New Kotex Commercials

Kotex Logo
Need a good laugh? Be sure to check out the latest Kotex commercials. If you've already been caught off guard by them, you are not alone! The commercials mock feminine product commercials of the past that have typically featured women "practicing yoga in white spandex, riding white horses along the beach, or airborne in cheerleader outfits," according to New York Times writer Andrew Newman. The commercials feature women who ridicule the history of feminine product advertising, ironically including material from their own ad archives.

Kotex hopes this re-branding effort will help separate them from other feminine products. They recently launched their youth-driven U by Kotex line which features new black packaging and bright colors, signifying a revolution in feminine care. Their new slogan, "Time to break the cycle" enhances the humorous route they are taking to extend the brand's reach.

Contributed by: Ashley Popham

by Guest Blogger

What's that Smell? Sensory Marketing

Taste and smell are universal languages. We do not need a point of reference, a back-story, or an elaborate marketing campaign to know when something smells or tastes good.

This realization has paved the way for companies to begin using more than simple sights and sounds to reach to target audiences. Sensory marketing is based on the concept that a fully pleasurable experience will reinforce positive associations with a brand.

Check out two companies who are leading the way in the sensory market:

ScentAir
ScentAir helps companies across the globe create customized scents for their products and stores. According to their website, "scent marketing is how businesses are breaking through mundane and overused marketing gimmicks to reach customers emotionally."

Scent Air has created signature scents for retail stores ranging from Sony to Lexus to Bloomingdales, as well as for hotels, realtors, and spas.

FirstFlavor
Imagine how effective a magazine ad for Hershey's would be if you could actually taste the chocolate. FirstFlavor has recognized this power and enables companies to incorporate taste tests in their print ads and direct mail.

Branding and marketing a tool called Peel 'n Taste®, the FirstFlavor website assures that "the flavor of your product is replicated in quick dissolving edible film strips which are distributed through individually packaged pouches to prospective customers."

Would you try one?
Contributed by: Maghan Cook

by Guest Blogger

The Celebrity Fragrance Phenomenon

The last few years have certainly seen an upsurge of celebrity endorsed perfumes. Similar to last Christmas but even more imminent, the perfume counters this past Christmas season are featuring the latest and greatest releases by Paris Hilton, Faith Hill and Usher. In the early 90s when Elizabeth Taylor’s White Diamonds was released, celebrity fragrances were few and far between. Today, celebrities are using their names as brands and consumers are buying into the idea (literally)! Perfume producers are targeting an existing consumer audience comprised of celebrity fans. Celebrities’ status in society supports this high-end image that consumers strive to impersonate. With the release of numerous new celebrity clothing lines and shoe collections, consumers feel like they can relate to their favorite artists and actors. Now they’re purchasing the toiletries to match. Do the celebrities themselves even have influence on these scents? If so, the question becomes, who do you want to smell like? More importantly, are celebrities really wearing their name brand scents? And if not, why are consumers?

Contributed by:  Ashley Popham

by Guest Blogger

Technology Brands Help Edge Out the Competition

running brands, athletic brands, technology brands, sports brands
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Addison Whitney has two new names and logos to add to its portfolio in the running world: StabilicoreTM, which is a technology brand for New Balance shoes, and Aceba, a Dry Lubricant used in Asics Chafe FreeTM products.

For those who think that Nike is supreme when it comes to athletic footwear, runners will tell you a different story. Runners are very loyal to brands that work, and Asics and New Balance have emerged as trusted names for those who hit the pavement every day.

A quick poll of AW’s running group, “Brand, Sweat and Tears”, revealed the following insights about running brands:

  • “I am more loyal to technologies than I am to master brands”
  • “I don’t care if it’s popular- I care if it has got the specifics that I need! (e.g. high-arch support)”
  • “If I find a technology that works for me, I am more likely to buy other items from that brand (the shoes fit, why not buy the matching shorts and tank!)”

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by Guest Blogger

The Holiday Hierarchy

Is it me, or are we transitioning immediately from Halloween to Christmas? Just when the last Trick-or-Treater of the night walks away from my door step, K-mart busts out the 15 foot inflatable snow globe. Are we skipping something? Yes, I think it is called Thanksgiving.

According to a recent study by the CDC, 34% of Americans are overweight. You would think Thanksgiving would be a marketers dream. Shelves should be stocked with bite size packages of stuffing for ‘Thank’-or-Treaters, freezers full of turkeys to carve and place on our door steps, 15 foot inflatable gravy boats—a pilgrim at the mall taking pictures with your screaming kids. Well, maybe next year…

Let’s face it, Thanksgiving does not get enough credit. How did the rest of our holidays become so commercial, leaving Thanksgiving in the dust? I have a few theories:

1.No Brand Persona
Santa, Cupid, Easter bunny—these are all characters that add a story and pizzazz to their respective holidays. The turkeys’ life story never has a happy ending. This is not a story you read your children before bed. Maybe we could add a gift giving Pilgrim to the mix.

2.Lack of buy in from children
What do children love about holidays? Free candy on Halloween, Toys for Christmas, a basket of goodies on Easter morning, and notes from classmates on Valentine’s Day. For children, Thanksgiving is just another meal. No gifts, no candy, no fun.

3.Minimal merchandising opportunities
How many turkey figurines can you have before your home décor begins to resemble a zoo gift shop? We need more characters, symbols, and colors for Thanksgiving. Side dishes don’t count. There is really only one product to market for Thanksgiving: food. You can buy food ANY day of the year. Luster=lost.

But most importantly…

4. Calendar Crowding
Halloween, Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, New Year’s—all within three months. I call for a calendar reorganization. Any holiday preceding Christmas automatically gets overshadowed. Columbus Day really drew the short straw. If we move Thanksgiving to April, I think we would begin Turkey shopping in February.

I will not be rushed into Christmas this year, and I hope you will stop and smell the yams as well. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Time with family, tradition, relaxation, football---but most importantly, the FOOD! I wait all year for this meal and I am not going to leave the table early to decorate the Christmas tree. Happy Thanksgiving!

Contributed by Laine Beyerl

by Guest Blogger

IKEA: You buy it, you pronounce it

The ground has been officially broken: IKEA (pronounced "eye-KEY-uh") is coming to Charlotte.

The Swedish mega-store is known for its affordable home furnishings, tasty meatballs, and distinctive Scandinavian names. And while the word-nerd in me gets jiggy at the sight of products named POÄNG and BESTÅ ENÖN, some may think that IKEA simply enjoys seeing us clumsy Americans struggle with three extra letters in the alphabet.
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by Guest Blogger