Brand Dots

Posts Tagged ‘commercials’

“F-R-E-E, that spells free, credit report.com baby!”  Well, it’s not really free – and those of you that have checked out the website understand this.  I’m sure you are familiar with the website Freecreditreport.com because of the catchy jingles that you hear in their commercials.

Love the commercials, or hate ‘em, the Freecreditreport.com band has been haunting consumers with jingles – they just can’t shake from their minds – for over three years.  But not for long!

According to Brandweek, Experian, the owners of Freecreditreport.com, just announced that they will be rebranding and shifting their focus to the website/name Freecreditscore.com.  It turns out; Freecreditreport.com commercials have been under scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission.  The FTC has issued videos implying the company has been misleading customers to think that they can get a credit report without hidden fees.  After all, their name is “FREE” creditreport.com.

As Experian goes through this rebranding initiative, they have decided to fire the old band and launch a new campaign to search for a replacement band.  They will work the auditions into a promotional campaign that incorporates a combination of traditional and social media components.  Know any musicians looking for a job?  Let’s hope the next band isn’t as obnoxious as the first.

What are your thoughts on the rebranding initiative?  Do you think their new plan will change consumer perception?  Is the FTC right for stepping in?

In today’s economy companies are getting desperate!  Some of the most established companies have lost sight of the basic elements of a promotional campaign.  So, here are a few pointers.   Be sure to ask yourself the following questions before you hit the ground running:

1.  What’s the point?

Identifying your marketing objective is the first step to developing your promotional campaign.  All goals should be SMART: Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time related.  You have to make your objective clear to everyone involved in your campaign so your team knows exactly what is expected and your final destination.  Is your goal to increase customer retention by 5%? Close on 5 new clients? Increase revenue by $2,000?  The possibilities are endless…but they should always be clearly communicated.

2.  Who’s your target?

Next, you’ve got to identify your target market.  You have to make sure your campaign is seen by the demographic that will benefit from your product most.  If your target market sees how your product will benefit them, they will be more likely to purchase your product of service.

3.  What do you have to say?

The whole idea behind a promotional campaign is to make customers aware of your product or service.  Your brand message should be consistent and clear. What’s your story?  What are your values, the core essence of your company, your competitive advantage?  The message that you send can affect the type of promotional media you will use-viral, internet, guerilla, radio, TV, etc.

4.  How much is it going to cost?

Marketers hate the “B” word. That’s right…BUDGET.  I know, I said it.  Sorry.  A marketing budget is actually a good thing.  It gives planners a guideline for what they have to spend.  It will also help you determine the type of promotional media you can afford to use.

5.  How are you going to mix the market?

You must then determine the mix that you will use to promote your product.  The marketing mix consists of the 4 Ps: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.  Depending on your product or service, you may have to put an emphasis on one function more than another.  Identifying the correct balance for this mix may be the most important part of developing your promotional campaign.  You need to research the competition, conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis, and determine how you will differentiate yourself.  You may also want to identify how the other (added) 3 Ps will affect your campaign: People, Processing, and Packaging!

6.  How long do you have to send the message?

When will your campaign start and end?  Will it be completed in phases?  As you set these time-oriented goals they should be measureable and realistic.  It’s okay if you have to reevaluate your goals as you make progress.   Goals must still be set.  It’s easy to put things off if you don’t have a clear goal for the completion of each task.  It may be most effective if you create a calendar that shows what will be completed each day until the campaign is complete.

7.  What’s the benchmark?

Finally, you must identify how the success (or failure) of your campaign will be measured.  How will it be evaluated?  There are several marketing campaign evaluation templates available online.  A good evaluation can help you determine how to keep your current campaign going and will give you insight on how to plan for future campaigns.

I love my DVR! Most people that have a DVR (Digital Video Recorder), can’t imagine life without one. They enjoy the convenience of watching their favorite shows when they want to, replaying good TV, and most importantly, fast forwarding through commercials.
Sources say that between 50 and 97 percent of DVR and TiVo owners fast forward though commercials. In 2006 DVRs threatened more than $8 billion of the $74 billion TV advertising revenue. I can only imagine that this figure has grown over the years.

I love good advertising just as much as the next marketing fan but, over time, I’ve felt like I’m missing out on viewing great commercials because of my DVR. These days, I find most commercials by surfing the web.So, what about online advertising? Are online ads more effective? Not according to AdWeek. They report that only 3 percent of people feel banner ads and search links leave a lasting impression viewers, compared to the 42 percent that feel TV advertising is the way to go.

I don’t think we should discredit online advertising. Technology is making it easier to reach specific target markets. Marketers can use social profiles and consumer search history to push products to clients that show common interests. And believe it or not, most consumers don’t even realize they are viewing an ad online when they see it.

What are your thoughts? Did DVR kill the TV commercial? Is online advertising the best alternative?

Some of the most successful branding strategies are those that send a consistent message. Target, Geico, and Old Navy are three iconic brands that immediately come to mind when I think of brand consistancy. Their commercials, websites, and print advertisements have the same feel. They use the same typefaces, photography styles, colors, taglines, and copy. From week to week, customers can easily recognize which commercial is theirs without even seeing the brand name.

One of the biggest mistakes I see in branding is when a company has a lack of consistency in their brand messaging. The use of different colors, generic pictures, and conflicting messages diminishes the value of the brand and creates a lack of credibility in the eyes of consumers. Customers are more inclined to make an initial purchase and (more importantly) repeat purchases if they feel they can trust and easily recognize a brand. So, as you develop your marketing strategy, logo, website, and brand story, keep this in mind. Make sure you send a consistent message that communicates your brand’s values through imagery and word choice.