Christmas Smackdown - The Champ vs. MANta vs. Macy's

Even though the holiday season is officially upon us, yesterday - as in true MARCOM fashion - Christmas carols were drowned out with brand chatter about the most miraculous advertising day on the calendar:  Superbowl Sunday.  

So, I figured I'd best attend to this season's communications efforts before they are fully eclipsed by New Year's resolutions, the big game, and, what's next - Valentine's Day? 

PEAK PERFORMANCE

Back for another year of intense shopping and yule tidings is Target's Christmas Champ (comic, Maria Bamford).  

Turning shopping and other Christmas related revelry into something akin to competitive sport, the Champ provides a light-hearted dig at the shopping obsessed, while encouraging us to follow suit.

This year's TV campaign looks suspiciously identical to last year's - a little bit of a let down, like leaving stale cookies for Santa.  Still the call to action is clear, the message is relatively timeless, and still resonates.

1 MAN, 7 BILLION GIFTS

Fans everywhere will be happy to find the bare-chested, white towel-clad Old Spice guy in their stockings this year.  

The brand has brought Isaiah Mustafa back as MANta Claus - charged with the task of delivering a Christmas gift to each and every person on earth.  That's about 7 billion gifts, in just 5 days.  

Who needs Rudolf and a sleigh when you have the internet, and the magic of Marketing?

The campaign kicked off yesterday, December 5th, with a personalized gift to @beautyjunkies, followed by a gift of a Bear Deodorant Protector to 25 of Old Spice Guy's "closest internet friends, and, finally, even larger "group" gifts to the City of Baltimore, and the entire country of Australia.  

If you weren't among OSG's 25 closest friends - no worries.  Old Spice has made "limited quantities" of the deodorant protector available for sale via its Facebook page.  For only $19.99 you can be living like a "close friend" of the Old Spice Guy!

As day two of the campaign is getting under way, the impact of yesterday's Facebook posts seem to be strong.  The first posting - in reference to @beautyjunkies - garnered 2,261 Likes and 171 comments as of press time here.  Subsequent postings received healthy likes and comments, but far lower than this level.  

Lesson Learned - personal or customized posts have more resonance and inspire engagement more than group or generic postings.  Even if the post is not directed to you specifically, it creates a "it could have been me" perception, thus encouraging us to engage with the brand more.  This reminds me of the Wheat Thins tweet inspired TV campaign earlier this year.  

SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN

Perhaps my favorite campaign this season is for another retailer, one which has encouraged us to "believe" since 1858 - Macy's. 

Whether it be Miracle on 34th Street, or Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus, Marketing Communications has been successful at declaring Macy's ground zero for holiday shopping.  This year's television creative keeps that tradition going.

What I love about this commercial is that it is a pretty integrated approach.  Advertising a PR campaign - the "cause marketing" of the Make a Wish Foundation - illustrates how the two MARCOM tools, when used together, are more powerful than on their own.

Also, it encourages kids to write letters to Santa and then DEMAND that they be taken to Macy's to deposit them.  What a great call to action.  Once in Macy's - well, the season takes over.  You might as well shop!

FROM SPENDING TIME, TO SPENDING MONEY

The holiday season is spectacular for so many reasons.  Friends, family, and fun.  It's not surprising that brands want to tap into that, and to shift the enthusiasm from spending time, to spending money.  

Target & Macy's are successful in their appeals to do that.  Old Spice is a somewhat different campaign - less sales directed, and more about building relationships.  If Old Spice knows its customers as well as it thinks it does, it will see continual payoff in high engagement through social media.  Plus, it will sell out its bear deodorant protector - which I imagine will become the gag gift of the season, akin to the Snuggie of holidays past.

Happy Holidays from the BrandDR...  Enjoy the ads!!

 

The Fry's the Limit, But there's a Ring Around the Moon...

Earlier this week I tweeted, somewhat skeptically, about Burger King's big announcement that it was introducing "new fries."

Yesterday, the industry news was abuzz about the creative efforts behind this new announcement.  Keeping with its' "product as Hero" focus that won them the BK account this past summer, agency of record McGarryBowen's spot announcing that "NEW FRIES have arrived at BK" emphasizes product shots and satisfied consumption.  (See the spot here, via Ad Age.)

Wendy's Natural Cut Fries

NO SMALL FRIES
On the whole, the fast-food industry has become increasingly obsessed with "small fry" menu items like french fries.  This is not surprising given that "sides" can be consumed in a variety of contexts - as part of a larger lunch or dinner meal, but also as a standalone snack.  The "small fry" is indeed big business.

Just last year, Wendy's introduced its Natural-Cut Fries with Sea Salt, and this year, even without a new recipe (why mess with perfection?), McDonald's is advertising its fries as "the best on the planet."

FRY ME TO THE MOON
Burger King however, seems to be a bit more over the moon with its fry obsession than than the competition.

In 2002, BK tried to shake things up - putting a "new" twist on the staple fast food side.

In 2006 BK went a "fowl" with this new fry:

And 2007 marked the most offensive FRYasco - Fresh Apple Fries.

(FRIED) EGG ON THE FACE
Fry obsession aside, these three "new" menu items are lackluster at best - coming a day late and a dollar short to a market that already knows the fry, the chicken finger, and the apple slice.

Even with new management, BK has continued its bandwagon/reactive approach, with fanfare for the ordinary.  It's most recent menu additions have been:

BK Toppers - you can add toppings (like cheese, mushrooms, and bbq sauce) to your burger!!  For $1.99!!!

"Revamped" Chicken Tenders - now "nugget" shaped!!

Stuffed Steakhouse Burger - jalapeno peppers & cheddar cheese stuffed into the meat!!

Quaker Oatmeal and Soft Serve Ice Cream (I can't even make light of this - these are so generic and so uninspired.)

What the key competitors - McDonald's & Wendy's - lack, is what BK excels in, yet we hear very little about it.  The onion ring.

RING OUT THE OLD, RING IN THE NEW
With rumors that Wendy's will oust BK as the No. 2 fast food chain (behind McDonald's) growing louder, it may be time for Burger King to quiet down on the small fry issues and reach for the rings.

The whole point of branding, after all, is to differentiate your products from competing products.

Keep it simple BK - no "chicken rings" or "french toast rings."  Onion rings.  Tried and true.  McDonald's may have the best fries on the planet, but there's a ring around the moon, and that's what BK should reach for.

MAXImizing the MINI with Social Gaming

MINI Countryman

How do you double your sales in a geographic  market?  Make consumers hunt for your product. That's how Mini did it in Stockholm, Sweden at least.


Literally.


RUN, OSCAR, RUN
In 2010 MINI looked to mobile apps - specifically a scavenger type "mobile hunt game" called Mini Getaway Stockholm - to engage potential buyers and turn them into brand evangelists.  


The bait?  A MINI Countryman - open for the winning, free and clear.


The task?  Download a mobile app that allows you to track (like a hunter to his prey) a virtual MINI and your competitors.  Capture the MINI and flee from your "enemies."  If you can hold onto the MINI for the duration of the game, it is yours to keep.

BIG GAME HUNTING
The game delivered strong results for MINI:

• 11, 413 physically participated in the game during its one-week duration
• The average participant spent just over 5 hours engaged with the game
• People from over 90 countries followed the game online, via the companion website, minigetawaystockholm.com
• Sales increased by 108% in the first quarter following the campaign

BIGGER GAME HUNTING

The campaign was so successful that MINI is translating its efforts into Japanese.  MINI Getaway Tokyo  is set to launch on December 3, 2011.  

The rules, and stakes, of the game are the same, but Tokyo allows MINI to MAXImize the potential impact in a few key ways:

• The Tokyo gaming area is almost 32 times larger - covering 240 square miles
• At 35.6 million, Tokyo's population is approximately 44 times larger than the population of Stockholm, which clocks in around 809,072

MINI also points to it's creation of an Android App for Tokyo, as a game changer - yet the Dr. debates that point - Japan seems to be an iPhone dominated market, with only about 15% of smartphone users doing so on the Android platform.  

Still, MINI is doing fun, engaging things to nurture MINI brand evangelists.  This is a campaign to watch out for.

The Drama of TV Economics...

Although still early in the season, Fall 2011 is shaping up to be quite dramatic for Broadcast TV Networks.  The body count of cancelled shows has already reached 5, with notables like ABC's "Charlie's Angels"  and NBC's "The Playboy Club" being escorted to early exits.

While the Angels may have gone to heaven and the bunnies descended down the rabbit hole to accompany Alice in Wonderland - all is not doom and gloom on TV.  In fact, things are getting pretty hilarious.

After years on the decline, and losing the rating game to dramas, the NY Times reports that "sitcoms are making a comeback."  According to the report:

So far this season, sitcoms occupy seven of the top 10 spots among entertainment programs (not counting football) in the category of most financial importance to network executives — viewers ages 18 to 49.

Given that ratings have, traditionally, been what drives ad prices and ad buys most, the report goes on to assert:

The result will most likely be an even greater flourishing of sitcoms next season. Mr. [Kevin] Reilly [President of Fox Entertainment] said an increase of as much as 25 percent in comedy was possible.

Sitcoms might not be laughing all the way to the bank, though.  Ad Age reports that, despite hefty price tags for highly rated sitcoms like "Modern Family" and "Two and a Half Men," live programming still manages to command the highest prices.

NBC's Sunday Night Football won top slot, with the average 30 second spot costing $512,367.  American Idol scored a close second, with average spots ranging from $468,100 - $502,900.

The results continue to bolster the notion that the shows most in demand are those viewers tend to watch live, rather than play back days later with a DVR or via video-on-demand. When millions of viewers tune in live, marketers pay a premium.

It seems like the NY Times and Ad Age are presenting two different pictures of what Network TV programming will look like moving forward.  From a ratings base - comedies seem like a strong bet.  However, as networks and advertisers continue to struggle with how to account for the "time shifting" effect of DVR's, the lure of live TV might be too much to resist, as Advertisers have proven that they will pay extra for the privilege of engaging us in real time.

Where have all the creative minds vanished to?

i.Will.admit.  I'm not a fan of Will.i.am.  Other than knowing he was in a Superbowl spot for Pepsi in 2009...

I don't know very much about him.

So, when I saw an "article" he wrote for Ad Age earlier this week, I was surprised.  What was more surprising was that I was digging what he was saying.

Critical of today's marketers/artists/etc for "not investing in the dreamers," he gave cogent advice to businesses and marketers on how to be better, in this new, connected world:

to stay relevant, you or your business or your brand need to be part of the connection... you need to be part of the conversation... or start conversations... you need to invent, or amplify culture... brands need to listen to the community...  you need to turn a moment into momentum and momentum into a movement...

so I say, MAKE CONVERSATIONS NOT ADS... 

Where I come from, this is where I say, WORD.  I think I found at least one of the creative minds Will.i.am fears have vanished...

BrandDR to Marketers - Study Dads As If They Were Monkeys...

My last two posts dealt with target marketing.  Namely, using sex (male vs. female) or family role (moms) as dimensions by which to define targeted customers.

The conversation continued today in Ad Age, which declared:

"Increasingly Influential Dads Are in Marketers' Crosshairs"

What is interesting here is the qualifier; that is, not all dads find themselves pursued by marketers - just the "influential" ones.   So where is this influence, and how can it be useful to us as marketers?

Supermarkets vs. Superbowl

Even though times have changed and household roles have been transformed, the influence held by Moms vs. the influence held by Dads, seems to break along stereotypical gendered lines set in the 1950's. You guessed it - research cited by Ad Age suggests that Moms rule the supermarket, while Dads rule the sports field.

The Ipsos LMX family study completed earlier this year among 2,800 moms and dads, while it didn't confirm dads rule the shopping cart just yet, did find they're the major players when it comes to entertainment. Ipsos found dads spend 50% more time than moms with their kids online, were 50% more likely than moms to take the kids to movies, and were also more likely to take the kids to theater, sporting events or concerts.

Ok.  We get it.  This means that Dads have influence in choosing and buying technology products, online services, and making entertainment choices like the theater, sporting events and concerts.

So, how do brands respond to this knowledge?

Kellogg Co. directed a campaign for Frosted Flakes featuring ESPN sports anchor and dad Rece Davis with ads on ESPN and an ESPN.com microsite. Such Procter & Gamble Co. brands as Gain, Febreze and Swiffer this year have become prominent display advertisers on sections of Yahoo, such as sports, heavily frequented by men.

Huh?  It's like we haven't learned anything new.  Male targeted media has always been the place to talk with men.  And, if women still rule the supermarket - why market cleaning products to men?  (Note:  I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't market these products to men, because they are indeed shoppers of, and users of, these products, but as a "learning moment" from this research, the response by P&G just doesn't fit.)

The article suggests that the research method of a "self-report" or survey, led to an overstatement of Dads' role in household decision making.

But the reality is, while dads are more important household decision makers, they're still not as important as moms, said Gary Stibel, CEO of New England Consulting Group. By letting men self-report, the Yahoo survey overstated their role, he said. New England Consulting Group's own follow-up survey of 200 men and women indicated 70% of consumer-package-goods volume is still purchased by women, though he believes men's role is up "from the high 20s to the low 30s" in recent years.

Regardless of the final word on Men vs. Women; Moms vs. Dads - the real lesson here is about our reading of, and response to, research.

Surveys will always be vulnerable to "bias."  Leading questions may result in answers that don't accurately reflect the thoughts, feelings, or actions of the respondent.  Or, our natural desire to "whitewash" - to make things sound good and positive and to please the researcher - may cause our responses to be more "wishful thinking" than a reflection of reality.

Situations like these remind me of the importance of triangulation in research.  Why rely just on one method - which may have its limitations - when you can supplement that method with another method that may be complementary?  Here, I'd like to see observation or ethnographic research to uncover what household roles in decision making look like everyday.

This may amount to studying Dads as if they were monkeys - but sometimes you have to brave the jungle to understand the animals...

From Zero, to the Max - Dr. Pepper 10 Steps into the Cola War to Battle for the Male Demographic

Since the 1980's, a war has been brewing - almost literally - between Coke and Pepsi.  This is nothing new.  The younger, perhaps swifter "challenger" - Pepsi (born in 1898) - made great headway in terms of chipping away at Coke's (born in 1886) commanding lead in the market through the early 21st century by positioning Pepsi as a "better tasting" cola.

More recently, however, Pepsi has seen its' market share slip, forcing a "retooling" of its marketing.  One aspect of this retooling was bringing Pepsi Max to the US as a means of pulling in male cola drinkers who are self-conscious about drinking "diet" beverages.  

According to the NY Times, Pepsi Max was introduced in Europe in the early 1990's, and made its' US debut in 2007.  

A 2009 report by Mintel, the market research firm, said the soda’s sales had been “impressive,” even during the economic downturn, “likely by attracting price-sensitive energy drink users.”

The importance of "zero calorie, 'diet' alternative" beverages in the market is considerable, and supported by the most recent entry into the war for male drinkers - Dr. Pepper 10.

Pepsi Max and Coke Zero have been somewhat subdued in their targeting of men - relying largely on conventional male humor, and masculine phrasing to indicate the targeted group.

Pepsi Max: "I'm Good," Superbowl 2009

Coke Zero: "Two Men in a Restaurant," 2006

Dr. Pepper 10, on the other hand, is taking a much bolder approach (perhaps as a nod to its' "bold" flavor) introducing the new product under the tagline,  "It's Not For Women."

The appeal of this approach is obvious - generate buzz and word of mouth.

'Is this really for men or really for women?' is a way to start the conversation that can spread and get people engaged in the product... One topic people never tire of talking or arguing about is differences between men and women, particularly if women are excluded... That will always get someone's attention.

Dr. Pepper is, however, taking a bit of a risk.  It's Facebook page for the campaign - the Ten Man'ments - has 10.6 million "likes" and counting, but has been lit up with criticism.  Here's a typical "complaint:"

Given that Dr. Pepper's own research has shown that 40% of those trying the NEW Dr. Pepper 10 are women, and earlier Pepsi research citing similiar 40/60 split in terms of female/male drinkers of Pepsi Max, the brand risks alienating a significant portion of its market.

Accordingly, Pepsi claims it has chosen to downplay gender in its messaging.  Lauren Hobart, chief marketing officer of the sparkling brands division of PepsiCo explains:

while some of our past advertising was more overtly about being the diet cola for men, there’s still a lot of women drinking Pepsi Max, so it doesn’t make sense to be so specifically gender focused.

Pepsi's "new" commercial may be a testament to the brand shaking the shackles of gender and assuming the "taste" positioning that has served the brand well in the past.

Pepsi is erring on the side of caution.  It is a brand that seeks to be all things for all people.  Looking more closely at Dr. Pepper the bold move of ruffling feathers over gender may be more attuned with how they have built their brand - to almost be an elitist, some people get it, some people don't.

As far as gender appeals go, this one may resonate more strongly with key Dr. Pepper drinkers than the lukewarm gender appeals made by Coke Zero and Pepsi Max (in the past).  It is a little ironic, however, that the brand that played on affiliation & social needs by encouraging us to "be a Pepper too" is now taking an exclusionary stance by targeting men.

Maybe "Big Girls Don't Cry," But Brands do, for Mommy...

For decades, American brands have recognized a distinct consumer that not only holds purchasing power on their own, but also controls the purchasing power of others - the "Mom."

Marketers, and even politicians, have sought to make "mom" a brand of her own - first giving birth to "Soccer Moms," and then, "Hockey Moms," as distinct groups of consumers who share common demographic and psychographics.

According to Mike May, the Director of Communications at the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, Soccer Moms are

most likely married, aged late 20s to early 40s, probably driving an SUV; she works, though it's questionable whether or not she has ever played soccer. Some are college graduates and some are not.

Hockey Moms "are basically the same people."  They may be a little tougher (thanks to the reputation of the sport) and a little more blue collar - but their focus on their family, placing family needs above their own, remains constant across both groups.

These moms have taken their power online, creating a phenomenon known as "mommy blogging."

While the numbers alone are staggering -  79% of all US moms with kids under 18 use social media and 4 million moms are blogging - the influence these blogs have on consumers is what is really making brands take notice.

According to NPD Group research,

Active social media moms [have, on average] bought a children’s product based on a social media recommendation... five times in the past year. Fifty-five percent of these moms said they made their purchase because of a recommendation from a personal review blog

It's not surprising then, that brands are falling over each other to woo and win over these influential Moms.  For instance,

popular mommy bloggers have been sent to the Olympics, courtesy of Procter & Gamble, and to the Oscars, courtesy of Kodak; and road-tripped to Disney World in a Chevy Traverse, courtesy of G. M. Canada...

The fascination with Moms as a target market is not limited to the US.  As domestic markets continue to dry up – thanks to the almost endless number of competitors and economic recession – marketers are finally looking to China as a consumer market, rather than just the world’s factory.  So now they are introducing us to Tiger Moms - Chinese mothers who hold the purse strings (supposedly in an iron fist) for her family.


In her book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom, Amy Chua describes the Chinese mom as part drill sergeant, part Sorority House pledge mistress, who's demands for perfection are voiced bluntly, without apology.  Mom is likely to say to her daughter - "Hey fatty - lose some weight." Or to a child who doesn't get straight A's - "You're lazy.  All your classmates are getting ahead of you."


Regardless of what we think of this parenting style, it provides great opportunity for brands to consolidate "Moms" into a coherent target group based upon shared attitudes and sensibilities.  Or does it??


Just like skeptics who question the usefulness of market segments such as Soccer Moms and Hockey Moms in the US - Chinese researchers are calling into question the relevance of "Tiger Moms" in today's China.


According to Allen Wang, CEO and Founder of Babytree.com, China's most popular parenting website, today's Chinese mom comes from a "post 80's" generation, that values freedom and things like "happiness, confidence, and the ability to do anything they want in their lives" for their children.  In essence, the Tiger Mom is a fiction of the past, while the Chinese Mom of 2011 looks (and acts, and thinks) a lot like her Western counterparts.

The case of Tiger Moms reminds us that targeting, while an appealing necessity, is in no way an easy task.   As we look for similarities among consumers we often find them, but similarities in one area do not guarantee similarities in others. Yet once we convince ourselves of these similarities, we take them for granted and suddenly find ourselves slipping into stereotyping.


Whether it is Soccer Moms, Hockey Moms, Tiger Moms, or any other demographic group, Michelle Miller, co-author of The Soccer Mom Myth, clearly isolates the problem:

You can put 12 women who fit the ‘soccer mom’ demographic together in a room and get wildly different opinions about a product or service.

This is why brands must stick to the basics - both quantitative and qualitative research - rather than get caught up in the buzz of new consumer groups and target markets.  Knowing your customer is key. Regardless of which demographic or psychographic is "hot" at the moment, that will never change.

afghaniSad

At a Center for Communication event on Social Media Marketing this week, Mark Ghuneim, CEO of Wiredset responded to a question about timing Tweets and other social media content posting with a tongue in cheek, "Don't post on a day when Apple is announcing something."

That was on Tuesday, October 4th, when Apple brought good news to our ears - the arrival of iPhone 4S, along with other product improvements and innovations.

The very next day, Wednesday, October 5th, Apple once again dominated news feeds with the sad news of Steve Jobs' passing.

Ever since, tributes to Jobs have been almost endless - reflective of the impact he has had on individuals, businesses, and our culture in general.  According to Facebook, for instance,

628 million active users changed their Facebook profile picture to a real Apple, the Apple logo, or a picture of Steve Jobs.

You may have seen a lot of "status" postings of "iSad" or this visual:

YouTube exploded with videos - some traditionally media driven, like the CNN tribute below; others more grassroots produced by brand fans and loyalists.

CNET's retrospective video on Jobs puts it perfectly, describing his uncanny ability to make Apple's highly sophisticated and innovative technology, "simple, magical, and fashionable" to us as users.

In the shadow of Jobs' passing, however, important stuff is going on around the world, that is getting little or no attention.

Today, October 7, 2011 is the TEN year anniversary of the War in Afghanistan - making it the "longest war" in America's history.  For the past 10 years about 100,000 US soldiers have had their "boots on the ground" in Afghanistan, and 1,780 of them have given their lives in the line of duty.

I am not hating on Steve Jobs, or diminishing the impact of his death.  It does, however, make me think about how lives are valued in our society today.  When what we care about is so dependent on what the media emphasizes and reports on, it is not surprising that Facebook, and social media is more abuzz with Jobs' passing, than the sacrifices of our soldiers in Afghanistan.

To illustrate - in my NY Times "Today's Headlines" email this morning (timestamped 3:05AM) there were 38 clickable links to content.  11 of these links, almost 30%, were to Steve Jobs, or Apple related content.  There were no links to content related to the 10th Anniversary of the War in Afghanistan.  Furthermore, a review of the NY Times' homepage, around 11:00 this morning, yielded no news about the Anniversary.

This makes me AfghaniSad.

Advertising Indusrty Critics Ask - "Where are all the Black people?"

Advertising as an industry is notorious for its lack of diversity.  A study of the creative teams behind 2010 Superbowl Ads conducted by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports at the University of Central Florida found that

"The number of advertisements featuring a person of color as creative director went from zero in 2010 to four (representing 7%) in 2011…  And the study found that the "gender breakdown of creative directors remained the same from last year at 94% male, 6% female."

Another Ad Age article delves into potential reasons for the lack of diversity – citing both hiring and retention problems. 

“Not only do you have to recruit people that are diverse, you have to create environments under which those people are comfortable working in…”

Still, all is not lost .  Ad Age lists almost a dozen initiatives, dating back as far as 1973, to improve diversity in the industry.  And, filmmakers in partnership with the 4A’s and VCU Brandcenter produced a short film – Pursuit of Passion:  Diversity in Advertising – that paints a rosier picture of the issue, and its impact on creative work.  Watch the full length film here:

Despite the conflicting opinions about diversity in the industry, The One Club (among other “partners”) is hosting a creative career fair during this week’s Ad Week.  The goal of the event, known as “Where Are All The Black People?” is to

… have as many participants as possible walk away with a job offer, a confirmed second interview, or a paid internship. Participants will also have the opportunity to connect with a mentor, meet professional contacts in the industry and establish a valuable network.

The event will be held on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 from 8am-6pm at New World Stages, 340 W. 50^th Street NYC.  For more event information and/or to register, visit the Where Are All The Black People website.

**This post is for informational purposes only - check back later for updates of a more critical nature, like, "why are there no black people in advertising?"  And, of course, we might need to discuss the pros & cons of affiliating with Al Sharpton as a "celebrity" endorser...

FTC to Reebok - "The BUTT Stops Here."

Over the last year or so, a new phenomenon hit the fitness market - "toning" sneakers.  The products are designed to provide an "unstable" foundation while walking, which (supposedly) allows wearers to tone their hamstrings, calves, and butts, simply by walking around.  Forget the hours at the gym, just wear these shoes during your normal daily activity and viola! Instant results.  Claims so fabulous and enticing that the "toning" segment of the sneaker category reached $1.1 billion in 2010.

We all know, however, that things that sound too good to be true, are too good to be true.

Today the news is a buzz with a $25 million settlement Reebok has agreed to, after the FTC charged that it deceptively advertised its' toning shoes & apparel.  At issue are specific claims Reebok made that the users of the product would see "a 28% increase in strength and tone of the butt, and an 11% increase in the strength & tone of the hamstrings and calves."

Reebok is standing by its claims - stating that is has received "overwhelmingly enthusiastic feedback" from users - and has simply agreed to the settlement to avoid a protracted legal battle.

Here's an EasyTone ad - what do you think?

Obviously, the FTC thinks the ad is deceptive and misleading.  This leads us to a bigger issue, as indicated by David Vladeck, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection:

[We're here] to remind advertisers big and small that they must have adequate proof for the claims they make in their ads...

End game for ALL advertisers - claims must be substantiated.  If you say it, you must be able to prove it.
 
What puzzles me most in this particular case, is why Reebok went here in the first place?  I can understand "sketchy" Sketchers introducing ShapeUps as a way to get into the "serious" fitness market, but come on, Reebok is a REAL FITNESS BRAND.  It has a lot of respect to lose by following the dollars of fad products.  Real athletes who spend real money on fitness equipment know that you have to work to get results.  EasyTones are just too easy.  While Reebok may have added revenues from the segment, they more than likely alienated core customers who are embarrassed and offended by this type of bogus product, and the bogus claims.

Halloween for Marketers – No Tricks, Just Treats…

The economy might seem scary these days, but apparently US consumers aren’t too scared – vowing to celebrate and spend more this Halloween than in the past.  Spending is projected to reach almost $7 billion.

While candy is still the biggest line item on revelers shopping lists, decorations and costumes aren’t far behind.

Good news!! But wait, Halloween is just one day of the year.  What happens to the economy the other 364 – does it turn back into a pumpkin at midnight like the carriage in Cinderella?

For some Halloween marketers – maybe.  They pack up the ghosts and goblins, and store them away for next year.  For others, who are true “occasions” marketers, absolutely not.  

Sure, candy is a natural fit for Halloween.  Most brands deck themselves out in “spooky” packaging to distinguish their everyday products from the “special occasion” products (which are essentially the same things!) to get us to buy more.

How about candy brands that have embraced the “occasions” marketing strategy and extended their product line to include holidays across the calendar?  Just Born, the maker of Peeps, comes to mind.

That's right - they moved from sweet Easter chicks & bunnies, to snow & gingerbread men for Christmas, to hearts for Valentine's day.  Not to be outdone, they scared up some halloween themes too:

Now all they need are stars & stripes for Fourth of July, and turkeys for Thanksgiving and they'd be all set!  

The end game is that "occasions" marketing can mean big business to brands, especially during hard times.  Addressing holidays through festive packaging and other promotions is a way to get in the game faster & on the cheap - without product development.  The seasonal boost in sales may be just what the brand needs to move out from the red and into the black.

Other brands, however, may find great ROI in product development and decide to get more involved with "occasional" products.  By creating products for different holidays, or seasons, brands can smooth production and distribution patterns that typically cause headaches for seasonal marketers.  

Just Born has figured a way to keep its production lines running all year long and as a result, has not only become a more efficient producer & distributor, but has also won the hearts and "sweet tooths" of millions of customers.  Now that is a sweet strategy.

Burberry - "Tweetwalking" the Talk of Social Media & Brand Experience

Going Viral.  Organic Conversations.  Facebook this, Twitter that...  I'm plum tuckered out just from listening to all the talk about social media and marketing.  While brands struggle to figure out how social media fits with their strategies and consumers, some are learning to walk the talk and deliver value added campaigns.  

Earlier this month – during Fashion week – Burberry broke new communication ground by creating a #tweetwalk conversation on Twitter where it shared each “look” in a tweet before it hit the runway.  Taking a lesson from Donna Karan and Marc Jacobs, who livestreamed their Spring runway shows via Facebook, Burberry also livestreamed its Fall show on its own website, in addition to Facebook creating an additional point of engagement with brand fans and customers. 

Other recent examples – like Coca Cola’s use of Facebook to extend and entrench it’s Happiness positioning – is indicative of a huge push to social media as a communication tool. 

Hold your horses…. This doesn’t mean that traditional media is dead.  In fact, a large portion of the global success of #tweetwalk can be attributed to regional “Twitter Takeovers,” in which editors of traditional media tweeted on behalf of the brand via accounts such as @burberry_turkey (the editor of Elle, Turkey), @burberry_russia (the editor of Vogue, Russia), and @burberry_korea (the editor of Elle, Korea).  Vogue & Elle (among other traditional media) recognize that they must move forward and work with new, digital formats - and brands like Burberry are taking advantage as they extend their influence across these platforms.   

Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s CCO (Chief Creative Officer) spoke with Mashable about the importance of a media mix to the brand's communication strategy:  

… the online experience Burberry has developed on its own behalf doesn’t detract from or diminish the role of traditional media, but provides another channel for consumers to experience the brand. “A brand is not just about product, it’s about experience as well, and experiences need to come from the center of a community,” he said. “I get excited about using all of those platforms to communicate to all of our different communities around the world about what we’re doing.”

In another Mashable interview, Dennis McEniry, President, Online, Estee Lauder Companies (often thought to be the owner of some of the most “digital forward” beauty brands) illuminated the old vs. new media debate:

Traditional is still important, but it’s becoming a different blend.

When you look at it across all our portfolio, TV and digital are the highest priorities. Television is becoming even more important for most of our brands than it has been in the past. And of course all of our brands are doing digital and doing a lot more with digital than in the past. 

Print is still a big priority with our largest brands like Estee Lauder and Clinique, but they’re changing the mix.

In the end – the brands that leverage social media the best (like Coca Cola, Burberry, and Estee Lauder mentioned here) are the ones that have moved past buzzwords like optimization, viral, and engagement towards INTEGRATION of communication media.  While today, the media may be new, the goal of the brand stays the same - to create a consistent voice that gains volume as it resonates across many (old & new) media platforms.

One doesn’t have to look past Coca Cola (a very old school brand that consistently steps up and leads the way in the digital new school) and what it has done with integrated “audiomarks” that form the backdrop in virtually every communication piece the brand produces.  Give this Vimeo clip a viewing and listen for the audiomark - this is an amazing example of how deeply embedded aspects of branding can be, both inside us as consumers, and in everything that is wrapped up in, and associated with a product.  

Patti Smith On Advertising: Speaking the Truth

From June 19th through 25th, creative royalty met at the Cannes Lions Festival to celebrate and discuss cutting edge creative and communication strategies.  The usual suspects - traditional agencies, boutique shops, and major brand advertisers themselves (such as Nike, Coca Cola, and Apple) - were joined this year by punk rock royalty Patti Smith, who not only performed for "convention" attendees

but also spoke extemporaneously about the benefits and ills of advertising, and offered sage advice to advertisers:

Sometimes it takes a "real" person to give us the best advice out there - (1) always tell the truth; (2) never exploit [young] people; and (3) "less, more creative advertising."  It reminds me of the brandDr's favorite equation for good great ads:

Relevance + Originality = Impact

Thanks Ms. Smith - let's hope Madison Ave has the courage and intelligence to heed your advice.

Guinness Goes Anti-Gay for St. Patrick's Day

What is up with all the gay hate surrounding St. Patrick's Day?

As far as I know, in all of its 249 year history, the St. Patrick's Day Parade in NYC has never allowed any group or individual to march behind an identifying LGBT banner.   This policy has sparked protests, the staging of alternative, inclusive parades, and even harsh words from the Irish Foreign Minister.

I get it that the Irish are largely of the Catholic faith - a faith not known for its embrace of gays and lesbians - but St. Patrick's day is so far removed from its' religious grounding, that it seems somewhat silly.  For instance, in our celebrations today we will most likely drink green beer in excess and gorge on corned beef and cabbage.  In the 5th Century, however, the namesake of this holiday - the real St. Patrick - said up to 100 prayers in the morning and up to 100 more in the evening.

So, what's religion got to do with it?

What surprises me most is that Guinness - the quintessential brand of St. Patrick's Day (and all things Irish) - has jumped on the anti-gay bandwagon.  Its "St. Patrick's Day Primer" campaign seeks to provide instructions on how to properly celebrate the 'friendliest day of the year' - March 17th - but its humor strikes a negative cord in this, its "Man Hug" spot:

This trend towards the "anti" gay in commercials is troublesome.  It cultivates and reinforces negative attitudes towards gays and lesbians and predisposes audiences to negative responses towards this community in the real world.  

Case in point - audience response to Doritos "Best Part" Superbowl ad.

This clever take on a very shared experience that we all (straight and gay alike) can relate to - licking the 'Doritos dust' from our fingers - was practically crucified for its sexual overtones between two men.  The ad was called "weird," "creepy," and "sickening."

I have spoken critically about brands missing an opportunity to incorporate gay and lesbian market segments into their general market ads.  It is a decision that makes both business, and moral sense.  With so much at stake in terms of profits, and also, in terms of quality of life for gays and lesbians, I am discouraged that more big brands not only miss the opportunity, but choose to work against the LGBT market by making light of us in their ads.

AdAge Delivers No Value

When it comes to purchase decisions, many customers buy for value - they delicately weigh the differences costs and benefits.  [Well, this is how I understand value.]


While individual decisions may be a mystery to us, a recent study reported in Advertising Age revealed broader consumer perceptions of value vs. price paid for products/services. [Remember that - value vs. price paid... huh?]

OK.  So what?  The article warns us that these are not "the sexiest, fastest-growing, best known, most heavily advertised or even most universally used" - but really, there is nothing surprising on the list, other than perhaps some of the "non-American" brands (for ethnocentric Americans of course).

This is by far one of the WORST articles I have read from Ad Age.  The article relied almost exclusively on quotes from the research team at Millward Brown, which conducted the study.  For instance, 

Apple didn't make the top 10 list, Mr. Walshe said, because while it ranks among the highest of any brand in perceived desirability, it also ranks very high in perceived price.

"People rate Apple as being very expensive," he said. "Even though its desire ranking is very high, its price perception is even higher."

What?!  This is a totally oversimplified vision of value.  Value is not determined by price alone.  Rather, a more broad term such as "costs" should be used in the value equation (Costs-Benefits = Value).  Sure a MacBook might be more expensive, but consumers may still deem it as delivering higher value than a lower priced laptop because it may be more durable, need less service, or simply perform better.


Clearly, AdAge got a little lazy here.  This article is clearly a press release, released by Millward Brown.  This is not an unheard of practice.  News organizations regularly use press releases as the foundation upon which a story is built.  Repeat, a FOUNDATION. 

Like any other business, news organizations add value along the distribution channel by using methods of journalism - such as investigation, copywriting, and editing - to transform the press release into a news story.  By failing to do this, AdAge is shortchanging not only its readers, but also itself.


As readers and subscribers we pay to hear AdAge's "expert editorial voice."  When that goes silent, we are fed pure propaganda that is simply not worth reading and definitely not worth paying for.