It's hard to believe it's just about summer time. The weather is finally getting warmer and the semester is winding down. I've been looking back over my blog posts from this semester and have realized how much they have taught me. I have never been extremely good with technology and new or alternative media. When challenged to keep a blog on product placement, I was a little skeptical of blogging. I didn't understand why it was important. Now, I know.
It's a way to get your thoughts heard and your ideas out there. It helps connect you with thousands of other people, and keeps you up-to-date with a large span of issues. I was suprised by how much I got into blogging. I loved reading through various websites, especially Advertising Age, and finding stories on the latest product placement news. Before this experience, I hadn't realized how much is going on in the marketing world at one time. I realize that advertisements are EVERYWHERE, and each ad is strategically placed...but I never new about the business side of things, such as the advertising firms that help put together campaigns.
One of my favorite things that happened while blogging was when I got a response post from Thom Forbes. It was so cool to hear from someone who was in the middle of the action. I also thought it was cool how writers, advertisers, marketing companies, and more pay close attention to what's being said in the blogging world. I learned so much about new products coming out, ideas behind commercials, results from advertising campaigns and more.
When I first started, I was confident that I wasn't going to continue blogging after this semester. Now, I'm excited to keep writing about things I'm observing, learning, and experiencing. It's a great way to connect yourself with tons of people and learn more about what you find interesting. The whole experience was a great one, and I'm thankful I had this opportunity to learn what I did.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
Rum Wedding Crashers
I guess the movie Wedding Crashers may have helped marketers think of new ways to promote their product....Leblon, a company that sells a Brazilian spirit, has decided to place their product at weddings. The rumlike drink that is made from cachaca will be offered at various weddings and important events to help raise awareness of the new drink. The bars that feature the drink at weddings will have a lot of fresh fruit to help hammer in the concept of this exotic, upscale drink.
Leblon is an expensive drink, selling at $25-$30 a bottle. As you can probably tell this is a high price compared to other rums on the market.
Vice President of Sales, Kevin Martin, explained that they wanted to have people try the drink for the first time at a big, exciting party and enjoy its unique taste in a happy atmosphere. Martin also mentioned that there are around 15 places in major cities that are working on deals with Leblon.
I thought it was really creative how the company is placing their product at different weddings and occasion. Even though it might be challenging, it is an excellent idea to test out.
If you want to read the full article by Jeremy Mullman, go to: http://adage.com/article?article_id=116092
Leblon is an expensive drink, selling at $25-$30 a bottle. As you can probably tell this is a high price compared to other rums on the market.
Vice President of Sales, Kevin Martin, explained that they wanted to have people try the drink for the first time at a big, exciting party and enjoy its unique taste in a happy atmosphere. Martin also mentioned that there are around 15 places in major cities that are working on deals with Leblon.
I thought it was really creative how the company is placing their product at different weddings and occasion. Even though it might be challenging, it is an excellent idea to test out.
If you want to read the full article by Jeremy Mullman, go to: http://adage.com/article?article_id=116092
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Mountain Dew Gaming
The game Halo. I was first introduced to it in high school by a group of guy friends who were obsessed. They would organize huge Halo parties with up to 25 players, television sets scattered throughout the room, and controllers making a tangled mess on the floor. Of course they sat there screaming at the screen, talking like pros, and making fun of each others' skills. The parties would a lot of times last well into the morning hours. I just couldn't understand it....how could people stay up for over 8 hours playing a game? Well, one way to stay up caught my eye today when I was looking at articles. The answer? Mountain Dew.
Mountain Dew, a soft drink with around 54 milligrams of caffeine, is always a great choice for a drink to keep you awake. Mountain Dew decided to team up with the makers of Halo, and are releasing a brand new kind of Mountain Dew that will help advertise for the new Halo 3 game as well. The new red drink, a citrus cherry flavor, will come in a 20-ounce bottle with the title of "Game Fuel".
A spokeswoman for Pepsi talked about the gaming industry's effect on Mountain Dew. "Our goal is to go beyond traditional advertising by creating initiatives that make the brand an integral part of the gaming experience. We have some exciting programs coming this summer."
I always find it interesting to see what products are teaming up; I think Mountain Dew is really smart for connecting themselves with the Halo games. Even though I can't claim that I am a gamer, I am still excited to try this new flavor of one of my favorite pops.
You can check out Kate Macarthur's article at: http://adage.com/article?article_id=116107
Mountain Dew, a soft drink with around 54 milligrams of caffeine, is always a great choice for a drink to keep you awake. Mountain Dew decided to team up with the makers of Halo, and are releasing a brand new kind of Mountain Dew that will help advertise for the new Halo 3 game as well. The new red drink, a citrus cherry flavor, will come in a 20-ounce bottle with the title of "Game Fuel".
A spokeswoman for Pepsi talked about the gaming industry's effect on Mountain Dew. "Our goal is to go beyond traditional advertising by creating initiatives that make the brand an integral part of the gaming experience. We have some exciting programs coming this summer."
I always find it interesting to see what products are teaming up; I think Mountain Dew is really smart for connecting themselves with the Halo games. Even though I can't claim that I am a gamer, I am still excited to try this new flavor of one of my favorite pops.
You can check out Kate Macarthur's article at: http://adage.com/article?article_id=116107
Friday, April 13, 2007
Glacier Cold Beer
Like your beer cold? Well Coors Light does, and I mean they really do. For years they've been positioning themselves as the coldest beer with a refreshing taste. Now, they're moving their marketing tactics up a notch.
It's easy to see that they're trying to get back to their Rocky Mountain background. Their first string of product placements will include mini glaciers that sit on counter-tops at bars. From the glacier you can fill up your glass with an ice cold Coors Light---known as the "Coors Light Super Cold Draft". The exact temperature of this cold cold beer? 28.5 and 31.5 degrees Farenheit. That sounds like the kind of drink that would freeze your heart and brain.
Coors Light's biggest competitor right now is Miller Lite; both companies use a similar brewing process to keep their brews cold and refreshing. Miller Lite is a little ahead in sales, but Bud Light is ahead of both of them. Coors Light is looking to spend over $127 million in advertising this year.
The article also touched on Coors' background of how it used to be a beer that people tried to smuggle over to the east coast.
A really interesting, great article written by Jeremy Mullman; check it out at: http://adage.com/article?article_id=115992
It's easy to see that they're trying to get back to their Rocky Mountain background. Their first string of product placements will include mini glaciers that sit on counter-tops at bars. From the glacier you can fill up your glass with an ice cold Coors Light---known as the "Coors Light Super Cold Draft". The exact temperature of this cold cold beer? 28.5 and 31.5 degrees Farenheit. That sounds like the kind of drink that would freeze your heart and brain.
Coors Light's biggest competitor right now is Miller Lite; both companies use a similar brewing process to keep their brews cold and refreshing. Miller Lite is a little ahead in sales, but Bud Light is ahead of both of them. Coors Light is looking to spend over $127 million in advertising this year.
The article also touched on Coors' background of how it used to be a beer that people tried to smuggle over to the east coast.
A really interesting, great article written by Jeremy Mullman; check it out at: http://adage.com/article?article_id=115992
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Mojito-Flavored Gum
I do have something to admit...I'm addicted to gum. I chew a pack of Extra Polar Ice gum a day. I know it's not the greatest habit to have, especially when around people who think it's rude...but yes, it's my weakness. Why am I admitting this strange addiction? Wrigley has just released a new flavor of gum: Mint Mojito Orbit. Sounds good, right?
Well, not everyone is agreeing. People are saying that the new flavor of gum is trying to appeal to children and teenagers. The article mentioned how pina colada became such a big flavor for candies. The spokesman for the people upset with the new flavor stated his problems with the name: "It's something I'd call mildly reprehensible, and it'll almost certainly lead to others going further. It's sad they need to name it like an alcoholic beverage to sell it."
The spokesperson for the Wrigley gum did bring up the fact that the choices for mint-based flavor names are getting slim. With many flavors such as: bubblemint, sweet mint, and citrus mint, the creative people are started to hit a wall with ideas. The spokesperson also brought up the point that the advertisements for it don't really differ from any of the other ads they made for gum. This helped support his point that they are not trying to target young teenagers and children with their product.
It's always interesting to see what kind of things people get upset about and why in the advertising world.
Check out Jeremy Mullman's article at: http://adage.com/article?article_id=116025
Well, not everyone is agreeing. People are saying that the new flavor of gum is trying to appeal to children and teenagers. The article mentioned how pina colada became such a big flavor for candies. The spokesman for the people upset with the new flavor stated his problems with the name: "It's something I'd call mildly reprehensible, and it'll almost certainly lead to others going further. It's sad they need to name it like an alcoholic beverage to sell it."
The spokesperson for the Wrigley gum did bring up the fact that the choices for mint-based flavor names are getting slim. With many flavors such as: bubblemint, sweet mint, and citrus mint, the creative people are started to hit a wall with ideas. The spokesperson also brought up the point that the advertisements for it don't really differ from any of the other ads they made for gum. This helped support his point that they are not trying to target young teenagers and children with their product.
It's always interesting to see what kind of things people get upset about and why in the advertising world.
Check out Jeremy Mullman's article at: http://adage.com/article?article_id=116025
Friday, April 6, 2007
Wendy's New Frosty Flavor & Breakfast Menu
Wendy's International has taken a hit to their sales and are trying to get back into the game. Their famous Frosty drink is undergoing changes; they tested over 100 different kinds of vanilla for a new Frosty flavor. As you may have noticed, they released the new vailla Frosty with a strong cotton candy flavor during last summer. Another promotional tool they are using are introducing wide straws and bubble-shaped tops.
Along with their new Frosty flavor, Wendy's has reintroduced their breakfast menu. Trying to keep up with major competitors, Wendy's will be serving breakfast sandwiches, French-toast sticks, hash-browns and more. Between the new Frostys and breakfast menu, Wendy's is hoping to attract a younger demographic.
I had been wondering why Wendy's decided to introduce a vanilla Frosty, but now understand the reasoning and strategy behind it to extend their target audience.
If you want to check out Thom Forbes' article, go to: http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=58353&passFuseAction=PublicationsSearch.showSearchReslts&art_searched=Wendys%20tries%20to%20attract%20young%20diners&page_number=0
Along with their new Frosty flavor, Wendy's has reintroduced their breakfast menu. Trying to keep up with major competitors, Wendy's will be serving breakfast sandwiches, French-toast sticks, hash-browns and more. Between the new Frostys and breakfast menu, Wendy's is hoping to attract a younger demographic.
I had been wondering why Wendy's decided to introduce a vanilla Frosty, but now understand the reasoning and strategy behind it to extend their target audience.
If you want to check out Thom Forbes' article, go to: http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=58353&passFuseAction=PublicationsSearch.showSearchReslts&art_searched=Wendys%20tries%20to%20attract%20young%20diners&page_number=0
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Funkmaster Flex For Ford
Giving a 17-year old actress a hybrid car not enough product placement news for you in the car business? Well Ford is following Honda's lead and introducing a new SUV that will be driven by a celebrity. Wondering who it is? Funkmaster Flex. That's right; Ford has realized that by having Funkmaster Flex as a spokesperson for Ford's SUVs, they will be able to capture a large chunk of the urban crowd. They are naming editions of the Expedition and Mustang after the DJ, including a vehicle known as Flex.
Ford is trying to swoop in and get more of the consumers that make up Escalade's target audience. As Halliday mentions in the article, Escalade has a very strong presence amoung the rap/ hiphop community. As big advantage Ford Expeditions have over the Escalades is that they are much cheaper, by $20,000. If the Funkmaster Flex ad campaign grabs enough positive attention from this target audience, Ford might be able to easily pull ahead of its competitor with its lower price.
The sales of the Expeditions are already significantly improving with an increase of 8.2% from last January/February to this January/February. I'm interested to see how much the sales improve after Funkmaster Flex's cars are introduced. Another great way that Ford is hitting this new promotional idea home is by being the mains sponsor on the "Car Wars" show on ESPN2. The event is hosted by Funkmaster Flex and will have 6 episodes featuring the Expeditions.
If you want to read Jean Halliday's article, go to http://adage.com/article?article_id=115872
Ford is trying to swoop in and get more of the consumers that make up Escalade's target audience. As Halliday mentions in the article, Escalade has a very strong presence amoung the rap/ hiphop community. As big advantage Ford Expeditions have over the Escalades is that they are much cheaper, by $20,000. If the Funkmaster Flex ad campaign grabs enough positive attention from this target audience, Ford might be able to easily pull ahead of its competitor with its lower price.
The sales of the Expeditions are already significantly improving with an increase of 8.2% from last January/February to this January/February. I'm interested to see how much the sales improve after Funkmaster Flex's cars are introduced. Another great way that Ford is hitting this new promotional idea home is by being the mains sponsor on the "Car Wars" show on ESPN2. The event is hosted by Funkmaster Flex and will have 6 episodes featuring the Expeditions.
If you want to read Jean Halliday's article, go to http://adage.com/article?article_id=115872
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