Companies can brand themselves in many different regards. The proliferation of smart phones and tablet computers amongst consumers, combined with the increasing importance of staying "connected" while on on-the-go, makes it paramount for businesses to ensure customers associate Internet connectivity (at no charge) with their locations. Two industries the concept of being "Internet friendly" plays especially well for are hotels and restaurants. I've stayed in four different hotels so far thi... Continue reading ...
A recent interview by Adage of Bud Light brand Vice President Mike Sundet revealed what Bud Light Marketing folks think they did wrong when it came to their Golden Wheat beer (a product they have since stopped producing). Ad Age: Bud Light is your biggest and most important brand. How do you make sure you don't overextend it with new versions?
Mr. Sundet: The key is to make sure that it all ties back into the essence of what Bud Light is all about. Bud Light is a fun, social, spontaneous br... Continue reading ...
Many people have seen the New Era commercial where Alec Baldwin "relieves" himself while watching a Yankees-Red Sox game:  But did you know there was a series of these commercials created? Below is another in the series I hadn't seen yet:  These commercials are another example of an attention grabbing way to bring attention to a brand or product (in this case a hat company). The off-brand humor appeals to the target market (young males), and the celebrities do a terrific job of showing passion to... Continue reading ...
Starbucks announced last week it will begin selling its own, branded coffee maker (called the Verismo) toward the end of this year. Interestingly enough, Starbucks does not plan on ending its relationship with Green Mountain, who produces Starbucks K-Cups for use in Keurig machines. The Verismo can be used for expresso-based drinks (which would be an additional feature compared with the Keurig). I can't find any details on whether the Verismo can be used for standard coffee as well. Either wa... Continue reading ...
So here is a creative way to differentiate a bandage from the competition: include a bone marrow registration kit with your product! Click the image below to see the ad:  After researching a bit, this ad is apparently both real and for a real company (Help Remedies). And while I don't believe this company has the same market presence as say, Tylenol or Advil, they appear to have a fairly extensive line of products: http://www.helpineedhelp.com/#products (a word of caution...if a product on thei... Continue reading ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2U3Fl5FESc
Microsoft is using Google's recent privacy policy change as a chance to remind consumers of its products and presence in the market place...pure branding (my type of campaign). This campaign, composed of mainly print ads, might lead with sentiments on putting its consumers first, but the call to action is a reminder of the main products in Microsoft's stable, all of which compete with a Google alternative..Bing, Hotmail, Internet Explorer, and Office.... Continue reading ...
Anheuser-Busch InBev will focus two of their six Super Bowl commercials on a new product, Bud Light Platinum. This new beer is targeted toward "younger, urban drinkers" in an attempt to boost revenue, currently being adversely affected by a general market shift toward liquor amid younger consumers and poor or flat performance within rural markets. ABI's Marketing VP is quoted as saying, "With Platinum, we feel like we can come up with compelling propositions
that can compete on image and that... Continue reading ...
Without question, any company not looking to expand their product offerings is losing market security and possibly market share to other competitors (both current and future). I've seen the affects of breaking into new markets first hand at the two companies I've worked for since graduation, and I'm convinced through experience this is a true statement. Starbucks recently announced an expansion of its own (or at least the testing of one). Now instead of coffee and breakfast/desert food and be... Continue reading ...
 Two interesting things happened this week in the world of business. The first and most noteworthy (especially for anyone located in Western New York) was the news of Kodak's bankruptcy. After over one hundred years, a brand as associated with America as Chevrolet and Ford has dropped all the way from the top. The second piece of interesting news actually involves Chevrolet. After years dominated by lost revenue and government bailouts, General Motors has regained its title of top selling auto...
I took notice of two new commercials while watching football this weekend. Both commercials were different in their approach to advertising their product. Take a look at the first ad for Motorola's new Droid Bionic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVnxUJuRPTU. This ad focuses on a particular product differentiator: the ability to access all files on a computer (even immediately after download), without manually synching the phone. Whether or not this is the only phone that can do this is irrelev... Continue reading ...
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