Advertising Fuelosophy 101

The New Face of Twitter

Twitter has unveiled its new homepage in the hopes to “to better show who we are," according to co-founder Biz Stone. The new landing page has a search box, information on Twitter trends and a panoply of more specific information about how they can use Twitter as well as live feeds of the most popular tweets.

As reported in AllThingsD, Stone said, “You can try it out without having to sign up, so you can get an idea of what Twitter is before you use it. We need to do a better job of explaining ourselves to people who hear about us and then have no idea what do to.”

Hopefully the redesign will go a long way in explaining to the 69% of adults who said they didn’t know enough about Twitter to have an opinion about it. This statistic was released in a new study by Harris Interactive.

I just tested the new Twitter homepage, and although it's an improvement, it’s not enough. It's not enough to just click on a subject and be dumped into a conversation topic with no explanation of what Twitter is really all about other than “Share and discover what’s happening right now, anywhere in the world.”  Wow, I can currently do that anywhere on the internet, TV or radio. Personally, I give it an A for effort, and a C on execution.

Note: To see the new page in action you either have to have no account or not currently be logged in.

Does a Brand have to Cut Through the Clutter by Going in the Gutter -- Part Two

Last week in our post, Does a brand have to cut through the communication clutter by going in the gutter?, one of the largest franchisees of Hardee's emphatically stated that his stores weren't going to use the restaurant chain's controversial biscuit hole ads. Well, Hardee's latest promotion is called "French Me" and continues their marketing theme of raising eyebrows with innuendo and sex to sell their brand.

This newest promotion is featuring its new French Dip Thickburger and the campaign enlists the support of four French Maids. The Maids have a tour schedule visiting stores in 11 markets throughout the South and Midwest during July and August. The campaign is event-based driven by social media. The microsite offers Facebook, You Tube and Twitter posts as well as the appearance schedule and reports on the Maids adventures. Also, guests can have their photos taken with the maids accessed online with a code.

I'm just thinking out loud and I know retailers for years have used sex to sell stuff, but how far is too far and when does the it all become me too? It seems only a few used the racy stuff, but now its not just a few chains, but many that are choosing to grab attention by going to the sexual edge.

I had to laugh out loud by one comment from Ron Ruggless, southwest bureau editor for Nation's Restuarant News, "Hooters has been seeing a growing number of competitors successfully engage them in the lure for the customer. Concepts such as Tilted Kilt, Twin Peaks, Bone Daddy's and Brick House are enjoying success in the 'breast-aurant' category." In addition, he stated "...restaurant chains and the people who market them just have to make sure they don’t over-sell the sex and underestimate their patrons’ sensibilities. The race for the bottom line can only be so racy." Click here to read his editorial.

I'm really curious to know, what consumers think, have the "breast-aurant" wars passed the fine line of sensibilities? Do the frequent diners of Hardee's, Quiznos, Burger King really get turned on for the brand because of sexual innuendo (sorry couldn't help myself on this pun)? I wonder if these tactics turn off just as many customers? I would love some feedback from customers and experts. That's my thought, what's yours?

Starbucks Rebranding its Concept?

As reported by CBS News, Starbucks Coffee is testing a rebrand of their coffee shop complete with a name change in three newly remodeled Seattle area stores on 15th Avenue. They are trying to tie into a stronger community personality. Their new name? 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea. Wow, that rolls right off the tongue doesn’t it.

But wait there’s more. Not only are they serving the obvious (coffee and tea), but they will also be serving beer and wine and feature live music and poetry.   Is this a return to their roots? Are they trying to be “real”? Or are they scrambling and grasping at straws trying to save their business? The company has been unable in recent months to keep its sales growing as more consumers cut out small luxuries to save money and the competition with lower-priced rivals like McDonald's Corp. has heated up.

Does a Brand have to Cut Through the Clutter by Going in the Gutter?

Does a brand have to cut through the communication clutter by going in the gutter? According to the largest franchisee of Hardee's the answer is no way! Boddie-Noell Enterprises in North Carolina has vowed not to use the restaurant chain's controversial biscuit hole ad and also says it will press Hardee's parent CKE to clean up the campaign and eliminate the spots "in all markets."

The franchisee's move came after it received a complaint about the spots -- which uses terms like A-hole, B-hole, sweet balls and "bisticals" as potential names for the new biscuit holes that compete with products such as Dunkin' Donuts' doughnut holes. The complaint was rendered by Parents Television Council. The PTC objected to the "racy" and "brainless" nature of the biscuit hole campaign, which it contends is inappropriate for family viewing.

Boddie-Noell Enterprises chairman Ben Mayo Boddie agreed and said they do not plan to air the spots in any markets they control. The company operates almost 350 Hardee's restaurants in the Carolinas, Virginia and Kentucky.

The response from CKE was classic and said it would not pull the ad: "CKE Restaurants, Inc., owner and franchisor of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's restaurants, adopts a creative approach to our advertising. It is intended to communicate the core message of our premium quality food to our target audience of Young, Hungry Guys. We do not aim to exclude or offend any other group with our efforts, but merely to appeal and amuse a very specific audience." Click here for more of their response and story.

I find CKE's response interesting with two notable phrases: "premium quality food" and "young, hungry guys." And to me I'm struggling to completely understand their strategic intent.

Keep in mind, I'm not the target audience (too old), but had to laugh at the statement of "young, hungry guys" since it conjured up visions of elementary school and junior high where all guys laughed at body parts and body functions. I'm wondering, beginning in high school, then college and on to 20 something workers if body humor starts to wane.

Then what about the terms of A-hole, B-hole, sweet balls and "bisticals" being associated with their  premium quality food. Here's where I really scratched my head. We work with a few restaurant brands and what we have learned over the years is it's about the food ... good food brings diners (fast food or otherwise). So when you make an association for those sophomoric young, hungry guys that your premium quality food is compared tongue-in-cheek with an orifice or reminds you of the male anatomy ... yeah I guess that is appealing ... not!

Last, but not least, I'm sure CKE and their agency feel that the advertising will capture the attention of their very specific audience. In reality, it may because my guess is that they have generalized that all young, hungry guys don't think, they just eat, so let's just get their attention any way we can. But we all know that young, hungry guys think about sex even more, so why didn't the company think about that.

Well, here's a few of the spots for your review and I've given you my thoughts, what's yours?

Punchy Apollo Advertising

It has been an exciting week for outer space. First the 40th Anniversary of the first moon landing. Then the longest solar eclipse this century. All of it fascinates me! But here's something you may have missed in the Apollo 11 retrospective footage.

Apparently the dark side of the moon is a big Coca-Cola logo. This is a fun look back at 1969 advertising and the deep dark carbonated mysteries of space. 

A 1965 spot for Tang is a bit more explanatory. Check out the space walk practice. Yet I think the real take-away from the Gemini missions isn't Tang at all. It's Capri Sun in the take-along pouch! 10% fruit juice and nothing artificial? Now that's one giant leap.

Does Social Networking Help Brands?

According to a study recently released by WorkPlace Media the answer to the question posed in this blog's title is no. The overall impact of a brand's presence on social networking sites is minimal in terms of impact and perception, according their conclusions.

The major findings in this study state that 96% of respondents said their opinion of a product brand did not change if that brand had no presence on a social networking site, and only 11% of social networking users reported following any major brand through a social networking site, and just 12% of respondents said their opinion of a brand changes if that brand maintains a social networking presence.

In addition, the study found that only 25% of respondents recommend a business/product via a social network site and just 18% acted upon a business/product recommendation from a social networking site.

Stephanie Molnar, CEO of WorkPlace Media, says "When it comes to influencing brand perception and purchase decisions... social networking... has a long way to go."

Well, the opinion of this writer is what would you expect? Much of the social media environment was built upon the premise of "keeping in touch." Facebook was started so college friends could connect, Twitter began with the simple thought of "what are you doing," LinkedIn was the business version of Facebook and You Tube was created to upload and share videos. And if you check into the histories you'll see all of these social sites (and more) are still in their infancy.

Think about it, if the goal is to connect with friends, family, coworkers, business associates, laugh over a video, then it makes sense that it is not a brand influencer ... yet. The key word here is yet. As the social networking sites continue to evolve (and they are evolving ... who doesn't get irritated when someone tweets what they're having for lunch), a brand can have an impact. But the brand must think like a person, not a product, not a service, but a person.

You might be thinking what a stupid thought, brand think like a person ... bear with me ... people connect with each other, they gain value, support, help, enjoyment, etc. by sharing life ... a brand can do the same. A brand can offer value, insight, support, help, enjoyment by sharing its attributes with people who are interested or part of a community. What a brand shouldn't do is think like an advertiser and just blanket the social sites with offers, deals and more. This is mass advertising, not social networking.

And as us in the industry grow in understanding of evolving social media, the better we can help brands think like a person. In a year from now, I would love to see this study again ... because smart people are already figuring this out. That's my thought, what's yours.

Is This McDonald's Food Real or Not?

In a tweet today from Guy Kawasaki, Co-founder of Alltop, the following video came as a link and he wrote this teaser, "Cool short video on food marketing. Are you salivating over pixels?" Watch the video and I think it will come abundantly clear what has just happened.

 

McDonald's Versus from Bruce Branit on Vimeo.

The copy introducing this video states, "Simple video of a burger, fries, and a drink, right? Well, just watch until about 28 seconds in. Food stylists, your days are numbered...some intern at Pixar is gunning for your job."

From what I could see these burger and fries are very much worth eating and hey the calories don't count since they exist only in the digital world. That's my thought, what's yours?

Advertisers and Audiences: How their Views on Advertising Differ

The first survey of an on-going collaboration between LinkedIn and Harris Interactive was released today (July 21, 2009) marking the differences between advertisers and consumers regarding the effectiveness of advertisements. The press release stated, "Advertisers and marketers spend a great deal of
time crafting ads that they think are effective. Consumers who view these ads at times
have different ideas."

Here are some overall highlights from their survey:

• Advertisers and those to whom they advertise tend to see the world differently. For example, the advertiser think sales, the consumer thinks I like watching the ad.
• However, advertisers and their audiences tend to agree on what is most effective and what is least effective.
• The major difference between advertisers and consumers is that the consumer wants messages that talk money (as in saving it), while advertisers prefer messages of empathy (we understand what you are going through) and cheerleading (we've made it through tough times, we'll do it again).

When it comes to the types of ads most effective, these areas show some agreement:

• While over half of advertisers believe ads that make people stop and think (53%)
  and ads that give people new information (51%) are very effective, however, just three in
  ten consumers (30% and 29% respectively) feel the same;
• Consumers and advertisers both like ads that amuse – 34% of consumers and
  41% of advertisers say entertaining ads are very effective and one-third of both
  consumers (33%) and advertisers (32%) say funny ads are very effective.

Where advertisers and consumers show some level of disagreement on ad effectiveness:

• One-quarter of advertisers (26%) think ads that are integrated into the feel of the
  program, that is has the same tone as the program it is based in, are very
  effective compared to just 7% of consumers;
• When it comes to ads that show before/after, 24% of advertisers say they are
  very effective while 13% of consumers say they are very effective;
• One in five advertisers (21%) say ads that reinforce a message already known
  are very effective compared to 10% of consumers;
• 14% of advertisers say ads that don‘t take themselves seriously are very effective. In
  fact, almost one in five consumers (18%) say these ads are not at all effective;
• Over one-quarter of consumers (27%) and 18% of advertisers say ads about a
  serious topic that make people feel slightly guilty are not at all effective.

Here's the link to the Harris Poll press release and it includes charts/tables of major questions for review. I found the press release interesting with some valuable learning to use as we help advertisers advertise. That's my thought, what's yours?

Detroit Lions- King of the Letdowns

 
Wow! What a letdown. I’m really used to saying that about the Detroit Lions, but I’m usually referring to their playing, not their logo. Yes, the Lions have a new logo and surprise! It looks just like every other professional team franchise logo that has been re-designed in last few years.

 

I can’t say that I’m really hating it and I’m definitely not saying I like it either. But it definitely is a “me too” logo. They've succumbed to the woosh factor! What ever happened to originality? Does the NFL force all teams to use the same graphic designer? Why can’t they just win a stinking game?

Well, I can only hope the new design breathes new life into the team and reinvigorates them. Let’s hope for a 1 and 15 season! After all, there’s no where to go but up!

Free Breakfast for 200 Hundred People at Founders Festival

This weekend is the Downtown Farmington Founders Festival. Downtown Farmington invites you to Go Play in the Streets for a weekend of music, art, and fun for all ages. Go stroll through the Art Market. Visit the main stage for great music and catch a Movie Under the Stars. Cheer on a parade, make crafts with the kids and run around the Go PlayGround. There's lots to see and do.

In addition, Magic 105.1 broadcasts LIVE to kick off the 2009 Founders Festival this Friday, July 17, 2009! You can join Jim Harper and the Magic Morning Show as they broadcast live from 6AM - 10AM from the BRIGHT HOUSE Main Stage.

Plus there will be FREE breakfast for the first 200 people to arrive after 6AM. Then...from 7am to 8am, meet the Ringling Brothers clowns! It's a chance for your kids to smile and clown around with Fun Circus Games and chances to win 4-packs of tickets for the whole family to see the Ringling Brothers Circus while they are in town at the Palace of Auburn Hills, November 18-22.

For more information, visit their new website for all the activities, bands, eats, shopping, events, etc. Go have a fantastic time!

Pepsi? Yeah, that's what I said...Pecsi.

Our last Fresh Fuel blog discussed how consumers are now shaping brands. But imagine my surprise when I read this headline in Advertising Age: In Aregentina, Pepsi Becomes 'Pecsi.' Apparently Pepsi changed its name to Pecsi because that's how 25% of people in Argentina pronounce it. 'Pecsi' is an easier pronunciation given Spanish phonetics.

The name-change campaign invites people to celebrate the 'free will of pronunciation' across multiple forms of media, including a free content wiki, Twitter feed, YouTube channel and website.

The response has been favorable. But is changing Pepsi's name based on 25% of the population the right thing to do? What about brand equity? Although staying 'in touch' with your consumer is often more important than anything else. One comment on the Ad Age article initiates another debate: what about the visual component of branding? Pecsi does not look like Pepsi, despite how it may be pronounced. And many nations may pronounce products differently due to the native tongue.

What's more important to the Pepsi brand? Consistency or consumer identity?

Where Do Trust and Influence Converge in the World of Brands?

Today I read two different reports from two different companies and I thought it would be interesting to link the reports, in a casual kind of way, to see if there is a learning lesson for brands. The first report comes from Razorfish, titled "Fluent." The second report comes from Nielsen, titled "Global Online Consumer Survey."

The Fluent report concludes, "traditional top-down branding will become increasingly  impotent as social media grows. Consumers continue to rely on personal  networks to learn about products and services. Consumers are shaping brands as much as brands themselves are. Brand management will require greater transparency and a stronger connection to consumers than ever before." And just for the record, we have known this fact for a while and agree with its premise and direction.

Razorfish advises that all brands should at least grasp how social media plays into purchase decisions. The study indicates that "social influencers," people active on social platforms, tend to hold the most sway during the consideration phase leading up to a purchase. Close family and friends play by far the biggest roles at the initial awareness and final "action" stages relating to a purchase. Corporate bloggers typically rated at or near the bottom among influencers at each stage of the process.

 The Nielsen report offered these conclusions, "recommendations from personal acquaintances or opinions posted by consumers online are the most trusted forms of advertising worldwide. 90% of consumers surveyed said that they trust recommendations from people they know, while 70% trusted consumer opinions posted online. However, in this new age of consumer control, advertisers will be encouraged by the fact that brand websites, the most trusted form of advertiser-led advertising, are trusted by as many people (70%) as consumer opinions posted online."

Jonathan Carson, President of Online, International, for the Nielsen Company, said "The explosion in Consumer Generated Media... means consumers' reliance on word of mouth in the decision-making process... has increased significantly."

So what does this all mean when you link the influence of Razorfish's report with the trust of Nielsen's report? In reality I think it is quite simple, people trust people ... the little guy ... the voice of the people ... and social media has given the voice of people a very large stage. And the people are looking to shout good or bad their experiences and every so often the shouting gets very, very loud.

In day's past, all of us in this industry knew that word-of-mouth was always the most powerful form of advertising and we could quote the rule-of-thumb: one good experience is told to 10 people and one bad experience is told to 100 people. Well, today, word-of-mouth is exponentially larger, think You-Tube, think Facebook, think Twitter, it doesn't take long for a message to reach out and touch someone.

To end where we began, where do trust and influence converge for a brand ... in the hands of those who type 140 characters, post to a wall and search for information ... and all tell a story about your brand ... so how about it joining in on the conversation. That's my thought, what's yours?

 

GM Looking At Green Has Me Seeing Red

According to the AP, GM is looking into changing the corporate blue of its logo to green. They say it’s to “show consumers that it’s more focused on fuel efficiency and better able to make quick decisions.”

What? The fuel efficiency angle I can understand, but not really agree with.  Better able to make quick decisions? Please. Isn’t that the type of thinking that got them into this trouble in the first place? Why on God’s green earth (pun intended) would they want to convey quick decisions? Wouldn’t it be better to convey that you are making smart decisions?

During a time like this wouldn’t it be smarter to convey that they are a stable company? A company that isn’t going away. One that is focused on what’s really important- fixing what is really wrong with the company and not sidetracked by what is trendy.

Saying that you a green company by making your logo green is just a little passé, don’t you think?

Besides, changing the color of a logo is no small feat. It’s not just uploading a new file to your website to replace the current blue logo. The logo needs to be changed everywhere- on letterhead, buildings, trucks, on everything and everyplace that you see the current logo. That will cost the company MILLIONS of dollars. In my opionion, that’s millions of dollars wasted.

Here’s a better idea- take the money you are going to spend on the logo change, and keep a few more people in your company employed.

I say out with the new and keep the old. Go blue!

Economy at its Best or Worst ... Will Somebody Please Decide.

Yesterday I read an article in the NY Times with the headline, "Snapshot of Economy Is Its Best in 9 Months."I was so thrilled to read some good news about our national economy, I sent out a tweet with a link to this article, commenting I'm looking forward to more good news on this topic.

Well that was yesterday ... because today ... I read another article published by the research firm Technomic stating an economic turnaround is in the distance. They based their report on the current broad unemployment rate, which includes not only those who have lost their jobs, but also workers who are underemployed or discouraged. The broad unemployment rate has reached 15.8 percent and is rising, according to a July Technomic report from the firm’s consulting economist, Arjun Chakravarti.

Chakravarti goes on to say, "The prolonged climb of unemployment in the United States has not only affected the spending habits of those without jobs, but also has changed the spending habits of those who remain employed by spreading psychological uncertainty across all workers in the economy. These collective threats will delay an economic recovery by inhibiting consumer spending, increasing precautionary savings, and delaying retirement dates across all levels of the economy."

The prediction is that the broad unemployment rate could reach could 17 percent by the end of the year. Ouch. And there goes optimism.

One day we're up reading that business activity, new orders and employment all slid at a sharply slower pace in June than in May, according to the NY Times article. And that business activity is nearly in growth territory. Real estate, finance and insurance, and food and hotel companies were among the six industries that reported actual growth.

So what's a person to believe ... business activity may start to grow or broad unemployment stifles economic recovery. Both are tied to consumer spending. One group says its study points positive and then another group's study points negative.

Right now I'm feeling a little bipolar. I think I'm going to listen to Katy Perry's song, Hot N Cold just because it seems appropriate to how I'm feeling about the economy. That's my thought, what's yours?

16 Phrases that Should Never Come Out of Your Mouth

I found this article recently in a publication, Advantages, that serves the promotional products industry but felt that it had value for anyone who sells anything ... including marketing services. The opening sentence to the article states, "It's no secret that good salespeople have the gift of gab, but it's important to know when to shut up."

Jeff Thull, president and CEO of sales consulting firm Prime Resource Group, added "A very interesting discipline is to condense your answers to any question to under 20 seconds. When you consider that companies can do a commercial in 15 seconds, that might not be too much to ask. That's a simple discipline to try to get yourself into."

So, what do all the experts think you shouldn't say (versus what you should say). Here's the list of 16 no-no phrases:

1. How are you? The client thinks this person doesn't care how I am (seems insincere).
2. Thanks for your time. The client thinks my time is more important than your time (don't devalue your time).
3. I really like that picture of your family. The client thinks I don't know you yet, you're trying to butter me up to make a hard sell (reminds them of pushy salespeople).
4. Here's our latest monthly promotion. The client thinks I have no interest (assumes this is a motivation to a client).
5. The product has been really hot lately. The client thinks their advertising will look like everyone else's (people want to be unique).
6. Who besides yourself will be involved in the decision. The client thinks you are insulting them (assumes the person is not a decision-maker).
7. Many people don't understand. The client thinks you are talking down to them (always protect a person's self-esteem).
8. Let me be honest with you. The client thinks you are honest only sometimes (hurts a sales relationship).
9. Here's information -- do you see anything in there that interest you? The client thinks you are trying to sell versus help (no one wants to be sold, everyone wants to buy).
10. Do you understand what I'm saying? The client thinks you think I'm stupid (don't imply a client is ignorant).
11. If I were you, I would do this. The client thinks you are not me and you don't know my business (don't tell a client what to do, lead them to what to do).
12. We have the best service. The client thinks here comes the hard sell again (this is hard to prove and everyone says it).
13. That's not a good choice. The client thinks you are questioning my judgment (don't undermine their authority).
14. Would you like that in red or blue? The client thinks slow down, let me decide if this is right for me before you go for the close (gauge client interest before rushing).
15. What else can I do for you? The client thinks you are putting them on the spot (this is a huge question that could overwhelm).
16. If I can be of any further help, please let me know. The client thinks "duh" (put the responsibility with the salesperson, not the client).

Well, let me be honest with you and ask did you read anything of interest in the above post. I truly hope you understand the importance of what not to say. And finally, please let me know if I can be of any further help. That's my thought, what's yours :-)?

YouTube Sparks 4th of July Celebrations

The holiday weekend starts in two hours, so the office is unusually quiet. Except for YouTube. YouTube is a favorite downtime pastime. In fact, according to a recent report, YouTube ranks No. 1 for online video streaming by a spectacular margin. And that's a good spot to be in when the amount of time spent watching video online grows by 49%. But you can check the rest of the stats on streaming video after you get back from 4th of July fun. In the meantime, here's a dazzling grand finale to this short work week courtesy of...who else?