Sony Bravia Paint Commercial

Below is the actual Sony Bravia Paint commercial along with some follow-up information. Personally, I think this commercial is pretty cool. Let me know what you think.

Sony Turns Back the Clock

AdAge.com writes about Sony Re-running vintage ads to promote recycling of its products. Stuart Redsun, senior VP-corporate marketing, showed mock-up TV ads at a press meeting today to emphasize that Sony is "recycling our old commercials to remind you to recycle your old electronics."

Sony is working with Waste Management's WM Recycle America on its goal to set up e-waste recycling points within 20 miles of the majority of U.S. consumers. So far they have around 100 drop-off points, and should have at least one in each state by the end of the year, a Sony spokesman said.

Sony first launched its green initiative last August, and the company said it has resulted in 1,000 tons of recycled electronic waste. Beyond the green push, Sony plans to continue with an umbrella effort, which also began last summer, that unites its products by touting their high-definition DNA (thus the campaign's name, "HDNA"). The push was the first to employ Sony's internally named "silver bullet" marketing plan.

Unfortunately, Sony is unclear of the impact that this campaign will have on its sales.

Overall, I think Sony should be congratulated for green initiatives. However, I think this idea may have more of an impact on Sony's sales if Sony takes action on three things.

First, I would allow consumers to drop off non-Sony products. I feel allowing consumers to drop off non-Sony products will help Sony reach out to consumers who are currently using other brands while encouraging them to look to Sony. Second, I would offer a discount or rebate on a comparable Sony product. For example, a customer who drops off a Sony PS2 or Xbox 360 could be given a coupon for 5% off the total price of a PS3. Third, I would work with vendors to have drop-off locations in-store. I don't know to many consumers who will drive 20+ miles to a drop-off location when fuel is $3.00+ per gallon. Setting up drop-off locations with vendors may help bring customers to stores where they hopefully purchase a Sony product.

Again, I think Sony is on the right track. I'm merely offering a few suggestions to help its green initiatives translate to sales.

These are just some of my ideas. Feel free to let me know if you have any others.

Twitter Appears on CSI

I was surprised to see Twitter featured in as a product placement on last nights episode of CSI (Crime Scene Investigation), titled "Goodbye and Good Luck."

You can find out more about the show by visiting its
website.

McSkillet Buzz Rises Due to National Sample Giveaway

Advertising Age posted an article about McDonald's giving away breakfast burritos February 26, 2008. McDonald's is planning to give away more than 2 million McSkillet burritos the today (February 28, 2008) and tomorrow as part of a national sampling event.

I was not aware, but apparently McDonalds took a similar approach offering "Free Coffee Mondays" to get consumers to taste its coffee in the past. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised to see McDonald's take this approach moving forward. It is definitely "out of the box" thinking.

"Sampling is critical to any marketplace," said McDonald's spokeswoman Shanelle Armstrong, who said the McSkillet burrito, which launched last November, has "performed well" and that the giveaway isn't a reflection on its performance. "Ultimately we want to get our product in our customer's hands, and we're committed to doing that like never before."

In a study the chain commissioned from Kelton Research, McDonald's reports that about 48% of Americans grab breakfast on the go at least once a week. This particular finding is very interesting and I would have to say that I am probably one of those the 48% of Americans who eat breakfast on the go at least once a week. Therefore, it does make sense that McDonald's would give away McSkillet burritos, especially if it wants to increase traffic to its restaurants in the mornings.

I went and got a large French Vanilla coffee and "free" McSkillet burrito this morning. Overall, I was very pleased with the McSkillet burrito. However, I would recommend that McDonald's should introduce some alternative meat selections. Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of sausage. I'm much more of a bacon person myself. Nonetheless, I finished my McSkillet burrito. All I can say is, "Watch out Taco Bell!" I was very pleased with the spiciness and flavor of the burrito. Additionally, I'm glad McDonald's didn't go cheap using only green bell peppers. There were plenty of red bell pepper chunks in my McSkillet burrito.

We'll, I'm recommending everyone I know to at least give the McSkillet burrito a try. It may not be for everyone, but overall I think it is pretty good. I'd give it an "A.

Below is trend chart showing buzz for the McSkillet. As you can see, online discussion on blogs about the McSkillet burrito is really taking off as a result of being given away for free. Buzz in this chart does not include posts on message boards or Usenet groups.














Let me know if you have any questions about my experiences trying the McSkillet burrito or questions about my brief data analysis.

LifeLock Part Deux

I came across some interesting information about a lawsuit against LifeLock at Advertising Age. It caught my attention for several reasons. First, I am a LifeLock customer. Second, I wrote about a positive experience that I had with LifeLock at the end of January, 2008.

Overall, the lawsuit really comes down to Experian complaining about the integrity of LifeLock's fraud-alert system. An Experian spokesperson, Donald Girard, said, "They [fraud alerts] are intended to be used when [consumers] are fearful of becoming a victim of fraud, not as part of a service that puts your file in a perpetual state of alert. That's not the way fraud alerts were intended." Additionally, Girard says "Telling consumers that fraud alerts will make them immune from identity fraud is not only incorrect, but misleading."

Unfortunately, I disagree with several of Girard's comments. First, as a consumer, I feel much safer knowing my credit account has a block on it. I have worked for several credit card agencies and I can tell you that it is a nightmare to have to fix a problem on a credit report once it is on there. Second, I don't remember LifeLock ever saying that its fraud alerts make consumers immune from identity fraud. If that was the case, then why would LifeLock offer a $1 million service guarantee.

I am very much aware that LifeLock doesn't make me immune from identity fraud. However, it is more convenient. It's better than the alternative. I guess Experian wants me to go through its horrendous VRU (Voice Response Unit) every 90 days on my own to place a block on my credit report. Additionally, I'll have to call Trans Union and Equifax. However, that would be very absurd and time consuming in my opinion. Personally, I feel Experian has some alternative motives for bringing this lawsuit to fruition.

On another note though, I sent nice email to LifeLock's marketing department (marketing@lifelock.com) on January 29, 2008. The email read:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Ronald Coyle. My wife and I recently signed up for LifeLock and we are glad we did. In fact, I wrote about LifeLock on my marketing blog, http://conceptsmarketing.blogspot.com/. You may read it by simply clicking on the link. Additionally, I provide some useful data regarding identity theft buzz trends and LifeLock discussion within the blogosphere. You may find the datat useful.

Feel free to send a return email or call me at 513-293-5963 if you have any questions or concerns about anything written on my blog or my experiences with LifeLock.

Ronald Coyle
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately, I am sad to say that I haven't heard back from LifeLock. I was expectting some type of acknowledgement that my email was received. However, this wasn't the case. I called one of their representatives on February 27, 2008. And I must say that he was very professional. I gave him the URL to my blog along with some contact information. Hopefully, I will hear from LifeLock in the near future.

I think one thing that really irritates consumers online is companies that fail to respond. And by this, I mean companies failing to respond by communicating or failing to provide products and services which meet the needs of consumers. I thought that I offered a few valid suggestions in my previous post and I look forward to seeing how LifeLock feels about some of them.

Does anyone feel that I am out of context by wanting to get a response from LifeLock? Feel free to leave a comment about this. I am eager to see what everyone has to say.

The graph below highlights identity fraud trends in the Blogosphere. However, it does not show the amount of discussion on discussion forums or Usenet Groups.













Thanks for reading my blog!

Coca-Cola Backing Green Marketing Push

Advertising Age reports Coca-Cola's intent to latch onto sustainability marketing. And I think Coca-Cola's new format of promotion is a great idea. However, I wonder how effective Coca-Cola will utilize its new platform. It's one thing to make promises about backing sustainability efforts and another actually support them.

Overall, I think Coca-Cola will really have to beef up its corporate communication processes. Coca-Cola could do this in several ways. It could set up a corporate blog highlighting its efforts, utilize online video by showing action in local communities or reach out to influencers talking about the environment. There are thousands of environmentally conscious consumers blogging about the environment. For instance, Gristmill is an excellent blog to read if you want to learn more about the environment. And Coca-Cola should make it a priority to reach out to influential bloggers. Additionally, I think Coca-Cola could really benefit by using a grassroots approach to generate positive WOM (Word of Mouth). For example, Coca-Cola should do more to promote recycling at a local level. I'm always reading about great things that companies do, however, rarely am I able to partake in such a initiatives.

I would like to see for myself what Coca-Cola has planned and not just read about it.

Gap's Many Sounds

Clothing retailer Gap is partnering with partnering with San Francisco creative development and production company, Rehab, to create a series of songs based on specific colors. The partnership is the result of Gap's intention to launch its new spring campaign, "Color Redefined." You may find more information about Gap's new prgram Soundofcolor.com.

Overall, I think this should be really successful. However, I wonder if Gap will role out something similar for Old Navy. It seems like Gap Inc. could do something similar as both Gap and Old Navy have somewhat similar demographics in terms of people who visit their websites. This is according to Quantcast.com.

Gap Website Demographics

Old Navy Website Demographics

Both brands over-index on females, ages 25-34, visiting their websites. However, Gap.com appears to be frequented more often by Asians, while Old Navy.com is visited more by African Americans and Hispanics. Therefore, it may be important for Gap Inc. to make sure its music selection is appropriate for its targeted online consumers.



Source: Advertising Age.

FedEx Pigeons Fall Short According to Yahoo

Yahoo.com ranks Audi - "The Godfather" as the number Super Bowl commercial.



And while I liked Audi - "The Godfather," I feel that feel FedEx's Pigeon commercial was even better.

Target Shuns Bloggers

I just came across an article at the New York Times about Target telling a blogger to go away.

The author, Michael Barbaro, opens the article by saying, "Target to the blogosphere: you’re irrelevant." Apparently, Target conveyed a negative messages to ShapingYouth.org, a blog about the impact of marketing on children earlier this month. The blog’s founder, Amy Jussel, called Target, complaining about a new advertising campaign that depicted a woman splayed across a big target pattern — the retailer’s emblem — with the bull’s-eye at her crotch.

Target offered an e-mail response:
“Unfortunately we are unable to respond to your inquiry because Target does not participate with nontraditional media outlets,” a public relations person wrote to ShapingYouth.

“This practice,” the public relations person added, “is in place to allow us to focus on publications that reach our core guest,” as Target refers to its shoppers.

The buzz graph below highlights recent buzz patterns for Target, Wal-Mart and Sears. Overall, buzz for all three retailers is trending down over the past two months or so. Target does have a slight increase in buzz around the end of January 2008 which may be associated with the New Times article about it telling a blogger that they are not important.














Unfortunately, I will have to disagree with Target, which may not feel that bloggers are important. The blogosphere is becoming an highly resourceful place where consumers go to find information about companies, products and services. Also, many consumers seek advice and recommendations from other consumers online before purchasing products from some companies. Target may want to "re-think" its position regarding the importance of bloggers. Personally, I feel Target may be better off it bloggers are speaking positively about its brand, especially those who shop at Target.

Skyfire Mobile Browser

The new Skyfire Mobile Browser may be of interest to those using internet on their mobile devices.

Subway Referee Commercial

This commercial is so great! Subway should have saved this one for the Super Bowl. This commercial posted to YouTube on January 12, 2007 and has 82 comments. Interestingly, most of the comments about this commercial have been posted in the past month. I wonder if that may be due to the amount of negative buzz surrounding the officiating of the AFC Divisional Playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts. The San Diego Chargers had to beat the Indianapolis and the referees in that game.

YouTube Stats:
Video Posted: January 12, 2007
# of Views: 102,316
Favorited: 663 times
Rating (out of 5 stars): 4 stars

Video data collected on Wednesday, January 30, 2008.

Marketers Can Learn from Bill Belichick

Josephy Frydl at Advertising Age feels that marketers can learn from Bill Belichick by following three principles which have helped lead him to three Super Bowl victories thus far. And those three principles are Discipline, Imagination and Respect.

Now I'm not a New England Patriots fan, but I do think there is some truth behind what Frydl believes. Frydl says, "Most marketers always punt the ball away on the fourth down -- even in the face of analysis that says going for it makes more sense." And sometimes you should go for it, especially if your already past the 50-yard line.

LifeLock Comes to the Rescue

My wife and I recently received calls and letters regarding accounts that we have not requested to be opened. Fortunately, we have been signed up with a company called LifeLock which protects our identity. Overall, I would have to say the LifeLock has been a blessing in disguise and I highly encourage others use its services, or those offered by a similar company.

I am happy to say that the applications for credit did not go through, so being pro-active about protecting our identity has definitely paid off thus far. There are a lot of people who do not take measures to protect themselves until after they are victims of fraud and identity theft.

I do have three items of advice for consumers looking to protect their identities:

1. Check your credit reports at least once every 90 days. The three main credit bureaus are Experian, Trans Union and Equifax.
2. File a police report as soon as you find out you may be a victim of fraud and/or identity theft.
3. Closely monitor your credit reports.

Now this is a marketing blog. And I'm sure everyone has seen the commercials featuring the social security number of LifeLock's CEO, Todd Davis. Indeed, those are somewhat memorable. Personally, I find LifeLock's commercials easy to understand and quick to the point. The message is simple: Get LifeLock to protect your identity.

And while I speak highly of LifeLock's television commercials, PR strategy (i.e being featured on the NBC News Today Show and its services, I feel LifeLock could truly benefit from a really good social media campaign. I have several suggestions which LifeLock may want to consider if they want to improve customer service and awareness.

First, LifeLock should take advantage of social media by setting up a corporate blog covering issues and topics relevant to identity theft. Many consumers are constantly seeking information about identity theft and how to prevent it. A corporate blog would provide an excellent platform for LifeLock to communicate with consumers online.

Second, the CEO, Todd Davis, could post quarterly infomercials on its website and video content sites such as YouTube to get information out to consumers. Many CEO's are finding YouTube to be the ultimate place to reach out to consumers.

Third, LifeLock really needs to incorporate a good "Live Chat" function on its website. It may already have "Live Chat" features in place, but they are hard to find. A "Live Chat" feature should be readily visible. An alternative to providing a link may be to have customer service representatives (CSR's) monitor consumers visiting LifeLock's website. The CSR's could initiate discussion by having a "Live Chat" dialogue box pop-up on a consumers computer if they have been on LifeLock's site for an extended period of time. Some financial institutions currently do this. Bank of America comes to mind in this instance.

Below is a graph highlight discussion about Fraud, Identity Theft and LifeLock over the past 2 months. As you can see, discussion about Fraud and Identity Theft on consumers blogs is on the rise.



Note: The trend graph does not include discussion about Fraud and Identity Theft on discussion boards or Usenet Groups.

Financial Crisis Means Banks Must Communicate Better

I came across an interesting post at Advertising Age titled, "How Banks Can Boost Image in Chaotic Times."

In a nutshell, the article states that financial instutions will have to take bold actions that exceed expectations, communicate effectivley and be managed efficiently. Additionally, banks will have to find new ways to add value during these difficult times.

I feel the author, Tom Agan, is correct in his assessment that banks will have to communicate more effectively. In fact, banks that communicate effectively should be able to ride out the current crisis affecting our financial markets. However, banks that fail to communicate effectively will only find themselves in more trouble.

Top Ten NFL Teams Discussed Online in 2007 --- Just-in-Time for the Super Bowl

Below is a list of the top 10 Most-Discussed NFL Teams in 2007. Key drivers of each teams' discussion are provided.

Team
Top Discussion Drivers of 2007

1. New England Patriots
Spying scandal, undefeated regular season

2. Dallas Cowboys
NFL Network coverage of Dallas Cowboys vs.Green Bay Packers game on 11/29/2007, Terrell Owens blaming QB Tony Romo's girlfriend Jessica Simpson for loss

3. Chicago Bears
Defeated in Super Bowl XLI by the Indianapolis Colts

4. Miami Dolphins
1-15 record in 2007, played in Wembley Stadium in the UK on 10/28/2007

5. Indianapolis Colts
Champions of Super Bowl XLI, lost to the New England Patriots in Week 9

6. Washington Redskins
Murder of player Sean Taylor

7. Green Bay Packers
NFL Network coverage of Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers game on 11/29/2007

8. Pittsburgh Steelers
Player Anthony Smith guarantees a win against |the New England Patriots

9. Atlanta Falcons
Michael Vick's legal problems with dog fighting, coach Bobby Petrino leaving

10. Cleveland Brown
A surprisingly successful season for the Browns

Source: Nielsen Online

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.