By: Vinayak Ahuja
We've seen a lot of the same in regards to marketing and advertising strategy in what seems to be the most expensive presidential campaign in American history, and we've also come to see a few new web strategies to keep up with the information age including social networking pages, viral video, websites and more. But there still remains a need for change in the messages that we deliver. Certainly mudslinging will always be a large part of campaigns that will be held in the near to distant future, but we need to be more respectful of the information and strategy we choose to take, else end up with a monster of ignorance that could destroy us from within.
We've seen the effect of propagated ignorance on the American public by Republican campaign supporters and certainly, from what I've seen at least, this seems to be the worst of it from either side. But then I see ignorant viral campaigns and meaningless ads that, although certainly not at the caliber of the aforementioned, is propagating ignorance none the less by providing nothing but fluff, pretty faces, and a level of peer pressure that should have nothing to do with my choice; to quote both senator John McCain and Joe Biden, "That's not change, that's more of the same". Despite who said what first, campaign professionals need to respect the intelligence of our countrymen and meet the responsibility we've given them to provide us with as much honest and concrete evidence as possible when making reports and giving information.
In my line of business, some professionals may not see me as anything short of a pussy for saying something like this: our JOB is persuasion - to rally and induce deep emotion, and get our audiences to think and act the way we wish them to. And to arm them with no more or less information that we deemed fit to meet our campaign needs; anything to the contrary would be unproductive, waste resources, and devalue our primary objective.
But in a presidential election, don't the campaign managers indirectly work for me? Regardless of which party they're representing and who wins, am I not the boss? Since when did the duel-party system become this oligopoly of staffing agencies where the interest of the company are lost and the only matters that matter are the ones that make the sale?
Again, I accept as a communications professional, mudslinging will always be present in our campaigns - some dick is always going to try and get me excited about a particular candidate despite the fact that they may not be in my best interest, and some jerk I hardly know who works for company that has no relation to my own is always going to try to sell me the guy I don't really want.
And when that happens, I hope that dick and that jerk will do their part and stick to the issues I'm interested in, because I plan to take advantage of the information age, do what I did this election, and inquire about the information fed to me: I'm going to ask more questions than when I go to buy a camera at Best Buy, I'm going to read more reviews and ask more friends about the things you say than when I pick a sushi-bar to order a tuna roll from, or when I'm making a choice between phone plans.
If we don't respect and foster this culture for inquiry that has been inspired by this Presidential Debate, America will be doomed to repeat the tragedies we've faced in the last 8 years, may be even risk becoming a nation divided between those who accept what they hear and those who do their homework. The same lesson applys to any other communications professional reading this: you need to be honest about the product or service you market and mention both their pros and cons, else you may end up with some out-of-control and angry voices making death threats.
Please note that the criticisms made on the ads in this blog were not meant to be made on their sources directly; in particular to Moveon.org. I am only criticizing these two particular ads and campaigns which I did not like for the reasons I mentioned and I encourage readers to check out more videos and make their own evaluation of the organization (I haven't investigated the organization enough to make a full criticism as of yet, nothing draws me to them as of now if you're curious). If you haven't voted already, please take the time to do so, and try to do a little bit of homework before leaving the house :-)
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Battle of the 1990 Console’s and the Birth of Segata Sanshiro
By: Vinayak Ahuja
Marketing will always play a huge role in shaping our lives, from what soap we use in the shower to which man we select to run our country (something I’ll be touching on in my special November 4th article). A strong marketing concept can help keep you in the mind of your consumers almost indefinitely and become that sweet golden egg laying goose that keeps you keep afloat when times get rough.
One of the most proficient life preservers I’ve had the pleasure of learning about took place during the mid 1990s. You gamers out there may be familiar that around this time three powerhouses (Nintendo, Sony, and Sega) were locked in an all-out royal rumble trying to find a place in the world’s home entertainment system market place. In the west, Sega was tossed out of the ring faster than the heel, but in Japan, a particularly strong marketing concept going by the name of Segata Sanshiro kept them in the game well into the turn of the century.
“Segata Sanshiro” is a parody of “Sugata Sanshiro”, a popular fictional Japanese martial artist and hero. The name is also meant to sound a lot like “Sega Saturn Shiro”, which loosely translates into “You must play Sega Saturn”! As a master of all martial arts, his goal was to punish kids who wouldn’t play their Sega Saturn enough. Here are some of my favorite commercials of the character: baseball, soccer, and fish is a particular one that I’ve come to respect.
The campaign was such a large success that it had reclaimed and began to gain ground on both Sony’s Playstation and Nintendo’s Nintendo 64 in Japan. Segata Sanshiro had become a loveable icon for the Sega Saturn Product Brand similar to 7-up’s Cool Spot or Domino’s Noid. Unfortunately, Sanshiro was an icon of the Saturn, not Sega, forcing Sega to end the concept with the release of their new console, the Dreamcast.
This isn’t the first time a successful product brand icon has been let go in order to continue promotion of new products from the same brand. What I can’t understand is the abrupt discontinuation with no transition from one concept to the next. Not to say that the Dreamcast marketing strategies weren’t popular – the US campaigns looked amazing and were very well crafted, but it seems to me it’d be more productive to utilize the popularity of the character and make the transition with more ease for loyal fanatics who were deeply invested in the Segata Sanshiro concept. It’s something I plan to look into for my article Wednesday. Be sure to check it out then and tomorrow’s special Presidential Election Day article (which will also make up for Friday’s missing article). Until next time my fellow chias.
Marketing will always play a huge role in shaping our lives, from what soap we use in the shower to which man we select to run our country (something I’ll be touching on in my special November 4th article). A strong marketing concept can help keep you in the mind of your consumers almost indefinitely and become that sweet golden egg laying goose that keeps you keep afloat when times get rough.
One of the most proficient life preservers I’ve had the pleasure of learning about took place during the mid 1990s. You gamers out there may be familiar that around this time three powerhouses (Nintendo, Sony, and Sega) were locked in an all-out royal rumble trying to find a place in the world’s home entertainment system market place. In the west, Sega was tossed out of the ring faster than the heel, but in Japan, a particularly strong marketing concept going by the name of Segata Sanshiro kept them in the game well into the turn of the century.
“Segata Sanshiro” is a parody of “Sugata Sanshiro”, a popular fictional Japanese martial artist and hero. The name is also meant to sound a lot like “Sega Saturn Shiro”, which loosely translates into “You must play Sega Saturn”! As a master of all martial arts, his goal was to punish kids who wouldn’t play their Sega Saturn enough. Here are some of my favorite commercials of the character: baseball, soccer, and fish is a particular one that I’ve come to respect.
The campaign was such a large success that it had reclaimed and began to gain ground on both Sony’s Playstation and Nintendo’s Nintendo 64 in Japan. Segata Sanshiro had become a loveable icon for the Sega Saturn Product Brand similar to 7-up’s Cool Spot or Domino’s Noid. Unfortunately, Sanshiro was an icon of the Saturn, not Sega, forcing Sega to end the concept with the release of their new console, the Dreamcast.
This isn’t the first time a successful product brand icon has been let go in order to continue promotion of new products from the same brand. What I can’t understand is the abrupt discontinuation with no transition from one concept to the next. Not to say that the Dreamcast marketing strategies weren’t popular – the US campaigns looked amazing and were very well crafted, but it seems to me it’d be more productive to utilize the popularity of the character and make the transition with more ease for loyal fanatics who were deeply invested in the Segata Sanshiro concept. It’s something I plan to look into for my article Wednesday. Be sure to check it out then and tomorrow’s special Presidential Election Day article (which will also make up for Friday’s missing article). Until next time my fellow chias.
Friday, October 31, 2008
No post this Friday
Sorry ladies and gentlemen, I'm doing my best to stick to my comittment of 3 posts a week, but I was too distracted this week with birthdays, Diwali, and Halloween. Please look next week for 4 posts - this Friday's post will be made around Sunday Evening. Thanks for visiting my site.
-Vinayak
-Vinayak
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Why I hate Sweepstakes!: Generic Prizes Often Cheapen the Reinforcement of Participation
Written By: Vinayak Ahuja
Edited By: Chris Gampat
A few weeks ago, I found myself caught in an interesting conversation with the owner of my local Pizza shop, a slick talking alumni from my high school who sold me on buying a few slices of his “low carb” Pizza. As I chewed on the gooey goodness of this gourmet lie, he started to ask for my consultation on some ideas he had to promote the restaurant in the fall.
One of them, of course, was the typical, generic, “cuz everyone else is doing it” sweepstakes idea: let people suggest their own recipe for pie and the winner of the random draw would receive a $50 gift certificate and naming rights to the pie they suggested. So basically, I’m going to set-up an impersonal drop-box that separates me from the general conversations I’m known for having with my consumers, then I’m going to pay some random guy, who may just as well be some shmuck from another town that I'll never see again, come in and take a gift certificate that has no other particular value to him other than “free pizza”. I can think of 100 better ways to piss away $50.
Gift Certificates, Prizes, and free services are always a great way to get new consumers involved with your product, and sweepstakes are always a good way to acquire information on potential consumers. But generic rewards add no value to a brand and may even detract appreciation away from your product or service amongst regulars by providing the wrong kind of positive reinforcement - winners of the contest would value the $50 gift certificate and free pizza, but where’s the association to the brand or the pizza place in particular? What’s going to get me to come back once I run out of free pizza?
But there was genius in this idea – “suggest your own pizza recipe”, there was a sense of ownership that a consumer could really appreciate and I encouraged him to build on that alone. In the end, we expanded the original idea by featuring in-store samples of suggested recipes selected by random draw. People coming into the store would get to vote on their favorite flavor, the least favorite flavors being replaced by a new entry every-so-often.
Now, for the price of what would’ve been given up in sales with a $50 gift certificate, is used to rewarding regulars, their friends, and new customers with free samples suggested by people they may know. On top of which, patrons who’ve had their pies selected would, in theory, feel inclined to draw in their friends to try their pies and cast votes. You could even make the experience more interactive by giving finalists to come in and make their own pies.
Try thinking about a community rather than giving away a large amount of free stuff.
Edited By: Chris Gampat
A few weeks ago, I found myself caught in an interesting conversation with the owner of my local Pizza shop, a slick talking alumni from my high school who sold me on buying a few slices of his “low carb” Pizza. As I chewed on the gooey goodness of this gourmet lie, he started to ask for my consultation on some ideas he had to promote the restaurant in the fall.
One of them, of course, was the typical, generic, “cuz everyone else is doing it” sweepstakes idea: let people suggest their own recipe for pie and the winner of the random draw would receive a $50 gift certificate and naming rights to the pie they suggested. So basically, I’m going to set-up an impersonal drop-box that separates me from the general conversations I’m known for having with my consumers, then I’m going to pay some random guy, who may just as well be some shmuck from another town that I'll never see again, come in and take a gift certificate that has no other particular value to him other than “free pizza”. I can think of 100 better ways to piss away $50.
Gift Certificates, Prizes, and free services are always a great way to get new consumers involved with your product, and sweepstakes are always a good way to acquire information on potential consumers. But generic rewards add no value to a brand and may even detract appreciation away from your product or service amongst regulars by providing the wrong kind of positive reinforcement - winners of the contest would value the $50 gift certificate and free pizza, but where’s the association to the brand or the pizza place in particular? What’s going to get me to come back once I run out of free pizza?
But there was genius in this idea – “suggest your own pizza recipe”, there was a sense of ownership that a consumer could really appreciate and I encouraged him to build on that alone. In the end, we expanded the original idea by featuring in-store samples of suggested recipes selected by random draw. People coming into the store would get to vote on their favorite flavor, the least favorite flavors being replaced by a new entry every-so-often.
Now, for the price of what would’ve been given up in sales with a $50 gift certificate, is used to rewarding regulars, their friends, and new customers with free samples suggested by people they may know. On top of which, patrons who’ve had their pies selected would, in theory, feel inclined to draw in their friends to try their pies and cast votes. You could even make the experience more interactive by giving finalists to come in and make their own pies.
Try thinking about a community rather than giving away a large amount of free stuff.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Your Blog A Blueprint? The Importance of Identity When Seeking Attention
By: Vinayak Ahuja
Hello My loyal readers - all seven of you :-D!! My apologies for being away so long, I took some personal time to reflect on why I had taken on this blog and the values I was hoping to gain from it: For most, blogging is a hobby fostering opinion and personal reflection, but for some, it can also be a great way to get noticed as a knowledgeable professional. In any case, it’s important to remember that if you’re going to blog, it’s gotta be as much about you as it is about your topic.
“My Blog is My Blueprint”, one of the most profound things I’ve heard regarding online identity from one of the most charming MILFs I’ve had the pleasure to meet (a dirty little secret between the seven of us). The statement emphasizes how a blog, in its purest form, can’t help to reflect the bloggers personality and feelings; if no two people are the same, then neither can be blogs, giving readers an opportunity to get their daily-dose of information in a flavor that best suits their taste.
In these harsh economic times, my two cents are best spent during happy hour with some good friends and cheap booze to help me feel remorseful; blogging, therefore for me, is just a good way to keep myself on the radar of people I’ve come to know over my six years of professional experience as a communications professional by providing them with information they may want to hear about. If you caught my previous article before my 2-week hiatus, however, you may not find it as endearing as my previous articles (My First Blog, My first Mistake, and Sex Sells? being my two favorites so far). I had forgotten this key rule, and it may take some time before I get my formula down right.
Knowledge today, both fact and fiction, is only a few clicks and keystrokes away from us at any given time. Whether you have aspirations to become one of the big players of the blogosphere, a strong source for information, or just want to get some stuff off your chest, the content needs to reflect a little something readers genuinely can’t find anywhere else if your looking for mass readership. The rest really depends on word of mouth and targeting strategy (twittering, SEO, link-ins, etc.).
With that being said, I hope you guys will share my article with friends you think will enjoy reading it for now. Check back every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday around lunch for new, fun articles to read. And feel free to send me any opinions on my media chia e-mail at vahuja@mediachia.com. All seven of you probably know my real e-mail address; either is fine. Thanks again to everyone reading this, and for those of you catching it late: WELCOME TO THE PARTY!!
Hello My loyal readers - all seven of you :-D!! My apologies for being away so long, I took some personal time to reflect on why I had taken on this blog and the values I was hoping to gain from it: For most, blogging is a hobby fostering opinion and personal reflection, but for some, it can also be a great way to get noticed as a knowledgeable professional. In any case, it’s important to remember that if you’re going to blog, it’s gotta be as much about you as it is about your topic.
“My Blog is My Blueprint”, one of the most profound things I’ve heard regarding online identity from one of the most charming MILFs I’ve had the pleasure to meet (a dirty little secret between the seven of us). The statement emphasizes how a blog, in its purest form, can’t help to reflect the bloggers personality and feelings; if no two people are the same, then neither can be blogs, giving readers an opportunity to get their daily-dose of information in a flavor that best suits their taste.
In these harsh economic times, my two cents are best spent during happy hour with some good friends and cheap booze to help me feel remorseful; blogging, therefore for me, is just a good way to keep myself on the radar of people I’ve come to know over my six years of professional experience as a communications professional by providing them with information they may want to hear about. If you caught my previous article before my 2-week hiatus, however, you may not find it as endearing as my previous articles (My First Blog, My first Mistake, and Sex Sells? being my two favorites so far). I had forgotten this key rule, and it may take some time before I get my formula down right.
Knowledge today, both fact and fiction, is only a few clicks and keystrokes away from us at any given time. Whether you have aspirations to become one of the big players of the blogosphere, a strong source for information, or just want to get some stuff off your chest, the content needs to reflect a little something readers genuinely can’t find anywhere else if your looking for mass readership. The rest really depends on word of mouth and targeting strategy (twittering, SEO, link-ins, etc.).
With that being said, I hope you guys will share my article with friends you think will enjoy reading it for now. Check back every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday around lunch for new, fun articles to read. And feel free to send me any opinions on my media chia e-mail at vahuja@mediachia.com. All seven of you probably know my real e-mail address; either is fine. Thanks again to everyone reading this, and for those of you catching it late: WELCOME TO THE PARTY!!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Sonic Branding - What is it and Should I Invest in It?
By: Vinayak Ahuja
I brought up the topic of Sonic Branding yesterday when I talked a little about Branded Entertainment. Sonic Branding is the use of sound to reinforce brand identity and something you've definitely come across: Nokia, McDonalds, and Intel are just a few of the brands that have incorporated specific sounds to identify their products with.
Audio is one of the strongest forms of recall in the brain; before a child is given birth, it’s believed that infants learn to listen in the womb in order to record familiar voices, sounds, and aspects of prosodic language. There’s even further evidence that indicates certain sounds and chords having a direct impact on the way we feel regardless of culture and upbringing (I wrote a paper in college). It’s no doubt that sonic branding is a very powerful concept that should be considered when branding or re-branding your business or product.
But, when a brand becomes auditory, it needs to be attached and reintroduced regularly in order to maintain its effectiveness. Unlike a picture or a logo, sound isn’t passive it’s piercing. No matter what the situation, you have to take a level physical action to avoid sound that could never compare to simply moving your head or shifting your eyes. That sound is there and it can get annoying.
Everyone’s familiar with Nokia‘s signature ringtone, for example. Unfortunately, I’ve never experienced the ringtone as anything else other than what it is on a nokia cellphone, and there’re some GREAT ads for Nokia out there. As a result, this repetitive, unavoidable sound has become a deterrent for many people in the US. A sound that just disturbs your everyday life - that’s not the way I’d like to market my product.
McDonalds, on the other hand, has done a great job reinventing their annoying sound to meet almost every demographic and audience imaginable (chicken dance is one of my favorites). Their sound may be just as annoying when first heard, but its been reintroduced enough to where I can appreciate it. I’ve come to associate it with one, or a few, looks and images that I like, and when I hear it, that’s what I think of.
Market research analysts at Leicester University found that ads with music that fit the brand are 96% more likely to be recalled by consumers and 24% more likely to drive consumers to purchase the product (statistics at the end of this video). The key word here is “fit”. Sound, as it becomes more complex and distinct, becomes more subjective. So yes, audio branding is a great way to boost recall and improve sales, but it needs to be approached with deep thought and consideration to when, where, and how it’s being dressed when representing your brand. Just something you may want to consider before investing your dollar.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Branded Entertainment:How to Advertise to Your Consumers Without Advertising
By: Vinayak Ahuja
Brands including Coca-Cola, Levis, and Converse are now heavily investing into Branded Entertainment, entertainment that is meant to perfectly align with a brand’s attributes and be a reflection of the advertiser's personality. As both the fragmentation of media and divide of consumers' attention continue to grow exponentially, traditional mediums of advertisement continue to loose their impact on audiences, placing a lot of pressure on brands to find new and inventive ways to cement their message into the right-minds.
Branded Entertainment aren’t direct spots promoting a product, and there's not meant to be any particular message; it’s purpose is to induce a particular mood and feeling amongst an audience then link the product with those feelings by association. It’s a great idea and not impossible, but it’s so complicated to conceptualize that not all brands will have an easy time tackling this format. We’re talking about creating content that, in almost every aspect of its fiber, reflects a particular image and way of life that speaks to a given demographic.
Let’s take two pieces of work, for example, which I selected particularly to make my point: Mountain Dew’s First Descent, and E-bay’s Hooves/Force 1. Both are respectable for what they are, we’re not trying to compare the quality of a feature-length documentary (First Descent) to a short film (Hooves/Force 1), but only First Descent conveys a complete brand reflection that a viewer can connect with. I don’t think I need to explain why First Descent works; click the link, check out the Mountain Dew website and make your own opinions. Hooves/Force 1, on the other hand, is nowhere as clear of a link.
If you watch the video in its entirety, you’ll realize that the two friends are helping their blind friend, Louis, get baby shoes they found on e-bay for his seeing-eye pony, Carmine, in time for prom the next day. My first problem is in the plot itself, why do they have to drive out of the way to get something they need in an emergency? It gives a sense that e-bay, or online shopping, isn’t completely reliable.
The second thing that really got on my nerves is the ringtone used on Vincent’s phone, a tone so prominent in the film that I can recognize it instantly. It leads me to believe that it was a perfect sonic branding opportunity that was either botched or lost. Essentially, when creating branded content, all these concepts need to be taken into consideration – it sets the stage for what audiences will come to expect from your brand in the future.
"He's so GQ", "Google it"; Hooves/Force 1 may become viral, but what’s the point if I don’t appropriately link the work to brands? It would’ve been better to focus on finding all the necessary components needed for the coming prom then go on the trip for the shoes near the end. That says to me they were able to personalize their prom experience through online shopping, and that's all I'd need to know.
Brands including Coca-Cola, Levis, and Converse are now heavily investing into Branded Entertainment, entertainment that is meant to perfectly align with a brand’s attributes and be a reflection of the advertiser's personality. As both the fragmentation of media and divide of consumers' attention continue to grow exponentially, traditional mediums of advertisement continue to loose their impact on audiences, placing a lot of pressure on brands to find new and inventive ways to cement their message into the right-minds.
Branded Entertainment aren’t direct spots promoting a product, and there's not meant to be any particular message; it’s purpose is to induce a particular mood and feeling amongst an audience then link the product with those feelings by association. It’s a great idea and not impossible, but it’s so complicated to conceptualize that not all brands will have an easy time tackling this format. We’re talking about creating content that, in almost every aspect of its fiber, reflects a particular image and way of life that speaks to a given demographic.
Let’s take two pieces of work, for example, which I selected particularly to make my point: Mountain Dew’s First Descent, and E-bay’s Hooves/Force 1. Both are respectable for what they are, we’re not trying to compare the quality of a feature-length documentary (First Descent) to a short film (Hooves/Force 1), but only First Descent conveys a complete brand reflection that a viewer can connect with. I don’t think I need to explain why First Descent works; click the link, check out the Mountain Dew website and make your own opinions. Hooves/Force 1, on the other hand, is nowhere as clear of a link.
If you watch the video in its entirety, you’ll realize that the two friends are helping their blind friend, Louis, get baby shoes they found on e-bay for his seeing-eye pony, Carmine, in time for prom the next day. My first problem is in the plot itself, why do they have to drive out of the way to get something they need in an emergency? It gives a sense that e-bay, or online shopping, isn’t completely reliable.
The second thing that really got on my nerves is the ringtone used on Vincent’s phone, a tone so prominent in the film that I can recognize it instantly. It leads me to believe that it was a perfect sonic branding opportunity that was either botched or lost. Essentially, when creating branded content, all these concepts need to be taken into consideration – it sets the stage for what audiences will come to expect from your brand in the future.
"He's so GQ", "Google it"; Hooves/Force 1 may become viral, but what’s the point if I don’t appropriately link the work to brands? It would’ve been better to focus on finding all the necessary components needed for the coming prom then go on the trip for the shoes near the end. That says to me they were able to personalize their prom experience through online shopping, and that's all I'd need to know.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
No Articles This Week
To my loyal Readers:
I have an LSAT exam coming up this weekend and will not be able to put up any posts this week. Look back October 6th for new posts. Official launch is expected sometime during the week of the 12th of this month. Thanks for your patience, I hope you've enjoyed my articles up until now.
I have an LSAT exam coming up this weekend and will not be able to put up any posts this week. Look back October 6th for new posts. Official launch is expected sometime during the week of the 12th of this month. Thanks for your patience, I hope you've enjoyed my articles up until now.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Advertising Week Completes its 4th Year With Help from Partners Like Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo Inc., and AOL
By: Vinayak Ahuja
It seems that everyone wants to get in bed with Advertising Week, North America’s largest annual Advertising Convention. Though, I believe it would be more appropriate to call it a Communications Convention considering that panels are offered on all aspects of the industry along with Advertising, including Marketing, Branding, Online Media, New Media, and for the first time this year Mobile. Yes, I know, New Media includes Online and Mobile, but I’m thinking ahead – what’s new today might not be new in ‘09.
Speaking of New Media, one of my favorite features of this year’s convention was WADV Radio, Ad Weeks official live podcast made available for its second year. The service is designed to meet the needs of conflicted and/or geographically challenged attendants, providing both live streams and downloads of all the panels hosted at the convention. The site also offers some special guest interviews and gathers the thoughts of industry leaders together, giving you an opportunity for a deeper learning experience. WADV really helps democratize Advertising Week in various ways and bring focus to its core mission: to educate and provide resources for interested individuals of all ages on what’s happing in media today.
Of course, no digital service could ever truly replace face-to-face interaction, which is frankly the best aspect of attending panels and events. Almost every panel and event I attended was filled to capacity including the Facebook Wrap Party and the Yahoo/Billboard pre-concert Happy Hour, and those who chose to attend gained an opportunity to rub elbows with serious players within their field of communication. I personally had an amazing time matching wits with a Branding VP as we discussed the values of brand science and the important role branding plays in driving sales.
For those of you who missed Advertising Week this year, keep in mind you’ll have another week in September 2009 to make up for (September 21st to 25th, save the date). And if you can’t wait that long, you can always make time to attend Canada’s Advertising Week coming up in 2009, between January 26th – 30th. The good news is Canada's Ad Week will be held simultaneously in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary, with events in all cities during that week. But the bad news is that their Ad Week is scheduled 2 days before one of America’s biggest advertising days, the Super Bowl. Guess you’ll only be able to make both events if you Jet, literally.
It seems that everyone wants to get in bed with Advertising Week, North America’s largest annual Advertising Convention. Though, I believe it would be more appropriate to call it a Communications Convention considering that panels are offered on all aspects of the industry along with Advertising, including Marketing, Branding, Online Media, New Media, and for the first time this year Mobile. Yes, I know, New Media includes Online and Mobile, but I’m thinking ahead – what’s new today might not be new in ‘09.
Speaking of New Media, one of my favorite features of this year’s convention was WADV Radio, Ad Weeks official live podcast made available for its second year. The service is designed to meet the needs of conflicted and/or geographically challenged attendants, providing both live streams and downloads of all the panels hosted at the convention. The site also offers some special guest interviews and gathers the thoughts of industry leaders together, giving you an opportunity for a deeper learning experience. WADV really helps democratize Advertising Week in various ways and bring focus to its core mission: to educate and provide resources for interested individuals of all ages on what’s happing in media today.
Of course, no digital service could ever truly replace face-to-face interaction, which is frankly the best aspect of attending panels and events. Almost every panel and event I attended was filled to capacity including the Facebook Wrap Party and the Yahoo/Billboard pre-concert Happy Hour, and those who chose to attend gained an opportunity to rub elbows with serious players within their field of communication. I personally had an amazing time matching wits with a Branding VP as we discussed the values of brand science and the important role branding plays in driving sales.
For those of you who missed Advertising Week this year, keep in mind you’ll have another week in September 2009 to make up for (September 21st to 25th, save the date). And if you can’t wait that long, you can always make time to attend Canada’s Advertising Week coming up in 2009, between January 26th – 30th. The good news is Canada's Ad Week will be held simultaneously in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary, with events in all cities during that week. But the bad news is that their Ad Week is scheduled 2 days before one of America’s biggest advertising days, the Super Bowl. Guess you’ll only be able to make both events if you Jet, literally.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sex Sells – Go Daddy Girls Help Build Brand Recognition for Godaddy.com
By: Vinayak Ahuja
Candice Michelle, Danica Patrick, and Amanda Beard have all played their roles in establishing brand recognition for Godaddy.com, but is that necessarily right for your brand? Whenever you flash hot breasts and tight ass in front of your product without some foundation to your message, your product will look just as cheap as your ad: it'll get a hell of a lot of attention, but in the end, no body really respects it. It all depends on your goals, and in highly competitive markets, brand recognition is more valuable than brand sensibility (an image or appeal that compliments your product or service).
Here’s a sense of what I mean: I'm assuming many of you've heard of Go Daddy or at least remember their commercials, I want those people to think about what Go Daddy does, and don't cheat by Googling... K, so for those of you who know that they are a hosting site, ask your self why they're better than any other hosting site. What particularly about Godaddy.com makes you want to select their service? You might be drawing a blank around this time, that's probably because a lot of hosting sites are more about security and function rather than about being easy, so sex was a bit off topic (at least the way they portrayed it).
But after a full year of not seeing an ad, they came to mind when I thought about this topic as something to write about. Go Daddy ads were actually too explicit to be seen on TV, their last being a 2007 Super bowl Spot that quite frankly was one of their best ads…actually, it was their only good ad. The video received almost a million views; it was funny, tasteful, and promoted the simplicity of their service. What really caught my eye was the news I read regarding Go Daddy TV while investigating, which unfortunately was even further disappointment that overshadowed my hopes for their branding efforts. The entire site, much like their home page, is way too busy to enjoy as a visitor. On top of which, they lack any content of interest and seem to revolve around Danica Patrick without having any direction for her or the site. Simply a waste of time.
It’s a shame since Go Daddy was on their way of building a sense of charm to their product, similar to Ax Campaigns (it's there, really; you just have to look for it). If you caught the blog I most recently posted before this one were I mentioned building brands via the web, you could consider this an amazing opportunity that's treading water and on the verge of sinking. And, if you had a chance to read my first blog, you'll realize a significant portion of the heat has cooled off as well; this ship may have sunk by now. For Go Daddy's sake, I hope they can work out all the bugs in their marketing and advertising departments and bring stronger direction to this excellent brand building opportunity.
Candice Michelle, Danica Patrick, and Amanda Beard have all played their roles in establishing brand recognition for Godaddy.com, but is that necessarily right for your brand? Whenever you flash hot breasts and tight ass in front of your product without some foundation to your message, your product will look just as cheap as your ad: it'll get a hell of a lot of attention, but in the end, no body really respects it. It all depends on your goals, and in highly competitive markets, brand recognition is more valuable than brand sensibility (an image or appeal that compliments your product or service).
Here’s a sense of what I mean: I'm assuming many of you've heard of Go Daddy or at least remember their commercials, I want those people to think about what Go Daddy does, and don't cheat by Googling... K, so for those of you who know that they are a hosting site, ask your self why they're better than any other hosting site. What particularly about Godaddy.com makes you want to select their service? You might be drawing a blank around this time, that's probably because a lot of hosting sites are more about security and function rather than about being easy, so sex was a bit off topic (at least the way they portrayed it).
But after a full year of not seeing an ad, they came to mind when I thought about this topic as something to write about. Go Daddy ads were actually too explicit to be seen on TV, their last being a 2007 Super bowl Spot that quite frankly was one of their best ads…actually, it was their only good ad. The video received almost a million views; it was funny, tasteful, and promoted the simplicity of their service. What really caught my eye was the news I read regarding Go Daddy TV while investigating, which unfortunately was even further disappointment that overshadowed my hopes for their branding efforts. The entire site, much like their home page, is way too busy to enjoy as a visitor. On top of which, they lack any content of interest and seem to revolve around Danica Patrick without having any direction for her or the site. Simply a waste of time.
It’s a shame since Go Daddy was on their way of building a sense of charm to their product, similar to Ax Campaigns (it's there, really; you just have to look for it). If you caught the blog I most recently posted before this one were I mentioned building brands via the web, you could consider this an amazing opportunity that's treading water and on the verge of sinking. And, if you had a chance to read my first blog, you'll realize a significant portion of the heat has cooled off as well; this ship may have sunk by now. For Go Daddy's sake, I hope they can work out all the bugs in their marketing and advertising departments and bring stronger direction to this excellent brand building opportunity.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
TV or Internet TV, What’s the Question?
Most recently, I had an opportunity to attend the New York Television Festival, which in synopsis is a genuin who's-who and who-to-know of the New York Television Production Industry. The festival features a little something for everyone showcasing industry pilots, independent shorts, and even some student films. But this year, they added a “Digital Day” to take a look at how the web has not only influenced television, but impacted the lives of creatives’ trying to make it in the industry.
To get a strong understanding of what online video has done to American media consumption, we aught to take a quick look at what television was for Americans back in the day, a highly social medium that had the power to gather families, friends, and neighbors together. But as television has became a more affordable staple of American living, our consumption of the medium has grown. In fact, I remember reading as a kid in my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan club magazine, somewhere between the article about Komodo Dragons and Michelangelo’s favorite pizza toppings, that average daily American television had grown from 2-4 hours a day to about 6-8 hours a day in 1990, and was projected to grow to about 12-14 hours a day by the year 2010.
The web for many of us (on a web video perspective) makes media available at an even more personal level and comes equipped with socializing tools that give audiences a chance to express their sentiments. I can not only watch what I want, when I want, I can navigate through the media almost seamlessly and uninterrupted, I can play infinite libraries of content back to back for as long as I’d like, and after I’m done having my way with this digital concubine, I can tell all my friends what I thought of the experience with as much or as little compassion as I’d like. Of course, one does need to be careful in regards to where they find their videos, or one might catch a virus.
So what does this mean for Television today? With web video increasing in popularity, how has it impacted our society and the way we will watch TV in the future? There’s a lot to cover on that topic, so much so that it would take me an entire day to summarize and a few hours for you all to read. What I will say is that web TV has become and will continue to be a strong, promotional resource for any artist, studio, or network, and though it has been difficult to translate values gained from the web directly into dollars, internet TV is still infamous for growing and develop brands virally. This is primarily because it is slowly replacing television’s role as our personal media provider and has various socialization features and options (tagging, send-to-friend, commenting, instant messaging) that make the experience more interesting as a whole – you’re alone, but you’re not really alone.
For shows that foster interest and attachment to immerse story line like Lost or Battle Star Galactica, providing web access to old content is literally the least you can do. And if you’re worried about resale (DVD and syndication), just schedule cycled programming of series, focusing on particular aspects of the story arc; this way, you maintain high demand for DVD sales and interest in syndication while maintaining low bandwidth and storage costs. And for you artists trying to make it in the scene, I can think of no better alternative to low-attendance, off-broadway plays, highly competitive festivals, and representation that avoids you like you have leprosy than your own mini-series on the web. Do these shows have to be high budget and expensive? NO WAY!! Check out some of the content on Goodie Bag or Barats and Bereta – a lot of it is very simple in production costs, but the former has developed a pilot scheduled to air in Canada this Fall and the later are represented by CAA. Not too shabby for productions that probably ran them about a few hundred dollars at max.
Be sure that I will revisit this topic in later posts, sometime next week most likely. Until then, feel free to comment and ask me any particular questions you may have. Congrats to all the submissions at the NYTVF, you were all amazing and I hope to see some more of your work soon. Here's a link to some trailers (not included in that list for some reason is Hit Factor, Wired City, The Other Highschool, Red Hook High, and The Department) for you all you thesbians out there. And special thanks to the NYTVF for not only putting together an amazing festival, but giving these artists a chance to be seen by some players in the industry.
-Vinayak Ahuja
To get a strong understanding of what online video has done to American media consumption, we aught to take a quick look at what television was for Americans back in the day, a highly social medium that had the power to gather families, friends, and neighbors together. But as television has became a more affordable staple of American living, our consumption of the medium has grown. In fact, I remember reading as a kid in my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan club magazine, somewhere between the article about Komodo Dragons and Michelangelo’s favorite pizza toppings, that average daily American television had grown from 2-4 hours a day to about 6-8 hours a day in 1990, and was projected to grow to about 12-14 hours a day by the year 2010.
The web for many of us (on a web video perspective) makes media available at an even more personal level and comes equipped with socializing tools that give audiences a chance to express their sentiments. I can not only watch what I want, when I want, I can navigate through the media almost seamlessly and uninterrupted, I can play infinite libraries of content back to back for as long as I’d like, and after I’m done having my way with this digital concubine, I can tell all my friends what I thought of the experience with as much or as little compassion as I’d like. Of course, one does need to be careful in regards to where they find their videos, or one might catch a virus.
So what does this mean for Television today? With web video increasing in popularity, how has it impacted our society and the way we will watch TV in the future? There’s a lot to cover on that topic, so much so that it would take me an entire day to summarize and a few hours for you all to read. What I will say is that web TV has become and will continue to be a strong, promotional resource for any artist, studio, or network, and though it has been difficult to translate values gained from the web directly into dollars, internet TV is still infamous for growing and develop brands virally. This is primarily because it is slowly replacing television’s role as our personal media provider and has various socialization features and options (tagging, send-to-friend, commenting, instant messaging) that make the experience more interesting as a whole – you’re alone, but you’re not really alone.
For shows that foster interest and attachment to immerse story line like Lost or Battle Star Galactica, providing web access to old content is literally the least you can do. And if you’re worried about resale (DVD and syndication), just schedule cycled programming of series, focusing on particular aspects of the story arc; this way, you maintain high demand for DVD sales and interest in syndication while maintaining low bandwidth and storage costs. And for you artists trying to make it in the scene, I can think of no better alternative to low-attendance, off-broadway plays, highly competitive festivals, and representation that avoids you like you have leprosy than your own mini-series on the web. Do these shows have to be high budget and expensive? NO WAY!! Check out some of the content on Goodie Bag or Barats and Bereta – a lot of it is very simple in production costs, but the former has developed a pilot scheduled to air in Canada this Fall and the later are represented by CAA. Not too shabby for productions that probably ran them about a few hundred dollars at max.
Be sure that I will revisit this topic in later posts, sometime next week most likely. Until then, feel free to comment and ask me any particular questions you may have. Congrats to all the submissions at the NYTVF, you were all amazing and I hope to see some more of your work soon. Here's a link to some trailers (not included in that list for some reason is Hit Factor, Wired City, The Other Highschool, Red Hook High, and The Department) for you all you thesbians out there. And special thanks to the NYTVF for not only putting together an amazing festival, but giving these artists a chance to be seen by some players in the industry.
-Vinayak Ahuja
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
My First Blog and My First Mistake
Thanks for coming to check out my blog; it's my personal first and I'm very excited. I hate to admit it, but I've already made my first marketing fopa (perhaps two since I couldn't confirm a proper spelling): I had asked potential readers to look for my blog earlier than I had anticipated for it to be up.
Think about what powers viral: word of mouth, words are only as valuable as the mouths they are being spoken from, which is what essentially translates credibility into power. Now, it isn't necessarily MY credibility at the moment I'm worried about; I hadn't spread the word to too many people as of yet, and I was only about a day late from the launch date I gave. What I've lost is the opportunity to give my potential readers (and some new friends) an opportunity to work their credit for me.
Don't take it the wrong way, no one feels mislead and there's certainly no negative sentiment (I would think), but there was no opportunity for my new readers to share potential information, and if you want to spread like wild fire, you want push your product when it's hot. In this case, a day (rather, a delay), significantly cools down that fire and may have perhaps snuffed flames all together. I'm very sure that I'll have to make an effort to update my potential readers on the blog, meaning I have to do the same work that I had originally done all over again.
And if I may go back to the example of wild fire: has anyone ever tried to start a flame up again after it's already been snuffed out? Even if you manage to get the fire going, it just doesn't burn as bright as it did when it first started. But the moment has passed and the lesson is learned, so now all I can do is apologize to my readers and make it up to them by buying them a round. It'll most likely be during open bar, but the sentiment will be there :-)
Speaking of open bar, I am off to the NYTVF to attend a panel on Reaching Women on the web. I guess the truth is out, I got into the online marketing business for the women ;-)
Think about what powers viral: word of mouth, words are only as valuable as the mouths they are being spoken from, which is what essentially translates credibility into power. Now, it isn't necessarily MY credibility at the moment I'm worried about; I hadn't spread the word to too many people as of yet, and I was only about a day late from the launch date I gave. What I've lost is the opportunity to give my potential readers (and some new friends) an opportunity to work their credit for me.
Don't take it the wrong way, no one feels mislead and there's certainly no negative sentiment (I would think), but there was no opportunity for my new readers to share potential information, and if you want to spread like wild fire, you want push your product when it's hot. In this case, a day (rather, a delay), significantly cools down that fire and may have perhaps snuffed flames all together. I'm very sure that I'll have to make an effort to update my potential readers on the blog, meaning I have to do the same work that I had originally done all over again.
And if I may go back to the example of wild fire: has anyone ever tried to start a flame up again after it's already been snuffed out? Even if you manage to get the fire going, it just doesn't burn as bright as it did when it first started. But the moment has passed and the lesson is learned, so now all I can do is apologize to my readers and make it up to them by buying them a round. It'll most likely be during open bar, but the sentiment will be there :-)
Speaking of open bar, I am off to the NYTVF to attend a panel on Reaching Women on the web. I guess the truth is out, I got into the online marketing business for the women ;-)
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