Saturday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio.
A last minute invitation ended up taking me North to see one of my favorite country artists, Jason Aldean—also joined by Eric Church and the JaneDear Girls—on the My Kinda Party Tour.
It was certainly quite the event, to say the least.
Some of my favorites from the My Kinda Party album: Church Pew or Bar Stool, My Kinda Party, Don’t You Wanna Stay, See You When I See You
From the opening song, Tattoos on this Town to the Finale, She’s Country—it was an action packed, musical extravaganza—definitely worth the 5 hour drive and the blizzard.
Being in the advertising industry – and an occasional watcher of television, I am constantly being exposed to a variety of promotional advertisements. Some work, some don’t. One in particular happens to work for me right now.
Very rarely does a television commercial actually make me laugh out loud the first time I see it – but this one did:
I think AT&T did a great job at depicting a tragically humorous situation that resonates with the viewing audience. The scenario is realistic and relatable, making it easy to connect with and appreciate it from a more empathetic point-of-view. What do you think?
I also like this commercial by Red Robin ~
What’s one of your favorite commercials right now? Or of all time?
If it’s not bad enough that social media has taken over the Internet, and taken over our cell phones—it’s now made its way as a permanent fixture into our automobiles. I only wish I was kidding.
That’s right what started out as an in-car, hands free security communications service has now transformed into your very own on-the-spot Facebook status update. If you didn’t see the ad for the Chevy Cruze, here’s the gist: A guy and girl awkwardly kiss goodnight, he gets in his Chevy and drives away. He touches a button and an automated voice comes over his car intercom, announcing his Facebook news feed. Surprise! His date wrote a status update that reads, “Best first date ever.” He smiles. “The new Chevy Cruze with real-time Facebook status updates … When the good news just can’t wait.”
View it here:
Seriously? I mean, I understand that we have taken this social media, networking, need-for-constant contact thing to a whole other level, but was it completely necessary for Onstar to incorporate live news feed updates in the new Chevy models?
There’s just something incredibly unsettling about this to me. I think the good news can DEFINITELY wait.
What do you think? Have we finally gone over the edge?
Provide an explanation as to how/why each will be useful
While there are certainly many good and effective approaches of delivery for a short film, due to time and budget restrictions, and most appropriate for the scope of the class, the Internet will be the sole distribution channel.
In order to maximize the exposure for the film, as quickly (and realistically) as possible and considering budget constraints, the following websites have been determined to be used for film distribution:
The true beauty of having a blog of this nature—especially with a relatively solid foundation of viewers to the site—is the ability to unlimited access to a highly interactive communication channel. Having primary ownership of the content flow on the site, information made available on the site is strictly under my own jurisdiction—this access offers the possibility for unrestricted information flow.
“Use your own personal website. This is free advertising and the best kind because it is international and sets great name recognition (CinemaRoll, 2009)”, and a wider, more diverse reach.
“Put your trailer up in high definition on your website and on YouTube.com (CinemaRoll, 2009).”
Like other methods of Internet delivery, YouTube is cost free. YouTube videos can be uploaded and viewed for free. There is no required budget for a campaign and no cost per view or click.
The audience is global and has a “viral effect”—“ Interesting YouTube videos that evoke any kind of positive response from viewers are usually shared by viewers with their friends and family members. As a result, soon your popularity increases with minimum effort on your video. You simply have to upload a good video and your job is done (Hilton, 2009).”
Another very important and interesting advantage of using YouTube is for search engine marketing purposes. “Climbing up the ladder in Google’s SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages) – As the video on YouTube highlights the URL of your main website; many viewers are often prompted to visit the site to know more about the services or products that are on offer. So, the hits on your site increases by leaps and bounds with YouTube marketing which enhances your search engine rankings (Hilton, 2009).”
A very powerful way of message delivery is by way of social media—specifically for this project, incorporating Facebook into the communication process. Utilize “Facebook for your film. Make friends (CinemaRoll, 2009).”
Along with similar advantages as a blog or YouTube, Facebook has grown to possess some advantages of its own. Facebook is assumingly relevant, as the site has an extremely diverse audience. It is highly likely that the audience on the site would have commonality to the audience being sought after for the YMCA film. With millions of active users every day, Facebook has become an incredibly effective method to utilize word-of-mouth marketing—since the basis of the site is socialization, it is a natural progression for information to be passed from one person to the next.
An expansion on my most recent discussion on the re-released and reinvented “I’m Lovin’ It” campaign by McDonald’s—
An additional article featured on AdAge online brought out some interesting points in regard to the campaign and the collaborative effort that was required to produce such a campaign.
McDonald’s employs a number of different agencies to aid in the global marketing and advertising efforts—and being a part of the industry—I certainly understand the difficulty on getting everyone on board (ego’s included) to collaborate on a project like the new “I’m Lovin’ It”.
As the article humorously points out, “What’s it take to get cut-throat agency competitors to play nice? A $2 billion global budget doesn’t hurt. It’s at least one reason McDonald’s can get its agencies to collaborate on strategy and major messaging before releasing them to develop their own spins.”
Mary Dillion, McDonald’s Global CMO, who orchestrated the reinvention of the iconic “I’m Lovin’ It” campaign extends a great deal of credit to the ability of the companies’ agencies to collaborate— In fact, the company sees that collaboration as crucial to its advertising success.
“I really fundamentally believe that our advertising wouldn’t be where it was today if our agencies didn’t collaborate,” explains CMO Mary Dillon said in an interview. And while it’s not always easy, she said, “They know that’s what the expectation is.”
Even in the midst of some extraordinary original and reinvented campaigns, analysts are hesitant to credit marketing for McDonald’s sales and market-share gains over the past several years.
David Palmer of UBS pointed to the chain’s operational improvements and increasing variety of better-for-you products that have overcome veto votes, particularly from women. He did acknowledge, though, that the chain does some of the industry’s most-effective marketing, and the idea of it getting better is “a little scary.” Stumbles from rivals Burger King and Wendy’s in recent years, he said, demonstrate just how easy it is to make big mistakes.
“McDonald’s is receptive to great creativity,” said Mark Tutssel, global chief creative officer, Leo Burnett. “And when you have a client demanding great creativity, demanding the bar is raised higher, of course it attracts the finest talent.”
McDonald’s marketing success has stemmed from forming clear expectations that motivate creative innovation that encourages collaboration.
Making the big kids play nice has resulted in a big impact for McDonald’s marketing.
As has been discussed all semester long, the increased popularity and capabilities that come along with emerging media has brought on some major players to its roster. This is just one of those instances.
America’s favorite fast food chain, McDonald’s recently re-released its epic “I’m Lovin’ It” campaign. After more than a year of extensive consumer research, McDonald’s global chief marketing officer unveiled an updated campaign.
“I’m Lovin’ It” is now the company’s most successful and longest-running campaign, surpassing the iconic “You deserve a break today,” and “Food, Folks and Fun,” both in longevity and sales gains. The tagline actually predates CMO Mary Dillon, who took over McDonald’s global marketing in 2005. “If you look at the business success, there would have been no reason” for changing the campaign, she said in a subsequent interview, “except for ego.”
The company uses emerging media, combined with fresh creative in aim to make a significant mark on global business. The campaign seeks to bring out the company and to more effectively utilize a more consistent point-of-view and to celebrate “uniquely McDonald’s moments” all while creating advertising with a purpose—to build the brand and generate sales.
The new advertising is expected to raise the bar on McDonald’s global creative efforts. The work also appears to be using a more humorous and emotional-driven approach on a better grounded storyline— the messages “communicate key points like family bonding and fun with food. It also helps with unenviable task of getting marketing up to speed with the “I’m Lovin’ It” promise.”
A couple of those “McDonald’s moments” can be seen here:
Always keeping me in the loop on all things YouTube – A riveting conversation with Jim Nester inspired this post:
Years ago, Jack Rebney(a.k.a. “the angriest man in the world”) delighted and fascinated millions of viewers with his hilariously foul-mouthed outtakes from a Winnebago sales video. The video is one of the first and most infamous underground word-of-mouth videos to be passed hand-to-hand on VHS tapes, before YouTube turned it into a full-blown viral phenomenon.
Earlier this year, Kino International announced the acquisition and national theatrical release of the award-winning documentary feature WINNEBAGO MAN (2009), directed by Austin-based filmmaker Ben Steinbauer. The film will premiere in New York this coming July and will expand to major markets during the summer and fall of 2010, with a DVD release planned for the holidays.
The documentary was created using series of twenty-year-old outtakes from a Winnebago sales video featuring the profane outbursts of a salesman named Jack Rebney. Originally intended as an inside joke, the video spread across the globe first on VHS tape then via YouTube and other online video sites.
The theatrical release of WINNEBAGO MAN coincides with the 5th anniversary year of YouTube, and it is the first feature film to examine the cultural impact of the online video phenomenon. With social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube growing more important by the day, the release of WINNEBAGO MAN provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the transformative impact that Internet videos have had on society’s rapidly evolving relationship to media, celebrity and privacy.
I warn you, this video features an absurd amount of four letter words—view at your own discretion (I couldn’t make it past about :20 seconds):
I have to wonder how the video and now mainstream documentary will affect the Winnebago brand and its reputation…what do you think?
Toyota announced the recall of 2.3 million vehicles…the models that Toyota has stopped selling accounted for one of every 10 new-vehicle sales in the United States in December and 57 percent of Toyota’s sales in 2009. But the recalls are hurting Toyota’s entire lineup…Edmunds.com, which publishes car-buying advice, said Friday that it expected sales of the Toyota brand to fall 75 percent while sales of the eight models were suspended.Bunkley & Maynard – NYTimes, 2010
As consumers, when our experiences outperform expectations, we get a pleasant surprise with a release of dopamine, a chemical associated with interest and happiness. But the nature of our brains is such that this boost is relatively short and mild. When our expectations are not met, a downward spiral that is stronger and longer occurs; this is one of the worst scenarios a marketer can face. Our brains unconsciously assign personality traits to organizations and brands, so this downward spiral in the brain can evoke feelings of betrayal in situations where trust has been built. Tangwall, 2010
Atop of the video testimonials of customers and employees who drive the cars that they build, limited-time discounts and complimentary extended maintenance plans— One way Toyota has moved to overcome damage that these negative feelings and emotions that have impacted the company’s reputation—humor.
In the midst of their largest recall ever, Toyota has produced a series of catchy television and viral ads for their 2011 Sienna minivan.
This light-hearted, comedic look into the life of a Toyota Sienna family certainly caught my attention. The commercials and videos are for “Mom and Dad”—reaching an atypical demographic with the uses of viral marketing.
Perhaps Toyota is taking notice of the growing number of non-Gen Y users on the Internet, and involved with digital media. If these statistics are any indication of the demographic shift, Toyota seems to be on the right track in reaching its target audience Smith, 2009—
Facebook reporting nearly 45.3 million active US users in the last 30 days
Facebook growing in every age/gender demographic. Fastest growing segment: Women over 55, up 175.3% in the last 120 days.
Facebook growing faster with women than men in almost every age group. Women comprise 56.2% of Facebook’s audience, up from 54.3% late last year.
45% of Facebook’s US audience is now 26 years old or older.
Companies use many public relations tactics when faced with reputational “damage control”. Certainly, these ads alone are not what will improve product quality and restore target consumer faith in the brand—but perhaps it’s a step in the right direction.
One source defines the overall objective of buzz marketing is to “create grass-roots excitement for a product or service.” NPR
A fundamental goal of any marketing effort is to increase product and/or brand recognition. Buzz marketing, if executed efficiently, is incredibly effective in generating publicity, exposure and promoting brand awareness. Bringing big ideas to the public in even bigger ways.
Especially with the advent of social media and its increased applications, everything is buzz—made possible by Web 2.0.
While many companies come up short in their attempts to create a “buzz” using social media efforts…there are those that actually get it. Utilizing the power of social media to create a buzz, one company certainly took a viral approach to its buzz marketing efforts—BlendTec.
Beginning as an inexpensive alternative to traditional advertising (as the company had no budget for high dollar television advertisements)—When BlendTec began, “it was a small company that didn’t have a big brand. They had great products, but not a big brand Barone.” The solution: YouTube.
The company’s practice of testing was to put the blenders on full speed with hard objects inside to investigate their durability and effectiveness. Thus became the premise of the big idea for BlendTec—the “Will It Blend” campaign. Everything from wood board, to marbles, to an Apple iPhone have been tested—over 90 videos, and so far everything they’ve tried to blend has worked. In fact, the company has gotten so much recognition for their marketing efforts that they have even gained national publicity, including being featured on The Today Show.
So you ask “Is buzz marketing effective?”
When executed as it should, you be the judge:
Nationally recognized product and brand awareness: The Will It Blend videos have received 65 million views, Willitblend.com gets 120 million views. They have more than 200,000 subscribers and the company has experienced a 700 percent increase in sales.
