Monthly Archives: November 2013

15Nov / 2013

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

Permalink Leave a comment

06Nov / 2013

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/

Permalink Leave a comment

Spam prevention powered by Akismet