Conventional wisdom holds that celebrity endorsements are a simple and effective way to increase advertising effectiveness; however a new study by Ace Metrix reveals that 'celebrity ads do not perform any better than non-celebrity ads, and in some cases perform much worse.'? This claim seems outrageous since some brands spend billions of dollars on such endorsements, but the study does acknowledge that 'celebrity endorsements can be quite compelling given the right creative and contextual conditions.'? That statement is vague, but also critical, because I don't mean for my reader to ascertain that celebrity ads are altogether ineffective'?¦ just some of them. What about the beauty and cosmetics industry that relies on a pretty and relatable spokesmodel (hence the appeal of celebrities)? I looked at some current celebrity spokesmodels, such as Taylor Swift, who recently became the fresh face of CoverGirl's newest product line, NatureLuxe. Her first CoverGirl commercial, released this January, exposes her glamorous side as she promotes the new NatureLuxe products. Posted on YouTube January 5th, the commercial already has 115 comments from viewers weighing in on the new ad. Some comments include: 'Awkward'? 'I like Taylor but I don't like the commercial, she tries too hard'? 'I love Taylor Swift, but her dancing was horrible'? 'She just looks so...expressionless.'? Poor T-Swift, but she's not the only CoverGirl spokesmodel whose commercial has been met with some dismay. Drew Barrymore starred in the 'Get Your Look on Track'? CoverGirl commercial, which according to the Ace Metrix study, weighed in as the 11th most disappointing celebrity ad. In fact, the ad had a -20% lift, which means it performed 20% worse than its industry competition. On the other hand, a recent Head & Shoulders commercial featuring Troy Polamalu ranked as the 7th most effective celebrity ad with a 17% lift. In the commercial, the football champ is in the locker room after a game when his teammate accuses him of using his Head & Shoulders shampoo. The 20-second ad is quick, informative and funny, with Troy's curly locks quickly growing to 5x their original volume as he continually denies using the thickening shampoo. The Ace Metrix study comes to the conclusion that there are a few key factors that must be balanced for celebrity ads to be successful including information levels, creative advertising such as humor, and purpose. With the current digital and social media environment, today's consumer is more informed than ever before, and therefore conventional wisdom does not always apply. Brands need to be even more creative and tactical to captivate this new consumer. I think that Head & Shoulder's commercial is hilarious and original, and for this reason I will fondly remember the product for a few more days'?¦but Taylor Swift's awkward dance moves are already gone from my memory (almost).
'If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it'? sings Willy Wonka in the famous film from 1971. The candy company of the same name has taken this line to heart, and recently opened an imaginative new sweets shop within the famous Times Square Toys 'R Us store. This unique retail environment, serving as the brand's first official 'Wonka Store,'? is a state of the art example of an in-store brand experience. As consumers enter the World of Wonka they find candy trees, mushroom tables, edible gardens and swirls of multi-colored factory equipment. The entire store, from the imaginative product displays to the fascinating lighting, is meant to be 'a new adventure everywhere you turn,'? according to Janet Planet, innovation manager of the Wonka Experience. This retail investment is complemented by an exciting website that encourages consumers to 'Feed Your Imagination,'? print & TV ads, and new digital vending machines where consumers can create a custom bag of candy. I personally love the Wonka brand and am easily tempted by the mouthwatering displays and designs which bring Willy Wonka's world to life. In fact, after browsing only a handful of photos and reading about the flagship store, I am more than persuaded to visit the next time I'm in Manhattan and feast my eyes on what it has to offer. I may be a big kid at heart, but then again'?¦isn't everyone? And isn't that the point of shopper marketing to make adults feel like they're kids again in the wonderful world of Willy Wonka? It's a magical place where adults can forget about their strict diets and enjoy the simple yet splendid pleasures of a Scrumdiddlyumptious Bar. With the growing technology of today, the global marketplace is more competitive than ever. Due to this, shopper marketing is becoming a fundamental consideration, and many leading retailers, including P&G, have realized that the 'big idea'? should keep the retail experience in mind. It's not Mad Men style anymore where one ad can win over the consumer; the fact is, many purchase decisions are made within the retail environment. Wonka has recognized that consumers must be engaged at various stages along their path to purchase, and to achieve this, the brand has created a strong brand personality by integrating its website, advertisements, and the new and delicious Wonka World. Next time I'm in New York I'll let you know if the snozzberries are as good as they look on film. Source: http://www.shoppermarketingmag.com/2010-12/
v:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> A recent Adweek article, 'Do Mobile Users Prefer Browsers Over Apps?'? piqued my interest about the pros and cons of viewing different media on mobile browsers vs. viewing the same media on specific apps on their mobile phones. I began evaluating my own mobile phone behavior - do I prefer a mobile browser to an app? When do I decide to download an app instead of view the website on a mobile browser? Are there sites that I view on both my mobile browser and in an app format? My personal app library includes only a handful of my most trusted and useful applications: Gmail, Facebook, Weather, Pandora & Skype Mobile ' The newest music, connecting with family & friends, and knowing if I should pack an umbrella for my morning commute are important to me, thus I downloaded the apps. Some tech savvy people have a wider array of apps for variety of different mobile needs ' social media, games, and local apps. However, it's clear that the quantity and specific type of application downloaded varies by each individual person's needs and interests. There are many websites and services that consumers find more useful in mobile app format, versus a mobile browser ' for example social media sites, music & games. This is illustrated by the Adobe Mobile Experience survey. However, today's mobile browsers (whether you have an Android, Blackberry or iPhone) are often better suited for consumers' needs. While I commonly use the Facebook application, I sometimes switch to my mobile browser when the app leaves something to be desired. For example, when using the Android Facebook app, users can't see who 'likes'? their status (only how many people 'like'? them), notifications are downloaded only every 30 minutes, and users must go to the mobile site to read/respond to a notification. Although these are minor drawbacks, they are reasons that an Android user such as myself would have to switch to their mobile browser to view their Facebook page, in addition to using the app. Although the Android Facebook app is not perfect ' I always view my Facebook profile through the app first, and if I crave something more, I move on to my mobile browser. This proves that the mobile application provides more advantages than disadvantages for me. However, I prefer to use my mobile browser for the majority of my online web surfing needs, such as shopping and the news. With the various advantages & disadvantages of every unique app, brands should evaluate their target market's mobile phone behavior before investing in app development, since it is easy and sometimes more convenient for consumers to view content via their mobile browser. Title: Mobile Browser vs. the App and Me ' A Love Triangle A recent Adweek article, 'Do Mobile Users Prefer Browsers Over Apps?'? piqued my interest about the pros and cons of viewing different media on mobile browsers vs. viewing the same media on specific apps on their mobile phones.I began evaluating my own mobile phone behavior-do I prefer a mobile browser to an app?When do I decide to download an app instead of view the website on a mobile browser? Are there sites that I view on both my mobile browser and in an app format? My personal app library includes only a handful of my most trusted and useful applications: Gmail, Facebook, Weather, Pandora & Skype Mobile ' The newest music, connecting with family & friends, and knowing if I should pack an umbrella for my morning commute are important to me, thus I downloaded the apps.Some tech savvy people have a wide array of apps for variety of different mobile needs' social media, games, and local apps. However, it's clear that the quantity and specific type of application downloaded varies by each individual person's needs and interests.There are many websites and services that consumers find more useful in mobile app format, versus a mobile browser ' for example social media sites, music & games. This is illustrated by the Adobe Mobile Experience survey. However, today's mobile browsers (whether you have an Android, Blackberry or iPhone) are often better suited for the consumers' needs.While I commonly use the Facebook application, I sometimes switch to my mobile browser when the app leaves something to be desired. For example, when using the Android Facebook app, users can't see who 'likes'? their status (only how many people 'like'? them), notifications are downloaded onlyevery 30 minutes, and users must go to the mobile site to read/respond to a notification.Although these are minor drawbacks, they are reasons that an Android user such as myself would have to switch to their mobile browser to view their Facebook page, in addition to using the app. Although the Android Facebook app is not perfect ' I always view my Facebook profile through the app first, and if I crave something more, I move on to my mobile browser. This proves that the mobile application provides more advantages than disadvantages for me. However, I prefer to use my mobile browser for the majority of my online web surfing needs, such as shopping and the news. With the various advantages & disadvantages of every unique app, brands should evaluate their target market's mobile phone behavior before investing in app development, since it is easy and sometimes more convenient for consumers to view content via their mobile browser. Tag: http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/digital/e3i5094e406e415c280a20521b39297a826
In 1989, two brothers from Boston began selling t-shirts out of the back of a van, often sleeping on top of the shirts in the back of the van as they made their way along the East Coast. Even with their tireless efforts, business wasn't taking off. Then, five years later at a street fair, they began selling t-shirts with the drawing of a smiling stick figure with the mantra "Life is good'?, and all 48 t-shirts sold out in less than an hour. The drawing was named Jake; a happy little stick figure who simply just enjoyed life, and with that the "Life is good" brand was born ' standing for happiness and simplicity. Today, Life is Good has evolved into a lifestyle apparel brand dedicated to philanthropic causes such as the Life is Good Kids Foundation, created to help kids overcome life threatening challenges such as violence and poverty. So why am I blogging about this company? Besides the fact a successful clothing brand was created from the drawing of a stick figure'?¦ Because this past September 11-12, Life is Good brought a 2-day music festival to the Boston metro area - http://www.lifeisgood.com/festivals/, and this new music festival represents an opportunity for brands to connect with charity-minded consumers in a family friendly environment. The first annual Life is Good Festival was a family affair, held on the Prowse Farm in Canton, MA, only 20 minutes outside of Boston. With three stages, over a dozen musical artists, and various entertainment and family activities, the inaugural Life is Good Festival attracted approximately 12,000 consumers on Saturday and 15,000 on Sunday, raising over $600,000 for the Life is Good Kids Foundation. The festival offered various food and drink vendors and a wide range of entertainment options, including games and interactive art activities presented by various sponsors of the festival. The major sponsors included Chase Freedom, Chipotle, Reebok, RCN, and Stonyfield Organics. Many sponsors' consumer activations were family oriented or dedicated to a philanthropic cause, for example UPS hosted a 9.11 Giving Tent where consumers could donate items for care packages for local troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of the sponsors were also New England based companies like Reebok, the Cabot Creamery and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. In today's media-fragmented world, consumers are more receptive and engaged during one-on-one brand interactions set in a fun, relaxed environment. If your brand supports a childrens charity or certain philanthropic cause, next year's Life is Good festival may be a great way to connect with consumers in a fun, music-oriented environment.
