I've always thought that product placement is an excellent way of showcasing and advertising a brand. Sometimes it hardly feels like you're being advertised to, which definitely allows you to more comfortably receive the message. However, when product placement becomes blatantly obvious and overbearing, it's just flat out annoying and companies should be very wary of annoying their customers.
Take The Biggest Loser for instance. They started off using product placement very efficiently. The trainers would often show the contestants and therefore the viewers how to best live a healthy lifestyle through the products being placed by advertisers such as Subway, Yoplait, Ziplock, Extra Gum, 24 Hour Fitness, etc. As the seasons progressed, it got worse and worse, to the point where I don't watch the show anymore. Almost EVERY episode without fail, the contestants would be treated to Subway for dinner, or set aside to be talk about using Extra Gum to cure their snack cravings. EVERY episode. In order for The Biggest Loser to maintain its powerhouse ability to place products in its show, they need to find ways to more smoothly integrate the products.
Any over the top product placement irritate you guys?
You may or may not have already read my old blog , but I once wrote about the Coke "Happiness Machine" being one of my favorite viral campaigns. Now, the "Happiness Truck" has followed up as the sequel and I thought I'd share my thoughts on this video.
I love it! Not only does it continually enforce Coke's core brand idea of bringing happiness to everybody, it also shows how Coke has grown over the last several years internationally. Coke is showing that brings happiness to ALL of its customers, not just in America.
On another note, this is such an amazing idea for guerrilla marketing, and I believe that Coke does this better than energy drinks (Red Bull, Rockstar, Monster) that normally excel in this category. When an energy drink company shows up at a college campus, it's expected to get free energy drinks and that's about all. No extra feeling other than "sweet, free Red Bull" is derived out of it. Coke's Happiness Truck spreads the word and happiness throughout wherever it goes. It would be great to do videos of them doing this in each country they operate in, to really generate some buzz.
Holy cow how did a 16 year old get so popular, so fast? Still one of the hottest trends on twitter, out with a 3D movie, and even on Conan's show, will this blast of fame be temporary or forever? This is what I think:
Fad... Justin Bieber will probably not be popular once he hits his later years. I believe a lot of the reason for his popularity as a brand is that he's "cute" and brings a little success story with him. Is this sustaining? Nope. What happens when his voice matures? What will he need to do to maintain this huge streak of popularity before people get over him? I think he's just another teenage fad like Hillary Duff, but on a larger scale.
What are your thoughts? Will the Bieber fever live on? What does he need to do in the future to sustain his popularity as a music artist brand?
When you picture a luxury car, what are the first places and who are the first people that come to mind? Surely not Eminem and Detroit right? Wait...don't judge just quite yet.
When I was sitting in my room, eating pizza, and watching this Super Bowl commercial, I was definitely moved by this commercial. There's no doubt about it that I thought the message was powerful. Then, I started wondering..did they just advertise a luxury car with Eminem and Detroit?
After giving this some thought however, I actually think this is a great campaign. Chrysler has been in a world of hurt with bankruptcy and failure over the past couple of years, and what a great way to take a new stance into the market by showcasing their comeback. Will Chrysler be the same as it used to be? No. I think by embracing this idea of a comeback using Eminem and Detroit, Chrysler will attract a new segment of people interested in luxury cars. I believe that, granted the car isn't a piece of crap, they will attract those wealthy Americans that actually had to struggle and work hard to earn their way in life. People that might appreciate what hard work and money really comes from. Chrysler probably won't appeal to the normal luxury car owners who perhaps did not have to work as hard. Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens with Chrysler's future.
What do you guys think of the "Imported From Detroit" campaign? I'm really interested in everybody else's opinion, especially those marketers with a little experience.
For the last couple of years, AT&T has enjoyed exclusive rights to the top selling smart phone, the iPhone. However, now that Verizon has its hands on the iPhone, consumers have been swarming to break from AT&T and get their hands on it. Uh oh, AT&T's in trouble!
It's not only bad news that Verizon is taking some of their customers away, but it is also bringing to light the long time frustration AT&T customers have had with their terrible reception. With this constantly being brought up, from what I've seen a lot in my own use of social media, I'm not entirely sure AT&T will be able to hold its #2 market share spot for much longer.
What I think AT&T needs to do:
QUIT advertising that you have better coverage than Verizon!!! AT&T, i'm sorry but that is a loss cause.
Invest your advertising dollars and branding strategy into something that actually does set you apart from Verizon. Maybe you offer better plans? I dunno.
Don't turn the iPhone battle into a price war. Offer exclusive things for the AT&T iPhone that Verizon users cannot have. With the opening of the Verizon iPhone so fresh, people might have doubts as to whether or not it has beginning flaws in technology. This would be a way for AT&T to capitalize on that and convince people that their iPhone has more value.
Bottom line, I think AT&T was riding on the idea that iPhone would lead its success for too long. I believe their marketing and branding strategies have been terribly off because they have been trying to send advertising messages that appear to be false to most consumers.
Do you guys think AT&T will lose its number 2 spot eventually to Sprint/Nextel? What do you think they should do? Anybody have the Verizon iPhone? How do you like it?
Alright, between work, midterms, group projects, and everything else, I finally was able to sit down and take a look at the Super Bowl ads for myself. I'll go over my favorite ads as well as the ones I didn't feel were effective.
The Winner for Best Advertising Company Goes to...Drumroll Doritos!
Doritos never fails to be entertaining and relevant almost every Super Bowl. Perhaps this is because their product is so simple. It's an addicting snack that almost everybody loves, so it is much easier to get wild and creative compared to other companies. What impressed me the most was that these ads were created by their biggest fans! That's awesome. Way to get your consumers involved in the greatest way possible.
And My Favorite Superbowl Ad Goes to: Volkswagen!!!!
I know, almost all of you would think it silly of me to choose the Beetle commercial over the Darth Vador one, but here's why I did. Using Star Wars in advertising is NOT original! Star Wars is frequently used, whether it be through Burger King, M&Ms, Adidas, the Droid, you name it. I loved the Star Wars Volkswagen ad because it was adorable, but from a brand effectiveness standpoint I don't think it was better than everybody else. The Beetle commercial, however, struck home for me. Being a formal Beetle owner myself, I remember feeling like I had one of the cutest, coolest cars out there. This ad brings that feeling to life, and for once, we don't have to see the car throughout the whole ad. I thought this ad was especially refreshing, fun, and still relevant.
The Most Dissapointing Ad of the Super Bowl Goes to..........E Trade
For a Super Bowl ad, this was definitely not up to par with expectations. Let's face it, that baby is not that funny anymore and the cat just made it worse. I don't think people will be flocking to E Trade anytime soon for this ad.
Um...Questionable?....Kim Kardashian and Sketchers Tone Ups
Talk about racy! What do you guys think? Does sex sell in this situation considering the supposed end benefit for Tone Ups IS a better looking body? Is Sketchers really hitting the right market? I don't think most of its target market has a trainer as they already struggle to get to the gym but that's just my thoughts.
What Do You Think? Feel Free to Agree, Dissagree, and Express Your Opinions.
As I was browsing mashable.com, I came across an article (http://on.mash.to/gBzc7z) that got me excited about new ways to integrate all aspects of marketing. CSI has a new Facebook game that now has about 2 million users. In order to unlock bonuses on the game, clues will be given throughout the viewing of this week's episode. Kia and Greys Anatomy are doing similar campaigns. I thought this was pretty cool and definitely opens the door for more opportunities for marketers. What an awesome way to tie in your promotions with your advertising campaigns or product.
Have you guys seen any new and exciting ways to engage customers that have caught your eye?
