Got to Love Dove

First off I have to say the creativity of Dove campaigns always really inspire me. Although some of them are goofy, their newest campaign continues the companies focus on the idea of "real" beauty by looking at the differences between how women see themselves compared to how others see them. Recently Dove created and conducted a social experiment to help prove to women that they are more beautiful then they think by having an FBI trained forensic sketch artist drawl two pictures of them based off of peoples descriptions without any sort of visual aid. The first picture that was drawl was based on each woman's description of herself and then a second portrait was drawl of the same woman but according the opinion of a stranger they had met earlier in the day. At the end of the experiment both portraits were shown and the difference between them are immediately striking. I personally love this experiment because I think it is a really special and touching way to demonstrate kindness and what Dove considers to be "real" beauty. I really encourage you to check out the campaign video and read the article for yourself, it's posted bellow! 

http://adage.com/article/creativity-pick-of-the-day/dove-artist-shows-women-beautiful/240914/       

Vine

It looks like social media app Vine is here to stay after the tragic bombing in Boston yesterday. About 30 minutes after the bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon detonated, Vine user Doug Lorman uploaded a 6 second video that become one of the first videos that provided coverage of the event for those trying to find out more information online. Vine, an Apple app, is a 6 second video media that has mostly been used up to this point by it's users to record parts of their daily life. Users can  can later upload videos that play on a loop and can be share easily on other social medias. As brands continue to experiment to see if Vine can be a social media platform that works for them, it seems as if Vine might have found it's place in breaking news and news coverage. 

Prayers for Boston. 

Gentleman Jack

For each and every college student out there, I bet you would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't had a run in with Jack Daniel's super-premium Tennessee whisky. Time to step away kiddies, Mr. Daniel's is calling "the Order of the Gentleman" with his "Gentleman Jack" whiskey. Although this smoother warmer beverage has been around since the late 1980's it hasn't had a spot light that the regular black label Jack receives. Brown-Forman, the label and brand owner, is setting out to bring the spot light to the Gentleman. Marketers expect to spend over $7.7 million on print, out-of-home, and digital media on their campaign "The Order of the Gentleman" and will be airing the first commercial during Sunday nights premier of CNN's "Parts Unknown".  Brown-Forman hope that this campaign will help not only to continue to build the name and size of the brand but also help to capture a larger share of the premium whiskey market which has had annual slow growth. The campaign aims to target men who are men who are transitioning from their "carefree single" days into more maturity. Because the regular black label Jack usually is associated with ones younger days, the compony wants to position Gentleman Jack as the next step up.  I think the campaign has a really cool objective and knowing this brand, the campaign is going to be one of a kind. Although Jack and I don't go that far back I'm really excited to see what comes next.    

Looks Like Hannibal is Back

It looks like NBC has found something to fill the Thursday night drama spot that has been vacant since hit show ER left the air. While other big time producers are coming out with more comedic upbeat shows such as ABC How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) and The Neighbors, NBC has decided to take a more grim outlook with their new show Hannibal.  At it's premiere last thursday, this cops and cannibals caper drew in about 4.36 million viewers and about 1.6 in the demo which compared to this time slots last occupant showed a 78% improvement. With NBC's unsuccessful track record in it's last four seasons in this notorious 10pm bracket, they hope that Hannibal will reestablish NBC's "iron clad stability" that they had from 1981-2009 with shows such as L.A Law and ER.  It should be really interesting to see how this new show does seeing as it will likely have a very unique story line that I'm sure people will be curious and drawn too. Also it will be interesting to see how this show affects it's competition such as Big Bang Theory and NCIS that also air at this time. 

http://www.adweek.com/news/television/viewers-have-little-appetite-nbc-s-hannibal-148444   

See You Later Leno!

As I am sure most you of you have heard, long time Tonight Show host Jay Leno has confirmed he will be stepping down. As of today his replacement has been made official and it seems that Jimmy Fallon will be holding down the fort. Along with changing hosts, The Tonight Show will also be returning to their original home at 30 Rockefeller Plaza after 42 years in California. While Fallon prepares to make the switch to his new position, none of the talk regrading his replacement have yet to be conformed although Seth Meyers has been pegged by SNL to be his successor. NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke commented, "we are purposefully making this change when Jay is No. 1, just as Jay replaced Johnny Carson when he was No. 1". I think it will be really interesting to see how switching hosts will change and affect both programs in terms of ratings, reviews, and advertising and what will come of both shows. It almost like a mini re-branding. 

http://www.adweek.com/news/television/it-s-official-fallon-will-succeed-leno-tonight-show-host-148378
   

No More Mr. Nice Dolphin

As the NFL drafts come closer, several teams are rumored to be planning on revamping for the coming season by unveiling new uniforms and logos for the draft. The only team that has conformed this suspicion by circulating the image of their new team logo has been the Miami Dolphins. After 4 consecutive losing season, The Dolphins say their new logo and uniforms are the first step in a "complete re-branding". They hope that with their new fiercer looking logo will help end the rap they for being cute and sporty and will instead take on a new mature aesthetic direction. According the internet polls, there has been mixed feelings about this upcoming change, some saying it doesn't live up to what football is all about. It should be interesting to see what the reactions are by the fans, the team, as well as the NFL as a whole when the logos are switched. If it was my team doing a major revamp, I can imagine i would be a little nervous too.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-03-29/no-more-mr-dot-nice-dolphin-miami-unveils-new-logo#r=most%20popular

What's More Important? Fast Shipping or Fast Returns?

According to a survey conducted by Boston Consulting Group, only 9% of 1,5000 shoppers interviewed said same-day delivery and fast shipping was a factor that made a big influence on whether or not they purchase the product. Instead, in both online and in store facilities, the factors that really matter to customers is free-returns and low prices. Mel Wolfgang commented that "the reality is that people care about the basics-price and the ease of retuning the good"instead of instant gratification that most marketers think customer crave. So why are companies focusing so much attention on communicating fast shipping? It's not like it's a brand new idea.

I found this article to be really interesting because i have been noticing when I'm shopping online a lot of the stores are offering fast shipping but in order to get that instant gratification, i have to spend more than i originally intended. In my mind, and most college students I know, although fast is great, low prices and being able to change my mind without extra costs is the luxury i would rather have. Fast isn't always better. I would hear about how your compony is going to save me money instead of offering me benefits that often end up to be costs.

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/shoppers-prefer-easy-returns-over-quick-shipping-148126

It's that time of year again, March Madness!

As college basketball teams around the country start gears up for another crazy showdown and fans start filling out their brackets, advertisers and sponsors are getting ready too. According to Business Weekly, “watching March Madness is getting no less maddening” (Mayo) for those advertising because each game and each round is a gamble. This tournament is unpredictable, fast, and can change in a matter of dribbles. You can really never know which games are going to drawl the most attention and upsets are unpredictable which makes investing really risky. Although a majority of the adds are driven by corporate sponsorships such as AT&T, Nike, Sports Eye, and Coco Cola, advertisers are hoping to cash in on the an estimated $1 billion + revenue from CBS, TBS, and TNT. Being a huge fan of March Madness, it’s always interesting to see the attention advertisers receive compared to those who sponsor the tournament and the teams. It’s nowhere close. March Madness is unlike any other sporting event; no one really cares about the commercials, it all about your team, your school, which for me is KU. Add agencies have their work cut out for them, fans watch for the love of the game, for the pride of their school, and the love of their colors, not for the commercials. Rock Chalk Jayhawks. 

All Bad Luck Comes in 3's

It seems like Carnival Cruise just can catch a break! First Carnival Triumph gets stranded in the Gulf of Mexico, then Carnival Dream landed a busted back up generator in St. Maarten, and then Carnival Legend cancelled a cruise to the Caymans over a propulsion problem this past Friday. I can just see the owners and CEO's of Carnival and all those annoyed cruise goers just throwing up their hands and shouting to the heavens "COME ON!!!!"  But don't worry, for all those still daring enough to take your chances on a cruise ship, Business Week has all your go-to questions covered.

1. Food and Water: if your ship loses power, your body can survive without food for 3 weeks and 3 days without water so these things should not be your initial concern
2. Raw Sewage: It can be harmful if mixed with drinking water or if left without being properly taken are of but the biggest problem in this situation is the smell. opening unbrewed bags of coffee grounds will help with the smell and should help eliminate the oder
3. What do bring with you just in case: flashlights, extra hundred dollars in cash,  and a fully charged cell phone, make sure to keep it charged and used only when needed
4. Power of Twitter: tweeting can help relieve stress, get your message out there, and even help in emergencies
5. Pirates: don't worry there are no records of any hijacked cruise ships, they are too fast and too high
6. Who do you trust: trust your instincts, if you think there is a problem check it out. remember tensions will be high in an emergency situation do your best to stay calm

I thought this article had an interesting approach to the Carnival Cruise epidemic and i thought it was really creative the way they made their own Business Week cruise survival guide. Maybe Carnival's advertising team should take the hint because it seems like their compony is sinking itself.

"The Bible" the New Hit TV Show

We all know The Bible as the untouchable book but now thanks to the History Channel's The Bible has become a brand new hits TV series. The 1st episode pulled in 14.1 million viewers, the record for most views so far in 2013, and is expected to rack in an even bigger audience next time it airs. The first episode took place on Noah's Arch where Noah shouted the story of Adam and Eve and then went on telling other bible stories such as Lot with dramatics and zeal. Markets are raving about this new series being a marketers dream in the way that is already is a topic a lot of people will tune into and that nothing like this had ever been done before. I think this is a fun way to tell the stories of The Bible and i look forward to seeing how the History Channel chooses to interpret it and see if The Bible will make it's way to the big screen. It also will be interesting to see the different advertising tactics used to create promotionally material for this series.

Article #6

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-03-14/history-channels-the-bible-is-a-marketing-miracle#r=hpt-tout

HBO, beers new best friend

Article Number 4

I’m sure have all heard off those famous combinations like baseball and peanuts, sweet and salty, movies and popcorn but prime time TV and beer is a new one for me. According the Business Week, HBO show Game of Thrones has partnered up with Brewery Ommegang to create their own blonde ale Game of Thrones Iron Throne.  I think this a really cool advertising idea the way that it not only markets for HBO but also advertises for Ommegang as well. It’s fun, creative, and innovative. It also increases both of those products chances of picking up new consumers and picking up more market shares.

Here are so more HBO themed beer ideas from the articles author and HBO expert Bruce Fretts, Enjoy!

True Blood: True Bud Lite


Sex and the City: Tres Equis (XXX)


Veep: One Heartbeat Away From the White House Pale Ale

Deadwood: Colt .45 Single Action Malt Liquor


John Adams: Boston Lager


Six Feet Under: Miller High Death


The Sopranos: St. Paulie Walnuts’ Girl

Oz: Jailhouse Ale

Boardwalk Empire: Nucky’s Lucky Lager        

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-03-12/soon-at-a-drinking-horn-near-you-game-of-thrones-beer#r=hpt-ls

Does anyone know what are suppose to do for the project we have due next tuesday????

Female Mascots, Where are You?

I don’t know about you, but more often then not I reference to brands and products by their mascot. For Geico, I think of the talking gecko and for Kia I think of the dancing hamsters, who can’t help but love those little guys. The use of mascots is one of the oldest tricks in the book in advertising and marketing but according to Ad Week something seems to be a little off. Where are all the ladies at? Typically, women handle 85% of all purchases made by consumers but only a few out of the 140 brand mascots out there are female characters. The five most famous female mascots include Betty Crocker, Progressive’s Flo, Mrs. Butterworth, M&M’s Ms. Brown, and Chicken of the Sea Mermaid. Although all of these mascots belong to very propionate well-known brands, 3 out of 5 mascots are over 5o years old. Besides Flo and Ms. Brown there are not many new female mascots running around.  I think this concept is something that advertisers and marketers should be using to their advantage. Along with the current animal fad, adding and creating more female mascots might be a really good angle to play at. Like Add Weekly said, women make 85% of all purchases why not increase the number mascots that cater to women? Maybe it would increase your number of sales or talk value and coming from a girls perspective a little more representation would be nice.   

Blog #3 

- See more at: http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/best-female-brand-mascots-147486#sthash.xHygB15Z.dpuf

The Upside to Being Hacked

"Interesting day here at BURGER KING, but we're back! Welcome to our new followers. Hope you all stick around!"

The past few days, Twitter has been experiencing some pretty big breaches in security with a recent increase in hack attacks. To almost anyone, being hacked is the last thing you want however these last few break-ins have exposed an unexpected upside for two big brands Burger King and Jeep. According to Ad age, this round of hacks has boosted both of these brands with an increase in followers without having to lift a finger or spend a dime. In a single hour, Burger King gained over 25,000 new followers and continued to pick up followers at a rapid pace.  Pretty good for a days work huh? Along with these big brand hacks, other brands such as MTV and Denny’s have been picking up on the publicity and fake hacking their own accounts to see if they can replicate those same results for themselves. 

http://adage.com/article/digital/account-hacks-shine-light-twitter-s-treatment-brands/239903/

Article #2