the Suite, but this speaks to the brilliance of High Life's 1 Second Ad. A brand that gets their audience.

The Super Bowl is an overpriced corporate barrage of messaging, why not put a fun spin on it? It's not too loud, it hit all the right channels, and it got people talking...and they didn't spend a ton of money.

Social Media -- Be Careful Out There

It's not hard to find articles detailing the benefits of social media. Without question, it's an exciting new day in communication. Consumers have never wielded more influence over brands, which is a great thing.

But, there have also been some well documented incidents of "brand jacking" in recent years -- when a competitor or disgruntled stakeholder, etc. misrepresents your company online to spread false or malicious information. Jeremiah serves up some great examples.

The moral of this story?

• Keep your eyes and ears open -- think about establishing a system to monitor what's being said about your company/brand on the Web.
  
• Move fast when misinformation surfaces.
  
• And, with a tip of the hat to Hill Street Blues -- "Let's be careful out there, everyone"

The Token Super Bowl Commercial Post

Remember me? It's been awhile since I posted on Suite 206, but what better time for a sports junkie like myself to come out of hiding than Super Bowl week?

Although it's anti-climatic, Adweek has posted several of the Super Bowl ads to their site for viewing now, allowing you to utilize the commercial breaks during the game for going to the bathroom, wolfing down more wings or loading up on bean dip. Enjoy!

My favorite...the Cars.com spot for it's very Chuck Norris'esque feel. GoDaddy's ain't too shabby either!

What's Up With the Brew City?

Before graduating from college last year, a few people (on their way to the BIG cities like Chicago and New York) wondered why I was so willing to stay in the Milwaukee area to begin my career. Outside of this being my home state and thus, my comfort zone, I couldn't help but wonder what people weren't seeing in Milwaukee.

I think there are some stereotypes with this town that a lot of people have yet to see through. Sure it's a Brats and Beer town, and we still love it that way! But you've got to look past the clogged arteries and sudsy concoctions and see the true Milwaukee: an up and coming place that has something for everyone.

Big cities have taken notice, here are some interesting reads from the last year:


The Los Angeles Times

The New York Times

The Chicago Tribune

Weatherby Nation

Weatherby – a manufacturer of high-performance rifles and shotguns – is running an online video contest to generate excitement among hunting enthusiasts across the county. The winner receives a trip to Weatherby headquarters in California and a custom-made rifle.

Nearly 50 people have submitted videos and online voting in now underway. This is a nice example of how an online contest can connect your target market while introducing your brand to friends, family members and others who otherwise wouldn’t have interacted with your product.

It’s worth checking out. And, while you’re there, vote for "Weatherby Fantasy" by Tommy Kujawa – he’s a Wisconsin hunter and a hard-working teacher who deserves that trip to California.

Kenneth Cole Takes Flight

Kenneth Cole just placed a billboard in New York that recognizes the pilots who miraculously landed US Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson last week. Now, I’m not a big fan of the billboard itself and I can’t say that I completely understand the connection between Kenneth Cole and the safety of airline passengers. But, it is a great example of how moving fast and piggy backing on news and current events can garner positive publicity for a brand.

(via AdFreak)

Miller's One Second Ad

So what do you do when you can't beat them? You join them of course!

Miller is combating the high cost of advertising during the Superbowl with a One Second Ad. To promote the ad, they've launched a site that shows outtakes that didn't make the final (one second) cut, along with other High Life ads. You can see the work at: www.1secondad.com

MillerCoors is a client of ours here at Celtic, so all of us certainly hope the buzz pays dividends.

Here's to Miller High Life - the Champagne of Beers!

Super Bowl Ads Sell for $2.7 Million

Got a cool $2.7 million laying around your marketing budget? If so, you still have a chance to purchase a thirty-second spot during this year's Super Bowl on February 1st.

Despite the down economy, NBC is reporting it has sold roughly 90 percent of its commercial air time with two weeks to go.

Hurry up...there's still time to purchase your spot!

Old School

Some brands are all about innovation. Some brands try to be hip and trendy. Still others try to play on the cutting edge. Then there's Canadian Club (CC)...the classic whisky that your dad used to drink.

CC's print campaign, which broke in November 2007 and continues today, is brilliant. It attempts to connect 30+ year old men with thier childhood. The print ad I discovered in Wired magazine attempts to draw readers back to that glorious era when dad had a Manhattan in one hand a smoke in the other. When pop's had his Tuesday night bowling league with the boys. When dad was actually hip, trendy and loved to have fun.

Kudos to Beam Global Wine & Spirits and BBDO Energy for a great print campaign. Instead of trying to compete with the "designer" drinks made for the 20-something crowd, CC embraces the past. The brand is comfortable in its own skin and has no problem screaming, "We're old school and we like it." In fact, the tagline in the ad says it all, "Damn right your dad drank it." To read more about the multi-layered campaign, check out this article from Beverage World.

Sears/Kmart Join Social Media World

I got a direct mailer at home earlier this week from Sears. Standard stuff...10 percent off on this, 20 percent off on that. The typical offers you see this time of year.

However, somthing caught my attention on the mailer. Sears and its sister company Kmart have ventured into the social media realm with the launch of s-k you. This new community allows consumers to share ideas, provide feeback, take surveys, write reviews and interact with other Sears/Kmart loyalists. It's a robust site with a lot of functionality and resources.

There's really nothing new to what Sears/Kmart is attempting. Lots of consumers brands have ventured into social media. In fact, last year we talked about My Starbucks Idea from the legendary Seattle coffee giant.

I applaud companies for jumping in the social media world. It's always smart to listen to consumers and solict their ideas. I wish every company took the initiative.

However, I'm constantly amazed at why people want to be a part of a "corporate" community like Sears. I can understand iconic lifestyle brands like a Harley-Davidson, Nike, Disney, etc. But Sears? What's the point?

Don't get me wrong...I love Sears. I buy just about every home appliance and tool from my local Sears store here in Milwaukee. But I can't imagine why I'd want to become a member of Sears' social media world. Who has the time and interest?

I guess that's the larger question brands have to ask before they join the social media world. First, do people really care that much about your brand? And second, are you providing relevant content that we'll get me coming back for more?

Can a PR Push Save Detroit?

AdAge is currently posing the following question, "Do you agree with the Detroit Consortium that perception is the auto industry's problem?" For those unaware, there is a current push to raise upwards of $50 million a year to fund a marketing push to save Detroit. The idea is that the automakers' biggest problem at this point is not their product, but how they're perceived. Let me be clear, my perspective isn't about what's wrong, who's to blame, etc. I guess my only thought is how sad all of this is -- literally we are witnessing a city crumble to its knees.

I've been to Detroit ... many times in fact. For a while business used to get me there on a weekly basis. I fully realize what kind of impact the auto industry has on this city and well beyond for that matter. I remember landing in Detroit once and hopping in the cab to my meeting ... in route to downtown, news broke that one of the Big Three was layong off 20,000 people.

Say what you want about Detroit, it certainly has its PR issues to deal with. None the less, it's an old and proud city that is rich in history. Despite the turmoil of the auto industry, I personally feel bad for the city and the many everyday folks all of this impacts.

- Kurt

True Power of Social Media

Think Social Media and Web 2.0 is nothing but Facebook Pokes and Twitter tweets? Think again. Popular blogger, David Armano, recently took in a family living in domestic turmoil.

Because his own home wasn't capable of taking them in for an extended period of time, he appealed to his high readership for help. He set a goal of raising $5,000 to fund an apartment. The tally as of now: Nearly $15,000.

Here's a link to his blog: Logic + Emotion

Outside of the fact that Social Media is a perfect way to motivate and create awareness, it also goes to show you that even in difficult times, people will not hesitate to help others in need.

Update - Want to keep feeling the love? Check out the 10 Ways Social Media Improved Lives in 2008, by David Griner at the Social Path.

Price Check on Register Three

Now a days, you can find advertising messages on everything. The side of coffee cups, airplane food & beverage trays, escalator stairs and just about anything else you can imagine. Just when I thought I'd seen it all, I get an email about a new product called Art-in-Line -- an in-store branded conveyor program from enVision Marketing Group. With this new product, brands can place their advertising messages directly on the conveyor belts at grocery and convenience stores.

As a marketing professional, I think it's great to get your brand in front of shoppers as they’re in the process of making a buying decision. Heck, we've had a few of our own clients use checkout programs before. For example, one client has run print ads on gas station pump tops as well as 15-second TV spots on small monitors as consumers unload their groceries at the store. But at what point do we say enough? Is virtually everything up for grabs?

Don't get me wrong, I think Art-in-Line is a neat program, but when do consumers literally start to "check out?" With the constant bombardment of advertising messages, I truly wonder if we're reaching a saturation point.

What are your thoughts?

Executive Decisions Episode 6: Optimism, Thy Name is Pepsi

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to the first installment of Executive Decisions for 2009. Let's give you a quick recap of 2008:

-19-1
-Michael Phelps
-Tina Fey
-Obama/McCain
-Economic Downward Spiral

So what should we do now that we're facing an economic bear whose size we have yet to see? Be optimistic of course! Enter Pepsi, who recently had no problem spending $162 million to re-brand itself in this trying time.

They recently released a TV spot touting the new branding efforts, which can be seen below.




What I Like.

Bright colors! Moving typography! Happy New Year! Pepsi! They definitely hit their message home here. It's about a fresh start, a fresh face, and a new outlook on a once bleak picture. Watch it a few times and feel the love.

What I Don't Like.

Between Ford, Motrin, and Starbucks, where does this trend of fast-moving kinetic typography end? It's definitely a nice treatment and it grabs attention quickly, but this trend could turn people off very quickly.

Does anyone else get a sense of veiled sarcasm with all the positive messaging? Kill em with kindness apparently is Pepsi's motto here.

Consensus

B-

I give a decent grade because I feel like this is a step in the right direction for Pepsi. As saturated as the kinetic type is becoming, watch it again (or any of those other ones for that matter) and tell me you can't follow along. Makes you wonder if they know something we don't. $162 million says they do.

Through the messaging in the ad, it's apparent they are looking to to grab international favor and try to take share away from Coke, and I think they've done a good job. Hope your 2009 is filled with loads of hope, optimism, Pepsi, and cavities.

Big Purchase this Holiday Season?

Caught an interesting fact over the weekend while listening to one of the best podcasts, Stuff You Should Know, from HowStuffWorks.com.

The podcast dealt with the mystery that is the Extended Warranty. Whether you're staunchly against it or fervently for it, it's still an abrupt interruption to what would have been a smooth purchasing process.

You're thinking to yourself...


"Wow this 46 inch flat screen is going to look great in my living room, I can't wait to set it."

"Would you like to purchase a 3 year extended warranty for only one quick payment of $50?"

"Ugh."

Well because of the high price and perceived risk of a lot of these products, extended warranties provide a boatload of revenue for retailers. In total, Americans spent $16 BILLION on extended warranties.

The even more wild fact in that: 80% of that was measured as profit.

Now you know why it's such an important sales pitch!

Here's the corresponding article.