Axe Detailer... for Women?

Several weeks ago we discussed how Axe created a manly shower tool for men in order to promote the sales of shower gel for men. I saw an ad for a shower gift set for women by Axe, which also featured the same shower tool, but in a more feminine design. What I find interesting is that though Axe tried to make the shower tool manly (to look like a car wheel with rougher edges on the outside and a softer inner scrub), they have decided to create a feminine version of it. Axe seems to have come up with a handy and efficient tool overall. 

Axe is using the same design for a shower tool for women, when they clearly could have included a loofah instead. Of course, the campaign of Axe Anarchy has two sides, one for males, and one for females, so perhaps the company was trying to match the two sides with the shower tools. However, I would think that including a loofah would be so much cheaper than including the detailer in the "Anarchy for Her" set, so perhaps it is because of the success of the detailer shower tool that they have decided to include it in this campaign for both sides. I just find this an interesting addition onto the success of the detailer shower tool, which was first and foremost born out of the goal of promoting shower gel for men. 

Which Came First, the Consumer or the Brand?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertpassikoff/2014/03/18/which-came-first-the-consumer-or-the-brand/

The chicken and egg question of whether the consumer or product/service should come first has been a popular subject in recent years, as brands are shifting from the traditional product production then marketing to more consumer-focused product development. However, as we learned in class, consumers cannot be trusted completely because of social desirability bias, inaccurate memory, among other reasons.

I found this article interesting because it explores the question of which should come first: consumer or product. The author argues that really it's a little of both, and just like the chicken and egg question, there is no right answer. Companies need to depend on market studies to develop the next popular product, but consumers also depend on new products to expand their expectations. The article gives the example of the new organic and healthy foods trend; it's been really a combination of brands seizing the opportunity of marketing healthier options, educating the consumers on the importance of organic ingredient, and consumers demanding more healthy options that started this trend. Perhaps the best answer is that marketers need to follow consumers' voices, while keep their eyes open to innovate and create products that consumers don't even know they need.

When Skin Becomes an Advertising Opportunity

From Jenna Cantor:

When Skin Becomes an Advertising Opportunity

I thought this article was fascinating.  It relates to the concept of "free" that we talked about in class and read in Dan Ariely's book.  The article mentions how a girl from Michigan got a FREE permanent tattoo of the tanning salon "Electrik Beach," and since she got the tattoo, she now gets FREE tanning for a lifetime at this tanning salon.

The article also talked about brand loyalty, but I personally believe that this is an extreme case of brand loyalty!  What do you think?

The brand/company pays for the cost of the tattoo and the tattoo receiver gets something out of it that means something to them.  

Chocolate Milk for Grown-Ups? Application of Means-End Chain Method

Speaking of adults wanting to feel young, a couple weeks ago I made an interesting discovery. My godfather is a major coffee snob who grinds his own beans and makes espresso in a classic stove-top contraption. Therefore, I was pretty surprised to discover a couple weeks ago that he had bought Starbucks' boxed "Caffe Mocha." As someone who routinely bemoans Starbucks' existence, it was quite a shock to find that he had not only bought the product, but liked it! As a CB experiment, I decided to ask him a series of questions in an effort to apply the means-end chain method to this scenario and figure out what motivated him to buy boxed coffee.

At first we started looking at the packaging. Was it the sleek design? The shiny paper surface? The unique box shape? The stripe down the back of the carton? Or was it the name: Caffe Mocha? He said that the name made it seem fancy, and that he liked the box's sleep and shiny appeal. We delved deeper: what about the consistence? The taste? We all took a sip and discovered it was rather thick and very sweet. I asked if he normally drinks coffee this sweet enjoys mocha. He said that he doesn't. Then I asked him what he feels when he drinks the mocha, and realization hit. He said it reminded him of drinking chocolate milk as a child. In the end, although he didn't realize it, he purchased the product on a whim because of his desire re-experience chocolate milk even though he was an adult.

Evian Baby Commercial

I came across this commercial and found it very appropriate to share on this blog. I watched this entire commercial and had no idea what it could possibly be promoting until the very end when they showed the Evian logo. Though the lack of immediate recognition could be seen as a negative, I found the ad very effective in keeping my attention and ultimately making me smile. As I watched, I became more and more curious as to what product it was actually representing.

That being said, I think the effectiveness of the ad is shown through my retention of the brand and their slogan: Live Young. I wouldn't consider myself an Evian water fan; I had always stuck with Aquafina or Arrowhead. But, after seeing this commercial, I have a much stronger desire to try their water and support their brand. I especially feel that their commercial and slogan of "Live Young" will really connect and reach out to people. Evian promotes their water as being best for mothers to feed to their children, for the water has a pH-neutral mineral composition. Who doesn't want to recapture their youth and feel good? Additionally, the use of babies was cute and will definitely win over a lot of the female demographic they are trying to target.

Following Our Presentation on Framing

From our presentation from framing, I wanted to give an example of how experiential products from Expedia, hotel stays and flight trips, use framing to pressure consumers into buying their products.

If you visit http://www.expedia.com/ the first thing you notice is a bottom right corner box that tells you how many other people are looking at the website and this is social framing. When you start browsing room pages (the page before you book), the website uses both quantity and social pressure framing.

I think Expedia has done a great job in using framing to influence consumers to purchase more of their products. Personally, the combination of quantity and social pressure does influence how quickly I am likely to purchase the items.

Why Brands Need to Shut Their Mouths and Open Their Ears

I read an interesting article about how brands should change their old marketing strategies and adapt to this digital age where smartphones are ubiquitous. For a long time, successful brands have been trying to create their brand message and convey to consumers effectively. However, branding is NOT a one-way communication system. It is important that you hear your consumers' responses and keep improving your products accordingly.

I found a lot of useful information in the article giving marketing suggestions of making full use of social media and communicate "with" consumers, instead of just communicate "at" them. Successful examples show that not only does it do good to sales, but it is also beneficial in building a healthy and long-term relationship with consumers.

However, as far as I am concerned, you should always find a balance between "keeping it my own way" and "going with the flow. It is by no means wise either to stick to the very original idea of your brand or to just follow whatever your community tells you. Being flexible and selective is always the key here.

Here are some excerpts from the article:

The Boston Consulting Group recently published a study: “How Millennials are Changing Marketing Forever.” The report detailed what they coined “the reciprocity principle” as they wrote, “Millennials expect a two-way, mutual relationship with companies and their brands.” As individuals become brands in-and-of themselves, the tables have turned, so the smartphone generation expects these brands that they consume to not just communicate at them but also with them.

The article also talked about how to do do the two-way communication with consumers, mainly via social media. 

Here’s the best news for entrepreneurs: The two-way communication is far less expensive than traditional branding. The channels of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr, are all entirely free to use, and it is on these channels that this two-way communication occurs. The reciprocity principle requires not cash but authentic communication. Having a conversation with your community is free and when done right (that is to say done authentically), it converts mere customers into true brand ambassadors. And these brand ambassadors are powerful multipliers of your brand.

Then it gave us an example of how Zady successfully applied the reciprocity principle in its promotions and advertising.

Our company Zady, which is working to transform the current environmentally ruinous apparel industry by creating a brand built on the principles of beauty and sustainability, infuses the reciprocity principle in everything that we do.Here is how we do it: 

1. Ask and you shall receive. We noticed that a customer posted a photo on Instagram of their latest Zady package with their dog, and requested that Zady carry sustainable products for their pets. We didn’t let this comment go unheard. But we wanted to test the waters, so we re-grammed the picture on our Instagram feed and posted it to Twitter, asking our audience what other products they were interested in seeing us carry.Your company can do the same simply by asking, preferably with some visuals, what people want to see either on your site or with your product. 

2. Open your ears. The re-gram garnered an overwhelming response that folks wanted sustainable dog products.Everyone wants to have his opinion heard, and you will get responses to the question, but just make sure that each person feels heard. You can do this simply by liking their comments or reposting their comments on your company’s social accounts. 

3. React. We followed up to this query by searching for a stylish, long-lasting, locally and sustainably produced dog product. By the time we had the product up on our site and sent an email out alerting our customers of its arrival, our audience was so engaged that our first run of the pieces sold out within days.Of course, the key to the two-way conversation is the response. You have to make your company flexible to following what your community tells you.

Article Link http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/232464