Cashing in on Memroies: The new strategy for the Coca Cola with their tag line of "The Coke Side of Life" is focused at drawing people back to the soda they used to drink adn the reasons for why they used to drink it. This message is being brought to the consumours by way of television commercials and radio advertisements.
Online Strategy: Coke has gone to providing a website that can be seen as a personal website that allows consumers to share files, blog about coke related themes with other consumers and watch commercials in various formates. This is one form of strategy that may not increase sales with in the nation as a whole, but it will at least increase brand knowledge and Coke product knowledge.
Strengths: been on the market for at least a century and their botteling formate allows them to not only be recognized all around the world, but it is a form that can be eaisly recreated with out many problems.
Weaknesses: not being able to easily translate their taglines and campaings into other languages and be esaily relatable to other cultures around the world.
Communication: Coke has done a good job of providing a way for customer feedback and providing information on what Coke is doing and what their furture plans are.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Failed Campaign...Or Lack Their Of
K-Mart Suffers Due To Lack Of Advertising...
Over the last ten years the list of common, everyday, affordable stores has slowly decreased day by day. While many of these stores were smaller and common only to specific regions of the United States, one nation-wide store has all but disappeared due to stiff competition and sadly, to stupid mistakes.
Not too long ago Kmart, feeling secure in their place in American society, started focusing at becoming a location similar to that of their competitor Wal-Mart, attracting customer’s with their every day low prices on quality items. This move forced the company to cut their spending costs in as many areas as possible. Sadly, one of the areas they cut back on was their advertising.
The store made the drastic change to cut back in their Sunday advertising by cutting their Sunday circular pages by 50% in the span of only two quarters. During the first quarter they cut their Sunday advertisements by 15 pages, and then in the second quarter they drooped their circulars by 75 pages. While this cut lead to an increase in the stores weekly foot traffic, the company experienced a $224 million dollar loss in the end of the third quarter in 2001 due to the decrease in the amount of Sunday traffic (Howell).
The problem, according to ceo Chuck Conway, was the mistake of cutting to much advertising at such a fast rate. The cut in advertising led to a cut in the promotion of merchandise that in turn, led to customers heading to the store’s main competition, Wal-Mart, and all other competing locations.
Clearly the problem with this campaign, or the lack of a campaign was not so much a problem with what was being advertised or the manner in which the advertising took place. It has more to do with the idea that if you are going to be offering the same product at competition prices, then you need to get the word out. With new competition arriving on the market everyday, a location that is “secure” in its market holdings cannot simply start to disappear off the face of the earth at such a rapid pace, they cannot expect to be “free” of any kinds of consequences.
Over the last ten years the list of common, everyday, affordable stores has slowly decreased day by day. While many of these stores were smaller and common only to specific regions of the United States, one nation-wide store has all but disappeared due to stiff competition and sadly, to stupid mistakes.
Not too long ago Kmart, feeling secure in their place in American society, started focusing at becoming a location similar to that of their competitor Wal-Mart, attracting customer’s with their every day low prices on quality items. This move forced the company to cut their spending costs in as many areas as possible. Sadly, one of the areas they cut back on was their advertising.
The store made the drastic change to cut back in their Sunday advertising by cutting their Sunday circular pages by 50% in the span of only two quarters. During the first quarter they cut their Sunday advertisements by 15 pages, and then in the second quarter they drooped their circulars by 75 pages. While this cut lead to an increase in the stores weekly foot traffic, the company experienced a $224 million dollar loss in the end of the third quarter in 2001 due to the decrease in the amount of Sunday traffic (Howell).
The problem, according to ceo Chuck Conway, was the mistake of cutting to much advertising at such a fast rate. The cut in advertising led to a cut in the promotion of merchandise that in turn, led to customers heading to the store’s main competition, Wal-Mart, and all other competing locations.
Clearly the problem with this campaign, or the lack of a campaign was not so much a problem with what was being advertised or the manner in which the advertising took place. It has more to do with the idea that if you are going to be offering the same product at competition prices, then you need to get the word out. With new competition arriving on the market everyday, a location that is “secure” in its market holdings cannot simply start to disappear off the face of the earth at such a rapid pace, they cannot expect to be “free” of any kinds of consequences.
Ad: Hershey
http://www.trojanhorseantiques.com/HersheyTray.jpg
Ever since Milton Hershey founded his beloved chocolate in the early 1900’s, little advertising has been needed to bring about the annual sales that Hershey Co. grosses on a year to year basis. For years parents have been passing on the tradition of Hershey chocolate bars from generation to generation, teaching their children the secrets of the dark, intoxicating sweetness.
The first nation wide commercial for the company was shown in 1969. It was designed to play on the emotions evoked from heart-warming scenes that focused on relationships, interaction between children with one another and other similar situations. Along with these scenes in the commercial, Hershey’s trademark jingle, “the great American chocolate bar”.
Over the last couple of years advertisers would have to come up with new ways of presenting these heart warming stories, but the overall slogan of the campaign would stay the same until the present day.
Among the products that the Hershey’s company produces are the Reese’s Peanut Bitter Cup, Reese’s Sticks and Jolly Ranchers. Along with these household names, Hershey’s produces non-chocolate confectionery and grocery products. The Hershey Company exports its products to over 90 countries around the world. While employing over 13,700 people, Hershey boosts a net sale of over $4 billion a year.
The success of this 40+ year old advertising campaign has led to numerous out of the way stops on the road for a quick bite of heaven. For years people have been pouring the trademark chocolate syrup on all flavors of ice cream and adding it to the milk warming on the stove during winter for hot chocolate. Traditions have been made and argued about when it comes to the proper way of eating a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
No matter what the argument or the occasion, two things remain the same – Hershey’s advertising and the love of chocolate.
Ever since Milton Hershey founded his beloved chocolate in the early 1900’s, little advertising has been needed to bring about the annual sales that Hershey Co. grosses on a year to year basis. For years parents have been passing on the tradition of Hershey chocolate bars from generation to generation, teaching their children the secrets of the dark, intoxicating sweetness.
The first nation wide commercial for the company was shown in 1969. It was designed to play on the emotions evoked from heart-warming scenes that focused on relationships, interaction between children with one another and other similar situations. Along with these scenes in the commercial, Hershey’s trademark jingle, “the great American chocolate bar”.
Over the last couple of years advertisers would have to come up with new ways of presenting these heart warming stories, but the overall slogan of the campaign would stay the same until the present day.
Among the products that the Hershey’s company produces are the Reese’s Peanut Bitter Cup, Reese’s Sticks and Jolly Ranchers. Along with these household names, Hershey’s produces non-chocolate confectionery and grocery products. The Hershey Company exports its products to over 90 countries around the world. While employing over 13,700 people, Hershey boosts a net sale of over $4 billion a year.
The success of this 40+ year old advertising campaign has led to numerous out of the way stops on the road for a quick bite of heaven. For years people have been pouring the trademark chocolate syrup on all flavors of ice cream and adding it to the milk warming on the stove during winter for hot chocolate. Traditions have been made and argued about when it comes to the proper way of eating a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
No matter what the argument or the occasion, two things remain the same – Hershey’s advertising and the love of chocolate.
Ad: Coal
http://www.cleanskycoalition.com/face_it.html
A new form of political advertising is taking place here in Texas and it is not your normal political campaigning. This past January TXU launched a state-wide campaign promoting its eleven coal plants it is trying to get approval for. In these advertisements and commercials, TXU claims these new coal plants will help clean up the air by 80 percent than the average U.S. coal plant, but they fail to back up those claims with their resources.
TXU also claims that they will be using state of the art facilities – these state of the art facilities being pulverized coal and not the actual new start of the art technology Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC). TXU says they are not yet using this new techonology because the technology has yet to be proven.
Their failure to provide clear, well documented information to the public has lead to the Clean Sky Coalition to running their own set of ads against TXU’s bring facts up that had been previously unlisted. The name of this campaign is “Face it. Coal is Filthy.” This campaign features a series of posters that show close-ups of smudged faces looking directing into the camera, catching the attention of the audience and other viewers.
Along side their face posters, Clean Sky ads are insistent in providing all the information, not just the facts. One example of this is when they claim on one of their posters (and website) that coal plants are responsible for 60% of sulfur dioxide, 33% of Mercury emissions, 25% of nitrogen oxide emissions and more than 33% of carbon dioxide air emissions, they tell you where to go on their ads/website to find the information to back up their claims. The lack of TXU to do this calls into question the motives TXU has for these new eleven plants they have plans on building.
TXU has since produced more commercials and ads in response to Clean Sky Coallition’s advertisements and continue to stand behind their claims. This new form of “political” and “business ethics” debate between two large companies is leading to a new form of advertising with in companies that could lead to many more of these business degrading, yet informative commercials.
A new form of political advertising is taking place here in Texas and it is not your normal political campaigning. This past January TXU launched a state-wide campaign promoting its eleven coal plants it is trying to get approval for. In these advertisements and commercials, TXU claims these new coal plants will help clean up the air by 80 percent than the average U.S. coal plant, but they fail to back up those claims with their resources.
TXU also claims that they will be using state of the art facilities – these state of the art facilities being pulverized coal and not the actual new start of the art technology Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC). TXU says they are not yet using this new techonology because the technology has yet to be proven.
Their failure to provide clear, well documented information to the public has lead to the Clean Sky Coalition to running their own set of ads against TXU’s bring facts up that had been previously unlisted. The name of this campaign is “Face it. Coal is Filthy.” This campaign features a series of posters that show close-ups of smudged faces looking directing into the camera, catching the attention of the audience and other viewers.
Along side their face posters, Clean Sky ads are insistent in providing all the information, not just the facts. One example of this is when they claim on one of their posters (and website) that coal plants are responsible for 60% of sulfur dioxide, 33% of Mercury emissions, 25% of nitrogen oxide emissions and more than 33% of carbon dioxide air emissions, they tell you where to go on their ads/website to find the information to back up their claims. The lack of TXU to do this calls into question the motives TXU has for these new eleven plants they have plans on building.
TXU has since produced more commercials and ads in response to Clean Sky Coallition’s advertisements and continue to stand behind their claims. This new form of “political” and “business ethics” debate between two large companies is leading to a new form of advertising with in companies that could lead to many more of these business degrading, yet informative commercials.
Ad: Chic-Fil-A
http://andy.mooville.net/images/eat-mor-chikin.jpg
Since its original appearance on billboards and radios, the Chick-Fil-A “Eat More Chikin” campaign has found its way in to the hearts of parents and children alike, promoting a fun, healthy, family eating environment. The campaign has been going for several years, only stopping once during the mad bow disease scar in late 2003-2004. The reason for this move was to keep the company from being seen as one who would take advantage of the scare to increase their sales – a smart move. This temporary stop on their advertising lasted only a month, and was then back again.
While this campaign is considered to be flawless in its techniques by many, there are few who find the time to analyze it to the point of stretching their criticisms. One example of these pointless criticisms is the fact that the cows featured in the campaigns are not beef bows, but milk cows, evidence of this being their utters. While some believe this to be a mistake on the marketing departments part, others see it as having been done on purpose to aid in children being able to better relate to the personas of the cow. Either way, with the introduction of the new milk shakes by Chick-Fil-A, those criticisms have all been put to rest due to the fact that it takes milk to make a milk shake.
The advertising and marketing department has gone on to incorporating local humor into their advertising campaigns. For example, the billboards in the West Hills neighborhood of Knoxville, TN features the cows on an orange background, wearing a safety vest, playing off the never ending construction along I-40 since the early 70’s. The ability of a company to relate to its users in this manner allow it to have a more personal, caring feeling rather than just another fast food restaurant that wants you in and out as fast as possible.
Another fun form of marketing that has taken off since their first appearance on the billboards is the coupon “cow-calendar” the company puts out on a yearly basis. Each year of production, the calendar has a different theme with the cows dresses to match appropriately. Past themes include “Cow Supeheroes”, “Secret Agent Cows” and “The Cow Channel”. The 2007 calendar is said to have “The Good, The Bad and the Hairy” theme.
Since its original appearance on billboards and radios, the Chick-Fil-A “Eat More Chikin” campaign has found its way in to the hearts of parents and children alike, promoting a fun, healthy, family eating environment. The campaign has been going for several years, only stopping once during the mad bow disease scar in late 2003-2004. The reason for this move was to keep the company from being seen as one who would take advantage of the scare to increase their sales – a smart move. This temporary stop on their advertising lasted only a month, and was then back again.
While this campaign is considered to be flawless in its techniques by many, there are few who find the time to analyze it to the point of stretching their criticisms. One example of these pointless criticisms is the fact that the cows featured in the campaigns are not beef bows, but milk cows, evidence of this being their utters. While some believe this to be a mistake on the marketing departments part, others see it as having been done on purpose to aid in children being able to better relate to the personas of the cow. Either way, with the introduction of the new milk shakes by Chick-Fil-A, those criticisms have all been put to rest due to the fact that it takes milk to make a milk shake.
The advertising and marketing department has gone on to incorporating local humor into their advertising campaigns. For example, the billboards in the West Hills neighborhood of Knoxville, TN features the cows on an orange background, wearing a safety vest, playing off the never ending construction along I-40 since the early 70’s. The ability of a company to relate to its users in this manner allow it to have a more personal, caring feeling rather than just another fast food restaurant that wants you in and out as fast as possible.
Another fun form of marketing that has taken off since their first appearance on the billboards is the coupon “cow-calendar” the company puts out on a yearly basis. Each year of production, the calendar has a different theme with the cows dresses to match appropriately. Past themes include “Cow Supeheroes”, “Secret Agent Cows” and “The Cow Channel”. The 2007 calendar is said to have “The Good, The Bad and the Hairy” theme.
Ad: Geico Caveman
http://timhatch.com/db/posts/2006-02-17.01/up_with_cavemen.jpg
The new advertising campaign representing the car insurance company GEICO has quickly captured America’s attention with their sarcastic form of dry humor and the play on time periods found with in the commercials. This campaign started out with a caveman being a part of the filming crew where a commercial is being made for GEICO and the spokesperson says “so easy a caveman could do it”. From there the series goes on to depict the caveman being apologized to by the set director in a high end restaurant, then with the caveman passing a sign in the airport (again with the offending slogan), one with the caveman in a therapy session and finally, with the caveman at a party with his brother discussing the problem they are facing because of the slogans. It was these kinds of commercials that have led to the development of the ads that are now starting to appear in magazines and newspapers across the U.S.
The popularity of these print advertisements has lead to an increase in the amount of things that can be done with them. For instance, aside from the advertisements, GEICO launched a flash website entitled “Caveman’s Crib”. This site allows the fans of the caveman to go through their apartment, clothing, magazines and other such things. With in the site are things which refer back to the problems that the cavemen are having with the GEICO Company.
Another spin off of this popular print advertisement series is the new sitcom set to appear on ABC sometime in the 2007 – 2008 year. Several critiques have expressed mix views about how well this series will take off. Some are claiming that the idea of taking it into a series is pressing their luck enough, while others are saying it will be a hit.; other’s claim that GEICO, as an insurance company is taking the whole theme to far and that this might be their end.
One thing to point out is the good job the GEICO has done in creating to different brand images for themselves. GEICO has two current brand images – the caveman and the ever beloved lizard. GEICO’s ability to create two completely different images for themselves allows them to do away with one whenever needed while still keeping the other in for “safety’s sake”.
Ad: iPod
http://images.apple.com/ipod/imaging/images/ipod-top.jpg
White ear buds. These words say it all – iPod. One out of every four people can be seen wearing the ear buds and listening to the music found on those slim, almost non existent in size media devices. This distinctive advertising campaign has become known worldwide and it only takes one quick look at their billboards and commercials to see what they are selling. Ever since iPod was made available to the public their commercials, billboards, posters and other print ads have always featured a single person dancing to the music that only they can here through their white, Apple ear buds attached to the ever slimming iPod. The use of the distinctive white ear buds allows for the proper, unique branding that many electronic players these days are lacking. No matter what medium of advertising they use, all the techniques are kept unified through their unique and consistent style. The only change that has taken place over the years is the change from a solid color background to a bright, multi-colored background that only enhances the white color of the white ear buds.
I think one of the interesting things about this campaign is that while it is promoting the iPod music player, the signature piece on their commercials and advertisements, that everyone knows, is the Apple ear buds. It takes a very good strategy to be able to brand something with an accessory, rather than with the object itself.
The amount of influence this product, and the commercials and advertising campaigns have had on society is phenomenal. Movies and TV shows such as “Series of Unfortunate Events”, “Family Guy”, “Something Awful”, “Weebl and Bob” and “The Simpson’s” have all featured the original silhouettes from the commercials along with the ever present white ear buds. It’s commercials have appeared on well known TV programs targeting those who care about their place in society and have an ever present need to have music go with them conveniently where ever they decide go.
iPod – it’s a symbol of status, wealth, popularity, a good music choice and being familiar with the times.
White ear buds. These words say it all – iPod. One out of every four people can be seen wearing the ear buds and listening to the music found on those slim, almost non existent in size media devices. This distinctive advertising campaign has become known worldwide and it only takes one quick look at their billboards and commercials to see what they are selling. Ever since iPod was made available to the public their commercials, billboards, posters and other print ads have always featured a single person dancing to the music that only they can here through their white, Apple ear buds attached to the ever slimming iPod. The use of the distinctive white ear buds allows for the proper, unique branding that many electronic players these days are lacking. No matter what medium of advertising they use, all the techniques are kept unified through their unique and consistent style. The only change that has taken place over the years is the change from a solid color background to a bright, multi-colored background that only enhances the white color of the white ear buds.
I think one of the interesting things about this campaign is that while it is promoting the iPod music player, the signature piece on their commercials and advertisements, that everyone knows, is the Apple ear buds. It takes a very good strategy to be able to brand something with an accessory, rather than with the object itself.
The amount of influence this product, and the commercials and advertising campaigns have had on society is phenomenal. Movies and TV shows such as “Series of Unfortunate Events”, “Family Guy”, “Something Awful”, “Weebl and Bob” and “The Simpson’s” have all featured the original silhouettes from the commercials along with the ever present white ear buds. It’s commercials have appeared on well known TV programs targeting those who care about their place in society and have an ever present need to have music go with them conveniently where ever they decide go.
iPod – it’s a symbol of status, wealth, popularity, a good music choice and being familiar with the times.
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