Rogaine Commercial

Yesterday I saw a Rogaine commercial that I thought was very interesting. The commercial depicted a middle aged man (mid 40's) preparing for a job interview with his wife/daughter. He was nervous and anxious but naturally his newly grown hair thanks to Rogaine gave him the confidence he needed to succeed. He comes back home from his job interview and the family rejoices, all thanks to Rogaine. The reason this commercial made me think twice was because it was so clear who the target audience was. Usually with commercials it takes a little bit of detective work to figure out who the product is targeting but not in this case. In a age when unemployment rates are very high middle aged men are getting laid off quite frequently. These men's confidence has been shaken but Rogaine will be there to restore it. Have you noticed any other products that are trying to benefit from the current economic situation?

IPhone 4G Fiasco

Apple is notorious for releasing generations of their products. Typically the lifetime for an Apple product is a less than a year before the next generation of the product is released. In this case, the IPhone 3GS is the current generation of the IPhone and the 4G is the next generation that has yet to be released. The controversy that I'm writing about is the unintentional release of the IPhone 4G. Last month an employee for Apple left an unreleased IPhone 4G disguised as an IPhone 3GS in a bar in downtown New York. The "lost" IPhone got into the hands of an editor for the online site Gizmodo who ran a full length article on the new features of the IPhone 4G. It is up for debate whether or not Apple purposely left the IPhone in public as a means of marketing and increasing excitement for the new product or if it was actually a very large mistake on the part of the employee. Do you think that Apple purposely left the IPhone in public as a means of marketing? If so, do you think it was a smart marketing plan? Will it work?

Ken Block puts his race car sideways

Ken Block is a race car driver who is generously sponsored by DC Shoes. Some gear heads and rally racing fans may have known about Ken Block prior to 2009, but after a series of youtube videos like this one were released Ken Block's popularity sky rocketed. DC Shoes and Subaru Racing are Ken Blocks main sponsors, and in a collaboration they have produced this series of videos in which Ken Block performs some extremely impressive driving skills in his Subaru covered in DC Shoes stickers. I think this was a brilliant marketing campaign because the videos have become popular amongst not only car buffs but many other people on the internet as well. Youtube is a great way to market your product and this is a perfect example. Which products do you think make the best use of youtube marketing?

Fair Trade Advertising

In the global economy that we live in, there are alot of unethical techniques that are used as tools for profit maximization. Some of these unethical techniques include child labor, mistreatment of workers, and lack of human rights to name a few. Many of the products we use on a daily basis are produced by companies that knowingly practice these unethical techniques. "Fair Trade" products are produced without using these unethical techniques. The problem is that some companies in particular will go so far as to market themselves as "Fair Trade" but not actually go forth with the practices. Nestle for example, has over 9,000 different products that they produce, Kit Kat bars are the only product that they produce under fair trade practices. It is important as a consumer to make sure that you are not being mislead by false marketing. Do you think it is worth paying the extra money it costs on the retail end to support fair trade practices?

Tv Show starts at 9:28????

I was watching TV the other day and saw an advertisement for this show. I've never watched the show before, but something very interesting about the ad caught my attention. Instead of the show starting at 9:30pm like any normal show at this time slot would, the show was advertised as starting at 9:28pm. The voice in the TV even made a remark about it saying, "Yes, thats right 9:28!" At first I was confused after hearing this, but as soon as the commercial ended I realized that this was once of the more brilliant advertising ideas I'd ever seen. If the network's intentions are what I think they are, the reason they did this was to distinguish the show from any other. There are hundreds of shows that start at 9:30 each night and for a viewer it can be difficult to distinguish and remember what show they wanted to watch. Starting a show at 9:28 clearly separates it from any other show, and makes it very easy to remember. Do you think this idea was as brilliant as I do? Do you think it will actually help viewers to remember what time the show is on? Do you have any other ideas for how to get viewers to watch your show?

Craigslist: Marketing for Dummies

Many people are familiar with Craigslist, a commonly used website for people to post classified ads for free. Putting up an ad for an item on the internet may seem like it only requires a simple description, however if you really want to maximize your responses and get the most money for your item, it may entail a little more effort. Using Craigslist requires a level of trust from a buyer, being that they are making a transaction with a seller that they know little to nothing about. Being that this is the case, it is in a sellers best interest to try to eliminate as much uncertainty from the transaction as possible. PIctures are always a great way to ensure the buyers that the item is what you say it is. If there are any flaws in the item you are selling, it is important to accentuate them in the pictures and be honest. Even if there is something you are trying to hide, you can show other, smaller flaws to gain the buyers trust. Detailed and accurate descriptions of items are crucial as well, customers are scared of that which they do not understand, so make them understand. There are many subtle things that sellers can do to increase the their chances of selling their item for a good price and these are just a few. Do you have any personal favorite techniques for selling items on craigslist/ebay? Do you think that big companies use similar or different techniques to sell their products?

Make up your Mind: Eliminating Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is something that is usually present in every consumer's mind. It is the job of the product's manufacturer to do their best job to eliminate as much of that dissonance as possible to increase the potential customer's likelihood of purchasing the item. All companies use different methods to eliminate as much cognitive dissonance as possible but I think there are certain tactics that work better than others. I think that the main goal for a manufacturer should be to prove to the customer that their product is really something that is worth the money that they are going to spend on it. To me, there are a few things that customers value when searching for a product; price, durability (how long will it last?), and usefulness amongst others. I think that it is important for manufacturers to focus on these categories when advertising to make customers really feel good about purchasing the product. What do you think are the most important things manufacturers should focus on when advertising? What do you think are the best ways a company can eliminate cognitive dissonance in its potential customers?

Ferrari Red Becomes Ferrari Green?

When you think Ferrari the first color that comes to mind is naturally Corsa Roso, or red. However, in a recent effort Ferrari has made a push towards a greener attitude in an attempt to be more environmentally friendly. When I first caught wind of Ferrari's plans to adopt a greener outlook I saw it as a huge oxymoron, a company that produces some of the worlds fastest gas chuggers wants to limit its emissions. However, as I looked more deeply into the endeavor it began to make a little more sense. The heart of Ferrari's green movement does not lie within their vehicles, it lies within their operations. Ferrari's plant in Maranello, Italy utilizes some of the most cutting age "green" technology including a photovoltaic roof, and a trigeneration plant for electricity, hot, and cold water. This is an interesting move for Ferrari, as far as marketing is concerned it seems unnecessary. Ferrari's customers are a very particular type of people and I cannot imagine that Ferrari is trying to branch out to the environmentally friendly population, most of whom would have great difficulty affording one of Ferrari's speed machines. This leads me to believe that Ferrari is actually going green simply for the benefit of our planet and I find that very admirable. Do you think that Ferrari has alternative reasons for going green? Does Ferrari's new outlook change your perspective of them as a company? How long do you think it may take until going green becomes the standard in the business world?

Organic Food Movement

Organic foods are proven to be healthier and better for you. They contain less of all the bad ingredients we all look out for on the back of our favorite junk foods, they are produced in more ethically sound ways, and they have less of an impact on the Earth. Yes, organic foods can cost more, and initially be less attractive to potential customers, however, as more information surfaces about the dangers of mass produced, chemically altered foods, more and more customers are being drawn to the labels that hint at "All Natural", or "Organic". Due to the increase in popularity of natural and organic foods, many farmers who previously did business with major brands such as Tyson and Perdue, are negating their contracts and making a move towards healthier, organic means of production in an attempt to increase revenue.
Unfortunately, due to the downturn of the economy, some of the farmers who have changed over to an organic platform, are now finding it difficult to remain above water due to the rising costs of resources and the decrease in demand for their more expensive products. The end result of these factors is that many of the farmers who have been in business for generations are being forced to close up their farms, or make radical lifestyle changes in order to keep from going bankrupt. Do you think that Organic foods are worth spending the extra money for? Will the industry remain sustainable?

Direct Mail vs. Electronic Marketing

Typically when new technology comes in, it replaces old technology. However, for some reason e-mail and the internet have failed to completely phase out our aging system of snail mail. There are many factors that play into snail mail's resiliency, but in any case the fact of the matter is that it is still practical. This is proven in the article "...Snail Mail Marketing" in which certain companies profiled their success with snail mail. Based on the examples from the article, snail mail still offers a more personal and harder to ignore form of advertising. In the article, one business owner says "I think it's easier to delete electronic junk mail without taking a second look."
Although many companies still stick to snail mail, there are many new forms of advertising that seem very promising. Barcodes are one of the latest trends to take off in marketing, they have yet to become a staple in advertising but they are certainly on the rise. Barcodes use the technology in modern day smart phones to automatically link customers to products companies are trying to advertise. The technology is fantastic, and I think it is a great form of marketing. As American's we live in a world of convenience and instant gratification, what is more convenient and instant than seeing something you like, scanning it and being able to buy it right then? I think that barcode technology is a great way to advertise, but it unfortunately limits itself. The only customers that a company is marketing to when they use barcode advertising are those customers that have smart phones, and although that number is growing daily, it is still limiting. I think that electronic forms of advertising are certainly on the rise, but I do not think that e-marketing will completely phase out traditional forms of marketing. I think that as long as people are reading newspapers, magazines or any other forms of paper, traditional forms of marketing will still be around.

Advertising on Ice Hockey Boards

Recently while watching a hockey game on TV, I noticed a digital advertisement on the glass boards around the outside of the ice. After thinking for a minute, I realized how great of an idea this was. The rink pays little to nothing to actually digitize the company's logo and show it on the boards, while reaping full benefits of a normal advertisement. The advertising is extremely flexible because nothing is actually physically on the boards and advertiser's logos can be changed at a few key-strokes of a computer. I think that this will inspire alot more of this type of advertising because it essentially creates advertising space where there is none, and any television network can't turn that down. Do you think we will be seeing much more of this type of digital advertising? Do you think it is as effective as conventional advertising?

Apple's New IPad... Jewel or Junk?

Apple recently released its newest creation this month, the Ipad which is a multi-use, portable tablet. The Ipad is a touch screen computer very similar to the Iphone but much larger. The Ipad is roughly the size of 4 Iphones put together and its intended use is as a personal computer. Critics and the media have met the Ipad with mixed, but mostly negative views. The reason that the Ipad is not being accepted well is it's lack of functionality, it basically is capable of the same functions as an Iphone and is not as portable. I have to question the marketing department at Apple with this creation as to who their target audience was. The Ipad is not small enough to fit in a pocket, and at the same time, does not have a large enough screen to be enjoyable for use at home. It also remains in limbo as far as its uses, it is not capable of as many functions as a home computer or laptop. Basically, what Apple has done, is created a larger, less portable Iphone that isn't really sure what it wants to be.
Usually Apple can be counted upon for great products such as the Iphone and Ipod, which have both changed the way the world works. However, Apple's latest concoction just doesn't seem to make sense. It is possible that Apple sees a niche for this product that the rest of the public hasn't seen but as it stands, this product appears as though it is set-up for disaster. The rest of the marketing was equally surprised with Apple stock dropping as Steve Jobs was making his key-note speech introducing the product. Hopefully Apple can recover from this bobble and continue to make great products. Do you think the Ipad has the potential to succeed or is it doomed for failure?

Slap And Chop!

I've seen the funniest infomercial ever, and its for the Slap and Chop....




What I find funny about this infomercial and many others like this one is the way that they push these products. The fact is that usually the products that they are trying to sell are actually good ideas and are very useful products and the way that they market them makes them seem opposite. When I see informercials, I automatically think that the product is a piece of junk and the fact of the matter is that some of these products are not pieces of junk. I think that some of these products limit themselves by advertising in an infomercial format and I think that if some of these products marketed themselves in stores, they would make more profit. Do you think that the products you see on infomercials are better off advertising in infomercial form or in stores?

NBC's gratuitous use of the Luge Death

I'm sure we've all heard about the tragic death of the Georgian luge competitor during the olympic trails. Over past couple of days since the accident, I've spoken to a couple of people about the ethics of whether or not NBC should be showing the footage of the crash on national television. I thought that this was an interesting tie to marketing as well because we all know that as humans we have a sick tendency to desire to view these type of things, and I believe that NBC is using that to their advantage. I don't think it is necessary or ethical for NBC to be showing footage of the crash on national TV, there is a level of respect which I think is being dishonored by exploiting the video to increase ratings. Do you think it is ethically correct for NBC to be showing footage of the tragic accident on national television?

Honda FCX Clarity

Electric cars have been around for a long time, but for one reason or another, have not been able to break through and compete with regular gas cars. Reasons for this could be argued about all day, some say oil companies do their best to stop electric cars from becoming a reality because it would reduce sales of oil. I partly agree with this theory, but at the same time, I think that a large part of the reason for the lack of success in the electric car market is the way that the cars have been designed. Americans have been driving gas powered cars for about a century now, and over that time, we have evolved a dependency for our beloved automobiles. Our dependency is centered around the immediate gratification of being able to travel farther. In other words, when we run out of gas, we can simply go to the gas station, get more, and we're back on our way, electric cars do not allow us to fit this lifestyle. The way that electric cars have been designed takes a step in the opposite direction we want to go as American car users. An electric car will go as far as it can go on one charge, and need to be charged again for a considerable amount of time.
What is miraculous about the Honda FCX Clarity is that it is an electric/hydrogen powered car which will allow us to continue living the lifestyle we have become so accustomed to. Instead of requiring a lengthy charge after each trip to the grocery store like most electric cars, the Clarity simply needs to be re-filled with hydrogen which in turn powers the electric motor. The FCX Clarity is taking a step in the right direction because it is marketing to every person in America who already owns a car, as opposed to electric cars, which market only to those willing to put up with a drastic life style change. Where do you think the future of transportation is going? Will the FCX Clarity catch on, or will it disappear like the electric car?

Superbowl Advertising

The superbowl is a massive day for advertising every year. Year after year, the game attracts record numbers of viewers making it one of the top 3 most watched sporting events consistently. The only two events that beat it, don't take place every year, the FIFA World Cup Finals and the Olympics. Advertising time at this years superbowl will range from 2.6-2.8 million dollars per 30 second bit. Advertising during the superbowl is a bold decision for any company to make, and in this post I'm going to talk about what types of companies would benefit most from a superbowl ad.
A company that is going to benefit the most from a superbowl ad, is one that believes they have a truly great product that has the potential to take off. Being that a superbowl ad will reach millions of people, it can be the jump start that a product may need to launch it into success. If you really do have a great product, once the people who you reach with the ad try it out, word will spread naturally and the product will thrive. If your company decides to take out a superbowl ad, they must be sure that their product is the better than all the competition. If the product or service is not better than the competition, you may see some revenue from the commercial initially but once the hype dies down, you will not be left with a loyal customer base. Do you think that there were any companies that advertised in this years superbowl that shouldn't have?

Environmentalism: Gift or Curse?

Until relatively recently, environmental concerns were a non issue for most companies. However, as of late, changes in our climate have sparked the interest of most activist groups, who have done there best to influence companies to change their policies and attitudes towards environmentalism. I say that the activist groups acted first before the companies themselves because it could easily be argued that without the intervention of various groups, the companies wouldn't have changed their actions. Some companies have taken to environmentalism and the "green" mentality and used it to their advantage by marketing themselves to environmentally conscious businesses or individuals. However, for most companies, the push towards environmentalism has been a burden. Although environmentally safe practices are proven to have a lasting effect on preserving our planet, the fact of the matter is that these processes and changes that have to take place in order to be environmentally friendly are costly. For most companies the benefits of switching over to being environmentally friendly do not outweigh the drawbacks of having to raise prices for their customers and in turn, potentially decreasing their profit margins. Whether or not it is cost effective to be environmentally friendly, it is imperative to the sustainability of our planet that companies hold the environment in high regards. If companies continue to put environmentally safe practices on the back burner, they'll have nowhere to spend the extra money their making by cutting corners because they will almost certainly destroy our planet. Do you think that within the next 10 years, government organizations will increase standards for environmentally safe practices, and force companies to be more environmentally friendly?

Marketing/Advertising/Propaganda

Marketing, advertising and propaganda are 3 very different things, but they are definitely all related. Advertising and propaganda focus on influencing the way people think, while marketing focuses more on figuring out what groups of people you want to target with your advertising or propaganda. In marketing, businesses do their best to narrow down the markets that they are trying to appeal to. Once the marketing department narrows down their audience, the advertising department can do their job which entails convincing people that they need/want the product. Propaganda falls into a different category, which is slightly more aggressive. Propaganda is similar to advertising, but instead of promoting a product, propaganda promotes an idea. The "War on Terror" is an example of propaganda because it is promoting the idea of fighting terror.

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