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10
Nov
Christmas Costs Less
Jeannie Chan

The holiday season has definitely begun. Not being a religious person and not having any kids to buy toys for, this is a particularly annoying season.

However, this is also the season of some of the best ads. I’m sure I’ll be discussing a few over the next few weeks.

Today, I’d like to talk about the Wal-Mart ads: “Christmas Costs Less at Wal-Mart.”

I think these ads are great. Why? Because they reinforce Wal-Mart’s brand promise – costing less.

What I also really liked was that Wal-Mart knows who it’s talking to, and how to talk to them.

Wal-Mart is definitely not talking to me. But that’s okay, because I’m not Wal-Mart’s target consumer.

If Wal-Mart was talking to me, Wal-Mart would have been worried about being politically correct. But, these ads do not care about being politically correct. Wal-Mart’s target consumers are probably already fed up of being politically correct. They WANT to enjoy “Christmas”. They don’t want to call it “Holidays”. Wal-Mart wants to speak the same language as its core consumers.

But, doesn’t Wal-Mart worry about annoying the crowd?

No. It doesn’t.

Why not?

Because that’s what marketing is all about. Remember my series on Primal Branding? One of the major lessons in that was to know you’re talking to and to know what you stand for. You are not going to please everyone. But, you will connect with those you care most. And at the end of the day, that’s what matters!

Photo Credit: I’m sure my grandma had these, originally uploaded by Jo Naylor ~the book is out!!~.

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15
Aug
Be cute only if you are cute!
Jeannie Chan

Nuvaring is at it again.

I wish I have some insight on ad awareness data.

I was not a big fan of the “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday” ad. It started out as a really strange cartoon in August 2008. In September 2008, the cartoon was enacted by real people. In November 2008, the ad got a black & white treatment for the old pill method. Now, a year later, August 2009, I see ads that use the old ad as background, with women in the foreground talking about the contraceptive ring.

I have to say, the old ads were effective visually, and the jingle made the ads stand out. However, I still wonder how motivating they were. I think the latest version was the best version thus far. At the end of the day, they were trying to change people’s behavior. To do so, they had to address women’s concerns / fear, and offer them a reason why the NuvaRing solution was better than their existing solution. I felt the cartoon or cartoon-like ads were never truly relatable. I, while represented only one data point, would never be convinced by a cartoon on something so important to my health. Today, NuvaRing returned to having women talking to women about women issue, which seemed to me to be far more appropriate.

So, I wonder, what would have happened if NuvaRing had today’s ad in market a year ago? Would their sales have been better?

My conclusion: Make sure your marketing message is aligned with your brand equity. If it’s a cute product, by all means, be cute. If it’s a serious product, be serious. If even you don’t take yourself seriously, why would I?

See previous discussion on NuvaRing ads here.

Note: YouTube may remove the video without notice. You may also be able to see NuvaRing’s current commercial here.

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05
Jun
Product “weakness” is only a state of mind!
Jeannie Chan

I am barely a social drinker, and I’m a complete lightweight if and when I do go out for a drink. So, I could never work for a beer company. In face, I have actually interviewed with Anheuser-Busch, and quickly realize that I would not be happy working there with their corporate culture. Also, there is something to be said about marketing something that you are actually passionate about.

BUT, with that said, I do wish from time-to-time to just be able to be a fly on the wall in one of their strategic planning sessions.

I don’t know which comes first, but it appears to me that every AB product marries consumer insight with product features.

The latest and greatest example would definitely be Bud Light Lime. This product was launched last summer, in direct competition of Miller Chill, which was launched a year ago. However, in the one year’s time, you could see how advertising can make or break a product.

A year later, Miller Chill achieved less than a quarter of the sales that Bud Light Lime achieved, according to Brand Week. Why? Miller Chill could not get past being a summer beer.

Bud Light Lime, however, did. Because Bud Light Lime is not just a summer beer because of taste, but it is a summer beer because it brings with it a summer state of mind. It is apparent that AB thought this through before launching the product. The launch commercial in summer 08 already advertised summer state of mind, which is leveraged in winter month commercials in the winter.

But, of course, advertising is only one element of brand management. Could Miller Chill make a come-back? We’ll see.

Miller Chill’s commercial highlight how chilling the beer is in Summer 2008…

Now, Bud Light Lime’s launch commercial in Summer 2008. What a difference!

Versions of the Bud Light Lime launch commercials are being re-aired this summer. But knowing AB, new commercials are coming soon! (In fact, I think some of them are already online.)

But, in the end, it was the winter ads that showed the campaigns geniusness! (Yes, I know that’s not really a word.)

Link: Brand Week MillerCoors Tweaks Miller Chill

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