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

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

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