"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"
- The Great One, Wayne Gretzky
Monday, May 14, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
The Hype Machine
The human condition seems to thrive off of drama. However how does a marketer create drama? In my opinion one of the best ways to get the consumer hooked is the rev up the hype machine. Lets take a look at a few of most hyped products and companies in the field. The two I would like to touch on is first 3D television and the second is Apple.
We will start with 3D TV. When 3D hit the scene people were told it would revolutionize the way we watch TV in our homes. Every company from LG to Sony developed a 3D TV and let the consumer know why there's was the best. The early adopters went out and ensured they had the largest one on the market. I would like to say however that yes, 3D TV is very cool. It is a thrill the first time you really do see a great program designed for 3D, however it certainly did not meet the hype. I don't just want to say "it did not live up to the hype" without offering some support to my point and to take a deeper look into the issue. The issue really is expectations. As I stated, we were told it would revolutionize something very dear to our hearts - TV. The marketing teams set extremely high expectations without ever really taking a deep look into how the consumer would really receive this new product. Yes like I said the 3D TV is very cool, however it is a long way off revolutionizing TV. Way off. How could the product ever live up to the kind of hype the marketers created? It would be near impossible. I do use the word near because from time to time a product truly does revolutionize the way we live. For instance the cell phone. The challenge with hype is to ensure the product truly can live up to the stage that is built for it.
We will start with 3D TV. When 3D hit the scene people were told it would revolutionize the way we watch TV in our homes. Every company from LG to Sony developed a 3D TV and let the consumer know why there's was the best. The early adopters went out and ensured they had the largest one on the market. I would like to say however that yes, 3D TV is very cool. It is a thrill the first time you really do see a great program designed for 3D, however it certainly did not meet the hype. I don't just want to say "it did not live up to the hype" without offering some support to my point and to take a deeper look into the issue. The issue really is expectations. As I stated, we were told it would revolutionize something very dear to our hearts - TV. The marketing teams set extremely high expectations without ever really taking a deep look into how the consumer would really receive this new product. Yes like I said the 3D TV is very cool, however it is a long way off revolutionizing TV. Way off. How could the product ever live up to the kind of hype the marketers created? It would be near impossible. I do use the word near because from time to time a product truly does revolutionize the way we live. For instance the cell phone. The challenge with hype is to ensure the product truly can live up to the stage that is built for it.
Apple is another great company who utilizes hype. In the past Apple has created some of the best hype in the industry. Big events with flashy lights and stages. Steve Jobs pacing around a stage captivating an audience. In its hay day Apple was at the top of the hype game. However they have fallen from cloud 9. The Apple faithful and really the whole world would hang on the genius of Jobs. When his new products launched people would wait hours in line for the chance to hold the gadget au jour. The hype was justified in these particular cases, Apple was knocking down walls and expanding the industry. However the last few years have left us with a stale taste in our mouths. The same big events were scheduled. The secrecy was still there, however there was a lot missing. The events left us with versions 1.1 of products we had already seen. The hype was the same but the delivery was lacking. Jobs was missing from the stage and a front facing camera was no longer enough to drops the jaws of tech fans world wide. Hype can not live a prolonged life without support. Lets face it, if we are continually let down by these events and left wanting more, we are going to stop watching. It is not easy to revive hype once you lose it and unfortunately that is the road Apple may be heading down. Remember, Apple does not need to revolutionize the world every time they hold a presser, but they also can not hype the event as if they plan to. Save the hype for something that truly deserves it, not a front facing camera...
The fact of the matter is we will never escape hype, and we wouldn't want to. However we also will perpetually be trapped between true awe and the defeat of utter disappointment. Don't let us down!
Image via Demotix
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
A fun trick - Brand Name or Logo?
What is the value of a name?
What is the value of a logo?
Are certain logos just more immediately recognizable?
This was not a scientific experiment but it is a great trick to play on your on mind. We see so many logos and are exposed to so many ads in any given day it is truly amazing how a quick glance is all you need to immediately recognize a brand. In fact even without the color schemes and product placement these images immediately bring forward the feeling of recognition. The question is which brand did you see first? Was it Fiat or was it Ford? Were you able to recognize the brand that isn't clearly written in front of you or did you in fact recognize the logo first? Ok one more:
Not the most insightful look into marketing but I bet you will show this one too your friends!
For the record - I saw Puma, McDonald's, Ford, Microsoft...
Images from Logo Design Love
What is the value of a logo?
Are certain logos just more immediately recognizable?
This was not a scientific experiment but it is a great trick to play on your on mind. We see so many logos and are exposed to so many ads in any given day it is truly amazing how a quick glance is all you need to immediately recognize a brand. In fact even without the color schemes and product placement these images immediately bring forward the feeling of recognition. The question is which brand did you see first? Was it Fiat or was it Ford? Were you able to recognize the brand that isn't clearly written in front of you or did you in fact recognize the logo first? Ok one more:
Not the most insightful look into marketing but I bet you will show this one too your friends!
For the record - I saw Puma, McDonald's, Ford, Microsoft...
Images from Logo Design Love
The "Like" Button jumps off the screen.
The amount of 'likes' a particular person, post, company, etc. gets on Facebook tends to not be a real good judge of anything. In a sense it does allow you to get some idea of the popularity of a particular company, person, or even an idea. However how does this idea translate off of Facebook? Is there a way to take advantage of this social network's "like" button?
Well of course there is and a retail store in Brazil not only has identified how to take advantage of this feature but has actually already implemented their idea into their retail store. That's right, the like button has jumped off the screen and landed in the mall. The retailer C & A allows there loyal Facebook following to like their outfits on their own hosted Facebook page. Now here is where it gets interesting, the hangers in which these outfits are hanging (in the store) display the amount of likes any one outfit has received. This then of course allows the shoppers in the store to see, live and in person, the amount of "likes" and level of popularity each outfit has received as "liked" by the stores Facebook faithful.
This certainly is a clever idea. Now I can probably come up with 1,000 reasons why this may not work, but instead lets run with this idea and expand upon it. If people are able to live update the outfits "likes" why not allow the Facebook fans even more power. What if the fans could post comments. What if they could post recommendations of accessories, maybe they could even "like" the accessories for each outfit thus taking advantage of their first idea. Now to take full advantage these comments, accessories and recommendations need to be available to the IN STORE client. The retailer can encourage maximum fan participation both at home as well as in the store. Participation can lead to a lot of positive things for the retail outlet. Most importantly it will give their fans and customers a reason to return to their site and even more importantly their store front. A reason to revisit an outfit over and over even after they purchased it. It gives them a social outlet to in a sense vote and discuss the retail's offerings. The simple brick and mortar store can literally become a haven for their fans and customers - a social experiment becomes a social network. Pinterest took advantage of a very similar premise but has yet to jump off the screen and into reality. If C & A can take advantage of their loyal following they will be able to enhance the C & A experience for their customers and deliver a whole new level of value.
The power truly does lie with the people. It is about time retails stores offer their customers something more than a simple coupon or recommendation. I think that C & A has stumbled upon something great. I hope they follow in my footsteps and run with this opportunity. If they don't I am sure someone will, whether it is the fashion industry or somewhere else!
Images via The Verge
Well of course there is and a retail store in Brazil not only has identified how to take advantage of this feature but has actually already implemented their idea into their retail store. That's right, the like button has jumped off the screen and landed in the mall. The retailer C & A allows there loyal Facebook following to like their outfits on their own hosted Facebook page. Now here is where it gets interesting, the hangers in which these outfits are hanging (in the store) display the amount of likes any one outfit has received. This then of course allows the shoppers in the store to see, live and in person, the amount of "likes" and level of popularity each outfit has received as "liked" by the stores Facebook faithful.
This certainly is a clever idea. Now I can probably come up with 1,000 reasons why this may not work, but instead lets run with this idea and expand upon it. If people are able to live update the outfits "likes" why not allow the Facebook fans even more power. What if the fans could post comments. What if they could post recommendations of accessories, maybe they could even "like" the accessories for each outfit thus taking advantage of their first idea. Now to take full advantage these comments, accessories and recommendations need to be available to the IN STORE client. The retailer can encourage maximum fan participation both at home as well as in the store. Participation can lead to a lot of positive things for the retail outlet. Most importantly it will give their fans and customers a reason to return to their site and even more importantly their store front. A reason to revisit an outfit over and over even after they purchased it. It gives them a social outlet to in a sense vote and discuss the retail's offerings. The simple brick and mortar store can literally become a haven for their fans and customers - a social experiment becomes a social network. Pinterest took advantage of a very similar premise but has yet to jump off the screen and into reality. If C & A can take advantage of their loyal following they will be able to enhance the C & A experience for their customers and deliver a whole new level of value.
The power truly does lie with the people. It is about time retails stores offer their customers something more than a simple coupon or recommendation. I think that C & A has stumbled upon something great. I hope they follow in my footsteps and run with this opportunity. If they don't I am sure someone will, whether it is the fashion industry or somewhere else!
Images via The Verge
Saturday, May 5, 2012
When Opportunity Purrrrsents itself...
Meow mix has created one of the most recognizable jingles on the plant. The "meow meow meow meow's" of the song can leave you desperate to purge your brain of its catchy song. What is amazing is though they have such an amazing tune, there has never been a true character cat as the face of the brand. That is about the change.
Cee Lo Green has made a push to the celebrity 'A' list. Along his journey he has made several appearances on the 'The Voice' with his side kick "Purrfect" the large white cat. This has become not only iconic for Cee Lo but it has now landed the rescued cat a spokesperson job for Meow Mix cat food. It is a purrfect fit (hah!). Cee Lo has even remixed the entire Meow Mix jingle and added a bit of his own flavor to the iconic song. This was a really clever move by Meow Mix and landed them back in the headlines. If you had asked me which cat I would choose I probably would have rebutted with Heath Cliff or The Cat in the Hat, never would I have even considered the idea of Cee Lo and his side kick. For that matter I am not sure I would believe for a second that Cee Lo would accept the offer. They certainly showed me a thing or two about creative spokesperson selection - good for them!
Cee Lo Green has made a push to the celebrity 'A' list. Along his journey he has made several appearances on the 'The Voice' with his side kick "Purrfect" the large white cat. This has become not only iconic for Cee Lo but it has now landed the rescued cat a spokesperson job for Meow Mix cat food. It is a purrfect fit (hah!). Cee Lo has even remixed the entire Meow Mix jingle and added a bit of his own flavor to the iconic song. This was a really clever move by Meow Mix and landed them back in the headlines. If you had asked me which cat I would choose I probably would have rebutted with Heath Cliff or The Cat in the Hat, never would I have even considered the idea of Cee Lo and his side kick. For that matter I am not sure I would believe for a second that Cee Lo would accept the offer. They certainly showed me a thing or two about creative spokesperson selection - good for them!
I have always been a fan of brand characters and spokesman, whether it is Captain Morgan or Mr. Clean a personality can take a brand to the next level. When it comes to Meow Mix - I am not sure there is a better spokesman, alive or fictional, that fits any better than Cee Lo and Purrfect.
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