It is a predestined fact that James Bond movies are going to be popular draws for the box office. “Skyfall, which was released on October 23rd, continues the box office dominance Bond movies are known for. Aware of the fact, marketing divisions of the most prominent companies seek to further increase brand recognition by using product placement techniques. An article in the Chicago Tribune touches on the fact that brands are expected to receive over $7.6 million in exposure from the film.

Heineken, Audi, Sony, Adidas, and Omega are just some of the brands which are shown in the film. Of course, Aston Martin makes its mark on the film in many ways, and by doing so the company has created a distinguished image for being in Bond movies as early as 1974. Aston Martin has long set the bar for product replacement effectiveness. Companies such as BMW have tried similar tactics themselves. Famously, BMW offered to pay millions of dollars to switch away from Aston Martin to models made by the German manufacturer.

Aston Martin can thank James Bond movies for making the brand a staple in pop culture globally. Even if most viewers are unable to afford the expensive vehicle, they can surely recognize it whenever they see one.

As a die hard hockey fan, I am devastated by the lack of an NHL season. I stumbled across a post on another blog site by Chris Mihailoff, who likewise, is also a confused NHL fan.

I continuously ask myself if it is an unethical move by the NHL to deprive it’s fans of hockey. After all, it is the fans who are buying (most) of the 18,000 seats available at the 30 NHL arenas each game. This is also how the players are able to make millions of dollars per year. Yet it seems, that both the Players Association and the NHL cannot agree on a deal due to a couple percent in revenue shares.

Of course, the fans are getting the short end of the stick here. They really have no say in the negotiations. The most fans can do is buy tickets and merchandise, and with revenues going up each year, it is safe to say they have been doing their share.

Nav Sran recently posted a blog entry about a new ad released by Samsung in response to Apple’s iPhone 5. The immensely popular ad that has racked up more than 16 million views can be seen here.

Brand positioning is a very important aspect to Samsung’s advertisement. They are showcasing the innovative technology called “S Beam” which allows seamless data transfer between devices. It is important to note that this feature is unique to the Galaxy S III only. Consumers will perceive Samsung as a cutting edge brand that delivers unique features after seeing “S Beam” in action. Samsung sends a certain message to prospective buyers highlighting features that other companies such as Apple are just beginning to implement. As a result, Samsung has perceptually differentiated itself from other smartphone manufacturers.

Judging from the advertisement, Samsung seems to easily grasp the Brand positioning concept. The company has identified their closest competitor, located it’s own brand position, and defined its value proposition effectively. It has given consumers why to buy the Samsung Galaxy S3, and why not to buy the iPhone 5. The decision rests on the buyer, and judging by the recent sales incline reported by Samsung, they have persuaded well.

The ensuing entry is a response to Sagher Bajwa’s recent blog post about unethical marketing. In particular, the post is in regard to the following advertisement by Nova Schin:

I entirely agree with Sagher’s outlook on the general message this advertisement portrays. It is solely subjective based on how the viewer interprets it. In my opinion, Nova Schin is not explicitly stating that pregnant women should drink non-alcoholic beverages. Rather, they may be trying to show that drinking non-alcoholic beverages is possible for pregnant women. Furthermore, a lot of countries have some sort of advertising regulations in place (such as Advertising Standards Canada), so I highly doubt they would allow such an advertisement if it was as harmful as people seem to make it.

It is safe to say that this advertisement is close to crossing a fine line between allowable and prohibited ads. However, Nova Schin likely wanted it to be just that. It catches the eye of the reader immediately, whether that is in a positive or negative way. In the end, isn’t that what advertising is about? Also, if people who shouldn’t drink alcoholic beverages shouldn’t drink this product, then what’s the point of non-alcoholic beverages?

Brand promise is what makes Toyota one of the most successful automakers worldwide.

When consumers are in the market for a vehicle, in most scenarios they are generally looking for a car that yields the greatest “value” to them. Whether that means any combination of safety, fuel economy, aesthetics, and reliability is entirely subjective. World recognized car manufacturer Toyota (NYSE: TM) is known to excel at all of these areas, a driving force behind their remarkable sales numbers.

So what does Toyota do that every other automaker doesn’t? Simple. They deliver on their promises. Other companies like Hyundai have been sued for allegedly stating false fuel economy ratings. Another key component to their success is that Toyota knows what the consumers are looking for. Safety is a priority for any family vehicle, and the company has 12 vehicles that have been designated as “Top Safety Picks” by the IIHS¹. With gas prices skyrocketing over the past 5 years, Toyota launched the market-dominating Prius, which is advertised to reach 53 miles per gallon². Other models such as the Toyota Corolla, which is the best selling car of all time³ , boast up to 34 miles per gallon higway⁴. Looking throughout the Toyota lineup, each of the vehicles is impressively consistent in catering to consumer needs.

Toyota’s aren’t the flashiest vehicles on the road. They don’t come with the luxuries of a Mercedes-Benz or a pricing like the Tata Nano, either. Instead, they are superb at the important areas which consumers today value the most, which is primary reason for the company’s brand recognition and worldwide success.

 References

¹http://www.toyota.com/safety/

²http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/01/2013-prius-c-gets-53-mpg-priced-under-19000-2012-detroit-auto-show.html

³http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/02/toyota-corolla-now-the-best-selling-vehicle-of-all-time.html

⁴http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2012_Toyota_Corolla.shtml

Read: Nokia to conduct ethics review into faked Lumia 920 ad video

At its peak, Nokia was the largest phone retailer in the world. Now in an age predominant with Apple and Samsung handsets, Nokia has slowly seen its smartphone sales decline yearly. As a result, the company is scrambling to release phones like the Lumia 920. The most talked about feature on the smartphone is the 8.7 mega-pixel camera, which features “PureView” stabilization. In a recent advertisement of the video, Nokia compares the “PureView” camera side by the side with one of its ordinary cameras. While the difference is distinguishable, various reports have surfaced claiming that the cameras used to capture the images are not those of the Lumia 920.

Nokia is definitely not the first company accused of false advertising, and it probably won’t be the last. But customers deserve to know what they’re buying, and that is the crucial ethical issue is here. False advertising is illegal in most countries, and I’m sure Nokia is aware of it. When the phone releases in mid-November the sales numbers are sure to take a hit, essentially defeating any purpose of advertising.

Watch the advertisement here (via YouTube):

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