Nothing new at this year’s Super Bowl

Building hype for commercials – what an age we live in!

For the last few years, advertisers have used social media teasers in hopes of cultivating additional interest and intrigue for impeding Game Day ads.

From obscure behind-the-scenes photos or video to full-blown commercial-length preview spots, advertisers who committed to the Big Game made sure you stayed glued to the screen for their 30-seconds of fame.

But this year, previewing the WHOLE commercial spot!?

Tebow for T-Mobile, a Full House reunion over spilled Oikos, a Cheerios first, Clydesdale puppy-love, and Audi’s Doberhuahua. (Just to name a few)

I was browsing YouTube last Friday and the Volkswagen ‘Wings’ spot even popped up as a rollover.

At $4 million per 30-seconds, you’d think advertisers would want to keep things under wraps as long as possible. You know, really get their monies worth!

There is plenty of time to “go viral” POST game day! Seriously, why spend so much cash on a creative repeat?

Why advertise during the Super Bowl at all?!

Enter the brilliance of Newcastle Brown Ale.

So the promotion of Super Bowl advertising is evolving…fast.

If everyone’s Game Day ad is going to run BEFORE Game Day, there’s gotta be a way to capture similar hype and just skip the placement (and GYNORMOUS cost) all together.

And that’s precisely what Newcastle did.

First of all, ever heard of ‘em? I hadn’t, but again, NOT a beer drinker.

Their “If We Made It” campaign is pure genius.

The whole premise was built around the notion that Newcastle had every intention of producing a spot for the Super Bowl, but then didn’t. It was too expensive, the story concepting process was mismanaged, (never mind that Budweiser basically owns the Super Bowl).

Popping up nearly a week in advance, the campaign’s hub, www.ifwemadeit.com, is self-deprecating humor at its best.

Video testimonials by:

• Actress Anna Kendrick, sitting in hair and makeup, going off on the brewer while doing a little self-diagnosis in the process. “I’m hot. But, like, ‘Beer Commercial’ Hot?”
• Former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson takes us through a story board of how he was to provide voice over for a skateboarding cat. “Bad decisions. Bad management. Bad Newcastle.”    
• A series on a focus group session where Newcastle gauges REAL audience reaction to the ‘concept.’ “It’s just all the worst trends. Feels a little desperate.”

But they didn’t stop there.

On Super Bowl Sunday, Newcastle watched the actual ads along with us, ‘recreating’ a selection of them via storyboard animation. Selected ads that Newcastle made more ‘MEGA HUGE’ included Wonderful Pistachio, Chobani and GoDaddy (twice), just to name a few.

Brilliant.

Seriously, when you consider it costs $4 million for 30 seconds. And that’s just placement, never mind all the costs associated with the spot’s production…

Newcastle spent less, built MORE and, by most estimates, stole a huge handful of exposure and acclaim at this year’s Super Bowl.

…without actually producing a spot FOR the Super Bowl.

Hats off, Newcastle! Can we expect a Part 2 in 2015?

Happy Monday,
-Daniel :)

Afterthought: What’s next in the Super Bowl Advertising Evolution?

If everything is previewed in advance, how will marketers in the next 3-5 to 10 years REALLY secure (actual) Game Day impact?

Answer: Total Shock and Awe

Think mega-huge giveaways, a total change in brand or positioning – no previews or warnings, no hints whatsoever we’re talking Beyoncé surprise-album-dropping-at-midnight hysteria here.

Brands have dabbled with it already. Denny’s Free Grand Slam breakfast in 2012. Really two this year: U2’s “Invisible”, given for free in support of (RED) and eSurance’s $1.5M post-game spot savings giveaway.

Every brand, each more shocking then the last (all, no doubt, with paths into social-share). But wouldn’t that make for a thrilling night of TV? Almost like watching a high-stakes sporting event, or something!

Can’t wait. :)

Why so mean, Social Media?

Have you ever stopped to read the replies or comments posted on one of your favorite brand’s Facebook pages or twitter accounts?

WARNING: Offensive Content

Do it sometime.

And I thought I had no friends!?

Incoherent, whiny requests; negative and downright offensive language; even the most beloved brands fall victim.

Why? 

There’s a certain anonymity about social media that encourages users to more freely speak their minds.

Unlike real-time verbal altercations in the physical world, where going face-to-face with brand reps can quickly turn personal, virtual brand stewards are able to digest onslaught opinion and respond with a delay.

And so, their responses are ALWAYS cool, calm, and collected (which, when you’re fired up, only provokes a deeper rage).

You don’t want to host your own brand roast.

These types of environments are no longer positive. They aren’t conducive to brand building – even with your strongest advocates. The bulk of dialogue has turned petty and reactionary.

So what should you do when you’re not feeling the Social Media Love?

1. Start by practicing self-regulation

I know – the last thing you want to do with an angstful group of followers is start deleting posts. You fear removing their comments will only lead to their posting 5 more – accusing you of being anti-American, anti-free speech, etc.

LEGO has the right idea. Consider validating regulation by establishing a vague set of “house rules:” 

Playing it cool...

Sure, as a toy manufacture catering primarily to children; monitoring social media is a bit more justifiable. Still, offensive language and distracting content is something you as forum owner should NOT be afraid to remove.

But mind the fine line.

Don’t delete EVERYTHING that feels negative

People should be able to post legitimate gripes. They’ll respect you more for leaving it – and be more interested to hear your resolve. In that respect, social media can serve as a think tank for constant improvement.

2. When monitoring fails, scale back completely

Forget what you’ve heard – not everyone has a reason to be active on Facebook and Twitter.

If the bulk of your posts (business and non-business alike) are met with hostility, just BAIL.

Keep place holders on all the big players. Consider making social media’s sole purpose the dissemination of “emergency information” – (issues affecting coverage, outlet closures, etc).

Bottom line: Social media efforts should bolster brand affinity, not disparage it.

Don’t play host to a growing community of disgruntled customers.

If it feels like it’s not enhancing your relationship with customers – scale back.

A week till black Friday and the (Target) dog is out of the bag…

The ad actually debuted Monday; in a nutshell:

• Cheap TVs (but good luck getting your hands on the 2 or 3 that are in stock)  
• Apple products come with gift cards (because heaven forbid they go on sale) 
• $5 DVDs are now $4 
•  Scrabble is on sale for $7; Words with Friends is full-price (why we have both to begin with) 
• And (still) nobody cares about sales on clothing

Are Black Friday ad previews the new normal?

Last year we had to wait until Thanksgiving morning to know who had what on sale when. This time around Target blew the lid off a full 10 days early. Why?

Because it gives shoppers enough time to prioritize without giving competitors enough time to one-up on price.

When it comes to Black Friday, Target knows it’s not all about the price, heck – they make their living everyday under that guise!  No, it’s about the total mix; mass efficiencies gained with one stop.

Promoting the spread a week before game-time gives customers ample opportunity to weigh all variables before deciding whose doorbusters they’re going to bust doors for.

But where do retailers go from here?

Is it only a matter of time before Wal-Mart’s ad is just a single page?

Bring us anyone’s Black Friday ad and we’ll match their price.

It certainly would be easier than trying to build plans around multivariate intra-store pricing plus the likelihood of available stock. Come armed with every competing ad, cart up your hit list, wait two hours in line and you know you’re getting the very best deal available.

So where are you going Black Friday?

Screw hitting the stores early! Armed with the ad in advance, I’m off to stash a few wants in Target’s furniture displays tonight. Expect me to mosey in and collect around noon Friday. ;)

PS: Before we sign off, what’s this, a new start time?!
GAME CHANGER: Open primetime, Thanksgiving night

We're guessing that "IT'S ON!" will light up come 9 pm next Thursday - cute.

We talked last year about the on-going battle of rolling start times – this year Target is kicking Black Friday off 3 hours earlier, starting at 9 pm Thanksgiving. (Will the mounds of turkey dinner even be settled by then?) 

It’s been met with much debate  – accused of encroaching on employees’ time with family. Work/life balance aside, it threatens the very existence of Black Friday. If all the hot-ticket items stocked are likely to be depleted 3-4 hours before midnight Friday, more and more people will cave to peer pressure and get their start before even clearing the Thanksgiving table. 

Will Thanksgiving soon dethrone the BIGGEST shopping day of the year? 

Only time will tell…

 

Happy Anniversary! (the most pointless milestone ever!)

Take no offense all you happy couples out there.

I'm talking about businesses that insist on promoting brand-centric milestones. 

  

As humans, I know we like to apply order to the passage of time. It makes otherwise spurious events more easy to categorize and recall down the road.

"Let’s see, it was winter and we just moved to Chicago…it must have been January-February 2011."

The calendar year and any similar convention break the unstoppable passage of time into equal-sized chunks more palatable to the human brain.

So what’s the business case for celebrating?

There are a few, actually.

1. Married to the brand

If the crux of the promotion was to simply celebrate the passing of another year of business, it’d be a 'Birthday Sale.' It's 'Anniversary' because it aims to honor a relationship – the brand + you.

Aw, isn't that sweet? – Well, that’s certainly the desired response.

Anniversary Sales (if done correctly), put you, the ever-crucial customer, center stage. It’s subtle brand reinforcement that, like a couple’s actual wedding anniversary, is designed to pluck you away from routine (shopping) and remind you why you fell in love in the first place.

2. Breed confidence and bode dependability

Does older means wiser? It does if you’re marketing professional services (banking, healthcare) or B2B (consultancies, firms).

In such cases, the act of consuming is done with less frequency. Buyers are often clueless when it comes to understanding the sales process or competitive landscape.  Fatigued by the fog, tenure often resonates.

“Your partner for the last century”

Greater trust is placed upon the shoulders of seasoned veterans; it (feels like) the safest bet.

3. No competing offers

It’s perhaps the most tangible reason, (and not without merit).

On prescribed holidays such as President’s, Valentine’s and Columbus Days, you’re grappling with competitors for a piece of the consumer pie.

But an Anniversary sale affords exclusive access to an otherwise ordinary window of time – it’s a promotion built just for you and the easiest way to secure (for a limited time) the lion's share of wallet.

So, why the random blog entry; why now?
It was a year ago today I decided to start this blog.

In part, out of boredom. With grad school out of the way, I found myself with too much idle time (one can only stand thumbing through the many social media forums for so long).

I've always been a highly perceptive person (what can I say? it’s a gift). Maybe that's why I gravitated to marketing in the first place?

Because to do it (marketing) well, you HAVE to be perceptive.

Professionally, I manage the marketing portfolio of an IT consultancy. Not without its challenges and rewards, but lacking a flavor of what I love most, consumer marketing/retail.

I enjoy trying to peel back the visual manifestation of advertising and branding; to dissect it for its deeper meanings and intentions.

And so, 30k Feet became a way to begin to hone my abilities as a professional blogger (am I on the right track?).

"Happy Anniversary, 30 Thousand Feet!"

And thanks to all of you who may be reading... :)