Ikea is partnering with Against All Odds Productions to present a photo contest, "America at Home," which coincides with a major new branding campaign, "Home Is the Most Important Place in the World." The campaign includes a TV spot, which IKEA has posted to its Web site: http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/home_campaign/americaathome.html. The 60-second commercial includes voiceover: "It's a place for love. It's a place for memories. It's a place for laughter. It's a place to share. It's a place for peace. It's your own place. Because wherever you live, whoever you are home is the most important place in the world." The spot ends with IKEA logo and Web site and tag on a black screen. Copy on the Web site explaining the home campaign reads, "Ikea believes that homes are not just made of bricks and mortar with four walls. Home is an emotion--a feeling of security, safety, comfort, peace, about being yourself and being together with your loved ones. Home is the place where memories are made, relationships are built, where children and families grow together. Ikea believes that regardless of where you live or who you are, home is the most important place in the world." "America at Home" is being organized by the same Sausalito, Calif.-based company that produced the books A Day in the Life of America, America 24/7, 24 Hours in Cyberspace and One Digital Day. Other sponsors of this photo project include Google, Snapfish, Nikon, FotoNation.net and O'Reilly Digital Media. Given the nature of "America at Home," it is not surprising that Ikea, a company synonymous with the concept of home, is the project's strategic partner, according to the project Web site. In addition to serving as lead underwriter of the project, Ikea is both promoting "America at Home" in its stores and extending an invitation to its customers to participate. "Our partnership and support for the America at Home project is a perfect fit," says Pernille Lopez, the president of Ikea's U.S. operations. Until Sept. 23, the retailer is inviting amateur photographers to join 100 of the nation's leading photojournalists to capture the rituals, emotions, intimate moments and events that transform your house into a home. Customers are invited "to help document the harmonies and paradoxes of home life across America." Contestants can sign up at myamericaathome.com to receive the "Daily Clicks Heard 'Round the Nation" assignments--morning rush, what's for dinner, bedtime rituals--themes that are related to home and are different for each of us. Submitted photos will be considered for inclusion in the "America at Home" book and related media events. Immediately following the shoot week, a group of award-winning newspaper and magazine editors will gather to review the millions of submissions and to put together the story of "America at Home." The end result will be a coffee table book and a Web site.
Lead in toys. Data breaches. Tainted pet food. Mad cow. Global climate change. Pending debt implosion. No wonder consumers are a little jumpy these days. And while there's no evidence of consumer backlash on any single issue, new research from the Natural Marketing Institute suggests that, collectively, this new "fear factor" is affecting the way America shops, causing consumers to favor smaller, quirkier brands that seem "local" over soulless brand names from mass marketers. "These aren't just personal and social fears, but planetary fears as well," says Linda Povey, NMI's vice president/strategic consulting. "Technology also plays a big role. Even the idea that cell phones contain a GPS tracking device, that there may be an RFID strip in your child's pajamas, or that a retailer may call to say your banking data has been stolen--it all adds up to a world that, on many levels, feels out of control." So far, consumers seem to be reacting by taking greater pains to control some types of purchases, she says. "There's definitely a sense of circling the wagons, of consumers saying, 'Well, at least I can control this.'" The main beneficiaries so far, reports NMI, are foods and beverages that market themselves as safer, as well as organic and environmentally friendly products. Overall, NMI reports that 55% of consumers now agree that organic foods and beverages are safer for the environment, and 43% agree that they are safer to eat than non-organic foods. But even more pronounced than an organic interest, she says, is the desire to buy foods with known origins. Americans are interested in knowing the pedigree of as many of their consumables as possible, she says. "So anything artisanal appeals to them, as do products associated with an individual, whether it's Paul Newman salad dressing or Francis Ford Coppola spaghetti sauce." Because specialty food products are now easily available on the Internet, at local farmers' markets, and through retailers like Whole Foods, which often showcases lesser-known brands, it's much easier for consumers to experiment. Marketers, of course, are still struggling to assess the power of goods made locally or at least in the U.S., compared with imported products. A recent Gallup Panel survey finds that 72% of Americans say they are now paying more attention to which country produces the products they buy. And the Center for Science in the Public Interest reports that 80% of Americans think "made in China" stands for "may be contaminated." More troubling for marketers, however, is Gallup's finding that consumers blame U.S. businesses and safety inspectors, not the Chinese. Marketers of smaller, more personal brands may strike consumers as being more trustworthy than those produced by faceless conglomerates, or inspected by government bureaucrats. "People are looking for smaller, arty brands--anything with reduced or simplified packaging, anything that looks rough-hewn or rustic," says Povey. "It says, 'We not only care about the quality of our products, but we're taking great care to be thoughtful and responsible in the way we get them to you.'"
XM Satellite Radio is launching its largest interactive consumer campaign to date. The two-phase effort "The Wild Ride" aims to familiarize consumers with XM service before they walk into dealerships so the XM logo isn't relegated to dashboard arcana. The effort, which lets consumers whet their appetites with an online version of XM, uses a menagerie of animated animals stuck in an old clunker. The effort, which runs through the year, launched late last week, with a "full launch" which includes a second phase in October. The campaign, via Lowe, New York, targets in-market auto shoppers trolling auto sites for deals and information about new cars. Banner ads with text like "Represent with an elephant" are launching on dozens of auto sites like AutoTrader, CarsDirect, Edmunds and Kbb.com, as well as on targeted business publication sites like Forbes.com. The ads direct consumers to xmwildride.com. There, consumers can play a game on the splash page that involves using the mouse to catapult various critters from an old beater to a new car parked nearby. The site hosts a sweepstakes dangling a car and lets consumers take an online XM test drive. The campaign also supports OEM partner brands and models, such as Acura, Honda, Nissan and Toyota by listing vehicles with XM, and offering links to OEM sites. The second phase will add a viral component in which users can create e-mail messages in which each letter of the message becomes an animated giraffe, frog, elephant, etc. both as one types the message and when one receives and opens it. XM's Vice President of Automotive Marketing, Jeff Curry, says the campaign is squarely aimed at the bottom of the auto purchase funnel. "We have very good awareness from a brand perspective," he says. "But among new car shoppers we are trying to increase awareness that XM is something you frequently get as original equipment with a new car." He adds that the Internet focus for a targeted effort like this makes sense because most new-vehicle shoppers shop online before visiting dealerships. "So it's those folks we want to grab, people who are considering the features that are important. We want XM to be one of those features." He says XM now is either standard or optional equipment in over 140 vehicle models. "We find the earlier [consumers] are aware of XM and feel positive about it, the more likely they are--after the three-month trial--to be a subscriber. Also, the earlier we reach folks in the consideration phase, even before they visit dealerships, the more likely the dealer is to demonstrate XM to those consumers, even during the sales process, and the 'stickier' XM becomes."
Nokia made an aggressive push into mobile phone advertising and marketing services Monday by announcing its intent to buy privately held Enpocket for an undisclosed amount. Enpocket, which serves up ads for Hyundai, MTV's The N, Pepsi, MasterCard, McDonald's, Sprint and Vodafone, offers targeted video and text advertising on mobile phones. The technology allows companies to plan, create, execute and statistically measure mobile ad campaigns by analyzing consumer data. The technology digests a high volume of consumer data to process and predict consumer behavior. This lets the service target consumers with relevant mobile ads. The processed data comes from publishers and mobile operators who gain permission to use the information from subscribers. About 80% of Enpocket's business goes through agencies, says Mike Baker, Enpocket president and CEO. "We took on 45 new ad campaigns as of July 1, of which 20 of the brands are new to mobile advertising," he says. "That's significant because you can see the number of companies coming into mobile advertising has dramatically increased." Nokia's push into mobile advertising and marketing began earlier this year when it introduced Nokia Ad Service--a platform that connects advertisers and media publishers with consumers through mobile phones--and Nokia Connector, which enables advertisers to target consumers with specific ads. Enpocket, Nokia Ad Services and Nokia Advertising Connector will combine to form the Nokia Ad Business which Baker will head as vice president. He will expand services from the United States through China, Russia, Latin America and Europe. Effective in January, the trio will fall under a group called Services and Software. The move isn't without hurdles. Baker says the convergence of mobile advertising and telecommunications "make odd bedfellows" because the two come from different worlds, but as companies become more educated, Nokia will "build the mobile ad market one confident brand at a time." Nokia's plan to push into interactive mobile advertising supports analysts' predicted growth. EMarketer estimates U.S. interactive mobile advertising sales will reach $4.8 billion by 2011 in the U.S., up from $421 million last year. Analysts say Nokia's move into the services business makes sense. Those that hesitate could find they'll need to compete solely on supply chain efficiencies as cell phones continue to penetrate emerging markets. Not good for profits, says John du Pre Gauntt, senior analyst for wireless at eMarketer. "They will still make money, but not 40% margins on the mobile handsets like they did in the 1990s," he says. "One main reason Nokia acquired Enpocket is because other companies are doing it, and prime, attractive startups that have demonstrated traction but aren't too big are being snapped up." Acquiring Enpocket puts Nokia squarely in competition with AOL and Microsoft. AOL owns Third Screen Media; and Microsoft, European mobile phone advertising company ScreenTonic. Enpocket co-founders Jeremy Wright, Jonathon Linner and Rob Lawson, launched the Boston-based company in 2001 to provide mobile advertising services across multiple formats, including SMS, MMS, mobile Web banners and video. Enpocket plans to retain the 120 employees who now support the company.
Doritos is teaming with Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist Missy Elliott to launch Doritos Collisions, two different flavors of chips in one bag. Elliott, who is working on her new album, is the star of the tortilla chip line's new TV commercial, scheduled to air this week. The spot, created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, opens with Elliott and a sound engineer in a recording studio working on a new mix. Stuck on the flow of the beat, she munches on new Doritos Collisions chips--and inspired by their intense flavor combination, unexpectedly decides to spin in a country beat. Elliott is also hosting an interactive experience beginning Wednesday at snackstrongproductions.com, also created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, where visitors can listen to her "collisions" and customize their own tracks using different music effects and recording their own vocals. Doritos has also teamed up with MySpace to offer users the ability to mash-up their favorite music through simple drag-and-drop actions. Through cutting-edge technology created by Flektor, the Doritos Collisions music mash-up on MySpace offers custom animation and music editing features to create a unique music experience. "Doritos fans expect bold moves and Missy Elliott is legendary for her bold approach to making music," says Ann Mukherjee, vice president/marketing, Frito-Lay North America, in a press release. "Her unique style of mashing up unconventional yet complementary beats is just what Doritos Collisions is about." The two varieties are Doritos Collisions Hot Wings & Blue Cheese tortilla chips and Doritos Collisions Zesty Nacho & Chipotle Ranch tortilla chips. They are available nationally and priced at 99 cents for 2.62 ounces and $3.49 for 12.25 ounces. Frito-Lay North America, based in Plano, Texas, is the $10 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo.
Identifying a demographic target and delivering the right message may seem like different problems superficially, but one determines the other. A new study by Yankelovich suggests marketers are not getting that formula right when pitching so-called diversity markets: African-Americans and Hispanic Americans, in particular. The study by the Chapel Hill, N.C.-based firm does say that African-American and Hispanic customers are almost twice as likely to "enjoy looking at or listening" to advertising than their peers, but that most find current messaging is not relevant. The research firm's report, "2007/2008 Monitor Multicultural Marketing Study," says only 25% of African-American, Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White consumers feel that today's marketing is both personally and culturally relevant to their lives. The annual study--developed in collaboration with urban-market and African-American agency Burrell Communications, and Felipe Korzenny, a professor at Tallahassee, Fla.-based Florida State University--is based on a survey sampling of 1,500 African-American, 1,200 U.S. Hispanic and 1,100 Non-Hispanic White consumers ages 16 plus. It was conducted through a two-part process between March and April this year. The first part involved a 30-minute phone interview, in which participants fielded general questions about their attitudes, then questions relevant to their demographic and ethnicity, in the language of their choice. Part two was a self-administered survey via mail or Internet, in which participants were asked general and industry-specific attitudinal and behavioral questions on a variety of topics, also in the language of their choice. The report finds that 60% of African-Americans and Hispanics enjoy advertising, versus 30% of non-Hispanic whites; but it adds that marketers make the mistake of advertising in a way that is culturally irrelevant. Some differences have to do whether Hispanic consumers were assimilated or not, per the firm. Those Hispanic Americans who are less acculturated, and therefore more likely to communicate in Spanish, were more likely also to have stronger feelings of "collectivism and group decision making," per the firm. Seventy nine percent of those respondents said there were "unwavering in [their] commitment to [their] extended family," versus 44% of bicultural Hispanics. Four out of ten non-Hispanic whites agreed that African Americans and Hispanics influence everyone's lifestyle, but the firm says the tactic of using diversity-market icons for general market promotions and sponsorships can violate the aura of authenticity that an iconic star or personality has with the culture from which he or she came. When African American respondents were asked about aspects of their culture and traditions they feel are the most important to preserve, "Music/Songs" was cited second most frequently, right behind "History." As different types of African-American music/songs become increasingly borrowed by the general population, they may become less effective as a means of connecting directly with African-American consumers. So in this example, mainstream hip-hop artists that are known to general audiences would not be considered as authentic as using more "underground" artists known exclusively by African-American audiences.
Heinz is going back for more consumer-generated ketchup spots with Take Two of its "Top This!" TV Challenge. Viewers watching Sunday night's Emmy Awards show saw the round one winner from Andrew Dobson of Wheelersburg, Ohio, who runs a one-man production shop. The spot's tagline: "The Kissable Ketchup." Dobson, 29, was the winner of the Heinz "Top This" TV Challenge, which invited consumers to produce homemade Heinz commercials and then upload them for voting onto YouTube for a chance to win $57,000 and national exposure. Titled "Heinz: The Kissable Ketchup," Dodson's uber-traditional 30-second spot features his stepson receiving a kiss on the cheek from a girl after giving her what looks like the last bit of the Heinz ketchup. The four runner-up ads were scheduled to be aired during this morning's "Today" show on NBC. Each of these runners-up got $5,700. Thousands of consumers submitted home-produced H.J. Heinz commercials on YouTube--8,000 or so, according to agency partner Smith Brothers Advertising, while only 4,000 made the cut for the competition. The latest in a number of campaigns that have arisen to take advantage of the tremendous popularity of YouTube and consumer-generated media (CGM), Heinz added the additional incentive of the $57,000 cash prize--a take on the "57 Varieties" in Heinz's slogan. In addition to the large cash prize, other factors helping the contest do so well included consumers' affinity for the Heinz brand, and their growing fluency in digital production and distribution. In stark contrast to the Heinz promotion, a recent make-your-own-commercial contest sponsored by Malibu Caribbean Rum--which offered a $25,000 prize--drew just 270 entries, only 84 of which qualified to be posted on YouTube. Then there was the Doritos "Crash the Super Bowl" ad contest, which received just over 1,000 submissions--two of which were aired on this year's Super Bowl. The slew of other brands to have tested CGM contests include Pepsi, Jeep, Dove, Sprint, and Converse. The Heinz campaign included packaging and in-store promotional tie-ins, as well as a full on- and offline advertising schedule. Prominent messaging on millions of Heinz ketchup bottles drove consumers online with phrases like "Starving for the Spotlight?" and "Hungry for Fame?"