These kind of viral advertisements are very focused in on their target demographic, and make a huge impact on the rest of the sports community. This particular ad places Sidney Crosby, and Nathan Mackinnon, both hockey players from Cole Harbor, Nova Scotia, at a Tim Hortons in Canada. Tim Hortons, a popular fast food breakfast chain in Canada, is famous for its doughnuts and Canadian service. This viral marketing is very easy to produce, and is extremely effective. Crosby and Mackinnon serve as the focus of the advertisements, while the product is left in the background. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as fans of the athletes are constantly looking for content outside of the sport. It allows viewers an insight to their persona lives and gives the chain credibility after being endorsed by a popular athlete and celebrity in their town.
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Social Media: A Powerful, Dangerous Tool
These kind of viral advertisements are very focused in on their target demographic, and make a huge impact on the rest of the sports community. This particular ad places Sidney Crosby, and Nathan Mackinnon, both hockey players from Cole Harbor, Nova Scotia, at a Tim Hortons in Canada. Tim Hortons, a popular fast food breakfast chain in Canada, is famous for its doughnuts and Canadian service. This viral marketing is very easy to produce, and is extremely effective. Crosby and Mackinnon serve as the focus of the advertisements, while the product is left in the background. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as fans of the athletes are constantly looking for content outside of the sport. It allows viewers an insight to their persona lives and gives the chain credibility after being endorsed by a popular athlete and celebrity in their town.
Feel Good Ads
Now I'm a sucker for anything hockey related, however its ads like these that really leave a bad taste in my mouth. These ads are specifically targeted at your emotions and have absolutely nothing to do with the product or company that it benefits. This kind of marketing isn't meant to sell you the product. Its not even meant to sell you on an experience. This is just big business trying to play consumers into buying their products.
For me, advertisements like these never seem genuine because they are pedaling a product, and they make me as a consumer less receptive to purchase said product. I would prefer that compose integrate there product into the the ads more and be more upfront about what they are doing.
Lebron to?
If you haven't been following the NBA, Lebron James draws a pretty big following. As he is a free agent at the end of this season, its pretty safe to say that some teams are really excited about it.
Of course, none of these teams paid to have these billboards made up, but they all were strategically placed where Lebron would see them during each visit to the respective city. This may be the efforts of a desperate fan, who is really excited about the potential of the best player in the world coming to play for their franchise. While these campaigns are nothing but a bit of fun, they aren't that off for wanting Lebron in their city.
Many people agree that Lebron is an impact player, but what does that do for a city or a team. Lebron at one point left his team in Cleveland to go down to Miami. The results in ticket sales was bigger than you'd expect.
The Three years that Lebron was in Miami, there is a clear dip in ticket sales, however, after Lebron returns ticket sales spike once again to sellout levels for each game they play. This clearly shows that Lebron James is box office, and campaigning for him isn't the most ridiculous thing an NBA team could do.
Of course, none of these teams paid to have these billboards made up, but they all were strategically placed where Lebron would see them during each visit to the respective city. This may be the efforts of a desperate fan, who is really excited about the potential of the best player in the world coming to play for their franchise. While these campaigns are nothing but a bit of fun, they aren't that off for wanting Lebron in their city.
Many people agree that Lebron is an impact player, but what does that do for a city or a team. Lebron at one point left his team in Cleveland to go down to Miami. The results in ticket sales was bigger than you'd expect.
The Three years that Lebron was in Miami, there is a clear dip in ticket sales, however, after Lebron returns ticket sales spike once again to sellout levels for each game they play. This clearly shows that Lebron James is box office, and campaigning for him isn't the most ridiculous thing an NBA team could do.
We Are All Humboldt
Recently, a horrible bus crash in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Canada left a city devastated. The bus crash claimed the lives of 16 victims, all of witch were associated with a hockey team called the Broncos. This may seem like a strange thing to craft a campaign around, however this horrible tragedy was changed through great public relations, and the sporting community coming together to support a cause.
The campaign started very impactful and lasting hashtags including, #HumboldtStrong, #WeareallHumboldt, and #SticksoutforHumboldt. These campaigns were taken on by NHL teams with placing hockey sticks at the entrance of each door honoring the victims of the crash.
Teams also supported the Broncos by having a themed night to come together with both teams honored the fallen victims by wearing jerseys that all say Broncos on the back of the jersey.
These small steps, led to massive support of their team, and the GoFundMe campaign set up to offer financial support to the families. The GoFundMe page raised over $15 million dollars, the most in website history. this viral campaign supported by all different hockey teams now will make a lasting impact on the families of a horrible tragedy
The campaign started very impactful and lasting hashtags including, #HumboldtStrong, #WeareallHumboldt, and #SticksoutforHumboldt. These campaigns were taken on by NHL teams with placing hockey sticks at the entrance of each door honoring the victims of the crash.
Teams also supported the Broncos by having a themed night to come together with both teams honored the fallen victims by wearing jerseys that all say Broncos on the back of the jersey.
These small steps, led to massive support of their team, and the GoFundMe campaign set up to offer financial support to the families. The GoFundMe page raised over $15 million dollars, the most in website history. this viral campaign supported by all different hockey teams now will make a lasting impact on the families of a horrible tragedy
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Brandless Branding?
I’ve recently come across an ad on my Instagram feed that struck my attention. It was an advertisement for a brandless line of products. The concept is an online grocery shopping service that entirely leaves out any sort of brand name.
They’re based in San Francisco and Minneapolis. According to their website embedded below, “Our mission is deeply rooted in quality, transparency, and community-driven values. Better stuff, fewer dollars. It's that simple.” This product line is meant to be cheaper than your typical grocery store prices. Their concept behind this is that without attaching a brand, they can avoid a BrandTax. “BrandTax™ is the hidden costs you pay for a national brand. We've been trained to believe these costs increase quality, but they rarely do. We estimate the average person pays at least 40% more for products of comparable quality as ours. And sometimes up to 370% more for beauty products like face cream. We're here to eliminate BrandTax™ once and for all.” This is an interesting concept that i have personally never seen done before. They focus on healthy and safe products at affordable prices, which is a great business model considering the current trends. They also have a large focus on corporate social responsibility. They partner with Feeding America and donate to the organization with every purchase made.
They’re based in San Francisco and Minneapolis. According to their website embedded below, “Our mission is deeply rooted in quality, transparency, and community-driven values. Better stuff, fewer dollars. It's that simple.” This product line is meant to be cheaper than your typical grocery store prices. Their concept behind this is that without attaching a brand, they can avoid a BrandTax. “BrandTax™ is the hidden costs you pay for a national brand. We've been trained to believe these costs increase quality, but they rarely do. We estimate the average person pays at least 40% more for products of comparable quality as ours. And sometimes up to 370% more for beauty products like face cream. We're here to eliminate BrandTax™ once and for all.” This is an interesting concept that i have personally never seen done before. They focus on healthy and safe products at affordable prices, which is a great business model considering the current trends. They also have a large focus on corporate social responsibility. They partner with Feeding America and donate to the organization with every purchase made.
In theory, I believe this is a very cool concept, and could be incredibly successful due to the fact that it has not been done before, or at least has not been well known. But what strikes me about this company the most is that by focusing on a particular business model and public image, they are creating a reputation for themselves. Doesn’t this make the Brandless company a brand? Is what they’ve come up with just more of a vision for image and not actually a no-brand product line? I like the thought process behind this company, but in the end, isn’t it just ironic?
How Fortnite Got So Big, So Quick
Fortnite is all the rave right now in the gaming industry. It’s a free game that can be played cross-platform, giving it the ability to interface with a wide array of video gamers. in addition to approaching current gamers, the eSports community is rapidly growing with millions of dollars in investments from other industries, as well as the Twitch acquisition from Amazon. Twitch currently is a multi-million dollar industry, due to its rapidly growing fan base as well as corporate sponsorship. This is comparable to a social media site for gamers. Ninja, who is a popular twitch user, live streams his gameplay. If you thought that video gaming wouldn’t prosper financially, Ninja was interviewed recently stating he makes $600,000 in one month - playing video games! This has been able to capture the attention of gamers and non-gamers alike, bringing much attention to the video gaming community, as well as Fortnite itself. Mainstream celebrities have also been featured on Ninja’s livestream gameplay, bringing in a larger than expected fan base due to the incorporation of celebrities such as Drake, Travis Scott, and Juju Smith-Scheuster. 
The use of social media marketing and celebrity endorsements is a great combination for companies to bring to the table. Incorporating this type of advertising into the video game industry was a fantastic adjustment and has widely increased the size and income of the field.Saturday, April 21, 2018
Facial Based Advertising: Data Security
With the rise of social media there has been a significant increase in data that people are revealing about themselves. Many people do not realize that an app, game, service they are using actually is letting advertisers and companies know specific and accurate information of their audience.
We have seen this problem come to the surface with the Facebook / Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which millions of Facebook users data was sold to use for advertising. How is this a problem? Well advertisers are not only able to receive physical characteristics such as age and gender, but with the rise of social media, advertisers are now able to obtain psychographic information such as interests and hobbies. From there, advertisers can strategically use ads to sway your opinions and views, based on things you like or are interested in.
This is shown with this video in which, fans of sporting events are now able to access a facial-based identifying app. This is a fan engagement tool used to entice people to want to use the app so they can see photos of themselves in the audience. However, the overall goal is for advertisers to understand the demographics of their audience. When people use the app they accept the terms to publish their information. So they are letting the app know their age, gender, sexuality, profession, email, and much more. So for example, on Tuesday's a sporting event can know the majority of their fans are white, middle aged women. From there advertisers can determine which ads they want to publish on throughout the stadium during each night.
In my opinion, I think there needs to be regulations on social media and the data advertisers are allowed to obtain. Also, I think there needs to be a movement to educate the public that these tools, games, quizzes, services, etc. are being used to obtain specific data, not to entertain people.
We have seen this problem come to the surface with the Facebook / Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which millions of Facebook users data was sold to use for advertising. How is this a problem? Well advertisers are not only able to receive physical characteristics such as age and gender, but with the rise of social media, advertisers are now able to obtain psychographic information such as interests and hobbies. From there, advertisers can strategically use ads to sway your opinions and views, based on things you like or are interested in.
This is shown with this video in which, fans of sporting events are now able to access a facial-based identifying app. This is a fan engagement tool used to entice people to want to use the app so they can see photos of themselves in the audience. However, the overall goal is for advertisers to understand the demographics of their audience. When people use the app they accept the terms to publish their information. So they are letting the app know their age, gender, sexuality, profession, email, and much more. So for example, on Tuesday's a sporting event can know the majority of their fans are white, middle aged women. From there advertisers can determine which ads they want to publish on throughout the stadium during each night.
In my opinion, I think there needs to be regulations on social media and the data advertisers are allowed to obtain. Also, I think there needs to be a movement to educate the public that these tools, games, quizzes, services, etc. are being used to obtain specific data, not to entertain people.
Friday, April 20, 2018
Nihilists and Gamers - Arby's Social Media Branding
When people talk about fast food advertising, people most often think of the Wendy's Twitter or Burger King's invasive smart home device targeting. However, they aren't the only brands with notable strategies.
Ever the underdog, fast food brand Arby's has made a reputation for themselves by targeting a demographic that often also identifies as an underdog - nerds. They began this strategy back in 2015, by starting to make references to niche pop culture, such as video games and anime. The photos below showcase some of these references, which are often photographs of crafts made out of cardboard, a unique art style that also attracts attention from crafters.
The copy accompanying these ads is usually a simple reference to whatever is featured in the picture, and rarely references Arby's themselves, letting the food and colors of the picture speak for itself. This subtle, not-in-your-face style and lack of overusing hashtags is a different approach that most fast food brands do not opt to take. This strategy greatly differs from their radio and television presence, which is highly dominated by their 'We have the meats' slogan and takes on a hyper-masculine, chill guy attitude and tone, however, has thus far proven to be successful, giving Arby's a follower count of 823k and a Facebook following of over 3 million.
Not everyone thinks this strategy is effective, however, and as often happens on the internet, parody accounts pop up. Arby's biggest internet troll is most notably the Nihilist Arby's Twitter, run by a copywriter and punk rock star, Brendan Kelly. The account tweets cynical thoughts framed in a corporate tone, such as "Lots of other fast food twitters say crap like 'fries make everything okay.' But you know what? Life sucks & the fries do nothing. Eat Arbys." On why he started the parody account, Kelly stated, "Twitter is such a great medium, but it's misunderstood, generationally. It's like an awesome newspaper where everyone can customize what they get by following certain entities, whether they want comedy, politics or naked chicks. But then you have these dumb corporations that just don't get it, you know? And fast-food brands unbelievably perpetuate the most terrible of ideas." When the Twitter account got particularly big, Kelly made the following video, acting out the personality of the account:
As a PR move to combat parody accounts like Kelly's experiencing larger followings and engagements than their own account, Arby's addressed him directly, by visiting him at his office with a bag of Arby's and a puppy in tow. They left him with a note that read, "Cheer up, buddy. You live in a world with puppies ... and sandwiches."
When brands can acknowledge their trolls in ways that isn't trying to 'drag' or fire back at them or deny the humor of the accounts, it leaves a better taste in everyone's mouth and leads to positive PR for the brand moreso than trying to gain 'cool kid' credit, akin to Wendy's account. By not trying to shut down the account, Arby's shows they support creative freedom, which is consistent with the brand they try to make through their above showcased nerdy-crafty style of advertisements. Keeping this branding consistent within the niche they have found is what has allowed Arby's social media strategy to remain successful.
Ever the underdog, fast food brand Arby's has made a reputation for themselves by targeting a demographic that often also identifies as an underdog - nerds. They began this strategy back in 2015, by starting to make references to niche pop culture, such as video games and anime. The photos below showcase some of these references, which are often photographs of crafts made out of cardboard, a unique art style that also attracts attention from crafters.
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| Source: Arby's Twitter |
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| A screencap of a Game of Thrones themed Arby's Facebook Post |
The copy accompanying these ads is usually a simple reference to whatever is featured in the picture, and rarely references Arby's themselves, letting the food and colors of the picture speak for itself. This subtle, not-in-your-face style and lack of overusing hashtags is a different approach that most fast food brands do not opt to take. This strategy greatly differs from their radio and television presence, which is highly dominated by their 'We have the meats' slogan and takes on a hyper-masculine, chill guy attitude and tone, however, has thus far proven to be successful, giving Arby's a follower count of 823k and a Facebook following of over 3 million.
Not everyone thinks this strategy is effective, however, and as often happens on the internet, parody accounts pop up. Arby's biggest internet troll is most notably the Nihilist Arby's Twitter, run by a copywriter and punk rock star, Brendan Kelly. The account tweets cynical thoughts framed in a corporate tone, such as "Lots of other fast food twitters say crap like 'fries make everything okay.' But you know what? Life sucks & the fries do nothing. Eat Arbys." On why he started the parody account, Kelly stated, "Twitter is such a great medium, but it's misunderstood, generationally. It's like an awesome newspaper where everyone can customize what they get by following certain entities, whether they want comedy, politics or naked chicks. But then you have these dumb corporations that just don't get it, you know? And fast-food brands unbelievably perpetuate the most terrible of ideas." When the Twitter account got particularly big, Kelly made the following video, acting out the personality of the account:
As a PR move to combat parody accounts like Kelly's experiencing larger followings and engagements than their own account, Arby's addressed him directly, by visiting him at his office with a bag of Arby's and a puppy in tow. They left him with a note that read, "Cheer up, buddy. You live in a world with puppies ... and sandwiches."
When brands can acknowledge their trolls in ways that isn't trying to 'drag' or fire back at them or deny the humor of the accounts, it leaves a better taste in everyone's mouth and leads to positive PR for the brand moreso than trying to gain 'cool kid' credit, akin to Wendy's account. By not trying to shut down the account, Arby's shows they support creative freedom, which is consistent with the brand they try to make through their above showcased nerdy-crafty style of advertisements. Keeping this branding consistent within the niche they have found is what has allowed Arby's social media strategy to remain successful.
Fire and Ice
Fire and Ice
Brendan McLaughlin
This was a much needed success after Pepsi’s media nightmare concerning the commercial with Kendal Jenner. That advertisement was highly criticized because it was seen as belittling the protests against police brutality that was sweeping the nation. This most recent Superbowl commercial has made an impact on viewers, though, and secured the popularity of Pepsico’s two biggest brands.
Glossier and social media branding
If you were subscribed to Glossier's email list on February 22nd, 2018, then you woke up to an email titled, "Business News (It's Good)". In it, founder and CEO Emily Weiss announced an additional $52 million in investments from the company's Series C round.
What does this mean? It boils down to this: a minimalistic makeup brand is now getting a lot more investments. And where is it all going to go to? According to the email Weiss sent out, to "keep building the beauty company of the future". Glossier wants to create a beauty company that listens to its customers, as it always has.
If this product demonstration video isn't self-explanatory enough, Glossier is a makeup brand that isn't out to change how you look. Their motto "Skin first. Makeup second." is evident in all their advertising campaigns that feature natural girls with little makeup on.
Their unique brand positioning aside, their product ads themselves also have a minimalistic feel. Most of Glossier's social media feature simple styles, plus their Instagram regularly seeks to interact with their customers with tips and Q&As. They update their Instagram stories regularly with makeup tutorials, "mood of the day", and product details. Those that follow Glossier's Instagram get to see all of Glossier's makeup products and watch how the products work. Even better, they put an emphasis on those who wear little makeup and show how Glossier can still be your makeup brand.
Utilizing various social media strategies, Glossier has earned a large social media following, surpassing one million Instagram followers back in February.
Glossier's social media accounts have a similar theme of simplicity and happiness. They've utilized every part of their online presence to their advantage, whether it's their website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or even direct marketing emails. They have become so successful, yet there's currently only one retail Glossier store! It's currently in NYC and is just as pink, simple, and minimalistic as the rest of their brand. With a permanent Los Angeles store to be opened in May, it'll be exciting watching this company unfold into a popular minimalistic makeup brand.
What does this mean? It boils down to this: a minimalistic makeup brand is now getting a lot more investments. And where is it all going to go to? According to the email Weiss sent out, to "keep building the beauty company of the future". Glossier wants to create a beauty company that listens to its customers, as it always has.
If this product demonstration video isn't self-explanatory enough, Glossier is a makeup brand that isn't out to change how you look. Their motto "Skin first. Makeup second." is evident in all their advertising campaigns that feature natural girls with little makeup on.
Their unique brand positioning aside, their product ads themselves also have a minimalistic feel. Most of Glossier's social media feature simple styles, plus their Instagram regularly seeks to interact with their customers with tips and Q&As. They update their Instagram stories regularly with makeup tutorials, "mood of the day", and product details. Those that follow Glossier's Instagram get to see all of Glossier's makeup products and watch how the products work. Even better, they put an emphasis on those who wear little makeup and show how Glossier can still be your makeup brand.
Utilizing various social media strategies, Glossier has earned a large social media following, surpassing one million Instagram followers back in February.
The success of Shadow of War
Brendan McLaughlin
Other advertisements were more in honor of people. The game’s creator, for instance, died from cancer before it could be released. So to honor him, a character was made for the game that was named after him. This conveys an emotional appeal that customers would be swayed by in order to make a purchase.
So by using these techniques, customers were more easily convinced to purchase the game. In fact, had it not been for these commercials, this game might have actually sold less copied.
How Advertising Works In Podcasts
Video may have killed the radio star, but then the internet killed television. But is radio having a revival and taking over the Internet?
Maybe not as directly as DVDs killed VHSs, but internet radio and podcasts are rising in popularity, and as a result, more and more podcasts are seeing sponsorships come their way. Nielsen reports that 13 million homes identified as 'avid fans' of podcasts in 2016, but by fall of 2017, that number had surged to 16 million. Advertisers are becoming aware of these numbers and are beginning to see podcasts as a newer, niche way to reach specific audiences, as podcasts often have narrow focuses and attract very specific and segmented groups of people.
The way podcast sponsorships work is a cross between YouTube sponsorships and conventional radio ad spots. Typically, podcasters are approached by a brand and are given a script with some talking points, a link to refer listeners to, as well as an affiliate code that offers a discount to those who use it, and also lets the brand know that which sponsorships they are receiving an ROI from. Podcasters will then usually receive a small commission back from listeners who purchased with their code as well. Unlike radio spots, podcasters usually experience more freedom as far as how they deliver the sponsored message and they tend to be less scripted as a result, much like the example above. However, sometimes brands will pay extra to sponsor an entire episode and the whole episode can be done in a specific way that's consistent with the brand. The example below shows the 'My Brother, My Brother, and Me' podcast doing an 'ASMR' style podcast in homeage to their sponsor, Casper Mattresses.
Often, sponsorships for podcasts are companies notorious for sponsoring online content creators with affiliate coupon codes: Nature Box, MeUndies, Squarespace, Audible.com, Hello Fresh, and the list goes on. The trend is that these companies are often internet-based themselves, and therefore, target these internet-savvy audiences based on the specific interests advertisers know they have, as the listeners have a very specific interest in the subject of the podcast.
With our oversaturated, message-heavy world where, as I've mentioned in previous blogs, advertisers struggle to reach audiences due to adblocking, it has become more important to be able to creatively integrate advertising messages into the content that audiences seek out on their own, in non-obtrusive ways they don't mind. Nielsen conducted studies on podcast advertising, that revealed audiences tend to find products more favorable than when they hear the advertisements elsewhere, as they reported,
Maybe not as directly as DVDs killed VHSs, but internet radio and podcasts are rising in popularity, and as a result, more and more podcasts are seeing sponsorships come their way. Nielsen reports that 13 million homes identified as 'avid fans' of podcasts in 2016, but by fall of 2017, that number had surged to 16 million. Advertisers are becoming aware of these numbers and are beginning to see podcasts as a newer, niche way to reach specific audiences, as podcasts often have narrow focuses and attract very specific and segmented groups of people.
An example of a Nature Box advertisement during the
'My Brother, My Brother, and Me' Podcast
The way podcast sponsorships work is a cross between YouTube sponsorships and conventional radio ad spots. Typically, podcasters are approached by a brand and are given a script with some talking points, a link to refer listeners to, as well as an affiliate code that offers a discount to those who use it, and also lets the brand know that which sponsorships they are receiving an ROI from. Podcasters will then usually receive a small commission back from listeners who purchased with their code as well. Unlike radio spots, podcasters usually experience more freedom as far as how they deliver the sponsored message and they tend to be less scripted as a result, much like the example above. However, sometimes brands will pay extra to sponsor an entire episode and the whole episode can be done in a specific way that's consistent with the brand. The example below shows the 'My Brother, My Brother, and Me' podcast doing an 'ASMR' style podcast in homeage to their sponsor, Casper Mattresses.
Often, sponsorships for podcasts are companies notorious for sponsoring online content creators with affiliate coupon codes: Nature Box, MeUndies, Squarespace, Audible.com, Hello Fresh, and the list goes on. The trend is that these companies are often internet-based themselves, and therefore, target these internet-savvy audiences based on the specific interests advertisers know they have, as the listeners have a very specific interest in the subject of the podcast.
With our oversaturated, message-heavy world where, as I've mentioned in previous blogs, advertisers struggle to reach audiences due to adblocking, it has become more important to be able to creatively integrate advertising messages into the content that audiences seek out on their own, in non-obtrusive ways they don't mind. Nielsen conducted studies on podcast advertising, that revealed audiences tend to find products more favorable than when they hear the advertisements elsewhere, as they reported,
"Respondents were asked to score their likelihood to purchase a product or service from a variety of advertisers. After hearing the ads during a podcast, the respondents were once again asked how likely they would be to purchase a product or service from a variety of advertisers. Forty-six ads were tested, and all five genres of podcasts delivered an increase in purchase intent. Mainstream podcasts in the comedy genre delivered +7.3% brand lift on average while more niche-oriented podcasts in the business category scored a +14% brand lift for a variety of advertisers."What this means is that not only is it a way for advertisers to get around adblockers, but it is a way to automatically earn favorable attitudes towards brands, most likely due to balance theory. Podcast listeners obviously enjoy the podcast hosts, and because they're 'real people', listeners often feel more personal connections with them. If a podcast host endorses a product, it is logical to think that the podcast host would like the product. If the host likes the product, audiences are then likely to have positive attitudes towards the product as well. It is a much cheaper means of obtaining the same effect as celebrity endorsements, and given the way influencer marketing is taking over the industry, podcast advertising seems like a smart, creative path for the industry to start utilizing more as well.
Jose Cuervo - Last Days
Personally, this is one of my all-time favorite commercials. José Cuervo's, "Last Days" commercial came out in March of last year. This quick, two-minute long video portrays the coming apocalypse that we have all been "fearful" of since 2012 into a magical, end of the world romance and whimsical goodbye. As the classic song, "It's Now or Never" by Elis Presley gets played on the juke box in a small, rundown bar, a man decides to enjoy his last moments on earth by dancing, and is quickly joined by a female patron. As everyone else decides to go along with the dancing couple, the ground beneath them begins to shake, and the building starts to be ripped apart as a seemingly giant black hole above starts to swallow anything in its path.
The commercial ends with the name Cuervo shown as a neon light above the words, "tomorrow is overrated". The "tomorrow is overrated" slogan was made into a hashtag for the commercial that was then implemented on the company's Twitter account. To date, this commercial has over 3,000,000 views on Youtube and counting, with many people enjoying the specials effects and theme of the advertisement itself. I personally think Jose Cuervo not only created an extremely visually appealing ad, but also executed the theme of an overrated tomorrow very well. It is a common dilemma that people 21 and over face - should I go out tonight? Will I regret drinking in the morning?
And I think this advertisement helps to answer those questions. To just go for it - tomorrow may not even come.
The Difference Between Female and Male Roles In Car Commercials
The debate of equality between men and women has been argued for many years. As women continue to gain higher job positions, fight to lower the wage gap, and become a driving force in social and political issues, they have also earned more roles in advertisements. However, I have noticed that women are still not given roles in sports car commercials. Why is that?
Shown below, females are given roles in car commercials specifically for family units or traveling couples. In the Subaru commercial, the woman is portrayed as a new mother, ready to give birth at any moment, and eventually seeing her child grow up. In the Hyundai commercial, the woman is accompanied by her significant other as they travel to various locations together. Although both commercials embody real life experiences and moments, they do not show women in independent and sophisticated roles that are usually utilized in sports car commercials.
Shown below, females are given roles in car commercials specifically for family units or traveling couples. In the Subaru commercial, the woman is portrayed as a new mother, ready to give birth at any moment, and eventually seeing her child grow up. In the Hyundai commercial, the woman is accompanied by her significant other as they travel to various locations together. Although both commercials embody real life experiences and moments, they do not show women in independent and sophisticated roles that are usually utilized in sports car commercials.
I find this funny considering how many strong leaders in the business and entrepreneurial field there are nowadays. Women are being recognized for having the ability to do what any man can do. Danica Patrick, for example, is the most successful woman in the race car driving profession. She is the only woman to have one and IndyCar series race. Yet she has not been chosen to advertise for a sports car commercial. However, soccer all-star David Beckham has even though his profession has nothing to do with driving cars at a insanely fast speed.
Perhaps there isn't a high demand to see women in these types of commercials, but I think it would be pretty awesome if more of them were targeted towards females.
Game Grumps and Crunchyroll
If you've watched GameGrumps on YouTube the past year or two, you're familiar with the Crunchyroll ads that have popped up on their channel from time to time.
If you're unfamiliar with GameGrumps, they are a popular Let's Play channel that started in 2012. Let's Play YouTube channels are videos of people playing video games and commenting over. Some Let's Players are comedians, others can be hardcore game reviewers. The common trend of all Let's Play channels is the ability to quickly create content on a large scale, as 30 minutes of playing video games could easily equate to three 10-minute videos.
Let's Play channels have become huge on YouTube due to the infamous algorithm change YouTube started implementing in 2014. The change essentially put priority on "minutes watched" rather than "number of views" on each video. While this encourages dedicated YouTubers to put out content faster, it was also detrimental to those channels that are built on high quality production because those kinds of videos take so long to make. GameGrumps member Ross did a whole video explaining this on his channel which shows how the change impacted him as an animator, but the logic can be translated to other high-quality content channels. As a result, YouTube quickly became filled with Let's Play channels like the GameGrumps that took advantage of the "minutes watched" algorithm that continues to sustain them today as a popular channel.
So what does this mean for advertisers? With the GameGrumps and other Let's Players posting on YouTube upwards of three times a day, there are many opportunities to strike a deal and get featured to these huge audiences. Ads in Let's Play channels aren't uncommon--it's easy to find a video with a short "This video was sponsored by..." before the content actually starts.
But GameGrumps made these ads differently. Rather than devise a fake story and film a commercial around it, the GameGrumps Crunchyroll ads are self-aware, silly, and completely "on brand" for the Let's Play channel. The ad featured in this post clearly has low production value, but uses that to make a joke. The fake "ghost of anime past" pokes fun at typical GameGrumps humor and utilizes all of the fans' favorite Grumps (aka the GameGrump members) in the ads. The Grumps themselves are self-proclaimed anime lovers, which automatically attracts other viewers who like anime.
This is an example of an ad that isn't a jarring interruption from the channel's typical content. The GameGrumps have fun during the video and frequently draw attention to the fact that the video is an ad. It's a great celebrity endorsement that doesn't make the viewer feel like the YouTubers have sold out. Although the GameGrumps stopped making these Crunchyroll commericals (but who knows if they'll make a return), they were a welcome piece of comedy that the viewers took as just another wacky GameGrumps sketch, not a piece of promotional material.
DJI Mavic Air feat. Sam Kolder & Chelsea Kauai
In March of 2018, DJI came out with a new commercial for their Mavic Air, a drone released in January 2018. It's priced at $799, which is $300 cheaper than it's professional counterpart (the Mavic Pro) and twice as expensive as it's beginner counterpart (the Mavic Spark). However, it is smaller than both and advertised to be both functional easily portable.
Whereas most drones have a large dedicated bag that needs to be packed or carried around, the Mavic Air is smaller than the popular DJI Phantom 3 Pro and able to just be carried around in a suitcase. As photographylife.com founder Nasim Mansurov points out, that's the difference of taking a drone or leaving it at home, especially when going out on long hikes where every gram counts. Not only that, but Mansurov's blog breaks down comparisons between DJI's popular drones and the Mavic Air and implies that the Air is a quality drone that might even be better than the Phantom 3 Pro.
So what's DJI's target audience for this product? Prosumers and professionals that need high quality drones without the hassle of lugging it around. Enter Sam Kolder and Chelsea Kauai, two travel photographer and videographers well-known on social media for their adventurous lifestyles. Not only do they embody what a lot of new photographers and videographers strive for, but they have a massive social media presence to show off DJI's new drone.
The video follows Sam and Chelsea as they try to "one-up" each other in different drone footage. Chelsea gets on a jetski and makes donuts in the water, Sam cliff dives straight into the ocean. The two go back and forth both while showing off the drone's capabilities at the same time.
These two content creators are just a few of the growing number of travel videographers earning money from campaigns like DJI's. This past summer, Sam did a collaboration with Hyundai where he took a road trip across France and used drones to showcase the car. Not only did he get to travel for a few weeks with his friends, but he got paid for his artistry at the same time.
Similarly, Sam traveled to New York for this GymShark campaign. The video is clearly high-quality and what sets it apart is Sam's unique style that became popular in his travel videos. With more and more people mimicking his style (simply type in "inspired by Sam Kolder" and thousands of videos pop up), the potential for more cinematic videos for products is possible. Hopefully, the advertising world will soon be filled with videos like these that encourage people to travel and live their dreams.
'Ready Player One' Promotional Campaign
'Ready Player One' is a Steven Spielberg movie that hit theaters on March 29th of this year, after a debut at South by Southwest on March 11th. Despite this, marketing efforts for the film started as early as 2017, beginning with short teasers before other Warner Brothers' films in theaters.
The more recent marketing for the film took on many different forms, between sponsoring a night of mobile device game show to typical television spots to revamping other familiar pieces of media online.
The film sponsored live mobile game show 'HQ Trivia' on March 28th for $3 million, also providing their first sponsorship, allowing them to give out their biggest cash prize ever of $250,000, just to have their name mentioned through the duration of the game as well as a few references within the trivia questions. The game garnered over 2 million players that night, giving them the same number as a baseline of total impressions from that sponsorship alone.
Their television spot was reportedly one of the most expensive of the year, with an estimated media value of $9.66 million, spanning from February 19-25 for 70 national airings across 13 networks, according to Variety. These TV spots were targeted towards sports fans, which are audiences that tend to also enjoy video games and sci-fi/action films, which are the subject and genres of the film itself. The mentioned tv spot can be viewed below:
On a more creative note, 'Ready Player One's social media accounts promoted video re-imaginings of popular cult television shows, specifically The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Friends, and Full House in 8-bit video game styling. The videos were intended to make a connection between the nostalgia of video games and retro styling reportedly referenced within the film itself. The connection appears to be loose, but at the very least, did garner plenty of positive attention online for the film as their sponsor. Two of the re-imaginings can be viewed on AdWeek's website.
As this movie was a large project for Warner Brothers, it makes sense that they would take different approaches to marketing the film, especially as fewer people are watching cable television and using adblockers online, making it harder to get trailers in front of audience eyes. The film industry is having to get more creative with how they market films now that they can no longer depend on trailers alone, and by making moves like being the first to sponsor the world's first live mobile game show, Warner Brothers is clearly already getting creative.
Video games are also a large area of interest for a lot of different types of people, and by targeting different interests of different video game players (such as sports fans versus nerdy trivia players), Warner Brothers successfully gets the film's name out there to the many different demographics this film may pique the interest of.
The more recent marketing for the film took on many different forms, between sponsoring a night of mobile device game show to typical television spots to revamping other familiar pieces of media online.
The film sponsored live mobile game show 'HQ Trivia' on March 28th for $3 million, also providing their first sponsorship, allowing them to give out their biggest cash prize ever of $250,000, just to have their name mentioned through the duration of the game as well as a few references within the trivia questions. The game garnered over 2 million players that night, giving them the same number as a baseline of total impressions from that sponsorship alone.
Their television spot was reportedly one of the most expensive of the year, with an estimated media value of $9.66 million, spanning from February 19-25 for 70 national airings across 13 networks, according to Variety. These TV spots were targeted towards sports fans, which are audiences that tend to also enjoy video games and sci-fi/action films, which are the subject and genres of the film itself. The mentioned tv spot can be viewed below:
On a more creative note, 'Ready Player One's social media accounts promoted video re-imaginings of popular cult television shows, specifically The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Friends, and Full House in 8-bit video game styling. The videos were intended to make a connection between the nostalgia of video games and retro styling reportedly referenced within the film itself. The connection appears to be loose, but at the very least, did garner plenty of positive attention online for the film as their sponsor. Two of the re-imaginings can be viewed on AdWeek's website.
As this movie was a large project for Warner Brothers, it makes sense that they would take different approaches to marketing the film, especially as fewer people are watching cable television and using adblockers online, making it harder to get trailers in front of audience eyes. The film industry is having to get more creative with how they market films now that they can no longer depend on trailers alone, and by making moves like being the first to sponsor the world's first live mobile game show, Warner Brothers is clearly already getting creative.
Video games are also a large area of interest for a lot of different types of people, and by targeting different interests of different video game players (such as sports fans versus nerdy trivia players), Warner Brothers successfully gets the film's name out there to the many different demographics this film may pique the interest of.
Panic! at the Disco Guerrilla Marketing
On March 8th, alternative pop band Panic! at the Disco launched a guerrilla event marketing campaign to announce and promote their new album, Pray For the Wicked. Rather than making tweets, Instagram and Facebook posts simply announcing the upcoming June release, Panic! started teasing pop up shows, through mostly word of mouth communication and subtle hints.
They kicked things off with a simple Instagram of lead singer, Brendon Urie, brushing his teeth, appearing to get ready for something. Select fans who had previously sent fanmail to the band were sent bottles of 'unholy water' addressed from the band's P.O. box. They also tweeted hints with clocks reading 3:19 and from there, they posted further cryptic messages to social media, before finally giving fans small connecting details: Cleveland, Grog Shop, March 19th, 3pm.
The teaser Instagram Story
Fans showed up to the venue as prompted, and were let into the show after only a limited amount of tickets were sold at the door. This venue would be the smallest public show Panic! at the Disco had played in years. The marquee outside the show didn't read anything about the band playing there, simply, "Worship -insert day of the week here-", a phrase also repeated on flyers handed out at shows, as shown below.
After the first intimate pop-up show, it was revealed that there were going to be more, however, the band still made no official announcements about the shows, instead, they were announced through flyers distributed by women dressed up as nuns at previous pop-up shows, depending upon fans who actually got in to the shows to spread the word on social media, which they did, without needing to be prompted at all. It became almost like a scavenger hunt, with fans dying to know if they would be popping up in their city and if they would be able to get in, stalking the #prayforthewicked hashtag for any new updates on what the band was up to with this campaign.
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| A flyer given out at a pop-up show, used to inform fans about the next show |
After all the pop up shows (of which there were 8) were played, Panic! at the Disco finally announced not only the name and release date of the upcoming album, but they also dropped TWO singles at once, one with an accompanying music video, which can be viewed below:
The campaign climaxed at last with billboards in Los Angeles and Times Square in New York announcing the upcoming album and accompanying Summer tour. Tickets to the tour went on sale after an exclusive presale for fans who either pre-ordered the album or were signed up for their mailing list, to give dedicated fans a first chance. Following the release of tickets, localized ads were disseminated on Facebook, informing more casual, local fans that Panic! would be playing their city this Summer, which are still popping up for some fans, in cities where the shows have not yet sold out.
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| Billboard in Times Square |
Frozen or Not Frozen
By Brendan McLaughlin
Wendy's has been waging a brutal anti-Mcdonalds campaign for a long time, which focuses on the fact that their competitor uses frozen patties instead of fresh ones. This goes back to the first ad where several people are shouting "Where's the Beef!?" as they look at the frozen patties. Other slogans that have been used even involve national tragedies such as the Titanic. "The iceberg that sank the Titanic was frozen, too," Wendy's said in order to compare the tragedy with McDonald's. This has worked for the fast food company for a good amount of time, but it could backfire very, very soon.
This is because it's been reported that McDonald's will be switching over to fresh patties rather than frozen one's during the middle of 2018. This shows the large blunder that Wendy's ad campaign has made since it has lost the one quality that separates itself from McDonald's. This will not only make Wendy's lose ammunition to use against McDonald's, but it'll also make them look the same. In the end, Wendy's no longer has an advantage compared to it's biggest fast food rival.
The History of M&M Commercials
The History of M&M Commercials
By Brendan McLaughlin
By Brendan McLaughlin
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| My favorite M&M Commercial |
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| M&M's Meet Santa |
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| Another hazardous situation |
So while the advertisements for M&M's have changed over the years, the brand has successfully maintained their status as one of the most well known ads in history. The mascots are so iconic that an extremely few amount of people could possibly not know about them. This makes M&M's one of if not the best brand in all of history.
Advertising and Me
As my academic career boils down into the one final moment, where I am reaching to grab a diploma, I am reflecting on everything that has brought me to this point in my life. From the school I selected, the dreams I had at first, to the college major concerns and people I met along the way. It seems cliche, and it kind of is. But Advertising and I never always had this relationship, and I never thought that I would be entering into this industry the way that I did.
I originally wanted to go to school for graphic design. I quickly figured out though, that Duquesne was probably a mistake for entering into that practice. Duquesne is an amazing school in a city that can offer a lot to a student eager to learn and grow, but I probably should have gone to an art school for something like that. Though, I did want to stay creative; just because I could not create the things the way I saw them in my head didn't mean I had to retire from creative works entirely. My sophomore year is when I found out that I could actually MAKE the concepts and develop the creative strategies that would drive people to my advertisements, or my clients, or the overall campaign. This excited me and I pursued my second major, Advertising.
The classes that Duquesne offered let me grow and challenge myself in all different fields within the industry. I found that there were three things that I favored when it came to Advertising and my experience with it in the last four years:
1. The most personal and loveable aspect of the industry is the people. This is rather general, and it's not just because we talk to the people on the other side of the ad, it's also all the people you get to meet and work with. Teamwork is absolutely crucial in this industry and the creative department relies a lot on one another to comb out ideas and establish captivating themes for client campaigns. I have met over 100 people in my expertise that have influenced me for the better, preparing me for the world to come after I graduate. These connections grow into other connections and I soon find myself in a small world, running into those I may have met my freshman year as I was still figuring things out.
2. The environment is fast-paced, dynamic, and open to change. As a military child, I have bounced from place to place with my family during my childhood which has cultivated adaptability and a desire for ongoing change. Advertising lets me work on an array of client accounts while always ready to change when something goes wrong, or right. I look forward to my everyday "routine" and what kinds of crazy tasks await me.
3. Advertising is without bounds, with seemingly no limitations. While one may argue, "technology" and "law or regulation," I'm speaking more on the creative end. But, even with technology that argument doesn't hold up because there have been campaigns that hire people to develop new forms to technology for the sake of a compelling campaign. Anyways, I'm talking solely about the way that a team can approach a client problem. There is a vast sea of concepts and themes just waiting to be transformed into a campaign and the backbone of it all is the solid research foundation; so make that my unofficial fourth thing favored in the advertising industry!
It has been an amazing academic journey and I am so excited to move on into the professional world and see what I will be able to offer. Thank you Duquesne for your guidance, and thank you to my professors that paved the way!
I originally wanted to go to school for graphic design. I quickly figured out though, that Duquesne was probably a mistake for entering into that practice. Duquesne is an amazing school in a city that can offer a lot to a student eager to learn and grow, but I probably should have gone to an art school for something like that. Though, I did want to stay creative; just because I could not create the things the way I saw them in my head didn't mean I had to retire from creative works entirely. My sophomore year is when I found out that I could actually MAKE the concepts and develop the creative strategies that would drive people to my advertisements, or my clients, or the overall campaign. This excited me and I pursued my second major, Advertising.
The classes that Duquesne offered let me grow and challenge myself in all different fields within the industry. I found that there were three things that I favored when it came to Advertising and my experience with it in the last four years:
1. The most personal and loveable aspect of the industry is the people. This is rather general, and it's not just because we talk to the people on the other side of the ad, it's also all the people you get to meet and work with. Teamwork is absolutely crucial in this industry and the creative department relies a lot on one another to comb out ideas and establish captivating themes for client campaigns. I have met over 100 people in my expertise that have influenced me for the better, preparing me for the world to come after I graduate. These connections grow into other connections and I soon find myself in a small world, running into those I may have met my freshman year as I was still figuring things out.
2. The environment is fast-paced, dynamic, and open to change. As a military child, I have bounced from place to place with my family during my childhood which has cultivated adaptability and a desire for ongoing change. Advertising lets me work on an array of client accounts while always ready to change when something goes wrong, or right. I look forward to my everyday "routine" and what kinds of crazy tasks await me.
3. Advertising is without bounds, with seemingly no limitations. While one may argue, "technology" and "law or regulation," I'm speaking more on the creative end. But, even with technology that argument doesn't hold up because there have been campaigns that hire people to develop new forms to technology for the sake of a compelling campaign. Anyways, I'm talking solely about the way that a team can approach a client problem. There is a vast sea of concepts and themes just waiting to be transformed into a campaign and the backbone of it all is the solid research foundation; so make that my unofficial fourth thing favored in the advertising industry!
It has been an amazing academic journey and I am so excited to move on into the professional world and see what I will be able to offer. Thank you Duquesne for your guidance, and thank you to my professors that paved the way!
It's Gotta Be The Shoes: Nike
In Nike's, "It's Gotta Be the Shoes Ad", another subliminal message was addressed.
The main area of focus of this Ad, was to show the obsession that famous Athletes have with their shoes. However, without reading the subject, I viewed this Ad in a completely different way.When viewing this Ad, I immediately thought of consumers that feel the need to buy extremely expensive shoes, but are then terrified of ruining them due to the overall cost.
America is predominately known for being materialistic, however we have seen a drastic increase in the demand for top of the line sneakers. With the release of shoes such as Pharrell William's Human Race shoes, or Kanye West's Yeezy's, the sneaker industry is turning into a luxury industry. There clearly is a need to have the rarest or most expensive shoes.
However, the Pharell William's and Kanye West shoe's, can run anywhere from $500-$1500 Dollars. FOR SNEAKERS! Therefor, in my personal opinion, I believe that Nike addressed the topic of shoe obsession, without the need of spending thousands of dollars. I believe that many people buy top of the line, rare and expensive shoes, but are then terrified to wear them. These people are constantly worried about getting these shoes dirty, damaged, or ruined because of how much they cost and the image they give off to the public. There is no sense in having $700 Kanye West Yeezy's if they are dirty, right?
I believe that with this Ad, Nike is showing that, in the end, these are "Just Shoes." Nike is shedding light on how "ridiculous" the consumers are that buy sneakers but are terrified of ruining them. Nike is showing that shoes are meant to wear. Shoes are meant to run in, workout in, get dirty, and when they reach the end of their life, be disposed of.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Comparing Social Media Story Options
Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook all offer a story feature, but which is the best outlet to advertise on?
Users:
187 million people use Snapchat every day, and just about every user uses the story option. The most active age group on Snapchat is a younger market, consisting of 13-18 year olds. Instagram has 500 million users and boasts an astounding 300 million users with a wider active age group of 19-49 year olds. While Facebook does not have statistics on how many people use the story feature, there are 1.4 billion users logging on daily of all age groups.
Best Features:
Snapchat unique geotags and constantly changing lenses allows for a wide variety of options based on location. Instagram's use of polls lets users vote between two options and could give insights on what they want. The Highlights feature allows popular stories to be saved and viewed at any time as well. Facebook offers group stories where anyone in a group can post to a story and view a story, offering a large reach to users with a common interest.
The Goals For Each Outlet:
Snapchat offers brand awareness and campaign awareness through the creative lenses and filters, as well as the option for feedback with users replying to stories. Instagram is the best outlet for customer feedback, with conversations being saved until deleted. It also has the highest trafficked stories and allows an easy transition from story to website and the option to label particular items for sale. With Facebook's group stories, they have brand awareness through user generated content and the ability to link to Facebook events.
Each outlet has it's own unique benefits and it wouldn't hurt to utilize all three types of stories to have the largest and most effective reach
Users:
187 million people use Snapchat every day, and just about every user uses the story option. The most active age group on Snapchat is a younger market, consisting of 13-18 year olds. Instagram has 500 million users and boasts an astounding 300 million users with a wider active age group of 19-49 year olds. While Facebook does not have statistics on how many people use the story feature, there are 1.4 billion users logging on daily of all age groups.
Best Features:
Snapchat unique geotags and constantly changing lenses allows for a wide variety of options based on location. Instagram's use of polls lets users vote between two options and could give insights on what they want. The Highlights feature allows popular stories to be saved and viewed at any time as well. Facebook offers group stories where anyone in a group can post to a story and view a story, offering a large reach to users with a common interest.
The Goals For Each Outlet:
Snapchat offers brand awareness and campaign awareness through the creative lenses and filters, as well as the option for feedback with users replying to stories. Instagram is the best outlet for customer feedback, with conversations being saved until deleted. It also has the highest trafficked stories and allows an easy transition from story to website and the option to label particular items for sale. With Facebook's group stories, they have brand awareness through user generated content and the ability to link to Facebook events.
Each outlet has it's own unique benefits and it wouldn't hurt to utilize all three types of stories to have the largest and most effective reach
Snapchat Tries New Lens Based Ads
With 40% of snapchat users playing with lenses for an average of three minutes a day, it will be interesting to see how successful this new advertising style will work.
Sports Drink Co. Body Armour "thanks" Gatorade sarcastically in new Ad
Since recently retired NBA Legend, Kobe Bryant, purchased a large stake in the sports drink company BodyArmor in 2013, the company has been making strides to become one of the premiere sports drinks on the market.
Last night on twitter Body Armor released their new ad featuring New York Knick's player, Kristaps Porzingis. In the ad, the narrator says that Gatorade is an outdated sports drink and that Body Armor is providing more electrolytes than Gatorade. At the end of the ad, Body Armor calls out Gatorade and thanks them for providing a blue print for sports drinks, but then defiantly states that "[they will] take it from here."
This kind of comparative advertising is a bold move for a new company like BodyArmor. Although it is intelligent to present themselves as better than Gatorade, they also run the risk of this type of ad backfiring on them. But I think that having successful NBA celebrity endorsers like Kristaps Porzingis and Kobe Bryant make their product seem more desirable to consumers because both have had success athletically on the highest level possible which the company can attribute to their sports drink. It will be interesting to see if these ads help or hurt BodyArmor in the future and if Gatorade chooses to respond.
Last night on twitter Body Armor released their new ad featuring New York Knick's player, Kristaps Porzingis. In the ad, the narrator says that Gatorade is an outdated sports drink and that Body Armor is providing more electrolytes than Gatorade. At the end of the ad, Body Armor calls out Gatorade and thanks them for providing a blue print for sports drinks, but then defiantly states that "[they will] take it from here."
Advertising and eSports
eSports and the gaming community are growing, so what does that mean for advertising?
In the past year, 100 million viewers tuned in to watch the League of Legends championship, 13 million to the Halo championship and 2 of the top 5 Youtube channels are gaming channels. It is forecasted that $115.8 billion will be spent on gaming in 2018 and mobile gaming will represent more than half of the total market by 2020.
Companies can look to sponsor eSports teams or certain events. The biggest reach that will come from eSports is through naming rights. Other options for advertising on this platform is running advertisements during the stream, such as a banner ad, or placing products around the contestant, similar to product placement in movies.
The concept of eSports might seem foreign to non-gamers, but the market is out there and someone needs to take advantage of it.
In the past year, 100 million viewers tuned in to watch the League of Legends championship, 13 million to the Halo championship and 2 of the top 5 Youtube channels are gaming channels. It is forecasted that $115.8 billion will be spent on gaming in 2018 and mobile gaming will represent more than half of the total market by 2020.
Companies can look to sponsor eSports teams or certain events. The biggest reach that will come from eSports is through naming rights. Other options for advertising on this platform is running advertisements during the stream, such as a banner ad, or placing products around the contestant, similar to product placement in movies.
The concept of eSports might seem foreign to non-gamers, but the market is out there and someone needs to take advantage of it.
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Flo: The Personality of Progressive
Progressive is a company that has been very creative in their advertising since the beginning. They have succeeded in becoming a well-known insurance company through they’re commercials. I believe the reason they are so good at this is because they always stick themes. For example, they use the same characters in a lot of their commercials. One we all know and love is the woman pictured to the right, Flo. She has been featured in Progressive's ad's for years. She is a known image and mascot of the company and when people watch her cute and funny commercials, it leaves them with a good feeling of progressive.
Some of Progressive's best commercials have been a part of this theme. All of the situations that Flo is seen going through are funny, but relatable situations that consumers can connect to. The following commercial was released in 2018 and demonstrates their insurance policies slightly while mainly portraying a relatable story between Flo and her sister.
For one last example, here is one more recent Progressive commercial driving home the same concept of brand personality.. and one that gave me a good laugh.
Progressive is large enough as is that they don't need to explain who they are as a company in their ads and no one wants to listen to a boring commercial about insurance anyways, so why not relate to people and give your brand a personality?
Bud Light Dive Bar Tour: Post Malone
Post Malone is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He first gained major recognition in August 2015, after the release of his hit single, "White Iverson." Which later landed him a record deal with Republican Records. Post, known for his outlandish appearance and style, comes cross as someone who definitely stays true to himself.
One thing that seemed to be true, was his love for Bud Light. Before having any affiliation with Bud Light, Post Malone was seen in many interviews casually drinking this light beer.
I personally think this is quick and strategic thinking by Bud Light. You see many brands and companies that partner with influencers or celebrities, however most people know, that the celebrity endorsing the product most likely never used it. I thought this was very smart of Bud Light, because I personally would notice Post Malone always drinking Bud Light, because I personally would notice Post Malone always drinking Bud Light and would think to myself, "He must really love Bud Light." I think it is important in today's era for brands to stay true to their core values.
Post Malone is a big advocate for being friendly, open, and staying true to his authentic self. Along with these values, and his love for Bud Light, made Post Malone a perfect celebrity to collaborate wit the iconic brand.
The Bud Light Dive Bar Tour was created to emphasize the value of friendship, which was definitely shown with the promotion ads before the tour.
Bud Light wanted to promote the feeling of going to a Dive Bar with a group of friends, listen to music, and have a few drinks. Other celebrities have been involved with this tour in the past, such as Lady Gaga, however with Post Malone. he was able to shed light on the brand in a different way.
BudLight Friendship Test
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Social Media Advertising
Social media has become one of the most common uses of media that society uses anymore. As I was scrolling through my newsfeed, I got to thinking, is it more effective to advertise on social media versus any other platform?
The biggest difference between advertising on TV and using social media sites is the cost. It can cost a substantial amount of a marketing budget to place your ad on TV, but social media is relatively free. There are many ways to advertise for free on social media and likely reach a much bigger crowd. This does however, depend on the target market. For example, if you are trying to reach baby boomers, Snapchat or Instagram isn't a reasonable option in choosing a platform. Though they are free, they will not reach a decent portion of your target market.
Another benefit to advertising on social media is the ability to interact with consumers. There are tons of companies that remain a large online presence due to the fact that they actually speak with and interact with posts by their followers. Having a strong online presence can increase a company's revenue indirectly by creating a larger brand awareness. A company that I have personally seen do this very well is Tarte Cosmetics. They have accounts on Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, and Twitter. On all of these sites, I have seen Tarte reply to peoples comments, create interactive polls, address questions on Snapchat and Twitter, etc. Some examples of these are from Tarte's Twitter account to the right. This has reached so many new customers that they would not have necessarily reached before. They are a high end makeup brand and have a pretty steep price tag, but because of their brand awareness, they have become one of the largest makeup companies on the market.
A company such as this one can absolutely market their products through TV advertising, but would it be nearly as effective as it has for them online? There are tons of products and brands that have used this form of advertising to get their name out there and have succeeded in doing so. The opportunities on social media are endless!
Geico and their "Geico Commercial?"
Geico auto insurance has been a brand that advertises themselves very effectively by using unique humor and other non traditional methods that makes them stand out to consumers. Over the past couple of months, Geico has continued that theme with their new commercials that are titled "A Geico Commercial?"
The ads show one person praising Geico for their ability to save people money on their car insurance. While another person comments that they are giving Geico so much credit, that it is almost like they are in a Geico commercial. At the last moment, someone pops up and exclaims that it is indeed a Geico commercial.
Geico has proven that they can get their message across to the viewer in a way that is different but also memorable. By adding this slight change to an almost normal ad, Geico is able to be remembered by the viewer more because of the simple message and the boisterous endings. Geico is a good example of how using unconventional methods for ads can improve one's awareness and connection with the viewer while also allowing them to get ahead of their competition.
The ads show one person praising Geico for their ability to save people money on their car insurance. While another person comments that they are giving Geico so much credit, that it is almost like they are in a Geico commercial. At the last moment, someone pops up and exclaims that it is indeed a Geico commercial.
Geico has proven that they can get their message across to the viewer in a way that is different but also memorable. By adding this slight change to an almost normal ad, Geico is able to be remembered by the viewer more because of the simple message and the boisterous endings. Geico is a good example of how using unconventional methods for ads can improve one's awareness and connection with the viewer while also allowing them to get ahead of their competition.
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