Undoubtedly, the presidential campaign of Senator Obama has been a historic one. Besides the obvious, he has taken the Howard Dean political internet marketing model to the next level. These efforts include generating millions through small online donations and reaching a new generation of voters through social media. The recent buzz about his release of his VP choice via text message especially garnered my attention. I thought, “I want to be one of the people to receive the text.” Unfortunately, I am having one of those If-I-knew-then-what-I-know-now moments. Ever since I received the initial text, I have received no less than 10 e-mails…
In an earlier post, I discussed the type of marketing Team Obama and Team McCain had to engage in to 
court the voting public. Obviously picking VPs that balance their potential negatives and paint a picture that voters can relate. And as Team Obama picks Joe Biden (older, white guy with gray hair and experience as we would expect) and Time magazine reports McCain will pick Mitt Romney (younger, younger-looking guy with an appearance of vigor) we as marketers are firsthand witnesses to ’Diversity Marketing: DC Style’. And as we have seen marketers increasingly utilize more ‘diverse’ actors and models in the mass market to…
Karl hit the nail on the head of where MillerCoors is missing the mark. In addition to their recent resurrection of a bygone tagline, their recent “innovative” vented can only adds to the lackluster consumer appeals. Anyone with a brain can see through this flimsy scheme perpetuated by the brewer. But the underlying effects of “product innovations” like this only reinforce the general population’s mistrust of marketers. True product innovations need to provide tangible, value-added characteristics to an existing product. Continuing to market ”innovations” like this, MillerCoors only gives us all a bad name.
As long as I can remember PSAs have always seemed to lack the luster, appeal, and effectiveness of mainstream ads. Maybe it is the lack of funds, lack of insight by final decision-makers, or lack of definitive marketing objectives. The Truth Non-Smoking Campaign is no exception. In fact, this campaign highlights what I believe is wrong with PSAs. Right from 
the start this campaign has failed to be the very thing its core demographic aspires to become. (Granted, they have produced some ad gems in the midst of the plethora of lackluster ones.) Teenagers have certain needs that need to addressed. They want…
Amid the recent surge in gas prices and the subsequent steep decline of SUV sales, Kia Motors has unveiled a brand new mid-size SUV called the Kia Borrego. It comes equipped with a V-8
engine and touted as an affordable luxury SUV. Unfortunately for Kia, this is what can be labeled as a market timing disaster. And unfortunately for car companies, products like these take years of development. I can only imagine the angst felt from the Kia dealerships to the stockholders all the way to the CEO. The years of development, planning the campaign, setting production in motion…Kia was seeking to compete in a market…
The recent hoopla over the controversial Snickers’ ad brings to light my personal disdain for the foodstuff commercials of today. I believe food ads have lost the appeal and effectiveness of yesteryear. Notable brands such as Sprite, Snickers, and Gatorade no longer emphasize the product attributes of taste, texture, visual appeal, convenience, satiation, and enjoyment anymore. Instead we are shown something else. We can all recall 
the the launch of the Sprite’s tagline “Obey Your Thirst” several years ago. Its message was brought to life by thirsty individuals who were seeking refreshment, delight, and satisfaction. Or when Snickers encouraged us to ’satisfy…
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the retail behemoth, Wal-Mart, has redesigned the faithful blue-and-white logo. Reportedly to “update its once-dowdy image.” The new logo is now orange and white, the hyphen is removed, and a silly starburst is added. I, personally, am not a fan of this radical brand change for the following reasons. First, when you are the largest retailer in the world and 80% (and growing) of the U.S. population visits you every month, you have some serious brand recognition. The brand may be boring and mundane but it seems to have worked all these years. Second, the new logo doesn’t fix…
When, oh when, will GEICO retire the caveman spokesman? What will it take for them to realize that the joke is over? The caveman has jumped the shark. Let him go extinct…again. It’s not cute, funny or entertaining anymore. It has ran its course. I’d rather see Mrs. Butterworth talk about GEICO than a ‘caveman’ talk about dancing in Baltimore. I’ve said my point. No need to linger…GEICO, let him die.
As we are thrust into this political season, it is hard not to take note of the grandiouse marketing moves each political party makes as they vie to be top dog. Casual observers can easily take note of the machine at work grinding out ads for radio, TV, outdoor, door-to-door, and telephone. Ever more now the web has created a new way of disseminating the brand message, solidifying it in time as a historical record. This week in US politics, the two presidential candidates were both caught flipping positions on previously stated 
positions. In the business world, we know it is…
As Sens. Obama and McCain contemplate their choices for VP, speculation abounds to who will be the eventual picks. Even as the role of the VP becomes a more prominent one, the person chosen still has to paint a picture that voters can relate to and balance the potential negatives of the presidential candidate. So the marketing choices that these two campaigns face are obvious. Senator Obama faces skepticism on multiple fronts including his age, lack of experience, and his race. We, as marketing observers, can be assured that the his top VP candidates are most likely experienced, white males with some gray hair. Senator McCain must overcome…
Memorable campaigns mean nothing, just ask Vonage. Everyone can recall their national TV campaigns. Memorable, yes. Compelling, no. Why Vonage Schmonage? Because in their recent ad they can only lay claim to 2 million subscribers?!? It is an impressive amount by itself but not in relative terms. There are well over 100+ million households! And over 50% have the broadband access needed to use Vonage. A ~4% market share is surprising given the ‘inherent superiority’ of their product. Are consumers really just that adverse to the unknown? Probably. Could Vonage have ‘dumbed down’ their message to simply explain their product to the masses better? I…
Two of Philadelphia’s news publications recently drew ire for publishing false ads for fictional airline, Derrie-Air. The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News placed false ads in their newspapers complete with a fictional website, FlyDerrie-Air.com. The tongue-in-cheek campaign, meant to test the reach of the pubs in print and online, describe a new way to fly. (They recorded a click-through rate of 1.25% compared to average of 0.5%) Derrie-Air determines your ticket price based upon your weight. Of course, given the recent pricing moves by domestic airlines consumers would flock to the these ads due to curiosity or sincere interest. Ethicists decry the campaign but I…
In the world of political marketing, the Clinton brand has a storied past and now, an uncertain future. We witnessed the meteoric rise of Bill to the presidency with his amiable charm and distinctive thumb tuck assuring the heart of every American. He has been credited with leading the nation, and the free world, for eight years through a recession to prosperity and from atrocious genocide to peace. The Clinton brand possessed the characteristics of diplomatic, likable, believable, and charming. Applying the Clinton brand made fundraising no chore and assured large crowds of fans. And of course, as with all brands, it encountered turbulent times. The Lewinsky Effect…
brand. I recall seeing ads for him many months ago and dismissed it as unusual but then I saw another the 
day. Granted, David Beckham is a sensation. A name recognized worldwide…more overseas than here in America. But why would the Sharpie brand dole out the dollars for Beckham to sell low-priced markers? Surely, Beckham’s brand will have an impact on sales but my question is: Is he the best use of Sharpie’s advertising dollars? I think the…
The 
