Optimism Pays Off?
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If you’re a soft drink company what do you do to keep market share high in a down economy? Let the good times roll, and put on a happy face? Well, I’m not sure, but that certainly seems like the plan for mega giants PepsiCo and Coca-Cola.
According to Pepsi, 95% of their target market (individuals born between 1980 and 1990) prefer to maintain a positive outlook on life. Additionally, those born from 1980 to 1990 (individuals referred to as "Millenials,") are confident about the remainder of 2009. (Data according to StategyOne)
With those statistics in mind, Pepsi launched a new campaign which includes a redesigned logo that looks like a smile and welcoming greetings such as: Hi, Yo, or Howdy.
Coca-Cola on the other hand, is no stranger to marketing happiness (think their early 90’s polar bear campaigns). The company is at it again, with their newest slogans: Open Happiness and The Coke Side of Life, around billboards nationwide.
As for who has it right, I guess only time will tell. For now, let’s just hope the glass is half full for both Coke and Pepsi.
By Kelley Blakewood
I'm Lovin It?
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Every morning on my way to work I drive past McDonald's, and every morning I can’t help but ask myself… is it really possible? Is it possible that the days of Ronald McDonald, happy meals, and gigantic golden arches are really over?
The McDonald's Company began raising eyebrows in 2003 when executives decided it best to drop their traditional kid-centric image in order to target an older more mature market. Six years and billions of dollars later, they have actually begun to achieve what most deemed impossible: change their brand image. To compete with coffee houses and café type restaurants, McDonalds has revamped both its menu and store layouts. McDonald’s restaurants now offer a variety of coffees, ranging from iced chocolate mochas to espressos. Additionally, most McDonald's include coffee bar tables, metal barstools, and free wireless internet access. CEO Charlie Bell says, “These changes are meant to offer consumers a better overall brand experience.”
I’m certainly going to miss the iconic child friendly McDonald's, but I’m pretty excited to see what the new McDonald's has to offer. Maybe one of these mornings, I'll stop to enjoy a cup of coffee and actually be able to say, "I'm lovin it."
By Kelley Blakewood
Source: EmeraldManagementFirst: Re-Branding: the Mcdonald's Stategy
Did slot miss their shot?
Remember mixed tapes? The old school cassettes made for friends containing your favorite songs, with clever titles such as "Road Trip Mix 91"?
Fast forward 20+ years and enter slotRadio. From the looks of their advertising, the new music player + music card is targeting moms ... busy moms in particular (although really, what mom today ISN'T busy?). I fall into this category, and it seriously took reading the ad several times plus a visit to their website to help me understand exactly WHAT they were selling. Is slotRadio a music player? Actual music? A big idea?
It's really all three. slotRadio is a music player, with special "pre-filled" cards loaded up with music from specific categories. For example, I can choose a card with 1000 country-specific songs ready to play in my slotRadio player. Or a health and fitness card that has seven playlists created with specific activities in mind (cardio, cooldown, yoga, etc.). Great concept. Appropriate target. So what's the problem?
The name. slotRadio. Sure it's descriptive. Yes, it's functional. But this is a category definer. No other manufacturer has a product like this. Imagine if Procter & Gamble had chosen to use "Dust-Trapping-Cloth-on-a-Stick" for their inventive product in 1999.
To make things even more confusing, the pre-loaded cards are branded slotRadio, as is the player. But the slotRadio card can actually be played on the Sansa Fuze and the Sansa Clip+. Seems to me a better option would have been to name the player slotRadio, and give the card (new, unique, different) a (new, unique, different) name.
Apple defined the personal music category with the iPod. Now SanDisk has a chance to redefine the playlist. Unfortunately I think the choice of name leaves the door wide open for a second player to come in and dominate with a more original brand name.
Mommy, Mommy!
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Recently entering the world of children’s toys is a new doll that can walk the walk and talk the talk. Fisher-Price recently introduced Little Mommy: Walk & Giggle Doll. Equipped with the latest technology, this amazing doll can talk, walk, and stand up all by herself. According to a Senior Engineer at Mattel, the technology used to power this little play toy machine is similar to the resources used to power the Apple IIe.
Your little girl comes prepared to say up to 60 different phrases including “I’m tired,” or “help me, momma.” You can love your own Little Mommy: Walk & Giggle Doll for between Read more
Vanity Fair Discusses Personal Branding
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A recent article in Vanity Fair Magazine by contributing author, James Walcott, titled, What’s a Culture Snob to Do?, discusses the current dilemma facing Culture Snobs caused by the pervasive effects of technology. In our society today, many people personally brand themselves by the material possessions they own. The book you read proudly while riding on the bus; the CD collection waiting to be perused by the next passenger that hops into your car; and the DVD collection that is displayed on the shelves in your home waiting to be fawned over by the next house guest, are all outwards displays of your inner being. Whether or not you would like to admit it, our society is quick to make snap judgments about a person’s character based upon the book titles seen in the arms of their readers. This judgment serves as a bit of a Read more
The Power of a Brand Name
Image from www.taglines.org
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What makes a great tagline? Is it longevity; has it endured the test of time? What about influence; has it exercised influence on our culture, media, and language? Or maybe is it originality; has it set new trends or broken through barriers in the advertising industry?
Most likely, it’s a combination of all the above. However, the ten great taglines below follow a different criterion: they each include the company’s name somewhere within the tagline. Take a look at the list below; I’m sure you’ll recognize the power of the brand name.
| You’re in good hands with Allstate. (1956) | Allstate Insurance |
| There are some things that money can’t buy. For everything else there’s MasterCard. (1997) | MasterCard |
| Please don’t squeeze the Charmin. (1964) | Charmin |
| Come alive! You’re in the Pepsi generation. (1964) | Pepsi |
| Have a coke and smile. (1979) | Coca-Cola |
| With a name like Smucker’s, it has to be good. (1962) | Smucker’s |
| Nothing comes between me and my Calvins. (1979) | Calvin Klein Jeans |
| Yo quiero Taco Bell. (mid-1990s) | Taco Bell |
| The few, the proud, the Marines. (1991) | U.S. Marines |
| Don’t get mad. Get GLAD. (early 1980s) | Glad |
By Kelley Blakewood
Daddy, May I Borrow Some Money to Buy a New Car?
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With so many brands cluttering the marketplace, it can be difficult to stand out. Many marketers have realized that it is much more beneficial to talk to consumers before brand loyalties have formed. It is easier to help form a brand loyalty with a product from scratch rather than try to convert an already brand loyal consumer, hence the emergence of Read more
Brand Your Bugs
As consumers are looking for more natural solutions to implement within their lives and specifically within their healthcare choices, probiotics are emerging as a hot new trend. Probiotics (translated as "for life") refers to the "good" bacteria that are included in dietary supplements or food products.
This "good" bacteria found in our adult bodies has been shown to assist with digestion, produce vitamins, regulate the immune system, and help the body stave off the "bad" bacteria. The dominant population consists of strict anaerobic bacteria: Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium and Peptostreptoccocus.
Consumer companies are getting into the bug business by branding and marketing specific strains of this good bacteria as an ingredient brand in their yogurts, juices and supplements.
Take a look at some current offerings:
- Align has a new presence in the media by touting its "Bifantis," which is a neologism that truncates the scientific name of the bacteria: Bifidobacterium infantis 35624.
- Activia has been on the market for several years and recently utilized Jamie Lee Curtis as the "Activia Lady." Their primary ingredient is "Bifidus Regularis" from the Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010 strain.
- NakedJuice bypasses the direct reference to bacteria altogether and uses simply "Probiotics" on this product within their lineup. It's interesting that they refer to probiotics as the "friendly, live active cultures."
- Attune Foods offers two probiotics bars, and takes it a step further by reinforcing the idea of a daily nutritional value with "daily probiotics."
- Bio-K+ utilizes a strictly scientific approach, through both their core brand name and the product names. CL1285, available in capsule, fermented milk, and dairy free forms, is a bacterial probiotic culture containing the unique and patented formula of L. acidophilus and L. casei.
- Finally, check out GoodBelly Yogurt & Juice. These products use the mark "Lp299v," which refers to Lactobacillus plantarum 299v. No emotional benefits present in this ingredient name; the company uses their core brand to communicate the end result of the product.
What do you think? Does branding bacteria with an emotional name versus a scientific one make you more inclined to try a probiotic product?
Tea Freaks
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Attention all Sweet Tea Lovers ...McAlister's Deli has heard your demand!
July 23, 2009 has been dubbed FREE TEA DAY. On this day, participating McAlister's Deli locations (participation may vary) will be giving away free tea. Obviously there is a 'one per guest limit,' and the offer is not valid for catering orders or gallon purchases... but who wouldn't love a refreshing sweet tea to cool down during these hot summer days? Besides, everything tastes better when it's free!
Check out the official Tea Freaks website for more information surrounding this event. Here you will find weekly "Free Tea" episodes, and Tea Freak merchandise, such as tshirts, being sold on the site.
So find a participating McAlister's Deli near you and enjoy some FREE TEA!
Contributed by Carrie Friedrich
"Snackrifice"
Thought Subway's new "Fauxbesity" lingo sounded strange? Check out another coined word that is gracing the pages of our magazine advertisements. In response to looming economic concerns, Kraft has teamed up with other snack food vendors to put the hungry tummy at ease. These powerhouse snack sellers have created a line of combination snacks in order to satisfy your cravings without leaving a huge dent in your wallet. While advertising these products, Kraft has used the increasingly popular tactic of coining a brand new word in order to define a common scenario facing many consumers today. Thus, the introduction of a "snackrifice" (www.whysnackrifice.com).
Kraft's introduction of "tasty snack combinations" begs this question of consumers: "why snackrifice?" They want to know why you would give up snack time when "you can have a delicious snack for about a dollar." These and many other companies are very aware of how consumers are consciously cutting back on going out to eat and spending money on unnecessary products. They have planned marketing campaigns that highlight the benefits and convenience of packaged goods, and demonstrate how snacks can still fit into your budget. The Kraft Snackrifice campaign, and many others, have appealed to consumers by promising more bang for your buck.
Snack on.
Contributed by Carrie Friedrich