Vine...Useful or Useless??

At the beginning of the year, many of us were introduced to the new social app called Vine!  The company was bought by Twitter and officially released in late January.  Essentially, this app allows users to upload and create 6 second video clips.  These clips can then be uploaded from an individual's
Vine account or shared across other social media sites like Facebook & of course Twitter.  But a few months later, how has Vine fared in the social world?  In my opinion it gets a notable nod of approval.  The company still has some work to do seeing as how it is only available for iOS users, but the app has already achieved the status of becoming the most-used video sharing application. I also like Vine because it's intuitive and fits right in to the fast-paced society we live in.  The shortest commercials are usually in the 15 - 30 second range, and even watching for those seconds feels like forever.  Vine prevents its users from uploading videos that are longer than 6 seconds.  This keeps viewers entertained and not worried or burdened for time, meanwhile Vine video uploaders are forced to "get to the point" of their video and make it extra good since there's only 6 seconds of time to work with.  Additionally, Vine has practical use in the journalism world.  So many times I've read a 2 page Yahoo article only to wish I had a visual or depicted image to really capture the story better.  Now you can opt to have the same story and a 6 second Vine accompanied with it.  I as a reader can now quickly grasp what happened there during the moment or I can skip reading the article and get the basis of the story from the Vine.  Ultimately, I enjoy Vine for its whole platform built on quickness and the concept of instantaneous delivery.  It encourages anyone to make a video, to utilize their creativity, and interact with others.  I hope Vine is here to stay.

Even Cosmetic Surgeons Need Social

Just this month Mediasophia, an internet marketing firm announced some perplexing news.  The marketing firm announced that they successfully drafted a social media research and development team that will create campaigns, "specifically designed" for cosmetic surgeons and clients in the beauty industry.  Taking a minute to let this new concept sink in....it amazes me the lengths that social can go and be expanded into.  While I desire no need for cosmetic surgery or a Facebook-like social space to explore surgeons, I do see how people specifically seeking these services would.  While unconventional in my mind, Mediasophia just might be onto something.  We live in a social world, where we want to demo and test things before we buy-in to it.  Peer reviews and previous customer testimonials hold far greater weight than the words of the professionals trying to sell the service.  For these reasons I see success with the social campaigns for surgeons.  Mediasophia lets patients and previous clients leave first-hand testimonials about cosmetic surgery procedures performed by the specified doctor.  Names are kept anonymous to encourage truth.  Doctors get the benefit of a virtual online resume/portfolio of their work and procedures.  Meanwhile, new clients and consumers get to go to one hub to do most of their research about a particular surgeon.  Mediasophia also said short clips of video or surgery explanations are provided, granting visitors even more beneficial information.  All in all, getting cosmetic surgery from even the most well-renowned surgeon can have the potential for some errors but Mediasophia is helping the cosmetic surgery market take steps to eliminating one predominate problem in this field: lack of information/research of specific surgeons.  And for that I once again commend them.

Victoria's Secret Gets Racy

This past March, Victoria's Secret once again unveiled its Spring Break collection.  The lingerie brand is in the business of marketing and selling women's undergarments so there's always a thin line between what's sexy and what's offensive.  Unfortunately, unlike some many Spring Break collections before, Victoria's Secret recently decided to pull its collection from stores.  The campaign centered around young-looking models in barely-there bikinis and a slogan called, "Bright Young Things".  Underwear with various forms of suggestive themes were also a huge part of the PINK line for the campaign.  What Victoria's Secret didn't count on was the huge backlash it would face from mothers nationwide.  Many mothers felt that unlike previous campaigns, Victoria's Secret was targeting tweens and teenage girls instead of their usual college-aged demographic.  With petitions signed by thousands, and calls for boycotts, Victoria's Secret felt like there was little left to do but pull the plug on this campaign and issue an apology.  I'm not sure if I agree with the company's decision this time around.  I really think that they could have stressed the fact that this collection was aimed at college-aged women in their early 20s.  The campaign was initiated in March, the month where colleges NOT high schools are in the midst of their spring breaks.  Victoria's Secret in general is a mature store for adult and young adult females.  I highly doubt 13 and 14 year old girls have their mothers buy them $49 bras from the store.  I believe that in this case, if mother's didn't like the message then they should have ensured that their child did not purchase or where anything from Victoria's Secret.  The brand is involved in an edgy, sexy business and at the end of the day they have to market their products.  Hopefully, Victoria's Secret can stand up for themselves the next time this happens in the future.

Google SCHMICK

April Fools, the notorious holiday of games, jokes, pranks, and gags.  Some relish it, others prefer to deny its existence.  The act of denial is the understood norm among corporate America and businesses in general.  Google, however....well they're Google.  The search-engine giant once again craftily found a way to participate in April Fools' Day without enraging too many masses.  For this year's April Fools' Day the company released Google SCHMICK which stands for Simple Complete House Makeover Internet Conversion Kit.  Apparently, the SCHMICK is an addition to the company's Street View service.  It lets users decorate their boring houses with tons of features and themes.  In a way, the user becomes an impromptu home architect.  Ok, so what's the big catch with Google SCHMICK??  In order to play along with the holiday, everything about Google SCHMICK is actually fake.  That's right, there's no real service to virtually decorate your house.  In fact viewers that click on the dummy link for the fake service get routed to a blank April Fools' page.  All in all I think Google implemented a hilarious and harmful prank.  1) It's so minimal of a prank that no is likely to get seriously offended.  2) There are a few things to be gained from this little prank.  For instance, what if Google wanted to seriously implement SCHMICK?  Now they have an idea of how much buzz was generated on the web and its search engine about the fictional service.  Also, the company could gauge consumer interest on this fake product based on click-throughs of the dummy link.  Who knows, this little prank generated tons of data, and we all know Google aims to be the king of data.  Perhaps the jokes on us, as Google uses a prank to launch its next revolutionary product.

March Madness Marketing

Every year as the month of February comes to a close, basketball fanatics prepare for the craziness that is March Madness.  Fans support their team, and everyone jumps at the chance to become an amateur bracketologist and pick the winners for each round.  However, just as college basketball enthusiasts plan and prepare for the NCAA tournament so do businesses.  Nike, Adidas, and Under Armor compete for the right to be the official athletic apparel sponsors for each competing team.  Strategies for designing the best uniforms that will result in jersey and team apparel sales from fan bases are heavily considered.  Additionally, just like the Super Bowl, various businesses are competing for commercial space and air-time to attract the large viewership of the March Madness tournament.  Also, TV networks like Turner Broadcasting and CBS battle it out for the rights to air NCAA basketball games.  I find it interesting how so many facets of marketing surround this one singular tournament.  But if there's a lesson to be learned, it is that strategy is key.  If a business is going to get involved with the March Madness tournament, whether through designing apparel, airing games, or buying airtime for commercials, they better have a knowledgable staff regarding the teams that play and their popularity with the American public.

Dodge Gets Social

Dodge is finding a new way to make buying a car fun and a family affair again.  The company has entered 2013 with a revamped strategy with clear intentions of mashing social with automobile purchasing.  With the introduction of the 2013 Dodge Dart, Dodge has created the Dodge Dart registry.  The registry functions the same as a wedding registry.  A consumer announces that they intend to buy a Dodge Dart vehicle and through family and friends, find sponsors to pay money towards a specific portion of the car.  I really like this new concept introduced by Dodge.  First, they break away from their traditional SUV or truck models of vehicles and create a fresh fuel-efficient, and smaller vehicle.  The marketing team at Dodge has set the stage for the Dart to enter the category of "My First Car..," alongside the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.  But Dodge gives the Dart an edge.  Through the registry system, it's no longer unreasonable to ask for money towards a car.  Friends and family have access to the prices of the various components of the Dart.  Therefore, if sponsoring the $300 steering wheel was too pricey, now your grandma can opt for something cheaper.   All in all, this social registry delivers two things.  First, it gives Dodge extra publicity and exposure to the public.  Each Dart registry can be uploaded to Facebook and passed around to friends in order to increase car sponsorships.  Second, creating the registry provides a sense of community.  Each friend and family member can feel like they are all reaching toward a common goal and know exactly what their contribution was applied to.  Time will tell if this social campaign is a hit.  But I definitely see this method of buying a car being applied more often in the future.

Heart Pumping Mr. Peanut

The month of February, known for hearts, roses, chocolates, significant others....and now peanuts!  Planters and their infamous Mr. Peanut have managed to find a way to integrate peanuts into the romantic lives of millions this year.  The company has kicked off a social media campaign for the entire month of February in which users are able to send humorous and cheeky e-cards to loved ones.  I like this campaign by Planters because they managed to make peanuts seem relevant during a month where chocolate is king.  Users get the satisfaction of being able to choose from 3 different e-card messages and not having to risk mailing a card that might arrive late.  The loved ones who receive the e-card feel special, remembered, and entertained at the same time.  Additionally, Planters took this opportunity to extend their social campaign to Facebook where if wanted, the e-card video would appear on a user's wall.  This version of free publicity, now exposes more and more viewers to watch the Mr. Peanut e-card and probably give more thought to purchasing Planters Peanuts.  It will be interesting to see how much momentum this campaign continues to generate as Valentine's Day passes by.

Oreo Seizing Opportunity

For those who watched the Superbowl there were a few notable and buzz-worthy moments.  Of course, there was the game and the numerous ads...some loved and some soon to be forgotten, and the Beyonce half-time show.   However, the most notorious had to be the over 30 minute black-out within the New Orleans Superdome.  Never before had there been a blackout during the middle of a Superbowl game.  With panic and things in disarray, Oreo emerged the victor in this time of darkness.  While fans and NFL commissioners alike were wondering where did the lights go, Oreos took to Twitter with a great ad and tagline reading "You can still dunk in the dark".  I applaud Oreos for this move because it was risky.  Within minutes of the blackout the advertising agency for Oreos were already viewing the blackout as an opportunity to make waves.  And although no one knew if this last minute idea would be a hit or a failure, top executives at Oreo decided to take a chance and see.  It paid off as the tagline and ad were retweeted over 13,000 times.  This is what I think is so valuable for a brand engaging in social media.  Even in a time of panic and uncertainty they can go unscripted and manage to still be relatable and fresh.  Oreo's didn't push the idea or problems that are associated with the blackout that was frustrating so many fans.  Instead, they found a smooth way to interrelate their product with the unpredictable blackout in a smart and appealing fashion.  While other brands were snoozing, Oreo seized the opportunity presented by the blackout and had people talking and desiring the taste of an Oreo even in the darkness.

Papa John's Coin Toss

Papa John's is creatively finding another way for consumers worldwide to crave their pizzas, and it's all through a simple coin toss.  Genius or opportunistic...either way Papa John's is sure to capitalize on their Super Bowl coin toss for years to come.  I support this intuitive strategy because first, they managed to grab a unique advertising spotlight for the world's biggest stage.  Rather than compete with the 30 second commercial before and after they air, they have secured the allotted time for the coin toss all by themselves with no fellow competition.  Another impressive point is that they have given fans/non-fans alike the opportunity to participate in the biggest football game of the season.  The Super Bowl is one game that can be taken to the utmost seriousness.  Friends and family members are marked for their allegiance to one of the two teams competing; there is no room for the middle.  Interestingly enough, Papa John's has managed to ask customers for an opinion of the game (heads or tails of the coin) instead of an even more pressing question: Who will win the Super Bowl?  I think that by avoiding this tough question Papa John's has dodged multiple bullets.  They have found a way to walk around this dividing question and focus on goodwill geared towards their business and the prize of a free pizza.

Doritos: Crash the Super Bowl Campaign

Once again, just in time for the Super Bowl, Doritos is continuing its 'Crash the Super Bowl Campaign'.  I find this campaign smart, savvy, and far reaching.  Doritos has paid top dollar for an ad space during the Super Bowl, which is the world's largest platform for an ad to be viewed.  And instead of the marketing/public relations/advertisement people at Doritos working to craft an ad, they are leaving the creative insight with fans and everyday people.  I appreciate it when a brand like Doritos, truly recognizes that we live in a viral/social society.  This campaign gives inspiration to the masses.  It creates an amazing buzz among the social networks of Twitter and Facebook alike.  And it makes all of us connected by having the opportunity to vote for the best.  As I mentioned earlier, this is a smart and savvy move by Doritos.  They get free publicity, consumers to view their brand as friendly, an inexpensive ad to use for the Super Bowl that didn't use up any of their existing resources, positive word of mouth, and brand loyalty.  This is a social campaign that I think Doritos would be wise to continue for the next few years to come.