Business, in particular marketing often celebrates thinking outside of the box. I’m sure marketers everywhere (except maybe at Old Spice) will be delighted then to see that Axe is now thinking outside of the stratosphere. Axe’s “biggest promotional program in the three-decade history of the brand” involves a contest open to 60 countries, in which 22 winners will be rocketed into space Click here for article.There are a number of things you have to love about this. The first is that although it’s somewhat reminiscent of Red Bull’s parachute jump with Felix Baumgartner, it’s certainly refreshing enough to excite consumers. People often discredit marketing campaigns for imitating others – but this mindset needs rethinking. Extending Eric Falkenstein’s idea to marketing – “we are fundamentally an imitating species”. Just because Red Bull had a similar campaign does not mean that consumers (myself included) won’t be ecstatic at the possibility of visiting space.

The second positive is how well they have positioned the promotion in relation to their target market. The young male, already exuberant about the social possibilities that Axe offers, now has the means to make this possibility a reality (sort of).

For young males – imagine walking into a social environment and declaring you have just returned from space. Regardless of the fact that anyone’s chances of being selected are virtually none, the promotion does its job in getting young males to at least imagine. This promotion is a continuation of Axe’s goal to associate its products with imagination, possibility, and social success for young males around the world. Expensive or not, the campaign is worth it in the long-run just for that.

Barclay’s Bank is no stranger to controversy. Beginning with its involvement in South Africa in the 1980s during the apartheid, and more recently with the Libor scandal of 2012, Barclay’s image has been tarnished by questionable decision-making and unethical practices.

This past week however, Barclay’s made headlines for the right reasons. It appears that the bank is making strides towards a more ethical vision, with new chief executive Antony Jenkins demanding that staff “sign up to ethics or leave”. This declaration of Jenkins is the latest move in his mission to “[repair] Barclay’s battered reputation”.   It appears that Barclay’s has (finally) realized that consumers do care about more than the rates banks offer, evidenced by campaigns such as “Move your Money”. While it is still too early to say whether Barclay’s staff will adhere to the five key values of respect, integrity, service, excellence and stewardship, we can say that Barclay has begun actively marketing to its employees – both current and prospective.

Employment marketing involves sending positive messages to prospective employees so as to attract applicants to the firm (Grewal and Levy, 10). More than just its prospective employees however, Barclay’s is appealing to its current employees and ultimately, its clients, who will be hearing of the bank’s new values and direction in the news. In sending messages such as these, Barclay’s may be better able to attract top talent who are seeking ethical employers they can be proud of, and might see increased clientele from individuals who prefer to work with banks that share their values. It remains doubtful however, whether small steps such as this will be able to erase Barclay’s past. Good on your Barclay’s, but I wouldn’t expect its Ethiscore of 0.5 out of 20 to improve too much any time soon.