Archive for the Category »Promotion «

It’s estimated that as many as one million revelers gathered at Times Square in New York City to usher in the New Year. Nivea was once again the sponsor of this event. As one of that one million revelers, I wanted to comment on the impressive execution of Nivea’s effort.

Prior to New Year’s Eve, Nivea had set up photo booth at the American Eagle store. I didn’t realize how effective that could be, until I saw the line at the store of people waiting to get their photo taken! These pictures could then be sent to friends and family as a photo postcard of sort for people’s trip to NYC for New Year. That’s great viral marketing!

At Times Square itself, a very dedicated team of promoters blanketed the venue. There were blue balloons everywhere. Blue party hats, that came with a free sample and a BOGO coupon to a local drug store, were also passed out. As you may have saw on TV, it was a sea of blue. I know I wouldn’t forget that sea of blue any time soon. Nivea was also branded the countdown clock on the television broadcast on NBC. All together, I could only imagine the number of impression Nivea got. This hasn’t even taken into account all the photos that was taken by the revelers, and would now be share with friends and family all around the world. Those blue party hats went into the suitcase of many revelers and they would now be on display at homes around the globe.

But as with any great promotion, it was not a one time deal. Nivea is following up with a cause marketing campaign that encourages people to upload their kissing photo.

This was a great example of what a comprehensive marketing campaign could look like. Of course, I couldn’t truly evaluate how successful this campaign is because I don’t know how much it costed Nivea, and how much sale they got from it.

But, regardless, most businesses won’t have this kind of funding. However, something like this could easily be executed at a community level. But, take a lesson from Nivea and learn that sponsoring a major community event is only one element of an integrated marketing campaign. Find ways to involve your consumers before and after the event to make your message relevant and viral!

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Category: Promotion  3 Comments

Up In The Air, staring George Clooney, opens nationwide on Christmas. I previewed the movie and enjoyed it. My friends gave it just okay reviews. See for yourself, and give your own ratings.

But, why am I writing about a movie on this blog? Because I thought it was great movie for product placement. Unlike James Bond movies where each product flashes in front of you for mere seconds, the products in this movie were an integral part of the movie. They really sold it. I think it was one of the best movies for product placement since the Italian Job.

What products were featured? American Airline, Hilton, Travelpro, and Hertz. Just to name a few.

Travelpro is a line of luggage. This movie showed again and again how great these luggage moves. They spin. They roll. They go everywhere with ease. All the cool jetsetters use them. Way better than the old clunky suitcases you may have at home (in fact, there is a scene dedicated to this point).

Hertz, it gets you in and out fast. If you’re a Hertz loyal customer, you can get in and out in seconds. No long lines. In fact, they will “move mountains” to get you the car you want.

Hilton hotels have plush soft beds, and comfy little robes and slippers. Hilton hotels offer all the comfort of home and then some, well, at least to a guy that travels for a living. Of course, don’t forget about the Hiltons HHonors program! It’s a great promotion (George Clooney said it, not me). Plus, you get to skip the lines and get the preferred VIP treatment! Loyalty pays.

Talking about Loyalty, let’s talk about the featured star: American Airline. American Airline can take you everywhere! It satisfies even the needs of someone who travels over 340 days and 300,000 miles a year! And once again, loyalty pays. If you’re a loyal customer, you get to use exclusive lounges, be greeted by a custom greeting, and even, if you’re really really really loyal, get your own dedicated customer service phone line. Ahh, I want to join AAdvantage now!

Ahh, product placement… when done well it’s integrated into the story line, while leaving you with a good impression of the brand.

Photo credit: American Airlines, originally uploaded by anneh632.

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Black Friday is over. Or is it?

In this tough economy, retailers are doing everything they can to bring out as much holiday spirit as possible for as long as possible. By this, I mean they are doing everything they can to keep you spending as much as possible for as long as possible.

Sears and Target both are airing commercials highlighting that there are going to be deals all the time. Sears’ promo is particularly strong that Black Friday specials are available every Saturday from now till Christmas.

These commercials highlight how some retailers have adapted to the new normal. This does not apply only to retailers but to the business community in general. Over the last week, I was swamped at work for precisely this reason. I was working on a project that was something that we’d never considered in the golden days, but the golden days are history. The only thing that matters now is what we should be doing going forward.

Businesses are looking forward, not backward. They are no longer looking back thinking about the good old days, but aggressively getting their fair share, or more, in these much gloomier days.

Are you looking forward or looking backward?

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Best Buy #281 – The Night Before ‘Black Friday’, originally uploaded by Croixboy.

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