Devon’s Marketing Blog

In spirit of my pregnancy, I thought I would write about some truly great “baby” commercials!  So I went to my favorite search engine, GOOGLE, and typed in “baby commercials”.  Naturally, a whole slew of things poped up, but the most common results was e*trade.  Some of these commercials are actually quite funny, but if you consider what they are selling, they really screwed the pooch on this advertisement.  When I see these commercials, I always wonder who their target audience is.  And what exactly are they getting at, “it’s so easy a baby can do it”??  HELLO… can you say Geico caveman commercials??!!  But most importantly, they have nothing to do with BABIES! 

So I continued my search and came upon the recent Huggies commercials.  They were fabulous   These commercials really speak to their targeted audience… MOTHERS!!  There is even a funny commercial targeting fathers that makes you want to duck and cover when changing a little boys diaper.  This one is my favorite as I just found out I’m having a boy and I can totally picture my husband pulling a move like this… but also because the baby can wee-wee like a racehorse and it was absolutely hilarious : ))

O.K. Ms. Vargas, this isn’t exactly my realm of expertise, but here goes it!  I ran across a blog post that starts off by clearly stating “this is not a sponsored post“… this would be be called transparency, correct?  (See Ms. V, I have learned something from your classes!)  This blog discusses the In’s and out’s of sponsored conversations and, in particular, the blurring of consumer’s ability to distinguish between factional and genuine experiences. 

It basically goes on to say that bloggers, and “online influencers” are weblebrities and according to marketers and advertisers are the new spokespersons for their products and services.

But the author poses a very good question, “Who’s to say that the information consumers are receiving from experts and trusted peers is indeed truthful and honest”?  Yes, sponsored posts about products and services are typically transparentabout WHY they are writing the post or WHO they are writing it for, but this doesn’t mean the post’s content is always particularly truthful.  After All, it is a paid conversation and the more hype a blogger can create about a product or service the more they get showered with money and gifts. ….This is called an incentive, and what other bloggers would call “selling yourself to the man” (another interesting tidbit I learned in your class Ms. V!).

Up until recently, Bloggers weren’t held liable for facticional blog posts about products and services other than by their loyal followers.  However, according to author Brian Solis, “under new guidelines proposed by the FTC, bloggers may be liable should either the FTC or scorned consumers deem that the actions or claims misguided their decisions and/or misrepresented actual performance or efficacy.”  This is good news, but will bloggers be inclined to continue this practice and potentially put their reputation with loyal followers at risk for next to nothing?

I recently came across this website that nearly blew my socks off: Commercial Alert; protecting communities from commercialism!!!!  How outlandish is that?  How do they honestly think they can fend off the mass media that consumes every communication channel there is?  Well just wait, it gets better!  Their mission statement goes as follows:

“Commercial Alerts mission is to keep the commercial culture within its proper sphere,
and to prevent it from exploiting children and subverting the higher values of family, community, environmental integrity and democracy.”

Seriously Commercial Alert, you’re not Superman!  And what exactly is the “proper sphere of commercial culture”?  There aren’t even regulations out there that provent agencies from being morally and ethically unsound, how do you expect to “keep the commercial culture within it’s proper sphere”, much less prevent it from exploiting children…..”???

Speaking of exploiting children, even the Disney channel is filled with commercials every five minutes.  And what do you think they are advertising?  Let’s see, the latest and greatest toys, Miley Cyrus (terrible influence for young children if you ask me… but just goes to prove my point!), Disney movies… just to name a few.  That’s right Commercial Alert, even Disney targets children so that they can turn around and hit their parents up for a little dough-Re-me! 

And don’t you think it’s a little late for subverting the higher values of family, community, environmental integrity and democracy?

Think back to all the recent ads that have been circulating in the past month.  Do any pop out that don’t quite have the total concept down?   These normally leave you wondering what the hell that advertisement was about?!?!  This is usually because the words and visuals don’t quite jive. 

Again, I will refer back to our recent class discussion, where we talked about the confusing HP Ultra Slim laptop commercial.  This commercial featured a well known professional basketball player and his split second thought of that day’s schedule.  By the end of the commercial, the consumers haven’t the faintest idea what exactly the commercial is about other than the inner workings of a pro b-ball player!  It wasn’t until this class that I found out is was about the Ultra Slim HP Laptop!  Now tell me, what kind of advertising is that???  It’s a waste of money and time is what it is!! 

Another example of these horrendously confusing advertisements are the Old spice commercials that feature Bruce Campbell.  Need I say more?!!

In following suit of our recent class debate, I would like to elaborate on what it takes to create brand equity.  If you recall, we discussed how big name-brands such as Coca-Cola and Miller Light have taken a well known and well liked product that was once a classic and turned it into an atypical brand that is no longer at the top of our “list” as consumers.  By doing so, they essentially destroyed years and years of brand equity. 

First off, what is brand equity?  Brand equity is something that is intangeable.  It is  the association of a particular product or service made by the consumer.  If it is a well recognized brand, it will have a positive association with consumers when they are shopping for that product or service.   

At the root of a brand’s equity is consumers’ knowledge. In other words, consumers’ knowledge about a brand makes them more apt to purchasing this particular product over it’s competetitors.  Consumer’s “knowledge” about a brand includes whether is works, has good or bad reviews, is it cost effective, do our peer’s use the same product, does it taste good, is it useful, will it last, is it comfortable, etc, etc.

So here is a completely unrelated marketing/advertising topic (although I’m sure I could put a cool twist on this and fabricate some relation between the two!).  As a matter of fact I think I might just give that a shot… so bear with me, I’m sure I’ll eventually find a point to this post!!!  I’ll call it “social responsibility”. 

In my search for an adequate reference to one of my posts, I came across this amazing nonprofit organization that works towards creating a positive change through music.

“Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race. And with this truth firmly fixed in their minds, Playing for Change set out to share it with the world.”

Each video contains a dizzying array of performers to include Bono!  However, it primarily consists of street musicians from around the world as far as the Netherlands, France, Brazil, Moscow, South Africa and the Congo.  None of these musicians have met one another, yet their music is combined in a beautiful symphony as if each were in tuned with the other.  Here is an example of their incredibly profound and breath-taking videos that will give you goosebumps!

Now I am a huge music advocate and I love all music from far and near, but if this type of music isn’t exactly up your alley then perhaps you should listen to this next video.  The brief introduction simply states that “through music, you can find enlightenment”, and what better song to portray this than the infamous Bob Marley, One Love!

So this is where I attempt to explain the fain correlation between this musical miracle that Playing for Change has created and marketing/advertising.  You see, each and every one of us has the social responsibility to preserve our environment and our future.  As “hippie” as that may sound to you, it is actually a legitimate responsibility of all businesses as well.  This isn’t to say that all businesses follow suit in environmental preservation, but consider the laws and regulations that protect consumers, specify proper disposal of waste, water conservation, so on so forth.  This is, in essence, future and environmental preservation and therefore businesses social responsibility to abide by said laws and regulations.   Playing for Change contributes to future and environmental preservation by finding and promoting peace through music.  In addition to their spectacular ability to unite different cultures around the world, they also bring musicians from all over the world to perform benefit concerts.  Proceeds from these benefit concerts help build music and art schools in communities that are in need of inspiration and hope.

If you really take the time to think about it, we are bombarded by advertising!  We find it around every street corner, on every radio station, T.V. channel, and article of literature we read.  It’s absolute madness!  It is so hard to sit here everyday and listen or read the same advertisments over and over again.  And they are all mostly the same!  This is why marketers are taking creative risks.  Some media and advertising businesses are growing a proverbial “pair” and advertisements are bordering racy and unappropriated messages.  Others are simply getting bold and tongue-lashing their competitors.  But a truly great marketing campaign is few and far beyond now-a-days. 

The most recent marketing campaign that has caught my attention is the Jack in the Box, Mini Sirloin Burgers.  What a play on words!  And quite hysterical if I might add.  For those of you that do not recall these particular advertisements, let me elaborate;

CLICK HERE

Now I will admit, I can see how this will quickly become annoying and soon test my patience and yes, it could be a little offensive to a certain demographic but that was just the beginning…. you see, good ol’ “Jack” went on to create a billboard that follows in suit the mini sirloin burger theme and it goes as so:

OK, so I couldn’t find an image of this billboard but in short, it displays “Jack” dressed in traditional cowboy attire leaning against a barn door.  At his feet, is a strategically placed “dogie door” with a miniature cow coming out of the barn.  Hence, Mini Sirloin Burgers!!!  Since I wasn’t able to find a picture of this billboard, here is another creative Jack in the Box advertisement:

CLICK HERE

 

These advertising campaigns, however repetitive and anoying they may be have generated brand awareness and hit the nail on the head with creative risk taking.

Simply put, street furniture advertising consists of eye-level advertising displays.  It is categorized as “out-of-home” advertising and is typically positioned at close proximity of pedestrians, shoppers, and traffic.  They come in various forms and fashions such as curbside bus benches or posters, shopping mall displays, kiosks, and in-store displays.  We have all driven past the bus shelter with posters typically of real estate or the latest movie released.  And need I forget the shopping mall displays, usually strategically positioned every 100 feet or so.  These particular street furniture advertisings consist of Disney movie posters or this week’s hot and trendy clothes. 

Can you see a trend here?!  Take a seccond to think about the typical mall-goer…….that’s right, TEENAGERS!!  Once again, those geniuses in advertising have zeroed in on their targeted audience.

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When you always pout

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It’s time to face life with a grin

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And “let the sun shine

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Ask your Doctor about Depresitor.

Depresitor in an antidepressant that is clinically proven to temporarily relieve Depression when taken regularly.  Side affects may vary but may include diarrhea, temporary erectile dysfunction, headaches and nausea.  If your symptoms worsen or you begin to have thoughts of suicide, contact your doctor immediately.

Direct response marketing is designed to solicit a direct response from the consumer to the marketer.  This is typically in forms of infomercials, the Home shopping network, magazines, newspapers, radio, and emails.  There are several options for responses from consumers to the marketer, such as toll free numbers, email, mail orders, and websites. 

Direct response marketing, however, is different than direct marketing.  Direct marketing, unlike direct response marketing, doesn’t not require an immediate response from the consumer to the marketer.  The most common form of direct marketing is telemarketing, in which marketers contact the consumer directly via telephone.