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?
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.
Not only would the hearts of fans be broken, but also the hearts of several advertisers. The reason why I bring this up is because right now, the NFL is currently in some intense contract negotiations over how many games there will be next year as well as stricter salary caps for rookie players. If this isn't resolved within a specific amount of time, then the NFL will not be having a football season next year. While the likelyhood of THAT actually happening is next to none, it's interesting to think about what would happen in the world of fans as well as marketers.
Think about how much money is put into advertising in the NFL. According to an Advertising Age article by Rich Thomeselli, combining the ad revenue, sponsorships, fantasy football leagues, and all the employees who would be out of work, and empty sports bars, this would roughly add up to $12 billion at stake. That's insane. Kudos to the NFL for becoming such a strong and relevant force in the marketing world.
Anyway, I didn't want to give to much of an opinion on this blog but moreover open this up to all of you guys. What would be the next best place for these big advertisers to invest if the NFL wasn't around? Think of Doritos, Coors, Budweiser, Pepsi, all of those companies...
