Nutritional Health Brings Brand Health?

In this age of the gluten-free, paleo and clean-eating food trends, big food brands have felt a push to accommodate consumers who respond to these buzzwords. Brands such as Frito-Lay, Kellogg and Kraft are experiencing an increase in competition and a decrease in sales, due to their delayed leap onto the health bandwagon (Schultz, 2015). To appeal to the newest spending crowd, the Millennials, they must have a fresh, healthy and authentic image. But to better market themselves as healthy, they need a marketing team who understands the Millennial mind and can sell effectively. But the young marketing professionals are already working for the up-and-coming healthful brands, and do not necessarily want to work for a big food company whose values do not currently meet Millennial standards. 

Despite food trends and fads, there will always be die-hard nostalgic consumers of “junk,” who respond to taste, habit and cost more than health concern or wholesomeness. Besides, these brands did not originally exist to fulfill nutritional desires, but to leave your stomach and wallet satisfied. However, focus on health is the next possible step for the brands to survive long term.

Millennials prefer many purchase options, customization and optimization. If these big food brands provide product extensions including the removal of artificial colors and flavors, GMOs or gluten, perhaps then Millennials who by nature appreciate the presence of choice may be more likely to pick from the top shelves of the grocery store.

It is a “weighty” task to balance brand relevance while remaining timeless and classic. It can be done, but only with a fast market response and willingness to change.

For more information, check out the full article: http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/big-food-falters-marketers-responding/298747/ 

Car naming has been elevated to an ad campaign - I love this!

For those of you who've traveled with me in "Big Willow" my adorable VOLVO XC 90, you know I'm one of those folks who names my car.  I loved the design and green color and when I found out the hue happened to be named Willow Green, I was sold.

The back-story, in 2003 we named our newly adopted tabby-cat "Willow". Her eyes were a gorgeous shade of green, but the name we'd picked out to honor her, Jade, seemed too strong to reflect her bendy, cuddly, willow-wallowing personality once we got to know her a bit better.

So as you can imagine, when I decided to shop for cars, the stars aligned to push me in the Volvo direction. And I named the car "Big Willow" in contrast to the original "Willow" - who's a bit smaller :-)

(That leads me to a follow-up tidbit. Mark, my husband, has a gun-metal gray Jetta named "Little Bridget". That car's namesake? Our enormous, fluffy, gray kitty, "Bridget" who's oversized personality and figure often make her seem bigger than the car!)

Check out the Toyota campaign:
http://adage.com/article/behind-the-work/toyota-s-mas-auto-average-campaign/297904/

JCPenny’s NEW Catalog Equipped with Dog-ear & Pen-circling Capabilities

Ron Johnson, JCPenny’s former CEO, wiped the 1200-plus-page catalog from America’s mailbox in 2009. But with new management and direction, their home catalog has been resurrected. 120 glorious pages feature affordable goodies to fill up living rooms, bedrooms and any other room in need of some decorative lovin’. Fewer pages, but Penny’s has its book-book back. I’ll take it. Spokeswomen Kate Coultas said according to their research customers, particularly shopping for home merchandise, still prefer to browse a traditional print piece.  These customers, me included, want the ability to finger through the thin pages, making dog-ears, circling and flagging the wishes and wants, picturing the items in their home.

Ever since companies discovered digital marketing to reach their consumers, we’ve seen a rollercoaster-drop in catalogs reaching our mailboxes. No longer were the coffee tables and kitchen cupboards of America overflowing with catalog. Great for the environment! But on the other hand, I personally enjoyed Saturday morning couch lounging, marking things I “need.”

Recently, the Direct Marketing Association found the number of catalog mailed since 2013 rising for the first time since 2006. Some retailers have begun using catalog marketing for the first time. The catalog taps the consumer on the shoulder, ensuring they know it’s there with its fresh paper smell and glossy pictures. It sits patiently in the living room waiting for you to walk by and take a peek.

To further back up the beloved catalog, Kate Coultas of JCPenny, thinks that, “the internet has gotten so big that you can’t find anything on it. The Internet is a place for shopping quick and knowing the exact item you wish to purchase.” As a millennial I admit I do purchase the item online after looking at a catalog. But I like to touch the pages and see the item and picture it in my life before going online and clicking through an extensive product list.

JCPenny’s new strategy with their 120-page home catalog is to drive sales. After a few messy years brought on by poor management decisions, they need this. Depending on the market cooperation, Penny’s plans to present to America other niche-based product catalog plus experiment with frequency and versatility. Keep watch for JCPenny’s 2015 home catalog coming to America’s mailbox in March!

Keep It Personal

We are Millennials, hear us … text. And tweet. And snap. While I still look back nostalgically at a time when cell phones were only “for emergencies” and researching involved opening a book, I know I am the typical, technology dependent Millennial girl. Known as the “always connected” generation, Millennials or Generation Y born between 1980 and 1999, make up the largest generation group in history. We’re a challenge to market to due to the size and diversity of our group, along with our identifying attributes that include short attention spans, extreme self-confidence and highly personalized demands. But we also represent strong purchasing power. Successful brands need to take notice and adjust their strategies to reach us.

In a recent Forbes interview, SDL Chief Marketing Officer Paige O’Neill lays out a few recommendations for how marketers can better leverage the size and potential of Milliennials.

1. Focus on experience. As Millennials, we create our own brand experiences instead of waiting for the next marketing campaign. A shift from the traditional “campaign” approach to a focus on the customer experience will help break through the personal junk filter.

2. Show greater transparency. Trust is of huge importance. If brands show how consumer data is collected and use it to offer more customized content or provide a benefit in return, Millennials feel stronger loyalty. It’s all about personalization.

3. Use an omni-channel strategy. We want tailored communication and we want it across all channels. If you engage with your customers on Facebook, we want to see that engagement through the ad you run on Spotify, in your weekly email blast and around the Internet through retargeting.

4. Be relevant to the individual. We’ve always known brands need to understand the behaviors of their target audience. But with Millennials, understanding the journey is key to unlocking a successful marketing strategy. The tools we leave behind – email address, IP address, browsing history, device type and location – will help reach Millennials across channels and personalize the content to individual preferences.

A lot is still left to be seen about the Millennial generation as we enter our forties and beyond. Will we be great money savers? Will our social libertarian outlook fuel significant policy change? As Generation Z enters the mix, how will the workforce change for us? Regardless of the future, to reach us today, marketers need to remember content is king and “keep it personal.”

Co-Branding-Does it Work?

Co Branding Does it Work? Kelloggs recently came out with a new peanut butter cereal but ran into the wall when concluding their name alone was not going to be enough to sell their new cereal.

What do big brands do in a case like this?

Generate a deal with another complimentary brand!

 In Kellogg’s case, saving the peanut butter cereal by combining brand strength with Jiff was a logical choice. The happy-brand-couple receives dual exposure and the kids in the cereal isle become extra bouncy at the sight of the delicious complex.

 Licensing agreements are an old trick in the great book of marketing do’s and don’ts. This year especially, many big-box food production companies have been studying the co-branding marketing strategy page for ways to boost their product and break away from their competitors.

 The drawback when implementing this co-marketing is shared control as one relies equally on the other guy to be part of a brand empowering partnership. Yet, the positive facet to this situation, launching the product is much quicker because marketers aren’t building a brand from scratch.

 Here is where the mixed brands get interesting:

 Jelly Belly + Tabasco Dark Chocolate.

 These recognizable brands decided they would make a great food couple, a perfect pairing. I’m not quite sure all would agree with this combination, but I’m confident someone appreciates this.

Here are a few more examples of the duos I find are interesting.

Dial+Froyo Frozen Yogurt Cooling Body Wash: A hygiene product. Off the bat I’m thinking “delicious shower snack!” To some it might not be appealing, but then again many health forward beauty products use yogurt as a common ingredient. The idea has an appealing basis.

Taco Bell+Kraft Southwest Ranch: this combination sounds enticing. I have never tried it. Another point to consider would be that partnering up on this sauce, the brands equity, positive and negative, comes along with the creation of the duo product.

Smart Advertising or Exploitation?

It seems these days-literally the last few days-that the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has been a frequent flyer aboard Facebook’s News Feeds with it’s great awareness building and fundraising tactics for ALS. This frigid challenge has recently surfaced and many have come forward with different opinions about this viral method of fundraising for ALS. 

A “different” kind of video has been posted in an area some might have seen coming. That’s right, the advertising world. Many large companies brought their executives to the scene to take part and raise money for ALS. But no one called out a branded product…until now. 

Samsung has jumped on board the speeding media train and used the Ice Bucket Challenge in a creative way to promote their new Galaxy 5s smart phone with it’s waterproof shell. In the ad, the Galaxy 5s gets the cubed, cold water dumped right on top of it's (head?) and proceeds to "say" how cold it is. The Galaxy 5s then calls upon it's competitors' top selling smart phone devices to take part in the challenge.

This is where things get tricky. Using a charity’s awareness building campaign to spin off your own profit-making ad could be seen as self-serving. From another angle, it shows the fast creativity and real-time marketing like Oreo’s Super Bowl tweet. But when do you cross the line between creative and crass? Siri, what do you think?

  

Check out Samsung’s spot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w4Gqt-ljb4 

Freaked-Out Photos

Remember the old adage, "A picture's worth a thousand words."? I've been a believer in the power of visual brand awareness since the days of Dr. Suess, Tom Terrific and The Captain & Bunny Rabbit entered my life. 

And how many of you are old enough to recall being concerned over Big Brother? No, not the awful guys on one of the most-amazed-it's-still-onTV shows, but the Big Brother concept that was kicked off by the novel, "1984". 

Now it looks like our social media pals are the "real" Big Brother. All those darling selfies and more are being mined for lots of data for advertisers. 

Every Nike swish is being tracked. The ad world will know what brand of beer is in your boyfriend's hand. And that you probably shop at Target since the bullseye is behind you in your profile picture…ever so slightly. Yep, this trend really is freaking out folks just a bit - even those guys who take their iPhones to bed with them. 

Once that data's all mashed up and spit back out, you'll be even more specifically targeted. Makes you think - do you really want to wear that Polo shirt anymore?

Check out this article:

http://mashable.com/2014/08/13/passive-hashtags/

Is Facebook Out Like the Plague?

Researchers at Princeton University have predicted the demise of Facebook by the year 2017 – a short three years from now and 13 years after the February 4, 2004 launch of the social media giant.

This bold statement was concocted by comparing the growth curb of epidemics like the bubonic plague to that of social media networks. In the beginning, ideas spread through communicative contact, similar to the spread of a virus. Soon, those original idea developers end up losing interest, therefore no longer manifesting the idea, ultimately developing an immunity to the idea.

While Facebook has thus far “outlived” several other networks (remember MySpace?) and stockholders aren’t yet running for the door, it can’t be overlooked that Facebook’s CFO admitted to seeing a decrease in daily users, specifically among younger teens.

I have to agree that the number of teenage users dropping is a red flag, however; I don’t see Facebook fading away just yet. Historically, Facebook hasn’t had a problem updating the platform to stay current with the new social media trends of the day, from the early expansion beyond just college students to the adding of hashtag searches. It has also established itself as a viable and user-friendly platform for businesses to keep up with their followers on a more regular basis than the traditional website.

Whatever happens with Facebook’s plague-like tendancies in the next three years, count on us to be keeping track of the epidemic-style growth curve, and more importantly, what new ideas will infect and spread through our population.
For more, check out the full article and study. 

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/22/facebook-princeton-researchers-infectious-disease

Bye-bye dropshadows, hello hero areas. Web trends, 2014

Enjoyable read on the web design trends to expect in 2014. Many that made the list are design elements we've seen steadily creeping in for a while. If you want the "down & dirty," here's the top 10!

1 - Non boring typography (sweet!)
2 - Flat design (sounds bad, it's not)
3 - Large hero areas ('I need a hero'... <insert that 80s song, here>)
4 - Mobile-centric (dare we say, "duh")
5 - Videos in place of text (yes)
6 - Long scrolling sites (love it!)
7 - Simple color schemes (segueing into Pantone 2014 color of the year...)
8 - Simplified content (sounds smart to us!)
9 - Dropping the sidebar (interesting concept)
10 - Manipulated imagery (thanks for the influence, Instagram!)

For the bonus, 11th trend, you totally have the check out the article!

Can Amazon Save the Postal Service?

Our country's classic Postal carrier system has been losing ground - and lots of money - for years. Not too long ago, they tried to cut out Saturday delivery to trim budgets. Seemed like a pretty sound idea to me based on the extreme uptick in other forms of communications. Met with a myriad of protests (some from the union?), Saturday was back on the ticket.

But Amazon just announced what I think could be a possible savior for the PO - or at least a nice test-crutch for the holiday season. You guessed it - Sunday package delivery of products purchased through Amazon will be delivered by Postal carriers (even in the rain, sleet or snow!)

As someone who's into my AARP-eligible years, I have to admit, I'm encouraged to see this throw-back. Guess we'll wait and see how it goes and if they expand beyond LA and NY in the future.

But now that younger consumers are moving away from stores like Abercrombie & Fitch and doing more shopping on-line where every three-dimensional item they purchase needs a delivery mechanism, we just may see more of those little white trucks on the roads. Be careful out there since the PO is always the winner if there's a crash - or is that just an old rumor?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/11/11/amazon-sunday-delivery-usps/3479055/

Thank You Howell Creative Group!

Without sounding like I’m giving a graduation speech, or taking a sad trip down memory lane, it can’t be overstated how great of an opportunity it is to spend a couple of months working for this company. If you don’t mind being passed a fast paced share of work then you’ll love what Tiffany has lined up for you. It has been a blast, and I’ve gained tons of experience in advertising. If all of that interests you then you should contact the company about an internship, and hopefully you’ll get a chance at a great opportunity like I did.

Now I’ll quickly take that trip down memory lane, and save whoever’s reading this from my rambling. I’d like to thank Kathy, Tiffany, Kelsey and everyone else at the company for the sense of welcome that they have demonstrated over the last three months. I felt like part of the team from day one, which makes contributing ideas and work infinitely easier. I’ve been continually impressed with the creative work being done in the office every day, and it’s great to have worked with people who love what they do, because that’s what’s most important about a career.  The company is in great hands, and is on the right track for great things to come.

I look forward to seeing more of the world with a touch of HCG on it, and wish everyone in the company the best of luck in their careers. I look forward to working alongside every one of you sometime in the future.  

See y’all soon,
Josh Wallace

Pre-Roll Ads Can Be Effective, They Just Need A Big Makeover

We’ve all experienced the awkwardness of playing a Youtube video for a group of people and have faced the grueling five-second wait until you can skip the pre-roll advertisement. Your group of friends could care less about an ad for a Craftsman table saw when they want to watch a video of the kung fu bear (Link). Even with targeted advertising, people still dislike pre-rolls because the ads get in the way of instant gratification. Companies and advertisers are continuously missing opportunities to make pre-rolls effective, and are wasting resources as viewers instantly skip over the ads without hesitation.

A Great Opportunity

Pre-roll ads give advertisers the opportunity for millions of people to view their product or brand, and are one of the fastest growing methods of advertising. Pre-rolls have great potential because the ads reach the people who are now devoting more and more time to watching online videos, and less time to watching television, while costing less than TV spots, too.

Low Performance

The big problem is that pre-rolls annoy the overwhelming majority of viewers, and if they’re not annoyed, they tolerate them. The way most pre-rolls are formatted now lead to very low click through rates, and incredible amounts of viewers who do skip the ads after the five-seconds are up. On a platform of video content that users seek out themselves, traditional advertising sticks out like a sore thumb, and it has the potential of rubbing off onto the products and brands it is promoting.

Get Creative

The solution to the problem then, is to drop everything you know about traditional advertising, and to develop completely new strategies for online video advertising, which operates in a different world. For example, if advertisers have five seconds to capture the attention of the viewer and give them a reason to not click the “Skip” button, why do they use an advertisement that is made with a balance of beginning, middle and end? The first five seconds of the pre-roll ad should be devoted to convincing the viewer that the advertisement is worth putting off the Youtube video for a couple more seconds. The horror movie Evil Dead executed that strategy perfectly with their conversion of their standard movie trailer into a pre-roll ad, which you can watch here (Link). (WARNING: Graphic Content).

Lastly, and most importantly, pre-roll ads should engage the viewer. The Internet is full of funny, cool, emotional and educational videos that people choose to watch. The key word is choose, and online ads should make the viewer want to watch more, not click "Skip." Users seek out videos because the content engages their interests on some level. Generally, things that are over saturated with commercial content and reek of advertising are not favorable with users. Effective pre-rolls must  break the mold of traditional advertising, and be used creatively to fit in with everything else on the Internet. When users start to seek out interesting advertisements to view is when advertisers will see positive results from those millions of impressions.

The Big Deal With "Skinny"

The newest trend in restaurant cocktails involves slimming down everything but the profits.

Skinny kicks up sales

Cocktails with the word “skinny” in their name have jumped a staggering 44% in the Q1 at the top 500 restaurant chains, and have more than doubled in each of the last three quarters, according to an industry study. Skinny has quickly become the “it” word in cocktails, popping up everywhere imaginable, but what is the buzz about?

What’s skinny?

Skinny refers to a cocktail that contains fewer calories. They often are made with mixers that have fewer calories, but still pack a punch of flavor. For example, a Red Lobster Lobsterita packs an astounding 890 calories per glass, while a Chili’s Skinny Margarita comes in at a mere 110 calories.

It’s not diet, it’s skinny

Diet implies sacrifice, where as skinny signifies aspirations and intent. Utilizing the term is a smart move especially since sacrificing drinks is the last thing restaurants want patrons to do. Cocktails have a higher margin than food, so using a name that implies guilt-free indulgence instead of sacrificing, is key. Admittedly, calorie counters like me feel at ease ordering these skinny drinks and won’t be afraid to go for a second round since they perceive less of an impact on their diet. More drinks equals more money for the business, and less calorie counting for those enjoying the tasty concoctions. Winning

In terms of marketing, the re-branding of diet drinks by removing the negative associations and using a lighter feeling word is brilliant, and judging by the bottom line, effective. The cost of the name change is minimal while delivering a revenue stream that is anything but skinny. Talk about “fat “results.

Read more on the subject at AdAge

Netflix Knows What They're Doing, Come On!

Netflix has just written the book on word of mouth marketing with the recent campaign for its “semi-original” show “Arrested Development.” Here’s a hint: quality is key.

“Arrested Development” was abruptly cancelled by FOX in 2006, after just three seasons. The now cult classic was nominated for twenty-two Emmys, and took home six while it was aired. Netflix picked up the cancelled show and filmed Season 4 in 2013, which is now available to stream in its entirety.

The new season yielded three times the amount of initial streams than Netflix’s other previous high-profile release “House of Cards.” The company’s advertising campaign should be credited for the success.

For those that have never seen “Arrested Development”, it is a show about a wealthy family (the Bluths) that lost everything, and their son (Jason Bateman) who had to keep them all together. The show unravels as a masterpiece of intricately intertwined comedic genius. It is through the show’s natural quirkiness that Netflixs promotional campaign flourished, which sparked the interest of non-viewers by engaging Bluth lovers.

The campaign relied largely on the base of loyal fans that “Arrested Development” already had. The show has a large following of 18-30 year olds who began obsessively re-watching the show at the first hint of its return. It’s no surprise then, that a majority of the promotions were catered to the devoted fans, alluding to colors and symbols of the show that often left “outsiders” clueless, but intrigued. Brand advocates are one of the most important aspects of word of mouth marketing; the other is providing those advocates with something to talk about.

For example, few things stick out more in Times Square than a giant wooden banana stand. Even more surprising would be the line that extends from the stand as far as the eye can see. The Bluth’s frozen bananas dipped in chocolate are one of the many recurring jokes throughout the show, and fans flooded the stand once word of its presence got around. Anyone not in on the joke was quickly filled in about the stand, and about “Arrested Development,” by the hundreds of fans eager to talk about the return of their favorite show. The end message was communicated through the advocates to the non-viewers in a more personal and trustworthy way than Netflix could have, which has led to the initial number of streams.

The remainder of the campaign used the same hands off approach as the banana stand, as fans took to social media every time they came across something new from the Bluths. Netflix ran a successful campaign solely on the quality of their product, which should be a model for others.

Advocates are important for every company to have, especially as business has moved into a customer relationship oriented field. The key takeaway then, is that in order to gain customers as advocates, the end deliverable has to create value to the customer, so they have something they want to advocate. 

After all, I am talking about the new season of “Arrested Development” now, right?

It's NOT Complicated. *Tiffany's been waiting to cover this campaign!*

McDonald’s losing Millennial audiences; suffering in sales of product to 20-somethings; major menu redo to gain market share. While a thoroughly interesting issue and story, one of which I’ve regarded curiously lately (see my retweet at R_TiffanyAnne) I knew in this issue of Ad Age I had to turn directly to the article on AT&T’s “Not Complicated” campaign, aka my favorite TV spots, perhaps, ever! Forget the major headline stuff this week, I want to know who made those spots, what was the inspiration and are those adorably rambling first-graders scripted or natural?

IT CAME FROM ATLANTA

To quote one of my fav pigtailed stars from these spots, “I want more, I want more, I like it I want more.” In November we had the first chance to catch one of the “Not Complicated” spots where a group of four children and one straight-edged man help us understand the one-ups AT&T has over competitor’s wireless networks. As Ad Age put it, “the secret sauce was in the first-graders imaginations.” BBDO, Atlanta brainstormed a simple concept, with remarkable flexibility that enables producers to hone in on one clear message at a time, illustrated with a hilarious, surprisingly human effect.

GUIDED IMPROV       

While the NBA version is “ok” (however, my husband was most impressed by the star collection of athletes), “dizzy boy” wiggling his head while waving his hand – aka “multitasking message” – in front of an overly impressed moderator makes me laugh out loud every time I watch. So, was this tiny tike told to yabber-on about how much he could shake and wiggle, or was this a natural occurrence? “Guided improve” as I’ve come to understand. Scripts were prepared in case nothing was useable, but otherwise moderator Beck Bennett who is also part of comedy group Good Neighbor, guided foursomes of six-year-olds through whatever their imagination brought them while talking through topics like the importance of fast versus slow.

HARD TO MAKE IT LOOK SO EASY

Each round of spots required shooting four or five different groups of kids a day, with two hours devoted to each group. Overly talkative kids were paired with attentive but not as “big energy” children as Ad Age specified, (we all understand how kids can go off subject). During editing if the spot felt too scripted or unnatural, it was ditched. The result is a series of comedy spots that have become a pop-culture phenomenon, drawing praise not just from the industry but from your buddy at the water cooler too.  

Data's cool, but sometimes you just have to go with your gut.

Digital marketing mediums have been terrific in helping us gather all that terrific ROI info and stats. And I'm the first one to want to do everything in my power to get our client's tangible results or sales from the marketing communications we produce. After all, it's their very real, very hard-earned money that's being spent.

But there have been more than a few times these last few years when I dared to ask myself if we should be letting that data drive the process as though it's the end-all/be-all.

Does it sometimes feel like stats can be trusted as much as the rental car's GPS who left my husband and me at the end of a dark cul-de-sac in Connecticut a few years ago? I can still hear "her" voice saying that final sign-off after the myriad turning directions that just seemed wrong to my gut (the navigator) - "Please call an operator at 800... for help".

As creative thinkers, our job is to do our best to interpret the numbers with a balance of left and right brain. And you know what? Sometimes the right brain just has to win to really land on a key message or image that truly will resonate with targeted customers for the long haul. It may not make the numbers change overnight or cause a flood of "likes" immediately. But after a while, it makes an impression on the mind of the folks our clients are hoping to influence. It really does help them remember our client's service or product when that customer is actually ready to buy what they offer.

And that's a key in business-to-business marketing - which is a lot of what we do. It's serendipity if the targeted buyer is ready to do a complete overhaul of their plant's conveyor system or move their corporate headquarters on the days they see the campaigns or websites. But more than likely, if it's on their mind when they do see our work, the message will resonate.  And our clients will be remembered when it's time to say "go".

Adam Kleinberg who runs an interactive ad agency (translation - has access to lots of data) recently dared to share this type of message in Advertising Age. Check it out. http://adage.com/article/guest-columnists/data-driven-creative-equals-mediocre-creative/239960/

Can I get an "amen"?
Or do you think I'm off-target?

But be prepared - if you think I'm off, then I expect to see the data to prove it!

Thank you for the Internship Experience

To Everyone at Howell Creative Group,

This October, I proudly became part of Howell Creative Group as a part-time intern. The reason that I chose Howell was that I was taking Advertising & Marketing Communications class for my Marketing major, and that I was hoping to get more hands-on experience in marketing/advertising. Now that I am approaching the end of my internship, I would say that this experience with Howell is incredibly valuable to me.

First of all, I love the workplace. Howell is not a huge agency, but it feels like a family. At the beginning of my internship, my director Tiffany explained to me in details about the work style here, and introduced me to the current and past projects. With her instruction, I quickly got an overall idea of whom we work with, what kind of job we do, and how we treat our work and our clients in a caring and professional manner. Also, Howell has a cute way of giving back to the community, which is to send toys on the clients’ behalf to charity organizations. When I saw the collection of toys on the top shelf that were sent out in the past decade, I knew that I came to the right place.

The people you work with are always a crucial aspect of a job. During the past two months, I had the opportunity to interact with everyone at work; Tiffany even designed a Scavenger Hunt in order to prepare me to get familiar with the agency and the people. As a green hand in the agency, I had questions about almost everything, yet people are very nice and patient to clarify and provide extra help, especially Kelsey :)

The most important thing is that I gained great experience in my areas of interest by working on real tasks for the clients. For the first time, I learned about how to design and place an ad on social media platforms, and had a chance to do it on my own. I went on a short business trip with Kathy and sat in face-to-face and virtual client meetings. I provided copywriting for marketing materials, participated in preparing for client pitches, and executed initiatives for the benefit of the client’s business. With Tiffany’s advice and the exposure to professional work samples, I also got inspiration to create high quality work for my advertising projects. However, I could not have made so much progress if not for the generous help and trust that I receive at Howell.

The two months with you has flown by fast. In the end, I would like to thank everyone for your assistance and friendliness. It has been a wonderful time with you, and added so much to my professional experience and capability. I wish you all a happy holiday, and hope to see you again soon!

Sincerely,

Pocket

Chrysler Group – The Magical Turnaround

Chrysler's our industry's witness to the power of great branding. Or in this case, re-branding. 

Recently, Ad Age named Chrysler Group “Marketer of the Year.” Olivier Francois re-branded the bankrupt Chrysler with two major advertising campaigns that have helped to turn around American opinion and increase sales by a whopping 37%. I'm sure you'll agree - that result is almost unbelievable. 

According to Automotive News figures, Chrysler’s market share went up from 8.9% to 11.5%; unit-sales growth jumped to 37% from -4% in 2009. Additionally, the brand loyalty rate doubled (which measures the second purchase of a Chrysler) moving from 15% in Q3 2009 to 30% in Q2 2012 (as reported by automotive researcher Polk).    

The incredible success began with Super Bowl commercials in 2011 (“Born on Fire” featuring Eminem) and 2012 (“Halftime in America”). Both ads conveyed a powerful theme of American pride and the rebirth of a new Chrysler. They were built on stories, rather than the product itself. “Born on Fire” uses a tough male narrator to tell the story of the Metro City where Chrysler is born and made. Copy like “it’s the hottest fire that makes the hardest steel” really resonates. While many of the images in the commercial are almost cold and heavy, later we see flashes of Detroit’s fields of excellence. It's a condensed history of Detroit showing undeniable strength rising through the pain. 

The story clearly spoke to American audiences and as a result, the dealership’s situation dramatically changed from struggling to “keep their head above water” to tripling sales of several models. According to Mr. Francois, Chrysler already “started a conversation. And conversation is paramount”. 

This is one Super Bowl spot I'm looking forward to seeing.

When a Commercial Goes Viral

 

The brand new Chanel No.5 commercial starring Brad Pitt recently went viral online, receiving over 5.6 million views on a single YouTube video. This is the first time that Chanel hired a spokesman for its signature fragrance. In the past, their spokeswomen have included famous, beautiful women such as Nicole Kidman, Estella Warren, Carole Bouquet, and Audrey Tautou, who all represented the feminine and sophisticated charm of the perfume. However, Brad Pitt, named twice “Sexiest Man Alive” by People magazine, has brought more discussion, controversy and awareness to the timeless fragrance more than anyone above.

In the video that has been madly talked about, Mr. Pitt presents himself with a deep, masculine feeling and makes a mini-pitch about his perspective on life, journey and fate. The new commercial does not look remotely similar to previous ones, which had fancy, extravagant settings and a romantic storyline. The ending line also transforms from “her kiss, her smile, her perfume”, to “my look, my fate, my fortune”, in order to keep the marketing language aligned. Unfortunately, the many viewers did not buy the idea of him telling his life story (in a minimalist version), and they complained about his distracted, awkward look. Now it is confirmed that even negative comments can successfully draw so much attention.

Naturally, viewers do not simply stop here. A great thing about the Internet era is that people are free to express their sarcasm or praise through user-generated content. YouTubers around the world have enjoyed making parodies of this commercial. Here are a few notable and amusing examples, some of which might serve as inspiration.

Presential Campaign Marketing Via Narrowcasting

Since political parties are purchasing most of the television inventories as we approach the 2012 election, online-video inventory has become an alternative place for candidates’ 30-second ads. Mixpo, an online-video-advertising technology company, has determined that the spending in 2012 could be seven times what it was in the 2008 presidential election. As a result, there may not be enough online ad inventories in November to satisfy demand in some states.

Starting from the introduction of web-based advertisements in the 2004 election, political parties have issued tailored ads to target specific audiences, a process known as narrowcasting. Although the predicted $35 million spent on streaming online video in the election cycle is still a fraction of the $5.6 billion on television broadcasts, the online-video consumption is growing rapidly and making an impact on people’s decisions.

Other than online videos, politicians are leveraging the power of social media like never before to connect and build intimacy with the public. For both presidential candidates, social networking platforms have become a crucial battlefield that they cannot afford to lose. With the in-depth data analysis of the online audience, the candidates are able to adjust their messages to cater for many different tastes.

This shift from broadcasting to narrowcasting illustrates how presidential campaigns are beginning to target based on demographics or behavioral characteristics. Media outlets have been allowed to deliver messages that are designed for specific target audience. What happens if we are only exposed to information that has been preselected for us? When news and commercials are busy producing their own facts and reality to appeal to the believers, can we still see the truth? Decision-making never seems easy, but making your own decision has become more difficult than ever.