Online marketing is one of the latest frontiers for us marketers. We constantly try to figure out ways to leverage this potentially powerful tool. This past weekend showed us that online marketing is really no different than any other type of marketing: know your consumer, target them, and get them involved.
Twilight opened big last weekend. The extensive online marketing was credit for such results. However, if you break it down, it’s really no surprise why online marketing worked for Twilight.
In case you live under a rock, Twilight is a Romeo & Juliet type love story between a teen girl and a vampire. The movie wants a wide audience, but primary target is the books’ teen girl fan base. What do they do with their free time? They play online! So, of course online marketing is one of the best ways to reach them. It is that simple.
Today, I was forwarded the new logo for ABInbev. I couldn’t believe it. Anheuser-Busch long stood for American tradition, and the new logo seemed almost soulless in that way. Nothing American, and nothing traditional (even though the eagle stayed).
Photo credit: company website
I couldn’t understand it till I came across the MillerCoors logo. Then it clicked.
The beer industry is going through an evolution, and the new logos reflect that. Traditions didn’t pay the bills, and now the beer companies are looking to the future.
However, for a company such as Anheuser-Busch, it must be careful in how it handles such a transition. To have a contemporary logo is one thing, to alienate die-hard fans is quite another. So, to have a parent company that’s looking toward the future may be acceptable. However, the brands must remain undeniably American. A Bud is still a Bud, at least I hope so.
For example, last month, MTA rolled out a test last month that put digital billboards on the side of buses around Manhattan. These are impressive because they are not only animated, they are targeted. As these buses drive around Manhattan, the ad changes depending on the location and time. So, if you’re on Wall Street just after the market closes, you may see an animated ad for an ice cool Bud. (They assume you may need one after another rough day…)
Today, Bloom, a chain of upscale grocery stores, announced that they will be launching smart shopping carts. So, as you go through the aisle, it can make product recommendations. This is probably about as targeted as advertising get.
As a marketer, I’m very excited about what is the next thing that will impress me.
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