Adver-Kiosk

Is this not a bit too intrusive?!

2011-07-28T11:53:00.000-05:00

I know that good marketing is supposed to catch you a bit off guard and make you think about the message but this is just too much...

Why?

Because, 1) although it in fact was unexpected, it crossed the privacy line (which by today's standards is pretty low). 2) it's not creative, and 3) lacks authenticity... Which is the last thing you want if you deal with money.

Thought?!

How Old is YOUR Imagination??

2011-03-02T15:34:00.000-06:00

I always wonder why people insist on wanting for others to think as they do. I remember growing up and thinking that the world was huge and that anything and everything can happen in it. As I get older, I continue to realize that less of this is expected of me... in other words, people like to subscribe to the status quo... the less creative you are, the better you will fit in today's world.

After spending some time with my nephews, I realize that to some extent my imagination has been trained to think as an adult... WHY?! I went to a business school the other day, and I felt that as I walked inside the building my imagination was vacuumed or made to be parked outside the building. I say this because in today's "sales" world, whether you admit it or not, everything is about sales, numbers drive everything.

I would like to propose that we need to go back to basics... we need to be creative, think and try to reach for the impossible. The world (business or not) is about stories...

So, how old is your imagination?

We Are Nomads Connected to the World via the Net

2010-12-07T15:27:00.001-06:00

I was just thinking of the power of the internet and social networking.

Just thinking about your life and where you currently are, is this where you are from? Is this where you were born? It seems as if we are constantly moving in order to conquer different things, in order to achieve what we see as our goals.

So back to the purpose of this post, social networking.

How has the internet changed the way we you life and friends?

I mean you can practically move to wherever in the world you want and still have "friends"... or cant you?

Has your human contact declined, have you even noticed if it had?

Unknown Caller... I mean, annoyed caller.

2010-10-04T11:06:00.003-05:00

Picture this. Monday 11:10am, you are in the middle of an important document, you have been sneezing all night, your nose is stuffed, your eyes all watery, your throat hurts... in other words, your allergies are killing you (though it actually seems like you are getting sick).

Before you read the actual incident, please picture the commercial from Chase I believe, where a guy calls customer service and a guy in the middle of Antarctica by the name of Lucy takes the phone call and hangs up after he is not able to understand what the cardholder wants.

Any how, so the phone rings, and the call goes something like this:

Caller: "Hello, is Mr. Iñiez (enneaus) there?"

Me: Annoyed by the fact that he is not able to pronounce my last name correctly and with a strong tone reply: "I'm sorry... who? Mr Iñiez?"

Caller: "Mmmmhhhh.... Hello, is Mr. Iñiez (enneaus) there?"

Me: Even more annoyed now, as he seems to not be paying attention. Do you mean Mr. Muñoz?

Caller: "Ummmm... sorry, no espaniol" and hang up.

All I could think was "seriously?!"
I mean the guys could pay attention to what was going on, and because of the fact that he couldn't pronounce my last name he assumed that I couldn't speak the language!! WOW! As I hung up the phone by taking off the speaker all I that came to mind was... wow, he might have actually lost a sale just by the fact that he couldn't pay attention and eliminate his preconceived prejudices.

Well to be honest I seriously doubt I would have bought whatever he might have been selling, but you get the point.

Question:

Am I over-analyzing the situation?
Should I give him the benefit of the doubt?

To close today's post, I asked myself, as a marketer/researcher/planner/advertiser, how many times have I being the caller, where I just assume wrong because of my preconceived prejudices?? When have you?!

Necessary Brand Extension?

2010-10-03T14:11:00.002-05:00

As the yogurt wars continue to strengthen, brands are needing to find a stronger point of differentiation and go after stronger niches. While reading something online a couple of days ago, the above ad came up and left me thinking; is this right? Let me begin by saying that I love yogurt and in fact have it for breakfast most often than not. To be quite frank, I have never being a big fan of Yoplait - it's too sweet for my taste. This could very well be the fact that I grew up in Mexico, where yogurt is sour, so in my mind, the more sour it is the more natural.

So you might be wondering what brand of yogurt I buy - well it is actually Greek, Fage, and I have to say that I love it. With that said, and given my inquisitive nature, I began asking people if they would buy the Yoplait Greek. Interestingly enough, of those who are currently buying some sort of Greek yogurt, not necessarily Fage said that they wouldn't buy it. Those who consumer Yoplait said that they would definitely try it. And those who buy other brands, said that they would need more information about the difference found on Greek yogurt.

So my closing thought starter are the following:

Is Yoplait trying to be the brand for all occasions?
Can they do this?
Is this a good brand extension?
Who are they targeting with this product?
What is their strategy behind the launch? (shelf space, trial, prod diff, new market, etc)

KFC's Interesting Ad Buy... Is this right?

2010-09-24T14:35:00.006-05:00

A huge part of advertising strategy is placement - because depending on where you buy is he awareness that you will get.

But before I go into my observation as to the picture you see on the blog, let me begin by sayint that not too long I was reading a very interesting article on the "Disneyzation of Society," which can be boiled down to 4 key objectives: 1) Theming, 2) De-differentiation of Consumption, 3) Merchandising, and 4) Emotional Labor.

Though my attempt on today's post is not to talk about the paper it is important to say why it is that I am bringing up. About a decade ago or so, a book that tackled the idea of globalization through the usage of a major corporation, McDonald's, revolutionized the way we look at business - the author called this McDonalization. McDonalization is the idea that global corporations seek to maximize 1) efficiency, 2) calculability, 3) predicatability, and 4) control. Well, in order to be able to accomplish the 4 things, companies need to focus on production and tangible objects if you will. Well, the term Disneyzation is more of a post-modern approach to business, because rather than focusing on means of production it's focus is on branding.

Ok, so this bring me to my initial point. In our over-advertised society, we thing of everything that surrounds us as an opportunity to advertise - in other words anything (literally anything that a potential consumer can see/feel/encounter or come across is fair game) and of course it's even better if you can claim "dibs." With that in mind, please take a look at the picture above, what do you think? The KFC sweatpants say "double down."

Is KFC pushing the envelope?
Was this a good buy?
Are they implying that KFC consumers like butts? (I would think they would be all about the breast and thighs)
Is this offensive?
This could definitely transfer to initial trial, but will this bring consumer to the stores?
How will this affect brand perceptions?

Consultants: Saving a business but killing your own

2010-09-24T09:33:00.003-05:00

As I was waiting on gate D3 in the New York LaGuardia airport, and while waiting for a colleague to get her boarding pass out, I couldn’t help but seeing the guy that you see in the picture. Ok, so far, well you’re probably thinking, well, he looks pretty normal, well dressed, sorry, let me rephrase that, is wearing a suit and tie. Now what caught my attention was when he moved to adjust his place on the 50” seat, you could see his gut just coming out… badly!

Please understand that it is not that I am super fit, I mean I like to exercise, and I would do it more if I could. Going back to my observation, immediately after thinking “oh man, that guys is pretty chubby, I thought, well, it must be from all of the crap there has to eat at the airports. I decided to observe a couple more people and see if I saw the following trend:

1. Does he look like a business man?

a. Based on the attire. I know that many people whom are business man don’t travel with a suit and tie, but those whom make express travels most often than not do.

b. Also, they could be wearing dress pants and jacket, no tie necessary.

2. Is he on a computer? Phone? Or reading the newspaper (biz section preferably?

3. Is he Overweight (chubby)?

a. Is the belly coming over the seatbelt/waist section?

i. This is what I’m calling the “flip/fold waist,” meaning the belly is folding the waist.

Five minutes after I decided to test my theory I moved to another terminal (from D3 to D1) to test on another place, you know to make sure I was exhausting my terminal knowledge – no play on words there ;). Well it turns out that as I seat down a very expressive guy (whom you see on the picture fit the exact description above… I thought nice! (Also, he was on a business call, I knew this because he was pretty loud. I said, one more and we call it a day. Well, didn’t really take too long, as I was heading to buy a bottled of water, a guys was coming off the plane, whom fitted the exact same characteristics.

As I am writing this, let me tell you that I am on seat 25F on a 3.5hr flight from NYC to DFW (which is my midpoint to my final destination of AUS), I am struggling to have my computer open because of the guy in front of me. As if the spaces on planes aren’t small enough, the guy in front of me it just totally taking over my own personal space – well, what could be, since he is just reclining his chair. Any how, needless to say, he very well fits the above three questions/criteria.

To close, and going back to the main point of this post, all of these men are either on their way or coming back from saving/solving a business problem, so they feel in a way accomplished… but I have a question, do you think they are thinking about themselves? Have they thought about the business that is their body? Sure, they are saving other people’s business, but they are killing their own, to quote Christopher Walken on Click (2006) “Fast food kills you slowly.”

With that said, I think that this is happening not because of the lack of descent options at airports, but because of the following mentality – which corporate America has maximized on:

The airport mentality:

· Enjoy a quick snack – usually donuts & pastries

· A chocolate, something quick and well sweet

· Some chips… which are honestly my second option, I just need to stop by the store and get the WSJ, or USAT, or NYT…

· I can miss my flight and I need to eat something, fast food is definitely the best option

· With not enough space on the plane, well hand food is the best option (FYI, I know we practically eat everything with our hands, but my point is just something that you can carry not cut.

· I mean, there are really no healthy options, so I need to go for nutritious

· I eat healthy when I’m at home, so since I’m traveling I can indulge a little – happens that they travel more often than they think

o Think of Doug on King of Queens

· The client is paying… so I really cant abuse you know… it has to be something moderately priced.

Thoughts?!

One last thing... who is to blame, the airport for not having more options (healthier options), or could it actually be the fact that people want to indulge because of their subconscious feeling of "I'm traveling, I'll be good when I get home."

Nike Scored the last Goal, not Spain!

2010-09-20T22:16:00.004-05:00

Based on preliminary reports the 2010 World Cup, which was hosted by South Africa was a success - in viewership, merchandise and even tourism. The point of today's commentary is not to talk about the cup's success, but about the who really scored the last goal.
As I came across the attached email I began to think what an amazing job Nike had done through out the world cup in order to ambush Adidas marketing. Sure, after Adidas noticed Nike's approach) and well known strategic point of view (i.e. Olympics in Barcelona) they took it to FIFA and pretty much said, "we are paying you millions of dollars to be the "World Cup" sponsor, make sure its known. Any how, so as the month long tournament progressed, there were more mentions of the soccer ball, and the importance of its sponsors.
With all of the above said, I have a couple of comments to close with (thought starters if you will)?

It is usually said "no publicity is bad publicity." Can Adidas really say this? I mean, there was a constant reiteration from the narrators on the constant discontent the players were with the Jubulani.
Should we as sport's fans be annoyed that a corporation was trying to alter the game by changing the most essential item of the game itself, the ball? I would like to remind them that soccer is not all about goals - its about the constant strategic struggle between two teams driven by goals and pride - it is not basketball (though I love this sport as well)
If you were Adidas, what would you have done to stop/control Nike's big audacious goal to claim the top spot of 'the' world cup sponsor?

Finally, and going back to the title of this post, how can you compete against a company that very intelligently launched an insightful spot full of pop culture references? More over, a spot that rhetorically asked/suggested the public to write the future. Or even better, a company that without buying air time in the middle of the game gets constantly viewed because they sponsor the teams, and most importantly, the shoes? After all, who would have thought that having such an advanced technology (TV specific) would play to Nike's benefit with the amazing zoom-ins when scoring and/sliding...

Subconscious American Ethnocentrism?

2010-07-23T16:45:00.003-05:00

Not too long ago I was perusing through the USA Today and I found the picture you see to the left. I'll give you a couple of seconds to take a look at it. Ok, now that you have, what were some of the thoughts that came to mind: 1) Expected 2) Those sports that rise to the top were those that were imported, etc. Well, true to the two aforementioned reasons, but as you might have deduced from the title of this post, I found a third reason which I think is/could be pretty interesting. American's are ethnocentric. No its not a criticism, but based on previous (academic) research this rings true over and over. So with this in mind, I then thought, well what sports don't have that strong of a following? Then I thought what sport has been losing its following lately? The answer were the top three, which happened to be the ones with the most players born outside the US.

With that said, the two with the highest following in the US are 1) the two with the least foreign born players and 2)two of the most 'American' sports.

So my questions are the following; do American's subconsciously prefer to watch their own playing sports? Is there some sort of patriotic undertones in following these?

Note: The losing fandom comment is in relation to Baseball and its declining ratings.

"Women's parts are like..."

2010-07-13T16:03:00.007-05:00

It has definitely been a while since I've had a chance to blog - but life goes on, right?! Any way, so I was watching the show How I Met Your Mother, which let me say that if you haven't seen it you have to - its fun, funny and the characters are very well developed; I mean they really reflect today's late 20's early 30's metro-guy/gal. With that said, it is important that I mention that today's blog is not necessarily about the show, but about a comment Robin said. The title of the show was "Hooked" - nop, no Texas reference here. The term "hooked" has to do with ... Bueller, anyone... anyone... relationships.

So you are officially hooked when you think you are dating someone, but you really aren't. Still not clear yet, well it is when you here the following quotes:
You say "I love you"
They say ""I like spending time with you"
OR the classical one...
They say "I have a boyfriend/girlfriend, but I really like you (_fill in adjective here_)... I want for us to be together, but just not yet".

Now that you have the setup of this particular episode, and while the gang is explaining to Ted what is like to be hooked, Robin made the following statement (which really caught my attention): "... its like this Ted, our girl parts are like spiderwebs, we sometimes get stuff we don't want".

I have to be honest, when I heard that I thought it was really funny at first, but five seconds later I started to really think about what that statement meant. Have you given it some thought?

First, I thought it was really interesting that a good looking woman said that, meaning that not even they are saved from jerks. Two, how hard it must be to be a woman - I mean, we are visual beings (both men and women) but thinking about Freud and how sexual we are, like I said, poor women. Thirdly, Spiderwebs not only attract, but catch insects - are men insects? is this how women are able to attract men?

What do you think?

Beautiful Women...

2010-05-13T23:32:00.004-05:00

Not too long ago I was watching Seinfeld, and like always, Jerry and George were having an interesting conversation about... well nothing.

Any how, this particular conversation happened to be about beautiful women... and so I ask, have you seen this happen? Do you think its wrong? Should women be able to use this to their benefit?

Jerry: You know how I've told you how Nikki gets away with all that she wants. We are at the movies last night, it's sold out, Nikki goes and talks to the manager... (claps hands together to show something fast just happened)... right in!

George: beautiful women... they get away with murder... you never see any one of them lifting anything over 3lbs...they do whatever they want, whenever they want... it's like nobody can stop them.

Jerry: She's like a beautiful Godzilla

George: Without the thousands of fleeting Japanese

Pondering on Capitalism...

2010-03-26T09:21:00.006-05:00

So really, is Capitalism bad?... ok, for some people the question might be along the lines of how bad is capitalism? I just finished watching Capitalism. A Love Story (2009), and I do have to say that is was a good movie overall. I know I know, you at this point are either judging me or saying, YES, I love this guy (Michael Moore that is).

The one thing that you have to agree with is that his movies at the very least make you think about the country and about our culture, about our wants and needs, about buying and using. So lets ask ourselves the following things…

Would you like for the government to control over what you do?
Why/Should blue chip companies receive bail out money?
Should banks not tell where they are spending the money?
What does a true “Free market” economy looks like? Are we still there?

After reading the random thoughts I've jotted down, please take a look at the
following images... what do you think?

As a side note... I do think we need some sort of reform on a couple of things, but overall, government should stick to... well policy (in a way), in my opinion, a free market economy does bring the best (and well is some the greed) of people - above all, it encourages innovation.

It's Boarding Time!!

2010-03-25T12:26:00.003-05:00

As a frequent traveler (by plane that is, and I specify because I don’t want to assume it’s the same in other modes of transportation) things on airlines couldn’t be more classist. Don’t get me wrong, I know that there has to be a certain procedure, but I feel that we’ve crossed the line. As I was waiting for my group, which happened to be number 2, please don’t get any ideas, G2 (and I don’t mean Gatorade) is really not good, it just means you are seating in the very back so they need you to go in first. As the AA personnel said through the speaker “Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to start boarding, so please listen to your group, thank you,” everyone stood up and got ready to board. The interesting thing was to see how everyone started forming a line as if we were cattle, intelligent and evolved cattle I might add, but cattle nonetheless. Now, we know the procedure, and we know how AA boards people, they do it by class and order of importance (below is my breakdown of those that I could remember).

1^st Class > Executive Platinum > Platinum > Business Class – there is some other name > Group 1… > Group 6

As everyone has formed a line, and please know that there is no group order whatsoever, I feel like the AA person that is ticketing is rejoicing because he/she is about to rejoice and bask on the glory or calling by groups while exerting his/her power of “please go back to the line, we are in group X, I’m sorry, your bag is not the right size, etc.).

After all this, I would like to close with the following random thoughts:

I get why 1^st class gets to go first, they are the 10 people that seat in the front of the plane – so logistically makes sense, but the other three groups that aren’t really groups? I mean they all have specific seats, and they are with the rest of the people? As a matter of fact, some of their seats happen to be in the middle, so they go in, and then they have to get up… mmhh interesting. Moreover, the best thing is to see their faces as they are walking in the plane, picture this…

1^st class has gone in….

AA Person: At this time we will board Executive Platinum Passengers (EPP)

EPPs: You see that as they are approaching the ticketing individual, the only words coming out of their mouth are “excuse me, excuse me,” which is really nice, on the outside and if you are not looking, but if you are, like I was today, they are actually looking down at you, and instead of saying “excuse me” they are saying, “um, please move, I am needed on the plane, I have a seat to warm.”

Think of Titanic (1997) as the third class get locked in, and they are told “please wait, you will be next, as soon as the 1^st class gets taken care of…”

“Used to be a better meal, now it’s a better life…” Dorothy, Jerry Maguire (1996).

is it?!

360 Degree Business... Amazon's great strategy

2010-03-20T12:07:00.000-05:00

I love Amazon - wow, what a strong statement to say about a brand huh? - but, the fact is that I really do love Amazon. I would venture out and say that about 40% of my books are from this site. Any how, not too long ago, I was browsing through the site and there to greet me was the following:

I then thought, nice, the Kindle is the #1 best selling product... and five seconds later thought, well, can you buy the Kindle any other place? And well, like practically everything in life, I search for the answer online, and found the following:

Now, know that its not I have anything against the idea of Amazon promoting the Kindle as the number one selling product on their site, its that if you really think of the products they sell, well it doesnt surprise me... think about the following:

How many books of one kind can they sell?
How many kinds of 1 DVD, MP3, etc can they sell?

There might be a possibility that I am over-analyzing this, but their whole strategic wording surprises me... I kind of think about Apple and the iPod... they sell you the hardware and the content.. nice ;)

Thoughts?!

McD's... Happy St. Pat's Day!!

2010-03-19T12:53:00.001-05:00

First was the solar menu clock (OOH billboard) two years ago and now this awesome out of the cup.. well box stunt...

Speechless... WOW!

Thoughts?!

Movie Rental & the RedBox Strategy

2010-03-10T09:51:00.006-06:00

Renting movies has been part of out culture for more than a couple of decades.

As a matter of fact, I remember when the line of "Make it a Blockbuster night" was at its peak, and nobody would even think about going anywhere else. Well, as of yesterday, Blockbuster (BB) might have to ask for Chapter 11 help, bankruptcy.

The following is a quick excerpt from USA Today:

"Blockbuster ended 2009 with nearly $1 billion in debt. The chain that once made Hollywood moguls tremble saw its net loss rise 20.7% to $437.7 million in the fourth quarter on revenue of $1.1 billion, down 17.5% from the same period in 2008.

This year continues to look gloomy. Faced with growing competition from Redbox's $1-a-night DVD rental kiosks, Netflix and a host of Internet and cable video-on-demand services, Blockbuster says that sales at its stores open a year or more will continue to fall in 2010."

I used to be a BB member (store only) in El Paso, then moved to Lubbock and became a Hollywood video member... moved to Dallas (then to San Antonio) and graduated to BB Online. One day when planning how I was going to tackle debt, I cut BB Online - it would be my reward when I achieved my goals. Then comes to the picture RedBox (2009). I said, well, its only $1 and pretty convenient, I will give it a try. I might add that I knew this was happening a couple of years ago, when I was working for one of McDonald's ad agencies, and this concept kept coming up in meetings. I tried and I liked - redbox doesnt have late fees, they have additional rental day fees ($1), nice!

So I tried redbox for a couple of months, and when I achieved one of my set financial goals, I decided to treat myself to becoming a member of an online rental provider. After carefully evaluating both options, BB and NetFlix, well, the latter was the option.
By now you are thinking so what is the point of your story?? well good question.

The point of the story is that redbox understands their consumer and how people are using them - they know they are the other person, and they are ok with that. Not too long ago, I received the promo email you see here saying:
"For a limited time only, enjoy a free one-night rental when you use the promo code..... hurry - this offer expires at 11:59pm CST on Monday, March 1, 2010."

Now what I love about this promo is that it was sent on Sunday very late at night, so it has a very specific call to action, and with a due date. What is even better, is that all new releases come out on Tuesdays, hence the pressure to rent on Monday... so, when you are returning the movie on Tuesday, you will be inclined to rent the "new release."

Now, Tuesday is when things start to get busy for the week, so it is safe to assume that you will have to keep the movie for maybe one or two extra days... giving redbox the dollar that was given to you on Sunday - Nice isnt it?!

Thoughts?!

Change: The Hispanic Consumer

2010-03-07T12:00:00.004-06:00

"The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become" - CHARLES DUBOIS

I have to start off by saying that I read the above message on somebody's Facebook page. Nop, I was not stalking around, or anything like that. One of my best friends just moved to Dallas, and a friend of ours was sending her a quick note to reiterate that she was doing the right thing. With that said, the moment I read the quote it took me somewhere else completely... it took me to the US Hispanic consumer, and let me tell you why.

Based on my many focus groups, one thing that keeps coming up consistently is "the pursuit of the American dream," that is why they moved to the US. For many of them, unlike what a lot of Americans think, they are prepared, and can make a good living in Mexico. But, they move to the US because this is "the land of the free and the home of the brave," here the sky is the limit.

So as I continue to segment and plan strategic approaches for this consumer, a question comes to mind:

Should we market to this consumer's aspirational self, or should we continue targeting his ties to his country?

I'm by no means suggesting there is only black and white answers here... my whole point is, if Hispanics are changing for a better self, who is our target?

Our body is just... perfect

2010-03-06T22:45:00.004-06:00

Has the thought "our body is just... perfect," ever crossed your mind?

Well, I have thought about it many many times, and they usually begin like this:

Paper cut!!... oh well, I'll wash it and it will go away
Cramp!!... ok, just stretch it and I will be ok
I'm getting sick... get some rest and I will feel better tomorrow
My eyes are so dry... just close them for a little while and they'll tear up

And like the Energizer bunny I could keep going and going, but I will not cause you get the idea. Any way, my point to this blog is just to share how amaze our body truly is... I just like to think of it as the perfect organization (I thought, well, if we are the perfect organism in medicine, why cant we also be the perfect organization for business?).

Think about this...

We are able to think before we speak
We are able to think before we write
We read and process the information
We are an extremely organized mass - walking, running, sleeping
We can transport ourselves
We get tired
We update it as necessary (girls well.. you know... sorry to be a little stereotypical here, but they lead in procedures)
We change its look as necessary (and depending on the visit)
24hrs a day (our body doesnt take a break)

I will now apply a couple of these to the act of Account Planning... just for fun (its kind of late today... so why not, they might not make sense tomorrow, but we'll see)...

An AP can always tell the client, let me do some research first, I dont want to provide you the wrong answer
As an AP you need to be able to do research and organize your thoughts before your write your client's communication strategy
Just like a brand, we get tracking information (or any type of research), process it, and then make sense of it - for us and for the team
With so man changes in culture and in the marketplace, an AP needs is always organized
We need to travel to understand consumers across the world

And by now you are probably thinking... "oooookkkkk, so?"
And that is a good question. To be quite honest, today's blog was just to share and make you think how perfect we are - because not including religious stands here, that cant be denied.

And to close, and my final thought is this...

As we continue to strive to run the perfect company and to find the perfect insight, I urge you, I challenge you to rely on the understanding of your body and use that source of perfection to amend company mishaps, and really understand team work and leadership (I'm thinking of the heart and mind).

Hope this made sense... if not, well, I hope you at least had fun reading it.

Its the explanation of the phenomena that gives the insight...

2010-02-25T23:47:00.001-06:00

I have always found the following idea among the most interesting in business: numbers = true insight.

Strong statement right?!
Depending on where you stand, Positivist or Post, you might say that the above statement is true. Now, dont get me wrong, I enjoy numbers (a lot actually), but I feel that businesses nowadays are hanging thei hat on a percentage. Some examples of things I've heard -

"Our brand tracking is showing that our awareness has declines 2%... are our TV not working?"
"The advertising strategy is not really moving product (sales)... I really haven't seen a percentage increase..."

And I could honestly keep giving examples, but the above two are some I can recall pretty fast. Now, let me say that there is nothing wrong with the above statements, what bothers me is that with numbers we tend to look for one answer and one answer only. The thinking behind this is that there has to be some variable that is affecting the phenomena.But, if the client really thought things through, he/she would ask in a qualitative manner if you will.

"So I see that our brand tracking has had a slight decline, WHY do you think this is happening?"
"Seems like sales have not really seen an increment, WHY do you think this is happening?"

My point is the following, and based on my experience dealing with this kind of questions... clients, just like advertisers, are really busy, so their thinking is the following: "Tell me what/which variable is NOT working and I can take action towards it." That managerial approach works well, but by addressing things that way only, we forget that variables trigger other variables that trigger other variables. It is important to understand that these variables have relationships. So rather than asking which one is the problem, the question needs to ask, why is there a problem there - what is triggering the situation and how can we address it.

A lot of what I am explaining is based on common sense, I know, but in the middle of the day when the action is happening somehow common sense tends to be taking a break or just simply MIA.

What do you think?
What stories have you encountered?

Branding yourself... via a message on your shirt

2010-02-04T09:01:00.012-06:00

While at the UT gym yesterday afternoon, and while thinking that that gym is always packed, a girl caugh my attention. No no, please no dirty thoughts, I am happily married. As I was saying, this girl was wearing a t-shirt that said "all the people who I love are vegetarian." Immediately after that, I had to see how she looked. Needless to say, and in your mind, please picture what an Austin vegetarian looks like... ok, now that you have, well let me tell you that if you pictured the following: 5'5", about 100lbs, White, very petite (not really toned), short hair (some Austin-like blue highlights), yellow teeth (from tea and coffee most likely) well then you did a great job!

Anyhow, while moving to the next machine the thought of the statement on her shirt made me ponder on the following question: how on purpose did she wear that shirt? After all, and at the gym, its impossible not to stare at people while you are seating down at a certain machine. While thinking of that, I started looking around and how branded we all really are. While the majority of the shirts at the gym had some sort of UT Longhorn logo, there were a couple with certain statements.

Still pondering about the evolution of branding oneself I came to the following conclusion (though it is really not a trend anymore). We, people in general, but particularly girls, have moved from wearing a brand and leveraging from it equities in our brain to wearing a shirt (most likely brandless, but message strong) to really inform what we are all about. The shirt trend is a form of attitude... its moving from Passive Association > Proactive Association, its not about letting people think they know who we are, but telling them.

So, I came up with the following sort of movement chart:
And to close... what began (I am guessing) as a way to sell a brand, evolved to expressing oneself... proactively that is.

Thoughts?!

"Too many books and not enough time"

2010-01-26T13:53:00.003-06:00

Says Alan Harper from the show Two and a Half Men as he is having a nervous breakdown at the bookstore. Charlie in an effort to calm him down tells him, "don't worry, start with one," Alan replies, "(practically crying) there is no time..." Charlie then says, "sure there is, you can read them while in the bathroom," and to close the scene, Alan says, "you dont understand... I dont have enough bowel movements left."

As I was watching the show, I have to admit that in some sort of weird way I could relate to what Alan was feeling. I love reading, but lately, and particularly since becoming a grad student for the second time, there is literally no time to read enough. The more I read about a subject the more I want to understand it (because the more I realize I do not know enough on that)... its a vicious cycle, haha.

Gladwell suggests the 10,000 hour rule (to expertise), now I have a closing question, is this based on practice, theory, or both? Cause it is based on read, and you are a slow reader, well, you can achieve that faster... right?! (J/K).

Adios Conando!

2010-01-23T11:37:00.005-06:00

After watching the show last Friday, all I could think was last time I saw him leave the Late Show, and how sad, but happy he was to be moving to LA for his dream job - the Tonight Show. Any how, as I was wondering what to write about, I came across Matt Ufford's Yahoo blog entry, and thought he summed it up very very well.

Enjoy!

By Matt Ufford
Friday, January 22, 2010, 11:49 PM

Conan O'Brien finished his tenure as host of "The Tonight Show" with a show that was star-studded but unconventional. He spared NBC from the ire he had directed at the network during the previous week as the network sought a solution to its late-night imbroglio. Instead, he celebrated his brief opportunity to sit behind the most famous desk in late-night television.

While longtime friends Tom Hanks (who coined O'Brien's "CoCo" nickname last spring) and Neil Young (who fittingly sang "Long May You Run") made noteworthy appearances, the most memorable statement was made by O'Brien himself near the end of the show, when he struggled to keep his composure while giving credit to NBC.

"There has been a lot of speculation in the press about what I legally can and can't say about NBC," he said. "To set the record straight, tonight I am allowed to say anything I want. And what I want to say is this: Between my time at 'Saturday Night Live,' 'The Late Night Show,' and my brief run here on 'The Tonight Show,' I have worked with NBC for over 20 years. Yes, we have our differences right now. And, yes, we're going to go our separate ways. But this company has been my home for most of my adult life. I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible."

O'Brien kept his monologue cheerful but fatalistic. He opened with the statement, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have one hour to steal every single item in this studio." But the rest of his opening lacked the cheerful venom he'd aimed at NBC since the network announced its intention to put Jay Leno back at the 11:35 p.m. time slot.

Instead, the first commercial break was prefaced with a montage of highlights from Conan's "Tonight Show," set to Cheap Trick's "Surrender," the same song that accompanied his montage of moving his New York-based "Late Night" west to Los Angeles last May. As the song came to a close, an appropriate message appeared on a black screen: "TO BE CONTINUED."

He also stressed how difficult it was to leave the show before addressing his fans.

"The massive outpouring of support and passion from so many people has been overwhelming. The rallies, the signs, all the goofy, outrageous creativity on the internet, and the fact that people have traveled long distances and camped out all night in the pouring rain to be in our audience, made a sad situation joyous and inspirational."

"To all the people watching, I can never thank you enough for your kindness to me and I'll think about it for the rest of my life. All I ask of you is one thing: Please don't be cynical. I hate cynicism -- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere."

"Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen."

It was then that O'Brien introduced his final guest, Will Ferrell, who wore a lengthy blond wig and launched into Lynyrd Skynyrd's classic anthem "Free Bird." Backing up Ferrell was the Tonight Show Band with noteworthy guest musicians Beck and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. And behind Ferrell, minus his tie, was Conan O'Brien on a six-string: Relaxed, loose, ready for what's next.

A Daily Dose of Pop Culture - 01/21/10

2010-01-21T23:52:00.003-06:00

I have to be quite honest, and just like the rest of the US, and well practically the world, I enjoy taking my daily dose of pop culture. The most interesting thing is that while going to college I always enjoyed reading about what were the latest trends in fashion, entertainment, movies and/or business, to name a few. The coolest thing of all is that back then it king of was my guilty pleasure, and I mean now it is part of my job!! (how cool is that, seriously?)

As a Planner you should have it at least once a day. You need to know what is going on with the world!

Top 10 Interest things happening RIGHT NOW!! -- how aware are you??

Conan vs. Leno - though this is about to come to an end by EOW, well, you need to watch their show to see how they are bashing each other!
Leno vs. Letterman - in with the old, and out with the new... whaaaat?!
Helping Haiti - everyone wants to help, and that is great, no wrong there, the coolest thing is leveraging social media and texts to do so.
Avatar surpassing Titanic in the near future - expected to surpass $1.6B in the next few days. The following are pretty obvious, James Cameron knows cinema, he knows what consumers want to see, and most importantly, he knows and understands culture!
Heidi Montag/Pratt 10 surgeries in 1 day! - the best thing is that she claims to only have had one surgery, her thinking, well I was only there one day....
Toyota recalling 2.3MM vehicles - wow, trouble in paradise! It seems that for some of their cars the accelerator is getting stuck, that is right, you read right. As a matter of fact, there was an accident and they (Toyota) is getting blamed (4 people were killed).
Starbucks has upped prices - WOW! And you thought they were expensive before... the good thing is that they are ONLY planning on adding it to their most purchased drinks.
Census - campaigns reminding you to be part of the census are joining the air waves; particularly those aiming at minorities
Obama - everything he does! Healthcare, war, economic deficit...
The Apple Mediapad - iPhone technologies, and all others for that matter, move aside, the Mac Daddy of tables is here!

Thoughts????!

Facebook says: "Reconnect" "Say Hello" - to YOUR wife!

2010-01-15T17:18:00.006-06:00

I am almost certain that if you are reading this entry, well you most likely also have a Facebook account.

If you do, then you have noticed the icons on the side saying "you might know X" or "Say hello to Z" or "Recommend Friends to B" or my personal favorite "Reconnect with Y."

Well, as I have checking my messages on FB the other day, I noticed the two messages that you see on the right. Well, though I really enjoy reading their recommendations on whom to say hello to, this one caught me completely by surprise, my FB page was suggesting me to "say hello to Corey" while another one was telling me "reconnect with her."

The irony of the suggestions is that Corey is my wife!!

Two things came to mind:
1) This is pretty cool, reminding you to court your significant other (virtually) cheap and a nice touch!
OR
2) They system doesn't really differentiate what the meaning of "Corey is married to Isaac" on her page, and well the opposite on mine... I mean they could have very easily segmented via surname.

Anyway, just a thought... what are yours?

Interesting Quote on How Far People are Willing to Go to Achieve/Do/Evade Something....

2010-01-11T09:39:00.001-06:00

While watching the movie, Inglorious Basters, a very interesting quote made me pause the film and write about it.
The setup of the scene is that the Hitler has sent Colonel Herr to look for Jews in France. He has been given this job because he doesnt think like a German, but as a Jew, so he knows exactly where and how to look for them. He stars off the scene by saying, "if I thought like a German I would look in the attic, the closets, etc..." But...

"because I'm aware what tremendous feats human beings are capable of once they abandon dignity"

How true does this quote ring to you? Have you (or someone you know) gone through the impossible, improbable to evade or achieve something?
Putting this quote into a marketing/advertising perspective, all that comes to mind is that consumers are willing to go the extra mile with what they have. There is a saying, that I really dont know if it translates to English, "Nadie es indispensable" - "Nobody is indispensable" or another way to put it "Everyone is disposable" (of course not literally, or at least I dont mean it that way).

My final thought is the following, we like to think that we (our brands, ourselves and our products) are indispensable in a consumer's life, but the reality is, we are NOT! So as we keep thinking about 2010, and how to market to the disposable consumer (by this I mean the consumers that are willing to change brands because of necessity, their loyalty is to themselves, their wallet and their family) we need to consider what matters to him for as the colonel said "once they abandon dignity," I will add, within in their household nobody really sees, so dignity of certain product usage can stay within 4 walls.

"No worries, we've got you covered! Literally!

2010-01-07T10:49:00.006-06:00

While traveling a couple of months ago, I came across a very innovative toilet, one that says "In a hurry, well, no worries here, dont waste time (and toilet paper covering or cleaning the seat, I've got you covered, literally!"
Before I move on, let me clarify that the toilet doesn't really talk, and I clarify that because in today's environment, well this is not totally impossible. Anyway, back to the story, so I was in Chicago for research, and I have a confession to make, I love airport bathrooms just because of the people that use them. Think about the last time you were in one... The following are some of the personas I've seen:

I have be on the phone while using the bathroom (too many emails to reply to...)
I'm on a conference call, but I really have to go, so I won't hang up
No time to shower, I will just shave here
I have to tell my wife my plane is running late, but I cant wait to tell her, so I'll do it while in here
A lot of documents to read, and not enough time, might as well read them while seating here
COMMON DENOMINATOR: using the bathroom is something that we all HAVE to do, so while at it, I will make the most out of this.

This time, and as mentioned before, what surprised me was not who was using the bathroom, but the toilet itself. I mean, just look at the pictures!! - Next thing you know, the toilet will say, "please sr. don't worry about cleaning yourself, we've got you covered ;)!"

Convenience, convenience, convenience!!

Convenience > Automatization > Less People Needed

2010-01-04T09:49:00.002-06:00

Making bank deposits, checking in at the airport, renting movies...
I know that the automatization of our culture has been discussed an published in more than a couple of books, articles and newsletters, but as I was depositing a check at the ATM machine a couple of days ago a thought came to mind: When did this happen? As I was pondering on the situation I realized that I had already adopted the technology and didnt even remember the first time I did it.

Of the three examples that I have, two I really dont mind not interacting with people (depositing checks which I do very seldomly, and checking in at the airport which I do fairly often). Those two I dont mind at all because I can do them at my own pace, and most importantly, whenever I want - so strictly convenient.

As for renting a movie at a red box... this one I had the most trouble with. I mean, whatever happened to grabbing the box, seeing where other people spent most of their time? Dont get me wrong, a $1 a day keeps your being broke further away...

Anyway, what are your thoughts? Has the automatization of things affected you in a certain way? Which ones?

The 36hr Day...

2009-12-03T12:07:00.001-06:00

Let me start off by saying that I really do not know where I read or heard this... but the headline went something like this "according to the latest research, it is said that in order for Americans to do everything they have on their plates would take them 36hrs."

So, thinking about me, I have to say that yes, that sounds about right... but if this were to happen, I mean, wouldn't we just look for more things to do??

Mickey Gets Wolverine... studio, not just costume!

2009-11-21T12:12:00.003-06:00

Ok, let me start off by saying that I know this are not really new news, but I still felt I wanted to share... in case you hadnt heard. On September 7th of this year, Disney acquired Marvel Entertainment for $4+ billion in cash and stocks.

First thought that came to mind, WOW, is Marvel really worth that much?? And then I remembered that the Spider Man franchise alone has grossed $2.5B worldwide, approximately. To quote Eric Davis, "makes you want to invent your own superhero, right? Cubicle Man, anyone?

Anyway, all jokes aside, what I find the most interesting about this acquisition is the convergence of two very distinct brands. Disney - the all good, always fun family experience, and the Marvel - superhero the more action and more people you save and kill cool experience. Following this thought though, it is also a match made in Hollywood heaven. Disney has the power of distribution, production and budget, while Marvel has the myriad of superheroes to choose from.

As we've seen in the news this past few months, the economy has even hurt Disney, the multi-platform entertainer machine. Now from a Hollywood standpoint, the majority of the movies that have succeeded at the Box Office have either been a sequel, a superhero, or an adaptation of non-fiction novel... and well, that is where Marvel comes in.

Mickey, here comes spidey and wolverine to the rescue!

Would YOU Buy from them??

2009-11-18T16:41:00.004-06:00

In case the pics are not legible, here is what they say:
EMAIL #1:
Subject: Good opportunity
My friend, now have such a chance, do you want to have it?
They are mainly engaged in import and export business, first there is an opportunity to purchase electronic products! For example: notebook computers, digital cameras, cell phones, audio, LCD TVs and other products ....
Aftermarket: International UNPROFOR, one year replacement, quality assurance, service-oriented!
Welcome to visit their official website: www.fcwzj.com
EMAILL : service@fcwzj.com
MSN : fcwzj@hotmail.com

EMAIL #2:
Subject: Hi,
Dear friends:
Welcome to join our company member club , Everybody here can enjoy our products member price, we have been received very high praise from our customers All customers can browse through our company's home page _www.fcjzjr.com_
Our products (notebook PC,digital camera,plasma and LCD TV,digital DV,Motorcycle,phones,Mp4,and so on. all have low price and high quality in order to attract more new customers to cooperate with us .
Hope here is your shopping heaven!
MSN: fcjzjr@hotmail.com
Email: fcjzjr@fcjzjr.com
If you are interested in our products. please visit our web site.

I can safely assume that you have at some point received an email like one of the above. Well, needless to say, I have received the above two the past week, and to my work email!! After reading the emails, the following questions come to mind:
1) if you are a serious company, why wouldnt you spend the time making sure your emails make sense?
2) is somebody really clicking in these websites?

George Lopez... Tonight on TBS... Very Funny??!!

2009-11-09T16:53:00.004-06:00

Today is the premiere of George Lopez'sssn (GL) (nop its not a typo, its some sort of Mexican accent) show on TBS.

I think by now you are probably wondering what does George Lopez, TBS and the picture have in common. Well to your surprise, not much really. Just kidding they do have something in common.

But before I elaborate on that, let me start off by saying that less than a week ago I was seating in a focus groups where George Lopez's comedy show was discussed among bicultural women. I have to say that it was pretty surprising to see that they have all felt, at some point in time in their life in the US, discriminated. The most interesting thing though was that all of the ladies (all 5 of them) said it had been by Hispanics. So I ask myself, Isaac, why are we like this? Ok, but back to the focus group. The moderator asked them, do you like GL? And all of them, "yes, he is funny," was the heard answer. The next question was, what do you think about the way he talks about Hispanics? surprisingly enough, most of them laughed and said, I think its funny, but I think he takes it a little too far. So the moderator asked, so then does it bother you? And it seem as if none of them really understood the question... or maybe they simply chose not to answer it.

My point is the following:
Are Hispanics bothered by his type of comedy? Do they feel offended? Does the level of acculturation matter?

Last point I want to make is the following:
I was born in Mexico and though I have heard, but not necessarily lived, most of the jokes he tells at some point in my life, and there is this thought that keeps hunting me... as Hispanics/Latinos, we like to laugh at ourselves and the situations that make us unique while growing up, but are we not bothered by the way people might see them when they are played on national TV? We usually get annoyed when we watch a movie and they show Mexicans with a hat and a mariachi, so why would we not be bothered by this? Dont get me wrong, its funny, but would people not find it offensive?

One more thing, like it or not, I think its great that we (the aliens) are abducting George Lopez humor (since he was born in the US) and giving him some cool stuff to be funny about... he is succeeding and that is good, right?! we should be proud.

Let's watch the show... TBS... Very Funny!

Drink, Drive, Go to Jail... Any Questions??

2009-10-03T21:33:00.001-05:00

GeoTagged, [N30.23898, E97.76146]

I go to the university Monday - Wednesday, and since parking is not only expensive but there are only 14,000 spaces to accomodate 50,000+ students... Well I've opted to take the bus.

With that said, I have started taking the bus, and let's just say that it is the way to travel here.

Well, i'm addicted to advertising, and so during my pretty peaceful ride I take the opportunity yo just stare through the window and watch OOH billboards.

We live in a society of "it's all about me," and we enjoy pushing the laws and our attention to the limits; via texting while driving, changing CDs, cleaning the car, talking on the phone, watching movies, doing your make up or the worst drinking under the influence.

Now in order to be able to get your point across to these last group people/consumers your message needs to be short, strategic and to the point. The attached OOH does an amazing job, I think. What do you??

Speaking about free...

2009-09-10T17:59:00.003-05:00

Based on the last post, and continuing to speak about the new amazing price that is free, here is a really interesting book on the topic.

Chris Anderson, the author, does a very good job at promoting the idea that free is in fact the best way to make money. As a matter of fact, if you want his book go to Longtail.com or download it from iTunes (quick FYI, its one podcast per chapter). He goes on to that say free in this economy is not just another marketing gimmick, but in fact something that will attract customers.

To close, here is a great example of what free can do for you. Radiohead's In The Rainbows album, was available for practically nothing online - it wasnt free, but it was whatever the consumer wanted to pay (not quite the normal $15.00). To date, the average amount paid was $6 for the album, but it has been the most successful. The tour that followed the album sold 1.2million tickets... making it their biggest.

As we are thinking about marketing to the new consumer (that one that is worried about his every dollar) consider doing the following...

1)Let him be in charge when it comes to paying for your product. If they think your brand is worth it, they will pay for it - a great example is Reynolds Wrap.

2) Remember that in the consumer's mind, cheap and free are very different amounts - whats more, they have very different value perceptions. Free is something you get, its a value added... cheap, well that is something that is not worth it, hence we had to lower the price...

Thoughts?!

Oh, and by the way, if you are giving something free, make sure you get something in exchange... THEIR INFORMATION!!

The New Pairing...

2009-08-18T15:50:00.001-05:00

This post is a quickie...

I just wanted to give HEB credit for being innovative on their way of moving products across categories.

All you do is buy a the 'big' ticket item of the week, usually meat, and they'll throw in the buns, mustard, and chips (all their brand of course).

Anyway, this is perfect during this economic situation, they are not 'rolling back,' they are giving you something for free.

It's a good idea to mention that based on research, it has been said that those that advertise (or give something) during economic downturns see an increase in loyalty and purchase intent...

Bar Competition

2009-08-17T09:35:00.001-05:00

GeoTagged, [N30.34914, E97.77996]

Remember the days of only Nutrigram as the 'healthy' bar??? Well, those are long gone!

Nowadays all bars have fiber, and taste, so what differentiates each brand?? The picture shows is a great example of what can happen when your main POD is one that can be imitated and taken up a notch

F1 was the first fiber bar with taste... Now Kelloggs is claiming same amount of fiber and tastier than F1...

So the question becomes, how should F1 counter attack?

Jack's New CK Sandwich Dance

2009-07-15T17:26:00.002-05:00

So it has been a while since I have had the chance to write about advertising.... A lot of things have happened since then, some cool ads have joined the web, and many horrible ones have bombarded our brain.

Anyway, without being too much of a Debbie Downer here, I have decided to share this amazing ad - at least in my opinion - the Jack in the Box Mini Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich. Since the moment I saw the spot I couldn't stop thinking of Del Rio's "Macarena." .... Ok in case you haven't seen the spot (or you just want to see it one more time), here it is....

Now isn't this just a fun ad overall?! So we all think of Crispin as the cool ad agency that manager to make the news every time they have a new BK spot, but what about JIB? They have definitely done an amazing job with their branding. They are changing their store fronts, they've killed jack, they've given Jack a bowl haircut and now they've created a cool dance that its ALL about the product - i mean its a pretty catchy toon, and the casting, well its pretty ridiculously good too.

I'm really interested in what you think about this spot?

HEB PLs

2009-05-03T23:20:00.001-05:00

Talk about competing against HEBs PLs. While driving back from Austin last week I saw this 18 wheeler promoting all of these brands. All I could think was, if you are a consumer who likes HEB you are in luck, but of you are a competitor you are pretty much screwed... Thoughts?

Discount Tires... Really?

2009-04-19T12:47:00.004-05:00

I know what you are probably thinking, some sort of back experience while changing tires... well, not today. A couple of days ago, my wife and I were traveling back from Dallas, when she suddenly says, "Discount Tires, that is not a name that I would want to trust for my tires." As I heard her say that, all I could think was, WOW, that is so true! I bet when the entrepreneur sat down his idea of a perfect tire place was one that would not overcharge you for the work/tires they had or did. So his conversation with his other venture capitalist might have sounded something like this, "I have it! The name of our place will be Discount Tires, and people will love it."

Many years later, the company is still strong, well I don't really know if its profitable, but they are still out there. My question to you is the following, what do you think of the name? I mean, who doesn't want to get cheaper, sorry, lowered price tires (not really cheap)? Now, the name does suggest that they are priced lowered, and that they are not necessarily cheaper, hence the Discount... Just a thought...

A Cab's PODR...

2009-04-10T14:43:00.006-05:00

Every time I travel for research I end up taking a cab, from the airport to the hotel, or to research facility, but I always end up taking a cab.

Anyway, so while on our way to the Miami International airport, $20 later and five minutes from it I look at the moderator and said "I was thinking, how much do you think is a cab's Point of Diminishing Return?" She just looked at me and said, "what do you mean?"

So I went on to explain. Yes, if I was a cab driver, I would be careful on where I take people... well, let me rephrase that. I would not deny service, but the moment they told me "airport please" or "Grand Hyatt" or whatever, my head would go straight to the numbers. Now I don't mean fare or trip, I mean tip. Let me explain a little more, I usually tip the guy $5, and my average fare is in the 20's. My point is the following, if the average person tips $5 (assuming everyone behaves like I do, which I don't recommend ;)) then what is the cab's point of diminishing return and what variables would you consider?? (length of trip, amount of people in a cab? ethnicity? depth of conversation?

Let me know your thoughts...

"Come to Texas weekend!" - The Branding of UT

2009-04-05T08:07:00.006-05:00

So, as most of you know, I have been blessed enough to have been accepted to the PhD program at the University of Texas at Austin. I am super ready and pumped to get started as soon as possible. But anyway, so a couple of weeks ago, from the moment I received the letter of admittance, I have received many other flyers. Among these many flyers/ads, I have seen dorms, credit union(s), some apartments... and ALL of them are bombarded with verbiage that promotes the "longhorn/UT experience," which is awesome don't get me wrong, but they all seem to be basking on the association with the UT brand.

With that said, I was invited by the graduate advisor to a "Come to Texas" event, which is hosted by the Graduate School. These event is specifically aimed at recruiting minority groups who have been accepted to the program. The graduate school pays for most of your travel expenses, including board and parking, which in Austin tends to be slightly pricey (the parking downtown that is).

Anyway, so back to the my original story. So I'm currently staying at the AT&T Executive Center (also branded all over the place). The hotel is like any other hotel chain, but with the difference that there is longhorn paraphernalia all over the place. So far the experience has been exceptional, I have to say.

As of now, I have accepted the offer and will begin course work this fall (2009).

But I was thinking, how much do universities spend/have to spend in order to attract minority students? I mean, UT is among the best schools in the nation, and they still have to invest money to attract students. One thing is for sure though, these type of events lets you know they future of education in America.

I had some thoughts on this weekend, and wanted to share... interested in knowing what you guys think about these so organic branding...

Are companies taking advantage of the recession?

2009-04-01T10:15:00.004-05:00

It has definitely being a while since I last wrote something... but things have been pretty crazy lately. With that said, there are a couple of really good articles/thoughts (at least I think) that I will be sharing soon.

So, lately all we hear about has the words "recession," "economic downturn," "stimulus," "job loss," .... etc.

I know that I am definitely not the only one that has thought of the following thing...

"we've all heard that during an economic downturn, companies tend to lower/cut their advertising budget, but it should be the other way around.... right?"

Well, for today, I'm not going to talk about advertising, but about Human Capital. As I was leaving my apartment, I was overheard the newscaster say "The SA Express is thinning the newspaper, making it two inches wider but leaving the font same size... oh yes, and its increasing the price, oh and they are cutting 120 people."

So... I was thinking, how many companies are just cutting people off because this is the time to do it. Not everyone is on the same boat as GM or Chevy, where it seems like they HAVE to cut people, but due to certain regulations they really can't.

From a company's side it makes sense, make it while the market permits it. Keep only the best!

I'm not saying that this is wrong or right, but just felt like sharing. Thoughts?!

Vault vs Mountain Dew

2009-03-08T22:12:00.004-05:00

While reading my daily news, the following article caught my attention... Coke vs Pepsi in a modern taste test.
_____________________
Coke: Buy 1 Rival, Get Our Brand Free
Soft-Drink Giant's Vault Takes on Mtn Dew With Unusually Aggressive Offer
By Natalie Zmuda

Coca-Cola will give away a free sample of its Vault brand to anyone who buys PepsiCo's Mtn Dew. The aggressive "Don't Dew It" promotion aims to get die-hard Dew-ers to try Vault, which after three years on the market isn't just an also-ran to the Pepsi brand; it's an afterthought.

According to Beverage Digest, juggernaut Mtn Dew commands more than an 80% share of the citrus segment, while Vault holds about 4%.

Vault's play might be well-timed. It comes amid a name and design change for Mtn Dew that is proving unpopular with some consumers, who have expressed confusion, saying the new packaging makes the brand look like a knockoff. Those are, to some extent, the same criticisms that last month felled the Tropicana redesign. Peter Arnell, principal of Arnell Group, handled the redesign on both brands, along with redesigns across the PepsiCo portfolio.

Bank on more promos like Vault's
Five reasons why, in this economy, we'll see more pushes like this.

Coupon redemption rates jumped 10% in the fourth quarter; 94% of consumers now say they use coupons.
Enticing cash-strapped consumers with discounts and free products is some marketers' best shot at taking share.
As sales slow, growing share is becoming tougher than stealing it.
Coupons offer value without permanently eroding price points.
There are more options for coupon distribution, including social media and downloadable
coupons, that appeal to a young audience yet eliminate some of the cost for marketers.

______________________

Do you feel that Vault will really be able to drive sales? - Before you answer this question, I really do mean sales, not trial. Trial is definitely going to go up, but I don't think they will be able to move consumers down the purchase funnel. What MD has been able to do with their brand is incredible, as a matter of fact, the HBR has written an article on them. Their consumer is very well defined, and the brand has been able to keep up to date.

Not too long ago, HEB did the same promotion, for every 12pk of Coke you purchased, you would get a 12pk of the HEB brand... they even had an OOH.

Though I do not drink anything else other than Coke, whenever I drink a soda, it would be really hard to say NO to a free 12pk of free soda... To close this post, and to clear any thoughts, in order to not be put on the predicament of taking another brand (the HEB brand) I opted not to shop and buy the 12pk of Diet Coke.... riiiiiiight

Private Labels are Winning the Battle

2009-03-07T21:00:00.003-06:00

Below is an excerpt from a really good Ad Age article. After that, I've drafted a couple of interesting key-take-aways....

Let me know your thoughts...
_________________________________
Private Label Winning Battle of Brands
Marketers Face Moment of Truth As Retailers' Lines Soar to Historic Sales High
By Jack Neff

The unthinkable
At the same time, volume is shrinking in staple categories where that once seemed impossible, with unit sales of shampoo, for example, down 7.7% last year in all channels, including Walmart.
"Portion control is in," said Thom Blischok, president-consulting and innovation at IRI.

"There is no previous period that exactly parallels where we are today," said Mr. Blischok, who believes consumer spending could remain weak for four to eight years and lead to a "downturn generation" that learns to scrimp and save permanently, including buying more private label.
But the threat to brands goes beyond that.

"Retailers have been talking about destocking, taking out the No. 3 or No. 4 brands, for more than a decade," said Clorox Co. Chairman-CEO Don Knauss at CAGNY. "We're finally starting to see that happen." Walmart, particularly, is aggressively looking to winnow brand assortments and category footprints in some cases, he said.

Executives of Kraft, Kellogg, General Mills, Con Agra and Sara Lee all said that advertising will be a key component of keeping their brands top of mind, and Mr. Lafley noted that P&G brands have pumped out a combined 100 separate "value messages" in advertising to argue for their superiority over private label in recent months. But the response to the downturn also has become increasingly promotional. In one case in December, a mommy blogger bragged of how she combined P&G coupons, rebates and drug-store promotions to buy two bottles of Olay Regenerist facial cleanser for free and get $8.66 in cash back. "We're starting to train consumers that the deal price is the only price," Mr. Blischok said. "We're pumping out the morphine of deal, deal, deal. And we need to be talking value."
_____________________________________________

Anyway, here are some key take aways to consider when drafting new brand strategies during this recession.

There is no safe brand or category during this economic downturn. Used to be that only over-the-counter meds were the ones affected, but now its also feminine products and skincare.
The competition has broaden. Our brands, are not only competing against PL but also against Value brands. (Difference between the two is quantity).
Portion control. It used to be that I use as much as I want, now its, I use what I need. Even shampoo sales are declining... no, its not that people are showering less, its that people are being cautious of how much they use.
Brands need to advertise more during this time. Now is the times to create/differentiate your brand from that of PL.
It costs much more to gain a new consumer than to keep existing ones. HH over $100K are also buying PLs
Increasing promotions definitely help, but in the short term... they move sales, but doesn't create value for the brand. We need to be very careful about this... careful about brand dilution.
WM / HEB manage their brands like General Mills and Nestle etc.... which we know, but know that we are competing against other marketers, not only retailers and space.
If the economy keeps going like its going thus far, brands need to become leaner in production (more than they already are, can you imagine this?) which will eliminate the number 3 and 4 brands in the marketplace.

Which brings me to my next question.... If PL brands are increasing in strength, maximizing resources, competing in prices and value... were do we stand? My answer is... In the mind of the consumer... which can bring us problems in the future, for our consumers are getting much smarter. If nothing or few things differentiate us from PL, we are in big trouble, for we have created 'brand inflation.'

Lowering prices is great, but we need to be careful that we don't dilute the brand... we need to position it as, during hard times, we take a bullet for you consumer, because we know you want to cook (drive, drink, wear) the brand you identify with.

Last but not least, I will close with the line they used... "we are pumping out the morphine of deal, deal, deal. And we need to be talking value."

Thoughts?!

How much is too much? PL: Their Competitive Strategy

2009-02-21T09:00:00.001-06:00

Couple of days ago I went to HEB specifically to buy water. As I was walking down the beverage aisle my brand options were vast. From Fiji and Panna to Hill Country (the HEB brand). Thus far I haven't really shared anything that you have not encountered... we all have a plethora of options when grocery shopping.

What caught my attention this particular time was how HEB was promoting their own brand. Below is the video I took with my phone, hence all of the drastic movement, but the idea is clear.

You have to give it up for HEB though... they are doing exactly what a P&G or GMI is doing, treating their Private Label brands like National Brands.

Going back to my original question... how far is too far? I mean, how can National Brands compete at this level? You are playing in their own turf?

As a consumer, you get to the water aisle, and though flavor is important, at the end of the day all you want is water... so you will most likely be price sensitive and go for the cheaper one.

To Vic's posting (about loyalty to brands) what PL brands do you buy, and why?

A lovemark of my own...

2009-02-20T10:27:00.008-06:00

Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi once said, "For great brands to survive, they must create Loyalty Beyond Reason in consumers. This is the only way they can differentiate themselves from the millions of going-nowhere 'blands.' The secret is the use of Mystery, Sensuality, and Intimacy."

Austin, Texas has been my home for the last 4 1/2 years. From the moment I arrived, I felt in love with the landscaping, the environment, the vibe and of course the candidness of its people. It is a magical place where people from many different backgrounds and ages convey.

I have now lived in three cities, my hometown, Mexico City, Vaxjo, Sweden and Austin, Texas. I will miss Austin the most. In Austin, you can never be bored. It is a great college town, and it is safe. It has great restaurants, night life, music scene, and many outdoor activities.

Austin, will always have a special place in my heart, not only because I made several good friends, but also because it help me grow as a person when I faced rough times. Last, but not least I got married here, and that alone speaks for itself.

It is time to move on to greater things. I am happy that I am only moving 3 hours away from here, so it will be easy to come back an visit.

If I had to define Austin's brand proposition, it will be: Mysterious, energetic and amicable. Austin is a lovemark of mine because I have an intimate relationship with it. It was not just another city to me. I will always talk great things about it, and one day I may come back.

Hook em Horns!

A Powerful Message...

2009-02-13T21:00:00.006-06:00

Around the time of the inauguration my wife and I went to church and the following video was played...

There is really not much too say, except WOW!
The video is very well produced, has a very strong message, and leverages one of the most talked about figures in the world today.

The most interesting points are that:
1) Obama could have been one of those kids that never got to see the light of day.
2) He is pro-choice, and while the Catholic church is against it, they used his life...

In my opinion, a kid should be able to maximize its potential. Thoughts?!

Are you loyal to your brands?

2009-02-09T10:51:00.005-06:00

Are we loyal to brands? Or are we loyal to satisfy our own needs?

The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that, we, consumers are very difficult to understand and please.

Now, why did I say that? I didn't say it just because I necessarily agree with an old marketing premise that suggests "consumers don't know what they want." No! I say it because I think we know what we want, but the problem for marketers is that sometimes they might not know when and/or how we want it. "Oh, if they were only able to read our minds."

On the other hand, I do believe we may be loyal to very select group of brands. What is the secret? There is no real secret here, but rather just common sense. I think what happens is that these particularly set of lucky brands have become an essential part of our daily routine. In the absence of them, we may feel incomplete, insecure, grouchy, sad, etc.

However, when a product or service doesn't play an essential role in our lives, and does not satisfy an immediate need, both physically and emotionally, we can easily replace it with something else. It may sound obvious that the secret lies on the value we give to such products, and that depends solely on us.

The future of product brands competing with generic or private label products depends on the level of "desire" they will be able to provoke in us.

For example, if I don't think a specific brand of hand sanitizer or a moisturizing lotion has the power to affect my day in a way that I feel I need it to survive through the day, then I will have no emotional attachment to what they can do for me.

For some people this may not be entirely true since I myself have bought the Target brand moisturizing lotion for the last 2 years. I may or may not change my mind, but if there were a product that tells me that the moisture in my skin will last for 24 hours, 12 more than the generics, then I might have to think about it twice.

I will conclude by saying that we all are complex individuals. Our needs and emotional experiences are different from anyone else's.

One thing is for sure, we all have at least one product that we are not willing to change. Brands cannot read our minds, but what marketers can do is to continue to improve in product development, offer quality and solutions to consumers and at the end of the day establish emotional connections between people and the brand.

In my case the one product I am not willing to change ever again is the AXE body wash. I've tried other brands and always come back to it. It makes me feel and smell good, in fact my wife loves the way I smell after using it.

Can you think of a product that you will absolutely never change? How does that product make you "feel" and why?

Product Placements in Back to the Future

2009-02-08T10:57:00.014-06:00

This past Saturday was pretty low-key for me. Did the usual, woke up, read some articles, went for a jog and before I getting to work, Back to the Future came on. Needless to say, I watched the movie and man... what a good movie!!

Before going on a tangent here I couldn't help and notice all of the products/brands that were in the movie. Not too long ago (year or two ago) when Talladega Nights came out we (advertisers/marketers) kept talking about all of the product endorsements/placements this movie had.

Did they have a good Marketing Return On Investment (MROI)? I sure think so. The interesting thing about Back to the Future is that the prods placements felt organic and just part of the movie... much unlike Will Farrell's movie.

The following are a couple of brands that I saw in the movie...

Toyota

Nike

Miller Lite

JCPenney

Delorean

Calvin Klein - Purple

Can you think of brands/products that you've seen in movies that have made you want to go buy them? Why? Did it make you like the movie more?

Evaluating the 09 Super Bowl Ads

2009-02-04T09:39:00.002-06:00

As we all know, the Super Bowl is the most watched show of the year. For today's posting I have chosen 4 very different but entertaining spots...

My Hypothesis on advertising prior to the airing of the SB: Super Bowl ads are supposed to be funny, but with the change of administration and their number 1 selling proposition of 'Hope' as well as the state of the economy, this years ads will either be funnier, more emotional and/or more call to action.

My Hypothesis was: Proven half true, depending on which commercials you focus on. One thing was for sure... Brands sold their benefits stronger, while leveraging CHANGE + HOPE.

Would you agree? Take a look at the following spots and let me know...

Pepsi - "Refreshing Generations" Great ad that shows how brands adjust to new consumers while delivering on their main benefit.

Talk about rebranding and evolving a brand... the change of their logo, the colors, the music. What I really enjoy about this spot were the parallels drawn between generations... it doesn't matter if you began drinking Pepsi in the 60's, 70's or 2000's, the benefit of the brand is the same... "refreshing generations." The question is, will this brand change Pepsi's perception in the marketplace? I mean, Coca Cola has been advertising pretty heavy on the joy of life (playing on Pepsi's turf).

Miller High Life - Subliminal? Innovative? Strategic? -- One thing for sure, thinking different!

We are used to the :60's, the :45's, the usual :30's, recently the :15's, but are we really going to move to the :01's? From an strategic media perspective it makes sense; buy :15's, make the message more call to action and deliver it in a way that it will be remembered. The cool thing about this spot is that they rely on the equity gained, while making fun of the plethora of advertisements that AB places on the 3hour game. I cant help but remind myself about the infamous 'subliminal advertising' of decades ago, where you saw the popcorn and candy in between the movie frames. Will this move help MHL compete against BUD? Maybe, we and many other advertisers are talking about the ad...

Jack in the Box - Imagine McDonald's killed Ronald? or BK killing the king? Well, JITB might have just killed Jack... or at the very least injured him pretty bad.

When a brand has the audacity to play with one of its main differentiators, its logo we usually think, wow, they have guts. JITB's SB spot didnt only played with the logo, but seems like it injured its spokesperson. Don't worry, the street's name is 'Hope,' so the chance of him surviving the wreck are pretty high. Now back to the strategic thinking, I admire what they are doing with this brand; they know who their target is, and want to make sure they know that their brand is fun...and for that matter, so is their menu. JITB marketing team is not selling you salads and healthy entrees, although they have the options, what they are selling you are 'indulgent options,' just the same they want for you to indulge on their brand... not necessarily speaking metaphorically.

Career Builder - "As a Rule... Start Building" Simply my favorite ad. Funny, strong consumer insight, repetition while offering something we all are attracted to... change + hope.

I just simply love this spot... it's as fun to watch as it was the first time during the second half of the Super Bowl. So what makes this spot so wonderful you might ask? Have you ever felt like any of the characters in this spot?... come on, ever?? Exactly, that is why!! The spot has very strong insights that are delivered in a very funny, surreal, but relatable emotions. The strategic thinking of the spot was incredible as well. Careebuilders is promoting HOPE + CHANGE (yes, Obama's main campaign benefits) during one of the worst economic recessions this country has seen. CB is letting consumers know that you don't have to feel the way its characters are feeling, their are jobs out there!! just go to their website. As a matter of fact, they just said today, that they currently have 2.5 million jobs... So are we in a recession? yes. Are there jobs out there? yes. Is your dream job out there? yes. How will you find it? go to careerbuilder.com.

The Rest - Not necessarily the best of the rest

Hyundai - Two spots, two different benefits (Assurance contract, at par with luxury competition) and most likely one strong result... and increase in sales. Two years in a row, Hyundai has delivered strong spots. While the consumer's confidence keeps decreasing at the same rate the value of the peso to the dollar, so is the idea of buying luxurious brands. Hyundai over delivered on their two very different spots; the one where the competition is not only taking notice of this brand, but is NOW taking the time to enunciate the name the way it is supposed to gives the consumers the idea that this brand's competition has broadened from the low end Hyundai vs Kia, to Hyundai vs Toyota-Lexus. With the assurance contract letting the consumers know that 'they have their back,' and what a better time than today!
Coke Zero - Leveraging the equity from the unforgettable 1980 spot but for the 'new generation.' Works great. The spot delivers on the benefit of the product, is funny, appealing and right on target with the Coke Zero's positioning.
Denny's -Awesome strategy... read yesterday's posting, great parallels to previous eras of this country.
BUD - Came short. The Clydesdales have so much equity, and the American consumer wants to see them when the US is having hard problems... This year they opted for the safe bet, neither funny, nor emotional... wait a minute, that is not safe bet... right?
BLL - Great positioning that still delivered. The summer state of mind. Resonates strong, delivers, and promotes that... party like its summer with the only beer that can do that.

Yes, there were many other advertisers, but for this posting, I believe the ones above were the ones worth talking about.

Personally, the winner was NBC with all their advertising for their new shows... not all of them were great, but the awareness must have gotten through the roof, specially with their re-branding of Conan.

Thoughts on this year's SB ads? Which ones did you like, love, hated?

In times of crisis part 2

2009-02-03T14:39:00.006-06:00

Free food; Welfare or good deed? In times of crisis fear and anxiety may be common amongst most people, but for others it may also mean times of opportunity.
I know that the media have told us that we are officially in period of recession. Some say that the media are trying to panic everyone (like they do most of the time). Nonetheless, we continue to see consumers forming big lines to spend money on "going out of business sales" like the one in Circuit City, filling sports venues to see their favorite teams, or buying gym memberships, etc. And then I keep asking myself why is it that some things continue to feel normal?

One thing that attracted my attention today was the Denny's free "Grand Slam" breakfast campaign. I confess that I tried to go and get my free food, but when I got there I saw a big line of people standing outside the restaurant waiting to be seated. I decided that I wouldn't stand in line in the cold for 45 minutes to get 2 eggs, 2 sausages, 2 pancakes and 2 pieces of bacon, all accounting for approximately 1130 calories, but that is just me. For some other people willing to wait long lines meant the opportunity to get thru the day starting with something fulfilling, but most importantly FREE!

In my opinion, I think that we can hypothetically compare what Denny's did today with the bread line of the old depression days, not to suggest that we are in a Depression or anything, but is Denny's really trying to show appreciation and empathy for the rough moments the American consumer is going through, or all they want is to strengthen their brand equity and fill their pockets in the future via this ambitious promotion? Whatever their position, the results of this campaign remain to be seen. Now, is it fair to compare Denny's with the private label products? Which continuously fight against big brand names for a share of the market via price strategy rather than a value proposition? What would people think of Denny's tomorrow? Will they be perceived only as the low-price breakfast option compared to IHOP and the rest? Or will they bee seen as the heroes that not only serve quality food, but also understand all of us consumers? Tomorrow after all this is over, are we going to look for Denny's for its value or convenience? Quite frankly, I was sold when I was told Free breakfast, but now I feel more skeptical for what Denny's strategy really was. Moreover, I am curious to know how will they position themselves next in the dining category? Any thoughts...

Insight...

2009-01-27T11:12:00.003-06:00

I'd like to share with you what I think is one of the best approaches I've ever heard when it comes to define the so-called word "insight."

“At the heart of an effective creative philosophy is the belief that nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature, what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his actions, even though his language so often camouflages what really motivates him. For if you know these things about a man you can touch him at the core of his being”
- Bill Bernbach

One Individual, 2 Identities: Frame Switching Among Biculturals

2009-01-26T10:48:00.006-06:00

Article Bibliography
David Luna, Torsten Ringberg, and Laura A. Peracchio. "One Individual, Two Identities: Frame-Switching Among Biculturals" Journal of Consumer Research: August 2008

Abstract
Bicultural bilingual individuals have incorporated two cultures within themselves and speak the languages of those cultures. When cued by a particular language, these individuals activate distinct sets of culture-specific concepts, or mental frames, which include aspects of their identities. Three studies show that language-triggered frame switching (i.e., switching from one set of mental frames to another) occurs only with biculturals, not with bilinguals who are not bicultural. The studies uncover frame switching at the within-individual level, and they include both qualitative and experimental evidence. They also provide a methodology to identify the relative activation strength of specific mental frames in different languages.

The following are my four KTA:

There are two categories of mental frames: the identity related (or self-relevant) frame and the situational-based frame (Ringberg, Odekerken-Schro¨der, and Christensen 2007). That is, identity-related mental frames are formed through an individual’s upbringing and socialization and become so deeply anchored in an individual’s mind that they are not easily purged or adjusted (Ringberg et al. 2007). Situational-based mental frames include mental frames elicited by situation-specific environmental inputs and feedbacks.

Biculturals, who view their identities as less compatible and even oppositional, may actively (i.e., strategically) try to suppress frame switching. The latter biculturals would tend to use extra cognitive resources to suppress one identity (the one considered oppositional).

A company targeting the Hispanic female market that wants its brand to be associated with independence and strength may consider conveying their message (in print or TV ads, etc.) in the Spanish language and/or in situations in which bilingual women converse and socialize in Spanish.

When each of the two different cultures is linked to its own distinct language (as is the case with biculturals), both of the languages are likely to tap into culture-specific identity frames.
Based on what you read, consider the following:
Why do consumers say...
"I speak English, but think in Spanish"
"I converse in English... but speak business in Spanish"

When consumers truly become biculturals (those individuals who have internalized two-cultures) do they forget/replace certain words with their new language in order to express a certain subconscious feeling?

In reference to #4(above), if that is the case, then advertising in Spanish will not cease, even as Hispanics acculturate. So, as we have mentioned before, the trick into truly good/relatable cultural advertising is NOT solely on creativity, but on doing in it in the language where the insight was born.

What do you think?
I cannot share the full article(because of copy infringement), but I hope I could get your mind some thought starters...

Life In Technicolor

2009-01-24T17:12:00.003-06:00

Because today is Saturday, I have some really cool and different video to share. If you know me, or have read my background, you know that Coldplay is one of my favorite bands. Their music is innovative and different... as a matter of fact, they have sold over 40million albums since their inception in 1998.

Some of my favorite songs include Everything is not lost, The Scientist, and Viva La Vida... But for today's blog posting, I will not be sharing any of the videos for those songs, but a new video... the video for Life in Technicolor.

Now thinking from a brand's POV wouldn't you agree that it is incredible that a brand that is now 10 years old and known world wide wants to still be innovative? How old is your brand (or the brand you are working for/on? Are they/you doing something to be known as a brand that is willing to take risks?

In times of crisis...

2009-01-19T10:14:00.006-06:00

Yes, in times of crisis we are capable to do almost everything when we read the word "free". On Tuesday I went to Chik-fil-A and got my favorite chicken sandwich, the regular # 1. With my purchase they gave me the flyer you are able see on the picture. First, I must tell you that I absolutely love Chik-fil-A's sandwiches, I love the flavor, the store experience, the ad campaign... everything about them! So, I looked forward all week to go down to the restaurant on Saturday morning. The only thing I wasn't completely sure about was to go there wearing my pj's. It was a first time for me, but at the end I didn't care for the embarrassment. To my surprise (and really... it shouldn't be one) I was not the only one in there. For the first time, I felt part of an elite group of "smart" consumers that know what we want, and don't mind to show it off.

Now from marketer's perspective, I believe these type of promotions work well because not only is Chik-fil-A attracting their loyal consumer base, but also they also expect that these type of consumer goes to the restaurant accompanied by either family or friends, for more than just a free sample. And that is how they expect to make a profit a the end of the day.
Unfortunately, it didn't work out for me. Although I consider myself a Chik-fil-A loyal, I didn't get any extra push from the clerks that made me wanted to buy a coffee, orange juice, or maybe my favorite #1 sandwich. I really just went there to get my free food. Perhaps, they could've extend the promotion by saying, "$1 coffee, or $1 off in all our combos. Whatever it was, I wish they have done something else to make me stay in there. And I say this because, I was supposed to be on a tight budget. To me "free breakfast" meant a good start even though I had to wear my pj's to get it. When I left the restaurant, I felt that something was missing on my breakfast, so I decided to go to the Starbucks drive-thru next door to get a regular $1.47 coffee.

Why didn't I go inside the Starbucks, instead of going going to the drive-thru? I mean, I already left the house on my pj's what difference did it make?

Companies know that when they launch an attractive promotion that is supported by a good product, consumers are going to respond well (even if you ask them to be part of a social experiment). Therefore, it is their job to make sure your trip to the store is a unique experience, and obviously to try to make you buy something else. Only that way will they be able to measure the success of the promotion.

New Year's Resolutions and Category vs Category...

2009-01-17T09:55:00.008-06:00

What are your 09 resolutions? Lose weight, spend less, vacation, go back to school, get a new job, get a promotion, write a book???

Whatever they are, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, you are not the only one. Which brings me to the spot below, Extra Gum.

Knowing how the recession (or economic downturn) is shaping consumers behavior, Extra's creative and strategic approach decided to jump on the wagon and make sure they let the consumer know that they know what is going on in their minds.

As you are looking at the spot below, think of the following questions:

To what consumer is this spot talking? What is the insight behind the execution? Media placement? who is Extra competing against?

As I mentioned on the title of this posting, 09 will be all about staying home, maximizing in-home resources and spending less money... in other words, coping with recession, or as Ann Mack from JWT said, "recessionary living."

With this in mind, marketers/advertisers need to be able to demonstrate a value proposition that will stand out, and make consumers feel like they are spending the right amount for whatever product they are purchasing.

Going back to the spot above, Extra's message is one to learn from (don't think from an execution perspective, think from an strategic point of view). They are talking to women (or men for that matter) to resist cravings (i.e. coffee, chips, cookies, chocolates, etc) and just have a piece of gum, which is cheaper and lasts longer.

As you can see, 09 will be all about getting pleasure out of the 'small things' in life and sacrificing brand and/or category.

"I think I will get some gum ($1) and stop drinking Stbx ($3), I mean it will last me longer"

What are your thoughts?! What do you think your consumer is willing/going to give away?!

BUD's Imaginary Friend... did you have one?

2009-01-16T11:00:00.000-06:00

Today is Friday, and with that in mind, today's posting is just for the sake of sharing a good spot.

I've worked on the beer business for over a year and I have to say that advertising is usually driven by delivering spots on equity, liquid creds, heritage, etc... but not necessarily driven by humor and sprinkling the brand here and there.

What makes me like the spot below so much is the way they integrate brand cues throughout the spot. Personally, I believe that spot below is one of the funniest beer spots I've seen lately...

And to leave you with some thought starters...

How is Bud seen in Argentina? Does it go with the brand personality? Does the spot deliver on taste, heritage, etc???

El futuro es ahora!

2009-01-13T10:56:00.020-06:00

Quien iba a pensar que los medios masivos de comunicación evolucionarían de tal forma que actualmente forman ya parte esencial de la vida de muchos consumidores. Hoy en día , podemos decir que no se trata de cuantas personas puede alcanzar la televisión, la radio, o el Internet, sino por el contrario, de la capacidad de accesibilidad y rapidez que estos puedan ofrecer. El consumidor de hoy demanda el aquí, el ahora, el donde sea y lo que sea.

Desde pequeño he sido un amante efusivo de los deportes, sobre todo del fútbol soccer y el fútbol americano. Siempre he tratado de seguir la cobertura de la NFL, mundiales, fútbol Mexicano, UEFA Champions League. En fin, todo lo relacionado con estos dos deportes.

En contadas ocasiones (por alguna extraña razón sobre todo juegos de playoff de la NFL y partidos importantes de algún mundial) me quede sin ver o escuchar varios juegos ya que me encontraba lejos de un televisor, o el radio no captaba la señal, o nadie estaba transmitiendo nada. Recuerdo que me frustración era muy grande. Sonaba con algún aparato captara alguna señal; con una mini televisión con antena parabólica, no se... algo que me tuviera al tanto de lo que pasara en esos momentos tan importantes para mi. Sin duda que hoy todo eso se ha quedado atrás. Gracias al Internet, en sus varias formas, los fanáticos y consumidores de la actualidad tienen la facilidad de ver u oír prácticamente lo que quieran (por lo menos en los Estados Unidos). Yo se lo que están pensando y estoy de acuerdo… La mayoría en el mundo no tiene todavía el poder adquisitivo de tener Internet a toda su capacidad todavía, o un teléfono celular con la capacidad de transmitir radio cualquier estación de radio por Internet. Es cierto! Pero creo que simplemente el hecho de que la tecnología existe y que ha llegado para quedarse, significa un gran avance. Y como toda tecnología, solo requiere algunos años para que el consumidor promedio la comience a adquirir.

Tan solo hace dos semanas experimente el poder del Internet a su máxima capacidad. No podia creer que la super-carretera de la información de la que Bill Gates hablaba tanto finalmente era una realidad, y yo me encontraba en ella. Esto lo digo, porque gracias al Internet pude ver un partido del fútbol Italiano, un partido de Fútbol Americano colegial, y escuchar un partido de playoffs de la NFL por medio de un Iphone. Ni siquiera tuve ni que prender la TV o el radio en dos días.

En conclusión, Cual es el futuro que le depara a la TV y radio en sus formas standard? Será realmente el Internet el asesino las antenas de transmisión? No lo podría asegurar con certeza, pero lo que si creo es que muchos consumidores ya han substituido a su compañía de cable o satélite por otras formas de entretenimiento como justintv.com, iTV y Fyre, Xbox Live/NetFlix. Esto quiere decir que no cabe duda que el Internet representa una amenaza para las compañías televisoras y sus patrocinadores, si estas no sacan provecho de este. Existe un viejo dicho que dice "o adaptas o te mueres." Y si la TV como la conocemos ahora no cambia su formato y deja de pensar mas en vender y vender espacios de publicitarios, o eventos PPV, el consumidor promedio optara por el acceso a la libre información a como de lugar.

Definitivamente nos encontramos en un punto crucial en esta era de la información. Es momento de diseñar nuevas estrategias pensadas en el beneficio del consumidor, no solo darle lo que el quiere, sino crear espacios para atraerlo. Solo de esta manera se podrá establecer y mantener una relación mas emocional entre marcas y servicios, via el entretenimiento con el mismo consumidor.

Let's talk about Account Planning...

2009-01-11T09:47:00.010-06:00

When people think of planners, they think the following...

In an ideal advertising world we would like to be seen like this....

Well, maybe not literally...

Today's posting is meant to make you think about planning, the planning department at your agency, and you as a planner.

Let me start by asking some rhetorical questions... what is account planning to you? who is in your account planning department? do they come from different backgrounds? how is account planning seen at your agency? if you've worked in general market agencies, how is Hispanic account planning different (0r vice versa)?

The idea of the questions is not to criticize where you work, but to challenge and make you think what you do. The following is an excerpt from Truth, Lies and Advertising, which I'm NOT saying that is the way planning should be, but if you read between the lines you can see what Steel refers to.

Account planning(ers) are more than briefs, briefing, POV's and research...

Excerpt from Truth, Lies and Advertising by Jon Steel.

The Ideal Planning Department
"All these people have very different views on the world and different approaches to problem solving. In building a planning department in an agency, it is essential to recruit from such diversity. Without it, planners are likely to think and behave in the same way, and that in turn will lead to identical solutions and stagnation."

The Account Planners Mission Statement
"The aim, as far as the planner is concerned, is the production of the best possible advertising to fulfill the client's business objectives, advertising that will stand out from the crowd, say the right things to the right people, and cause them to take some action as a result of seeing or hearing the message."

The Ideal Planner
"Planners, he (Michael Cowpe) told me, were the architects and guardians of their clients' brands, the detectives who uncovered long hidden clues in the data and gently coerced consumers into revealing their inner secrets, and the warriors who stoop up and fought for the integrity of their strategic vision. They had the logical, analytical skills to consume and synthesize vast amounts of data, and the lateral and intuitive skills to interpret that data in an interesting and innovative way. [Whereas traditional agency researchers tended to be more reactive and bound by the literal findings of their research, planners were by nature and decree proactive and imaginative, injecting their research-divined ideas into every stage of the advertising-development process.]

What do you think?
Do you feel inspired by the other planners in your department?
Are you still learning from them?
Would your planning department fit Steel's description?
What would you change?

Personally, Planners need to make ideas happen (not necessarily come up with the ideas themselves), search for constant inspiration, and be willing to get their hands dirty (with data and people, the latter not literally, you might get sued).

Planning departments need to be willing to change with the consumer and marketplace, need to have people diversification and need to have people in the department that think different...

What many are talking about...

2009-01-07T09:00:00.000-06:00

Last weekend I went to visit my friend Pepe in Houston, TX. While we were watching the football game between the Cardinals vs. Falcons, we saw Pepsi's new TV spot, which showcases the brand's newest logo. Pepe automatically said, "It looks like Obama's logo, they copied it." I thought to myself, "Really? How so? Why would they do that?" Apparently I haven't paid enough attention to Obama's logo to suggest that it looks like Pepsi's new logo, which cost around $1 million to craft, or vice versa. Today, I started looking around on the internet, and I found out that hundreds of people are commenting about this topic on blogs, forums and news articles. My point is not to argue whether they look the same (it is clear to me that they don't), or if PEPSI copied Obama's logo, which I heard a rumor that they both used the same creative team, or if PEPSI is using Obama's wave to regain the new generation momentum once again. There is plenty of conversation about this topic on the web.
The point I want to make is that that both Obama and PEPSI have successfully accomplished their goal. They have created two iconic symbols that are recognized by most and represent value to people. Perhaps PEPSI's intention was to be associated with Obama, or perhaps it is a mere coincidence. Whatever it is, it has people talking about PEPSI, and that can only mean on thing... mission accomplished!

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Honestly... Who is thinking Arby's??

2009-01-06T15:00:00.000-06:00

Having worked at a McDonald's and for the McDonald's brand for a couple of years, seeing advertising like the one below reminds why the golden arches still have the higher share in the fast food market. Please know that I am not saying that McD's has this share solely because of its advertising, but at the very least, their advertising doesn't turn anyone away.

While watching TV a couple of weeks ago, I came across the Arby's B-day spot, which you can see below. After watching it I just thought... wow, somebody actually produced this spot? Let me say that there is really nothing wrong with the production, it is more the idea that got produced.

The strategy behind this campaign was pretty insightful and good. I'm Thinking Arby's. Ownable, different and niche enough that when you want to eat something hot and tasty only Arby's will suffice, hence you crave and can only think Arby's... the problem was the execution.

Does the guy like the food? His wife in the Arby's uniform? Arby's at home?

Below you will find of my favorite fast food commercials, and to show that I am not being biased, its from Jack in the Box. The ad below makes you not only laugh, but relate, either because of your job, your status, or because you just love breakfast. The spot delivers the benefit that time doesn't matter at JITB, whenever you want breakfast you can get it.

What do you think? Does the Arby's ad turn you off? Does the Jack in the Box ad speak to you? Which one do you think delivers better on strategy?

Ahead of the curve...

2009-01-06T14:00:00.000-06:00

About three months ago while traveling to LA for qualitative research for Coors Light I listened to a really good podcast on Leadership from the Harvard Business School. The following quote caught my attention:

"In order to truly stay ahead of the competition the rate of learning has to be higher than the rate of change."

Though I believe that quote to be very true, I also feel that learning has to be defined. People learn and adapt from every situation, consciously or subconsciously, but every situation makes an impact in our brain. Thinking about the rate of change... in the culture that we live in, the rate of change is so fast and vast, that it might feel pretty impossible to stay ahead.

I feel that everybody has a story to share... so I believe that listening to people, aside from reading, is the best way to learn and stay ahead of the curve.

Some brands that have done this are: Coca Cola, Nike and Madonna...

BUT what is your brand's way of learning and really staying ahead of the curve?

Just remember that one thing is perception and the other is reality...

Two of my favorite ads

2009-01-05T11:26:00.000-06:00

I'd like to share two of my favorite ads. The first one is from Amnesty International. I think this ad is emotional and persuasive at the same time. It makes me feel that I truly have the power to go out and save a life. Every time that in a 15, 30 or 90 second spot, I see a story capable of moving my emotions, I feel grateful for advertising.

The second ad is an example of how to creatively showcase a product that may have only have rational benefits for the consumer. My kudos to the creative team!

Good advertising, poor execution.. Part 2

2008-12-30T14:48:00.000-06:00

Last week, my wife Lauren and I spent X-mas in my lovely home town, Mexico City. One day we were driving my mother's car, and we noticed an enormous outdoor ad in one of the streets . It belonged to Cinemex, one of the two most important movie theater companies in Mexico. Since 1992, Cinemex has opened more than 40 movie complexes around the country. The purpose of the ad was to promote Cinemex's new gift certificate. The campaign's title is "Esta Navidad regala la magia del cine" (This Christmas give someone the magic of the movies). Five minutes after looking at the ad, we heard another Cinemex spot on the radio about the same promotion. Lauren thought it would be a great idea to give movie gift cards to my brothers as a X-mas present. A couple of hours later we went to our nearest Cinemex to buy the gift certificates.

When we arrived, we realized that the theater was decorated with several promotional materials regarding the gift certificate campaign. We went to the main ticket booth and inquired about the gift cards. The clerk asked us to go to the "special guest" booth, so we went to the abandoned desk. We waited for about 6 minutes until someone finally helped us. We told the clerk we wished to buy a couple of $100 pesos gift certificates. At first, she looked confused, but then she told us to wait and she left the booth. We waited for another 10 minutes. I remember seeing her running around, asking for help to other clerks. Finally, she comes back with two gift cards and told us to wait again. She goes to the main ticket booth and spends another 5 minutes there. She comes back with the activated cards so we can pay. Before we paid I asked the clerk why it was so difficult to buy two gift cards for the theater. She first apologized and told me the whole process that involved activating the cards. I told her that it would be a good idea to make those cards easier to access, and that she should be able to activate them from her booth. Apparently, not all the clerks are trained to execute this promotion. The theater seemed empty with 10 people in the lobby, and still we waited 20 minutes to buy two gift cards. Can you imagine how long it would take if they had to deal with 10 more enthusiastic gift card buyers? It would definitely be a complete frenzy for the clerks. Although we had purchased our gifts, we left Cinemex unhappy and disappointed. Lauren and I agreed it was a shame that Cinemex spent millions of pesos in this advertising campaign to create awareness and generate traffic to the theaters, only to have customers dissatisfied with the customer service in the execution of the promotion.

In Mexico, the gift card culture has not evolved at the same pace as it has here in the U.S. Therefore, companies need to double their efforts in educating consumers about the benefits of a gift card before they can think of creative ideas to sell them. Advertising cannot do it all. Marketers need to make sure everyone in the organization to the point of sale is trained to execute a new promotion. This Cinemex case is just an example of how advertising can create awareness and drive consumers to the point of sale, but if the customer service personnel is not trained to close the sale, the whole campaign will fail. Finally, two months from now, when the marketing department finally analyzes this campaign's performance and finds that the sales were not up to par, someone will start pointing fingers. Management will likely fire the marketing manager, and the whole campaign will die without really knowing what happened. It wasn't a bad idea, just a case of bad customer service and execution.

Typo, myopia, or poor execution?

2008-12-29T10:20:00.000-06:00

This posting is the first part of two stories about what I think are examples of poor marketing execution. Today, companies spend millions of dollars in new ways not only to creatively engage consumers, but also in establishing a long term relationship with them. Despite all their efforts, some still fall short in ensuring their marketing efforts are executed to perfection. If these efforts happen to fail in the long run, the entire marketing department is there to be blamed. Sometimes simple mistakes in executing the final stages of a program can cost the entire failure of the marketing program. Often times, the planning, research, and strategy stages of a marketing plan are the first ones to be scrutinized for not "getting in right" from the beginning, but executing correctly a plan is as important, if not more than the stages of its conception because that is what consumers ultimately will experience at the point of sell or service.

Two weeks ago, I went to the Nissan dealership to take my car to its regular oil change service. Usually, I bring a book with me, grab a cup of coffee, and sit down and wait about 30 to 45 minutes for the service to be completed. Every time I go there, I also like take a look at the new cars they have at showroom. This time I remember looking at a beautiful red 300 Z, when suddenly a salesman vigorously approached me and start explaining all the car features. He gave me his card and I thanked him. I also told him that I was just looking around. As I was heading back to the waiting room, I looked at his business card and read "Se Habela Espanol." I didn't know if I should laugh or go tell him that his card had a big typo. Instead, I stopped and said to myself. "We are in 2008, I think by know most of the salesmen people, especially in Texas should know Spanish and also should know that it is Habla and not Habela." I also thought that it could've been a simple typo; nonethelsess, I noticed that the name of the salesman was Caesar and not Cesar, as I remember it is normally spelled. I don't know what it was, but if a company like Nissan spends big dollars on Spanish advertising, or hires sales people that are supposedly bilingual, so that they can better communicate with the Latino community. Why not double check that all your efforts are being executed correctly? I don't want to be paranoid or anything, but I think that sometimes these little mistakes in execution can turn off people who really appreciates their heritage and language, and thus return as customers.

Advice from a Professional Problem Solver...

2008-12-19T00:40:00.001-06:00

About a year ago the CMO from my former agency sent me the following seven tips... I find them incredibly useful on a daily basis. The seven tips come from Paul Williams, a professional problem solver.
Use a couple, use them all... One thing is for sure, they will make you a better and more marketable brand.

Enjoy the free advice.

Keep an Idea Journal - Always have something with you to write down thoughts and ideas.
Add Knowledge - When given an assignment, do more than is expected. Add more.
Arrive With A Solution - Finding something broken can position you as part of the problem. Arriving with suggested fixes makes you part of the solution.
Jerks Are Everywhere, Learn from Them - You can learn in two ways (1) learn how to deal with the jerks, and (2) learn how NOT to treat others.
Avoid Jargon - Jargon is the low-hanging fruit of the bizworld. Consider it a best practice to use real words and avoid jargon.
Expand Your Field of Knowledge - The more you learn and experience, the bigger your brain reference library.
You Are Your Brand - Just as a company thinks about the quality of their products and service, their output, how they treat their customers, how they act, react, and are perceived - so should you as a person. Update your brand.

Don't you love Billy Mays?

2008-12-18T14:19:00.001-06:00

Embedded Video

Billy Mays is the most famous infomercial spokesperson today. In fact, he is considered the “king” of infomercials and he will be getting his own reality show soon. Billy is known for selling several products on TV. (Most of them useless) He even sells products in Spanish. (Well… is not really his voice either) Whether we find overall infomercials annoying, or think that Billy is just a cheap salesman, one thing is true. The companies that have been selling all these products for years are making a profit! Somehow Billy and his buddies have managed to keep themselves running on air because there is someone out there buying all these products. I think, we all, at some point have fallen for a product that is advertised on an infomercial. Yes, I am one of those people too. I know it’s sad.

Before, infomercials were only shown on TV after midnight, now you can see them anytime of the day and in numerous occasions. No wonder, why more and more people despise advertising today. Because when people are asked what they think about advertising, all they can think about is that it is deceiving, annoying, unreal and over-promising.

Here are some of the most common phrases I’ve heard on Billy’s ads:

•   "Would you pay..."
•   "Introducing the revolutionary"
•   “I am so convinced that you'll love this product that I am offering..."
•   But wait!," "But wait there's more!", or "But that's not all!"

I just have a question? If Billy and his friends are making a lot of money, couldn’t they produce something with better quality, more engaging, and more real?

I know this formula has been working for Billy, but common. It hurts my eyes every time I see him. (Especially in Spanish)

Here is his webiste: http://www.infomercialsitv.com/celebrity/billymays.htm

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During a recession, where are the consumers' priorities placed?

2008-12-17T12:59:00.000-06:00

Picture this...

Tuesday 11:30pm at Wal-Mart and you are heading to the cashier to pay for your hypoallergenic laundry detergent. Given the time of the day, you only have a certain amount of lanes to pay. You look at your basket and see that you only have 8 items, so you decide to go the "express 20 items or less lane." Now that you have pictured what was going on, let me tell you what happened....

I approached the line and there were only three people in front of me so I thought "awesome, I will be out of here really soon." Needless to say, I was there for much more than the five minutes I was expecting. By this point you are probably wondering, what does that title have to do with all this??

Well the lady that was in front of me, which was in her early 60s was the one that was holding the line. She was in an electronic wheelchair and had a about 5 items as well. Her intro line to the cashier was "I don't know if I have enough money, but.. I guess we will find out and take out as necessary." I didn't notice the items she was purchasing, but what I did notice was that the only items left on the conveyor belt were a bag of bagels and a dozen of 'cage free' eggs.

So I said to myself, "if she doesn't have enough money I will pay for her food, it will probably only be $10." So the lady gives the cashier $10 in cash and asks her for the total, the cashier says $52 dollars." As she is giving her the total I notice that that lady was purchasing 2 kids t-shirts, an infant bicycle and some gift boxes. The old lady then says, "please take away the t-shirt, and the gift boxes" the lady then scans her card and goes it through. So she asks to re-scan the kids t-shirt and the gift boxes, the cashier does, and she pays with her card, again, and the card goes through. She is now feeling confident, and asks to please scan the bagels and the eggs, the card goes through.

As she is leaving happy with her purchases, I couldn't help but to think what were her priorities, the food or the gifts, and why? As we are in an economic recession, one that has gotten a lot of publicity, how are consumers reacting to this? Shouldn't we be more careful were we are spending our money? Shouldn't we be telling kids that this x-mas might be leaner than normal?

What is Adver-Kiosk?

2008-12-16T12:32:00.000-06:00

There area many types of kiosks.

A kiosk can be a booth where vendors sell inexpensive consumables (i.e. cigarettes, chips, magazines, newspapers, ice cream, etc.) Kiosks can also operate as a booth that provides free information to pedestrians. Kiosks can be electronic or hand-operated.

But this kiosk, the Adver-Kiosk is different; it is meant to be a source of information, entertainment, meeting point, chat and/or consumerism.

When you picture Adver-Kiosk picture that meeting place in an office, a university, a hospital (maybe not a hospital) or a coffee place. Think about the conversations that happen around the coffee maker, the water cooler, or after dinner. That is what Adver-Kiosk is all about.

Have you heard of an advertising kiosk before?

Think about it…. Think about it…

We thought so…

We decided to launch a blog combining all the things you expect to get from a kiosk with our passion for advertising. We have assigned this little spot in the web to share our opinions, funny stories, videos, pictures, ads and any other curiosities that we may come across.