This commercial created by Wal-Mart uses a cat to help promote Wal-Mart's new online shopping application. It is designed to help seasonal shoppers find gifts for friends and family through Facebook. While this seems like a great idea to promote Wal-Mart, this particular Shopycat commercial is confusing to the viewers due to no real call to action. Although Wal-Mart is a top competitor in the market, this commercial does not seem to be very effective in promoting the Shopycat application. With only a cat yodeling for 50 seconds, there is no explanation to the Shopycat app adressed in the commercial.

One way to improve the commercial could be to add in a section where the Shopycat app is explained. The cat in this commercial did not look very friendly because it is unusual to see a cat with a human mouth. Wal-Mart was strategic in using a Christmas carol during the season, but they might have bit off more then they could chew with regards to making the commercial humerous.

This is an example of how not to make an effective advertisement. If there is no call to action and the spokes person for the ad is not attractive with regards to gaining the veiwers attention, then you will have wasted money on that particular ad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAvLlPCbyQQ

Google has Launched Advertising for Tablets

Earlier today, Google introduced two new tablet-specific advertisements for current marketers.  Google states that new research shows that people are using their tablets more and more to shop online, and their activity is continuing to increase. Now when using items such as Google Maps on your tablet, advertisements will pop up that may match the users interests from their recent searches (as shown below).

Google hopes that these new ad formats will make it easier for advertisers to connect with consumers and their individual needs. These new ads introduce six new formats to make advertising more vibrant and interactive on tablets. These new formats let the user not only see video, slideshow pictures, and 360 degree image viewing, but also the ability to get directions to the location of the business straight from the ad.
Google is hoping to increase the convenience of advertising for both the marketers and the consumer. Although this all seems fine for the marketers, is it going to cause a hassle for consumers who thought that their tablets were limited from ads, and now suddenly are getting bombarded? Or will consumers appreciate the accessibility and convenience of these new and enhanced ads?

Source: Ad Week

The Original Old Spice Man is Back

Isaiah Mustafa the original Old Spice has come back for the holidays. Isaiah going by the name of MANta Claus has once again captured quite an audience. In COMM 222 we talked extensively how viral videos can be a successful form of marketing. We then watched several viral videos and I believe that  MANta Claus will be successful viral video, take look for yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXPrkOuy8r8.

Adweek stated that this video was first launched on Twitter and is about to explode on the internet and go viral. The biggest reason that this will be a success is that MANta claus will reach its target audience. I believe their demographic is men ages 15 to 25  and the use of humor is appealing to them. Some people may argue that humor takes away from the main message of the commercial and that might be true in this cause. I think that it is acceptable that MANta Clause doesn't talk about the benefits of Old Spice. Old Spice is trying to build awareness about their product and viral videos such as this do a good job in that regard. Old Spice is known for having comical commercials and is viewed as a "cool" brand because of their commercials. Old Spice has done a good job of reaching their target audience weather that be through television, print, internet and video games. In the popular football video game "Madden" Old Spice was featured extensively. The "Old Spice Redzone" was an excellent way to reach their target audience and was always in my mind when I played the game daily last year. Old Spices future looks bright if they keep finding innovative ways to reach their audience.
http://www.adweek.com/adfreak

Holiday Shopping with Walmart and Facebook

To help shoppers find the right gifts this holiday season, Walmart has launched Shopycat, a Facebook application that provides gift suggestions based on friends' profiles and news feeds.

Developed by @WalmartLabs, the app is part of the company's effort to bring social and mobile technologies closer to Walmart's operations. Shopycat takes advantage of Facebook users' public data - interests, email, activities, news feeds, location, and relationship status - to generate the list of possible gifts.

Shopycat is one of those ideas marketers had thought to make a reality once they saw the possibility to reach customers through Facebook. While research shows that "a majority of consumers in developed markets do not want to engage with brands via social media," apps like these could change the idea of communicating with brands and buying products through social networks.

The fact that social media doesn't seem to create desired relationships between brands and consumers  might be due to many brands' monotonous approach with social networks, like increasing brand awareness by collecting as many "likes" as possible or simply for advertising purposes.

With this app, Walmart has developed an experimental business strategy that could either be a success and adopted by other brands or just become another failed attempt at social media integration.

Source: Ad Age

Marketing Trends for 2012

In a fast-paced digital age, marketing is becoming more targeted through a variety of channels...but also more cluttered. With competitors vying for the same parts of the market share, it's becoming more difficult for companies to distinguish themselves and be successful at selling products.

Socialmediatoday.com recently posted an entry on how companies can set themselves apart in the coming year. They outline the top communications and PR strategies for 2012 and what they feel can be the most innovative ways to sell products.

5 tips are outlined for marketing success in the coming year:

1. Digital First
2. Decentralize Social Media
3. "I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends"
4. Customize This!
5. Brand News World

These 5 tactics will help companies get their part of the intended market share, according to Socialmediatoday.com's research.

They say that by getting content online first before any other medium is crucial. Potential customers look at the web first, so to appeal to these eager customers, companies need to post first and print later.

Secondly, companies need to decide if social media will give them return on their investments. Social media only works if the target audience is active on these platforms, otherwise the time is not well spent here.

Companies should also use buzz marketing and use their friend contacts to help get the word out about their products. Positive personal testimonials often go a lot farther than ads.

By using customizable advertising tactics, companies can appeal to customers who appreciate novelty. The less generic, the more products can stand out and appeal to potential buyers.

Lastly, companies should begin to think like journalists: tell stories instead of creating graphic adds. People are more socially inclined and are captivated by stories. No one wants to be conned into buying a product by coerced and manipulative ads. But people can relate to and be moved by stories.

Socialmediatoday argues that using these ideas rather than traditional marketing has a potentially higher affect than the tactics in the past. I in part agree. Eventually customers will be conditioned to old ways of advertising and will be less likely to buy. Companies need to be innovative if they are to survive in a dog-eat-dog market.

*Photo courtesy of Socialmediatoday.com