New Marketing World for B2B

A Dummy's Puppet's Ramblings - from Chip Martin, Mannequin American

A New Marketing World for B2B
In the new world of social media, public relations people must know scores of writers, bloggers and Twitter users versus having just six top reporters on speed dial. While public relations is just one arrow in the marketing quiver for most companies, it is now playing a much more crucial role in B2B marketing strategies ... or it should be.

The new network economy is about communities, collaboration and user-generated content. It's a place where business reputations are defined by customer opinions and ratings; where press is delivered by independent bloggers; and where product development and insight is driven by end users.

B2B companies should be considering all of this in their 2010 marketing and customer relations programs, or face falling behind competitors who do.

Horny Shiny Suds Offends Some

A few days ago I included a post about a humorous commercial from the "Household Products Labeling Acts" called Shiny Suds, showing scrubbing bubbles taunting a naked woman in the shower. It was a funny commercial ... that's why I included it. A lot of blogs included it. But the ad generated complaints from people who likened the spot to condoning rape (I kid you not), so the commercial was pulled.

Here is AdRants take on the situation: 

1. Feminist blogging should be outlawed.
2. Everyone with a stick up their butt over this should promptly shove it all the way through until it pops out the top of their head. Hopefully they'll die and allow the rest of us to "use the loofa" without feeling like we're being gang raped in the shower. (Where do people come up with this stuff?)
3. Brands should grow a pair and ignore the gaggle of idiots who have nothing better to do than to try and suck the last drop of humor out of life.
4. ... the remainder of the suggestions were a little over top even for this blog. But you can click here to read them.

Time Magazine's First Moving Cover: The Decade From Hell

We're crying with you baby.

Although a press release claimed that the recent issue of TIME magazine was the first moving cover shot, that's not really accurate. Esquire magazine did the same last April with a moving cover of Megan Fox shot by Greg Williams. 

 
 You can purchase a camera like the one used to make these moving covers. It only costs $17,500. For more information on the camera and the Time photo shoot, click here.

Vodka Ads Remain Consistent Through the Decades
Not surprisingly, many liquor manufacturers use sex and sexual references to help sell their products. But vodka manufacturers seem to take this tendency further than their spirited brethren. And they've been doing it for decades.

(I wonder if she even remembers burning her bra after "discovering Smirnoff"?) The bra burning Smirnoff ad above is from the 60's. Smirnoff definitely convinced the model to burn her bra ... which doesn't' explain why the guy next to her is staring a hole through her head. 

This recent ad for Smirnoff (above) is a little more subtle, but the message remains pretty much the same as it was 40 years ago.

Absolut took some flak for the ad above ... but is still using it.

(above) Probably one of my favorite vodka ads ... and probably not real.

SKYY vodka pushes the envelope even farther with its marketing. Above is one of its "tamer" ads.

Continuing vodka's rich heritage of not-so-hidden sexual themes, Three Olives introduced its "What's Your O-Face" campaign in '09.

In the future vodka will maintain its marketing traditions, according to the ad above for SVEDKA vodka ... "Voted #1 Vodka of 2033."

If you see any other interesting ads for Vodka, forward them (or a link) to me and I'll include more in a later blog.

More "Puppets in the News"