New Marketing Tools Can Bite
A Dummy's Puppet's Ramblings - from Chip Martin, Mannequin American
New Marketing Tools Can Bite
Veteran marketers are warning companies not to be seduced by the power of social media before they understand it.
"You can go running after the next shiny thing, but it has to be driven by a core insight; not by somebody's ego," said Brian Maynard, director-brand marketing for Whirlpool's premium brands, Kitchen Aid and Jenn-Air.
Mr. Maynard admitted that he'd once fallen victim to that tendency, by building a "virtual dinner party" on Kitchen Aid's Web site. "It got way out ahead of our objectives," he said. "I think four people interacted with it, including my mother, who had dial-up," he said. "And it won an award." (I guess for the agency, that justifies all of the client's wasted money.)
Smart Idea Will Earn Estee Lauder Social Media Boost
Estee Lauder cosmetics has found a way to connect with social media users ... offering free makeovers and photo shoots at its department store counters to produce shots women can use for their online profiles. Brilliant. (You can also upload your photo on their Web site and give yourself a makeover using their "virtual makeover tools." Then simply upload the results to use on your social networking sites.)
The in-store promotion includes giveaways of a 10-day supply of foundation. It kicks off Oct. 16th at Bloomingdales in New York and will extend to Macy's, Saks and other stores in major cities. Defying convention, no purchase is required for the gifts.
The Estee Lauder logo will be in the background of the photos, which, assuming they aren't Photo shopped into oblivion, could give the brand lasting presence on Facebook beyond its own 27,000-member plus fan page. The promotion is being plugged on that page, as well as on Estee Lauder's Web site, and through PR.
Barbie Like You've Never Seen Her Before
Generally I have a "thing" for dolls. But I think I'll take a pass on these altered Barbies.
Barfin' Barbies, Boozin' Barbies, Bondage Barbies, Bodacious Barbies, and much, much more were featured at this years' "7th Annual Altered Barbie Exhibit" in San Francisco (where else?).
Sculpture, Photography, paintings and other media were used by various artists to interpret the iconic Mattel Doll. Click here to see how outlandish Barbie can be ... if you dare.
Too Bad This Isn't a Joke
This billboard has been all over the Internet ... which may have been the company's goal from the start. UlsterTrader.com ran the billboard featuring a bra-clad cleavage with the headline "Nice headlamps," and below that asking "What do you look for in a car?"
The billboard was predictably banned, which as always, resulted in more exposure for the ad and the company. Maybe the creators hoped that drivers would see it, and unable to tear their eyes away they'd crash their cars and then need to buy a new one at Ulstertrader.com? Don't get me wrong ... I'm a big fan of cleavage. But this is probably one of the worst excuses for an ad that I've ever seen.
Another Bad Ad
From AdLand: The Adelaide Casino wanted to encourage more women to play poker by running an exclusive ladies poker tournament ... good idea. To draw attention to their female tournament, they used the ad above. Bad idea. I don't think women need to be reminded that they have boobies ... or am I reading too much into it?
Potential Product Line Extension?
How to Save a Magazine
If there's ever an indication that a magazine is in trouble, this is it. I assume ESPN, the magazine, will sell out of its October issue featuring Serena Williams on the cover ... and little else. (I have extra copies if anyone wants one.) Apparently ESPN is taking a "page" out of Sports Illustrated ... but without the swimsuits. It would appear to be a desperate move to impede declining sales.
Finally a Classy Set of Ads Aimed at Women
Taryn Rose International is rolling out a new identity and a redesign of their footwear. And the company's ads are as classy as their shoes. See ... an ad can be "sexy" without resorting to "sex."
Dunham Again Sets a Record
From Punchline Magazine: No one should be surprised by this news. The Jeff Dunham Show last Thursday night broke Comedy Central ratings records by sucking in 7.9 million viewers between its series premiere at 9 pm and replays afterwards.
The show, a mix of Dunham's ventriloquist stand-up act and field sketches (think Chappelle and Mencia show formats), drew 5.3 million total viewers in its first showing last night. As a result - again, no surprise here - Comedy Central had its highest rated night of television in 2009.
Why is all of this not surprising? Dunham is incredibly popular; he made Forbes' Celebrity 100 list this year (clocking in at #89). He also had the highest grossing stand-up tour last year, has broken YouTube view records by garnering nearly 98 million views of his Achmed the Dead Terrorist routine and last year, Dunham had the highest rated Comedy Central special in history when 6.6 million people sat down to watch his Very Special Christmas Special.
