Purex:Top shelf budget brand

Purex’s Eric Schwartz took advantage of market slack and the fact the Purex is a budget brand and turned the brand into a top shelf brand in just three years.

The advantage of being a value brand,” he says, “is that you can offer a consumer new reasons to be interested—and she assumes there’s already value associated.”

Schwartz pushed two extensions of ofthe brand into stores, created in-store advertising and changed media outlets from T.V. to social media. "Realizing that 70 percent of all purchase decisions are made in the store aisle, Schwartz worked with Zooka Creative and Energy BBDO to develop battery-driven, push-button video demonstration screens that clipped right to the store shelves."

"Schwartz broadened Purex’s direct-marketing emphasis from TV to social media. Identifying the 2,000 most influential “mommy bloggers” in the U.S., Schwartz recruited them to be “Purex Insiders,” who got freebies of Purex products to test-drive in their own washing machines. The resulting word-of-mouth among moms pushed Purex’s Facebook fan base from 10,317 to 365,333—an increase of 3,441 percent.
Thanks to these efforts, Purex is notching its third straight year of market-share gains above 5 percent. The brand is on track to do $100 million in sales, soaping the company forecast of $57 million."

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/cpg-household-purexs-gm-laundry-and-home-care-henkel-north-america-eric-sc

Kiehl’s: A Different Kind of Marketing

Ever heard of a company that doesn't need to advertise? Well Kiehl's has a surprise for you. Maybe you've heard of the brand through a friend or read about it in a magazine.. but you've never seen an ad for it. Chris Salgardo, the company president, says that all they need is a good, green public profile.



Their all-natural products bring results that only some companies can dream about. Consumers of Kiehl's love to spread the word about it, but that's not all for Salgardo. He brought up his Harley and rode across New England in six days with some buddies- and then donated nearly $100,000 to AIDs Research. “Every company capable of writing a check should write one,” Salgardo says. “But I rode 1,400 dirty miles and donated all the proceeds. It’s not about the check— it’s about being personally involved. That’s what sets us apart.”

That's not the first of it, however. Salgardo has created many events in stores around New York, had celebrity appearances, invited the public, and then donated the proceeds to various charities and organizations. He takes marketing to a new level with his focus on a honestly concerned company profile. These events and appearances create media exposure that Kiehl's couldn't afford otherwise. Customers aren't dumb, Salgardo says- “They want to buy products from a company with a conscience.”

From Kiehl's numbers, it's most definitely working. The company, under Salgardo's leadership, has nearly doubled in size. Kiehl's is a company that proves that taking a different step towards marketing can be risky, but very successful. Their way of marketing has created a brand that is nearly recognizable only by name. The company has created a green, luxury brand that people are vying for, with results to match.

Source: Adweek

Walmart's Halloween High Hopes

With 9 straight quarters of declining sales, Walmart is banking on Halloween merchandise to boost sales and break the bad streak. The store increased their Halloween purchases by 20% in hopes of consumers coming into their store for their costumes and Halloween themed merchandise. The company also teamed up with some companies to have exclusivity on certain Halloween items.

Walmart has then focused on marketing and advertising these items to have consumers enter their store to purchase these items. They have used social media networks, print at home coupons, and ciculations in newspapers to help promote their large Halloween selection. One item in particular that is being featured is Limited Edition M&Ms that are white chocolate candy corn.

To read the full article, click here.

Woman Sues Filmmakers Over "False Advertising"

Here it is: the dumbest thing I've read all week. A Michigan woman is suing the distributor of the movie Drive due to what she considers to be false advertising. The woman apparently became upset when she went to a screening of the film and found that there actually wasn't all that much driving to be found. She believes that the film failed to live up to the trailer.

What exactly did she expect from this movie? Well, it turns out that she was expecting an action film similar to what one might find in the Fast & Furious series; you know, mindless explosions and car chases. Instead, what viewers who go to see Drive actually see is an intelligent character study that paces itself, scenes of graphic violence occasionally punctuating the otherwise subdued vibe of the picture. The woman plans to sue for the $12 she spent on her ticket, and says that she will be bringing others along with her who wish to do the same.

I believe that she has no case. The individuals responsible for putting together a film trailer do so with the intent of making the film as marketable as possible to the average film-goer. The scenes shown in the trailer (regardless of how they are cut or arranged) are in the movie, so false advertising is not really a fair argument in this case. Perhaps this individual should have done their research prior to going to the theater; one can find out plenty about a film using the World Wide Web. If I could demand my money back for every film that disappointed me, I could make a fortune. As it stands, I am not able to do that & neither is she. Drive is an excellent film, one of my favorites of the year. I sincerely hope this person's case is laughed at in court.

See the "misleading" trailer here

Volkswagen makes all our dreams come true

Out of all the car commercials out there, this one is the most memorable by far.
When the commercial first aired I had no idea that it would be for a car company...until the very end of course. But that's what makes the commercial so effective. The media is so heavily flooded with car commercials and advertisements. I'm sure that I am not the only one who is so bored of seeing car commercials that I automatically tune out at the start of each commercial.
But Volkswagen made a very effective decision by not showing the car until the end. The commercial starts out with a young boy dressed as Darth Vader...just one reason for me to want to keep watching. But what makes the commercial even more effective is the fact that they continue to focus on the boy as he struggles to make his imaginary powers come to life. The audience begins to feel even more curious as the commercial progresses. All we can keep wondering is "what is the point of this? It's funny and cute, but why!?" This very thought process is what keeps our attention.
And then we get to the end of the commercial. As soon as the shiny brand new car pulls up into the driveway we know that this is an ad for Volkswagen. But we continue to watch because we are now wondering what the little boy has to do with this car.
The ending of the commercial is perfect. It causes the audience to smile when the boy finally becomes victorious. It causes us to associate Volkswagen with dreams and childhood fantasies. Volkswagen is telling us that this new car can unlock our imagination and make our dreams come true.

London Restricts 'Ambush Marketing' During 2012 Olympic Games

The London government is putting its best effort forward in protecting domestic and international sponsors of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games from 'ambush marketing.' A recent report from Reuters reveals the current plan implemented by legislative officials which will punish any persons or companies involved with "publicity seekers who turn their bodies into billboards." The government fears that publicity stunts such as the individual who disrupted a diving event at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, will deter potential sponsors' willingness to invest in the summer games.

This new type of ban will prohibit the advertising of a company on a human body in order to gain attention and free publicity. Olympic Games organizers have tried to crack down on unauthorized use of product placement since the 1996 games in Atlanta when sportswear company Nike created a "Nike Village" with print advertisements located close to the stadiums even though they were not an official sponsor. According to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, breaking the rules of this new type of "physical advertising" could result in a fine of up to 20,000 pounds, or approx. $31,570.

While I understand the urgency to preserve the official contributing sponsors' placement rights, I feel that this is a drastic move in censoring Olympic attendees. I think that these rules from legislation are an attempt to control the events happening within the city of London during the games. I do not think that there should be so much discussion on miniscule aspects such as what fans will be wearing. After all, the Olympic games were created with an emphasis on religion and sports, meant to take away from any struggles amongst participating city-states, or countries - let's leave out the politics.

I found this article on Yahoo! News.

Couch Potatoes Cashing In???

Connected TV (CTV) Advertising, the leader in direct response TV advertising, has recently unveiled their latest technique in consultative services. The company sent out a press release on Thursday explaining that they will incorporate a "new breed of specialists" who will not be hired based on their experience or degree, but on the level of usage and consumption of television. The creation of this new type of consultants comes off of an increasing availability of various content and enhancing personalization now available to consumers of television.

The new group of marketers, called "Couch Consultants," will be working with traditional marketing strategists to develop deeper advertising and more focused targeting, something that broad based researching lack due to addressing the informal group of television watchers. CTV Advertising's CEO, Zachary Weiner, explains, "It’s not just about marketing strategy, and advertising placement, it’s about intrinsically knowing the consumer at the personal level." Weiner also mentions that in order for clients to properly reach the correct groups of TV watchers, such as sports fans, CTV Advertising needs to personally address their audience's viewing wants in order to enhance their experience.

I feel that this is an interesting way to gain an understanding of television viewers' habits as far as what type of ads they pay attention to and what sort of programming allows them to do so. I do think it will be difficult for CTV Advertising to find reliable candidates for their research. I feel that if someone is at home spending more than 4 hours watching TV, then they are most likely not very productive to society -- meaning they may not be the most loyal or motivated employees. If everything works out how they plan on conducting these efforts, I am sure they will receive a better understanding of how people watch TV.

I found this article at Yahoo! News.

Redefining Normal

If having a plant in a little town means to use it up for marketing purposes, then Mitsubishi is on the ball. It's not all in a negative way, of course, but someone could wonder how the whole town feels being remade in this new Mitsubishi campaign.



With their latest release of electric cars, Mitsubishi will be providing this small Illinois town with a bundle (30) news quick refueling stations for these cars. Also, for the use of the town, they are allowing 1,000 lucky citizens of Normal to be the first to order the new electric cars. As in, they get to skip the waiting list.

The project in whole is aiming to be a play on words. Mitsubishi is trying to make this community of electric cars "Normal". In it's own special way, it is intuitive. But how does the town feel about their town being used in this campaign? Also, how many can actually afford to buy these cars and use these quick charge stations? I understand that Mitsubishi is trying to give back, but how reasonable is the idea? When the car is released we'll see how far this plan really goes.

Source: Adweek

Travel the Globe in Comfort

There's a certain appeal to taking a vacation, whether it be halfway across the world to an exotic beach or just a weekend get away from the hustle of everyday life. We all think about escaping our hectic schedules every once in a while and the Marriott Hotels & Resorts wants us to remember them the next time we need a break in life.

Their purpose to launch a worldwide advertising campaign that depicts different experiences have at their hotels and resorts (there are 506 of them across the globe). The campaign is simply dubbed "Experience More at the Marriott" with visually stimulating images that express the different needs of Mariott cliente. There are six variations of the ad all depicting artfully done watercolor backgrounds of  London, Beijing, Aruba and Pune, India. In the foreground of the ad is a silohuette of an individual who may travel for various reasons. For instance, the ad pictured above shows the shadow of a sharply dressed man standing in front of an outside lounger area that appears inviting. The copy: "Where Sophistication Meets Comfort" suggests that the Marriott can offer rest and comfort in a sophisticated way that doesn't downgrade the quality.

The purpose? To catch the eye of potential world travelers and further accent the different qualities Marriott has to offer.  Paul Cahill, senior vice president, brand management for Marriott Hotels & Resorts says, "With such a diverse portfolio of properties, our guests can conduct business almost anywhere in the world, explore new destinations, or revitalize their spirits at one of our resorts. The creative concepts by mcgarrybowen were brought to life with Kareem Iliya’s watercolors, setting this campaign apart from the usually tame world of hotel marketing."

The campaign is a multi-million dollar venture that will run through major cities throughout the world including:  Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Bahrain, Bangalore, Beijing, Bogota, Caracas, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Delhi, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, Sidney, Tokyo and Washington, DC. Also it is reported that up to 26 international airports will feature this ad while global travelers wait for their next flight out.

The hope is to set apart the Marriott Hotel & Resorts from other competitors who "tamely" advertise their business. And I think their intentions of catching the eye of those who enjoy traveling or are traveling will be met with great results. After reading this article and seeing the artsy side presented in these ads, I found myself wanting to see more of the Marriott Resorts featured in their international locations. Very much like the iPod advertisement that featured a shadow on a brightly colored background, this ad and the others within the campaign allow you to place yourself in the position of a global traveler and see yourself fitting in at the Marriott Hotel & Resort. I think it's very creative and would make Marriott have a more prominent recognition with the hotel industry.

You can find more of the article and other ads featured in the campaign here.   

Snickers

It comes out every Halloween, the Snickers commercials. This one in particular has always been my favorite. Click here for the Snickers Commercial
This commercial appeals to not only children but also parents and well, I'm a teenager so I guess it appeals to a wide range of age groups. But that was no accident. The fact that two kids are dressed as a old woman wearing a creepy mask and a strange outfit. The two boys supposedly trick Mrs. Jenson into buying a ton of Snickers bars by pushing all the Snickers bars off the grocery store rack into her shopping cart.
The commercial is not only adorable but it's funny as well, and definitely captures what every kid wishes he could do during Halloween.