What's That Smell?

By:
Molly Stephens
Advertising Assistant

What's that you smell?  And no, it isn't coming from coffee shop down the street, it's right next to you on the billboard. 

It looks like 'scent' advertising is the new way brands are stimulating their potential customers' sense of smell. Dogs too.

For years, marketers and advertisers have relied on vibrant and cooling color schemes and sensory words to entice their audience.  Now they are unleashing the power of "scratch & sniff", a technique that used to only belong in catalog magazines, showing off the newest perfumes and colognes.

I can picture MORA ice cream or Oliver's Pet Care wanting to try out this technique. (Can you smell ice cream?)

Are there any brands that you wish were using this technique unique marketing strategy to build their customer base?

http://thecreativefrontier.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/smells-like-good-idea-to-me.html

Promoting Nutrition, Disney to Restrict Junk-Food Ads

By:
Molly Stephens
Advertising Assistant

Often, I find myself thinking about brands and the marketing strategy behind each platform.

I tend to walk down the aisles of a grocery store and wonder how each brand evolved, what research was conducted and how was the advertising strategy was developed? 

Back in March, I was reminded by this video, how influential children's programming can be.

The television show, ANT Farm, on The Disney Channel, taught a 6-year-old viewer how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver when someone is choking.  The child was able to save her classmate's life during lunch time, when a peer was choking across the table from her.

This morning, I was captivated by the article "Promoting Nutrition, Disney to Restrict Junk-Food Ads", in The New York Times.

"The Walt Disney Company, in an effort to address concerns about entertainment’s role in childhood obesity, plans to announce on Tuesday that all products advertised on its child-focused television channels, radio stations and Web sites must comply with a strict new set of nutritional standards."

I love that Disney recognizes itself as a strong influence to their viewers, especially ages 12 and below.  

In an effort to take a stand against childhood obesity, Disney will refrain from advertising products such as Kraft Lunchables and Capri Sun.  Disney will hold to their promise of fighting childhood obesity, even if they lose advertising dollars from big names like Kellogg's and Pepsi.  

Moreover, Disney will also "reduce the amount of sodium by 25 percent in the 12 million children’s meals served annually at its theme parks, and create what it calls fun public service announcements promoting child exercise and healthy eating."

In addition to these nutritional milestones, Disney has also introduced a "Mickey Check" to appear on products in grocery stores. 

You can learn more about the new standards here.

I believe Disney is doing what any good brand SHOULD be doing.  They are using their marketing efforts, influence and branding power to fight against childhood obesity.  My hope is that other brands will follow their lead and do what is best for not only their brand but for those who are "brand loyal".

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/business/media/in-nutrition-initiative-disney-to-restrict-advertising.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

The End to Pricey Super Bowl Ads?

By:
Rick Stanton
President/ Creative Director

Back in February, I blogged about the 2012 Super Bowl ads. 

Today, I read about this in the Wall Street Journal.

So GM is done with Super Bowl ads. It took a while and $82,000,000 over the last ten years to figure it out but better late than never.

It seems that with few exceptions, Super Bowl ads have become more sophomoric and less memorable with agencies struggling to come up with an actual idea that's an extension of a brand message. In my opinion they just aren't very good anymore.

And as a rule, neither are the games. Are we seeing the start of an end in the overwhelming marketing power of this event? What do you think?

What do One World Trade Center, White House Correspondence Dinner, Bronx Zoo and Cinco De Mayo All Have In Common?

By Cynti Oshin

Guest Blogger

These are amongst the top ten searched terms on Google today, April 30, 2012. And if you’re writing a blog, hoping to drive traffic to your or your client’s website, use these terms and you’ve just hedged your bet rather substantially.   But, if you want to be strategic and increase your chances of building a targeted audience, then make sure you include relevant 'high value' words.  In our case, relevant key words might include brand strategy, marketing strategy, advertising, communications, business development, etc.  But even that’s not enough to build and keep an audience.

Consider your audience, what do they need?  What can you offer in exchange for their time?  I am providing a quick tip on blog best practices.  Ideally, that’s of value to you, our reader.  What does your reader want?  What is relevant?  Are you an insurance company?  Is your reader looking for information about vetting the best policy?  Are you a design firm?  Is your reader looking for current trends?  You get the picture.

Bottom line: Make the blog relevant to your reader.  And, make it work hard for you. 

We’d love to hear your thoughts about blogging, what’s worked, what hasn’t.  Tell us about it here.

And since we know there’s a whole bunch a people interested in the White House Correspondence Dinner – check out Obama’s monologue.  If he doesn’t get reelected, perhaps he can go into stand up.  Or not.

http://www.google.com/trends/hottrends

Super Bowl Ads, Beyond Disappointment.

By Cynti Oshin
Director Client Services/Business Development

The annual buildup to the great reveal of some of our biggest brands' television spots during the Super Bowl is almost as important as the build up to the game itself.  As someone said, there are two kinds of Super Bowl party attendees, the shushers during the game and the shushers during the advertisements.  Needless to say, I am a commercial shusher.  Or, at least I WAS.  Yesterday's parade of dum (sic) dum (sic) dum (sic) ads was my biggest disappointment of the year.  However, that should tell you how lucky a girl I am.  

While watching the Go Daddy, Doritos, TaxACT, Teleflora and other spots, I longed for the original E-Trade baby spots, Volkswagen's Empire Strikes Back, and even the MacIntosh spots of yesteryear.  Of the roughly 36 advertisers who ran spots during the game, I can count on one hand how many I found anywhere from mildly amusing to 'spot on' brand strategy execution.


What did you think?  I am completely off base?  Tell me why, I'd love to know.  And only 364 more days until we can have this conversation again.

Source: Adage.com

A Boy. His Cereal Box. QR codes, Marketing, Advertising, Creative Strategies and More.

By Cynti Oshin

Director Client Services/Business Development

Close your eyes and picture this.  A teenage boy shuffles into the kitchen with bedhead and a mission.  Eat cereal while reading the box.  The same box he has been reading since he opened it 2 weeks ago.  With the exact same thing on it - not a single piece of copy, image or offer has changed since the day before.  Yep, the same box.  He places his bowl, spoon, cereal box and milk on the table.  He grumbles something to his mother, rubs his eyes, and plops himself down into his chair. The chair legs create that loud scraping noise as he drags himself up to the table.  He pours his cereal, then milk and plops the cereal box down with only the cereal bowl between them.  The boy leans down within 3 inches of his bowl, almost in a sideways v-shape on the chair, assuming the ideal position to mindlessly shovel cereal into his mouth while reading the cereal box, again.  For the 12th time.

Now imagine the exact same scene, with one difference.  He has his spoon in one hand and his smart phone in the other.  Mindlessly shovels cereal into his mouth while scanning the QR code which has miraculously taken him to....wait for it....new content!  And voila, a whole new universe has opened up.  Could be a microsite, could be a daily offer, could be a tie in with a concert promoter, action sportswear company or whatever.  Point is, could be anything and could change on a daily basis if you wanted it to.

So now picture his dad is at the other end of the table.  Same position, same drill, spooning cereal while reading the box with relevant content for his demo.  Crazy?  Nope.  And it's possible now.  Brilliant, I say.  Just brilliant.

Source:http://usat.ly/ApA8nN

Sofia Vergara Does the "Pepsi Dance' in the Latest TV Spot

By: Julie LeVeque

Advertising Assistant

A few of us at Stanton & Everybody are big fans of the hit show, Modern Family. Normally, every Thursday we talk about our favorite lines, or parts from last night's episode and laugh. You can't help but love the hilariously loud and lovely, Sofia Vergara. With her thick Columbian accent and witty comments, no wonder Diet Pepsi wanted her as their advertising spokesperson. The brand kicked off their 2011 ad campaign with Vergara as the new face of Diet Pepsi that included TV spots, viral videos and also David Beckham. The latest TV spot premiered on Sunday night's Golden Globes where Vergara debuted the 'Pepsi Dance', choreographed by Dancing with the Stars dancer,  Mark Ballas. This TV spot not only showcased the actresses sexy, quirky self but demonstrated the brands refreshing taste. Do you think Sophia Vergara is a good match for the Diet Pepsi brand?  

What Bill Cosby Knows About Marketing and Advertising

By: Cynti Oshin

Director Client Services/Business Development

Recently, I was reading posts from allthatinspires.me and came across this, presumably from Bill Cosby. 

So very true.  

Not only does this resonate with me personally, but also in my role as a brand strategist.   It is imperative for brands to understand that not all products or services are for everyone.  At Stanton & Everybody, together with our clients, we work to keep this at top of mind.  For instance, Barrier Motors is clear that they have a very specific customer who can afford a more upscale brand of auto.  To pretend to be an option for anyone else would only frustrate that consumer when he or she entered the showroom to find out the trek was a waste of time. Northside Shoes understands that to try to attract an audience looking for a highly technical climbing shoe would lack integrity and frustrate this consumer.  Northside delivers a well priced, quality outdoor shoe for all ages, helping families afford to get outdoors.  Not a shoe to help you climb Mt. Everest.

In the end, when you know who your customer is, you are able to speak directly to them with integrity and clarity.  When you are able to create a marketing/advertising strategy that clearly communicates who you are, what you do and why it matters to your customer, you will build loyalty and ultimately advocacy – with your customers spreading the word about your product or service. 

And when that happens, it’s a magical thing.

allthatinspires.me/80119432 

The Power of Brands as Archetypes

By: Cynti Oshin

Director Client Services/Business Development

What do Herman Cain, Joe Paterno, Dorli Rainey, Kim Kardashian, Andy Rooney and Daniel The Miracle Dog all have in common?  These are all ‘brands’ either embracing the public definition of who they are, what they do and why it matters (if it does at all) or fighting hard against it.  Here is how I see it:

·         Herman Cain – Libya? Cuba? Foreign Policy?

o   Outlaw (wishes)

o   Jester  (reality)

·         Dorli Rainey – 84 year old, pepper sprayed during Occupy Seattle protest.

o   Innocent

·         Kim Kardashian – Paris Hilton of 2011.  Received a $8MM+ paycheck to don a wedding
          dress.

o   Lover – (wishes)

o   Jester – (reality)

·         Joe Paterno –

o   Magician (before)

o   Hero – (after, if he does the right thing and takes on advocacy for victims of sexual abuse.)

·         Andy Rooney – Oh, how we will miss him.

o   Sage, Regular Joe

·         Daniel The Miracle Dog - Survived the ‘pound’ gas chamber and subsequently adopted.

o  Hero

Did I get these right?  Don’t know about archetypes and the power these have in building emotional  connections between a brand and the consumer?  Read The Hero and The Outlaw,    Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes by Margaret Mark & Carol S. Pearson.  Great book, just ask Rick.

Happy Halloween!

By: Julie LeVeque

Advertising Assistant

I had the opportunity to attend the KUBE 93 Haunted House with a few Stanton & Everybody co-workers and our client, the Haunted House Sponsor Seattle Goodwill. KUBE 93 put so much detail and hard work into each segment of the Haunted House which is definitely worth seeing!

Also featured at the site, includes banners for Seattle Goodwill, where you can go to your nearest Goodwill store and create  your very own custom costume.  For some ideas, check out the Seattle Goodwill transit ads that are circulating the city. We hope you have a fun and safe Halloween!

The Groupon Model as a Marketing Strategy: Not Working So Well

By: Cynti Oshin

Director Client Services/Business Development

 "Yesterday, Lisa asked if people would tire of coupons. Today it was announced that Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, thinks not. He's just joined the Groupon board and his Seattle based venture capital company, Maveron, has invested an undisclosed sum in the company. The last time Schultz joined the board of a company in which Maveron invested was, well, eBay back in 1998. It quickly went public. Today, eBay's worth is somewhere in the universe of around $39 Billion. We'll check back in with you in 2023 to update you on the value of Groupon." February 10, 2011

It looks like I already have an update how things are going.  Back in February, I wrote about the continued interest in coupons and specifically about the anticipated growth of Groupon with the backing of Howard Schultz.  The question had arisen about whether consumers were tiring of coupons - and was this still a viable way to incentify trial and grow business.  It was clear that Howard Schultz saw value in the Groupon model of doing so.  Apparently, this specific coupon model isn't working out so well for consumers OR for businesses.  There's quite a few bugs that need to be worked out.  As a marketing strategy, this has proven to be a nightmare for some - the challenge to fulfill demand while still maintaining an acceptable margin has proven daunting.  Further, it appears that those who are predisposed to using Groupon are not likely to become brand advocates and return.  They're looking for the next best deal - not brand loyalists. 

I promised to check back in with you in 2023 to update you on the success of Groupon.  I'm checking back in just a little bit earlier.  It's not doing so well.  Its value has been dropped by 2 to 3 times in the last 6 months.  That was as of last Friday.  Uh oh.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2016566002_apusgrouponipo.html

Plymouth Runs Deep.

By: Rick Stanton, Creative Director / President, Stanton & Everybody Advertising + Design

In reading Lisa Dahlby’s recent blog about the failure of the new Chevy ad campaign, I was struck on 9/11 by one of the TV ads from that effort. Watching football Sunday and all the suffocating tribute ads that abounded, a Chevy ad came on that to me, said what was really important to remember about the date: family. Maybe it was because my wife was on an airplane headed for New York and I was worried sick, or maybe it was because earlier I was looking at family pictures but the spot linked below really hit me. It is story telling at it’s best. Simple, with a clear message that in our disposable lifestyles of today, there is value in heritage. There’s integrity in things that sometimes can’t be explained, but are just felt. I talk to clients a lot about creating emotional bridges to understanding. Maybe the Chevy runs deep campaign isn’t working because the only people who get it are my age. Maybe it’s because their cars are poorly designed pieces of plastic. But when it comes to this ad, if you’ve ever inherited an old Chevy, or an old Ford or in my case a 1957 Plymouth with “three on the tree”, there came a time when you realized that car wasn’t just a car. It’s a connection to something more important. That's why this ad stood out. It captures something so lost in so many advertising efforts. The truth told well.

The Advertiser's Dilemma - What To Do When Prices Rise?

By Cynti Oshin
Director Client Services/Business Development

Today, advertisers face innumerable challenges when crafting a message that will resonate with their audience. How do we rise above the ‘noise’ of all the other advertisers in the marketplace? How do we build a buzz? How do we activate the consumer to choose us? And stay with us after trial?

And how do we get them to buy us even after we’ve been forced to raise our prices on the backside of the Great Recession? (Insert screeching brakes sound here.)

Last Friday, the Seattle Times ran an article regarding the anticipated rise in costs of clothing and shoes, as a result of escalating prices of cotton, rubber, varied other commodities, and even production costs over seas. Across the board, from low priced manufacturers to more upscale clothiers like Tommy Bahama, costs will rise this coming fall.

Our client, Triple T Trading, parent company of the newly unveiled brand Northside Shoes, held its wholesale pricing steady while absorbing the rising costs over the past few years. Their (and many other manufacturers’) reality is that in order to remain sustainable, they will need to recoup the additional costs and raise their prices - however marginally. A bitter pill for everyone to swallow, indeed. In the case of Northside, their line of shoes continue to help families get out of doors for more time together at an affordable price. More memories, more fun, more great experiences. And it is this message that they are taking to the marketplace.

Not such an easy sell when you’re a gas company – that’s a message that takes some serious crafting. $3.75 a gallon, here we come.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014261281_inflation18.html
http://northsideusa.com/