Marketing Blog Post #11 - The Sound of Music

In Joe's blog, he talks about the video that's gone viral for the past few days by Rebecca Black called "Friday". I myself have watched the video and could not get past the first minute of the dreadful song. Yes the tune may be a little catchy but the song itself just makes me cringe. Joe talks about youtube not being one of the best platforms to market songs because of how quickly it is for viewers to post hate comments and spread bad words.  I agree that youtube may not be one of the safest way to target their audience but I must say that it's the best way for fast response. For one thing I think youtube is a fantastic place to share videos and songs. Its one of the best places to market what people or in this scenario the singer has to offer. There are so many viewers out there that can help spread the word and the cost to do this is next to nothing.  There are singers who debut over youtube for example Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider who takes hit singles and turn them into covers. They've appeared on Ellen Degeneres talk show and on Oprah  and how did they become so well-known? Youtube. But why are they more successful than Rebecca Black? That's for you to decide.

Sam and Kurt's Cover on Britney Spears' Hold it Against Me



John Lennon's Imagine:

Marketing Blog Post #10 - Think before you leap!

 Advertisements take a huge role in marketing because they try to capture an audience and inform them of what goods the company offer. There are some really exceptional ads for example ones that make your heart race in anticipation such as the ones during the olympics or the ones that were broadcasted for FIFA. Yet some ads are excruciatingly disturbing that make people say "That's doesn't feel very ethical." Talking about ethics today in class, made me think about the many of the ads we see today and one question that really strikes me is: "what on earth are these companies thinking?" Why would anyone spend millions of dollars on something that doesn't look or feel right? Something that would spark controversy and critique? Here are two ads that I have seen that really make the viewer question "Why o why...."

Not only do magazine ads make one question about it being ethical or not, but video ads for example election campaigns also spark the question "Is this right?"

The federal elections are just around the corner and television ads are going viral to inform Canadians about each of the party's campaign platform. However, what really struck me when I saw these ads were the different approaches the party used.  I am not suggesting anything about the elections and who should win and who shouldn't because this is not my part to do so.  But just focusing and looking at the ads, I find that the Liberal ones tend to be a little hypocritical. Majority of the ads seem to be ads that attack the opposition - the Conservatives. Is this ethical? Shouldn't the ads be more of what the Liberals CAN do instead of what the opposition ISN'T doing? Shouldn't they be informing Canadians about their political platform and why it is a good choice to vote for them instead of bashing the opposition? Is this an ethical way to promote their campaign? Many political parties have used this tactic such as the Conservatives a few years back. And whether these ads are ethical I guess is up to the audience to decide, but I for one don't think it's a good approach in informing people of what the political party has to offer.  The Liberal Campaign ad can be found with this hyperlink. 

Marketing Blog Post #9: It's Good to be Different

I was snooping around some blogs and founds a blog that really relates to what have been covered in class about advertising (AIDA) and how this helps the company become more well known. On BrandChannel, there was a blog post about creative inspiration. The company Bored Panda, is a "digital compendium, showcasing offbeat creative work, quirky visuals and branding examples that are clever and provocative". Most of these are art on plastic and paper bags that really turn a few heads and capture the people's attention. For example, there are bags that have electronic applicances on it and the electrical cords are used as handles for the bag for people to hold onto. I find this really attractive as it's not something that people would see on a daily basis.  This marketing strategy is really witty and amusing and continuing this will definetly increase it's brand awareness.

I think it's important for companies to differentiate themselves from others as it leaves an image in the consumer's mind. For me, bags are just bags. They're usually really plain and boring so if companies started to use these specially custom made bags, it would really appeal to me. Maybe I'd even buy something JUST so I could get my hands on one of those interesting bags! Who knows :)

Marketing Blog Post #8 - And Life Goes On

In class today we talked about the promotion strategy and looked into companies that spend a lot of time in branding their company such that viewers will instantly recognize their brand and possibly what they do. One particular ad that we watched in class, the Google Parisian ad really caught my attention and so I went on YouTube and watched a few more of their ads. I loved the simplicity, elegance and storyline that each ad incorporated. I thought it really brought out the functionality that Google can offer towards internet users and this promotion strategy really works for bringing out Google's message. 

               

 

  

 I for one dislike advertisements that are hard to understand and usually tend to like ones that are more easy to the eyes and simple to interpret. Google did a fantastic job in their marketing scheme and  their message was very easy to decode.  Other companies like Nokia also did a similar job with their advertisements. In my opinion, advertisement with storylines are far more interesting and can really make the audience relate to the ad emotionally. I think more companies should try this approch cause these ads definetly caught my attention and got me clicking for more :)

Marketing Post #7: It's here, it's there, it's everywhere!

The American mystery teen drama television series is based on the popular series of novels by Sara Shepard.  The story revolves around 4 girls whose clique falls apart after the disappearance of their clique leader. One year later, her body was found and the girls begin to receive messages from a mysterious figure in the name of "A" who threatens to expose their secrets. This series,full of mystery and unexpected twists, captured my interest since episode one. However, I couldn't help but notice the numerous product placements that appears!

Product placement/embedded marketing, is a form of advertising, where goods/services are discretely advertised through the media. This form of marketing is clever because when viewers see these celebrities/their favourite character use/own these products, the audience would feel the need to get their hands on one too. In PLL, each episode has embedded marketing. For example, in episode 15 one of the four girls help promote Justin Bieber's new movie. As well, there are many close up shots of different brands of phones with their logo zoomed in.

How effective is this tactic? Well for one thing, product placement works because viewers sees these products being advocated through something they like and enjoy. Thus the product is usually advertised through positive word of mouth. As a result there is a higher possibility of gaining more and more publicity. But to what degree will people start finding this annoying? Because for me, the JB scene was a little too much. 

Marketing Blog #6: Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder

So I was reading Naomi Tse's blog and she talked about the importance and impact packaging plays in the world of beauty and make up products. She brought up the example of appealing Urban Decay lipsticks that are packaged differently with minature swords that pop at the end of the tube as opposed to highly prestige brands like Dior or Chanel. She goes on to say that items with nice or interesting looking packages can jump off the shelves and being packaged differently differentiates their products from their competitors and I agree with her opinion and thoughts on this topic.

In my opinion packaging plays a huge role and at times can "persuade" the consumer into making the purchase. For example, Sephora launched their Hello Kitty line back in mid January of this year. When Sephora sent me an email to notify me about this new product line, the first thing that popped out to me in that email were the pretty little packaging. Each product had the Sanrio Hello Kitty Face printed on it and each packaging was different in their own little way. In the line what captivated me the most was the bottle of perfume. The Hello Kitty Fragrance 1.7 oz Eau de Parfum Spray, is bottled in the iconic Hello Kitty bottle shape and is accompanied by a vintage-inspired pink atomizer.

Mac had also launched a Hello Kitty line not so long ago and their products also encompassed the trademark Hello Kitty Face and Shape. So I agree with Naomi completely when she said packaging helps influence the consumer's buying decision cause I for one love intricately designed packages.

Marketing Post #5: Puma goes Social

So we all know that Puma is a well known for making sports wear like their football shoes (soccer cleats) and how they sponsored many famous footballers such as Pelé, Diego Maradona, and Gianluigi Buffon. As well, Puma is known in the USA for their suede basketball shoe. However despite all these successes in the sports wear market, Puma continues to build on their brand by extending it to include differentiated products or services in this case.

For the past week, we talked about products and branding and when my friend told me about Puma's new stratgey to increase their brand image, I cant help write about Puma! And what may this new stratgey be? Puma Social - A series of nightclubs that honors the After Hours Athlete. The object of these social clubs is to "remind us that we are all athletes, even if the only time we run is to catch a cab home.  From ping pong and foosball to darts and karaoke, PUMA Social is dedicated to after hours sports. Because we know it takes just as much effort to score a phone number as it does to score a goal." http://www.puma.com/social

Will this strategy work for Puma? Perhaps. I think that by extending the brand this way, Puma can attract more people and increase their market share. It definetly differentiates them from Nike and Adidas and also helps create a new image for Puma. As well, Puma sports wear and casual wear are also marketed through these social clubs known as "social wear". So Puma is definetly getting the double dipp in advertising their brand.

Marketing Post #4: Out with the OLD and in with the NEW

So lately there’s been a great deal of hype about the new Nintendo 3DS and how it encompasses new cool, super awesome features that makes all the legs of gamers turn into Jell-O. The 3DS will have new functions that include:

• allowing gamers to play in 3D without the need of special glasses
• 3D pictures can be taken with built-in 3D cameras
• Compatibility with Nintendo DS and DSi games

To read more about the 3DS please refer to Keith's Blog: http://blogs.ubc.ca/keithlui/

Yet I came across an ad my brother showed me about Sony’s PSP and how they are preparing to launch a new version sooner than soon! It has also been announced that this neat little gadget will include the following features:

• come in a brick form factor and will feature a 5-inch OLED display with four times the resolution of current-generation PSPs
• touch pads on both the front and the rear and dual micro analog joysticks
• Both front- and rear-facing cameras and will use a Flash-based memory card
• also offer 3G, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity, (according to GameSpot)
• PlayStation 3-quality graphics

 http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-20029649-52.html#ixzz1DXgFaE4G

So comparing these two choices the Sony PSP seems to have more to offer and the sleek design really captures my attention because when the PSP Go was launched, I thought that the design was truly hideous and I had been swayed over to the Nintendo side. But with this sleek, bold design and flashy functions, I would have to say Sony might just have outdone themselves this time.

new sleek and thin design touch screen for easy usage

what are your thoughts? SonyPSP or N3DS?

Marketing Post #3: Gundam Mobile Models

As a child I loved watching Gundam Mobile anime series with my brother and as I grew older, I began to develop an affection toward building these models pieces. These anime/manga series Gundam Mobile Suits are extremely popular in Japan and has over the years become well known and popular amongst people across the world. Gundam Mobiles are typically machine robots that people pilot to fight during wars and this is set in the distant future.  There are many series for Gundam but my all time favourite would have to be Gundam Seed.

There aren’t a lot of marketing done for Gundam Mobiles in North America but I was first introduced by a friend who is a strong advocate for this good.  He introduced Gundam Mobiles as “not just a typical, everyday war series, but it integrates human relations and emotions”. So I tried watching a few of these series with my brother and soon both of us became more addicted to this animation to the point where the both of us can now be called an advocate.  In North America, I think that Gundams are primarily marketed through advocates like my friend, my brother and I. This shows that advocates are valuable for a company that wants to market using as little capital as possible.

But what are some factors that influence which Gundam consumers want to buy? For me, price, appearance, texture and colour is super important. Of course the editions also make an influence because based on the edition, there are different gimmicks associated with it. As well, the timing also influences when I make a purchase. For example I would not purchase a box near exam times because I know I won’t be able to focus and would also be distracted.  Here are a few pictures of the most recent Gundam I built:)

Marketing Blog #2 - Animating Chanel

Many of us have heard of high fashion brands such as Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Prada, and the list goes on. These European fashion brands have made a tremendous contribution to the world of fashion for ages and continue to do so with their inspirational masterpieces that include soft silhouettes, bursts of colours, multi-directional lines and soft but strong cutting! But what’s most important is the art that each garment incorporates and reflects. But how does one sell these be-luscious works of art without marketing?

One very interesting marketing advertisement I saw recently was the Chanel ads that my friend sent me via email.  Upon opening the webpage, I saw a video that incorporated all of Chanel’s makeup lines.  What was really interesting about this video was that the film featured robots composed entirely of Chanel cosmetics -- lipsticks, compacts, glosses, brushes and the list goes on! Little robots, spiders and characters were built for example with lipstick as limbs and eye palettes as torsos.  Which innovative mind came up with this fantastic marketing strategy? Peter Philips.

“A jet-propelled robot, a beaming sun god and an impish spider are not the likeliest of characters to embody the ultra-luxurious world of Chanel, but Peter Philips, the innovative mind behind them, has made his name pursuing the unexpected. Chanel’s Global Creative Director of Makeup took a break from conceptualizing cosmetic gold to don the animator’s cap for today’s short, a work inspired by a series of headdresses he crafted from beauty product packaging for a Vogue Paris shoot. Built from a trove of compacts, glosses, brushes and more, Philips’s characters embark on a journey that begins with a lipstick-powered automaton blasting through the clouds and ends on more familiar ground, with a model whose chic ensemble channels Mme Chanel herself.”

http://www.nowness.com/

But what does this do to shoppers? How does this impact consumer decisions? For one thing, I think this marketing tactic has an affective component in it that makes consumers develop a sense of feeling/attachment. For me, the ad was cute, fresh and in an odd way, sweet. It was soft and pretty and it was innovative and different.  Of course by using almost all of Chanel’s beauty lines in the video, it really showcased all of their products and showed consumers what they offered.  As well, Chanel has always had a social factor that influences consumer purchases. The brand itself signifies beauty and higher social status. It is a well established brand that many celebrities choose gowns from to ‘strut’ the red carpet. However, as I continued to read more reviews about Peter Philips creative marketing strategy, an underlying message of “Who wouldn’t want to say: I’m wearing Chanel tonight” seems to be the most eye-catching marketing idea.

Marketing Blog #1 - Target

So lately there’s been a buzz around the news: “Target bought Zellers: $1.8 Billion.” So what makes Target so important? Isn’t it just another Zellers but the American version? Why are there people that are so hyped about this deal? I grew up knowing about Zellers but Target? I took the opportunity during the weekend to check out this popular retail store and looked into the company’s attractiveness using the 4p’s and it did look pretty enticing.

Promotions: Target seems to be using a variety of ways to promote their chain. As well, they use a lot of channels to communicate to their customers. 

Facebook: to attract regular Facebook users. On the site, there are coupons, discounts, promotions, product information and a wall for questions.

Website: Clean and easy to navigate through as opposed to websites such as
              Sears and Zellers.

Price: Discounts after discounts, Target seems to be using Wal-Mart’s strategy in cutting prices to capture that attention of potential consumers.

Product: There are literally thousands of brands to choose from and millions of products and choices as opposed to Zellers with products ranging big names such as Dolce and Gabbana to popular brand names such as Sally Hansen.

Place: Malls such as Lansdowne centre, Oakridge, Metrotown (Previous Zellers locations)

Zellers, as I recall, is usually one of the messiest retailers to shop at. I’m not sure if this is because of the lack of staff but I myself DISLIKE shopping at messy places cause it gets super hard to find the things that I want.  To overcome this problem, Target has promised to hire more staff such that the store is clean and bright. I can see why there are so many people that are ecstatic about the opening of this retailer. Wal-Mart should really watch out.

http://www.target.com/