This Week in Marketing: February 6

    Submitted by Kathryn.Schifferle on Feb 6, 2012 at 8:44pm
    (0)

    This week's highlights (with applicable teaching topics):

    • Kids’ programming – Demographics, Environmental Scanning, Target Marketing
    • Add Celebrities –  Consumer Behavior, Marketing Research
    • Fandango Tag – Competition, Market Share, Advertising
    • Multichanneling - Advertising, Campaigns, Search Marketing, Promotion

    Kids’ Programming

    • The Article: Is Streaming Undermining Family, Kid’s Program Disc Sales, Home Media Magazine.
    • The facts: Netflix has licenses for the US and South America market offering seven seasons of “Sesame Street”; 35% of the series’ viewers are accessing the show on devices other than television, according to recent data. Netflix also has exclusive access to DreamWorks Animation’s new and catalog titles beginning in 2013.
    • Classroom uses: It’s interesting that Starz Digital Media recently launched an app that enables preschoolers to interact with mini episodes based on the “Chuggington” CG-animated TV series on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Do you have an iPad, a Fire or another device on which to demonstrate the variety of ways that media is expanding? You should.

    Add Celebrities

    • The facts: This year's Super Bowl ads were heavily populated with celebrities. For a few examples, Elton John in the Pepsi ad; David Beckham promoting H&M; Matthew Broderick bringing back his Ferris Bueller character for Honda; and John Stamos touting Dannon's Greek yogurt.
    • Classroom uses: This is an interesting subject: how important are Celebrities? Do a poll in class first and see if your students recognize any of these four celebrities…then ask them what public figures they would trust to give them buying guidance, and for what types of products.

    Fandango Tag

    • The Article: Coming Soon to One Super Bowl Movie Ad: a Fandango Tag, from Ad Age: Mediaworks.
    • The facts: This article explains how NBC Universal companies Fandango, and Universal Studios attempted to motivate movie goers into buying tickets through pointing to its website and mobile site in their Super Bowl movie ads. The plan is to encourage viewers to sign up for "fan alerts" about the movie as well as have a chance to win five years' worth of free movie tickets. Film studios represent a sizable percentage of the annual advertising pie, so it makes sense for Fandango to use this concept as a way to differentiate themselves from their competitor Moviefone.
    • Classroom uses: Go to http://www.nbc.com/super-bowl/ and play the ad in class, and use it to spark a discussion on whether your students believe that Fandango’s strategy will drive more movie fans to purchase tickets through them.

    Multichannelling

    • The article: Branded Multichannel Ad Campaigns Emerge From Super Bowl Spots, from Media Post.
    • The facts: For the first time ever pre-, event, and post- Super Bowl ad buzz was created through online video, mobile, social and search marketing. Game day searches for "super bowl ads" rose 122 times higher than the same time the previous week.
      Top 10 list of commercials receiving the highest Zeta Interactive Buzz ranking at this year’s Super Bowl starts with Honda "Matthew's Day Off - Ferris Bueller" – 91% positive, followed by M&M's "Mrs. Brown - Sexy and You Know It" at 90% positive, Budweiser "Eternal Optimism - Block Party" at 90% positive, Acura "Transactions - Seinfeld" at 89% positive, and Skechers "Dog Race" at 89% positive. The bottom five ads came from Lexus, Hyundai, Chevy, Cadillac, and H&M. This year’s average was 80.9% positive, compared to last year’s average of 83.5%.
    • Classroom uses: This is one final chance to milk the Super Bowl action. After to read this article - share your favorite commercials with your class – take a poll in class – watch some of them together on NBC’s site.

     

    Tags:

    This Week in Marketing: January 30

    Submitted by Kathryn.Schifferle on Feb 1, 2012 at 6:10pm
    (0)

    This week's highlights (with applicable teaching topics):

    • The Hot Blond – New Product Development, Environmental Scanning, Target Marketing, Product Positioning
    • Don’t Drink the Water – Competition, Market Share, International Marketing
    • Downsizing TV – Environmental Scanning, Marketing Research, New Product Development
    • General Mills Spoons Up Digital Fun  - Advertising, Campaigns, Packaging, Promotion, Social Media

    The Hot Blonde

    • The Article: The Hot Blonde in the Coffee Shop: A Lighter Roast, The Wall Street Journal.
    • The facts: Numerous coffee shops such as Starbucks and Petes are targeting customers that do not like the dark-roasted brews that have been the rage for years with coffee connoisseurs. And high-end coffee houses are now saying they only sell light roast, because dark roasting ruins good coffee! The economic downturn has driven coffee companies to add products and new customers.
    • Classroom uses: This is a great article to highlight how markets change, and how differentiation really works in the market-place. You can either assign this to the class to read and then discuss it – or highlight from the article to illustrate any of a number of specific marketing concepts – this is a treasure chest of an article!

    Don’t Drink the Water

    • The Article: How Coke and Dannon Are Fighting to Dominate the World’s Largest Bottled-water Market, Forbes.
    • The facts: Mexico is the world’s largest bottled water market, which may be worth $13 by 2013, and the world’s two largest bottlers have noticed. Currently they are closely matched in their market share with Dannon slightly ahead.
    • Classroom uses: Again, this is very interesting article – with a lot of great material that will illustrate what marketing is all about. I would suggest asking students to research - before coming to class – the top three or four international markets for bottled water. Have them bring that information into class and use that and the information from the article to kick off the class.

    Downsizing TV

    • The Article: Report: 13% of Subscribers Cancelling or Downsizing Pay-TV Services is from Home Media Magazine.
    • The facts: This article explains that, in a survey of 7,000 internet interviews, 13%  of pay-TV (cable, satellite, etc.) subscribers plan to cancel or downsize their TV service. Phil Leigh with Inside Digital Media said that, "services such as Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and Amazon have successfully pioneered ways to capture viewers’ interest in 'long tail' content that can be catered to individual interests.” It goes on with a pretty good comment on the long tail theory.
    • Classroom uses: This is a rich article – imagine how much media has changed just since your students have been born, but even more how it continues to change at a break-neck pace. Do a poll in class and see how your students are currently watching video….create a slide with the data from the research if you really want to look on top of it!

    John General Mills Spoons up Digital Fun

    • The article: General Mills spoons up digital fun on cereal boxes from USA Today.
    • The facts: Watch Mark Addicks, CMO of General Mills, in the Betty Crocker Kitchen talking about radical digital recipes for packaging. He is especially trying to reinvent cereal packaging; the average consumer checks out his or her cereal box 12 times.
    • Classroom uses: Play the 3:23 video in class, which will be a great way to start a discussion on what Addicks is trying to do with QR codes, augmented reality, social media and other unique promotional ideas.
    Tags:

    This Week in Marketing: January 23rd

    Submitted by Kathryn.Schifferle on Jan 27, 2012 at 12:23am
    (0)

    This week's highlights (with applicable teaching topics):

    • Crash the Super Bowl – Advertising, Online, Social Media
    • Chevy Happy Grad – Target Marketing, Product Positioning
    • Coke Bear Back – Social Media, Campaigns, Packaging, Product Positioning
    • John Stamos Does Dannon  - Advertising, Campaigns, Target Marketing 


    Crash the Super Bowl

    • The Website: Doritos ‘Crash the Super Bowl’ Hollywood Edition
    • The facts: Doritos is offering web visitors a chance to win prizes, and to vote (daily) on which of their commercials will air on the Super Bowl. For every 100,000 votes they are giving away $10,000. In addition, winners will work on a future Doritos project.
    • Classroom uses: Pick out your favorite videos and play a few in class. Divide the class into groups and have each group present their favorite, and explain why.

    Chevy Happy Grad

    • The Website: Chevrolet’s Channel
    • The facts: Chevrolet has posted an ad on their online ‘channel’ which they are calling their Super Bowl Ad. This ad shows a graduate being brought outside by his parents to see his graduation present, which happens to be a small refrigerator (see the red bow) – however, behind it parked at the curb is a beautiful, new, bright yellow, convertible Camaro. The grad goes bananas – and spends the next minute yelling, texting, calling, sharing his good fortune with his friends – until the neighbor drives his new car away….
    • Classroom uses: This is very cute and should be played in class. A discussion about target markets, and positioning products, can easily follow.

    Coke Bear Back

    • The Website: Coke bears back in Super Bowl ads, social media campaign is from USA Today.
    • The facts: This article explains that during the Super Bowl, Coke’s computer-animated bears will appear in a video running throughout the game at CokePolarBowl.com. This is a site hosted within Facebook. The bears will appear to watch the game, will respond in real time to the real game's action, such as touchdowns, turnovers, bad calls and even commercials for other brands. For instance, if a sexy ad airs, an adult bear would cover the eyes of a baby bear. This article also has links to photos of the most memorable Super Bowl ads with animals, and even links to a video with behind-the-scenes look at the filming of the new GoDaddy Super Bowl ad. To maximize results, Coke plans many integrated marketing activities on Facebook, Youtube and other social media, after all, NBC's sticker price for 30 seconds of in-game TV time is $3.5 million!!
    • Classroom uses: Have fun with this – show some of the photos, play the video, show previous Coke’s polar bear ads, then discuss the value of 30 seconds – how does a company afford this?

    John Stamos Does Dannon

    • The article: Super Bowl ads 2012: John Stamos does Dannon. from The Washington Post.
    • The facts: ‘Food and Love will collide on Super Bowl Sunday’, says the Post, when actor John Stamos returns to television in a newly produced commercial for Dannon Yogurt’s Oikos. This article provides a link to a 3 minute behind the scenes video showing how the Super Bowl ad was produced. In addition the article links to other interesting information about the upcoming Super Bowl XLVI, details of the rematch, last year’s best ads, and discussion about whose ad will be the best.
    • Classroom uses: Play the ‘making of the ad’ in class, and discuss how this ad plans to target the audience of the Super Bowl.
    Tags:

    This Week In Marketing: January 16, 2012

    Submitted by Kathryn.Schifferle on Jan 18, 2012 at 11:22pm
    (0)

    This week's highlights (with applicable teaching topics):

    • Facebook Engagement – Public Relationsh, Online, Social Media
    • Barbie in Iran – Global Marketing, Cultural Differences, Product Positioning
    • Over-Packaged – Green Marketing, Sustainability, Packaging, Product Positioning
    • Super Bowl Firsts  - Advertising, Campaigns

    Facebook Engagement

    • The article: Hershey's three pillars of Facebook engagement from ragan.com.
    • The facts: With multiple product brands (e.g. Reeses, Jolly Rancher, Hersey’s Kisses, and more) each having their own Facebook pages, the PR team at Hershey still manage to regularly engage with fans, in part by sticking to three key pillars: awareness, content, and agility.
    • Classroom uses: Ask students to email you their favorite Hersey’s product Facebook page. Also ask students to read the article. Then, pick out a couple of the example Facebook pages and look at them in class. Discuss what types of situations create opportunities for PR on Facebook.

    Barbie in Iran

    • The article: Iran morality police target Barbie dolls from Irishtimes.com.
    • The facts: Iran's morality police are cracking down to protect the public from Barbie’s western culture eroding Islamic values. This order, issued about three weeks ago, has forced shopkeepers to hide Barbie behind other toys so they can meet demand for the dolls while avoiding being closed by the police.
    • Classroom uses: This article is a very interesting snapshot of cultural differences that products and companies experience in global marketing. Use it to spark a discussion of how products might change for other markets, or how a product might change a market.

    Over-Packaged

    • This radio segmentand article: Consumers believe products are over-packaged, survey finds is from BevIndustry.com.
    • The facts: A recent survey shows that three quarters of consumers believe that products are over-packaged. Minimal packaging is most preferred, followed by recyclable packaging and use of environmentally friendly packaging materials. Consumers are showing an increased adoption of new, especially easily executed, behaviors that can help save the planet.
    • Classroom uses: Bring some products that you have at home and use them as a discussion about packaging and sustaiinability!

    Super Bowl Firsts

    • The article: First time Super Bowl advertisers push to get noticed. from USA Today.
    • The facts: "There is no middle ground on the Super Bowl," says David Lubars, creative chief at agency BBDO, which has made dozens of Super Bowl spots, including one for M&M's this year. "You either kill or get killed." This article features a number of newbies, and how they plan to make a killing.
    • Classroom uses: Have fun watching the examples – have your class vote on which ads they think will be the best this year.

     

    Tags:

    This Week in Marketing: December 5, 2011

    Submitted by Kathryn.Schifferle on Dec 7, 2011 at 12:37am
    (0)

    This week's highlights (with applicable teaching topics):

    • Social Quarterbacks – Online, Social Media
    • Romancing the Lozenge – Repositioning, Sampling, Advertising
    • Oldest Soda – Logo, Branding, Product Positioning
    • Eat, Drink and Be Covered  - Market Share, Advertising, Campaigns

    Social Quarterbacks

    • The article: How the Web Brought New Economics to Super Bowl Advertising?, from Adage Digital.
    • The facts: Super Bowl ads played on the web afterwards now account for about the same level of reach as the actual game. About 30% of this additional exposure is from the social sharing of the ads. This article discusses how this happened, and details of how it works.
    • Classroom uses: Ask Students to email you links to their favorite Super Bowl ads from last year. Also ask students to read the article. Then, pick out a few of the videos and play them in class. Finally, take a poll to find out how many times students have viewed each online.

    Romancing the Lozenge

    • The article: Luden’s Recasts the Lozenge, Emphasizing Taste and Versatility, from The New York Times.
    • The facts: At the start of cold season Luden’s street teams began handing out samples at performance halls across the country – with the idea that when a diva is singing, nobody wants to start coughing. Their new ad campaign moves away from depicting red-nosed cold-sufferers to romancing the memories of popping a Luden’s in the school bus, or a pew at church.
    • Classroom uses: This article has many possibilities – use it to illustrate repositioning a product, using sampling and advertising campaigns - all great subjects for which to use this article. There’s even a little history on lozenges!

    Oldest Soda

    • This radio segment and article: White Rock Beverages Still Thirsty After 140 Years, is from NPR.
    • The facts: White Rock is the oldest soda company in the US. This audio segment discusses White Rock’s history, their previous and current product positioning, and their famous logo. A very interesting story – especially the part about Santa.
    • Classroom uses: Bring the White Rock image on the screen in class, then play this audio in class. Take the opportunity for a discussion on: Branding, Product Positioning, even Santa!

    Eat, Drink and Be Covered

    • The article: Too much Holiday Food? This Campaign’s for You. from The New York Times.
    • The facts: This article on Pepto-Bismo is a treasure trove of great commercials, starting in the 1970’s, then in 2003 – 2007, and now the new campaign. The new campaign focuses on holiday revelers.
    • Classroom uses: Have fun watching the videos – pick out a few that you like and play them in class. Do a quick quiz in class about market share. Note: Pepto-Bismo has over a 40% share in homes, and their chewable tablets have over a 70% share.
    Tags:
    1 to 5 of 89 | Go to Page
    Previous | Next
      Edit