A Term In Review: My Thoughts on the Marketing Video Assignment

The marketing video assignment was a refreshing change of pace in an otherwise run-of-the-mill term. With so many group projects and presentations already, this assignment could have easily been just another one on the list, an addition to the chore pile, a huge stress. But by being exposed to print ads, logos, promos, and other video clips all term, the video was a natural extension of the course. It allowed my group to flex some of our creative muscles and come up with a project that had our own unique flare. By doing the project in this way, it prompted research, learning and information processing that otherwise would have been perceived as incredibly tedious.

As someone who has been a part of video-making in the past (as an actor and promoter for school events), the video allowed me to use some artistic license and background knowledge that would have gone untapped in a presentation setting. However, my only criticism of the assignment is that it could better be implemented as a promotional tool than a made-for-movie presentation. A lot of the material in the video had already been captured in our previous assignments, and creating commercial advertisements would help bring the marketing experience full-circle while still demonstrating our knowledge. By creating ads for our recommendations, positioned towards our target market, we would be able to express our understanding of the course content and market segment we’ve chosen. These smaller 30 second ads (maybe as an ad campaign!) may be supplemented by a short 1-2 page summary of the 4 Ps underpinning the strategy, or the connections between the recommendations and the ads themselves.

Overall, the video assignment was a personal highlight of this term, but its use as a promotional tool could be just as informative and far more engaging.

Google Examines Tender Pakistani-Indian Relationship in Touching New Ad

Google’s new YouTube advertisement examines the lives of two men whom were childhood friends, separated years earlier by the 1947 partition that saw the creation of India and Pakistan.

Google’s marketing in the past has been virtually free of video advertisements, and for a fair reason. I mean, the company’s a household name; all demographics know it, and the vast majority have integrated it into their lifestyle. It’s got it’s own verb for crying out loud.

Maybe because of this absence from video marketing, this ad was somewhat of a shock for me, but a welcome one once I realized the warm message behind it. It made it that much more impactful.

Beena Sarwar, a Pakistani journalist, discusses this article in her blog. She says that the ad has become a hit in both India and Pakistan, tugging at the heart strings of all viewers: “If it doesn’t move you, you’ve got a heart of stone”.

I chose this last creative article to sum up my marketing blog since it successfully touches on so many threads throughout the course. It transcends cultural boundaries by examining the macroenvironment and uniting cultures, not offending them. It insinuates customer excellence by reinforcing Google users’ incredible loyalty. It appeals to consumers’ affective attitudes, and exhibits how “googling” has become a learned skill and a part of our lifestyles. It aligns itself with the social trends of a time-poor, information-at-our-fingertips society. It addresses the theme of globalization and uses this cultural lens and the branding of ‘Google India’ as methods of segmentation, with seamless integration through an undifferentiated targeting strategy. Finally, and most evidently, it transcends the role of a usual corporation and creates a brand personality that make Google and the viewer characters in this warm tale of reunion.

I say well done, Google, yet again.

Sources:
http://beenasarwar.wordpress.com/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/emotional-google-ad-a-viral-hit-in-india-and-pakistan-1.2427935
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHGDN9-oFJE&list=PL-kIBfSqQg3uMx9Z1fOpc7WPw2wDvbhFu

Phonebloks: “A Phone Worth Keeping”

We all have a tragic story about how our phone kicked the proverbial bucket. “So I was: jogging; opening the door; pouring a drink; sitting there; and my phone: dropped; cracked; got soaked; just died. And now I have to get a new one.” But often times, we don’t even know what’s wrong with it, how fixable it might be, what costs it may incur, or what impact our choice might have.

Cue Phonebloks, a revolutionary new phone manufacturer that makes ingeniously customizable, durable, and salvageable phones, all while being extremely powerful and environmentally-conscious. Trust me, click and check it out.

Let me start by saying I love this idea. I believe the excitement surrounding this start-up is twofold, an idea Parmy Olson of Forbes supports in her blog. Firstly, the product is well-executed, innovative, and compatible with phones currently on the market. Secondly, Phonebloks is one of the first earnest efforts at a socially-responsible phone, and its corporate partnership with Motorolla (who has recently dabbled in similar technology) is nothing but positive in the eyes of consumers looking for a little something more.

Their product, while not the prettiest on the market, holds high perceived value in the eyes of consumers, largely due to the future cost benefits. The consumers’ ability to replace components, support individual brands, and alter customization over time is an exciting alternative to screwless, virtually unsalvageable iPhones.

Phonebloks’ value proposition of a quality-built, customizable, environmentally-conscious phone creates a significant advantage and niche for the fledgling brand and the device itself in the immediate future. While the phone is still at an innovator stage of diffusion, the prominence of this barrier in conjunction with a successful viral digital marketing campaign has the momentum to eke out a transition to the early adopter stage, and well beyond.

Sources:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2013/10/29/motorola-partners-with-viral-sensation-phonebloks-to-launch-a-modular-smartphone/
https://phonebloks.com/
http://www.dezeen.com/2013/10/29/motorola-teams-up-with-phonebloks-to-create-modular-mobile-phones/
http://techland.time.com/2013/10/29/motorolas-project-ara-diy-smartphone-sounds-a-lot-like-phonebloks-because-it-is/

7-Eleven Appeals to Youth Through Renovation, Rebranding

Oh, thank heaven for a fresh coat of paint. 7-Eleven’s new marketing tactic gives its stores a much-needed face-lift as part of its newest strategy to appeal to its strongest, most dynamic demographic.

The demographic I’m speaking of, of course, is teenagers and young adults aged 13 to 24, with special attention being paid to females and those at the younger end of the spectrum. This young demographic cohort – often referred to as “Generation Y” or the “Millennial Generation” – has been exposed to organic-this and antioxidant-that well before they’ve been making their own food decisions. The health and wellness culture is part of the fabric of their food lifestyle, and as such, Millennials are far more health-conscious than their previous teen predecessors.

7-Eleven aims to respond to this psychographic change in their young consumers by implementing a new positioning strategy that will see stores revamped. While they will continue with a differentiated targeting strategy, it is the change in the positioning of their products in the eyes of their youngest consumers that will somehow seek to reflect a more health-conscious “Home of the Big Gulp”.

Now let’s stop right here for a second. Two things we need to address: Firstly, it’s about friggin’ time 7-Eleven did something to clean up its perpetually gross stores. The only thing worse than the sticky orange linoleum was the way those hot dogs looked rotating under the fluorescents. Secondly, while its stores might be cleaned up in the coming months, a reputation synonymous with the word “Slurpee” might be a little harder to shake, especially in the minds of young, health-conscious consumers.

While I think that 7-Eleven’s tactic comes off as a little gimmicky, I do believe it’s a step in the right direction in bettering the company’s image. What do you think?

Sources:
http://www.psfk.com/2013/10/7eleven-rebranding.html/7-eleven-logo-store-redesign-wd-partners-5
http://newhope360.com/blog/7-eleven-rebrands-appeal-millennials-women

Volvo Looks to Increase U.S. Sales with Marketing ‘Rebirth’

Volvo Cars North America has seen many shake ups as of late, largely in response to its U.S. sales numbers which have slid seven percent in the last year alone. Volvo has failed to gain traction since the recession – even in a growing industry – due to the intense competitive pressure of U.S., Asian and European luxury brands.

With overhauls already in the works, Volvo is looking to rebrand itself and its aging, lackluster product line. Volvo is updating its game plan, shedding its regional marketing approach and focusing on one lean, international branding strategy. Its ads in recent years have been minimalistic to the point of being ineffective, as Volvo has gone by so quietly as to be virtually unnoticed in comparison to competitors.

One of Volvo’s main problems is that it’s not standing out to consumers; the brand is generally not entering the evoked set of U.S. consumers, losing out instead to Lexus, BMW and the like. Volvo does not have the kind of capital to compete in a marketing screaming match with BMW and Mercedes, nor should it. Instead, I believe that Volvo should seek consumer recognition by creating a distinct, exciting voice which consumers are ready to latch on to.

In a sea of ads marinating in elegant classical music and dark, melancholy skies, creating a brand with a personality and lifestyle (as opposed to a laundry list of features) may do well to set Volvo apart. It has already taken a step in the right direction by recognizing its shortcomings and appealing to consumers’ affective attitudes. By creating a connection with the consumer and rewriting its entire playbook, Volvo will be able to lift its cold, listless image from the minds of consumers and replace it with a more exciting, passionate one.

Sources:
http://europe.autonews.com/article/20131004/ANE/310049985/volvo-names-new-u-s-chief-in-shakeup-to-boost-sales-marketing#axzz2gu7Tjcgi

Chipotle’s New Ad Guilty of “Bait-and-Switch”

Chipotle Mexican Grill has striven to diversify itself as a more health-conscious beacon within the fast food industry. Chipotle’s newest ad, “The Scarecrow” is no exception to this branding strategy and has been widely touted as an advertising success.

The ad’s transparency regarding GMOs and animal cruelty, by virtue of its unexpected honesty, manages to somewhat atone for these cardinal sins of the fast food industry. However, while the ad may be effective, it’s not entirely honest. Through stunning animation, “The Scarecrow” is able to temporarily distract us and quickly change the focus of its message from “let’s treat animals ethically” to “well, vegetables can’t feel any pain”. The Canadian Marketing Association prohibits such unethical ‘bait-and-switch’ advertising tactics, stating “Marketers must not engage in marketing communications in the guise of one purpose when the intent is a different purpose” (I.51: Disguise). Look again; no meat appears in the second part of the ad! Claudia Pisarek echoes this sentiment of fast food deception in her own blog, stating how establishments like McDonald’s swap out their sumptuous poster burgers for something much less picturesque in the wrapper.

In my opinion, Chipotle’s offence is that it is attributing itself with all the positives of a vegetarian establishment, without actually doing anything. “The Scarecrow” does little to inspire change in meat production, yet to its credit, offers an honest alternative. However, Chipotle itself does not offer that same honest alternative, at least not in conjunction with this ad. Without the implementation of more vegetarian options on its menu, or at the very least, a reduction in the number of meat options, Chipotle is acting both unethically and deceptively – though its ad is really, very pretty.

Sources:
http://www.the-cma.org/regulatory/code-of-ethics
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/09/okay-that-chipotle-ad-is-amazingbut-its-also-not-honest/
http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/caa-marketing-discusses-chipotles-new-fiona-apple-animation-152512

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