In reference to brandchannel’ post (http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2012/03/12/Coca-Cola-Olympics-Happiness-Machine-031212.aspx), I really admire the marketing and brand image of Coca-Cola Company.  The popular corporation is always present in special events such as the Vancouver Olympics a few years ago and this year’s Olympics in Belgium. Coca Cola focuses on touching the hearts of its consumers by appealing to their emotions and values. Their advertisements show the warmth of family, friendship and love among couples even those who are very old in age. Brandchannel.com’s post about the recent Coca Cola Happiness Machine is a perfect example of Coca Cola’s innovative marketing. Just by having a great time dancing in front of a mini-stage, different people whether young or old are rewarded with a special prize. Some are given a box of coke, tennis racquet and balls, bouquet of flowers, popcorn and even a VIP package to the 2012 Summer Olympics. The brand demonstrates its commitment to making the world a better place- a happier place just by giving out free coke and creating these experiences for consumers to remember and look forward to. Coca Cola has really managed to penetrate the minds of its consumers in every possible way.

            My personal experience with Coca Cola was during the Vancouver Olympics. I remember there was a Coca Cola Happiness Pavilion in Yaletown. My friends and I got to see an impressive display of bottle artwork, take pictures around the area, sample free Coke and take home a free coca cola lamp light. The giveaway lamp light is still on top of my closet and reminds me of the wonderful time we went to the Coca Cola Olympic Pavilion. 🙂

move to the Coke Beat!

watch the video! ^

(image1 care of deviantart)

In reference to Annie L’s post about Harrah’s Casino Marketing, I agree that the largest gaming corporation in the world has an impeccable marketing strategy as seen through its Loyalty Program. It was created as a tool for customers to earn credits each time they visit and play. Credits can then be redeemed for rewards, cash, deals, discounts, coupons or complimentary services. And the best thing I believe about it is that these deals are all custom-tailored for each customer with various loyalty levels such as gold, platinum or diamond and the privileges increase with each level.

I want to stress more on Harrah’s new marketing strategy that was recently implemented last year: an iPhone application with a GPS locator.  Harrah’s Entertainment has really taken it to the next level with this development since the iPhone is one of the most popular gadgets which most people use. Text messages with offers which coincide with nearby restaurants, hotels, stores will be sent to those who download the app.

So “If you’re at Paris, we could send you two free admissions to the Eiffel Tower ride or if you’re at Caesars Palace after 6 p.m., we could send you an offer for the Bette Midler show,” said Neal Narayani, director of e-mail and mobile marketing for Harrah’s.

Another side by side development is the automatic check-in program called Texpress which allows customers of Caesars Palace to bypass the front desk avoiding check-in lines. They can also receive text updates of the recent deals, promos, happenings within Ceasar’s Palace.

I believe that Harrah’s new iPhone application development will give them a competitive advantage to other corporations or businesses since the iPhone is extremely popular with all age groups and tech-savvy people. It is an excellent marketing strategy to attract more new customers and learn about the spending habits of its clients.Harrah’s iPhone application

check these links for more info:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jan/08/harrahs-launches-iphone-app-caesars-bypasses-check/

http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/database-crm/1111.html

1st Post! Pannekoeken Galore! 😛

Last weekend, my younger sister and me went for brunch at a popular European restaurant, namely De Dutch.  The BC Family restaurant offers a wide variety of specially made 12 inch genuine Dutch pancakes or Pannekoeken and different arrays of Western breakfast items such as egg scrambles, benedicts, omelettes and cereals. It primarily specializes in offering the freshest and highest quality ingredients as seen through its menu. The homey restaurant serves 100% fresh orange juice, real whipped butter and whipped cream and gives customers the choice of having free-range eggs. As seen in its website, De Dutch values high quality service in delivering its food and at the same time appeals to new customers through its De Club Loyalty Program, wherein loyal customers get gift certificates for a certain amount of money spent.

The Rewards Program is a good marketing strategy since it can encourage customers to spend more with the idea of more benefits and more redeemable points. These points can be converted to cash in the long run. Aside from the Loyalty Program, De Dutch restaurants promote itself through discounts and coupons. My sister found a 25% coupon for the restaurant through Facebook. It just required her to sign her e-mail address and the coupon was instantly mailed to her in a matter of seconds. By offering occasional discounts, De Dutch appeals to more new customers and therefore increases its market.

The restaurant’s intended position as a warm and homey brunch place is further strengthened by the uniqueness of each branch restaurant. Franchisees make it a big point to personalize their own branch by adding a bit of themselves thereby offering a unique personal experience to each customer. I can attest to this when I ate at the Richmond branch through the accommodating employees.

website: http://www.dedutch.com/