"Awesome Possibilities" Bringing a Better Economy?

               Everyone knows that our economy is not doing so well here in the United States.  How are we going to try and fix this?  Many different people are trying to build up our economy although it is tough to start an upward slope.  The Corporation for Travel Promotion is trying to build up the United States economy by trying a new tagline, “United States of Awesome Possibilities.” 

sixpacktech.com

                The Corporation for Travel Promotion is trying to bring two specific target audiences to the United States.  Their first focus is on business travel while the other is focused on leisure.  I believe that it will be difficult to try and bring global travelers to the United States for business travel if they do not already travel here.  Why would they want to travel here if they do not have to?  This is what the Corporation for Travel Promotion will have to work on. 

                The United States does not have the greatest brand image to start with.  When I was in Europe I discovered that Americans were viewed as fat, spoiled, and rich.  Why do people want to come to America when everything is so much more expensive as well? There are many downsides to this view but I think it has potential.  The United States is a place that many people want to see.  When I was in Europe everyone talked about how big and extravagant everything was.  Europeans were amazing by the 6 lane interstates and the huge portion of food American’s receive. 

                The Corporation for Travel Promotion does have a lot to work with.  Many people do want to see America, but it could be difficult.  Marketing this will be tricky but if the Corporation for Travel Promotion targets the correct audience and focuses on the right benefits, I believe it can be done.  The economy needs to change and this is a good way to build it up if it works.  We shall see what happens!

Mobile Marketing

The use of phones has become an obsession around the world. Most people could not go one day without their phone, or even set in down for more than ten minutes. Everything on our phone seems to be much more important than the outside world. If your sitting in class, at a movie, shopping, or watching a sporting event and your phone goes off – you immediately drop everything to answer it. Admit it.

So why not target the device that people are always attached to? Try targeting your customers through mobile marketing (text message marketing). This type of advertising is a perfect way of getting your message to your target audience by simply sending out text messages to your audience. This way your information is being hand-carried around throughout the day. As long as the text messages are valuable and relevant to the consumer’s needs then they will be more likely to respond.

Social Media Pathways says that “unlike other forms of advertising or even email, 90% of text messages get opened, and most get responded to within five minutes.” If your consumer is constantly glued to their phone then why not take advantage of that and send the advertisement straight to the consumer’s phone because they will see it instantly. Even if the consumer does not act upon the ad, the idea is still in their head from seeing it.

And, to make it more convenient, today’s smartphones provide the consumer with Internet access. This gives the company the opportunity to provide a link within the text for the consumer to find more information, which makes it easier for the consumer to follow up the ad.  According to Ad Age, Nearly a third of all Americans, 84.5 million people older than 13, owned smartphones in August of 2011. This gives company’s a large target audience, since more than just a few people that own a smartphone.

Companies should try to take up some of the time of their consumer’s smartphone usage. A good way to stay on the consumer’s mind is not only sending ads, but incentives that would make the consumer want to engage in the product. Try sending your target audience a coupon directly to their phone. This way the coupon is used more often since it would always be with them, compared to print ads that are often left at home on the counter.

Companies must find a way to reach out to the consumer, and in this generation the best way to do that is through a person’s cell phone.

Campaign DNA: Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange

Smirnoff has taken a new marketing approach. What is their strategy? Smirnoff created a physical advertisement experience using all of their marketing tools, including partnering with Madonna, Facebook/Twitter, TV, etc. In the video below, the alliance sales leader Michelle Klein and executive creative director at JWT Matt MacDonald, explain Smirnoff's “Night Life Exchange” campaign event on November 12 that includes having marketing teams in different countries to combine two different night lives into one big event. This is a great way to promote their product by actually giving their consumers a physical experience of their product then the traditional ad on TV the night life. Brands are telling consumers to like a product via Facebook or Twitter but it is not as effective as creating an actual experience for that consumer in pursuit of brand switching or brand loyalty. They use the slogan “BE THERE” to create excitement about the event. Partnering with singer Madonna was also strategic because, her image is consistent from country to country. Smirnoff’s strategic plan is to use all its marketing tools; TV, Facebook/Twitter, print ads, websites, etc. to build anticipation for combining of two completely different countries for the ultimate night life experience.

http://www.adweek.com/video/advertising-branding/campaign-dna-smirnoff-nightlife-exchange-136469

Google Embraces Marketing

Google wants people to know that the company is no longer just a search engine.

With Google Plus, Google TV, Google Chrome, and Android software, Google now offers services that its users can enjoy and benefit from, hoping to maintain its position as the Internet-giant with most followers.

According to Advertising Age, Google has doubled its marketing spending as of August 2011 with a total of $103 million worth of TV, print and search advertising. In contrast with $53 million in marketing expenditure last year, Google has been taking a more drastic approach on the way it does marketing in 2011.One of its most recent marketing campaigns is dedicated to increase awareness of its web browser Chrome.



Google is developing its own particular style and it seems to be working. Google TV ads are unique in that they do not attempt to sell something, but rather tell a story.

"In an industry pushing the form to 15 seconds, they are going to counter with 90- and sometimes two-minute spots to tell an emotive story," said Peter Daboll, CEO of AceMetrics, which measures the effectiveness of video ads. "It's very low frequency and high impact."

Another significant aspect of Google's marketing strategy is that these videos only air once based on targeted audiences like the "It Gets Better" video, which aired in May during an episode of "Glee."

This is just one of the marketing strategies Goggle has implemented through traditional media in its efforts to increase usage of its products. In short, while web advertising is in the rise, web-only advertising is sometime snot enough.

Fantasy Football Advertising

Fantasy football is growing in popularity every year with over 27 million Americans participating in fantasy football. Those 27 million participates spend over 800 million dollars per year on fantasy sports services and media, this is accordng to the article featured in Adweek . Fantasy football is the most popular and advertisers need to capitalize on this while the season is being played. Advertisers want to hit their target audience in every way possible. Fantasy football has really taken to all avenues of marketing. Being an active participate in fantasy football I notice advertisements for fantasy football. This article focuses on how big fantasy football has become. I believe that it is necessary for fantasy football marketers to hit the target audience in every conceivable way. I have also come up with some unique ways to market fantasy football and what direction fantasy football should go moving forward.

No longer is fantasy football solely an on-line activity, there is room for sustainable growth. Of course marketers want you to join there league. Some of the most popular leagues are ESPN, Yahoo, CBS and NFL.com. It doesn't just stop at joining the league, fantasy football participants think much about there team and they want to fully emerge themselves in the league. Marketers should and are taking advantage of this. There is XM satellite radio programs, television programs like Fantasy Football Now and on-line blogs that rank players and tell you who to start from week to week. This information is crucial to fantasy football participates and these participants will pay attention and listen to what the "expert" has to say. I believe marketers could take advantage of this by using product placement while the expert is talking. Because the audience is paying attention so closely they could mention a product during there advice. For example, a fantasy guru could have "an Old Spice Odor Lock of the Week" which would explain the NFL player you should start each week. This kind of exposure could be highly beneficial to a product and produce awareness.

One topic of discussion concerning fantasy football is whether a site should charge customers or not. CBS charges 179 dollars a season for a league pass while Yahoo's is free. Although there is a lot of benefits to CBS's League Pass I think  free is the way to go. The two most important words for markers are "free" and "new" I believe this holds true in fantasy football. Eventually Yahoo will offer what CBS has to offer for free. Customers would rather buy a "Sunday Ticket" on  Dish to watch all of their players rather than spending that money on CBS's League Pass.

The last idea I have for markets of fantasy football is to incorporate their product in popular television shows. The television show “The League” on FX focuses on a group of friends that play fantasy football. This would be a perfect opportunity for NFL.com to advertise. I watch the league weekly and have not seen one Ad for anything related to fantasy football. Advertisers need to advertise on a plethora of television stations not just ESPN. Fantasy football is a part of the culture in America and is here to stay.

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/billion-dollar-draft-136370

Ford's Facebook Flaw

An article on Adage shows how social media is an effective tool that allows companies to get the word out about their product.  Many companies use Facebook and Twitter to reach out to their target audience and inform them about the benefits of their product.  Ford did something similar to this, but not in a beneficial way. 

Ford had a Facebook page for its 2012 Focus model, which attracted 43,000 users to “like” the page.  Ford also used TV and Yahoo in hopes of getting consumers to visit the page.  The total of Ford’s campaign for advertisements totaled to $95 million and only reaching out to about 26,000 customers.  Where this goes wrong is that Ford was having people on Yahoo see a Ford ad and then having them go to Facebook to find out more information.  This is more of a hassle and is inconvenient for the consumer. 

Eventually, Ford stopped buying ads on Facebook and started posting them on Yahoo and other websites in hopes of getting more consumers to visit their Facebook page.  It is clear the Facebook sponsored ads are easier and more appealing for the customer whereas Facebook units is more distracting for the consumer and pushes them away from the product.

How Social Networks (Might) Change Marketing

An article on Adweek.com shows that social networks like Facebook are helping shape the marketing industry. Of course, this is not new information. Companies utilize social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Tumblr, but in relation to the effectiveness of these platforms in marketing, a new angle is being taken.

What some businesses are hoping to do is use platforms like Facebook that will show pop-up ads when potential customers get near stores. Although this idea seems popular with some companies, the annoyance level may be high for some customers. It's really a hit or miss with the target audience.

Paul Adams, Facebook's brand experience manager, says, "It's a really stupid idea."

The integration of ads in social media is no new concept, but the way it's being done is relatively innovative. Normally ads on Facebook are generated by user interests on their profiles. Now ads will be generated based on location, specifically with those with mobile apps. Exposure rates are high, but are they as effective as other kinds of marketing?

Word-of-mouth marketing, or buzz marketing, is often more powerful than that of common advertising. A potential customer is more likely to take the advice of a friend on a product than to be conned into its use by an advertisement. This is often true with lower investment purchases, such as small appliances or technologies. But higher end purchases that require more facts and research may bring different results with this kind of pop-up advertising. It could be a gateway to certain products. But time will tell whether or not this kind of advertising can be effective.

Email Subscribers Increase in Two Weeks

The article, "Integrated marketing campaign boosts email subscribers for restaurant chain," focused on how a company used integrated marketing to increase their email subscribers using several marketing tools.  The restaurant, Pei Wei Asian Diner, which is owned by P.F. Chang's, increased their email subscribers by 20,000 in two weeks.  How did they do this you ask? Two words:  integrated marketing.

According to the article written by Brafton, the campaign was designed "around a new entree, Caramel Chicken."  The restaurant used several marketing tools, including "in-store promotions, mobile outreach and web marketing..."  They issued specific content to those who subscribed, such as coupons.  The company's release said that "20 percent of all coupons were redeemed." 

This is a great example of a successful integrated marketing campaign. They have embraced the importance of integrating their message, which has led to increased sales in a very short time.  The most important thing the campaign did was cater to its audience by using tools that they use frequently.  They also offered discounts to those who subscribed, which helped the campaign because it provided an incentive.

Other companies and organizations can use this as an example to increase their subscribers and business.  I can definitely envision other restaurants embracing this concept of using several marketing tools to reach their target audience.  Integrated marketing is the key to success for businesses as they try to increase consumers and eventually profits.