Archive for 2010

Around the Blogsphere

Posted at November 18, 2010 // Job / Career, Random Thoughts

As things at work have gotten more crazy, things over here have definitely suffered. I have many blog ideas floating in my head. So, the moment I find a moment to write…

However, in the mean time, I’d like to introduce to you two very neat blogs by a couple colleagues of mine.

American Swagger: Bold Presentations for the Brave (americanswagger.us) – We all know that presentation skills is perhaps one of the most critical skills to have to advance one’s career. This blog highlights some real good tips toward building better presentations. Now, not all tips would work for all situations. If your PowerPoint decks are usually shown to internal audience who’s expect just financial statements on the page, this blog is probably not for you. You need to understand your audience. However, if you’re in sale, and you need your presentation to make an impact, I think this blog would be great. Even if you’re presenting internally, judge your company culture. They may be ready for these bold presentation techniques.
Corporate Radical. Tough Situations. Unconventional Solutions (corporateradical.com) – This blog highlights a variety of challenges that we all face every day. It has some really interesting tips about how to deal with them all. For example, the latest post was about how it takes work to make work happy. Obvious principle, when someone points it out.

There you have it. Two blogs that I found recently that I thought everyone should check out. Of course, if you haven’t already, check out my personal favorite: Tom Fishburne: Marketoonist (tomfishburne.com)

Photo credit: Thom

VIA has arrived!

Posted at October 17, 2010 // Advertising, Promotion, Retail, Strategy / Tactics

I have long been a fan of Starbucks. I like the coffee. I like the baked goods. I like the vibe at this “third place.” I like the convenience. I am a Starbucks snob to the point where I pride myself in knowing their lingo. “A grande PSL with soy no whip, please.”

However, I was not a big fan of VIA when it first launched, mainly because I had expected so much more from Starbucks. I had only a so-so experience with the launch promotion. Moreover, I saw so much potential with VIA than what Starbucks presented at the time.

A year later, VIA has finally lived up to my expectations, and it has been exciting to see the evolution of this brand.

They launched Iced VIA over the summer. This product filled a natural white space in coffee drinkers needs. We want ice coffee, but it’s a hassle to brew it hot only to cool it down. So, I totally saw this launch coming, and only wondered why it didn’t come sooner.

Last weekend, flavored VIA was launched. Delish! This launch exceeded my expectation. It filled yet another white space. Before, if I wanted flavored instant coffee, the only options were those of the creamy varieties. I’m lactose intolerant, so I’m not a fan of anything that’s creamy. In addition, I actually like the flavor of coffee, and I don’t want too much cream to mask it. Flavored VIA was the perfect solution. It still tastes like coffee, but with a little something extra. Completely delicious. An amazing fat free treat (for those of us who view yummy coffee as a soul-warming treat).

Execution of this launch was also flawless. Plenty of products at stores to make sure you know that flavored VIA has arrived. Free samples at store to allow you to taste the yummy deliciousness for yourself. Big displays in store to highlight the varieties.

As I’m writing this post, I’m drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte made with soy milk and without whip cream (for those who don’t speak Starbucks lingo), sampling a cinnamon spice VIA, bringing home a pack of caramel VIA, and just generally soaking in the Starbucks vibe.

Argh! ‘Tis ’bout th’ target

Posted at September 19, 2010 // Advertising, Promotion, Strategy / Tactics, Web

While every little thing has the potential to make a difference for a brand, some things don’t. It is the brand manager’s job to decide which is which.

My anti-virus often has pop-ups. Sometimes, it tells me that my virus definition is updated. Sometimes, it tells me that there is a problem! The other day, it told me something totally unexpected.

It told me that the official Talk Like A Pirate day was just around the corner, and it gave me the option to switch to Pirate English.

Wha….?

It was interesting enough for me to post on my Facebook. Lo and behold, one of my good friend clued me into why my anti-virus told me about Pirate English. (First, a little background, I’m referring to the Avast! Anti-Virus program.) The word “avast” is actually a pirate term!

Avast: A term commonly used by pirates and pirate wannabes. Means cease and desist.
Arr, avast lest ye want yer captain te chop off ye balls!
UrbanDictionary.com

Now, it all makes sense! Maybe…

The Pirate English pop-up certainly reinforce the name. However, the pirate heritage was never something that they invoked in their marketing. (If they did at one point, they don’t anymore. Today, their branding is very clean, modern, and tech-savvy.) So, this reference to Pirates made little sense to people like me, who knew nothing about Pirate English.

However, let’s think about this differently. I, a girl in marketing, is probably not their target market. My Facebook friend who knew all about Pirate English, a geek in technology, is probably exactly who Avast is targeting. In fact, if it weren’t for him and people like him, I would have never installed Avast on my computer.

All in all, this was a cute touch in the program. It generated enough interest for someone like me to post on Facebook, which may ultimately raise awareness of the product. So, in the end, it all comes down to costs. Brand Managers allow inside jokes in promotional details all the time. It helps reinforce the base and keep the core consumers interested and amused. As long as it didn’t cost much, it’s a nice touch to reference the pirates, even if the pirates aren’t part of their everyday branding effort.

P.S. For those of you didn’t know, today is the official Talk Like A Pirate day. If I was more talented, it would have been appropriate to have this post written in Pirate English Alas, I’m not that talented. Thanks to an online translator, I got a decent headline.