Happy Graduation!

Hey everybody! 

I just wanted to wish all the fellow graduates of this quarter the best of luck as they move on to a new stage in life. I'll miss everybody and hope to see some of you around Seattle sometime. As for those still at Western, good luck as well and you'll be out soon too! Good luck with finals ;). 

-Amber

Is Smart Water Being Smart? You Decide

Hello Everybody,

Since all of us students are currently in the midst of dead week, I thought I'd keep today's posting light and humorous. I saw this "viral" ad by Jennifer Aniston as a spokesperson for Smart Water yesterday and I have to admit it made me laugh. In the video, Jennifer Aniston is going to talk about Smart Water, but then realizes that she can't do that without doing crazy things to make the video go "viral". This video is a mockery of all the crazy things others have done (Children lip-sinking, Evion babies, sex appeal, the double rainbow guy, etc),  that have gone viral. Check it out!

Do you think this was the desired effect that Smart Water hoped to achieve even if it is a little off brand? What do you guys think of the video?

A Dying Personal Brand

Alright, I'm sure most of you are as sick of hearing about Charlie Sheen as I am at the moment, but I believe this is worth talking about from a personal branding standpoint. Is Charlie Sheen really making the right move in his "war" against the executives of CBS for cancelling his show? I don't think so!!!

He needs to remember that CBS is who gave him the show that truly made him successful. As much as he made the show come alive, it was his own actions that caused the show to stop. His current explosion and ranting to the media and through social media is gaining some huge publicity now, but it's not going to be sustaining. What major network is going to hire an actor on who might potential cause this much backlash? Did he ever stop to consider how he is going to get a major job again in the future? Good luck Charlie, I'll miss Two and a Half Men.

What do you guys think? Will this be the end of Charlie Sheen after the media explosion or will he bounce back in the future?

Lame Brand of the Week

Alright, time to bring in my personal life frustrations again and mix them with my marketing thoughts. Desert Sun is a tanning salon that may be a well known brand name, but it is severely flawed and here's why.

What they're doing wrong:

• Focusing ALL their attention into attracting new customers with promotions, and then offering next to no actual decent promotions for their returning customers
• Terrible customer service. Never actually expect to get into your tanning bed until about 10 minutes or so after you've made the appointment. I've rarely ever had a positive experience that has made me want to go back.

What they're doing right, kind of:

• Suggestive selling: They track your purchases and try to get you to buy things that you haven't purchased yet or haven't purchased in awhile (i.e. tanning lotions, facial lotions, leg lotions). While this is great, I would caution them to not be too naggy in the suggestive selling. It gets annoying when EVERY time you go in you are trying to be sold to. It needs to be a little more moderated.

My suggestions for improvement:

Try to find ways to increase brand loyalty and repeat customers. I hardly know anybody who actually likes Desert Sun. I only chose to go there because it's conveniently located and I like their mattress bed. I can tell you, after my second time having a membership with them I do not ever intend on going back. If they don't find away to keep customers coming back aside from dragging them into 3 month long memberships, they they will eventually lose that cherished brand name.

What's your least favorite brand of the week?