Marketing To A New Generation: Summary

All in all this blogging adventure through numerous marketing strategies has given me insight as to how consumers of today like to be reached. As the world becomes more wired, consumers are spending even less time watching television, listening to radio, reading magazines, and other traditional media that is just not reaching the buyers in many markets. Consumers in this country have so much buying power and so many choices as to where to spend their money. Companies are competing to win over customers because new brands are forming all the time. As the number of companies grow in each market clutter becomes harder to break through. Consumers see thousands of ads a day. It is impossible for each one to make an impression. To make an impression, ads must be personally relevant, unique, and in places where consumers allow companies to reach them. This is the world of alternative marketing.

Alternative marketing is on the rise because of its ability to break through to people who will be effected by it. Many times it is shocking, fun, or even ridiculous, but its main function is to be remembered. I'll start by mentioning the use of interactive websites. These sites are many times about products, but companies present them in a way that is fun. Websites such as cavemanscrib.com and u-starvin.com are two websites that allow consumers to tour fictional worlds and have a laugh. Cavemanscrib.com is Geico's site about the apartment where the character from their commercial lives. Visitors can browse his i-pod, listen to his answering machine, and even dress the caveman. This website does not even have anything to do with the brand, but it associates the brand with positive feelings and a reason to thing about the brand. U-starvin.com is another interactive website that has a lot to do with its product, which is Easy Mac. Its target is mainly college students and this is where the site takes place. They set up a fictional university with videos of students making ridiculous attempts to satisfy their hunger and finally reach a solution with Easy Mac. Interactive websites such as this make the brand more fun. It shows that the companies care about more than just selling their products, they also like to entertain their customers.

Another form of alternative marketing is done by simply finding places where the target audience allows companies to reach them. Scion had a campaign this year where they allowed people to take free test drives, had giveaways, and had people on site where consumers could talk to them. They set up outside of places where their young target is usually found such as music stores in major cities. This strategy took the pressure off the consumer as they usually find at the dealership. There was no signing up, no obligation, it was just people talking to representatives and testing the product with no strings attached. Companies are doing much of the same thing in the virtual world. They are finding places where their target is and advertising there. Sites such as facebook, youtube, and myspace are among the most popular for reaching the teen and young adult market that are the least responsive to traditional advertising.

Another form of virtual advertising that has taken off has been the use of Second Life. Companies now recognize the number of people who are members of this virtual world and the huge reach that they have advertising there. Companies such as Nissan allow avatars to take test drives of their virtual cars. This is a fun way to market. It is marketing, but the consumers feel like it is a video game. Nissan is finding people in an environment where they allow companies to reach them and then make marketing fun for consumers. Second Life has also been a place to place billboards. Avatars will see many billboard advertisements as they travel through the virtual world. As you can see in my previous post, Coke has created a contest where consumers can design a virtual Coke machine for SL. This gives Coke a lot of exposure in SL and also makes the consumer feel connected to the brand.

The Postal Service was also involved in some consumer driven marketing. They had Star Wars fans vote for their favorite Star Wars stamp that was to be used in the mail system. There was also a contest tie-in that made people feel connected. Allowing consumers to enter contests, design content, and vote for things they like make them feel like they are part of the company. Their word is heard and important to the company. This company-consumer interaction is what people are looking for.

Many companies are taking full advantage of viral marketing. Chipotle is a great example of a company who uses limited advertising dollars and still gets its message out. Their strategy is giving out many free samples and using the samplers as spokespeople. Consumers get a free sample, enjoy it, and share their experience with friends. The message is passed on and sales increase. Word of mouth is the best form of marketing. People trust it more because it comes from peers. There is no pressure and people are able to share common experiences this way.

To sum up, alternative marketing should focus on a way to get the customer to feel connected. This is done through interactive websites, contests, and allowing customers to feel like they have a say in the company. Companies must find their target audience in places where they like to be reached whether that be in the real or virtual world.

Virtual Thirst

Coke is working on expanding its brand awareness through the internet. They are primarily using the virtual world Second Life. Coke has an online campaign which includes a contest called Virtual Thurst. The concept of the contest is for consumers to design a new Coke machine to be used in Second Life. Coke knows that Second Life is big and is getting bigger. They want to be a big part of this phenomenon. New brands are appearing on Second Life by the day because it reaches so many people. The audience reach is huge and companies are willing to spend advertising dollars on this strategy.

The contest is being promoted on some of the most popular site on the Web including MySpace and YouTube. These sites have also been integrated into the contest because they too have a huge audience reach. People who enter the contest must visit these two sites. Coke has set up pages off these sites for the contest. This strategy constructs a "socially integrated marketing strategy." People who belong to these sites belong to a community. They share interaction, experiences, and interests while logged onto these sites.

With respect to the contest, Coke encourages people who enter to be as creative as possible and not limit their ideas to their technological abilities. They want to generate as many ideas as possible. This works out well for Coke. They get tons of ideas for their virtual Coke machine, they get consumers involved, they create buzz about the brand, and they are understanding their consumers better. There is no better way to give consumers what they want than by letting them design it themselves. The main goal of the contest is to create a Coke machine that will generate brand awareness in Second Life. However, the contest is already creating brand awareness from the buzz alone. They are reaching a much larger audience using the contest than by simply placing a company designed machine in Second Life.

Monster Marketing

Monster energy drink has been everywhere in the past year. They have been promoting like crazy and have been marketing geniuses. I saw the host of the MTV show "The Inferno" wearing a hat with the Monster logo on it. They have found a target market and hit it hard. They have been sponsors of major events such as the X-games, surfing competitions, and other extreme sporting competitions.



They recently became the sponsor of 15-year competitive motorcyclist veteran Ricky Carmichael. Carmichael is a 15-time American Motorcyclist Association national chamption and holds the record with 147 wins. He is a star in the motocross and supercross worlds. These sports draw a very specific audience; the very target that monster is seeking. They are sponsoring Carmichel because he is everywhere and now Monster will be as well. Monster is an energy drink for those who are hardcore and extreme. They reach their target audience very well at these events where they can put up huge banners with the logo, give out samples, and get personal with the people who are interested in their product.


Ricky Carmichael is slowly exiting the motorcycle world and is trying to get into stock cars. This sport also draw much of the same audience as the cycling world. However, stock cars have an even larger following. Ricky Carmichael will be mentored by one of the best in the sport, Mark Martin. These two will work together as Carmichael is scheduled for 15 races in 2007.


Monster continues to grow with the extreme sports affiliation. They are everywhere you turn in these alternative sporting events as sponsors. This gives them great audience reach, a chance for the consumers to get the know the company a little better, and the chance for newcomers to try the product.

Burt's "Buzz"

Burt's Bees, a skin-care company, has designed a marketing campaign that will reach their customers on a very personal level. Their campaign, called "Burt's Bees Be-utify Your World Tour," will travel to 15 cities in the US to meet face to face with prospective consumers. The campaign's main attraction is an enormous mobile hive that will attract people to come check out the company's products.

The mobile hive is bound to spark onlookers' interest. People who approach the hive to see what it is all about will have the opportunity to check out a variety of the company products. Burt's employees will be giving hand massages using the skin products as well as skin-care consultations.

One major attraction to the brand is that their products are all natural. They are very environmentally concious and want to pass on information to their customers. For this reason, the hive will also have a "What Do You Do For The Environment?" chalkboard where visitors to the hive will put down their answers. The top 50 responses from each city will recieve a sapling tree. The hope is that winners will plan the trees to combat carbon emissions.

Once customers approach the hive, representatives from Burt's want to educate them about all their products. They have over 100 products that many consumers are unaware of. These representatives have the opportunity to educate consumers as to the uses of all the products and the benefits of using all natural products.

The hive is like a giant moving billboard that will be seen by a huge audience. It gives the company so much exposure as they tour the country. It also creates curiosity as people want to know more about this mobile hive.

St. Arvin

Kraft has a new website about their Easy Mac bowls that had me cracking up. U-starvin.com markets their product to the group most people associate with the product: college students. The site starts off as a fictional college called St. Arvin University (a little hunger pun) where students will do just about anything to feed themselves.

Yes, college students are on a tight budget in their four years of higher learning, but this site takes this notion to an extreme. There are many interactive links with videos and activities to play around with. There is one link that shows many thing you should not microwave and what happens when you do. A football, gummy worms, marshmallows, and glue are among the items that are shown microwaved. The site warns viewers not to attempt this themselves and use the microwave for your Easy Mac bowls. One video shows two college students who find a half eaten piece of pizza. They proclaim they are both "very hungary" and the only way to solve this dilemma is a hall joust. The video cuts to the two students in the dorm hall all padded up and jousting with brooms while riding their bikes. An onlooker hands them both an Easy Mac bowl and suggests this is a better solution.

These hilarious videos and interactive activities show that Easy Mac is a simple way to satisfy any hunger while at college. It is fast, simple, tasty, and most importantly its cheap. They are reaching the perfect market with this site and are communicating their message in a way that college students can relate to it. While it is a bit over the top college students do understand many of the positions these students at St. Arvin are in. Sometimes it is hard to find food without burning a hole in your wallet. This site shows all the benefits of the product in an environment where it is used most. The site is worth checking out for a laugh. Watch some of the St. Arvin students in their ridiculous attemps to feed themselves.

Giveaways Create Spokespeople

Since its start in 1993, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has kept its distance from traditional marketing. They have had no need to spend expensive advertising dollars because they have had great success with word of mouth marketing. In fact, Chipotle spends less in a year on advertising than McDonald's does in 48 hours.

Chipotle relies on its customers to spread the word about the restaurant. It does not use fancy commercials or gimmicks to lure people into the stores. They use their quality food that keeps customers coming back for more. Their continued growth is thanks to their loyal customers. Same-store sales increased 13.7% in 2006, which is the ninth year in a row with a double digit increase for this category. The consistent increases show that Chipotle is doing something right.

The main way they get the message out about their restaurant is letting people try the food for themselves. They began this trend in 1997 in Denver. It was Timothy McVeigh's trial for the Oklahoma City bombings. Chipotle regularly sent free burritos to the courthouse. From there, they began to explode and have not looked back. Burrito giveaways are now part of Chipotle's strategy. One of their latest stunts was last year in Midtown when Chipotle gave away some 6,000 burritos. Some people waited for hours on line to get a taste. This word of mouth marketing technique cost Chipotle about $35,000. The price was well worth gaining the 6,000 spokespeople who spread the word for all to hear.

People are exposed to up to 6,000 advertisements a day. The best way for someone to remember a brand is through word of mouth. Something that their friend or even a stranger tells them will have more impact than any traditional media they see throughout the day.

Chipotle uses some traditional media to get a more wide exposure. Their two channels of choice are billboards and radio. However, they spend less than 1 percent of their annual revenue advertising. Word of mouth marketing increases Chipotle's profits tremendously by reaching so many people and saving lots of money on advertising.

R2D2 Teams Up With the Postal Service

2007 marks the 30th anniversary of the original release of Star Wars in 1977. To celebrate this milestone, Lucasfilm Ltd. (in charge of Star Wars) is teaming up with the US Postal Service. They are promoting 15 new stamps released on March 28th that feature numerous characters from all the Star Wars movies including Han Solo, Chewbacca, Yoda, Darth Maul, Stormtroopers, and R2D2 to name a few.

To promote the stamps the US Postal Service is setting up about 400 mailboxes nationwide that will resemble a beloved character from the series, R2D2. This character's shape is somewhat similar to the shape of mailboxes so it was the perfect idea to connect Star Wars with the mail system. This alternative marketing strategy is a great way to create buzz because the look of the mailbox is sure to grab your attention. Also, the R2D2 is such a famous character from the series that people who are not complete fanatics about Star Wars would be curious about new Star Wars event is in the making. This character allows the promotion to reach a large audience.

I read an article that explains many parts of the promotion. The mailbox makes this promotion interactive as the mailbox displays a website called http://www.uspsjedimaster.com/ where people can vote for their favorite stamps in the collection. Voting takes place from March 28th through May 23rd. The winning stamp will be revealed on the first day of issue on May 25th. People who vote for their favorite stamp have a feeling of being involved with the promotion. In addition, the website has something called The Jedi Shipping and Mailing Master Challenge. This is a Star Wars themed challenge that uses USPS products and services. The contest is explained in detail on the site. The winner gets an all expenses paid trip for 4 to the 30th anniversary Star Wars party in Los Angeles.

So first the mailbox catches your attention. Next, it is a call to action for the website. This shows you that there are new stamps available you can vote on and there is a contest with a great prize. It is a great marketing strategy because it is effective at grabbing attention and calling for action. Chris Scalf is the artist that was hired to make the mailboxes look like R2D2. He is an avid Star Wars fan himself so it was a job he was passionate about. His website explains his design and some of the restrictions put on him by the USPS in his design. There are certain areas of the mailbox that could not be covered that were some essential R2D2 parts. He worked around his restrictions and made a great design that have already caught the eyes of many.

Promoting

One reason for writing this blog is for people to actually read it. If people read my blog and make posts I can get feedback on my information and share knowledge with other people. One way to promote a blog is to throw the URL for the blog around. One thing I've done to promote this blog is entering my URL on my facebook profile under my websites. Anyone who is browsing through my blog can click on a link directing them straight to my blog. This is a good spot to place a URL because most people browsing facebook are bored and are looking for something interesting to click on. I know that personally I go on facebook in between classes when I am bored and have nothing to do but kill time. Also, facebook is so popular now people are bound to at least see that I have a website. I cannot make them click my link, but placing it on facebook makes it easy. Another great place to place a link to my site is as an away message for AOL instant messenger. As with facebook, people on their computers who are bored check their buddies' away messages to see what they have to say. Some people place links to youtube videos they want to share with friends. Placing my URL in my away message is another way for people to easily access my blog when they have nothing better to do than to check away messages. A blog is made to share with people and promoting it is an essential part of running a blog.

Risky Business

Phillips has introduced an electric shaver called the Bodygroom, which is designed to remove hair from men’s delicate and hard to reach places. Their marketing strategy was risky, but it was an online hit. The interactive website is hysterically bold. Shaveeverywhere.com pushed far beyond the limit with regards to male grooming.

The website has an introduction with an odd and creepy guy in a bath robe. He explains the uses and benefits of the Bodygroom. However, he does this in an awkwardly frank manner. The Bodygroom is a modified shaver made exclusively for men and their fury underarms, backs, and undercarriage. He speaks obscenely about removing hair from a man’s genitalia using ridiculous sexual innuendoes. The sound bite censors many of his words and inserts pictures of objects such as a carrot and nuts to get his point across. In my opinion, the most foreword of his phrases must be his speech about the “optical inch.” He explains that by using the Bodygroom on his man-bits has given him an optical inch, making his man parts appear larger.

Aside from being outrageously frank about his genitalia, he does get into the health and rational uses of the Bodygroom. He explains that removing hair from these places reduces odor and the potential for certain bacteria. The site is effective in the way that it explains all the uses of its product and places where it is sold. This allows visitors of the site to make immediate purchasing action.

This website is so ridiculous that it is worth checking out for a laugh. Its ridiculousness makes the site memorable and ties into the product. The creepy guy and the sexual innuendoes do not negatively affect the brand because viewers of the site understand the message and the purpose of the site. The site is an extremely risky strategy because of its potential for negative criticism. However, it came off perfectly and Phillips did a great job with this marketing plan.

Second Life Advertising

Second Life is growing at an incredible speed. People are intrigued by this virtual world where they can interact with people from all over the world. Companies around the world have caught on the the phenomenon and have entered the virtual world themselves. Second Life has become a great way for companies to reach consumers. With traditional marketing becoming less effective, Second Life is a great place for some companies to reach people. Also, many people who are in Second Life are more technologically savvy and the type of people more resistant to traditional marketing.

One island I visited while touring Second Life was LeoBurnett. This was a funky island with huge trees and some sort of bridges connecting the trees. Avatars (characters in Second Life) could walk into the trees, climb up them, and explore. One interactive component on this island was the ability to pick up a giant pencil. This pencil was larger than the character. There was also a giant apple that avatars could pick up and hop on as a means of travel. If this was some sort of marketing it was not successful because I don't know what it was for other than being fun.

One marketing trend that seems to be huge in Second Life is billboards. They have billboards posted everywhere including one that I saw for a recent movie called 300. They are using Second Life as a tool to promote their movie and stir up interest. One area in Second Life that I visited was called the Freebie Warehouse. This area had a lot of billboards that it used, but many of them were not for companies. One was for a casino that was located elsewhere in Second Life. Another that comes to mind is one that was offering money for avatars to dance. Avatars have the ability to dance in Second Life and this particular billboard gave away Second Life currency for signing up to dance somewhere in Second Life. I stumbled across, and remembered, these two billboards that I had no interest in. This should show companies that if they find the right islands to market on they could get massive amounts of exposure. If they find islands that their target audience visits they could be very successful.

I think interaction is key in Second Life. I visited a Nissan dealership where they allowed avatars to test drive their vehicles. I hopped in a car and started to drive all around the island. This was fun and I remembered it. This is the goal of marketing in Second Life.

If my company, New Tree chocolate, were to advertise in Second Life they would be wise to use interaction as much as possible. Set up a huge billboard with a New Tree representative avatar sitting under the billboard so people could ask him or her questions. I would pitch the"giant pencil" idea. However, New Tree should give out giant New Tree chocolate bars for people to surf through the sky with. When the avatars fly they could be floating on a New Tree bar. This would be fun and remembered by people who try it. This would get their name out there and get people interested in the new company.

Marlins Take A Chance

The Florida Marlins are having a lot of trouble bringing people into the ballpark these days. Last year the team was ranked dead last in Major League Baseball with an average of less than 15,000 seats filled. To give you an idea, this is less than 40% of the available seating in the stadium.

In 2003, the team was selling out tickets as the team eventually made it to the World Series. They had an exciting team that Marlins fans were willing to pay big bucks to see. Now that the team is struggling to win games, fans are losing interest. The Marlins also have the disadvantage of being a relatively new team. They joined the MLB less than 15 years ago so they do not have fans who have been by their side their whole lives. Other struggling teams at least have fans who have been there for the good and bad times. These fans went to ball games with their grandfathers when they were younger. These established teams have a tradtion that they share with their fans, so they are more loyal. There are less loyal Marlins fans for the simple fact that they are new. To build up their loyalty they need another way to fill the seats in their stadium.

For the 2007 season, the Marlins are taking a chance on 3 TV commerials that break the traditional mold. They are using actual players from the team as actors in their commercials. The idea for the ads is for the players to be in full uniform and approach people doing things in their everyday lives such as shopping in a supermarket or watching TV in their living room. The players stop these people and ask them something to the effect of, "Where were you last night?" The ads playfully, but agressively ask the fans what they were doing last night that was better than going to a ball game. The team wants to see if this up-close and personal approach works with the Florida fans. The ads are somewhat humerous in their tone and the way players, fully suited-up, are coming up to people in unusual places to find out why they are not coming to the game.

The Marlins had to cut their payroll due to the lack of fan interst in the team. This year they plan on special promotions such as fireworks and live concerts during some games to motivate fans even more. This TV campaign is something new and the Marlins are in desperate need of success in their upcoming season.

So Easy A Caveman Could Do It...

Joe Dyton, better known as the Geico caveman, is a fictional character that has become a marketing success beyond Geico's wildest dreams. This fictional character has become a fan favorite from television commercials to the Internet. Joe and his cast of cavemen have been frustrated with Geico's tagline, " so easy a caveman could do it," for some time now. In the commercials, the cavemen have been on a fictional TV show where they are interviewed about the slogan. They have also been seen talking to their psychiatrists to deal with the humiliation the slogan has brought them.

These humerus ads have caught on and they have great retention. Whenever someone sees the caveman on TV they know it is an ad for Geico. This is half the battle with television ads. There are so many funny ads, but many times no one remembers what brand is advertising. Geico has some marketing geniuses. They have made their message clear: Geico is easy. They have expressed this message through many successful humour campaigns, but none as successful as the caveman.

The caveman phenomenon has become so popular that there is an interactive website called CavemansCrib.com where visitors can tour the caveman's apartment. Some of the things visitors can do is dress Joe, play with his iPod, listen to his phone messages, read his journal, etc. The site has so much you can do to get to know the caveman. The features that the site has to offer reinforces everything in the commercials. For example, the iPod plays songs from the commercials and visitors remember the commercials. His popularity has Geico's name everywhere.

The latest development with the caveman is, believe it or not, his own television sitcom. There is a deal that is still in progress that would feature three of the stars of Geico's caveman commercials for an ABC sitcom. The idea came about when a fake trailer for a Caveman movie appeared on youtube.com. This gave the marketing the idea that the sitcom was possible. In an article i read on AdAge.com today, Geico's VP Creative Director was quoted as saying, "The story arc of the caveman was already in episodic in nature. There is character development and storyline."

People enjoy the cavemen because they are so angry. Their frustration is so entertaining to all who watch the commercials because the premise of the ads is so outrageous. The character is already known by the public and he peaks a lot of interest. I look forward to see where this sitcom idea is headed.

Facebook Marketing

Facebook is a great tool that companies are finally taking advantage of. One of the major goals in marketing is discovering where to find the target audience. Facebook members can be narrowed down to an almost exact target market. Facebook members used to have to have an official college email address to be eligible for a membership. However, Facebook was recently opened to a select number of high schools. This expanded the audience that Facebook currently reaches. However, the majority of Facebook's use is still held by college students. This means that the primary target audience is college students and recent graduates with high school studnets as a secondary target audience. The college users make up the majority of the social network. This primary target is a fairly well educated group of individuals with a lot of purchasing power. What better place to advertise than a website many students visit at least once a day?

Now that March is here, March Madness will soon begin. March Madness refers to the NCAA men's basketball tournament that attracts a huge audience. It is an exciting tournament that starts with 64 teams with one team crowned nation champion. Each year around this time sports fans create brackets and predict what teams will beat who and which team will finally win the tournament. Last year facebook set up an online bracket, which made it easy for students to make their picks. They allowed groups of people to compete against each other to see who made the best picks. They also had a Facebook-wide competition for the best picks. This year they brought back the brackets, which were reintroduced to Facebook today.

This year facebook has four tournament sponsors that include Geico car insurance, Champion sports apparel, Borat the DVD, and a movie called Disturbia, which is coming to theaters April 13th. These sponsors have taken advantage of a known target audience in a medium with vast exposure. This year they are giving away large cash prizes for the contestants with the most accurate brackets. This gives students more of an incentive to enter the Madness if they were not previously inclined to do so. This gives the sponsors an even greater reach with their advertising. Some of the advertising costs put in my the sponsors goes to the $25,000 grand prize.

Geico is a company that young people can relate to. They have funny commercials and high recall. Champion is a less popular sports brand. However, they are trying to integrate their sports apparel with a sporting event, which should work well for them. Borat was a hit movie in 2006 and it is advertising its highly anticipated DVD release. This is also a good opportunity for Disturbia to advertise because the the movie comes out soon after the conclusion of March Madness. Facebook makes up the target market that all of these sponsors are seeking. All four sponsors work well in this medium.

Here is a link to Facebook's March Madness page with the sponsors displayed down the right hand side. Unfortunately, people who are not members of Facebook will be unable to see the link.

X & Y

Generation X and Y are a huge American market that may not be marketed to in the best way possible. Do companies really know the audience representing this audience? Some may, but not all companies marketing to these groups are as effective in reaching this population as they could be.

Generation X, people born between 1965 and 1976, have been known to be independent and skeptical. At this point in their lives, Generation X'ers are a more mature audience. They are settling down and many of them are engaged in family life. These people are currently in today's job world and have become a "wired" group. They do not respond to traditional media as the generations before them have.

Generation Y, people born between 1977 and 1994, are known more for being optimistic and positive as a whole. They are harder to reach through traditional media and are more educated when it comes to marketing. This group is not easily fooled and are marketing savvy. They also tend to be less brand loyal because this generation grew up with so many options.

Generation X and Y make up about 42% of the US population, but the question is how do you reach these groups if they show limited response to traditional media? One effective method actually does come from a traditional source. Michael Fleischner recently wrote about the success of direct mail when targeting generation X and Y. Direct mail is certainly used to advertise in today's age, but the response from this traditional source is shockingly high. About 87% of generation X and Y bring in the mail each day it is delivered, with a very high percentage using coupons received in the mail. According to the study Fleischner wrote about, X and Y's say that 75% of the mail they receive is "valuable."

These high percentages indicate how well received mail is in the eye of these consumers. If 42% of the population rates mail that high as a way to reach them, more companies should take advantage of it. However, the success of direct mail could easily be lost if too many companies caught on to this effective communication medium. Mail would turn into a clutter making each piece of direct mail less important to its receiver.

The real success of direct mail, aimed at the people from generation X and Y, comes with the online content that they are directed to. These generations are very influenced by the Internet. Their daily lives are dependent on the Internet. These wired generations use the Internet to shop, communicate, research and educate themselves. Successful companies have been supplementing their direct mail with the Internet. Direct mail, many times, gives the consumers motivation to visit their site. They can offer contests, sweepstakes, discounts, and more. Direct mail will not work by itself with this market. It can be very useful if it is integrated into a marketing mix that reaches the target audience.

What's Wrong With U???

What's wrong with you? That is the question Microsoft is asking the Asian market referring to the low sales of Xbox 360's in that region. Microsoft set up a website called whatswrongwithu.com to generate interest in their video game console.

The site brings you to 4 links of different languages, three of which are in Asian. The other says Singapore and the content off that link is in English. According to a blog I read about the website the three countries that are being targeted with the site are Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea. These are most likely the other 3 links. These large Asian markets have been virtually unresponsive to the Xbox 360. They have shown a much greater interest in the Playstation 3 from Sony. This unusual marketing tactic seems a little harsh and disrespectful to its audience.

I find this website to be offensive. If I were someone in this Asian market this site would do nothing more than turn me away from this product. Microsoft is saying that because sales of their product are down in one area of the world there is something wrong with these people. The site tries to highlight things that the market is interested in such as "Great Japanese Games," but I find this approach degrading. One headline of the site says, "Xbox has it all! What else are you looking for?" I feel that the site is almost talking down to the people its directed at. From the title to its structure, the site is degrading to the audience that it needs the most help from.

I believe that this site is counterproductive because of how Asians will perceive the site. In addition, the site is very pushy at getting personal information. I understand that they would like to know more about their Asian audience to better serve them, but they are very forward with the process. First, they ask for an e-mail address and you cannot navigate away from the page without giving your e-mail or exiting the site. Once you give your e-mail another window appears that says "We want to know more!" The site is not only degrading, but it is pushy and invades the privacy of its visitors.

This odd marketing tactic gets my thumbs down. I think it is very ineffective. There are numerous alternatives to increasing Asian sales dollars and Microsoft messed up with this marketing strategy.

The LeBron Brand

LeBron James is a basketball superstar, but is he a global icon? Not yet anyway, but that's his plan. LeBron may be good at basketball, but he also knows what he's doing when it comes to marketing. He is the face of many brands like Nike and Coca-Cola to name a few. He has landed his huge endorsement deals by marketing himself. As a teenager breaking into the NBA right out of high school, LeBron was looking for single endorsements, but now he is getting serious.

LeBron is now a part of legitimate marketing firm called LRMR marketing. His business partners are three childhood friends helping LeBron reach his global status through many business ventures. The firm started up after LeBron's much talked about split with former agent Aaron Goodwin.

"As we're building our relationships, I don't look at it as endorsement deals," said James. He is looking at his endorsers as partners in building his business empire. LRMR invited LeBron's endorsers to get together to discuss how to slowly build the LeBron brand. LRMR understands that this will be a process requiring time and patience. LeBron set his goals very high and his business associates understand.

His main goal at this point is to become a global icon by the date 08/08/08. This day marks the day that Team USA arrives in Beijing, China to kick off the 2008 Summer Olympics. LeBron wants to be a global icon walking into China. He wants to be known by everyone in the world by name. At the meeting with his endorsers the material he handed out displayed this date with no explanation. At the meeting they revealed the goal and tried to formulate a long-term strategy. He also handed out black Nike T-Shirts with the word "Witness" printed on it, referring to everyone who will be a witness to his greatness. This was part of Nike's new campaign for "King James."

LeBron has plans to be in a category with Muhammad Ali and Pele as athletes who went beyond sports and were known as icons. Along with his impressive line-up of endorsers, LeBron has other marketing plans to boost his status. He has a marketing scheme called "Go Inside." The campaign highlights social responsibility including charitable work that LeBron is currently involved in.

LeBron seems to be growing extraordinarily fast in the states and his global efforts are on the rise. He has done so much to get his name and face out there. He is still young and has the potential to reach his global icon goal.

Pepsi Gets Personal

Pepsi's 2007 marketing campaign called for a few changes; 35 to be exact. Pepsi is taking a new approach to marketing this year that will deal with their packaging. This campaign calls for the Pepsi bottles and cans to change their look every couple of weeks. Since its birth in 1898, Pepsi has changed the look of its containers a total of 10 times. This year alone they plan on changing the look 35 times with different themes to catch the eye of shoppers.

The bottles and cans will all feature the globe-shaped Pepsi logo and traditional lettering, but the background of the cans will constantly change. The backgrounds will show different themes that Pepsi has found its target to be interested in. I recently read a blog that quoted the company as saying the goal in continually changing the containers is to “reflect themes close to the hearts of teens and young adults, such as sports, music, fashion and cars." The change that this marketing scheme offers intends to excite the consumer. They will soon realize that the cans are changing their look. They will be excited to see what the next design will look like when its displayed in stores.

Because the cans feature hobbies the target is interested in, such as sports and music, they will take the time to see what is on each new can. The extra time the consumers spend observing the new look of the can is also extra time that they can think about buying cool, refreshing soda.

Pepsi is also using the new cans to make the consumers feel connected to the company. A sports enthusiast who sees a basketball background may feel like the company is really taking the time to get to know their customers. Pepsi knows what they like and they try to encorporate consumer intersts in their product. This strategy tries to give the consumers the impression that Pepsi cares about them by making the cans more personal.

The bottles and cans will also have internet addresses printed on them. These addresses will lead consumers to online activities including games, contests, and sweepstakes. The sites also will also invite consumers to help design projects including a Pepsi billboard to be placed in Times Square and a new paint scheme on the Pepsi sponsored NASCAR racecar. These interactive components make consumers feel more connected to the company. The sites give the consumers the opportunity to be involved in the company. Someone who works on the new paint scheme seen on Pepsi's racecar will be more loyal to the brand because they feel connected.

The campaign is set to launch this month. Check out the new look of Pepsi cans and the interactive websites.

Cartoon Network President Cracks

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past week and a half you know all about the marketing stunt that cost Turner Broadcasting and their marketing company $2 million. The Cartoon Network attempted to create some buzz about their upcoming movie for the Aqua Teen Hunger Force. They hired Interference Inc, a marketing firm that set up glowing billboards of one of the characters from the movie. They set up in several major US cities, but they encountered some controversy in Boston.

Some people in Boston thought that the glowing billboards looked dangerously close to bombs with the wires hanging out of the back. They were also located in places like subways and under bridges where bombs have been known to be, which is scary in the world we live in today. The publicity the event got was great for the movie. The audience for this movie is filled with rebels who loved the stunt. Turner and Interference were fined for the stunt, but the fine was well worth it for the Cartoon Network. The story blew up and exposure they received for the stunt was huge.

Turner and Cartoon Network have been under heat the past week and a half and it finally became too much for Cartoon Network president Jim Samples. Samples sent an e-mail to network employees saying "I feel compelled to step down, effectively immediately, in recognition of the gravity of the situation that occurred under my watch." He was under fire, and was probably on his way to being fired. In an attempt to keep some of his credibility he stepped down before he was let go. The event in Boston caused so many problems that it became too much to handle for Samples. He had to deal with the legal difficulties that arose from the incident, the large fine, and the public relations disaster that was created.

The buzz about this event was what eventually led to Samples' resignation. The story blew up because it peaked the interest of so many audiences. Everyone wanted to know more details about what Interference Inc. was thinking, if they intended any of the effects that occurred in Boston, and everything that the story was about. The news traveled fast through many different media sources and the nation was kept on top of the story all week long.

Targeting Young Males

The young men demographic, age 18 to 34, is one of the hardest groups to reach with traditional advertising. This demographic is not watching enough television, listening to enough radio or reading enough magazines for these types of media to be effective. Advertisers have had to think outside the box to reach this group. Scion is one brand that has been at successful using non-traditional methods to reach this target audience.

I recently read an article explaining the strategy Scion took to reach this target. Scion had a very successful campaign that peaked the interest of people new to the car market. Many people in this demographic are buying a new car for the first time and car brands like Scion can cash in. Scion is a hip new car brand that catches the interest of young men. They are stylish and have a uniqueness to them. Scion decided that if they wanted to reach this target they had to use alternative routes. Their strategy was going out into the environment where their target could be found.

They set up an area outside of a music store with three or four of their cars in a few major cities. Potential buyers could stop by, sign up and get a free ten minute test drive of one of the model cars. They also gave away merchandise, which is always a good way to keep the brand in the consumers' minds. They are always reminded of the brand when they see this merchandise with the brand's logo on it. This is a very successful strategy because of the comfort the environment creates. They are scaring these people off by pressuring them into buying a car. Simply being at a dealership puts pressure on the consumer, but Scion's idea gives the consumer the chance to really get a chance to learn about the product without the pressure found at dealerships.

Scion is also using other promotional strategies to further reach consumers. They have sponsored numerous night club events, which is a perfect way to reach their target market. Their brand fits perfectly with the night life, bachelor theme. Even though the target is harder to reach through traditional media, Scion advertises on television and in magazines because there is still a huge audience base. Consumers who attended the test drive event can be reinforced by the tradition commercials. The combination of all their different types of marketing has been fairly successful.

As someone in this target market I am attracted to Scion because of everything it represents. The cars go with the lifestyle of many people in this target. They are sleek, futuristic looking cars that peak the interst of young men. I think that they have positioned their brand effectively and their marketing is consistent with everything that the brand represents.

Super Success

Superbowl Sunday is just as well known for the much anticipated commercials as it is for the game. Companies spent $2.6 million dollars on each 30 second commercial aired during the game. Companies are aware that CBS will draw a huge audience, but is the $2.6 million really worth it?

The companies advertising in the Superbowl get more exposure than meets the eye. Companies know that they are reaching a wide audience and save their best commercials for this night. Viewers, on the other hand, know these commercials are always entertaining. Some people watch the game strictly for the commercials. Non-football fans get just as much entertainment as football fans on the commercial breaks. From my own experience, whoever I'm watching the game with always pays close attention to the ads. Everyone quiets down and pays close attention to the ads. Then, everyone critiques the ad. The close attention paid to these commercials creates a buzz.

In each one of my classes today students were talking about their favorite commercials, which one was the funniest, and which ones were complete failures. I got a few e-mails from people at home raving about which commercial they are still laughing about. These commercials are so heavily scrutinized by all the viewers that they are bound to create buzz no matter what. So many people share the these ads and want to give their opinions to friends about them. They stir up conversation between friends, co-workers, students, and more. So these traditional TV ads turn into work of mouth advertising that is effective enough to charge companies $2.6 million dollars for a 30 second advertising spot.

In short, the extraordinary amount of money these companies spend on Superbowl Sunday are definitely worth it. The buzz these commercials generate is so important for the growth of these companies.

Have you seen the purple cow?

I recently watched a video presentation by Seth Godin about Google and its continued success in marketing. He spoke about how marketers must find a way for their products to tell a story. A product can distinguish itself from the competition if there is a story worth telling about that product.

Seth gave the example of socks. Socks are socks. Not many people are interested in what socks are setting the trends. But, what if the socks could tell a story? He introduced a company that sold socks that didn't match. Two different colors, two different designs, an no matches. These socks, marketed to 11 year old girls, allowed for these girls to go to school and tell their sock story. One girl shows another girl her funky socks and the chain reaction begins. The next thing you know, all the girls are showing off all the different colored socks they have. The story the girls are able to tell causes the strong buzz that marketers are looking for. The girls respond to the fun they can have with something as simple as a pair of socks.

Now you must be wondering, purple cow? Seth told a story about how his kids were rambunctious on a car trip when he noticed that they suddenly became silent. He noticed that they were looking out the window at a cow. But, five seconds later they went back to their obnoxious behavior. He went on to imagine, what if the cow was purple? This would be an amazing sight that would keep their attention. He would have pulled the car over to get a better look. They would go over to the cow to make sure their eyes were not deceiving them and they would touch the cow to be able to say "I've touched a purple cow!" This is what marketers are trying to do: portray their product as something capable of telling a story.

Google has been very successful with buzz marketing. Everyone knows about Google! but why? Google is so user-friendly. It gives you exactly what you want with many options. Everyone can relate to Google because it is personal. What sets Google apart is that people care about Google. People have created their own verb heard in everyday conversation related to the site. If someone wants to know more about something many times I will hear people say I will "Google it." Searching something online has become synonymous with this site and word of mouth has propelled their extraordinary growth over the past few years.

Hi! My name is George Angevine. I'm a sophomore majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications at Ithaca College. This blog is going to be about a new wave of marketing that is on the rise. I'm talking about buzz marketing, and guerilla marketing. New technology has proved to reduce the effectiveness of traditional advertising. Technological advances have given consumers more power than ever before. With such things as TiVo and channels On Demand viewers can bypass commercials, the very financial source that allows them to view their favorite stations. Even more recent has been the emergence of websites and programs such as youtube, torrence, etc. These sites offer consumers the opportunity to view such things as television programs without any commercial interruption. Many people will watch episodes of their favorite shows their computers. This gives viewers the chance to watch TV shows at whatever time fits their schedule. In this blog I will talk about the trends in this marketing field, who's doing what, its effectiveness, the costs involved, and other current news. I find that this type of marketing is the most creative and that creativity is what causes people to remember them. Buzz marketing allows products to become popular quickly. Once people start talking about something that is hot word of mouth can promote it like nothing else. With this blog I aim to keep readers on top of the marketing industry. I will excite and interest you with the latest and greatest from the alternative marketing world.