Back The Buzz

 

Back the Buzz

By Meara Lyons

Back the Buzz_5 30 13

It’s remarkable how sports can bring people together. People from all walks of life find community in sporting events and teams. What becomes even more fascinating is when a team evolves because of its fans and the resulting atmosphere is utterly electric.

What does this have to do with branding? Well, Charlotte, North Carolina has an NBA team – the Bobcats – and they’re going back to their roots. Last week, Bobcats’ owner Michael Jordan announced the NBA franchise’s decision to return to its original name, The Charlotte Hornets. Sure, there’s still some politics left to sort through (the NBA board of governors will officially vote on the name change in July), but you can already feel the excitement in Charlotte.

Hornets History

In 1985, the NBA planned to expand by four teams. George Shinn, an entrepreneur from Kannapolis, a city just north of Charlotte, wanted to bring a team to the area, so he assembled a group of local businessmen to head the franchise. North Carolina was steeped in college basketball (Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, NC State), so the leap to an NBA team was a natural one.

So, the team was born, and introduced with a name that had historical roots to the area. During the Revolutionary War, Lord Cornwallis, a leading British General, called the fighters in the Charlotte area a “veritable nest of hornets.”

Here’s some insight from an NBC Sports writer who lived in Charlotte during the Hornets heyday:

“You simply cannot overstate how deeply in love Charlotte was with the Hornets that first year and for a long while after that. The New Charlotte Coliseum sold out every game. Marginal players like Tim Kempton became Charlotte superstars. Everybody wanted to shoot like Dell Curry. Everybody wanted to gun like Kelly Tripucka. Everyone wanted to pester like Muggsy Bogues. Kurt Rambis was on that first team. Earl Cureton. Robert Reid. Every time the Celtics or Knicks or, especially, Los Angeles Lakers came to town, we felt like the world had finally discovered us. We had a real live NBA team — a terrible one, yes, but the team’s general awfulness did not dampen the spirit one bit. Losses were beside the point. Victories were like little daily miracles. Hey look: That’s Larry Bird!”*

In 2002, the Hornets played their last game in the Queen City – or so everyone thought – and the team moved to New Orleans. Even though the Hornets played in New Orleans from 2003-2013, the defunct Charlotte Hornets remained popular in its native city.

Back the Buzz

Three years ago, John Morgan, a local elementary art teacher, started a Facebook campaign called “We Beelieve,” and began gathering signatures to support his cause. Soon after, brothers Scotty and Evan Kent joined in the effort and created a website called, “Bring Back the Buzz.”

Earlier this year, the “Bring Back the Buzz” campaign hit a break when the New Orleans Hornets announced their own name change – to the Pelicans – thus freeing up the Hornets name for Jordan to pursue.

Flash forward to last Tuesday when Jordan announced the good news and reminisced a bit: “When I first played here years ago, the thing I was totally astounded by was the energy. I wanted to bring that energy back.”

The rebranding process should take about 18 months and an estimated $4 million, which includes an extensive repainting of the Time Warner Cable Arena as well as some loss of merchandise revenue as the team liquidates its current stock.

Nostalgic Charlotteans have already started to bring out their throwback Hornets shirts and hats – wearing the merchandise with pride, excitement and support for the switch.

The Bottom Line

We’re not naïve – our team needs a lot more than a rebranding to start winning games. But we’re optimists; maybe the buzz around the Hornets will get the players excited and give them the boost they need to start a positive momentum for the team. I mean, who doesn’t love a good Cinderella story?

Sources

*“A brief history of the Charlotte Hornets (and other things),” NBCSports.com, Joe Posnanski, http://goo.gl/gDbdV

“Michael Jordan summons Hugo the Hornet to Charlotte,” Charlotte Business Journal, Erik Spanberg, http://goo.gl/GJWWq

“Jordan confirms change to Hornets,” ESPN.com, AP, http://goo.gl/TSbfj

“Bobcats on borrowed time,” Charlotte Observer, Rick Bonnell, http://goo.gl/ciYEX

“Report: Lakers assistant Steve Clifford reaches deal to be Bobcats coach,” NBCSports.com, Kurt Helin, http://goo.gl/FrNMm

by Meara Lyons

Humanitarian, Do-gooder Brands

I started writing today’s post about the recent controversy surrounding Abercrombie & Fitch and the effect on its brand, but I discovered I couldn’t be happier that I’m not a reporter – no matter how I approached it, I couldn’t be objective. A few links surrounding the story are below this post; feel free to make your own conclusions.

 

So, I decided to turn a negative story into a positive blog post and focus on humanitarian brands – brands that do good, and look good doing it. The following are a few brands I admire for how they represent themselves and what they do.

 

Sevenly

In January 2011, two young entrepreneurs Dale Partridge and Aaron Chavez got together with the mission of leading a generation toward generosity. With a belief that people mattered, they began a journey to change the world. On June 13, 2011, Sevenly was born. By creating weekly cause campaigns where customers could purchase products that gave $7 to a weekly charity, Sevenly successfully unlocked not only a way to crowd-fund for causes, but to drive massive social awareness as well.

 

charity: water

charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. There are 800 million people on the planet who don't have clean water. It's hard to imagine what 800 million people looks like really, but one in nine might be easier. One in nine people in our world doesn't have access to the most basic of human needs. Something we can't imagine going 12 hours without.

 

We're not offering grand solutions and billion dollar schemes, but instead, simple things that work. Things like freshwater wells, rainwater catchments and sand filters. For about $20 a person, we know how to help millions.

 

To Write Love On Her Arms

To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also invest directly into treatment and recovery.

 

Human Rights Campaign

As the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) represents a force of more than 1.5 million members and supporters nationwide – all committed to making HRC's vision a reality.

 

Founded in 1980, HRC advocates on behalf of LGBT Americans, mobilizes grassroots actions in diverse communities, invests strategically to elect fair-minded individuals to office and educates the public about LGBT issues.

 

Finally, I stumbled across this last week and I find it a beautiful, philanthropic gesture from Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett – what’s even more incredible are those who have joined their pledge and the stories they tell.

 

The Giving Pledge

The Giving Pledge is an effort to help address society’s most pressing problems by inviting the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to commit to giving more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes either during their lifetime or after their death.

 

I know there are hundreds more benevolent brands and organizations out there- and personally, I can’t wait to spend my time learning about them. Feel free to share your favorites in the comments!

 

# # #

 

As promised, here are the Abercrombie & Fitch story links

  • The original interview (from 1/24/06): “The man behind Abercrombie & Fitch,” Salon.com, http://goo.gl/1mBZG
  • Greg Karber’s video: “Abercrombie & Fitch Gets a Brand Readjustment #FitchTheHomeless,” YouTube.com, http://goo.gl/Bq6yu
  • The story Karber’s video references: “Abercrombie Says It Would Rather Burn Clothes Than Give Them To Poor People,” EliteDaily.com, http://goo.gl/yrp27
  • Well-rounded story (IMO): “Half-Naked, All-American Models Won't Be Enough To Keep Abercrombie Afloat,” Business Insider, http://goo.gl/LI0a8
  • Finally, just because she’s awesome, here’s Ellen’s take: http://goo.gl/sw0Le

by Meara Lyons

Branding 101: Product Placement and TV Shows

Branding has become such a general term – a catch-all for everything relating to a brand: names, logos, portfolio organization (we call this architecture), advertising, public relations and marketing. In its purest form, branding is defined as “the promoting of a product or service by identifying it with a particular brand.” So, sticking with this black and white definition, we’re going to focus on the evolution of product placement in television shows.

 

Historically, product placement could be as simple as the use of Reece’s Pieces in the movie “E.T.” (one of the most memorable examples of product placement), or as obvious as Fed-Ex in the movie, “Cast Away.” Television show equivalents are Carrie Bradshaw’s Apple laptop in “Sex in the City” and the recurring iPhone or Chevy presence in “Glee.”

 

What’s the evolution of this type of branding? Instead of simply placing a product in a show, it’s actually written into the script. When done well, viewers aren’t hit over the head by the placement, but are, instead, quite pleased with its integration into the storyline. Television viewing has become complicated for brands. And, with the emergence of DVRs and streaming options like Netflix and Hulu, a shift to incorporating products into plots is necessary.

 

Scripted versus Reality

Scripted television shows have gotten pretty creative when it comes to product placement. A few examples are below.

  • Possibly the most famous (or infamous, as the case may be) is “Sex and the City.” The show’s primary focus on fashion and NYC style made brands like Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo household names. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg- Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Versace made multiple appearances as well. And, the show’s incredible success eventually led to a myriad of product placements in the first “Sex in the City” movie.
  • Throughout its seven season run, “30 Rock” became somewhat synonymous with product placement. Some endorsements were exceptionally funny, e.g., Verizon, while others were a branding cash cow, like Kraft’s sponsorship of “30 Rock’s” Kraft sponsorship storyline. Talk about product placement coming full circle!
  • “Revenge” took product placement and sponsorship to an entirely new level in a November 2012 episode. Target and Nieman Marcus were the ONLY sponsors of the show, and the ads featured a storyline that was a subplot of the main episode, and even included the show’s main characters. “It was a whole new level of integration,” said Jeff Jones, Target’s chief marketer.

 

Reality versus Scripted

Product placement has absolutely exploded in reality television shows. Check out these examples:

  • In a single month, “American Idol” has inundated viewers with more than 200 in-show product appearances. The most notorious placements? Coca-Cola, AT&T Wireless and Ford.
  • “Biggest Loser” repeatedly incorporates Subway, Extra Sugar Free Gum, Ziploc and Brita into its programming.
  • And, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” leveraged brands for rebuilding homes as well as for family vacations. Examples? Sears, Ford and Disney.

 

Does product placement really build brand awareness?

Reviews are mixed. Psychologically, the mere exposure effect suggests that people feel a preference for things simply because they are familiar. Need proof? Reese’s Pieces experienced a 65 percent increase in sales after its placement in E.T. So, if you subscribe to this belief, then more equals better for your brand, but viewers don’t always agree. There is a very precarious line that brands have to be careful not to cross, or they may lose some of their followers.

 

Knowing all of this, here are some final points to ponder: Which brands have you noticed in your favorite TV shows? Does your show handle the product placement well, or do you end up rolling your eyes when you see it?

 

Sources

Merriam-Webster

“’30 Rock’ Satire of Kraft Sponsorship Is Sponsored by Kraft,” New York Times

“Target, Neiman Marcus Look to 'Revenge' to Launch Anticipated Holiday Collection,” Ad Age

“Product Placement Hits High Gear on ‘American Idol,’ Broadcast’s Top Series for Brand Mentions,” Ad Age

“Mere Exposure Effect,” PsychCentral

“Product Placement Can Be A Lot More Powerful Than We Realize,” Psychology Today

 

by Meara Lyons

For the Love of Moms

With Mother’s Day this weekend, we found it apropos to focus on how brands capitalize on this holiday to generate buzz and attention.

 

First off, a little history about Mother’s Day: 150 years ago, Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, organized a day to raise awareness of the poor health conditions in her community, a cause she believed would be best advocated by moms. When she passed away, her daughter began a campaign to memorialize the work of her mom and lobbied prominent businessmen and politicians to create a special day to honor mothers. Nine years later, Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother’s Day as a national holiday.

 

From its humble beginnings, Mother’s Day has grown into a commercialized, branding free-for-all, and it has become the second most popular holiday for gift-giving, following Christmas. With 85 million moms in the U.S., this influx of gift-giving equals huge market potential and exposure for brands.

 

So, how are brands leveraging Mother’s Day? Well, most obviously, the sheer amount of promotions, giveaways, deals and sweepstakes being offered this week by florists, jewelers, greeting card companies and restaurants is staggering. But what’s really fun to see are brands joining the conversation in creative ways:

 

 

Finally, we love when companies effectively use nostalgia to tell a story – and Mother’s Day is the perfect occasion. These examples show exactly what we mean, and make us love their brands even more. Enjoy!

 

 

Sources
Hallmark, U.S. Census Bureau

 

by Meara Lyons

To Vine or Not To Vine

 

So, what’s Vine? It’s a Twitter-owned mobile app that lets users create and post up to six-second video clips. Basically, its video creation meets stop motion animation meets mobile flexibility.

 

What does this have to do with branding? Well, when you think about it, a lot that can happen in six seconds. And, for that matter, resourceful companies can dynamically show off their brands in this free, easy-to-use, instantly-social platform.

Tips and Tricks We’ve Learned So Far

  • Keep it simple. This is easily the #1 bit of advice for Vine. It’s best to stay with two to three concepts in one video. And do your best to stick with clean transitions.
  • Really think about what you’re filming. Is six seconds of a MetLife blimp flying through the air all that compelling? Does it tell a story? Not really. Once you think through the story you want to tell, use your video to make it come to life.
  • It can be quite awkward at first. Holding your finger down on your iPhone screen while keeping it steady and making sure you capture what you want…is, well, a bit of an art form. Don’t get frustrated. Just know that it may take several tries before you perfect your vision.
  • Guess what? There’s audio, too! And audio can really add dimension to your videos. (Or detract from them, so pay careful attention to ambient noise while you’re filming.)

 

Tips and tricks aside, companies shouldn’t use Vine just to jump on the bandwagon. If there isn’t a clear purpose for your account, then don’t do it. Addison Whitney has just started exploring Vine (check out our first video [with audio!]), but if we play with it for a month or so and we don’t feel like it’s effectively building our brand, then we’ll learn from our experiment, move on and focus on what works for us.

We’ll leave you with a few of our favorite Vines so far. They’re inspiring creativity while building their brands. Good stuff!

  • GE: Over the years, GE has created an incredible social media presence and its Vine account is no different. This particular Vine is a done exceptionally well, and shows science in a beautiful, practical way.
  • Urban Outfitters: This Vine from Urban is a bit more playful, but the rest of its account is worth perusing as well for unique ways to leverage your product portfolio through Vine.
  • MSNBC: This Vine gives a quick snapshot at a day in the life of MSNBC. It’s a neat inside look at the network’s goings-on.
  • BuzzFeed: The BuzzFeed brand is notoriously tongue-in-cheek and this Vine articulates that sentiment perfectly.

by Meara Lyons