Where Can I Find a Sponsor?

I have recently set a personal goal to run in a marathon within the next year or two. I currently have a gym pass. I run on the treadmill quite often. However, I still have a ways to go. I plan to begin a vigorous training program soon. I will be running at least a mile a day and more on the weekends when I'm off work. Also, I plan to participate in and finish a 5k and 10k race before running a complete marathon. I feel running in a marathon will be a great personal achievement.

I'm interested in trying to find a company to sponsor me in my quest to complete a marathon. I feel this is possible. I notice a lot of people riding bicycles who wear sponsored gear. Therefore, I feel there is a similar market for companies looking to reach out to active runners.

I want to find out if there are any people who have had success in getting companies to sponsor them. Feel free to leave a response.

Pepsi Offers Good Customer Service

My wife and I prefer Pepsi over Coke in most instances. We typically find ourselves buying several twelve packs of Pepsi while grocery shopping. Additonally, most of the local entertainment venues we visit (i.e. local theatres and Cincinnati Reds) serve Pepsi.

My wife recently purchased a can of Pepsi from a machine at her job, but it was flat. She immediately called Pepsi's customer service and they responded to the complaint by promptly sending her a coupon for a complimentary twelve pack of Pepsi. I feel the Pepsi-Cola Company did a great job handling thiz situation. Its quick and direct response made my wife feel valued as a customer.

I am a huge proponent of a company using marketing to promote its brands and their products. Effective marketing can be used to position a brand or product effectively in the minds of consumers. Marketing is important for a company to succeed, but providing outstanding customer service is more important. Marketing attracts new customers, but does not help retain current customers. I feel the Pepsi-Cola Company did a great job in this instance. My wife and I will continue to enjoy Pepsi products.

Girl Gamers On The Rise

I came across a post at Adage about girl gamers being on the rise. The posting referenced the fact that two-thirds of all guys aged 18 to 34 have access to a video-game console in their home and three out of four boys aged 2 to 11 played on a video-game console for at least a minute during fourth quarter. But so did half of all teenage girls, according to the latest figures from Nielsen's "State of the Console" report.

The author of the article, Abbey Klaassen, states that the popularity of video game consoles among the female segment is due to its capability of being a multi-media entertainment hub. Many video game fanatics use their consoles to watch movies and play music, in addition to playing video games. The article also references research results which show an increase in T.V. and game play. Overall, T.V. viewership peaks around 9 P.M. while game play peaks around 10 P.M.

The rise in the popularity of gaming systems may be due to their ability to be an entertainment hub. "Seeing the amount of reach gaming has in teenage girls and women 18-34 is pretty impressive," said Nick Covey, marketing analytics and development manager at Nielsen Gameplay Metrics. "Part of that might represent the increasingly multimedia use [of the gaming console]." As a sign the gaming console is beginning to be seen as more of an entertainment hub, the report said more than half of console owners consider their DVD-equipped gaming system to be a DVD player.

Gaming consoles have seemingly followed a similar path to that of cell phones. Cell phone providers have been coming out with newer versions incorporating features to play music, games, videos, T.V. shows and access the internet over the past few years. Likewise, video game consoles in the future may be required to provide capabilities allow consumers to connect to the internet, download music and videos, and communicate with other consumers. Consoles such as Xbox and Playstation currently allow gamers to play online. However, they do not allow gamers to fully interact online.

The following graph shows discussion trends for video game consoles. The Nintendo Wii has been receiving the most buzz as of recently.

HSBC Advertising on Airline Terminals

I flew into La Guardia International Airport this past weekened and noticed HSBC has ads placed on airline terminals. I found this very interesting. It definitely caught my eye. Then again, I'm always trying to find new unique ways companies advertise. I could only imagine what made HSBC put ads there. So I decided to do some research. Apparently, HSBC signed a five-year deal in April 2006 to brand the interior and exterior of the 108 jetbridges at John F. Kennedy International Airport in the first major airport branding agreement in North America. It started negotiations to brand itself at La Guardia as well. HSBC recognized the importance of reaching out to consumers in one of the world's largest financial markets, New York City.

HSBC said the following when releasing news about signing the deal back in April. "True to being 'the world"s local bank,' we're excited that New Yorkers and visitors will be exposed to HSBC as they pass through JFK," said Martin Glynn, president and chief executive officer of HSBC Bank USA, N.A., HSBC's U.S. banking unit. "HSBC's strong metropolitan New York presence complements its global footprint and makes New York's airports natural places to continue building our brand with domestic and international travelers alike." With this agreement, HSBC is continuing its U.S. brand-building efforts, which coincide with its ongoing U.S. expansion.

HSBC obviously understands who its target market is and knows advertising at prominent airport locations in North America is a great way to reach them.

GM/Chrysler and Sirius/XM: Market Leaders Merge

GM is in talks to buy Chrysler according to Automotive News and Sirius is merging with XM Radio. However, this has many people wondering why? Neither GM/Chrysler and Sirius/XM Radio are in position to become bigger through mergers. In fact, Sheldon Liber at www.bloggingstocks says, "Why would General Motors (NYSE: GM) consider buying DaimlerChrysler AG's (NYSE:DCX) Chrysler unit? Is GM lacking scale? Has anyone accused it of not being big enough or broad enough? Hasn't it already acquired many brands over the years and still run up against superior Japanese and German manufacturers? Will acquiring Chrysler help rebuild its own brand? Does GM need Chrysler? The obvious answer is no, it does not. What GM needs is better car design, improved and more uniform quality control, sharper focus, better vision, more efficiency, streamlined management structure and less overhead burden. How does Chrysler solve any of these problems? It doesn't!" In addition, Liber feels Sirius and XM Radio have their own problems and that combining forces won't help.












Overall, both GM and XM Radio stock prices rose slightly due to the recent news about acquisitions and mergers. Also, both have seen a considerable rise in buzz.

J.C. Penney Launches New Brand Positioning

J.C. Penney switched to a new ad agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, to come up with its new tagline "Every Day Matters." This is a change from its previous campaign "It's All Inside."

The new brand positioning also supports J.C. Penney's 2007-2011 Long Range Plan, which will be unveiled at the company's analyst meeting in April. Following the Academy Awards, ads will air over the next few weeks, reaching 89% of women ages 18-54 more than 12 times.

"Our customers want the moments in their lives to be more exciting and more meaningful," said Myron E. (Mike) Ullman, III, chairman and CEO. "To address this, our mission will be to make J. C. Penney a source of encouragement and inspiration, offering style and quality at a smart price."

J.C. Penney's stock price has risen over the past two years. It will be interesting to see if changing agencies and campaigns will have a positive impact on J.C. Penney's short term and long term success.












Source: BRANDWEEK

Marketing Through Social Networking Sites

Social Networking sites have been showing up over the past few years and marketers have noticed and are taking advantage of this opportunity. Today, almost half (45 percent) of web users are active on social networking sites according to the Nielsen/Net Ratings. Almost 54 million people are on MySpace alone.

Top Social Networking Sites with Alexa Ranking

MySpace.com 6
Blogger.com 15
Facebook.com 34
Xanga.com 58
Livejournal.com 69
Wordpress.com 116
Typepad.com 134
Vox.com 1,450

Nikos Drakos, a research director at Gartner, believes leveraging social networks to connect with customers is not only appropriate but also critical for companies to consider. In fact he says, "When I and others say "understand social networks,' it doesn't necessarily mean, 'go talk to MySpace.'" Leveraging social networks depends on what the goal is. Viral marketing and brand promotion, for example may be done through established sites.

Here is a list of companies currently leveraging the power of social networking sites.

Burger King
Gatorade
Jack in the Box
The Learning Channel
Toyota

Source: Customer Relationship Management

Miller Lite Goes With Digitas

Miller Brewing Co. named Digitas as its primary advertising agency. Digitas in taking over the Miller account at a time when alcohol makers are becoming more aggressive and creative in their marketing efforts. Miller hopes using a digital advertising campaign will help it compete with Anheuser-Busch. Both beer companies recently began leveraging online channels such as YouTube to market their products.

But why is Miller changing its partner now? Jackie Woodward, Miller VP-media and marketing services, said in a statement. "We are stepping up our efforts, and Digitas is the right partner to help us develop breakthrough programs that engage consumers and help further differentiate our brands." Miller spent $4.5 million online during 2005, according to TNS Media Intelligence, and $2.6 million during the first nine months of 2006. A Miller spokesman said the brewer has been increasing its digital spending and expects to continue doing so.

The graph below shows discussion patterns for Miller Lite, Budweiser, and Corona in the Blogosphere. Overall, Miller Lite receives the lowest amount of buzz while Corona has the most consistent buzz pattern. Interesting, consumers' discussion about Budweiser is relatively similar to Miller Lite, except around the Super Bowl. Consumer discussion about Budweiser increased dramatically as people began talking about its Super Bowl ads.



A key measurement of ROI for Miller Lite will be to determine whether or not its partnership with Digitas will lead on increased online buzz and ultimately sales.

Source: Adage.

Determining A Marketing Budget

Finding the amount to spend on marketing is not an easy task. Several ways exist to help companies determine the amount to spend on marketing. These include the percentage-of-sales approach, the competitive-parity approach, the use of all available funds, and the objective-task approach. There are pros and cons to each approach.

The most widely used approach is the percentage-of-sales approach. This approach suggests using information about past sales and occasionally future sales to budget for marketing. A downside to this method deals with marketing when sales are down. The percent of funds allocated for marketing will be lower when sales are lower. Therefore, this may not be in the best interest of a business that needs to advertise consistently even when sales are lower.

The competitive-parity approach requires an organization to attempt to maintain a balance between its communication expenditures and those of its competitors. However, it may not be wise for all companies to incorporate. A smaller company cannot spend as much on advertising as a larger competitor. An example of this is apparent in the auto industry. A company like Hyundai cannot match the marketing expenditures of a Toyota or General Motors. Another method is to use all available funds for marketing. This strategy is commonly implemented when introducing a new offering for which maximum exposure is desired.

A final approach is the objective-task approach. This approach requires an organization to budget communication as a function of the objectives set for a communication program and the costs of the tasks to be performed to accomplish the objectives. The approach requires three steps: (1) define the communication objectives, (2) identify the tasks needed to attain the objectives, and (3) estimate the costs associated with the performance of these tasks.

The objective-task approach is the best method, but the most difficult to apply in practice. In fact, I am currently helping a company which sells baby products reach a more defined target audience. They currently use the percentage-of-sales approach. However, I determined their current marketing strategy had little impact on sales. Therefore, I suggested they switch to a more objective-task approach. We are currently reviewing objectives. Some of these include lower marketing costs and reaching out to their core customer. I plan to do this by moving them from traditional advertisements (i.e. television commercials which don't reach their target market entirely) to focusing on search engine marketing and promotions to encourage referrals.

Overall, I feel moving to an objective-task approach will help this company meet its sales goals, lower marketing costs, and reach its target market more easily.

Source: STRATEGIC MARKETING PROBLEMS, CASES AND COMMENTS by Roger A. Kerin and Robert A. Peterson.

Duct Tape Doritos - Interview with Joe Herbert

I was able to reach out to the creator of the Doritos Duct Tape commercial, Joe Herbert. His commercial, Duct Tape Doritos, is currently one of the top five finalists in Doritos "Crash the Super Bowl" promotion. I didn't want to go into too much detail since he is quite busy with other obligations as a result his recent success. However, he did take the time to answer five questions for me. Feel free to read below.

1. What made you decide to this? We had just finished our first short film, and were looking for a second project a good friend (and co-producer) heard about the contest Doritos was having, where the winning commercial would be aired during the Super Bowl. The timing was perfect, because we love football, super bowl commercials, and Doritos.

2. What is your background in writing script? It is our dream to one day make a movie, and over the last three years we began reading and learning about every aspect of film making, including script writing. Prior to the Doritos commercial we had written two scripts, a feature and a short film script, and had started various others.

3. How did you come up with this particular skit? The Duct Tape commercial idea came from similar real life experiences and the lengths you must go to protect your food when you live with roommates, especially in college when actually having food is such a commodity. I personally purchased and installed a locking door knob for my bedroom where next to the bed I kept my full sized refrigerator. In addition... who among us has not at one point wished they could duct tape someone to a door/wall.

4. How much experience do you need to make a commercial of this quality? You don't need a lot of experience to make a quality commercial, but that does not mean that anyone could do it either. What you need first and foremost, is a creative imagination and the ability to begin with an idea that has high quality potential if done right. Then we realized is that you don't have to do it alone. The bigger budget film productions have a large cast of people all with specialized talents. We sought out local filmmakers in the community looking for volunteers to help us. The ability to sell your idea, as well as yourself, is helpful. If you have a great script and the leadership a good director has, that makes it easy to get other people excited about being a part of it. We started by obtaining the talents of Jim Timperman (director of photography) and John Blankenship (Sound) and everything else fell into place. We ended up with a total of 20 people between cast and crew. We also spent countless hours in preproduction planning every shot, so that when the day of shooting came around, we could easily manage the combined efforts of 20 people successfully.

5. Would you change anything about the commercial if you had to do it over again? Because of the amount of time we spent researching the idea, location scouting, planning out the shots, and organizing cast and crew, we were very well prepared for anything, and we extremely happy with how everything came together. You could enter as many as 10 commercials in the contest, and we submitted two. Both made the top 8 in the contest with over 1,000 entries... and if we had it to do all over again, the only thing we might have changed is maybe doing 10 commercials.. fortunately for the other contestants we only did the two.

Make sure to vote for Doritos Duct Tape at www.crashthesuperbowl.com.

I hope his commercial is aired during Super Bowl XLI and wish Joe all the success in the world for future endeavors.

Superbowl Ads Are Ready To Go

The Superbowl continues to be a marvelous spectacle for those looking to be entertained. It is known for commercials aired as much as the teams playing in it. Forget the Superbowl of champions. This is the Superbowl of commercials. And the company with the best commercial wins.

Expect to see commercials from Anheuser-Busch, Mountain Dew, E*trade.com and Go Daddy.com. However, I feel some of the more popular commercials airing February 4, 2007 will come from Doritos, Nationwide Careerbuilder.com. There is a lot of buzz pertaining to Doritos' "Crash The Superbowl" ad contest. In addition, K-Fed will be featured spoofing himself in a commercial for Nationwide. Also, Cadillac plans to run a Superbowl ad around the launch of the 2008 Cadillac Escalade. Diamond Foods will be running another commercial for Emerald Nuts this year. And finally, Careerbuilder.com is encouraging job hunters to view its ads during the big game with a series of teaser commercials. They end by saying "Watch the Careerbuilder.com ads evolve...February 4th on the big game."



But the Super Bowl continues to be among few TV events that draw a huge audience — more than 90 million last year, according to Nielsen Media Research.

"The Super Bowl still has a huge lure, and it's a great creative platform to really show off your ads," says Andy Donchin, national broadcast director at media-buying agency Carat. "It's an engaging event, and people watching the game also watch the commercials."

The graph below illustrates the popularity of the Superbowl as one of the most important sporting events. Despite being two weeks away, discussion about the Superbowl is already greater than the World Series and NBA Finals. In fact, it accounts for almost 1% of all blog mentions as of January 22, 2007. I'll make sure to take a look at these findings again after the Superbowl.

K-Fed To Appear In Nationwide's Superbowl Ad

Nationwide Mutual Insurance will feature Kevin Federline in its Super Bowl spot this year. Meanwhile, his soon to be EX-Wife Britney Spears is reportedly banned from appearing in a Superbowl Ad.

Reported incidents about failing to wear panties and nights out on the town with Paris Hilton have lead to negative perceptions about Britney Spears. Additionally, recent events have negatively impacted her reputation as an entertainer and her ability to promote products and brands for major companies.

The graph featured below highlights buzz levels in the blogosphere. It sights several reasons for increase in buzz about Britney Spears and K-Fed over the past six months. Despite receiving less discussion, most marketers currently find K-Fed more marketable than Britney Spears. This may be due to the fact K-Fed has done a good job distancing himself from Britney, especially when she commited actions which others questioned. Also, K-Fed has been quietly working on his career and staying out of trouble. He appeared on an episode of CSI, and performed at the Teen Choice Awards in August 2006. Additionally, he got bodyslammed by WWE wresting star Jon Cena in October 2006.

It looks like Kevin Federline may be well on the way to improving his Q-Score. Way to go K-Fed!

Single Women Households May Require Sophisticated Marketing

I came across an interesting article in the New York Times today. The article is titled, "51% of Women Are Now Living Without Spouses." Interestingly, the data confirms other studies that show more women are living in single households. For instance, I found another article at About Marketing.

Seeing these articles prompted me to think about the possibilities for marketers to reach out to this untapped market. I tend to think some companies such as automobile manufacturers may already be able to market to single women households. However, they may need to reposition some of the products they produce. For example, car manufacturers build smaller, fuel efficient models. This is much different than the past when car manufacturers centered production around SUV's and minivans.

Other industries may be able to capitalize on single women households by offering products which meet their needs. Some of these industries include safety and self defense, consumer packaged goods and fashion.

The rise in single women households is a market which businesses cannot afford to ignore. Ultimately, businesses will need to shift efforts to meet the needs and wants of this growing market.

Automakers Marketing to Kids

I came across an article Sunday (1/15/07) in the Cincinnati Enquirer about automakers directing more ads at kids. The article stated a number of auto companies are placing ads in child-oriented areas such as gyms that cater to kids, and social-networking sites where young people hang out. For example, children at Whyville.net are able to buy a virtual Scion xBs if they have enough "clams," Whyville's monetary unit. In addition, a 5-year old boy won his own tiny Hummer which he calls his "red monster." He got one of the toy Hummers given out in McDonald's Corp. Happy Meals in August - first time a car maker directly offered versions of its vehicles in the meals. Furthermore, auto advertisers continue to extend product placements into nontraditional spaces where kids go to play.

Automakers are increasingly targeting children and their parents due to findings that children influence family buying habits for big ticket items such as cars -- or at least parents take their kids into account when picking a brand. As for cars, 62 percent of parents now say their children "actively participate" in car-buying decisions according to a study by J.D. Power & Associates for the Nickelodeon Network. Another study for Disney ABC Kids Networks by Strottman International found that 28 percent of moms of 6-year olds to 14-year olds say they listen to their children's wishes regarding vehicle purchases.

Overall, I think automakers marketing decisions are no different than other industries. Cereal advertisers have known for years that children influence what type of breakfast foods their parents buy. Automakers abilities to capitalize on key research findings that children influence vehicle purchase decisions demonstrates effective use of market research in driving marketing campaigns. However, I do feel some tactics may not be completely appropriate. At least not on Whyville.net where there is a much younger demographic. For example, one 9-year old bought a Scion xB on Whyville.net, but it was repossessed because she didn't make her loan payments (using "clams"). Most 9-year old's are too young to be worried about making a payment on their virtual car. Additonally, this could upset parents of children who use Whyville.net, ultimately causing them to cut ties with the brand.

There is a constant battle between child advocates and marketers. Some child advocates are worried by the sublety of product placements. In contrast, marketers feel they are providing products that have legitimate play value for kids. For instance, Scion feels its Whyville promotion helps educate kids about how financing works.

I understand that it is difficult to market to a younger demographic. However, a better alternative may be to work with the Deparment of Education, or specific communities to reach children via education. For example, Visa reached out to West Virginia's State Treasurer John D. Perdue and the New England Patriots All-Pro Wide Receiver Troy Brown to help promote its Financial Football game.

Improving Blog Rankings

I'm interested in increasing awareness and traffic for my blog. Therefore, I'm searching for blogs with relevant postings about how to promote awareness and increase traffic. I came across a great posting by Ruben at BlogMoneyMakingMachine.

Ruben highlights several ideas for increasing traffic to your blog. Some of the following include:

1. Publishing full feeds
2. Join a blog carnival or network
3. Join Blogburst
4. Submit to Google Sitemaps
5. Get listed in a news aggregator
6. Make friends with other bloggers
7. Guest blog
8. Network in person
9. Cross promote
10.Use social media outlets (i.e. Myspace, Livejournal, Facebook).
11.Become and expert at something

I'm relatively new to this whole blogging thing. I graduated from college July 2006 with a Bachelor's degree in Marketing from Northern Kentucky Unviersity. I am by no means an expert at marketing. However, I have been trying to put a posting of some sort each day on my blog, even if its as simple as a video from YouTube with some text. Additionally, I do track viewership via
Google Analytics. I'm happy to say my viewership totals have increased significantly since I started posting each day.

I feel some of the suggestions Ruben notes are worthy of improvising. I'll make sure to keep everyone up to date. Meanwhile, feel free to leave other suggestions about how I may increase traffic to this site.

Top 150 Marketing Blogs

Here is a good list of Top Marketing Blogs Unfortunately, my marketing blog didn't make the list. However, there's always next year!

Dove Evolution Video

The Dove "Evolution" video has become extremely viral. Several copies of this video on YouTube have more than 1,000,000 views. This is a very high viewership following for a video uploaded about three months ago.

The video below was created to counter Dove's "Evolution" video. This video is titled Slob "Evolution."

Toyota Yaris on Myspace

Here is an interesting marketing strategy. Toyota has a Myspace page dedicated to reaching young Toyota Yaris enthusiasts. Check out the Toyota Yaris Myspace Page.

Visit Toyota's official Yaris website for more information on the Yaris.

Starbucks Monitoring the Blogosphere

A fellow blogger, Kevin Green at Socially Adept has a great take on Starbucks and branding. Starbucks is a brand that consistently has come under fire for multiple reasons. However, one of the primary reasons deals with Starbucks’ lack of support for Ethiopian coffee growers. A video illustrating Starbucks' lack of support featuring interviews with sympathetic passerbys appeared on YouTube on December 18, 2006.



Two days later, Starbucks responded by opening its own YouTube account to rebut the accusations one by one. Go to NewTeeVee to see Starbucks' rebuttal statement.

Kevin also found a great posting about different routes companies should take when they are monitoring the blogosphere. However, one thing to keep in mind is the level of influence that a particular person, or blog has over a particular topic or brand. Influential people, or "Influentials" tend to be more credible. In other words, people listen and often take the advice of influential people.

A good strategy for any company looking to monitor the blogosphere should be to create a list of "To Do's." One of the things on that "To Do" list should be to identify the "Influentials" who talk about the company. The "Influentials" are ultimately responsible for how other people perceive the brand. Therefore, a good communication strategy that reaches out to the "Influentials" is a great way to leverage CGM so that it may shed a more positive light on the image of a brand or product.

Bristol-Myers Squib Executes Cause Marketing

Here is a link to Bristol-Myers Squibb's https://www.lighttounite.org/. This is an excellent example of a company executing a cause marketing campaign to meet the needs of both the general public and achieve its business goals.

The website's was launch coincided with World AIDS Day (December 1, 2006). The website encourages visitors to light a virtual candle. Bristol-Myers Squibb promises to donate $1 to the National AIDS Fund for each virtual candle that is lit.


Interestingly, World AIDS Day has a site on MySpace which it uses to promote awareness. Here is a link to the World AIDS Day Myspace Site.






This graph shows AIDS related discussion increased enormously as a result of World AIDS Day (December 1, 2006).

Doritos Duct Tape

Here is a really cool commercial in the voting for Doritos Crash the Super Bowl Ad Contest at www.crashthesuperbowl.com.

Dove Cream Oil Body Wash

Dove is reaching out to consumers to create its next ad.

CES 2007

Overall, CES 2007 is receiving the most buzz among consumers in the blogosphere. Major topics being discussed at CES 2007 pertains to the Second XBOX 360 being revealed, bluetooth and wireless technologies. Bill Gates made his annual keynote speech. Here is a link to Bill Gates' Keynote Speech


MACWORLD is receiving its fair share as well. The majority of buzz surrounding MACWORLD relates to the new Apple Iphone.

Visa's FanWithAPlan Website

Here is a neat website which Visa is sponsoring to help fans prepare for trips. It is definitely geared toward the sport enthusiast. The site provides a currency converter, ATM Cash Locater, and information about special offers. The site is intended to keep fans up-to-date on the hottest destinations around the world as well as major sporting events.

While I like the idea behind the site, I feel there are a few things Visa can do to better it in terms of site navigation and promotion. First, Visa needs to put a search feature on the site. I had some difficulty navigating pages. I had trouble confirming that I was looking at the right information. A good search feature will help consumers find things on the site more easily. Second, Visa does not have a link on its homepage. Visa consistently comes up with good ideas (i.e. www.fanwithaplan.com and www.practicalmoneyskills.com). However, these efforts may be further noticed if links were placed on Visa's homepage. Third, a guy appears and blows a whistle when the page loads. He wears a red jacket. Personally, I think Visa should place their logo on the red jacket. The guy appears around center of the page. The whistle blow quickly draws your attention to him. Visa has an excellent opportunity to get visibility by placing its logo on the red jacket.
Well these are my suggestions. Feel free to visit the site and make your own conclusions.

Axe Deoderant Positioning Strategy

AXE deoderant understands the concept of positioning very well. Axe's deoderant campaign focuses on THE AXE EFFECT. THE AXE EFFECT is the term used to describe the the increased attention males receive from eager, and attractive, female pursuers simply because of wearing AXE deoderant and body sprays.

The Axe Effect

Ford and Microsoft Are In Sync

Ford, Microsoft Develop In-Car Communications System

Person of the Year

Time magazine has officially declared it. I am the person of the year. In addition, Adage states I am the ad agency of the year. Now calling me all these things is probably just a ploy to get me buy more Time magazines, or read more marketing material. But who am I to disagree with the experts. Besides, I’m entitled to my “15 minutes of fame.” It’s just too bad I have to share it with everyone else.

IAG's Top Ten Ads

Here is a link to IAG's Top 10 Ads between December 4, 2006 and December 31, 2006.

December 2006 Top 10 Most-Liked, Most-Recalled New TV Spots

Gold's Gym Knows Best

I noticed Hulk Hogan wearing a variety of Gold's Gym muscle t-shirts while watching an episode of "Hogan Knows Best" on VH1 last Saturday night (1/6/07). Now this enticed me to look a little further into Gold's Gym and its marketing strategies. Everybody knows traditional advertising doesn't work as well as it used to. Therefore, I am always interested in seeing how companies take advantage of different opportunities to market themselves.

Overall, Gold's Gym has strong brand awareness, which is a reason for their success. Gold's Gym has established worldwide recognition through millions of dollars of advertising placement, consistent P.R. exposure and strategic marketing alliances and promotions. It's brand awareness is reinforced when consumers see it's logo in Hollywood films and TV shows like:

Adam Sandler's The Longest Yard
The Dr. Phil Show's official gym for the Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge
VH1's Celebrity Fit Club
Entourage, Wheel of Fortune, Hogan Knows Best and Extreme Home Makeover

Gold's Gym marketing strategy tries to illustrate that its the choice of celebrities, professional athletes and successful fitness enthusiasts.

However, I do notice other health clubs taking a similar approach to marketing as Gold's Gym. For example, Fitworks has enrolled Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo and former Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Jon Kitna as spokespersons promoting its gym.



The marketing strategies of health clubs to use non-traditional means of advertising (i.e. product placement and sponsorship) provide a much better way of reaching their target audiences when compared to running television commercials to the mass market.
In conclusion, health clubs such as Gold's Gym appear to be savvy marketers in addition to being health experts.

VH1 Celebreality

Using Teaser Advertisements

A company or person introducing a new product may want to use a teaser advertisement. A teaser advertisement, or mystery ad is designed to build curiosity, interest, and/or excitement about a product or brand by talking about it but not actually showing it.
For example, Lee Jeans used teaser ads as part of its "Can't bust' em" campaign for its new Dungarees line that features the Buddy Lee doll.

The campaign was designed to intrigue influential trendsetters among the 17- to 22-year old target market. The goal of the campaign was to let the trendsetters discover Buddy and spread the news about him. The teaser campaign was successful in generating word of mouth.

Teaser ads are often used for new movies or TV shows and for major product launches. They are especially popular among automotive advertisers for introducing a new model or announcing significant changes in a vehicle. Additionally, teaser ads are excellent for promoting games and consoles which are about to be released. See GameSetWatch for more examples game teaser ads.



Here is an example of a teaser ad for the XBOX 360.

Teaser ads can generate interest in a new product, but advertisers must be careful not to extend them too long or they may loose their effectiveness. Also, teaser advertisements are great ways to entice consumers to visit a company's website. For example, a company could show the beginning of a commercial on television, but prompt viewers to visit their company website to select an ending.


Sources: Advertising and Promotion, AN INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS PERSPECTIVE. 6th Edition. George E. Belch & Michael A. Belch

Viral Kodak Video on YouTube

A recent Kodak video that was posted on the internet has gone viral and is ranking high on video content sites. In addition, consumers' sentiment toward the video is positive.

The Kodak video shows a guy raving about Kodak technology. "You'd never expect it from Kodak," said Betty Noonan, Kodak director and VP-brand management, talking about the video's appeal and popularity. "Kodak has been very narrowly defined -- broadly represented as a brand, but narrowly defined."

The Kodak video began as an internal presentation for the Wall Street Journal's D: All Things Digital conference May 2006. It was created by an internal marketing group and Kodak's agency, Partners & Napier. Kodak executives interviewed said they are not sure how the video made its way to the web in December 2006 but feel one or more tech-savvy employees uploaded it from the company intranet.

The success of this Kodak video shows the power of CGM. Kodak leverages the power of word-of-mouth to reach out to consumers and blogger who pass along the video. They like the fact that Kodak is able to make fun of itself, despite quarter after quarter with disappointing sales. Kodak intends to do more exploring in the digital-media world to assist with marketing efforts and product development.

Source:Adage

Sprint is Done "Powering Up"

Sprint, the nation's No. 3 telecom provider, is looking for " a differentiated message" according to company spokeswoman Mary Nell Westbrook. It is looking for a way to get back to a competitive position.

Publicis & Hal Riney to developed the "Sprint guy," actor Brian Baker who wore a black trenchcoat and spoke about Sprint's wireless services. However, virtually every other wireless phone provider (i.e. Verizon, Cincinnati Bell) has created "guy" to promote its brand. Sprint feels sending a different message to consumers may prove more effective in its attempt to regain momentum in the marketplace.

Source: Adage

Small Agency Client Marketing Strategies

Here are a few good articles which show why small agencies need to use tools such as YouTube and social media in their attempt to reach customers.

Small Agency Marketing Strategies

Forrester Study Shows Consumers Don't Like Mobile Ads

Here is a link to a recent Forrester study which finds consumers are wary of mobile ads.

Forrester Mobile Ads

Starbucks Eliminates Trans Fats

Starbucks will be working diligently in 2007 to update its food items in order to comply with a ban in New York City which will eliminate trans fats in restaurants and eateries. Also, it hopes to cut trans fats from the rest of its U.S. and Canadian stores by the end of the year, spokesman Brandon Borrman said. "Our focus has always been on providing our customers with healthy and nutritious food options," he said. Borrman said Starbucks' move was not prompted by the New York ban. "This is something we've been working on, on our own, for a couple of years now," he said.

The New York City ban to cut trans fat from food items sold is also affecting other restaurant businesses. In fact, Wendy's and Taco Bell plan to go trans fat free as well. McDonald's is experimenting with with healthier oil blends for its french fries and vowed to be ready for the New York City ban, which takes effect on July 1, 2007.

Starbucks to drop trans fats from items - Yahoo

Bank of America Executes Nationally, but Delivers Locally

Bank of America continued with its forward momentum in 2006. It ended 2005 with a bang by introducing Keep the Change. And it kept on chugging forward by merging with MBNA and keeping online brokerages on their heels by offering $0 equity trades for accounts with $25,000 or more.

Bank of America has continued to maintain its presence online, on air, and in print of mostly product-specific ads that focused on its "Higher Standards" campaign. It looked to add value to its customers seeking a single financial source. Bank of America's goal is to become a "destination" brand.

"Reflecting our size and scale, and the capabilities that we deliver domestically and throughout the world, our marketing strategy is singularly focused on supporting and accelerating the growth prospects for our company," says cheif marketer Anne Finucane. "Our ongoing work is meant to evolve Bank of America from a brand everyone knows to a destination brand that everyone-consumers, businesses, and communities--chooses and uses repeatedly because our innovative solutions and understanding of their financial needs create opportunities for them that no other financial services provider can match."

Bank of America will continue to attract and retain customers since it focuses on creating a portfolio of easy-to-use products, technology, and customer security. In fact, its online banking site includes the addition of "Sitekey" which protects its customers against identity theft. Bank of America's ability to integrate product, service and marketing strategy allow it to move smoothly through the rocky financial industry.


Bank of America marketing objectives in 2007 include extending race-themed mass-market promotions, at-track branding and hospitality, rewards programs for customers and employees, and business-to-business and cross-promotional opportunities with NASCAR's various sponsor partners. In addition, Bank of America is the official sponsor of Major League Baseball, the 2006-2008 U.S. Olympic Teams, and the NFL's Carolina Panthers, Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, and New England Patriots.

Bank of America's growth is just another great example of a company leveraging its size to add value and increase revenue, and expand its customer base. Federated Department stores is using a similar strategy with Macy's. Likewise, Federated is leveraging the marketability of Macy's as a national brand. Macy's may be America's Department Store, however, Bank of America is definitely America's Bank.

Blockbuster Versus Netflix

Blockbuster has begun to use a comparative advertising strategy to show consumers that it offers more value than Netflix. Advertising in which a competing product is identified and compared unfavorably with the advertiser's product is known as comparative advertising. Blockbuster does this successfully in its newest television ad.

Blockbuster promotes its new "Total Access" rental program in its newest commercial which aired recently. Blockbuster differentiates itself from Netflix by letting customers know they can return their videos to a Blockbuster store instead of waiting to receive a new video through mail. Blockbuster has nearly 6,000 worldwide locations where customers may return a movie and get a new one.

I would have to compare Blockbuster's marketing strategy to that of Bank of America. Both are behemoths is their respective industries. Bank of America recently initiated 30 free online trades for investors with over $25,000 in FDIC products at Bank of America. This offer initially sent shockwaves through the financial industry. Likewise, Blockbuster is taking advantage of its position as an industry leader to stamp out its competition.


Please see www.Brianshoff.com for more information about Blockbuster's marketing strategy.

Netflix: How it Works

Coke Placing Bets on Zero

Coca-Cola is reportedly going to put more money behind Coke Zero in 2007. In fact, it will be spending an estimated $13 million on advertising. Coca-Cola will be changing packaging design to improve shelp impact. In addition, its 2007 media schedule for Coke Zero will include national TV and digital support including the NCAA, national print around football and sponsorship of Notre Dame. Ads will also be placed on AOL, Grey's Anatomy, 24, MTV and late-night talk shows with radio ads in 20 markets.

Coke is attempting reposition Zero around its "Coke-ness" theme. The "Coke-ness" theme illustrates how Coke Zero tastes more like regular Coke. Coke Zero was originally positioned as a carbonated beverage for males. Despite widespread skepticism since its June 2005 launch, Coke Zero has logged five months of growth since July, steadily climbing to a 1% share. (By comparison, the country's No. 10-selling brand, Diet Mountain Dew, holds 1.4%.) Sales volume for Coke Zero increased 154% in mass channels excluding Wal-Mart in the first nine months of last year, according to Beverage Digest, making it one of the best performers in the company's fizzy-drink portfolio.

An interesting note: Pepsi ranked No. 1 in Customer Satisfaction Despite New Products, Quarterly Surveys Shows Coke Lagging.

Coke Zero Website

Source: Adage

Intel Multiplies Inside

Intel has purchased the rights to use Time Square's bookend video billboards for its 'Multiply' campaign which goes through January 7, 2007. Intel's goal is to have people upload photos of themselves. Each persons' photo will show as one image, then mulitply into many smaller ones.

"'Multiply' is now our overall campaign for all we do at Intel," said Thom Campbell, Intel senior media manager. "Our mission is to manifest 'multiply' in media."

The term 'Multiply'is used to describe Intel's new processing architecture, the Core brand. Intel plans to use creative media solutions to advertise its brand. Mr. Campbell said. "We're pushing creativity with media; it's really in the forefront now of what we're doing." It is generating good traffic thus far.

Source: Adage

Pepto Bismol on YouTube

Here is an interesting Pepto Bismol commercial that I saw on YouTube.com.

Ford Edge Commercial Too Much Like GM Flying Cars

Now don't get me wrong. I like Ford. In fact, I'm the proud owner of a 2006 Ford Explorer. However, I see to many similarities between the Ford Edge commercial and GM's Flying Cars. I have listed three main similaries below.

1. Both commercials show cars off the ground
2. Both commercials focus on exterior shots primarily
3. Both commercials focus on the ease of traveling with one of their vehicles

I don't like the fact Ford had to think that the Edge needed to be off the ground to send the right message. Overall, I like Ford's marketing strategy for the Ford Edge. They have enlisted several hip-hop stars in an attempt to attract 30-sometings. Unfortunately, Ford needs to make sure its commercials don't resemble GM's if it wants to differentiate itself.

In addition, I find it very interesting that both commercials show off the exterior features (i.e. design). However, I do feel Ford placed slightly more emphasis on presenting interior quality and comfort.

The third and final point I'd like to make illustrates how both brands show the ease of travel when driving one of their commercials. It is important to note that both brands made this point in different ways. GM focused on the speed of getting to where you need to be by showing its cars flying. In contrast, Ford showed that it provides a more comfortable ride when going from point A to B. This eludes to why I feel Ford place a little more emphasis on the interior compared to GM.

Overall, it looks like Ford is positioning the Ford Edge to be an affordable, comfortable ride with and edge (no pun intended). Likewise, it should be able to compete with the Chevy Equinox and Nissan XTerra very easily. Ford has always been known for building high quality SUVs. I may even go out on a limb and say it may compete as a lower cost alternative to the Lexus RX. However, Ford will have to place much more emphasis on comfort and quality if it ever plans to go in that direction.

Do Customers Separate Product From Service?

Do customers separate product from service? Most people I talk to feel product and service are equivocal. However, I beg to differ. I feel that customers do distinguish between product and service.

I see a product as something that meets my needs. For example, I may purchase a Snickers because I'm hungry and want a nice mid-afternoon snack. Snickers really satisfies! Therefore, I find myself full and not hungry. Hence, I am satisfied with the product since my need has been met.

Customers realize they have an issue with a product when their needs are not met. For instance, a credit card holder may feel their needs are not met if their APR is too high or they are continuously charged an annual fee despite being a long time cardholder. It is at this point when a customer sees a problem with the credit card (product) they are using.

Now it is possible for a product issue to be confused with a service issue. In fact, most people feel they are one in the same. A bad product equals bad service and vice versa, supposedly. However, product issues and service issues are distinguishable. It is important to note that product issues (i.e. candy bar has a bad taste) may be worsened by bad service (i.e. inability to contact a representative to handle the situation). This is due to the fact that many people expect to get through to a representative quickly.

Unfortunately, level of service is something that is set by a customers expectations, not a companies evaluation of its ability to handle claims efficiently. Everyone has their own perception of what they deem to be good service. This may be why it is so hard for companies to meet the needs of so many consumers.

Servicing issues occur for many reasons. Now, I don't mean to keep going back to credit cards, but they are a great example for my case that product and service are different. Many customers call the bank issuing their card to have fees removed (late once - shame on me, late twice - shame on you). Customers who expect the fees to be removed find themselves dissappointed when they are told that the fees cannot be removed. This is due to their expectations about what should've happened.

To sum things up, I have included the following.

Product = Needs
Service = Expectations

Failure to meet a customers needs is a product issue.
Failure to meet a customers expectations results in a service issue.

Therefore, any company looking to get my dollar will have to meet my needs and expectations. Will you hold companies to the same standard going forward?

Anyway, I've put my two cents in on this interesting topic. I feel taking a deeper dive into this topic may prove very beneficial. Unfortunately, its 3:29 AM and I'm tired. Also, I'm just a recent college graduate who thinks he's found the holy grail for problem resolution between businesses and their customers. I have much to learn about this topic. However, it is very important in the world of Sales and Marketing. We live in an age where customers are always looking for a win-win situation with businesses (i.e. I forgot to read the fine print when I signed the contract. Is there something we can do about this since I'm unhappy with my decision?) In contrast, businesses are looking for ways to make a profit (i.e. You should've read the fine print. That's what its there for!). Obviously, customers have a lot to learn and so does business.

I'm Not Thinking Arby's...I'm Thinking Online Video Contest

Here is a commercial that Arby's has been running for quite a while. I like Arby's slogan, "I'm thinking Arby's." However, I'm not that impressed with this commercial. The sheer fact that three adult men (construction workers) would pass on a hot model for curly fries and a drink is wrong! Also, why are the construction workers slacking on the job. Perhaps they are already on lunch. However, they should just go directly to Arby's if that's the case.

I feel a better ending to this commercial should show the three men exiting an Arby's restaurant with their food. Arby's can illustrate its point even better if they used this alternative ending to this commercial.

I noticed a few consumer videos created by consumers about Arby's on YouTube. Arby's slogan is not all that bad. In fact, it could be more viral in nature if they take the correct course of action. I think Arby's could capitalize on an "I'm thinking Arby's" online video contest. Arby's could offer prizes to consumers posting the best video's about their experiences thinking about Arby's. This would be a great way for Arby's to be one up on the burger chains.

There are three ways Arby's could do this. They could have consumers submit videos on YouTube, to their corporate office, or create a website (i.e. similar to Coke) where consumers can submit creative content related to their experiences with Arby's. However, Arby's would need to be opened minded about such a contest since. Customers who have had bad experiences with Arby's would likely view take advantage of the contest to voice their opinion.

Chad Johnson Partnering With Degree

Unilever has signed up Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receiver, Chad Johnson, to promote its Degree deoderant. There are multiple billboard signs around Cincinnati featuring Chad Johnson and Degree deoderant. The advertisements are based on the list of cornerbacks Chad Johnson feels could not cover him in 2005. Do you remember who can cover 85 in 05'?

Degree deoderant also set up a website for Chad Johnson as part of its sponsorship. The website is called www.chadjohnson85.com.

Kay Jewelers Targeting Males

I was watching NCAA basketball over the holiday weekend and noticed a bunch of advertisements by Kay Jewelers. This sparked some thoughts about the audience Kay was trying to attract. It is apparent to me that Kay Jewelers is trying to attract a male audience. And this makes sense to the extent that many men buy jewelry as gifts for their significant others. I'll be tracking advertisements by Kay Jewelers over the NCAA basketball season. Also, I'll see if I can find some market research on purchasing habits of consumers who buy jewelry.

Chock Full o' Nuts Expanding Cafes

Chock Full o' Nuts currently has 135 cafes and kiosks throughout New York's tri-state area. However, it plans to expand to other markets such as Las Vegas to introduce a new generation "for whom coffee is as much a cultural phenomenon as a beverage," per the company.

"Chock full o' Nuts has been on of New York's most beloved brands of coffee for generations, known for having the highest reputation for quality, consistency and value," Jim LaGanke, svp-Chock full o' Nuts Cafe division said in a statement. A recent company survey showed more than one-third of consumers asked chose Chock full o' Nuts as teh brand of coffee that best represents New York.

I've always known Chock Full o' Nuts to be a very good coffee at a low price. It is typically available through most grocery retailers. It's like Starbucks, but without the sex appeal. I think urban professionals when I think of Starbucks. However, I see New York, then urban professionals when I think of Chock Full o' Nuts. I see morning commuters in New York City waking up and drinking Chock Full o' Nuts with a bagel and cream cheese. I don't think my vision is too far from reality. There are thousands of bagel shops all over the country touting themselves as replicas of New York City bagel shops. I feel tapping into some of these 'New York' style bagel shops would be a great way for Chock Full o' Nuts to capitalize on their current image. However, I'm not sure entering upscale markets where Starbucks already has a prominent presence is a good growth strategy. Chock Full o' Nuts will need a clearly defined marketing strategy which positions their product effectively in the minds of consumers.

McDonald's Offers Breakfast Value Menu

McDonald's has begun testing morning items on its Dollar Menu in select markets. See more information at Adage.

Is Enterprise Creating a New Image?

Enterprise has gone through a series of recent marketing initiatives such as offering exotic cars, introducing a new logo and expanding its market at airports. But why is Enterprise introducing all these new ideas? Is Enterprise trying to reposition itself or take a different marketing strategy? I am currently trying to figure out why it is doing this.

Hertz introduced a variety of collection cars (i.e Fun Collection, Prestige Collection) which received a considerable amount of buzz. Hertz's offering of a Shelby Mustang GT-H has received a lot of discussion from bloggers and automotive experts. The unique car rental offerings are positioned to attract the "weekend traveler" looking for something different to drive.

Interestingly, Enterprise has began offering Lotus Elises at select locations. This may prove to be a great alternative to some of Hertz's options. In addition, offering a line of exotic and exciting cars to rent will be a great way for Enterprise to fight back at Hertz which has been expanding rental locations in many residential areas. This is important because Enterprise has long held its position in residential areas renting cars to individuals. However, it has recently decided to focus on expanding its product offerings at airports. Airports have been Hertz's primary place for conducting business.

Enterprise deserves recognition for a job well done. In fact, it has done quite well servicing its customers at airports. It received a customer service award from J.D. Powers due to providing outstanding customer service at airport locations.

Below is Enterprise's new logo.

Ford Edge Targets 30-Somethings

Ford is rolling an $80 million blitz for its new Ford Edge which targets 30-somethings.

I am very impressed with Ford's current marketing intiatives. It is taking a very aggressive approach, especially with the promotion of its new Ford Edge. It will be the official sponsor of fordedge.msn.com where visitors can find events and activities in 25 cities or share their suggestions. Ford hopes the community-style site will attract social-minded adults.


"These are very tech-savvy consumers who like social networking and this allows us to connect with them where they naturally spend time," said Jeri Ward, the vehicle's marketing manager. Ford's "Ideas from the Edge" push "really represents where advertising on the web is going -- into much more participatory media that lets consumers be part of the experience.

Ford has also set up an AIM page Ford Edge Profile and is partnering with singer Kelis to promote its urban-marketing effort. The singer created a song, "Push It to the Edge." Kelis also appears in targeted magazine ads and will play a role in various Edge sweepstakes starting in February on radio's "The Steve Harvey Morning Show" and "The Tom Joyner Morning Show."

Despite falling stock prices and declining sales in the U.S., Ford has done a good job capturing majority of the SUV market in South America. I hope Ford continues to leverage market research and technology to make an impactful return on the car industry in the U.S.

Citibank Rewarding Commercials

Some consumers may find the Citibank Reward commercials to be very funny. However, I feel they are very much annoying. I read a similar take at CaffeineMarketing with which I totally agree. Also, I have yet to see a bank or financial institution create a campaign which surpasses MasterCard's "Priceless."

Fidelity Investments Becoming More Innovative

Have you visited Fidelity's homepage lately? Well, I'm here to inform you to take a look at it. Fidelity is doing a great job of differentiating themselves from competitors such as Vanguard, E*Trade, TD Ameritrade and Scwhab.

It is becoming a very innovative financial brokerage. Many e-brokerages show their innovative side by releasing a new charting services. However, Fidelity is going a few steps beyond offering charts. It is making podcasts discussing market trends, investment strategies, and personal finance availabe to consumers regardless whether they invest with Fidelity or not. In addition, it offers text alerts, and a neat Market Monitor Widget. These are just a few of the great things Fidelity is doing to differentiate its product in the mind of consumers. Might I add that it is more important now than ever before that Fidelity be on top of their game.

Bank of America began offering 30 free online trades on October 11, 2006. Fidelity may find itself in the middle of a brokerage price war if it fails to position itself effectively. However, it is taking a step in the right direction finding creative ways to add value through technology.

Santa Drinking A Coke

Here is an interesting Coke billboard advertisement that I saw on the way to work.

New MasterCard Ad Featuring Peyton Manning

MasterCard does it again. They seem to always be one up on Visa. This MasterCard ad has over 13,000 views since it debuted on YouTube November 2, 2006.

Volkswagon Ad

This is the first ad in a campaign by Volkswagen promoting its partnership with First Act where customers purchasing or leasing new models will receive a customized First Act guitar that matches their vehicle.

Viacom Now Wants To Keep Videos Available On YouTube

Though YouTube has removed Comedy Central clips, their corporate parent Viacom has confirmed that it wants to find some way to keep the clips available. Viacom has apparently given the green light for YouTube to put the material back up.

Viacom Wants Videos Removed From YouTube

The Washington Post reported Viacom asking YouTube to purge video clips at YouTube.

Viacom asks YouTube to purge certain clips.


Viacom requesting videos to be removed from YouTube is generating negative reactions from some consumers.

ABC News 20/20 Coverage of Consumers Fighting Back

Please take a take a glance at this story from ABC News 20/20 on Friday, October 13, 2006 which elaborates on consumers video taping their thoughts and feelings about encounters with bad customer service experiences with companies.

Unfortunately, the HTML link does not work properly. Therefore, copy and insert the link into the address bar.

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2563615&page=1

Financial Football

Visa is reaching out to teens/young adults with its new "Financial Football" campaign. Please visit www.practicalmoneyskills.com for more information.

Link To CNN Article About Leading Financial Blogs

Leading Financial Blogs from CNN

Popular Capital One Commercial Featuring David Spade

What's In Your Wallet?

Interesting Customer Satisfaction Survey Results

I have been rather busy as of lately. I recently created a customer satisfaction survey for a local dental office to give out to its customers. I have since collected the surveys and analyzed the data for the dental office. Some of the findings were quite surprising. Unfortunately, I cannot provide a lot of information about the results due to professional courtesy. However, I did learn a great deal about different ways dental offices may be able to market themselves.

This dental offices doesn't plaster ads in magazines or create hilarious commercials to entice consumers to visit them. However, it does benefit from good old-fashioned word of mouth. In fact, over sixty-percent (60%) of the survey respondents stated they referred a friend/family member.

There are several ways this dental office gets the word out about its services. It uses print items (i.e. brochures and business cards) and offers referral incentives. Interestingly, survey respondents in the satisfaction survey stated they need more experiences with the dental office. It is interesting that the customers of this dental office feel they need more experiences before they will refer friends/family members. Unfortunately, most people only get to the dentist once or twice a year. Ultimately, this finding means this local dental office will need to offer additional services to get customers into its office more often.

Grocery Shopping Moving To Wireless

MobileLime, a Boston-base company, is working with Chevy Chase Supermarket to input scanners that will let customers pay for groceries with a new type of mobile phone. Mobile phones with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips will work as a "wireless wallet." Consumers will be able to store credit card accounts on their mobile phones. They will need to verify a pass code into the phone, select the card to use and waive it over a scanner. The scanner will charge the consumers credit card and send a receipt back to the phone. MobileLime says the mobile phone based payment system is more secure than carrying plastic credit cards.

Chevy Chase Supermarket is currently sending text messages advertising products. However, it hopes to roll out the "wireless wallet" by Thanksgiving 2007. Only five percent of phones are expected to have RFID chips to make the "wireless wallet" possible. However, proponents feel the technology will catch on.

Leshan, Bruce. The Wirless Wallet. 9NEWSNOW. September 25, 2006. http://wusatv9.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=52334

Visa Check Card

Here is the new Visa commercial promoting its Check Card products and security services.

NFL.com Fantasy Draft Advertisement

Here is an interesting commercial for all you sports fans out there!

Coke Reaching Out To Teen Segment

Coke created a commercial which has become viral in nature. It includes features from a popular video game: Vice City. The commercial video is titled Grand Theft Auto: Coca-Cola. There are many more videos similar to this on YouTube.com and http://video.google.com/.

Reaching Out To Customers

Companies are learning that mass marketing techniques are not as effective as they use to be. Companies can no longer run a television ad and expect people to react.

Companies are beginning to use email blasts, interactive games and viral marketing campaigns designed specifically to reach small market segments. Companies are doing this by using non-traditional means of advertising, starting company blogs to interact with customers and creating podcasts for consumers to view.

Companies such as Mastercard, Visa and American Express have created websites specifically designed to generated buzz (See Below). MasterCard has used its website to promote an interactive ad campaign. Interestingly, it is one of the most successful campaigns from a major credit card company.

Credit Card Campaign Websites:
MasterCard - www.priceless.com
Visa - www.lifetakesvisa.com
American Express - www.mylifemycard.com

Many advertisers also release press releases in the form of RSS feeds to reach key influencers in an attempt to get them to write about their products and services. The blogosphere is proving to be a very active community. Blogs are very easy for individuals to set up and update. Additionally, information can be passed along by bloggers very quickly. The very nature of blogging makes it an excellent resource to create viral campaigns.

Companies are also finding out that video is becoming a popular medium of choice by consumers. People are submitting home video and company commercial clips at sites such as YouTube.com and Vimeo.com.

One thing is for sure; companies must find new ways to reach out to their customers. How will you reach yours?

Michelob Ultra Superbowl Ad

BMW 3 Series Commercial

BMW 5 Commercial

Staples Strives For Innovation

Staples has a contest called InventionQuest. Winners of the annual contest receive $25,000 and up to an 8% royalty. The annual contest is in its third year and continues to attact investors from across the country. People submit ideas for improving office products. The contest is part of a broad effort by Staples make a stable of exclusive products to differentiate its own-brand line from those of competitors.

Staple's also got a boost after providing to pay for judges on an episode of the Donald Trump show, "The Apprentice." Contestant's on the show developed a useful desk organizer. The winning product went on Staple's shelves the next day and quickly sold out.

Staples brand products, which carry a higher profit margin than other goods, accounted for 18% of Staple's $16.08 billion in revenue last year. Cheif executive Ron Sargent says he expects that to rise to 20% this year. Mr. Sargent says his ambition is to make the chain's own products "the top national office products brand."

Bulkeley, William M. "Got a Better Letter Opener?" Wall Street Journal. Page B1. Thursday, July 14, 2006.

Bold Moves Way Forward

Ford South America has become the company's biggest success stories. It accounted for nearly $1 of every $5 Ford earned in last year. "What we can learn from South America is a willingness to start with a clean sheet of paper," Chairman and Chief Executive Bill Ford said.

First, Ford overhauled its manufacturing facilities by closing inefficient plants. It took a risk by opening a new, low-cost factory. Second, Ford began making cars that were aligned with consumer tastes. Ford polled young people at nightclubs and churches in low-income communities. Its market-research pointed toward designing a small SUV to compete with Nissan Pathfinders and Toyota RAV4s. In 2003, Ford introduced the Ecosport. It is so popular that it has captured 80% of the SUV market in Brazil. The Ecosport is designed to fit customers in emerging markets. It is smaller and designed to cope with bad road conditions.

Michael Robinet, a vice president at CSM Worldwide, a Michigan-based auto-industry research firm said "Bland or non-aggressive design is not a recipe for long-term growth and stability of any company." Ford is closing 14 North American plants and cutting up to 34,000 jobs during the next six years. It is doing this in an attempt to reinvent itself. Industry insiders say Ford must show the same boldness in North America if it really wants to move way forward.

Samor, Geraldo. “In Brazil, Ford Has Discovered ‘Way Forward’.” Wall Street Journal. Page B1. Monday, July 10, 2006.

Nestle Sales Down 18%

Nestle has been unsuccessful trying to increase sales for its candy bar, KitKat. Nestle has been trying to launch different flavors for the popular candy bar. Nestle has been trying to improve sales by introducing line extensions for its current popular product offerings. Meanwhile, it has been trying to avoid introducing new products. "Line extensions are a lot less risky, while new brands tend to be fewer and far between now," says Tom Vierhile, analyst with Datamonitor. Nestle's rival Kraft Foods Inc. turned Oreo cookies into Oreo ice-cream cones, an Oreo pie crust, miniature Oreos, and "spring themed" Oreos with purple filling. Additionally, retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. provide shelf space to brands receiving the most sales. Unfortunately, new products sales not very strong in most cases.

Nestle dropped the tagline "Have a break, have a Kit Kat" for "Make the most of your break." It hopes sales will improve.

Ball, Deborah. "Flavor Experiment for KitKat Leaves Nestle With a Bad Taste." Wall Street Journal. Page A1. Thursday, Julay 6, 2006.

Old Navy Going Upscale

Old Navy is repositioning to attract customers who are willing to spend more. Sales have been down for Old Navy. In fact, they have been declining since November 2004. Sheryl Clark, Old Navy’s executive vice president of merchandising, says Old Navy had become "overly focused on value." However, there was little product and brand differentiation from other low cost retailers. Therefore, Old Navy is going to begin selling higher quality clothes at higher prices. Old Navy plans to use Abercrombie & Fitch as an internal gauge to compare its progress.

Merrick, Amy. "Can Silk and Leather Tempt Shoppers Back to Old Navy?" Wall Street Journal. Page B1. Friday, June 30, 2006.