Caffeinated ideas and views on marketing communications

Deborah Brody

Deborah Brody writes and edits anything related to marketing communications. Most blog posts are written under the influence of caffeine.

Not so super if you ask me

advertising / By / February 2, 2009

Last night,  I suffered through a football game in which the team I was rooting for lost. I was in it for the ads in any case, and that also was a bit underwhelming. As I had predicted, there were lots of ads for movies (about 10 by my count), some of them not opening until late summer. The beer ads were as always for Budweiser, Bud Light, and Bud Lime, plus one for Heineken (again, that I saw).  There were ads from CareerBuilder.com and Monster.com and Avon touting the time to change your career.  Other advertisers included:

In the automotive category:  Hyundai, Toyota, Audi, cars.com, carmax.com, Bridgestone tires, Castrol Oil

Beverages (non-alcoholic) : Pepsi, Coke ,  SoBe Lifewater, Super G (I think this was Gatorade)

Food: Taco Bell, McDonalds, Cheetos, Doritos

Products and Services: Etrade, GoDaddy.com, H&R Block, Teleflora, GE, Cash4Gold.com, Overstock.com, Kellogs Frosted Flakes, Pedigree adopt-a-dog campaign.

Overall, some of the best (and more memorable)  ads came from the usual suspects, Pepsi and Coke. Pepsi seemed to have taken over the Obama logo and used Bob Dylan and Will.I.Am. Coke went the animation route (this is after all the company that brought us cola drinking polar bears). Budweiser had two memorable commercials-one in which business people are having a budget meeting while drinking Bud Light (what?) and one of the recommends, albeit jokingly that they cut out the Bud to save money and gets booted out the window. The other featured the Clydesdale horses recounting their epic immigration to the United States. Bridgestone used Mr. Potato Head. SoBe used ballet-dancing  football players.

My least favorite ads by far were for GoDaddy.com.  Not only were they juvenile but they were also sexist. I am not sure what their target audience is for their services, but unless they are only trying to appeal to teenage boys and immature men, they missed the mark. I also did not like the CareerBuilder.com commercial. There was something so patronizing about it. Just like last year, I didn’t get the Doritos ads.  And Cheetos ads  were funny, but disturbing: women who eat snack foods can tap in to their inner witch.

I think when the tallies come out, this year was not the year for Super Bowl ad spending. Many of the ads (and some of the funniest, actually0 were for NBC and their shows. I especially liked the one dealing with the LMAO. That was funny.

If you missed the game, but want to see the ads, you can go to Hulu.com.

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About Deborah Brody

Deborah Brody writes and edits anything related to marketing communications. Most blog posts are written under the influence of caffeine.

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Super Thoughts

advertising / By / February 1, 2009

First off, go Cardinals! Super Bowl 43 is on.

From what I have seen so far, here are a few predictions (about the ads)

Movies will be big–they have already shown a trailer for a movie openining in August. Movies do well in recessions.

Saving/Smart/Value/Solid–all touchwords for tonight

Enjoyment will be a theme

Another theme: Get ahead if you can, in spite of the economy (Careers.com, Monster.com and Avon will carry this message)

We are a scrappy people (continuation of above).

We’ll see lots of commercials for beer. (No duh)

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About Deborah Brody

Deborah Brody writes and edits anything related to marketing communications. Most blog posts are written under the influence of caffeine.

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Super Ad Twitter

Uncategorized / By / January 30, 2009

I don’t really care much about the Super Bowl this year, although I will probably be rooting for the Arizona Cardinals. However, I do care about the most expensive ads on TV. So, I will be Twittering on Super Bowl Sunday. Follow me at twitter.com/dbmc

On Monday, I will post a round up.

Have a happy weekend!

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About Deborah Brody

Deborah Brody writes and edits anything related to marketing communications. Most blog posts are written under the influence of caffeine.

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Speaking off the cuff

Political communication, Public Relations / By / January 29, 2009

Sometimes speaking your mind, especially when you are in the public eye, is not a good idea. Media trainers really hate the idea of their proteges saying whatever comes to mind, and for good reason. President Obama may have just learned this the hard way. Yesterday, prior to talking about the economic stimulus package, he “joked” with reporters about how Washington, DC is not as tough as Chicago when it comes to snow. I saw the exchange on live television, and I thought to myself that some people (namely Washingtonians) would be insulted by this. Sure enough, the comment was carried on tons of Internet sites like DCist, WJLA.com, and even on the network news. Some people did not see what was so funny about icy, slippery sidewalks,  especially when they figured the President does not have walk outside to get to work at all.

Of course, of all the things that Obama could have said, this was not close to being the worst. However, it should teach him that nothing is off the record and that joking comments are not always seen as such.  Obama has been in such a bubble of adulation that it was almost refreshing to see people bristle at this comment. He will have to adjust to the idea that people will be listening to his every word, and many will be looking for missteps and mistakes.

So to wrap up PR 101–don’t speak off the cuff, ESPECIALLY if there are journalists in the room.

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About Deborah Brody

Deborah Brody writes and edits anything related to marketing communications. Most blog posts are written under the influence of caffeine.

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Too sexy for TV

advertising / By / January 28, 2009

No,  this isn’t about about Paris Hilton’s Carl Jr.’s commercial or about Janet Jackson having a “wardrobe malfunction.”  Instead, it is about PETA’s new commercial promoting vegetarianism, because, get this, it leads to better sex. NBC has effectively denied the commercial the right to appear during the high-stakes Super Bowl. I found out about it on CNN’s Headline News, which gave the commercial lots of free publicity, and maybe, that was the whole point.

I am not sure where to start on this one. First of all, NBC’s shows are full of sexual innuendo and actual sex talk, so I am not sure where NBC  thinks it is drawing the line. But then, there is the commercial itself, which shows women flouncing around in skimpy underwear holding (and caressing) vegetables. I get it. The  Super Bowl is seen by  a bunch of men who love to see attractive women in various states of undress. GoDaddy certainly ran a fairly racy commercial showing some nearly-naked woman.  But then, I don’t get how showing women as sexual objects furthers PETAs cause.  I am not sure that beer-drinking, nacho-devouring men watching the Super Bowl are suddenly going to give up the tailgate burgers and steaks because being veggie is sexy.

I am not sure which irritates me most: NBC’s false sense of “morality,” especially in light of its programming, or PETA’s  decision to use sex, and sexist visions of women to sell their message.

See the commercial and commentary here.

Thoughts?

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About Deborah Brody

Deborah Brody writes and edits anything related to marketing communications. Most blog posts are written under the influence of caffeine.

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Too much information

advertising / By / January 26, 2009

You know how you recoil when someone starts telling you much more than you want to know about his or her personal life? We call it TMI, and there’s a good reason for it. We don’t need to know EVERYTHING.  We understand that some things just are better kept private. Well, apparently the folks at Pfizer in charge of marketing Celebrex do not believe in TMI. Currently, Pfizer is running a really long (at least 1 minute) commercial for Celebrex, airing on the ABC World News with Charles Gibson. It goes into way too much detail  about the RISKS of Celebrex, and other NSAIDS. You may recall that NSAIDS  have been linked to heart problems. This is not the first time that Celebrex goes this route. Last year, they ran a two and  a half minute commercial, in the same, graphic style (no actors, just voice over).

The problem for me is that the message is lost. In fact, I am not sure what the message is meant  to be.  Is it to recap the various risks of NSAIDS? Is it to say Celebrex is just as risky as other NSAIDs? The commercial mention benefits, but I didn’t see those communicated clearly.  That is why I  think this commercial is faulty…it doesn’t make me want to consider Celebrex (not that I need it, but that is another issue).  As a marketing professional, it makes me question Celebrex’s savvy.

Judge for yourself. Here’s  a link to the commercial on the Celebrex website: http://tinyurl.com/26cqok


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About Deborah Brody

Deborah Brody writes and edits anything related to marketing communications. Most blog posts are written under the influence of caffeine.

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Shelter magazines

advertising / By / January 22, 2009

I have never been a huge fan of shelter magazines, mostly because they make me feel very inadequate in both the decorating and housing areas. However, they are usually at least inspirational…some day, maybe, I will have the taste and the money to decorate my house with shabby chic or whatever. However,  I may lose inspiration (and jealousy) because many shelter magazines have ceased publication, including Home and Garden, Oprah at Home, Martha Stewart Blueprint and others. The article in today’s  Washington Post blames low ad revenue and not declining circulation. So folks, we have our answer to the print question. It is all about advertising. Advertisers are cutting back on their print advertising budgets, and thus, magazines are dying. What this may lead to is a rise in advertising costs as fewer magazines are left to provide ad pages. Demand vs.  supply. And  then, fewer advertisers will want to advertise.

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About Deborah Brody

Deborah Brody writes and edits anything related to marketing communications. Most blog posts are written under the influence of caffeine.

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The dawn of a new (communications) era

Corporate communication, New Media, Political communication, Web 2.0, Websites / By / January 21, 2009

One of the first things that signaled the start of the new Obama administration was the changeover of the Whitehouse.gov website. The new website, which shares many elements with the Obama campaign website, was up and running at 12 noon, even before the flubbed swearing-in took place. In a sense, the new website is the product of people who haven’t been in the White House very long. It still has the campaign feel, talking about the Agenda, and showing the Whistle Stop tour Obama and Biden took the weekend before the Inaugural. What is more updated about the website is that you can now sign up for email updates and like many other organizational websites in America today, it has a blog. And, as the website claims:

“WhiteHouse.gov will be a central part of
President Obama’s pledge to make his
the most transparent and accountable
administration in American history.”

The website has been getting a lot of attention. Here’s an article from Politico via Yahoo on the presidential bios on the website.

Obama will certainly be a more “electronic” president. Much has been made about his BlackBerry “addiction.” He was able to garner much of his support among the GenY/media/social media savvy people because of his campaign know-how regarding Web 2.0.  Let’s see how this plays out.

Update:  Interesting takefrom the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on the PR skills of the new administration, helping create a positive perception, and apparently an area where Bush was not as media-savvy.

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About Deborah Brody

Deborah Brody writes and edits anything related to marketing communications. Most blog posts are written under the influence of caffeine.

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Trying too hard?

advertising / By / January 20, 2009

Inside today’s Washington Post not only was there a special “commemorative” inauguration insert, but another insert that is titled “Progress” and has today’s date on the bottom. You could be forgiven for thinking it is yet another adulatory piece about Barack Obama, due to the progressive, historic nature of his inauguration today. However, you would be wrong. It is about Audi, the car company. This insert tries to define progress for me–for instance, “Grown men spraying giant bottles of champagne,” and “leaving behind yesterday’s idea of luxury.”  These inane headlines are being equated to “progress is a woman dominating a man’s sport,” and most egregiously, to the idea that our country is finally embracing a person of color as president.  Audi wants you to believe that the company is just as progressive as the United States. What exactly makes Audi progressive?  That of course, is not answered.

I have seen lots of advertising that takes advantage of momentous events. Many companies advertise during special events in what is generally image advertising or brand-building. And I get that Audi is engaging in the same. However, I wonder what the strategy is. The insert, even though it is on newsprint and not glossy, is expensive. Audi is also running the same campaign online.  So is the idea that people will buy today’s newspaper as a keepsake so they will also read the Audi ad? Is the idea to equate Audi with Barack Obama? In my opinion, this will fall flat.  Like I said before, I don’t find evidence in the insert of Audi’s “progressive” nature.  Also,  people who buy the paper today will be totally focused on two things: information about the nuts and bolts of the inaugural and info on Obama. An extra supplement that is irrelevant will get thrown out.

Did you see this insert/campaign? If so, what did you think of it? Please leave comments.

UPDATE: Also, Audi sponsored Inauguration night’s NBC and ABC newscasts, so that they could be presented with limited commercial interruption. That’s a lot of marketing dollars….and again, is it worth it?

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About Deborah Brody

Deborah Brody writes and edits anything related to marketing communications. Most blog posts are written under the influence of caffeine.

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What is the future of print advertising, part II

advertising / By / January 16, 2009

We’ve established that advertising and publishing are symbiotic, right? Well, today I found more bad news affecting newspapers across the country, courtesy of Mediabistro.com.: The Boston Globe is cutting up to 50 jobs and the Minneapolis Star Tribune is filing for bankruptcy.  This is a case where it could be the chicken or the egg. Did advertising drop and cause financial losses at the newspapers or did cutbacks and diminishing influence of print media lead to less print ad expenditure? Not sure which, but maybe a bit of both.

Of course, newspapers are still relevant. I would bet most people check out a newspaper every day, albeit, online.  Perhaps we can brace now for an all electronic future.

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About Deborah Brody

Deborah Brody writes and edits anything related to marketing communications. Most blog posts are written under the influence of caffeine.

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