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:
- Building on its recent kid-focused advertising campaign, AT&T has created a microsite allowing people to create a Mother’s Day video card.
- Coach has also introduced a card-making app on its Facebook page.
- Disney/Pixar has released an adorable, Mom-focused trailer for their upcoming “Monsters University” release.
- Planet Fitness is donating its enrollment fees to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (May 8-15). They are also running a Best Mom on the Planet sweepstakes for a chance to win a year membership.
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!
- Google: Here’s to the Moms
- Publix: Making Pinwheels
- Procter & Gamble: Thank You, Mom
- Johnson & Johnson: You’re Doing OK, Mom!
Sources
Hallmark, U.S. Census Bureau
Musical Festivals: A Branded Experience
In the 1960’s and 70’s, when music festivals began to rise in popularity, they were predominately about rebelling against commercial and corporate gimmicks, and primarily focused on peace, love and, of course, music. Fast forward to 2013 and corporate promotions and branded experiences are as synonymous with music festivals as the music itself.
Music festivals have become a multi-billion dollar industry and an excellent opportunity for brands to reach the hundreds-of-thousands of festival goers each year. Sponsorships for these festivals by big brands payoff for all parties involved. The festivals reap the benefits which, in turn, helps provide a better festival experience for attendees, and the attendees benefit from the amenities and giveaways (often festival essential) from the brands. What’s in it for the brands? Well, they gain awareness – and a lot of it.
A summer 2011 Havas Sports and Entertainment study and found that out of 2,244 respondents, only TWO didn’t notice any sponsorship while at a festival, 36 percent said they were more likely to purchase a sponsor’s product after experiencing their activation at the festival, and a whopping six out of every 10 brands on site could be recalled by fans.
Fredda Hurwitz, global VP of strategic planning, marketing & communications at Havas Sports commented: “Our research does much to dispel the view that music festivals are a dangerous arena for brand sponsors, and suggests brands are a welcome part of the festival experience if they develop activations that add value.”
Creating a memorable, exciting or unique experience at a music festival is what will set a successful sponsorship apart from those following the not-so-impactful route of traditional signage. When a fan attends a festival, they are seeking an experience, and that doesn’t stop at the bands they come to see, but is carried over to the brands they choose to interact with. There isn’t a right or wrong way to approach a festival sponsorship; to be successful, it just has to make sense. With summer music festivals kicking into high gear let’s take a look at three different types of brand sponsorships from one of the most popular (and branded) music festivals, Bonnaroo. You’ll see that each of these approaches provides a different, but equally creative way to promote brands.
- L’oreal Garnier Fructis: More than 80,000 people travel to a remote 700-acre farm in Tennessee each June for the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Knowing the attendees would be outside day and night listening music on multiple stages, Garnier Fructis provided practical services, such as free hair-washing and styling in a 40- by 40-foot air-conditioned tent. In an area where trees are scarce and the temperatures regularly reach 90+ degrees, the desire to cleanse yourself of yesterday’s sweat all of a sudden becomes pretty strong.
- Philips: Philips sponsored a silent disco at Bonnaroo. The company provided 400 of its new CitiScape Collection headphones for guests to wear to listen to tunes being spun by two DJs. In this situation attendees were able to experience firsthand the sound quality and silencing ability of the headphones in a fun, party-like atmosphere.
- Ford: Ford dubbed its tent at Bonnaroo "Destination Escape," playing on the name of its Escape vehicle that was displayed outside the tent. Inside, festivalgoers could cool off in the air-conditioned space, listen to live performances and charge their phones. While this essential phone charging service is not directly tied to what Ford’s Escape vehicle provides its users, it certainly generated a ton of exposure for the vehicle.
For additional info on other branded experiences at Bonnaroo, check out Bizbash’s slide show here, and to learn about sponsorships at other festivals, the online pub has produced a similar list extending past Bonnaroo.
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.
Is Fido the Next Ideal Target Audience Member? A look at brands that have extended into the world of pet products
Brand extensions are a common way for established brands to profit from untapped markets that their current product line does not appeal to. By entering into an entirely different product category, these brands can attain these customers and, if done correctly, the extension can be a very lucrative endeavor. For example, Ralph Lauren’s Polo brand successfully extended from a clothing line to home furnishings, such as linens and towels, and beyond. But if a brand extension fails, the parent brand runs the risk of diluting or damaging its brand image and equity.
So why would a well-known brand enter into an entirely unrelated product category, such as pet products? In an interview with Extendonomics, Maria Peevey, CEO and Creative Director of SimplyShe, a leader in the pet lifestyle category, said, “Pet parents increasingly want the same treatment options for their pets as they have for themselves.” These “pet parents”, not pet owners, will go beyond the basic pet needs such as kibble and vet visits and strive to pamper their pets. Brands, such as Martha Stewart, have extended into this category in order to reach these pet-centric customers and provide them with products that allow them to share everyday human luxuries with their pets. Now you can sit on your Martha Stewart couch and read your Martha Stewart Magazine while your pooch lounges on his Martha Stewart dog bed.
When brands consider making the leap into a new category, they must decide if the move is a good match for their brand’s mission and goals. For luxury salon brand Paul Mitchell, moving from human hair care to pet shampoos seemed like a natural extension. This belief brought to life John Paul Pet, a company dedicated to providing “pet care with a salon pedigree.” While there are mixed reviews about the success of this brand extension, with some critics stating that this decision significantly eroded the luxury salon brand, others argue that if pet parents want their dog, cat of even horse to use these high-quality, pH balanced products, then they should have the option. Both brands have banned animal testing on their product lines and John Paul Pet supports non-profit organizations including The Humane Society of the United States and the Best Friends Animal Society.
Another well-known human luxury brand, Omaha Steaks, has ventured into the world of pet products and now offers Omaha Steaks Pet Treats. These cat and dog treats are made from genuine USDA meats and often require refrigeration after opening, a fact that may cause some confusion among pet parents who are looking for some steaks to grill. In her interview, Peevy noted that it is easy for brands to transition into the pet market because they can use excess materials to make the products- leftover fabrics are used to make pet clothes, unused leather from a belt makes a great dog collar and meat that wouldn’t live up to a human’s expectation from Omaha Steaks can be made into a yummy dog treat.
Successful pet brand extension companies all have one thing in common- they know they are selling to humans. These pet parents want their companions to have the same things they love, whether that’s clothes, furniture or grooming products. Tell us what you think of these brand extensions in the comments below.
Mixed by Lily Brock
Top Halloween-Embracing Brands
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, I’m not talking about the Christmas season, I’m talking about Halloween! Since my birthday is November 1st, I have always held October 31st close to my heart and expressed my enthusiasm for All Hallows Eve with costumes, parties and seasonal treats. This year I am focusing my ghostly efforts on compiling a list of brands that have embraced all things spooky by creating products, hosting contests or running marketing campaigns that were all inspired by Halloween.
So why do brands bother to spend money, time and effort on holiday-themed campaigns and products? The holidays, Halloween included, offers brands a way to infuse their personalities into these joyous times and remind customers why they chose that brand in the first place. Brittany Burdoine-Lewis of leapfroginteractive says, “Embracing the holidays your audience enjoys establishes an understanding of your target customers and presents your fans with something fun to keep them engaged with your brand.” Take a look below and check out how brands like Kraft, Progressive and Honda are showing their love for Halloween this year!
Kraft:
Nothing says Halloween like brains, blood and green goo. Food and beverage giant Kraft has embraced all of these ghoulish traditions and packaged them up for sale. The beloved Kraft Cadbury eggs take a turn for the rotten during the Halloween season- the white cream filling of a traditional Cadbury Creme egg is replaced with green and white creamy goo for the Cadbury Screme Eggs (what a witty play on words!) To engage the more DIY crowd, Kraft gave away brain-shaped gelatin molds, complete with an 8-page recipe book, for only the cost of shipping and handling in 2011. If vampire tendencies are more of your speed during Halloween, be sure to pick up some Kool-Aid Ghoul-Aid. This dark red, “scary blackberry” flavored beverage is sure to provide your kids with enough of a sugar rush to trick-or-treat until the sun comes up!
Progressive:
For the past two years, Progressive has endorsed a “Dress like Flo” campaign, encouraging customers everywhere to don their best red lipstick and perky brunette hair styles. Progressive has even created a microsite that describes Flo’s wardrobe, down to the exact shade of lipstick for her infamous red smile. Of course the microsite doesn’t fail to deliver on ways to engage with the Progressive brand including Facebook “Like” buttons, customer service phone numbers and pop-up ads highlighting promotional insurance rates.
Honda:
Not all Halloween promotions are just about the brand; some companies go the extra mile to shine the candlelight on their fans. In 2010, Honda ran a Jack- o’-Lantern Facebook contest where fans carved Honda-inspired pumpkins. To share these carvings with the world , Honda created a specific Facebook photo album so any Facebook fan could comment on which pumpkin was their favorite and share with own Honda stories.
What are some of your favorite Halloween-embracing brands? Or do you say bah-humbug to the commercialization of Halloween? We want to know your thoughts!
Contributed by Lily Brock
Birchbox Delivers Brand Satisfaction
They say good things come in small packages. With products ranging from Luna bars, perfume, earbuds, green tea and mascara, brands are seizing the opportunity to distribute product samples in a little package called, Birchbox.
Birchbox.com, is a subscription-based service that delivers a monthly box of beauty samples to your door for a small fee of $10 a month. This NYC centered business was founded by Katia Beauchamp and fellow Harvard alum Haley Barna in 2010. Birchbox chooses products based on a beauty profile you complete when you sign up. From a brand’s perspective, this is a way to upsell existing customers and to acquire new customers by putting the product in front of them that they may not otherwise have been exposed to. A recent box brought me a fun colored nail polish, Kate Spade perfume and a delicious-smelling hand cream. I was so excited to receive my box of goodies, it felt like Christmas as I opened it! In my opinion, Birchbox satisfied me as a customer as it delivered products that I currently use and a few I hadn’t experienced before. I loved the hand cream and bought it on the Birchbox website once my sample size diminished. Bottom line, both Birchbox and the brands benefitted from my purchase that day!
Birchbox has been on the market for two years and has seen rapid growth, both with new female consumers and new business partners, such as major brands like Kiehl’s and NARS. It offers a way for big brands to get their products into the hands of young, e-happy customers with money to spend. Over 200 brands have joined Birchbox because they see the benefit of pushing their products to female consumers each month. Brands such as Elizabeth Arden are scrambling to give away samples to Birchbox’s more than 100,000 subscribers as they see the value in distributing their products to females who love a new beauty item to brag about.
The startup has been so successful gaining female consumers that Birchbox Man launched in April 2012. Now, guys can sign up and, for $20 a month, get their own “Birchboxes.” Products shipped in the boxes will include shaving cream, cologne, headphones and watches, with more lifestyle and tech items planned for the future.
Birchbox is a place where brands can find new customers and engage with them in a very intimate environment-their homes. This subscription-based system introduces customers to small and large brands, helps smaller companies start to find their consumer base, and larger companies find new audiences.
For a small fee and new products shipped to your door each month, would you sign up for Birchbox?
Brands Take to the Sky for Higher Reach
Airport security checkpoints create lines, pat-downs and frequent headaches for travelers. There are also the dull colored table trays on airplanes that make your snack and beverage look, well dull. Airlines have long wanted to engage travelers through these mediums so it was naturally when they invited companies to place advertisements on security checkpoint bins and on table trays to make it a more positive experience for travelers. Does this form of advertising work? Brands think so and are taking advantage of this advertising avenue.
Security Point Media, the leader in airport passenger security checkpoint advertising and the innovator of the Secure Tray System worked up a plan to provide free bins to airports in exchange for the right to sell advertisements on the bins. During a recent trip from New York to Boston, I noticed the ads at JFK airport. As I placed my shoes and other items in the bin, I saw an ad for Zappos that said “Place shoes here, buy shoes here.” I thought it was clever and made me remember that Zappos is a great store for shoe lovers and it distracted me for a few minutes as I made my way through the line. In my opinion, the ad worked as it was colorful, simple and reminded me how much I liked the brand and the products they offer. Brand recognition and recall are much more likely when advertising serves a practical purpose and is helpful to consumers.
Los Angeles International Airport, one of the program’s first test sites, was able to purchase long tables, seating, floor mats and other equipment from the ad revenue they have generated since the start of the bin advertising program. Airports like the program because it gives them a little bit of extra money and helps improve the checkpoint experience for passengers. Brands like Zappos are also helping absorb the cost that TSA would normally have to spend buying the equipment needed for security checkpoint. Sounds like a win win to me!
Another way to reach frequent travelers is by smacking an ad on a table tray while they’re on the airplane. On a recent flight, I saw an ad for Visitrichmond.com that did a great job of showcasing their cities history by having an ad that said “History. Rated “Gee!” From chilling ghost stories to thrilling roller coaster rides, history is for kids of all ages.” The ad featured a group of people enjoying a roller coaster ride. Whether it’s an ad for a hotel, cell phone or a tourism push for visitors, brands are gaining maximum exposure as the advertising images cannot be avoided.
While media companies believe table tray ads provide up to 3+ hours of guaranteed exposure and attention and a clutter-free environment with zero distractions, I believe frequent travelers would question if the ads make as much of an impact as companies would have liked. In a busy traveling world where people are rushing to get to their gate, do people notice advertisements on check point bins and table trays or are they more concerned with making their flight?
The Truth About the Uninvited Redesign
“The 'uninvited redesign' has become a fixture on the Internet over the past few years. It perpetuates the perfect symbiotic relationship between designer and audience: People love seeing what Wikipedia or Microsoft might look like in the hands of a genius, and designers love stretching their legs without the burden of a real client or brief.” – FastCo Design, August 2012
The uninvited redesign is something you could say we all do on some level. Those of us with any interest in branding and/or design pick apart almost any brand we encounter and think about all of the things we’d do differently to make it just a little bit better. And that’s where it ends, for most of us that is.
But the uninvited redesign has become a trend in the design and branding community that some of the most recognizable brands have become the subject of. An uninvited redesign occurs when a designer takes a brand and completely redesigns it to their liking without any contracts, financial obligations, and lastly, no solicitation from the client for the redesign. These are the greatest aspects of an uninvited redesign; there is essentially no pressure and input from the client; so designers are able to simply focus on the design and aesthetics of the brand without much regard to anything else. And what you end up with is a beautiful representation of all of the “could be’s and should be’s” for the brand. And boy, some of the uninvited redesigns that have been spread throughout the design community (Wikipedia, Microsoft, and American Airlines for example) are really pretty and have caused a clamoring for these brands to change.
So, before we go any farther let’s do a quick recap of an uninvited redesign: non-binding, zero cost, unsolicited, no pressure, and no client feedback. Sounds great if you’re a designer, doesn’t it? But what if you’re one of these brands that have now been subjected to seeing idealistic designs of your brand plastered all over the internet? You probably feel very differently than the designers that are knocking at your door to make all of their beautifully crafted changes.
If you’re a designer you’re taking a look at these brands through rose colored glasses so it’s relatively easy for you to say it should look this way or that way, but one really important thing that is missing is strategy behind those designs. Designers are critiquing existing brands without consideration to brand equity, strategy, longevity of the design, or solid research to warrant drastic changes. But if you’re someone who is responsible for said brands you don’t wear rose colored glasses, you’re faced with reality. Unfortunately for brands they have to navigate through all of the calls-for-changes that are near constant on the internet and make decisions for their brands not from an idealistic standpoint but from a business conscious point of view. Going through a complete redesign, especially for major brands, takes a lot of time and money and must have a sound business reason behind it – and no, because it looks pretty is not a sound business reason.
Making a decision about a complete redesign requires research and a proper strategy. It is easy to hear critics from all sorts of outlets calling for a redesign of your brand, but make sure you take the time to perform the necessary steps and have the foundation for both a proper and successful redesign. Once you’ve laid that foundation and have decided that a redesign will best position your brand for long-term success it will then be time to make it all come together through a well-defined and planned design strategy.
Mud Runs Enable Brands to Broaden Reach
Traditional running races are a thing of the past. The new craze is to throw some obstacles in the way. Like a mud pit, barbed wire, a climbing wall and a tangle of ropes. Then give these new obstacle course races gritty names like Warrior Dash and Tough Mudder to really intimidate people to sign up! Not only are people getting excited to participate in mud runs but brands are seizing the opportunity as well.
Obstacle races combine mud and trail runs with boot-camp obstructions and even mind games, all designed to result in mental and physical collapse. Last year in the U.S. roughly a million people signed up for events in the four most popular series: Warrior Dash, Tough Mudder, Spartan Race and Muddy Buddy. People now travel around the country and shell out money to willingly run these adventure races with mud crawls, fire pits, ice-cold showers and electric shocks. I have to admit when I looked at the Warrior Dash event video on their website, I instantly felt nervous yet fired up seeing people drenched in mud, climbing up wooden walls and jumping over fire. However, brands are embracing this new trend with nerves of steel.
Brands view this as an opportunity to get their product and showcase their company in front of an audience of young, active professionals. For example, the Windham, NY Warrior Dash in 2012 partnered with PERT Plus, the hassle-free shampoo brand and had a “Sudz Zone” shower trailer in the post-race festival area. With shampoo samples being provided to participants, brands have additional exposure for race attendees to use first hand and experience the product for themselves in hopes that participants will recall their experience next time they’re looking to buy shampoo. After all, if it can clean you up after one of these races it’s got to be good.
Brands also can gain exposure by having on site signage and tent space where they can directly connect and build relationships with existing as well as new customers. A few years ago I participated in an obstacle race and was immediately handed free apparel and samples provided by the sponsors that were at the event. They say it’s the little things in life and by getting a free koozie, a t-shirt and beer, not only was I benefitting from my new free stuff but I was also being exposed to a number of new brands that I might not ordinarily come in contact with, and I was one happy girl!
With mud runs and other adventure races gaining popularity, it’s no wonder brands are seizing the opportunity to sponsor races for additional exposure. As I write this, I’m already nervous and excited for the North Carolina Warrior Dash in 2013 I just signed up for! Obstacles, beer and bragging rights, do you have what it takes?
Cable Networks Rebrand to Stay Ahead of the Game
TV is a tough business, and the competition for both viewers and advertisers is cut throat. After all, they’re the two factors in keeping a station afloat. So with the ever-growing popularity of DVR, online programming, social media and an impressively long list of channels, the cable landscape is changing. And with that so too have the networks’ branding challenges.
Cable used to be defined by clear-cut niche programming and stations that replayed old movies, and syndicated sitcoms, but to keep up with each other the lines have blurred, and original (not to mention more diverse) content is starting to pop-up on cable networks at every click; which is exactly why networks are feeling the need to rebrand and reposition their brands more than ever before.
There is a growing list of channels overhauling their identities, but let’s take a deeper dive into these three examples below and see what they did to help set their networks apart from the competition.
In May 2012 TV Land the original station for those of us who love old sitcoms introduced an updated logo and new tagline “laugh more,” both of which were developed to broaden the TV Land brand and the programming it offered.
The logo speaks to the modernization of channel, and showcase that TV Land is about combining acquisitions and creating original sitcoms – all intended to make you, that’s right, laugh more.
E! Entertainment, one of the original purveyors of pop culture gossip (and everyone’s guilty pleasure) announced at their April 2012 upfront presentation that they would be introducing an updated logo and tagline. The new logo and tagline are intended to speak to the fact that E! has always been the epicenter of pop culture, and that the network’s next chapter is all about never letting anyone go a minute without their pop culture.
E! is also looking to rebrand itself on air by introducing scripted series and adding to its already existing reality and documentary series.
Of the three examples, Comedy Central’s rebrand is certainly the most drastic and has the best story to tell. Their old logo, the globe with buildings coming out of it, was hard to adjust into the digital age. One blogger wrote that the old Comedy Central logo was “like showing up in a Hawaiian shirt at a Fortune 500 company.” The old logo no longer fit the identity of the channel nor did it reach their younger audience.
The new logo, a “C” tucked inside an upside “C” bears a striking resemblance to the copyright symbol, which some have said shows the new Comedy Central logo subtly suggests that they’ve got a lock on laughs. Clever and funny, don’t you think? While at first glance this logo may not seem to capture what Comedy Central stands for, I bet now you might think differently.