Pepsi Going Silent for the Super Bowl

Nationwide Insurance released information about its Super Bowl commercial featuring Kevin Federline early last year. And that commercial was considered very successful. It looks like Pepsi will be taking a similar approach.

Personally, I like the concept of Pepsi running a silent ad but I do not feel releasing information early is a good idea simply because Pepsi loses the element of surprise. I understand that Nationwide Insurance capitalized on releasing early previews about its Super Bowl commercial last year but running a silent ad successfully requires a different approach. It requires the silent approach.

Source:AOL

Breaking Apple News: Ultra-Portable Details

Blog.wired.com reports that an Apple insider that the company's new ultraportable, expected to be seen in public for the first time tomorrow, has an extremely thin profile and is shaped like a teardrop when closed — thicker at the top behind the screen, tapering at the bottom behind the keyboard.

Personally, I do not own any Apple/Mac products but everyone I know (i.e. co-workers and my little brother) says they are really good. I will definitely look into a Mac when I purchase my next computer.

Pepsi Partners with Amazon for Biggest Promo Ever

Pepsi Stuff and Amazon are partnering by debuting a new promo at the SuperBowl. It is supposedly Pepsi Stuff’s biggest promo ever. Additionally, it looks like Sony is joining in on the party. Krisen Nicole at Mashable, a social networking news site, says, "It sounds like a good way to help substantiate the suffering music industry, especially as so many aspects of the old media model find that giving away the content for free could also help bring in the advertising dollars. While mp3s may not go this particular route in the next few months, this promotional deal is important for Amazon as it brings a great deal of attention to the recently launched mp3 store, which is already battling iTunes in a price war."

Overall, I think it is pretty "cool" to see Sony, Pepsi and Amazon working together, but only time will tell. Pepsi may actually benefit the most by receiving an increase in online buzz as a result of being brought up with Sony and Amazon (see buzz graph below).

Victoria's Secret Will Run a Super Bowl Ad

The fact that Victoria's Secret will run a Super Bowl Ad will only mean good things for football fans. Really, I'm glad to see Victoria's Secret get back in the big game! Also, I'm glad to see Victoria's Secret going beyond simply running a Super Bowl commercial.

To coincide with the Super Bowl push, Victoria's Secret has also shifted the release of its "What Is Sexy?" list, which used to come out in May. Now the 3-year-old list will be revealed on the eve of the Super Bowl at a party in Scottsdale, Ariz. A one-hour E! special is also slated to run Feb. 9. The special, which will be hosted by Ms. Lima, will feature the "What Is Sexy?" list, as well as video from the Super Bowl party.

Overall, I like Victoria Secret's marketing iniatives, however, I will be interested to see if they are targeting a particular demograpic. Viewing Victoria Secret's website data via
Quantcast reveals that women of Hispanic and Asian backgrounds tend to visit its website more than Caucasion and African American women. Therefore, any online component of Victoria Secret's marketing initiatives should target both Hispanic and Asian women.

Marketers Shift Focus to Communicate with Consumers Online

Advertising Age has an interesting post illustrating how marketers are beginning to use social media as an opportunity to create dialogue with consumers. Interestingly, this article directly reflects some of the information I'm reading in Beyond Buzz by Lois Kelly.

In a nutshell, Kelly highlights the importance marketers to listen and act on consumers concerns. Additionally, she stresses the importance of engaging in online discussion with consumers.

Many marketers complain that it is impossible to control what is being said about them. However, marketers can join in on the conversation. Many brands such as Haagen-Dazs, Doritos and Heinz are engaging consumers to participate by supplying marketing ideas and themes.

Overall, I feel Doritos has probably doing the best job, although I'm not to crazy about their new 2008 Super Bowl contest where they are seeking new music talent. I thought the 2007 Super Bowl contest allowing consumers to submit potential Super Bowl commercials was a much better approach given that the Super Bowl is a primetime event for brands to show their marketing genius.

I AM LEGEND; FORD IS LEGEND

I managed to actually get out and see a movie over the holidays when I visited a local theater to see "I AM LEGEND," Will Smith's new version of the classic ''last man on Earth'' tale once filmed as ''The Omega Man.''

Now I'm not going to discuss movie details or my thoughts about the movie itself. You can visit The Morning Call if you want details about the movie. However, I do want to talk about Ford's product placement strategy within the movie.

The opening scene shows Will Smith (aka Lt. Col. Robert Neville) driving in a Shelby Mustang Cobra while hunting for food. Later, he is seen driving around in a Ford Explorer while another character is driving a Ford Escape.

I understand that Lt. Col. Robert Neville is driving in a Shelby Mustang Cobra to hunt because it is a fast vehicle. Also, the Ford Explorer is portrayed wonderfully as a rough and rugged vehicle that can be driven in different types of terrains. However, I'm not sure why Ford didn't use the movie to highlight some of its "Green" efforts in terms of showcasing better fuel economy.

Lt. Col. Robert Neville plays the role of the "last man on earth." Neville lives in a fortified townhouse, locked in against the terrors of the night. By day, he scavenges for food that hasn't passed its expiration date. Given the scarcity of resources (i.e. fuel and food), I think Ford could have used the product placement opportunity to highlight some of its more environmentally friendly efforts or showcase fuel economy in some of its vehicles (i.e. Ford Focus or Ford Escape Hybrid). For instance, Lt. Col. Robert Neville could been in a scene were he was filling-up the tank of a Ford Escape Hybrid with the camera focusing on its hybrid badge. Additionally, Neville could have made subtle mention about thankfully having enough fuel left during crucial situation (i.e. being chased by "the Dark Seekers").

Overall, I like Ford's decision to place some of its vehicles in the movie. I think it is an excellent follow-up to GM's decision to feature its vehicles in Transformers: The Movie during summer 2007. Also, I'm looking forward to seeing the new Bullit movie featuring the Ford Mustang in 2008. However, I do feel that car manufacturers, including Ford, need to stress the importance of fuel economy and highlight their environmental friendly efforts via product placement, especially with consumers' concerns over rising fuel costs.

Product placement should go beyond simply getting a product or brand name in front of the camera. Companies such as Ford that wish to engage in product placement need to take the opportunity to send a message to consumers telling them what their company and products are about.

I do not want people reading this post to think that I am againt Ford since that would be an incorrect assumption. In fact, I am the proud owner of a 2007 Ford Focus and a 2006 Ford Explorer. However, I do want to give my opinion about Ford's marketing strategies. I'm not sure whether my opinion may be of value to anyone but it is my opinion. Also, Ford is spending a lot of money on innovation and improving fuel efficiency. You can find out more about Ford's green efforts at Ford Greener Miles Environmentally Friendly Vehicle Innovate site.

The state of the Wii - 24c3

I found an interesting video on YouTube regarding the Nintendo Wii. It posted on December 28, 2007 and currently has more than 163,000 views. Additionally, the video has clearly impacted overall buzz for the Nintendo Wii.

(Double Click to Enlarge Video Game Console Buzz Trend)


I do not think Nintendo released this video. Simply looking at video tags reveals words such as Wii, hacking, hack, hacked and exploit. This leads me to believe that someone is trying to crack into the code of the Nintendo Wii. Additionally, the guest speaker is somewhat negative toward the Wii at the beginning. The author feels Nintendo made some smart decisions by improving the processor and adding bluetooth, but says the Wii is just an improved GameCube. Additionally, the speaker criticizes the fact that the Nintendo Wii lacks an encrypted memory scheme.

Unfortunately, I'm not too familiar with game programming code, therefore, I am asking others get me up to speed on this topic. However, it is definitely impacting Nintendo Wii buzz positively and negatively, especially as it relates to the Wii lacking encrypted memory.

NFL Network Works Out Deal to Broadcast Historic Game

I came across a posting at Advertising Age about NFL simulcasting the potentially historic game. "The NFL said yesterday that it had reached a deal for CBS and NBC affiliates to carry the NFL Network's broadcast of Saturday night's game between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. Should the 15-0 Patriots prevail over the 10-5 Giants, they'll become the first NFL team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to finish the regular season undefeated," says Jeremy Mullman at Advertising Age.

You can read more about it by linking to the actual article.

Kmart Creates Ads to Target Specific Audiences

I came across a post at Adage.com regarding Kmart tailoring TV ads for different audiences. Now I agree with Kmart's strategy, but I'm not sure why they didn't get around to this sooner. Creating ads targeting different audiences is something that every brand should strive to do.

How Does the Mitchell Report Affects Marketers?

U.S. Senator George Mitchell released the Mitchell Report December 13, 2007 which covers the history of illegal drug use in Major League Baseball (MLB).

The release of the Mitchell Report led me to do some research about its implications on sports marketers. However, I feel the impact will be minimal. Short of Roger Clemens, I don't think any of the star players listed where any surprise. Miguel Tejada, maybe? Barry Bonds, no surprise here. Additionally, anyone who has followed baseball over the past 2-3 years is very much aware of the steroid allegations toward many of baseballs superstars.

Baseball has survived scandal before (i.e. 1919 World Series). However, each blow becomes worse and worse. I hope MLB works to get things right and I think it will. I love going to a baseball game, drinking a cold beer and seeing the different ways in which brands reach out to sports fans.

Social Networking...No Longer Just for Teens

I came across an interesting article at Bloggingstocks.com about skepticism regarding the popular social networking site, Facebook. Venture capitalists have found out that it's not easy advertising to the social networking crowd.

This week, eMarketer published a study that forecasts that social networking advertising is expected to reach $4 billion by 2011 (on a global basis). Something else: eMarketer thinks that about half of all online adults will be on social networks by 2011. The author, Tim Taulli, disagrees. While he feels teens will remain avid on social networking sites, he goes on to say, "But, adults have other things to do besides social networking (such as making a living, taking care of kids, and so on). In other words, if eMarketer is counting on adults for social networking riches, it might want to think again."

Personally, I agree with Tim. Also, even if adults have an account with a social networking site, how often will they visit the page and update it or look around. I had a Facebook account, but canceled it since I never visited the page. Also, I have a MySpace, but I'm lucky to update it once a month. Unfortunately, I have more important things to do than focus on MySpace, like updating my marketing blog.

I do feel that social networks sites such as Facebook will continue to grow, but I do not feel half of all online adults will be on social networks by 2011. And even if they are on a social networking sites, marketers must still find out how active adults are before committing millions of dollars to reaching someone who may only be there part-time.

Top Consumer Credit Cards

I came across an interesting article regarding the top consumer credit cards by Jennifer Waters at MarketWatch. She notes that Capital One's Card Lab was ranked No. 1 according to IndexCreditCards.com.

Capital One's Card Lab allows consumers to pick and choose their own features such as interest rates and rewards or introductory rates on new purchases or balance transfers. This seems somewhat similar to the Chase Freedom "Dynamic" rewards card. The Chase Freedom Card got a fresh rewards program this year that helped put it in the top three. The program automatically gives cardholders higher rebates for their three top monthly purchases, which tend to be gas, groceries and dining out.

Consumers like cash rewards, but not every bank can offer 5% cash back on every purchase. Personally, I feel flexible rewards cards may be the wave of the future when it comes to credit card rewards. Consumers will be able to receive higher cash back percentages from businesses and services they frequent more often versus other businesses. I see this as a win-win for both banks and consumers. Banks can still offer reasonable cash back rewards while consumers receives high cash back rewards on things they purchase most often.

Additionally, the article reviews three "green" cards for environmentally focused consumers which include the Bank of America Brighter Planet Visa, the GE Money Earth Rewards Card and the GreenPay MasterCard. The cards offer rewards points that help fund environmental projects such as tree planting.

Pepsi Introduces New Bottle

Pepsi has partnered with the New York City-based packaging design firm 4sight inc. to come up with a new 20 oz. bottle for the US market. The new design incorporates structural elements meant to appeal to the all-important youth demographic.

The new packaging is part of a larger branding program called "Choreography," which Pepsi launched early in 2007 for all 14 US trademarked Pepsi and Diet Pepsi beverages. This is according to an article at
BEVERAGEWORLD.

Personally, I like Pepsi's new design. At first glance, it seems like the colors are brighter than previous Pepsi labels. Additionally, I spoke to my wife about her opinions regarding Pepsi's new 20-oz. bottles. She feels the packaging makes the bottle appear taller than before, but is the only real difference she notices. Overall, she feels they look very much the same as previous 20 oz. bottles. However, she does like Pepsi's new design on its 12 oz. cans. She feels that it has a "retro" appeal comparable to bottles of the old days (i.e. pre-1960's). She does find the Pepsi cans more appealling than Pepsi bottles. Although, this may be due to the fact that we mostly buy 12 and 24-pack 12 oz. canned Pepsi products. Likewise, I do agree that Pepsi's new 12-oz. cans have sort of a "retro" feel. I hope this is an avenue Pepsi goes down in the future. You can find out more about Pepsi's new 12 oz. cans at Throwbackapepsi.com. Coke also launched its new contour "Grip" 20 oz. bottle in September 2007. There is some information available on it at Earthtimes.org.

Neither my wife or I will stop buying Pepsi products simply because one of us questions the packaging. We have had several positive experiences with Pepsi's customer service and see no point in changing brands anytime soon.


I understand that packaging may not be the most interesting subject, but I'm really surprised that hardly no one else is really taking notice or blogging about Pepsi and Coke's newly designed 20 oz. bottles. Both brands really took a hit over the summer of 2007 regarding the environmental and health and safety aspects of plastic bottles. However, both companies are really trying to move in the right direction by reducing the amount of plastic used to make plastic bottles and making them 100% recyclable.

I have seen some discussion from online commentators complaining that beverage companies should stop using plastic altogether since its hurts the environment, but this does not make any sense. Perhaps we should all stop driving vehicles since release toxins into the atmosphere. Also, this begs the question, what next? Should bottle manufacturers revert to glass containers, why? Glass and plastic are both recyclable materials. Therefore, I do not see a huge benefit in switching to back to glass. Also, glass can only be recycled back into glass while plastic can be recycled into many other products according to Passaiccountynj.org. Therefore, I am calling on all the influential environment bloggers out there to do some research and get behind companies and products supporting the environment. It is very hard for mankind to return to its old ways pre-modern society. However, we can do our part by following the 5R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Reject products that are overpackaged and React and supporting companies interested in following these 5R's as well.

What Are The Most Influential Financial Sites?

Have you ever wondered where to find really good financial information online, specifically for purposes of banking and investing? Have you ever gone through a negative experience interacting with a bank, but did not know where to go or who to talk to in person or online? Well, I think I can help. I recently used a combination of metrics (i.e. inbound links, traffic rankings, etc...) to rank financial sites. In fact, I have been able to rank more than 80 financial sites using my methodology. Unfortunately, I will only list the top ten financial sites. However, feel free to contact me if you wish to see the "big list."

Top Ten Financial Sites:

1. http://www.fatwallet.com
2. http://seekingalpha.com
3. http://www.epinions.com
4. http://messages.yahoo.finance.com
5. http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com
6. http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat
7. http://ftalphaville.ft.com
8. http://www.elitetrader.com
9. http://www.portfolio.com
10. http://www.creditboards.com

Why do these sites matter to consumers? These sites are places where consumers meet to discuss financial products and services and investing. Consumers discuss a variety of issues including credit reporting tactics, credit card interest rates, rewards and provide information about which banks offer the highest yields on savings accounts. Additionally, some sites cover higher level topics such as the sub-prime meltdown.

Why do these sites matter to financial marketers? These sites should be on the radar of every financial company in the United States, if not the world. Consumers visting these sites often talk about which brands offer the best products and services. And it should be important for every marketer and customer service manager working for a financial institution to know what consumers are saying about their business.

Marketing executives and customer service managers should make a point to find out which people are moderating discussion and communicate with influential consumers posting on these sites. Additionally, marketing executives and customer service managers should make a point to reach help and help resolve issues deriving from consumers complaining about their business in leading financial forums and blogs, especially since consumers discussing negative experiences on these sites may be heard loud and clear by others.

I hope this brief list of leading financial sites helps. I'll try generate a few lists highlighting leading sites for other topics such as environmentalism, automotive and technology in the future. Also, feel free to leave a message letting me know if I left out a site that should be in the top ten for financial discussion. Unfortunately, I have limited resources so I apologize if I left out a major site which should be listed higher.

Online Video Strategy...Doritos and Heinz Lead the Way

Kevin Nalts at Advertising Age posted an interesting article about ten lessons for marketers using viral videos. He argues that marketers need follow several guidelines (listed below).

Ten Lessons for Marketers Using Viral Videos:
Lesson 1) Tap into the video community.
Lesson 2) Quality of the video is not what determines its popularity.
Lesson 3) A video of a dog skateboarding can get 3 million views, but that doesn't mean your commercial will. Nalt feels a smarter play is to sponsor popular video creators to create entertainment.
Lesson 4) Online-video marketing is not just about contests. Smarter brands connect directly with prominent viral video creators.
Lesson 5) "Tagging" your video with keywords doesn't get them seen.
Lesson 6) Consumers migh see your video, but that doesn't mean they'll visit your site and buy.
Lesson 7) Paying for a well-produced video won't necessarily increase your brands ROI.
Lesson 8) Not all video portals are created equal. Make it a point to lower production costs.
Lesson 9) You may be a conservative organization but don't let that keep you from this medium.
Lesson 10) This medium will become measurable.

Nalt says that marketers should connect with online-video creators versus creating their own. And this is a good plan as long as you are connecting with the right creators. Additionally, they need to make sure their videos on located on the right site(s).

I skimmed through the all time most viewed videos on YouTube to get a glimpse about which videos are viewed most often. Interestingly, most of the videos pertain to music (i.e. singers such as Avril Lavigne and actors/actress like Britney Spears). For example, the popular video title "LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!" currently has 13,145,410 posts as of November 26, 2007. In fact, I didn't notice any videos related to a single brand as I skimmed over the first five pages of most viewed videos on YouTube. This tells me that marketers have a tough road to go if they plan on marketing through YouTube or any other video portal. Unfortunately, brands are not top-of-mind among consumers on video portal sites. However, there are alternatives, like setting up another site to draw consumers.

This is where "Lesson 8: Not all video portals are created equal" becomes interesting. Nalt says, "The vast majority of online viewing occurs on YouTube. Putting your videos on a bloated-product.com site is the online equivalent to running television commercials on a kiosk hidden in an abandoned cemetery." And I couldn't agree with him more. It doesn't make sense to me for a brand to post a video on YouTube. Odds are, it won't break through the clutter. Now I'm not saying to avoid sites like YouTube, but it shouldn't be the primary site where a brands video is posted.

Personally, I think Doritos and Heinz have provided an outstanding template for other brands to follow. Doritos encourage consumers to submit their own videos as part of its "Crash The Super Bowl" contest last year. Many of the videos appeared on YouTube. Likewise, it set up an independent site at Yahoo Promotions where consumers voted for their favorite video. Heinz also took a similar approach when it set up a special website for its Top This TV challenge. I think both Doritos and Heinz have created excellent blueprints for other marketers interested in online video strategy to follow.

LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!

A-B Looks to Go Upscale

Tom Barlow over at Bloggingstocks recently posted an article about Anheuser-Busch's plans to take a new track in its 2008 marketing. A-B will emphasize the quality of ingredients and brewing techniques in its core brands, Budweiser and Michelob.

Tom mentions that A-B is reacting to two challenges: declining/flat sales of its mainstream suds, and the competition posed by the recently announced partnership of SABMiller and Molson Coors (NYSE:TAP) to mutually market their products in the U.S. He argues that some companies fail to find the right balance that persuades the public that they are getting a bargain, better quality for the same price. Additionally, he feels the current Miller High Life campaign is one of the best he's ever seen, "A tasty beer at a tasty price." Personally, I'd have to agree with this.

Too many companies try to come up with a fancy slogan that doesn't make any sense consumers. For example, Heineken recently began a marketing campaign playing on "irresistible" messaging. However, I'm not really sure who they are targeting. I know Heineken is trying to position itself as a "luxury" beer, but I'm not sure about their stategy. For example, I question its sponsorship of Yahoo Fantasy Football. Heineken highlights the "Premium Player of the Week" for every Yahoo Fantasy Football league each week. Now, I'm an avid fantasy football player and I can assure you that there is nothing "luxurious" about fantasy football. I would think that Heineken would be targeting a more affluent crowd. I would look into sponsoring a golf tournament or something along those lines if I were at Heineken. Marketing is all about finding a position and exploiting it. I feel that Heineken may have their position, but they're not exploiting it.



Send me an e-mail or leave a comment if you have any questions or concerns about my recent post.

Starbucks Commits to First National TV Campaign

Here is some interesting news that I found over a Ad Age. Apparently, Starbucks is breaking its first national TV ad campaign to get consumers to buy another cup. Starbucks announced the campaign November 15, 2007, along with a decline of 1% in the average transactions per store in the U.S. It cut its fiscal-year forecast, which sent shares down 6%.

Now call me crazy, but this comes as a complete shocker. I frequent Starbucks often and I'm always waiting in a line for my Grande Latte. Additionally, Starbucks buzz is currently increasing online before any of its new ads have began running. I'll make sure to follow up on this after the holidays. It will be interesting to see if Starbucks upward buzz trend online continues after its new campaign airs.

(Double-click to see larger view of Starbucks buzz trend)

New Fantasy Football Blog

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am starting a new blog focused on Fantasy Football. Therefore, visit my new blog, Fantasy Football Plus if you have any questions or need to get your fantasy fix. I will be providing links to a variety of information sources. Plus, I'll help anyone in need.

I'll continue to update my marketing blog as well for those who are still interested.

Thanks for reading!

Microsoft In Cahoots With Facebook

Microsoft recently invested $240 million equity in Facebook. However, two questions arise from this action. A). Why is Microsoft investing and Facebook and how will it help Microsoft? B). What will Facebook do with the cash?

Microsoft already has a deal to sell third-party IAB-standard display advertising on Facebook. However, investing $240 million into Facebook will allow it to leverage new the populare social networking site in different ways than it did before. I don't see this investment paying off in the short-term, but it will definitely be interesting to see how it plays out over a longer period of time as Facebook is continually growing. It is expected to reach 200 or 300 million users at some point in the future.

To answer the second question, Facebook will be able to use the cash to create strategies enticing new companies to market themselves on the site. Social network spending is predicted to be $1.235 billion in 2007 and $3.63 billion by 2010.

Feel free to visit my Facebook page.

Source: Adage

This Bud Commercial Never Gets Old

I have to say that the Budweiser "Leon" commercials are some of my favorite.


This one never gets old!