O Austria

Weighing in

My least favorite Super Bowl ad for 2009 is “O Americana” from Budweiser. It’s all about being an American ale, so why’re we humming Mozart? My favorite? Taters. Sure it perpetuates a negative female stereotype, but it made me laugh and clearly communicated the Bridgestone promise of performance. http://adage.com/brightcove/single.php?title=9234252001

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV--ISqrMLs

Brand vs. store

Consumers like store brands. 2/3 think that they’re just as good as name brands. And only 39% think that the best new products usually come from name brands. But they trust name brands. When asked what’s their most trusted brand in the grocery store, Kraft was mentioned by 11.1%, followed by Campbell’s (5.3%), and General Mills (5%). Store brands, meanwhile, were only brought up by 1% of respondents. (source: Supermarket News, 2/2/09)

Make lemonade

It snowed in London this week, a lot. Based on the long-term forecast, one agency, and their quick-decision-making client, took advantage of the rare white stuff to mount a guerrilla campaign, tagging the city with 3,500 logos for a sports network. (source: Springwise, 2/5/09)

Hold the high-fructose corn syrup

The recession may make us healthier. In an effort to save money, non-foodies are starting to eat more like foodies. Scratch cooking, whole grains, farm markets, canning fresh produce for later, making up recipes that use what’s in season and on special. Trading processed for more of a process in the kitchen. Iconoculture calls them “scrimpavores.”

WOMers just want to be loved

Customers who participate in loyalty-building efforts, like MyCokeRewards and the Best Buy Reward Zone, are 70% more likely to actively recommend a product, service, or brand than the general population. 55% of those who participated in reward program described themselves as brand champions. 68% of this group said they would recommend a program sponsor’s brand during the course of the next year. When asked why they actively engage in WOM, respondents said: to tell manufacturers what I think (73%), to get smart about products and services (68%), to be the first to discover new items (68%), to get free product samples (63%), and to share my opinion with others (61%). The researchers found that brand champions crave a deep, interactive relationship with their favorite brand. (source: Brandweek, 2/4/09)

Still swank

How to cut prices without cutting image? This spring Rock & Republic will introduce its limited-edition Recession Collection. A nice solution for maintaining their luxe brand without ignoring their consumers’ need for budget flexibility. (source: Iconoculture)

More than discounts

All that info Danny Wegman’s been collecting on you might just save your life. Wegmans, along with Costco and Price Chopper, are sifting through loyalty card data to notify people who’ve purchased recalled products from the latest peanut debacle. They know you bought it. They know when. Let’s just hope you haven’t eaten it yet. (source: Marketing Daily, 2/4/09)

On the other hand

No matter what horrible thing was in the spinach, long term, people don’t change what they eat. According to Gallup, 62% of Americans said they avoided buying certain brands or types of food due to a food safety warning or recall in the previous 12 months. But only 28% of Americans reported paying "a lot" of attention to food safety and nutritional issues. There seem to be three main reasons. Our food system is so complex that people feel helpless to protect themselves. Processed food feels antiseptic and safe. Big brands feel safe. (source: Washington Post, 2/4/09)

Punk butter

This TV ad, featuring Johnny Rotten, increased product sales 85%. Wow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mSE-Iy_tFY (source: Times of London, 2/4/09)

Retail disorder

The National Retail Federation says stores are seeing an enormous increase in binge-and-purge shopping. You buy, you stress, you return, you feel smart and relieved. Repeat from step one, over and over again. While some people find it easy to cut back on shopping, many can’t break the consumer addiction--the thrill of the hunt and the endorphin rush of getting something new is simply too strong. Then the fear of the credit card bill kicks in. In response, many stores have adopted stricter return policies.

Now with chamois

P&G needs new revenue streams, so Mr. Clean has had to get a second job. The CPG giant is teaming their guy in white with the 50-year-old Carnett carwash franchise, and counting on Boomers who don’t want to DIY anymore to make it all worth while. (source: Wall Street Journal, 2/5/09)

Top 10 most social media-ed about brands

1. iPhone

2. CNN

3. Apple

4. Disney

5. Xbox

6. Starbucks

7. iPod

8. MTV

9. Sony

10. Dell

(source: Virtue/Ad Age, 1/30/09)

Email this