finding simplicity in the complex

Sometimes, I really do think that I have a goldfish of a memory capacity. They say that a typical goldfish’s memory span lasts a total of 7 seconds (two times faster than I can eat a bag a Skittles)…yeap, that perfectly describes my memory at times right there. But even with my level of memory capabilities (or, rather, disabilities), this is not a logical reason for my inability to recall even just one of Skittles’ past advertisements. However, that statement no longer holds a shred of validity with the launch of their new campaign this past Wednesday. Below is the one out of Skittles’ five new videos that have generated the most views since Wednesday’s launch:

Referring back Elmo Lewis’ brainchild–the AIDA model–it is evident that the purpose behind the videos’ creation is one of capturing the ever decreasing attention span of the technologically savvy consumers. The ads are simplistic in that the avoidance of information overload has been succeeded, and the originality behind the videos easily cuts through the blaring noise surrounding the average consumer each day. What I most admire, however, is Skittles’ tactic in taking advantage of this current social media trend to reach out to their Teenage to Generation Y target market. The videos’ interaction with the audience through the touch of a finger is dependent upon the consumers’ computer usage–the campaign would not have worked had the advertisements been broadcasted during commercial breaks (who would want to coat their 900 in. TV screens with finger oil??). I can’t say I understand what cats, car thefts, video gun games, hitchhiking, or ugly girls have to do with Skittles, but the most important aspect was that Skittles has managed to grab the attention of their audience with these unique videos, and I have no doubt that they will be a mainstay in my (and the majority of others’) memory for a long while, goldfish memory or not.

It seems as though that an end to the abundance in the release of social medias will be impossible to materialize anytime in the near and distant future. Ever since Facebook, a boom of social medias have been hurriedly introduced to consumers, with each platform holding hopes of becoming the next big trend. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, foursquare…just to name a few. This past Thursday, Color, a photo sharing social medium, was launched for the Apple and Android platforms. Backed by $41 million in venture capital, Color taps into one’s device’s GPS to render his or her whereabouts, sharing photos with anyone using the same application within a 100-foot radius. The lack of control over the photos being shared have raised many privacy concerns, and the simplicity of its use has left many scratching their heads in wonder of the usefulness of this application.

I find that the mostly negative reviews by consumers to be a parallel to Twitter’s launch in 2006. Twitter, like Color, worked around simplicity. With simplicity often comes complexity in searching for ways to best use the social medium, leaving many consumers hesitant in taking time to sample the new platform. 5 years after its launch, Twitter is now seen as an extremely useful medium for areas such as marketing and connecting with celebrities, leaving one to wonder if the same fate will follow for Color.

Some potential uses that may bring Color to popularity:

• spot trends
• warn others of impending danger
• seek potential dates
• meet new friends

With the many incredibly creative minds of this world, Color’s possibilities may be endless. I really think that it’s a question of when as opposed to a question of if Color will become another trending social media tool of this generation.

Some articles on Color:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2382571,00.asp
http://business.financialpost.com/2011/03/24/bootup-ex-apple-exec-launches-color-a-real-time-photo-sharing-social-network/
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9215037/Social_networking_gets_Color_but_no_privacy?taxonomyId=84
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/24/BUA61IBQMG.DTL

The human mind is quite the interesting concept, often embarking on journeys of self-contradictions. We frequently find ourselves drawn to a specific path, only to be soon caught heading in the opposite direction. Too often, our minds immediately reject the notion of change without first taking time to contemplate the mass potential that the change may bring. We often fail to to see the yin at the initial proposition of change, with our minds having already been polluted with a million reasons of rejection having only seen the yang. However, once change has been enforced, we have a tendency to soon accept, having fast adapted despite our initial resistance.

Facebook is a prime example that immediately came to mind as a frame to this concept. Let’s take a moment to walk down memory lane:

In its first year of existence (2004-2005)

In 2007 (when I became a user. I was...Early Majority?)

In 2009

Now (and probably not for much longer)

Looking back, it’s quite evident that Facebook has come a long way. Many layout changes had been administered, with the addition of numerous applications. Each change had brought along creations of petitions demanding a reversion to its last previous stage (with threats of users potentially discontinuing their usage of the service), but in the end, the change ALWAYS prevailed, with users eventually succumbing to adaptation of the new features. Facebook’s “Like” button can be considered the epitome of the previous statement, having grown from consumers’ perception of being “utterly useless” to a concept that has been so ingrained into our lives today. This world consistently seeks change (despite our usual initial resistance), and without change, a company will be left in the dust, with no possibilities of survival in the near future.

Upon reading Elisha’s blog, I found myself vigorously nodding my head (my exercise of the week) in agreement, having gone through the exact same experiences as her in regards to brand jingles. Music evokes the human brain’s senses and emotions, and it is through the awakening of a combination of such that allows the mind to absorb brand jingles at a faster rate than advertisements endorsing only a single sense (e.g. posters providing only visual aid). As annoying as a jingle may be, the brand can easily be absorbed into a person’s conscience through this melodious medium, allowing the brand to immediately surface at the top of consumers’ minds at the slightest mention of the its associations. The main purpose of the jingle has been fulfilled.

For example, the store that immediately crept into my mind when “bed mattresses” is mentioned? Sleep Country (Canada). Its “Sleep Country, Canada, why buy a mattress anywhere else?” jingle is not necessarily a tune that one would want as a MP3 on one’s iPod, but it’s catchy, and it has been ingrained into the head of so many consumers that for most, it’s the first (and often only) place that will appear to consumers’ minds at the slightest mention of “bed mattresses”.

Other jingles that come to mind:

Midas: “Trust the Midas Touch”

Hungry Hungry Hippos

McDonalds: “I’m loving it”

Intel

Like Angela, I hold a similar problem of waking up every morning to 2455 new emails, only to discover that a max. total of two emails hold any shred of significance in my day-to-day life. A heavily uneven portion of my daily mail (2453) is usually distributed to the mass amount of store promos that I had (too) willingly given my email to, each with the initial hope of receiving unrealistic promotions that any typical Asian mind (cheap!!! cheap!! cheap!!!) would conceive. With each sign-up, I knew, in the back of my head, that the sender’s address would have, at most, one week before it loses the privilege of having it sent directly to my Inbox as opposed to Junk. I’m not denying that the promotions are actually worthwhile sometimes, but unfortunately, that sometimes is really just once in a blue moon. And, as I sink deeper and deeper into my online (window) shopping addiction, my list of shop subscriptions continues to to expand (there is no cure).

Perhaps I’m missing out on an alarming amount of promotional offers, but at this point where my email is being continuously fed with promotional emails that I now deem junk, I could really care less. From Apple updates to Vivienne Westwood to Old Navy…they’re all just promotional spams that now sit collectively in my Junk and Trash folders. No matter the difference in store or industry, I perceive them all as identical junk mails–there is no differentiation. I may be a bit bold in making this declaration (especially seeing as this is purely an opinion-based post), but I really do think that email subscriptions to promotions and deals has lost their values to the consumers of today.

Open Happiness. Ouvre du bonheur.

With the focus on product packaging in today’s class, Coca-Cola immediately came to mind. Launched in the late 1800s, the Coca-Cola bottle had incurred many transformations, keeping up with the world’s constant need for change. However, despite its many changes, ever since 1915, the Coca-Cola bottle has maintained its famous contour-shape.

http://popsop.com/2022

Coca-Cola’s bottle is the epitome of the importance of packaging. Because of the company’s decision to maintain the bottle’s distinct shape over the years (albeit with slight modifications), the bottle is one of the most highly recognized icons of today. Even without the words “Coca-Cola” imprinted onto the logo, one can instantly associate it with the soft-drink giant, having already instilled long-ago the bottle’s shape in his or her mind. It’s simple, it’s unique, and it is undeniably a sustainable advantage of the company.

http://tinsiders.blogspot.com/2008/02/coca-cola-bottle-designs.html

On a slightly different note (but still keeping the Coca-Cola theme), one of my favourite all-time ads:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e0/Phoenix_Coyotes.svg/230px-Phoenix_Coyotes.svg.png

The question of whether the Phoenix Coyotes should remain in Glendale, Arizona has lingered in the minds of many ever since the team’s declaration of bankruptcy in 2009. Numerous discussions on moving the team back into Canada had been held, but ultimately, the team remained in Arizona. Gary Bettman had mentioned, on numerous occasions, that his main purpose of wanting to leave the Coyotes in Arizona is to promote hockey in the United Sates (especially in Southern U.S.), but I can’t help but think that a sense of egotism is another, though underlying, factor to this predicament; using the STP analysis, it doesn’t make much sense for the Coyotes to remain in Arizona.

Target: Sports fans in Arizona from middle to high class
When the marketing department of a company generates campaigns to make their products known, they strive to be the best in either category or segment. However, with the situation of an ice hockey team playing in Glendale, Arizona—a place where snow is nonexistent—it is near impossible to generate any excitement about ice hockey, a winter sport requiring temperatures to be below 0˚C (oh, sorry below 32˚F). The fact that the team had never made a profit ever since its move from Winnipeg to Arizona, along with its loss of $54.8 million US in 2008 ALONE (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=4616786) should provide enough indicators for the statement above. And with the team in competition for consumers against the Phoenix Suns, how can the Coyotes, a team that has never advanced past the first round of the playoffs, win against the Suns, a team that holds the 4th best all-time winning percentage in the NBA? Sometimes, even the best ideas (not saying consistently trying to expand ice hockey into the Southern U.S. market is the best idea) may not be realistic enough to be realized.

http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/images/2010/11/The-Roommate.jpg

As best as schools try (who knows if they’re actually trying) to pair up roommates, it is not out of the ordinary to hear friends and acquaintances complain once in a while (or always) about the difficulties in sharing a room with another person; the windows are always left open, the windows are always kept closed, the boyfriend’s always over…the list drags on and on. None, however, can probably fathom to college student Sara (Minka Kelly of Friday Night Lights)’s problem in The Roommate when she gets assigned with Rebecca (Leighton Meester of Gossip Girl), an emotionally unstable freshman with a growing bizarre obsession of her.

With a February 4th release date, I had seen countless promotions for this movie plastered all over the digital network. I was well aware of this movie’s existence, but had not paid any particular attention to any of its promotions–that is, until my roommate (…uh oh) sent me a link to this:

Her intentions of sending me this clip may not be 100% known (I swear, I have not “touched her s___”..except for a few eating utensils here and there), but thanks to her, The Roommate has finally managed to catch my undivided attention for 2 whole minutes. 5 things I liked about this ad:

1. The generic background music for all things related to donation pleads (think SPCA and BC Children’s Hospital).
2. It’s uploaded onto College Humor, a site that university/college students (its target market!) frequently visit.
3. The situation is a problem that most university/college students can related to: its target market will feel more inclined to view the movie as the promotional clip touches on something that is more personal to the crowd.
4. Leighton Meester of Gossip Girl (!), a show that its target market easily recognizes.
5. Humour

At 16, Justin Bieber has accomplished what most could only dream of ever accomplishing (check Wiki). How does one go about creating such a legacy as his?

In Adam Enbar’s Social Media Marketing Lessons From Justin Bieber blogpost, Scooter Braun, Justin’s manager, offered a 4-point analysis on the marketing success of his client (linked blog above). This is a perfect reflection of the customer relationship building component of a value driven brand. In creating an online presence through Twitter and YouTube, fans are offered a glimpse into and are constantly updated on the singer’s life, creating a continuous pull on fans’ loyalty. It’s similar to my experiences in opening fortune cookies: once my message has been read, I immediately look forward to the opening of the next cookie. Humans are curious creatures, and that is a trait that can be capitalized on to build customer loyalty.

As well, Justin’s use of Twitter has allowed his fans ample opportunities to communicate their desires on what they hope to see. In doing so, Justin was able to provide answers for their demands, keeping fans loyal, and, most importantly, turning them into advocates for the Justin Bieber brand. They asked for an autobiography; they got it in First Step 2 Forever: My story. They demanded a movie; Justin Bieber: Never Say Never will be released on Feb. 11 (just in time for Valentine’s). The singer’s legion of 6.8 million Twitter followers is proof of their advocacy and dedication to him.

The Justin Bieber brand is huge. It’s bigger than the population of Denmark. It’s bigger than the Jolie-Pitt clan. And, really, for a brand to be bigger than Brad, Angie, and their 2339 kids is an amazing accomplishment–all due to the power of social media in creating value-based marketing. And, in all honestly, Baby is quite catchy.

When had the support for charitable causes managed to creep into our materialistic lives? After an hour of mindless staring into my 13.3” monitor, I still cannot pinpoint a specific time of this phenomenon’s arrival. Maybe it was a spark of inspiration from the ever charitable Princess Diana. Maybe it was the recent rise in number of natural disasters (think Sichuan earthquake). Perhaps it was Brad and Angelina with their 2339 adopted kids. Whoever and whatever it was, associating oneself with charity has undoubtedly become a leading trend. It’s what the cool kids do.

I am selfish when it comes to giving up money for people that I don’t personally know. Every April, my name is in contention for dead last on the list of potential donors for the 30 Hour Famine cause. However, I 100% believe in the power and business potential of associating with charity.

TOMS is a company that has recently garnered my attention. Initiated in 2006 by entrepreneur Blake Mycoskie, the company has been widely recognized for its One for One program (explained in video below).

Established brand names such as Ralph Lauren quickly partnered with the company, along with numerous of celebrity endorsements. To date, TOMS has donated over 1 million pairs of new shoes to the less fortunate and can be bought worldwide.

Charity has certainly brought nothing but positive attention to TOMS. It spells business potential, and it’s a cause that markets itself, immediately drawing consumers’ attention. Charitable consumers are roped in by the company’s cause, and average “selfish” consumers feel good for their purchase of the shoes. I mean, for a company that sells quirky looking shoes, it has to be doing something right to be able to survive past the economic downturn right? I am confident that the key word is charity.