Marketing

When I first found out that the final portion of my marketing project was going to be a video presentation, I was skeptical.  I originally thought that I would have preferred an in class presentation, as it would require less preparation and there would be less risk of it being a dull 5 minutes in which the class either spaces out or browses Facebook.  The criteria initially felt limiting in that, in order to properly complete the assignment as we are supposed to, it would be difficult to not just have each group talking monotonously or giving a presentation (which would be less engaging because it would be recorded, not live).

However, I soon realized that this was actually a much more effective means of presenting.  The criteria simply meant that more creative ways were necessary to make the presentation engaging and interesting, while still being informative.  this gave students willing to put the time and effort in a chance to truly excel.  Furthermore, the presentation’s content would not be missed by a nervous speaker or by a group member getting sick on the day of the presentation.  Because the actual material discussed could be recorded under less pressured circumstances, every group member could excel and effectively and accurately deliver their part.

A smaller benefit of the video presentation style is that it does not necessarily take up valuable class time in order for students to present.  The videos can be watched at any time, and the marker is not limited to making rushed decisions on the spot during the presentation.  Thus the grades for the presentation will be more accurately assigned and less subject to bias.

Overall I think that a video presentation is an effective final project, and one that helps to develop the skill set required to be an effective marketer, as well as businessperson in general.

Out of all the famous product battles throughout history, few are as fierce as video game console wars.  Sony launched the PS4 last Friday, and Microsoft’s Xbox One is coming out swinging at the end of the week.  As far as console battles have gone, this one has been particularly vicious, with Sony making numerous explicit jabs at the Xbox One with both advertisements and during their press conference at e3 last May.  you can watch an ad mocking the Xbox One’s complicated game sharing system here (Xbox has since changed this system to simply being able to give your game disks to friends to share them).

However, Sony has merely been capitalizing on the numerous mistakes that Microsoft has made along the way.  From the moment the Xbox One was officially announced, the company has done a terrible job of properly explaining the new features of the console.  For example, instead of demonstrating how the Xbox One would essentially operate like Steam (which is incredibly well-loved by gamers), they talked about how games were mandatory to install and would be region-locked.  Microsoft’s PR essentially focused on all the “cannots”, while ignoring the “cans.”

As a result of this, Microsoft has faced a huge backlash against the Xbox One and many of its innovative features.  this caused the company to back-pedal and retract many of it’s previously stated policies and features, settling for a system much more similar to Sony’s PS4.  However, despite this change in direction, many gamers have lost faith in Microsoft and are “converting to the enemy team.”

Microsoft has learned first-hand that it is easy to destroy a brand’s reputation, but very difficult to repair it.  While they’ve put their best efforts into restoring gamers’ confidence in their product, they still have a long ways to go to stand on even ground with Sony once more.  And the road is all uphill, as Sony clearly isn’t letting it’s newly dominant position go to waste.

A recent blog post by AdWeek discussed Sleep Aid’s new advertising campaign for it’s product, Snore Stop.  The billboard, as shown above, has unsurprisingly caused a fair amount of controversy.  AdWeek expresses that the campaign is deliberately left open to interpretation, the purpose being the buzz that the billboards will generate.  This will obviously serve to increase brand awareness of Sleep Aid, and quite likely change the reputation of the company, for better or worse.

There are several interpretations of this simple image, a great deal of them being far more complex than the simple statement, “Sleep Aid brings people together.”  An article by the Daily Mail quotes the company’s impression of the campaign being one that is “designed to prompt conversation about stereotypes.”  However many would disagree with this claim, claiming that the ad is “exploiting the image of a U.S. serviceman and a Muslim woman to sell a seemingly unrelated product,” which also is a fair claim.

Ad campaigns such as this have become increasingly prevalent as consumers become more and more adept at tuning out and ignoring the advertisement-saturated world they are immersed in.  However, a campaign such as this is an effective way to break out of the monotony of the typical advertisement, and generate a reaction out of the people that will create a lasting impression of the company.  And really, when considered objectively, the image portrayed shouldn’t be controversial.  No one is being wronged or inaccurately portrayed, and the simple fact that this campaign has been so controversial already while still in its infancy speaks volumes about the intolerance of society.

Clearly Sleep Aid’s attitude is that no press is bad press, and when considering that, the ad has been a wild, wild success.

After reading my fellow classmate Patricia Poon’s blog post about companies competing and arguing over Twitter, I couldn’t help but think that this is not a new phenomenon.  Corporations have been subtly and not-so-subtly insulting each other for years.  While some people may consider it to be unethical, the fact remains that undermining the competition can be an incredibly effective way to gain a larger share of the market.  As well, if the attack campaign is presented in an amusing way, it can help the company establish a reputation for having a sense of humor – a likeable but rare trait in the modern business world.

Consider Apple’s long-running “Get a Mac” campaign.  It was so successful that it essentially started Justin Long’s (the Mac) career as an actor.  Yet the entire campaign was built around this simple message: Macs are better than PCs.  It doesn’t seem uncommon for an underdog to fight dirty.  And I know, Apple definitely is not an underdog.  But a few years ago, during the peak of the four year campaign, Macs were significantly less prominent than PCs.  And lo and behold, now that every lecture hall in every university is filled with the glowing Apple logo, the aggressive campaign has ended.

In a sense, Nokia’s recent jabs at the iPhone are a form of revenge, as the hardware makers of a Windows platform are the new underdogs, challenging an industry giant because of what could be considering copying.

Whether these ads are fighting dirty or just an effective strategy to battle the competition, I’m sure that these campaigns will continue to exist as long as there is competition in the marketplace.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles chomp down on a freshly ordered domino’s pizza.  Daniel Craig drives a brand new Aston Martin as James Bond.  Tom Hanks manages to deliver a Fed Ex package after being stranded for four years on a remote island.  There’s a list of some of the more obvious forms of product placement here.

Product placement is not a new phenomenon, but it is one that has become more and more frequent as advertisers find it harder and harder to reach consumers.  Due to the explosion of popularity of DVR, streaming sites like Netflix, and downloading shows online ,the normal ad space on TV is becoming less and less important as fewer people watch regular TV as it airs live.  Marketers are struggling to find new means of advertising their products in a way that can reach reach consumers in the way that commercials once did.  And that lies in product placement.

Take the three examples I’ve provided above.  Children watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles eating Dominos pizza will want some themselves.  If James Bond drives an Aston Martin, it must be an incredibly classy vehicle.  And how fantastic is Fed Ex’s service if a courier stranded on an island for four years still manages to deliver a package?

Product placement is a far more subtle, and likely more effective means of advertising a product.  A product can be showcased in action, with a connotation of how cool, classy, or effective it is.  While some people may find it obtrusive and annoying, in reality product placement, unless painfully obvious, does nothing to detract from the medium it lies in.  It almost feels unnatural to watch a movie or TV show where none of the products that are so prevalent in our society are present.  In many ways, it acts as a form of immersion, creating a more realistic feel to the environment of the movie or show.

Product placement is a very interesting, and far more subtle way of advertising a product.  As marketers find it harder and harder to reach their consumer bases, it likely will become far more frequent in the entertainment we watch.

By now, almost everyone has heard the stories about how third-party firms are tracking browsing behaviour and the sites people visit.  This information is then sold to marketers, who can then display advertisements specifically related to your perceived “interests” on the various sites you may access.  The ads on Facebook are prime examples of this growing trend.  A detailed explanation of how firms track your “cookies” can be found here.  Unsurprisingly, this issue is raising numerous ethical concerns regarding privacy infringement, in addition to throwing the security of the information websites obtain about their viewers into question.  Due to the relatively new emergence of third-party tracking, no laws or regulations have been established to limit or stop the collection of data on internet users thus far.

Most people who are aware of this issue understandably consider it an immediate infringement of rights and a huge breach of trust.  However, when considered objectively, the consequences of third-party internet tracking are surprisingly minimal.  The current result is simply online advertisements that an internet user would be more likely to take note of and respond to, rather than ignoring them outright.  When considering the increasing difficulty marketers are having in reaching consumers, this is an understandable step to take in order to better connect with them.  And there really isn’t any inconvenience or detrimental effect to someone having specialized advertisements on the side of a Facebook page, or wherever else they may appear.

All in all, the issue seems to be one that is blown somewhat out of proportion by the defensive nature of most people.  While it may be in a moral grey area, targeted ads  really aren’t a significant issue in their present form.  However, the potential for the leakage of information to third-parties with less harmless intentions is a definite cause for concern.  Undoubtedly, some form of regulations should be placed on third-party tracking in order to ensure that the genuine safety of internet users is not compromised.

But in the present, it’s just the latest in a long line of smarter ways of marketing.