October | 2012 | AbyHoods

Re: Why advertise now? (Claire Grayston’s blog)

Deactivation from Facebook. I was thinking about it while I was sitting on my rocking chair in my room, 8592 kilometers far from my hometown. Although I own a not-smartphone without an internet connection.

Two days ago I read Claire’s blog post about the first Facebook commercial and in two seconds this flowed in front of my eyes. Facebook fascinates me a lot and the points that Claire tackled matched the questions arising in my mind.

http://youtu.be/c7SjvLceXgU

Facebook 1st commercial ever | The things that connect us

This is the first time that Facebook tells how it thinks itself in a direct way unless Zuckerberg’s words. A traditional way. The new technologies, the newest devices are not shown at all because Facebook positions itself in the same level of the most usual means of connection. A traditional advertisement with traditional elements for a traditional tool. That persuasive voice starts comparing ‘thesocialnetwork’ to everyday life elements like chairs and then it widens the perspective talking about the nation, a connection as a whole, and finally about the universe. Where we feel alone, but we are not. Not thanks to chairs or airplanes, but thanks to Facebook which is presented as a traditional element of nowadays communication, but it is more than this: it challenges the universe and its loneliness. Through Facebook the loneliness will lose. I think that this is the message, this is a silent celebration without numbers (1 billion users), but throughout feelings.

Facebook | Connections

Though you don’t know the Facebook tools (timeline, etc..), you know that it exists. They didn’t need to advertise the features of the product, but they needed a straightforward mean like a commercial to say ‘Hey we are here for you. Don’t leave us.’ I agree with Claire about the doubts Facebook has to deal with. I add that the commercial targets the potential customers, but above all the aim is to convince the users not to deactivate or delete their profile. Facebook is connection, connection is Facebook. If you quit, you’ll be lost (according to them).

I don’t think it’s true, but actually I’m sitting on my rocking chair and my profile is still active on Facebook.

Sources:
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7SjvLceXgU
– http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/facebook-connection-map-3×2.png

One sport: soccer. One city: Milan. Two teams: the “snake” and the “devil”. The first one has built its story and success on two colors, namely black and blue, and the other on two colors too, namely black and red. When it happens, blue and red are two different ways of thinking. According to the supporters, this matters.

But the supporters are your current customers, what about the potential customers? Japan, Indonesia, China and the whole Asia are huge markets: large populations, an increasing wealth and great enthusiasm are the ingredients of their attractiveness. But if we look at the flags, there might be a problem. Red. Red. Red.

Inter Milan, the ” Black-and-Blue Snake”, entered the Asian market through different tactics: it bought a Japanese player; it played two friendlies and launched a shop in Indonesia and…it designed a red away-jersey.
Red? It is the first time the jersey is totally red. Is it not like an insult to your supporters?

This is the “red snake”:

Let’s consider two aspects.

How much does a color matter for the Asian people?

I’ve read that the color of red means good luck, happiness, prosperity in China: it has a great value. And if a potential Chinese customer enters a shop, he could be more impressed by something red. This matters.

It could be risky?

The supporter have criticized the solution. The devil is red. The snake is not. It isn’t pleasant to see your team playing in red kit. But this jersey has something of eye-catching and new also for Italian supporters. Moreover, it is just the away-kit. Finally, the potential market is so large that this marketing tactic is worth the risk. Only the sales will tell us the truth.

But there is another huge reason…

The markets will be affected, but above all the choice of red seems to be a tribute to a consortium of Chinese investors which has offered to pay 55 million euros for a 15 percent stake of the club and their help for the construction of the new stadium. So, this is marketing-to-investors.

Red is not just a color: it matters.

AbyHoods

A made-in-Italy in Vancouver who explores the neighborhoods of marketing.

Monthly Archives: October 2012

[COMM296] Does a color matter?

Featured