Month: March 2012

In a response to Teresita and Stephanie‘s blog posts, I personally agree that Budweiser has in fact tapped into a soft spot with their hockey flash mob fans commercial, engaging end users directly and effectively. I was deeply moved by the efforts they put into making a community team feel special. Despite the fact the Budweiser chose hockey as the target of their ad, the message is clear and I feel reflects to every individual involved in a group that feels neglected or unimportant. Broadcasting the ad at the right time and place such as the Stanley Cup Playoffs versus the Superbowl is important, as timing always is key. (While the world was watching the world of football, here comes Budweiser with a hockey ad.) Many would say this was wrong timing, and I would agree. However, I do feel this type of ad is not persuasion advertising, but rather a reminder. So while football was on TV, it seems to me that Budweiser tried to Canad-fy the whole event craze by throwing in a hockey ad that still gives off the same team and community message. The ad is a good mix of hope, nostalgia, community and entertainment, and I personally enjoyed it. It allows for teams to hope that one day their team will be discovered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=y0qZYqdsYAg

What started out to be a small project for Blake Mycoskie ended up to be one of the fastest growing shoe companies in our time. This blog post is a response to Vivien Lee’s markeing blog#1: is the One for One campaign of TOMS sustainable and value-based? . Being a huge brand advocate for TOMS (I own 2 pairs, and some apparel), I couldn’t help but feel an urge to write about them.

Sustainable marketing. Something a lot of companies strive for. Honestly, I don’t know if TOMS has achieved that level but they have recently explored into more product lines such as vegan products, apparel and eye-wear. And it doesn’t stop there. They offer banners, scarves, stickers with their logo and message – just to spread awareness. Blake has also written a book about TOMS. This speaks volumes of what the company is trying to achieve in terms of customer base and social movement.

One thing that TOMS does to swoon its customers, apart from giving shoes and eye care away is partnering with different humanitarian organizations campus clubs such as One Day Without Shoes, and using this movement to drive awareness and sales. People like being a part of groups and by doing this, TOMS allows kids, students, etc. to feel important, included and most of all, empowered. They offer jobs, internships and trips for people who show their passion and achieve something in their community through TOMS. This even applies to the retailers they select. They make sure retailers exude the lifestyle and the message that they reflect through their product, the ones willing to participate in their events, then ones willing to fulfill their mission and to go bare foot for a day. And in turn, they can concentrate reaching their target group and spread the word even more.

It seems like whatever they’re doing is working because pretty much everywhere I go, there always is one person that has a pair on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqNMBEn9I7o&list=UUXzKkMHsTalh2LW42CaB4oQ&index=18&feature=plpp_video