This Week In Great Moments In Marketing

A friend of mine snapped this pic of a Hanes ad as he was going through security at JAX. Aside from the fact that I'm impressed that he got away with taking a picture in an alleged "high security" environment, I'm amused, flabbergasted, and kind of appalled at the targeted advertising in this particular venue.

It just goes to show that there is always an opportunity!

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Diesel goes overboard

Italian clothier Diesel has always pushed the envelope with their marketing. The new viral commercial "Diesel SFW XXX" attributed to them takes it even farther.

As background, the inspiration for the ad is the humourous internet meme "safe for work porn" that uses Microsoft Paint to take liberties with XXX imagery.

I warn you now, if you didn't like the fake Guinness beer ad from a few weeks ago, you won't like this one either.




So far, a cursory Googling indicates that either this really is a Diesel commercial, or it's got everybody fooled.

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Best Buy's Geek Squad Promises Home Theatre And Diversity

CE Pro: Geek Squad Takes Over Best Buy’s Home Theater Installs

Geek Squad’s brand momentum continues to grow inside Best Buy, as it has become the home theater/consumer electronics installation arm for “big blue.”
If a customer goes to the Best Buy Web site or visits a brick-and-mortar store seeking home theater installation, he is directed to Geek Squad. Previously, Geek Squad installers only handled computer repair and other IT networking services for Best Buy.

I'm going to forego the obvious snipes at the often sneered-at Geek Squad, and instead focus on marketing.

Based on the images on the Geek Squad website I'm genuinely curious about what Best Buy’s marketing department wants to communicate about Geek Squad’s commitment to diversity in their employment practices. What percentage of Geek Squad’s installer force are serious, determined looking minority women (with great hair), like the one pictured? She's all over their website. Is she an actual Geek Squad team member, or a professional model?

This quandry is reminiscent of the famous "10 stock photography cliches" whose page is, sadly, defunct.

Regardless, despite Best Buy's public commitment to diversity, I bet you a bag of skittles that if you need a house call from the Geek Squad, your technician is going to resemble Dilbert more than Eva Perron.

I’m all for diversity, sure, but I have trouble reconciling the image they’re presenting with my perceptions about the Geek Squad.

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Sales Tip: Start At The Top

There's some unwarranted criticism and maybe a little confusion in a piece on CE Pro about Top Down selling.

CE Pro: Top-Down Selling Pushes Your Best Brands

Using a strategy often under-utilized by many specialty and custom businesses, Guenther says his company employs a “top-down” selling approach that differs from the standard “good, better, best” tactics typically used by many businesses.
Advanced Audio Video’s approach emphasizes the performance-video brand Runco International as the LCD television of choice, and it’s predicated on demonstrating the differences between Runco units and the other competition available from big-box stores.

Some of the commenters may be bagging on him for pointing out the obvious, and if you've worked with luxury goods it is, but for some readers, this is going to be a revelation.

Dealers in luxury goods know that you have to start customers at the top of the line. For a start, no one is ever offended when you show them the best. Showing a prospective client the entry level pre-judges them, as if you assume that's all they can afford. Whether that's true or not is immaterial.

Most importantly, if you show people the absolute best that money can buy, not only are you more likely to sell elite product, you'll also increase the average purchase size that your median clients select. If all you have in your showroom is midline product, you will sell more lower end gear. Discerning clients (which is why they are in your showroom in the first place) want to be taken care of. Presenting less than the best just sells them short, and leaves money off the table. Nobody wants that.

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Sharp focuses on style over substance in new campaign

The Retail Bridge: Sharp Reworks LCD Sales Pitch

Forget pixel count, color depth and everything else you think you know about television performance. Flat panel TV buyers these days are more concerned with how their gear looks than how it performs.
At least, that's the message I get from the new U.S. campaign for Sharp's Aquos line of LCD HDTVs, announced Tuesday.Rather than focusing on picture detail, the new spots emphasize Aquos' physical design, emphasizing the "thinness" and "lightness" of the televisions, Sharp said.
"This campaign represents a true first in this industry," said Bob Scaglione, senior vice president and group manager of Sharp's Product and Marketing Group. "Although there is still the traditional focus on Full HD picture quality, this commercial explores a new idea and makes a design statement that strengthens the overall image of the Sharp brand. The ad depicts where we see the LCD industry going, as new design statements are introduced to provide consumers with the ultimate blend of style and performance."

Overall, this is an intelligent decision. Too much talk about "contrast ratio" and "120hz frame rate" just makes the eyeballs of all but the most technophilic customers roll back into their heads. This marketing directive operates on the same principle that successful retail CE salespeople understand: features don't sell products, benefits sell products. Customers, by and large, don't care how a TV works, just that they can be assured that it will have a nice picture, and will look all cool hung on their wall when it's installed.

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Condom Advertising, Bollywood Style

As seen on Lemonzoo.com

Some of you with more uptight overlords might find the later part of the video to be Not Safe For Work.

For the rest of you: enjoy!

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Thai Food Causes Terror Alert

Yahoo!: Thai chilli triggers chemical alert in London

A Thai chef cooked up fears of a chemical attack in London when fumes from his eye-wateringly hot chilli sauce led to the emergency services being called out, the Times reported Wednesday.
Chalemchai Tangjariyapoon, who works at the Thai Cottage restaurant in the Soho entertainment district, was dry-frying bird's eye chillies as he prepared a huge batch of nam prik pao, an extra-hot dip served with prawn crackers.
The smoke from the kitchen drifted out in the street, creating an acrid cloud which sent shoppers spluttering for cover and prompted police to seal off several streets and evacuate homes and businesses.
The scare comes with Britain facing a severe threat of terrorist attack, according to security service MI5, and following foiled car bombings in London and Glasgow in June.
Restaurant staff, who are used to the pungent aroma, were baffled when firefighters broke down their door Monday evening.

It may have been an inconvenience at the time, but believe me, you can't buy advertising this effective. Thrill seekers Spicy food lovers around the world now know about Soho's Thai Cottage, and will seek it out.

We've already got "viral marketing," so I dub this "napalm marketing."

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PRODUCT OF THE YEAR: BACON SALT!!!

J&D's BaconSalt.com

"It's our dream to make everything taste like bacon"

Really, what more could I possibly add to that?

Besides, anybody who gives themselves the job title of Bacontrepreneur is obviously touched by genius.

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Rejected Vodka Ad

From the Great Moments in Marketing files:




And from the Can't Take a Joke files, make sure to skim the comments on YouTube from people who didn't realize that this wasn't a real advertisement, here.

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Sony performs CPR on the Elevated Standard line

CE Pro: Sony Looks to Re-energize ES Group With Protected Product Lines

Sony is taking steps to elevate its Elevated Standard (ES) group of authorized dealers with new protected product lines. The company took the first step in that reinvigoration strategy when it held its Sony ES Dealer Conference in Hilton Head, S.C. in late June, attended exclusively by CE Pro.
The event marked the introduction of Hiroyuki Ito as the new head of the ES group under his official title of general manager, Audio Business Group. Ito told the gathered group of about 100 specialty retailers that the ES product lines “must grow and change,” adding that “ES is not just or enthusiasts anymore” and that “audio for video is important.”
To that end, the company debuted several new products, including receivers, DVD players and multiroom switchers that will be exclusive to ES dealers. (The specific products are under non-disclosure.)

There was a time when Sony ES was synonomous with fabulous HiFi gear. In terms of build-quality and performance, it was at par with other high-grade audio names like Denon, Marantz, NAD, etc. Back when I was a happy little Sony drone, the inside joke was that ES stood for "Employee Standard" because that's all that we, discerning audiophiles that we were, would spend our money on in-house. Vintage ES gear from the 70's and 80's still fetches a fair second-hand price on the used market.

Sadly, those days are long gone. The ES marque has been dumbed down and diluted over the last decade and a half; in part, through chasing features, and adding bells 'n whistles, as well as hopscotching the traditional exclusive upscale dealers, to be sold through the mass-market. In recent years, I've comparison tested ES AV receivers against comparably priced units from Denon, Marantz and Yamaha, and they just haven't had the guts when it came to sound quality.

In fact, the ES label has become so maligned that it makes sense for Sony to try to bring it back from it's convalescence, but this may be an uphill battle. For starters, Sony itself seems to be confused about it's overall direction, and that bodes ill right there. Second, Sony's cosiness with the mass-market channel has alienated many upscale dealers. The vitriolic comment from the pseudonymous "controlcode" at the bottom of the CE Pro piece is actually quite common, and comes up in private conversation with AV dealers when Sony is discussed.

I want Sony to win, I really do. I think the reason I'm so hard on them is because I was part of the Sony machine when they really stood for something, and as a result, I still hold them to a higher standard.

Maybe this time, they'll do it.

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Nintendo a gaming company first and foremost

Not ones to get carried away with their own success, Nintendo insists that they're not getting swept up with delusions of grandeur following the Wii's runaway popularity.

Marketing Daily: Nintendo's End Game Still All About Games, Analysts Say

Interesting speculation, but Nintendo's initiatives continue to be primarily about enhancing its position in the games business--not indicators that it has media platform aspirations akin to those of Microsoft and Sony, say digital media analysts interviewed by Marketing Daily.
"Nintendo has been adamant about viewing itself as a game company, not an entertainment company," points out Michael Goodman, director of digital entertainment for the technology research and consulting firm Yankee Group. "Yes, they're building a social network, but it's more a gaming social network than a whole networking system like Microsoft's Marketplace," and most of the channels being offered through Wii are not unique in function, he says.

...

"At the end of the day, it's all about games--the rest is secondary," concurs Michael Gartenberg, vice president, research director for JupiterResearch.
Of course, Nintendo's dramatic shift in strategy and much-hailed comeback have amply demonstrated its nimbleness within its core business. And marketing savvy has been as much a part of that success as hardware.

Way to keep your eye on the ball, Nintendo!

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TV makers tell each other "Mine's bigger than yours!"

...and I'm not referring to screen size.

That's right, manufacturers are announcing their upcoming fall advertising campaigns!

First out of the gate was Sharp:

TWICE: Sharp Kicks Off $30 Million Ad Campaign
Bob Scaglione, Sharp Electronics Marketing Company of America (SEMCA) product marketing group, senior VP and group manager, said Sharp is deploying a $30 million advertising and promotional campaign running through September. The effort will employ network and cable TV spots, magazines, newspapers, online and billboard ads to generate an estimated 1 billion impressions, he said.
Ads will also appear during nationally televised Major League Baseball games including the 2007 MLB All Star Game, Fox’s “Saturday Game of the Week,” ESPN’s Sunday and Monday Night Baseball and ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight.”

Not to be outdone, Sony has announced that they're spending even more:

TWICE: Sony Slates $100M Ad Campaign
In announcing its higher-end 2007 Bravia TV offerings, Sony said it will be stepping up brand advertising across its product lines with a $100 million campaign running through its fiscal year.
Randy Waynick, Sony home products division senior VP, said Sony’s marketing efforts will tie into the “Sony United” directive in more aggressive ways. For example, he said Sony will seek to communicate how advanced video technologies developed for its commercial broadcast video division have transitioned into its consumer-level HD camcorders and how experts from Sony Pictures are lending their expertise to the picture quality settings on new Sony TVs.

Is anybody going to see Sony's bid, and raise them?

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Toshiba bribing customers to take an HD-DVD player home

So it begins:

TWICE: Toshiba Offers HD DVD Rebate
Toshiba is running a one-month promotion issuing an instant, in-store rebate on select HD DVD players that will bring the purchase price on the entry model down to $299.99.
The effort will coincide with the HD DVD Promotional Group’s new national marketing and retail campaigns launching this month in support of the Warner Home Video HD DVD releases of “The Complete Matrix Trilogy” and “Letters from Iwo Jima,” and the Paramount Home Entertainment HD DVD release of “Flags of Our Fathers” on May 22.
The Toshiba in-store rebate promotion begins this weekend (May 20). Consumers buying a Toshiba HD-A2 model player will receive an immediate $100 instant in-store rebate, the company said.

Okay, lets go over Value-added Marketing 101 again. You can sell on price, or you can sell on value. If you paint a beautiful picture for the customer of how much value your product has, what it will do for them, and how great it will make them feel, the customer will pay full price for it.

If you can't or won't tell a story that connects with customers, you will have to discount to make a sale. You lose. You lose money, you lose prestige, and you lose the customer's respect. You are no longer the gatekeeper to a wonderful promised land of consumerism, you're just a doormat, and the customer knows that he can walk all over you.

Toshiba should ask GM, Ford or Chrysler what paying customers to buy your product does to the bottom line.

This will end badly.

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Sony Doesn't Skirt As Close To The Edge In New PSP Campaign

TWICE: Sony Launches PSP Ad Campaign

San Diego — Sony Computer Entertainment America said it has launched a new national marketing campaign to support the recently reduced price of the PlayStation Portable (PSP) system, now available for a $169 suggested retail.
The campaign, titled “Dude, Get Your Own,” uses a humorous style to communicate the PSP’s status as a coveted portable entertainment system offering high-quality games on-the-go, as well as multimedia features such as video and music playback.

Apparently each commercial will have a flashing subtitle which announces:

*NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS COMMERCIAL!!!*

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Universities Might Want To Revisit Their Fundraising Efforts

Long or Short Capital's Mr Juggles (I'm fairly positive that's a pseudonym) did a good piece last week about why his alma mater won't see another dime from him.

Long or Short Capital: Ways to Decrease Donations
So apparently my money went towards helping girls who aren’t good at math, renting a studio in the most expensive part of town so that hippies can paint, and holding an essay contest in the women’s studies dept!?! Since when does it cost money to hold an essay contest!? Incredible. Reading that makes me wish there was a money-back guarantee. I thought the money would go towards scholarships for poor kids or research in the sciences.

In addition to the sage advice that I left for him in the comments section, I got to thinking about the marketing efforts universities go to in order to convince the alumni to donate after I got an annoying phone call this weekend from a fundraiser.

When I politely told the girl on the phone (doubtless an undergraduate earning a modest wage in addition to gaining valuable boiler room experience) to remove my number from her lists, she got on the offence with me and started in with the threats: "Okay Mr Distad, but if I remove your number, you won't recieve any invitations to alumni events!"

Oh no, not that!

Let me say that the conversation didn't go well for her after that.

This isn't the first time I've had to deal with assholish sales tactics from the University of Alberta's Development Office. I got a phone call last year from a girl who right after introducing herself, launched into the assumptive close, asking if I wanted to donate $10, $50, or $100. When I said "none of the above" she came right back with "Great, would you like to donate a larger amount?"

I've seen better manners in the showroom of a car dealership.

When I told her that the amount I wished to donate was zero, she broke into the guilt close, which was "Don't you believe in supporting advanced education?" to which I replied, "I believe in supporting education, I don't believe in supporting bad salesmanship. Good-bye." *click*

I recognize that am an especial hard case, as I can see closing attempts coming a mile away (how do you think I got this wristwatch?) but do these hamfisted telemarketing scripts acutally work on anybody who was intelligent enough to get into university in the first place? They must, or they wouldn't insist on using them. However, I wonder if the lost goodwill from the bad taste they leave in the mouths of alumni like me who refuse to donate is worth it for them?

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If You Dine at Girl's Gone Wild, I Advise You to Pass on Seafood Wednesday

This just in from Long or Short Capital.com, the Girls Gone Wild video company is planning a chain of theme restaurants.

Last November I skewered Maxim magazine's plan for opening a restuarant chain, and pointed out how badly such a venture strays from their core business.* Like Deja Vu All Over Again, Johnny Debacle at LoS has much the same thing to say about Girls Gone Wild.

Long or Short Capital.com: Girls Gone Mild: Straying From Core Competencies
Recommendation: Girls Gone Wild was built on filming women stripping and/or going topless. Girls Gone Wild restaurants will not feature stripping, toplessness or filming. This is a textbook example of deviating from your core competencies. Despite our negative sentiments on the Girls Gone Wild BSR concept, we we are still bullish on the tasteless food service industry and recommend going long Pink Taco.


Is opening a chain of theme restaurants one of the leading indicators that your brand is on its last legs? I'm inclined to think so now. Keep your eyes peeled for exciting new restaurant concepts from GAP, Sony, and The New York Times.


*also note the cunning reference to one of Long or Short's key business principles in the previous tirade.

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Marketing cliches

It's an oldie, but I thought I would link to a great post on Forty Media called "Top Ten Stock Photography Cliches"

I would love to see someone use those exact ten photos in their next prospectus or annual report.

Speaking of "The Flirty Customer Service Gal" I don't believe that this girl:

actually works for Star Choice. Every time I've asked to speak to her, I get the runaround.

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Bell'O: making things easier for idiots, or only encouraging them?

TWICE reports that Bell'O has partnered with the "For Dummies" people to market a line of flat panel wall mounts.

Morganville, N.J. — Bell’O International is launching a line of “For Dummies”-branded all-in-one flat-panel TV wall-mount kits, the result of a partnership with Wiley Publishing.
According to Bell’O, the kits make it easy for inexperienced consumers to self-install their flat-panel TVs.
The kits include a steel, powder-coated, black-finished mounting bracket, a step-by-step installation DVD with instruction manual, an installation template and a hardware kit.

This makes me glad. It makes me glad that I'm not on the wrong end of the Customer Service Hotline at Bell'O.

While I applaud their attempt to pander market to what Long or Short Capital.com lovingly calls the Idiot Demographic, I would really like to see the disclaimers and warnings on the package to learn how Bell'O plans to insulate themselves from the litigation of clueless "Tim the Toolman" types who end up with their prized Chinese-built, no-name plasma crashing to the floor.

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An odd tidbit: where is all the marketing for PS3?

One of the little chores that goes along with my role as both a retail and CE industry analyst/pundit is reading the mountains of flyers and ROP (run of print) that get dumped in my mailbox three or more times a week. If you want to know what’s going on in retail, read the ads and the retailers will tell you what trends you should be watching.

Well, I haven’t seen any advertising for Playstation 3 since Christmas. The weekly multi-page ads from Best Buy, Future Shop, Toys ‘R Us, and all the other usual suspects have been completely silent on the PS3.
If retail support for promoting the PS3 is this light, what does this mean for Sony’s giant gamble? Tell me what you think in the comments section below.

Incidentally, at the beginning of the month Dealbreaker covered a report that superstar video game maker Electronic Arts bet on Playstation 3 was not paying off, and they are furiously retrenching to capitalize on the surprise success of the Nintendo Wii. It's well worth reading.

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One pharmaceutical commercial you won't see on television

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