Logical Insanity

IDEA: PETA’s new ad manages an uncanny trick. It frames a harrowing problem, and at the same time literally embodies the solution.

I have to applaud PETA on this advertisement that works on multiple levels. They created a great ad and also a compelling argument for their cause.  In the end proving that all ads should be thinking about smarter approaches to their advertising.

“Armed with tools to access data at any moment, they are poised to buy and expect retailers to be ready for them,” the study points out. To keep customers coming back, it advises, retailers must recast stores as places for discovery and interaction with products, where employees assist in the decision-making process and shoppers enjoy instant gratification.

I definitely think that the NRF’s study is proving that retailers need to find ways to connect with their audience. Most companies still overlook the basic branding philosophy that starts with customer service. It is the strongest and most personal connection they will get with their demographic.

Malls stopped evolving and relied on raising rent for far too long that when they started adding “Entertainment Centers” into their buildings it was too late. My own local mall added an ice skating rink that boosted visitors for a while but it was so mismanaged that they had a hard time holding onto the increased foot traffic.

I am a huge fan of the newer “back to the old days” town centers that curate shops in a residential setting. It definitely promotes brand loyalty when ‘your’ coffee shop is literally right downstairs and ‘your’ gym is across the street.

When cosmetics company Bare Escentuals decided to offer a customer loyalty program in May 2012, it took a non-traditional approach, giving fans personalized gifts and invitations to insider events rather than asking them to count points or accrue discounts.

Smart use of a traditional marketing tactic. Not only are the increasing their current customer’s brand loyalty but by making the gifts personalized for them they’re creating additional testimonials among their users.  I’m sure that when someone compliments that woman on her make up she’ll immediately gush about how she got it for free and everything else about Bare Escentuals makeup.

As technology advances the advertising is finally catching up. Websites can now pull relevant information from online content to show you where to buy it, and now cell phone ads can respond to a snow day with ads telling you where to go buy that shovel and ice scraper.

What will the next step be? Ads for a nearby restaurant that show their lunch special from 10 to 2? Could it get even more segmented and suggest the meal based on the weather? Or how about based on the cell users past searches for food recipes? I think this could be happening sooner rather than later. The information is already out there, it’ll just take some savvy company to put it to good use.

Sometimes I feel like we just collect data to make ourselves feel better but never really put it to productive use. Really interesting article about how some surprising brands that made it work for them.

Interesting social experiment. Does the actual product matter anymore? Are brands so powerful that the product is an afterthought?

I believe that whatever product The Hessian will end up representing it would still need to have quality and value to last. Branding is great for awareness and imprinting but the experience with the product is far more important.

We often think of branding as something that businesses use to identify themselves to their audience and strengthen their position in the market. But this article reminds us that it can also unify and create a movement from the ground up.

They talk about commissioned works or mockup ideas that could be done with the support of the city but why do we need them to begin the transformation?  All we need is a small idea repeated, take for instance the rise of the new coloRADo slogan that many citizens have started using.

Nice little article with infographic explaining what brand’s are doing right (and wrong) on social media.

Great infographic on consumer data about brand pages and what we are doing right (and wrong) with them.

It’s great to see a big company understand how to use social media. They definitely understand the importance with engaging fans and the kind of free promotion listening to them can bring.