Adver-Kiosk

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 o...

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...

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 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 liv...

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 y...

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 parallel...

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 sausage...