Holiday Hiatus

AdGab will be on a short holiday hiatus.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

See you in 2009.

Starbucks: Saving the World or Saving Its Stocks?

Starbucks will launch its newest campaign beginning November 27th that will run through January 2nd. A campaign that, in my opinion, is a total disgrace. A campaign that was presented to me through Facebook Event Invite. I am actually a bit angry about it.

Starbucks will use cause marketing to attract coffee drinkers to its chains.  From November 27th through January 2nd, any consumer that buys one of three drinks, 1) Espresso Truffle 2) Mocha Twist 3) Gingersnap Latte will have a whole 5 cents donated to The Global Fund to help fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The other $5.55 will go to Starbucks, of course.  In addition, on December 1st, World AIDS Day, the drinks will not be limited to just the 3 - all drinks will have 5 cents donated! WAHOO! (Completely sarcastic, of course).

Now, this actually isn't a bad idea for those that make a daily run to Starbucks already - these customers are given an option to donate 5 cents, of which would normally go towards their coffee addiction, to someone in need. What bothers me is that this billion dollar company is only donating 5 cents of its $6 drink to charity, but marketing themselves to be a company that, as I quote my Facebook invite, "is doing something GOOD."  Additionally, the event invite goes onto say, "Everyone, for the sake of your neighbor, your friends, and most importantly to a stranger, become a PARTNER in this positive action. Come together with your community and contribute. Embrace the responsibility to make something happen, the potential for good.  The world needs our help. TELL EVERYONE!"  The world needs our help - but only 5 cents at a time. What a fantastic message.

Yes, the company still needs to make money, but it is only offering this promotion with THREE of its drinks.  These drinks are also seasonal, which means the loyal customers that bring money into the company daily probably will not be purchasing these drinks everyday from November 27th to January 2nd.  Here's an idea, Starbucks, why not promote donating that $6 that would go towards your coffee to a charity?

Sure, 5 cents can help to some extent, but there are plenty of organizations that are helping to raise money without gaining their own profit from it.  As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Hanson (the MMMBop boys!) has started their own organization to help raise money towards AIDS treatment and research. Take the Walk offers a number of ways to donate money while still getting something in return.  For example, one can buy their song "The Great Divide" for $1 or the music video for that song for $2 and ALL profits will be donated.  In other words they do not make money off of that sale.  Also, they have partnered with TOMS Shoes - buy one pair of shoes and one pair will be donated to a child in Africa.  TOMS Shoes donates a pair of shoes for every pair bought towards children in need. So yes, TOMS Shoes makes money off that one pair of shoes, but they are still donating another pair which pretty much cancels out the money made on the pair purchased in the first place.

What I'm getting at is: Consumers - please do not be fooled by Starbucks.  Even in this strained economy, they are still able to afford to donate more than 5 cents for every $6 coffee purchased.  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

What do you think? Is Starbucks saving the world or just trying to save its stocks?

Product Packaging: An Overlooked Strategy

An article on AdWeek.com announced recent findings by Nielsen Co. that private label brands are considered equivalent to name brands.  According to the article, Nielsen findings include:

• Private label accounted for $81 billion in U.S. sales this year, up 10.2 percent from the previous year.
• Sixty-three percent of consumers believe private labels' brand quality is just as good as name brand quality, while 33 percent of respondents said they consider store brands to be of higher quality than name brands.
• Sixteen percent, however, said store brands aren't comparable in quality to name brands, and the packaging is "cheap-looking"
• Price and value are the primary drivers for growth, with 74 percent of consumers expressing price as the key purchase factor. Two-thirds (67 percent) of those surveyed said store brands provide "extremely good value" for their prices, while 35 percent are willing to pay the same or more for a store brand if they like it. Twenty-four percent of Americans, on the other hand, said they'd pay more for name brands if worth the extra price. 

Private label brands will need to step up their packaging efforts to win over the remaining brand-name consumers. 

  

These packages are similar, however the private brand appears very outdated.  In all honestly, it looks like a bag of cheese curls that has been sitting on the shelf since the early 90s.  Private labels will not necessarily have to spend big money changing its packaging, but rather update it to match the current  styles.  A new, more simple, color-scheme and less cheesy (no pun intended) alligator pose along with smooth lines rather than jagged edges would do wonders for this package.

It is easy to overlook the importance of packaging.  However, packaging contributes to the overall brand image and is reflective of the brand's quality.  What are some characteristics of strong packaging?

1. Packaging should stand out from the competition in an effort to motivate the consumer to purchase.

2. Packaging should remain simple in order to clearly communicate the product to the consumer: avoid cluttering of text and images.

3. Packaging should reflect the brand message.

Consider the recent changes in chewing gum packaging.  Wrigley's Orbit gum moved away from the stick-gum-wrapped-in-thicker-paper and introduced its product in a more unique package. Orbit gum is smaller and thicker than a traditional stick of gum and is packaged in two rows inside a brightly colored thin-cardboard box. Wrigley took this one step further with its 5 Gum by making it's package taller and leaner than Orbit and increasing the number of rows of gum inside the package by using traditional flat-long gum.  Both of these packages stand out from the traditional gum packaging increasing the consumer's interest in trying the brand.

   

What products, based on packaging, do you find most appealing?

GAP Gets Interactive

This week GAP aimed to top some of its best advertising with the launch of its holiday season campaign, "Mix it Up."  GAP is taking advantage of a new strategy (dare I say, attempting to mix it up?) - interactive and viral - to boost its sales this holiday season.  This is a different approach from past campaigns that featured only print and broadcast advertising.  GAP is promoting the mixing of clothing patterns by remixing familiar holiday tunes featuring some of today's top music artists, actors, and actresses.

Entertaining, as always, but this year GAP takes it a step further.  Consumers can go online and view the series of commercials, email their favorites to their friends, and create their own remix featuring the same celebs.  Creators choose the singers and dancers for different segments of the "Jingle Bells" remix and then choose a message to be featured at the beginning of their video.  Each emailed video contains a "special offer," where consumers can register their email address to receive 15% their next GAP purchase and receive further special offers.

GAP is truly using interactive to their advantage.  The self-made remix only takes seconds to create, but has an addictive quality that has the potential to keep the consumer on the GAP website creating and sending out their own GAP promotions.  In addition, the celebs are wearing the signature clean-cut-and-colorful GAP style and makes the clothes look so good it would be hard to pass up stopping into a GAP store to take advantage of that 15% discount.

How does GAP's campaign compare to Office Max's 2007 "Elf Yourself" campaign? First and foremost, does anyone even remember what "Elf Yourself" was actually promoting? It's hard to deny the GAP brand in its promotion since the style of the ad and interactive media is consistent with that of past GAP campaigns. Also, the user is taken to the actual GAP website rather than a sister site - an important detail considering Nielsen Online's recent report that holiday shoppers will spend the majority of their money shopping online this holiday season.  The user can receive 15% off at GAP just for sending an email and the receiver is given the same offer - 15% off is a lot of money in today's economy. Additionally, each streaming ad features a list of the styles seen so the viewer can easily match the look.  GAP's holiday campaign definitely has the ability to hit it big this holiday season.

Check out my mix!

New Faces for Verizon

This post is really just a shameless plug for Verizon's in-store holiday campaign and it's next two years of in-store marketing. Tim Bryan, a friend of mine from high school and current Ford model, will be getting a lot of in-store face time. So get acquainted with him, Verizon customers!

Stop Signs of 2008

This is a great little video that looks at what the creative process would be like if an agency was asked to design the stop sign in 2008.

Facebook: An Effective Advertising Tool?

AdWeek.com posted an article today that discusses the unpredictability of consumer media consumption.  The article, Welcome to My World, discusses AdWeek's study, conducted by Ball State University's Center for Media Design, that observed four individuals for one day during the first week of October.  The study found that media consumption habits are becoming more individualized and, therefore, more difficult to predict during the strategic planning process.

The article also mentions that many companies are cutting out the "middle man,"  (agencies) because these agencies seem to be getting in the way.  Is this possibly because, in an effort to keep up with the changing habits, advertisers are actually out of touch?

As a college student studying strategic advertising, web advertising is constantly being pushed.  I often feel that professors thrive on hearing "Facebook ad" as a touch point for any advertising campaign that is targeted towards the college crowd or younger.  Being so computer-savvy it must seem obvious that this is the best way to reach these younger generations.  However, having used the internet since 5th grade (that's 11 years of internet use so far!), I barely even notice ad banners, pop-up ads, and I especially pay no attention to Facebook ads. Just as I can hit the "mute" button during television commercials, I can mentally mute out online ads.  AdWeek's article says, " 'The millennials -- the people born in the '80s and '90s -- cram something like 20 hours of media consumption into seven actual hours of time,' says Scott Neslund, Mindshare North America CEO. 'Those kinds of habits greatly increase their ability to ignore commercial messages.' "  In an effort to improve and personalize online advertising, Facebook provides the options of giving an ad a thumbs-up or thumbs-down and choosing why the user disapproved of the ad, but let's face it - none of us comp-savvy users are on Facebook to look at advertising.

There are ways to utilize Facebook to effectively advertise to a target market.

1. Don't bother paying for a banner ad - users of younger generations don't even realize they're there. And with the Facebook format constantly changing (3 times in the 4 years I've been using it) those ads get lost in the new layouts.

2. Create a brand page or Group.  Users have the ability to become a fan of different brands or join a group about the brand and the page administrator can add videos, pictures, post blogs, links, news, polls, and start a discussion board. Pringles (as in the chips) currently has 713,350 fans.

3. Events.  Facebook gives the option of creating events.  This is great for contests and limited promotions. But a word of wisdom... don't invite every friend you know - only invite those that are interested in the product or brand (Group pages can create events that will only invite the members of the group).  Inviting 7,000 "friends" that have nothing in common with the brand or product makes the event an obvious promotion, rather than an invite to something that may be of interest to the user. An event for a University-related Victoria's Secret promotion currently has 1,600 members.  The best thing about events is that attendees can invite other friends that may be interested - oh the joys of social networking!

In other words, if Facebook is a chosen tool - use it accordingly.  If you wouldn't go to a networking event to look at advertisements hanging on the wall, then it should be obvious that users aren't going on Facebook to click on banner ads. Facebook is considered a social networking site for a reason, so use it as one.  Otherwise, using Facebook is a waste of time and money.

Sears Holiday Follow-up

Adweek published an article this week on Sears' holiday campaign. Check out the commercial & the article:

Sears Grants Holiday Wishes

Nov 11, 2008

-By Kenneth Hein, Brandweek

NEW YORK Sears is encouraging consumers to help grant the holiday wishes of 29,000 members of our active military under its “Heroes at Home Wish Registry.”

Beginning today, Veteran’s Day, consumers can go to Sears.com or in-store to purchase gift cards for the families of servicemen and women who are currently overseas or experiencing hard times.

To promote the effort, MyNetworkTV, is running a two-hour, Sears-sponsored Heroes at Homespecial tonight at 8 p.m. Hosted by Howie Long, the special tells of the stories of six service members who share their experiences in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

The military effort, which runs through Dec. 24, dovetails with Sears’ new “Don’t just give a gift. Grant a wish” ad campaign that debuted last week. Spots feature a series of vignettes including Ty Pennington receiving his first toolbox and L.L. Cool J getting his first turntable from his grandfather (the rapper launched his fall line with the Sears earlier this year). Y&R, Chicago, created the TV and print effort.

“Individual gifts can change a person’s life,” said client repT om Aiello.

The retailer spent $260 million on media through August and $515 million in 2007, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

Celebrities for a Cause

There's a hot trend in the celebrity world of choosing a cause and joining an organization or starting their own organization to support this cause. Most are all familiar with the ONE Campaign, which has the support of many celebrities including U2's Bono, that aims to end hunger, poverty, and the AIDS epidemic in Africa and Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG Campaign that aims to raise money for cancer research.

Here is what works so well for these non-profits:

1. A Loyal fan-base.

Really, that's it! Loyal fans are willing to join in on almost any positive cause their favorite celebrity promotes.  In addition, these fans will happily buy any merchandise that support this cause, especially if the celebrity's name is on it or the item is endorsed by that celebrity because it becomes a trend.  Think "LIVESTRONG" bracelets: they were only $1, but how many people bought one to show their support for Lance Armstrong & cancer research? Most people wearing LIVESTRONG bracelets had no idea who Lance Armstrong was before these yellow bracelets became hot, and even more of them had never and still have never watched the Tour de France. But bracelet wearers knew this: their favorite celebrity was wearing one (Ashley Olsen, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sheryl Crow), they probable knew someone that has cancer or was affected by cancer, and it was cool.  It's easy to create brand awareness when the person endorsing the organization already had a fan base that is loyal to that person's individual brand. The moral of this story? Non-profits: Celebrities are your best friends.  Even if it's just a local celebrity, he or she has the power to successfully promote your cause.

Here are two efforts that may not be as well-known to the general public:

John Ondrasik, the lead singer of Five for FIGHTING, started a video website called "What Kind of World Do You Want."  It is "the first video community that gives back!" Websters can choose one of 5 organizations (Augie's Qust, Autism Speaks, Fisher House Foundation, Save the Children, Operation Homefront) and upload a self-made video to promote their chosen organization's cause.  The idea was inspired from Five for FIGHTING's video for "World" (unfortunately, I cannot post the video due to the artist's request to disable embedded videos). Websters can view these videos and donate money to the organization of choice. As of today, the website has raised $270,605.

Hanson (yes, the MMMBop boys) has also started their own organization called "Take the Walk." Their organization was inspired during a trip to Africa where the brothers experienced, first-hand, the problems being faced by Africans everyday. There are a few different components to Hanson's non-profit organization:

1. Music Download: Download Hanson's song The Great Divide from iTunes and part of the proceeds will go towards THe Perinatal HIV Research Unit (PHRU)

2. Shoes: Purchase a special "The Walk" pair of Tom's Shoes and a pair will be donated to a child in Africa.

3. Purchase a "Free the Children" T-shirt and part of the proceeds will be donated to building a school in Africa.

4. Take the Walk or host your own walk: Hanson hosts a 1 mile "Walk" around each city they perform in.  They request fans take off their shoes to experience walking a mile without shoes (such as a child in Africa). Hanson is also encourages fans to host their own walk in their town to help raise awareness. To date, 11, 589 miles have been walked. I "took the walk" with Hanson last year and I have to say it was one of the most fun and one of the most eye-opening things I have ever done. Check it out:  

Joey + Rory for Overstock.com. What?

I keep seeing these Overstock.com commercials featuring "Joey + Rory". I have no idea who these people are or what it has to do with Overstock.com, so I did a little research.

From what I found, I have discovered that they were 3rd place finalist on a CMT reality competition called Can You Duet. They are from Columbia, Tennessee and they have a myspace.com page. Joey operates a small diner with her sister-in-law called Macy Jo's Mealhouse.

As for what this has to do with Overstock.com... well, this is where I feel Overstock misses the mark.

What I think Overstock is trying to do is show real people in their element that shop on Overstock.com.  What I feel Overstock fails to do is connect its brand to the consumer.  What do Joey + Rory have to do with the rest of us?

Their Holiday Commercial is especially confusing to me.  It features Rory + Joey having Christmas get-together at the diner and singing a song.  There is only a brief moment that Overstock.com is shown where Joey is purchasing a sled and it is immediately seen in the next shot being opened by the gift recipient, Danny. One other gift is seen, some sort of white sweater or shirt. The main focus of the ad seems to be Rory + Joey's performance.

There is some copy that appears throughout the commercial.  This includes (in order): "Sharing Good Times," "In Macy Jo's Meal House, Tennesse," "It's Joey and Rory and Friends," "At home with the 'O'." Written out, this makes a perfect little story.  However, throughout the commercial the sentences are broken up and it's nearly impossible to make them connect. The final shot is a gift that says "Overstock.com: Generously low prices."

It's hard for me to connect "Generously low prices" with Joey, Rory, and Friends at home with the "O." The whole concept seems jumbled and confusing.

There are many things about the ads that are unclear.  Who is Overstock.com trying to connect with? What is their message? (Their tag line changes from commercial to commercial - the first Joey + Rory tag line is, "Touchingly low prices." What does that even mean?) Why is Joey always shopping on Overstock.com while she's working? What benefits does Overstock.com have for me?

The strongest advantage I feel Overstock.com has over its other online competitors is its super-low shipping rate. Year-round, their shipping rate is, on average, only $2 - no matter how much is purchased.  This was the focus of past ad campaigns and it is one that I feel Overstock should have stuck with.  The worst thing about online shopping is getting hit with a $10 shipping fee, especially on a sale item. I don't think Overstock.com has "generously low prices" or "touchingly low prices." When compared, Overstock's prices do not differ much from any other online retailer.  Again, what Overstock has that the competition does not is low shipping rates. This isn't even mentioned in either of these ads.

I asked a classmate if she had seen the commercials and after a few minutes of thinking she said, "Oh, where they buy a guitar? That's for Overstock?" What I'm getting at is that Overstock.com should scrap their Joey + Rory campaign and come up with something new. How about going back to the basics? Have the brand be part of the message. Make the message clear. Communicate this message to the audience.

What do you think of the Overstock.com commercials?

The Magic of Macy*s

My favorite ad on television right now is the ad for Macy's 150th Anniversary.  The commercial is a composite of memorable Macy's moments including the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and pop-culture references.  The commercial has a nostalgic feeling that really attracts me to its message.

I think what is so powerful about this commercial is the strong connection it makes between the viewer and the Macy's brand regardless of whether or not the viewer has ever shopped at Macy's. It sheds light on how much of an impact the retail store has made on our culture.  For example, no matter how boring or how repetitive the Macy's Thankgiving Day parade is, I have watched it every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember.  Any Project Runway fan could tell you that Macy's has been featured on the show, one of the challenges resulting in the winning designer's design being sold in the store.  There's also Johnny Carson, Seinfeld, and Snoopy.  If there is not one thing in this commercial that the viewer cannot identify with, he or she has been living under a rock for the past 150 years.

Halloween is Over - The Holiday Season is Here!

November 1st marked the first day of holiday advertising.  With the current state of the economy, it's pretty obvious why companies are getting an early start on holiday advertising. I was a little taken back at first, but as the weeks progress these commercials are helping to get me into the holiday spirit.

One of my favorite of this year's holiday commercials is the Sears "Grant a Wish" commercial.  It features the song "World" by Five For Fighting and various celebrities that were "granted a wish" that ended up changing their lives.  The end of the commercial features scenes from ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" where deserving families are granted a home makeover.  Regardless of what I'm doing, this commercial never fails to grab my attention. What works in this commercial is that, while it doesn't make me want to run to Sears for my holiday shopping, it does motivate me to put more thought into my Christmas gifts this year.

There are a few holiday commercials from that past that I also think are worth mentioning. One is the M&M's Santa Exists commercial.  This commercial plays year after year and always puts a smile on my face.  I love that the bitter know-it-all personality of the red M&M is shattered when he passes out at the sight of the REAL Santa.  I also love Santa's reaction of the walking/talking M&Ms actually existing.

Finally there's the GAP Holiday commercials.  There is an endless amount of great holiday commercials for GAP.  They all feature catchy holiday-related tunes, bright colors, and, in the "That's Holiday" spots, eye-catching animation. The GAP Holiday Stripe commercial in 2002 always grabbed my attention and made me want to dance and even earned its own SNL Spoof.

These are some of my favorite holiday advertisements. Which commercials are your holiday favorites?