Hidden Fees Really Grind My Gears…

While looking at my friend Kim’s blog, I came across a very interesting article that she wrote about from an external marketing blog. The article, showing similar ads from Wind Mobile and JetBlue, compares the effectiveness of the two advertisements and Kim expresses the effect that the commercials had on her opinion of the two separate products. I couldn’t have agreed more when reading about Kim’s opinion of the Wind Mobile commercial! I am one of those people that can relate to cell phone companies charging ridiculous fees for little or no benefit to myself. I cannot begin to express my incredible frustration when I find what I think is a good deal turns out to be a bust after all the add on fees, government regulatory fees, cell phone servicing fees, usage fees and excess usage fees. It honestly makes me lose all confidence in cell phone providers. How can I know if what is being marketed to me is the truth. The fact that the Wind Mobile marketing effort is so relatable as Kim states makes this marketing attempt a huge success. It doesn’t hurt that Wind Mobile uses satire and humor to make light of what most would call a very annoying situation.Kudos to Kim for finding this article and kudos to Wind Mobile for making such a simple and witty stab at those cash gouging cell phone companies.

Kim goes on to look at a different marketing ad found in the external marketer’s blog similar to Wind Mobile’s ad (the videos of these ads can be seen on Kim’s blog ) made by a company called JetBlue. Again, using the hidden camera technique, the street vendor delivers a product that is less than what is expected by the consumer, resulting in some comical and expected reactions. On a complete side note, it’s always interesting to witness people’s behavior in particular situations because I believe that it is the only time people tell the truth. When people know people are watching them, they act and react differently. But when no one is watching, people reveal their honest attitudes and behaviors. Just thought that was an interesting little insight. Back to the ad, I think the underlying point is received by the viewer of the video, that JetBlue will not under deliver their product if you choose to purchase.

I think Kim says it best when she says that both companies are using their marketing strategies to try and differentiate themselves from their competitors. Both companies are isolating particular characteristics that their competitors do poorly or have a negative reputation for, and exploiting them by saying they will not do these things, but rather the opposite. It is an effective strategy when thinking about consumer behavior because it is probable that by these companies focusing on what their competitors do poorly (ie Hidden Fees…man they are annoying), they bring up possible negative experiences consumers have had and prompt the consumer to make a change in their purchasing decisions. If the goal is to attract a larger portion of the target market, I believe both ads will have positive results.