This week, I was going to talk about Air New Zealand’s campaign to support their new Economy SkyCouch class. However, in doing research on the company, I realized that they’ve got something even more impressive to talk about: their safety videos. Somehow, they’ve managed to make the most mundane task of air travel interesting and fun. Observe: 
Read more
All posts in Marketing & Strategy
The above commercial for Dr Pepper’s new flavor, “Ten”, has caused a ton of controversy and chatter in the marketing world this week. The new product is aimed at the segment of the soda-drinking population who is male, is health-conscious (and therefore watching their caloric intake), and also doesn’t like the “girly” image that diet soda and diet soda advertising seems to often have. Thus, the Dr created an advertising spot that is the exact opposite of girly – a “No Girls Allowed” take that combines action and humor to relate to that market. It’s backed by a Facebook App that allows fans of Dr Pepper to call out their friends on breaking one of the “10 ‘Man-ments”. Read more
I saw this classic video over the weekend of Steve Jobs (in shorts!) steering Apple back on the path to greatness. Knowing the CORE of who you and who your customers are is key. Even though this was produced 14 years ago in 1997, his message is applicable today in our world of rapid change. Do you agree?
If you’re a fan of live music, this weekend you don’t need to look any further than your own backyard for a good time. The Over the Rhine section of Cincinnati is hosting the 10th Anniversary of MidPoint Music Festival, a 3-day indie rock event that draws both local and national acts. Hopes are high for a big crowd at this year’s blowout. From 2008 to 2010, attendance swelled from 13,500 to 20,000 and the fest maintains 4,500 Facebook fans and 1,500 Twitter followers. The MPMF.com web site received 361,000 page views Feb. 1-Oct. 1, 2010, an increase of 37 percent over the same period the year before. The site had 169,000 page views in September 2010 alone. Read more
The Why:
Back-to-school season means it’s time for a new pair of shoes. Foot Locker needed to reach out to sneaker fans to make sure they were the destination for new kicks this year. As Stacy Cunningham, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Foot Locker, U.S. says, “At Foot Locker, we live and breathe all things sneakers. It’s who we are. This campaign celebrates the shared passion and devotion that resonates with our customers. It’s another way for us to express that we understand their incredible enthusiasm for all things sneakers.” Read more
The Why: As back-to-school season seems to come earlier and earlier every year, with retailers offering deep discounts for commonly needed supplies, stores need a way to position themselves as a “must-visit” during the busy shopping season. Read more
Today we’re starting a new series that will put selected commercials under the microscope to determine whether they should be qualified as “Rad” or “Sad”. We’ll break down each ad in terms of its intended audience, the action it’s encouraging, and whether or not the strategy behind it is sound. First up is Procter & Gamble’s Cheer Detergent campaign “Dig It. Get It.” and the interactive music video they created for Australian dance-rock band Strange Talk’s song “Climbing Walls”.
The Why: It’s been suggested that P&G is trying to update their brands’ images to fit in the digital age, much the same way they revitalized the Old Spice brand. Based on their Facebook Page‘s description, it would also seem that they want people to tie thoughts of vibrant color to the Cheer brand name. Read more
I just read that the mobile phone market reached 1.6 billion units in 2010, and will increase further to 1.8 billion units this year – there are less than seven billion humans on Mother Earth, so that’s more than one new mobile phone for one in four people. The growth is being driven by continuously growing emerging markets and the trend to upgrading to smart phones.
What is interesting for marketers is the growing trend for higher spec mobiles, with greater display areas, higher resolution and an array of other embedded technology. Our customers are demanding, and we are developing, more and more applications for the phone. From QR codes and tags to optimized mobile sites, we love the shift.
Ever wish you had program that would manage your marketing campaigns as well as your CRM manages your contacts? Well, your wish has been granted. It started with a vision I had of providing my clients with a way to monitor and evaluate marketing campaigns with ease. This program is so cool. It gives the user the ability to select from multiple campaigns, provides complete transparency from the top down, gives real time information and can even track how you, as sales person, stack up in the heat. All I had to do was wave my magic wand over our programming wizard and…poof… it was done! Now all I have to do is have a vision on how to develop a program that can relay all of my visions without talking to my program wizard…and believe me he would like that too. Get on it Jon!
I’m not talking about mail merge in your address labels. I’m talking about variable text with style, integrated seamlessly into your message. I’m talking about variable images based on data from your mailing list. The kind of thing that makes your customers and prospects feel as though your products and services are tailored to them – you “get it” – like a true business partner or a close friend. Can you tell I like variable data?
Yes, there is a fine line between a warm, friendly feeling and the uneasy sense that big brother is watching. I was recently on Facebook and noticed a banner ad recruiting 32 year old mothers in Dayton, Ohio for a mystery shopping assignment. That’s a little creepy. Just because they had all that information doesn’t mean they should have told me. But when used correctly, variable data can be very beneficial. Increased response rates combined with data confirmation and tracking tools provide valuable analytics that may lead to a more effective future marketing strategy.
So, are you using variable data in your marketing materials?
Lisa Parish
home security: I enjoyed your blog. It’s easy to read, the content is good, and you’r...
Ellyanna: Oh yeah, fualbous stuff there you!...
Jailene: If time is money you've made me a waetlhier woman....
Nona: We've airrved at the end of the line and I have what I need!...
Carlee: That's a smart way of thiknnig about it....
