Have you ever used the Internet to search for medical information? Maybe even self-diagnosed yourself with a an ill-fated disease based on one of your symptoms (c’mon, fess up)? If you have been online searching for health-related data, welcome to the majority of the population. Sixty-one percent of Americans use the Internet to access health information - up from 25% back in 2000 (source: PewInternet). But, who is most likely to be searching on the Internet for medical information? According to PRIZM, a leading market segmentationtool, the PRIZM cluster most likely to be found listening to a health-related podcast, going to a medical website, and/or reading a blog or physician reviews is the nation’s most elite segment – The Upper Crust. A little bit about Upper Crust: their age range is between 45-64 and median HH income is about $114,000. They read the Wall Street Journal, Economist, and Forbes. They listen to NPR and ESPN radio. They watch tennis, golf, and horse racing. Think of Henry Higgins from My Fair Lady – but American and with Internet access. And if he had the latter, perhaps he’d spend more time focusing on his health and less time trying to change Ms. Doolittle. I happen to find her Cockney twang endearing.
As you know, there are several hundred different iPhone applications available. You can do anything from managing your expenses to drinking a pretend beer and swinging around a light saber. With all of the fun new ways to engage the population, it was only a matter of time until advertisers decided to capitalize on the craze.
The latest brand to hop on the iPhone app bandwagon is Baskin Robbins. In an attempt to launch their soft ice cream nationally they have decided to create a ‘Yay Button’ app in addition to their TV campaign. It is designed to help consumers find the nearest Baskin Robbins location using the GPS in their phone.
Other brand apps have already proved to be very successful. The Kraft ‘iFood Assistant’ made the Top 100 Apps list and gets to not only market itself in the app, but also the many other brands under that name such as Oreo, DiGiorno, Planters and Miracle Whip by incorporating those products into the included recipes.
With other brands such as Budweiser, Ralph Lauren, Weight Watchers and Chanel paving the way, it seems that we may have effectively found a new way of advertising that is not only innovative and cost efficient for the advertiser, but the consumer enjoys it enough to actually pay for it! The success of these campaigns begs the question… is this a smarter way rather than the traditional banner and pop-up ads we currently see during the application runtime?
A few weeks ago I posted “Pepsi and Coke are Still at War? Really??”…well I read an article this week that reminded me of my post…is it me or does it seem as if these battles are popping up more and more everyday?
This week TelevisionWeek’s headline was “ABC-Hulu Deal a Blow to YouTube.” Once again, I believe there’s room for both contenders. These two products are similar but different.
Youtube was launched 4 years ago by a few former PayPal employees and Hulu launched just 2 years ago by a few big television networks. Youtube.com is considered a video hosting service and Hulu is considered video on demand site.
Advertisers don’t have to contemplate over which sites to use in their media campaigns; they just have to be strategic about their target audience. It comes down to whoever delivers the best numbers that coincide with your demo and advertising objectives. Do your research and meet with both to see what kind of value you can get for your budget. If you haven’t been to both sites, check them out (www.Hulu.com and www.YouTube.com). What do you think?
I don’t consider it appointment television . . . but sometimes while channel surfing I can get roped into an episode of Antiques Roadshow on PBS. Knowing very little about antiques, I’m always stunned when the vase someone bought from a flea market ends up to be from Austria and worth a few thousand dollars. I’m always saddened when someone brings a piece of furniture that they are convinced is worth millions and it turns out to be a fake. I’m always curious to hear the value of props or costumes from a famous movie set or movie star. But I’m a far cry from the type of person you are most likely to find watching – that would be an affluent empty nester. I’m just starting my nest (I am actually looking for a good deal on some twigs). According to Nielsen Claritas, a leader in market segmentation technology, the segment of the U.S. population named “Big Fish, Small Pond” has the highest likelihood to watch the road show. In fact, they are 136x more apt to sneak in an episode. A bit about this segment - they are upper-class, college-educated professionals and they enjoy the trappings of success, including belonging to country clubs, maintaining large investment portfolios, and spending freely on computer technology. So, I have a ways to go until I’m the core audience. In the meantime, I’ll start to think of some of the quirky things I own, of which there are many, that perhaps are worth something more than the $.10 sticker I’d put on it for a garage sale. Maybe I’ll end up like this guy:
I’ve been buying media in the Detroit market for a while now and growing up in the city I’ve always been loyal to the local TV and radio shows (non-syndicated). And when I heard the news last week that Charles Pugh wasn’t going to be on Fox 2 News or WJLB-FM anymore – my first thought was who is going to read my ten second promos for my media campaigns??
This news became bittersweet once I heard what Pugh’s next venture was…Detroit City Council!
He is the first openly gay person running for a political office in the city. This IS the year for change (as Obama’s campaign boasted). And I couldn’t think of a better candidate than someone like Pugh, who describes himself as a “Detroitaholic.” Someone who is so passionate about his city and takes pride in being a Detroiter and who wants what’s best for this city! I’m all about change! Are you?
p.s. I hear that he will still be on Fox 2 News on the weekends!
Still not sold on social media as part of your marketing mix? Well, while you stay on the sidelines, another well known brand is tapping the potential of the medium to launch a new product. Kraft Foods has decided to use the micro-blogging tool Twitter, in addition to TV and print, to introduce their new DiGiorno Crispy Flatbread Pizza.
Kraft is embracing the social media tool, and planning to gather influential tweeters in key markets around the country and deliver the new product to them for a taste test. The hope is that the tweeters will generate positive word-of-mouth on the frozen, thin crust pizza through Twitter and blogs.
The success measures for the effort will be attendance at the “tweetups” along with the volume of tweets and blogs generated by the gatherings.
Will the flatbread pizza launch strategy fall flat? Or will it fly high? What do you think?
If you’re looking to see how social media can be part of your marketing efforts, give us a call. We’ll work with you to develop a strategy that makes sense for you.
Layoffs. Budget cuts. Credit crunches. Looking for the silver lining? Brogan & Partners is offering an opportunity for FREE recession strategy brainstorming sessions. It’s three hours with one of Detroit’s most innovative ad agencies. You’ll get our top marketing, media and creative minds — with no cost, obligation or strings. If you’re looking for creative new ways to make your brand work harder, today may be your lucky day.
Marketing efforts, for colleges and universities, have resulted in a media battleground lately. From career retraining to post-grad degrees, one can see how competitive it’s become – just from driving down the freeway or listening to the radio.
The University of Toledo has found ways to change the rules of the game by capturing Michigan students’ attention and enrollment by making out-of-state schools an affordable option. UT offers scholarships to the Michigan student who meets a certain criteria. These students are able to go to an out-of-state school without paying the out-of-state fee (and those fees can be almost double the cost per credit hour). This incentive makes UT a viable option and a true part of the competitive set. A message that stands out using mediums fit for the target – a perfect combination.
No, I’m not talking about the game – that was awesome! I’m talking about the advertising.
Yes, the economy is in the tank. And yes, the general public probably doesn’t want to see an over-the-top 30 or 60 second commercial that cost more than the budget of a small country to produce. But for pete’s sake, if you’re going to spend $3 million (or more) on a Super Bowl ad, with all of those eyeballs glued to the tube to watch your pitch, then do something interesting!!!
Don’t get me wrong, there were a couple of laugh-out-loud moments (Ed McMahon/MC Hammer shilling for Cash4Gold and the Monster.com moose head spots), but overall I think most brands played it way to safe. And I don’t think we’ll be remembering any of these spots 1, 5 or 10 years from now (especially the Danica Patrick spots for GoDaddy.com).
Thankfully for viewers the game was great, but it’s too bad the advertisers didn’t even come close to a touchdown this year.
Let us know what you thought.
But before you do, take another look at a spot from LAST YEAR’s game that I think is one of the all time greats. It’s got nostalgia, humor, great special effects, drama and an unexpected ending that is the icing on the cake. Man, I can watch this spot over and over and never get tired of it. Enjoy!
When the economy is down, the first thing a lot of companies tend to cut back on is marketing. The problem with that is, in most cases, it’s the best time to market. It’s the perfect opportunity to gain a competitive advantage, and maybe even woo some new customers! (Don’t you love the technical term – woo?)
Why not have the field to yourself if you can, and leave the competition to catch up with you. There’s no better time than now to get out in front, especially with bargain basement deals all over the place with the media.
One company who understands this theory is Hershey, who this week announced fourth quarter and full-year earnings that topped analyst expectations.
With consumers spending less on higher-end chocolate products, Hershey capitalized by boosting ad spending in the fourth quarter last year by 23%, and 26% overall for the year.
The focus of their marketing has been on the core brands of Hershey’s and Reese’s, but they plan to expand their efforts in 2009 to include Twizzlers and Kisses, with another 20-25% spending increase.
So as the economy continues to take new turns daily, it’s time to take a hard look at your marketing program. You may want to rethink the strategy to cut back, and consider what Robin Williams said in the movie Dead Poets Society: “Carpe Diem – Seize the Day!”
Oh, and don’t forget to call or email us for some help!!!
In the world of advertising, understanding who you are marketing to can be the difference between creating a hit ad for your client, and throwing a pile of cash out the window.
Radio One, one of the largest radio broadcasting companies in the U.S. (it owns and/or operates 53 radio stations located in 16 urban markets), recently hired research company Yankelovich to further understand its large black market. Radio One says they conducted the study “to better understand the rich diversity among Black Americans and to help Radio One better serve this large, diverse, often misunderstood group.”
“You can’t look at Black Americans as a monolithic group,” said Radio One president, Barry Mayo (see video below).
The study broke down black America into 11 segments: Black is Better, Black Onliners, Boomer Blacks, Broadcast Blacks, Connected Black Teens, Digital Networkers, Faith Fulfills, Family Struggles, New Middle Class, Sick and Stressed, and Stretched Black Straddlers.
Along with discovering that the majority (44%) of Black Americans prefer to be called “African Americans,” the study also found nearly a third of Black Onliners admit that if they see something they like, they have to have it - even if it costs more than they would like to spend; 8 out of 10 Broadcast Blacks prefer businesses that give back to the community; and that 54% of all blacks are “optimistic about the future of blacks.”
Even though Radio One commissioned the research because of its commitment “to demonstrating the power of the black community,” the applications are helpful to marketers too.
Brogan & Partners has been using a technology developed by Claritas Research called PRIZM to do the same sort of segmentation used in the Black America Study for almost 15 years. PRIZM, or PRIZM NE as it is now called, breaks the population down into 66 distinct segments, including Black, as well as, Latino and Asian American populations.
The segments, like Young Digerati, Pools & Patios, and Park Bench Seniors, are then used to discover where best to place an ad for our clients, how to market to different segments, and figure out whom our clients should be targeting.
“We go way beyond using PRIZM for market research and for direct mail. We created a process to mine the 30,000+ variables for the various segments in order to do PRIZM-based media planning and buying. We can show the client exactly who their best segments are and exactly which network shows, cable programs, print media, billboards, and interactive vehicles reach them,” said Brogan Media Director, Misi McClelland.
“Hopefully, the Radio One study will give us another level of understanding of the African American audiences. I am eager to get my hands on it.”
Brogan’s media team discovered they could use the technology not only to turn broadcast into narrowcast but also to use the depth of research for public relations, political campaigns, promotional partnerships and more.
For example, Brogan used PRIZM to discover how to best reach segments most likely to on to vacation in Michigan from Chicago, Cleveland, and Indianapolis for its successful Michigan.Org campaign. Brogan’s work helped increase traffic to the site dramatically; visits increased to 3.6 million from 2.6 in the previous year.
“I know a lot of other agencies own PRIZM technology, but really understanding how it works is the key to success,” said McClelland, whose team has spent significant hours in formal training, retraining, updating, and self-training.
“Let’s not even talk about the cost of the licenses we need to maintain,” grumbled agency CEO Marcie Brogan. “Although the competitive edge it gives us and the success and cost savings it gives our clients are well worth the time and dollars.”
Take four scoops of a comic book, two teaspoons of a Hollywood film, a side of new media and you’ll have yourself one delicious helping of a motion comic.
In this new medium, companies like Gain Enterprises, scan pictures from an existing comic book, hire voice actors, add sound effects, and then include some of their own animation to make the motion comic.
“I like to think of it as cinematic comics - digital cinematic comics,” said David Gale, executive vice president of MTV New Media, in a interview with The New York Times.
One of the comic industry’s most loved franchises is flying fearlessly into the new medium. In preparation for the most anticipated movie of 2009, The Watchmen, a motion comic has been created containing all twelve issues of the original series.
Watchmen’s first chapter is available for free download on iTunes until August 2nd. After that, each chapter will cost $1.99.
According to Diamond Comics Distributors, DC comics (the publisher of Batman) sold an estimated 274,035 Batman comics last month. Compared to the 45,805,055 tickets sold so far of The Dark Knight, one can assume a lot more people are watching comic movies than they are actually buying comics. (Just to be fair, IronMan’s publisher, Marvel, sold 156,239 Iron Man comics and the Iron Man movie has 44,487,003 sold tickets so far).
So, how do you market a comic book movie to people that aren’t reading your comic? Just scan the comic and make it look like a movie!
Another comic series, Invincible, who’s own movie is apparently (according to the rumor mill) about to start pre-production, is having the first motion comic television series starting on MTV2 this fall. A video preview is posted below:
“I don’t know…I have a hard time reading and watching the pictures at the same time,” said Brogan employee Jo Lynn Agee. She is a big fan of the CW’s Smallville (the young adventures of Superman) and several comic movies but actually got sensations of motion sickness watching Invincible. Although, she did say the images looked very good.
“I really liked it. It was a throwback to the comic cartoons I used to watch as a kid,” said another comic book movie fan, and Brogan employee, Ennis McGee. He added, “I could have watched a whole episode.”
It looks like time will have to tell if the motion comic is an effective marketing tool, new form of media, or an experiment gone wrong.
