In the latest promotion for Wrigley’s fruit-flavored Orbit Remix gum line, the brand is encouraging fans to create individually customized package designs using an infographics app that draws on information from the user’s Facebook profile and his/her choice of one of the gum’s four flavors. Fans anywhere in the world can use the app to generate unique pack designs, and U.S. residents can also opt to enter their designs for a chance to have them featured on Remix packages next year. A total of 60 winners will be chosen based on those who receive the most votes from the brand’s Facebook fans (you must "like" the brand to vote or enter). The promotion started Dec. 1 and will run through Feb. 28. This means that Orbit, which retains all rights to the designs, may elect to introduce as many as 60 new Remix pack designs during 2012 (the winners are not guaranteed that their designs will be featured on actual packages). Each winner will also receive a check for $500. The app was created by Evolution Bureau (EVB), working with digital artist Joshua Davis, who specializes in building algorithmic systems. This promotion is the second phase of the Orbit Spotlight Series, a multiyear campaign for the Remix line. The first phase was the Orbit Spotlight Series Design Contest, launched this past spring. College students in art, design and communications programs were encouraged to submit original pack designs for a new Orbit flavor, Melon Remix. The eight winners were announced in November, and Orbit is currently rolling out all eight pack designs in various retailers nationwide, including Wal-Mart.
Cella Irvine, CEO of contextual ad firm Vibrant, says social media, mobile, data, video, and context will be critical areas that define where online advertising will succeed (or fail) next year. Irvine tells Marketing Daily that given the size of the market of young people who rely on social media platforms for the majority of their online activity, marketers need to integrate Facebook pages and Twitter feeds into their consumer-facing Web real estate and ads, versus taking consumers away from the page they are on. She says brands must be tactical about their use of social media, pushing their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds to consumers in a relevant context as opposed to pulling them away. "We have generated a body of consumers who are very skeptical of just about all institutions. Interestingly, the rise of peer-to-peer networking has actually accelerated that," she says. "Despite that, these same people are actually more brand loyal. That's why it is important for brands to find ways of having relationships with consumers. Credibility comes with people you know." Irvine says the problem with using social media as an ad platform is that people don't go there to be perfused with content. "The mindset is socializing," she says, adding that the value of social is that it's an indicator [and connection to] one's peer network. Vibrant's own toolbar unit, which resides at the bottom of a contextual ad frame, keeps a person on the content page they certainly would not want to exit to view, say, a marketer's Facebook page. She says the most engaging ads give relevant content within the context of the page they are viewing. "It is a trend that will take us into 2012." As for mobile, Irvine argues that it is becoming an irrelevant term because most devices will become mobile as traditional desktops and even laptop computers are effaced by tablets, smartphones and hybrids of the two. That will force a redefinition of digital advertising and not just in terms of location-based platforms, but aesthetics as well. "What is interesting about the device is that a constrained screen size means resetting the engagement level of the ad unit," she says. "So with the traditional Web page, where you have lots of ad units, a digital Times Square won't work in a constrained screen size. Will we have the self-discipline to offer one ad unit, or two?" The web is becoming as saturated as TV with video ad units, but Irvine doesn't think that means people will tune out video. "I had an experience [recently] of watching those late-sixties early-seventies Alka-Seltzer commercials with my mom." They are as good now as they were then, so I would say there is going to be advertising, it could be great or not, but we have a better opportunity of doing it well with video on the Web than any other medium. We have an opportunity to deliver excellent, impactful, dynamic and exciting advertising. "If, in fact, people ignore advertising, how do you explain the studies that show the impact of images over time? This idea of 'banner blindness' isn't true. It depends on quality, user interest, and context."
Carnival Cruise Lines is launching a campaign aimed at first-time cruise goers. Eighty percent of Americans have never taken a cruise, says Jim Berra, Carnival’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “To get our message out in a big way, we used humor and identifiable moments,” Berra said in a statement. The campaign takes into account two vacation trends: Consumers’ desire for avoiding the hassles of air travel, as well as finding great value. Research shows that many Americans are curbing expenses by taking vacations that are within driving distance. Carnival previously targeted cruise rookies with the "Didja Ever?" campaign earlier this year, said Roger Baldacci, Arnold Worldwide executive creative director.Given that everyone has had a “bad vacation” at some point in their lives, the campaign is definitely something that anyone can easily relate to and identify with. "Cruise Rookies generally don’t consider cruising when planning a vacation," Baldacci tells Marketing Daily. "They tend to have exaggerated misperceptions -- 'I’ll get sick, I’ll be trapped for a week at sea, it’s not for someone like me, etc.' Our message has to be direct and relatable to help readily combat those misperceptions. " The media buy includes national and regional executions across TV, outdoor (billboards) and online media. Online videos, digital display and out-of-home (OOH) work round out the campaign. One example is a 3D billboard in Times Square that will portray the beauty of a Carnival cruise ship on the Caribbean Sea juxtaposed against the bustle of the city, with the phrase “Cruising From New York.” Other customized OOH elements will be featured in subway cars, atop taxi cabs, on elevators and in prospecting displays. The first TV spot of the multichannel campaign, which launches Dec. 26, shows a couple reflecting on the bad choice they made for last year’s vacation (which resulted in wildlife attacking their car -- not exactly the relaxing trip they were hoping for). The “Land vs. Sea” campaign was created by Boston-based advertising agency Arnold Worldwide. The premise is pitting the “carefree fun” of a Carnival cruise against the most common land-based vacations such as visiting relatives, camping and going to an amusement park. “Consumers may be cutting back in some areas, but vacations are still as important as ever and are an integral part of how we recharge and reconnect with friends and family,” said Roger Baldacci, EVP, executive creative director, Arnold Worldwide. “We wanted to convey the message that a Carnival cruise is not only easy and within their reach, but is a much better option than a land-based vacation.” The campaign will also feature digital and branded experiences that feature Fun Ship 2.0, the line’s recently announced $500 million enhancement program that will transform Carnival’s on-board guest experience. The initiative includes new dining choices, more bars and lounges and more entertainment options. It also includes celebrity partnerships with talent including entertainer George Lopez, who will become Carnival’s creative director for comedy and enhance the cruise line’s fleetwide comedy clubs, and Food Network star Guy Fieri, who has partnered with Carnival to introduce Guy’s Burger Joint, a shipboard dining venue.
Despite seeing more than 100 tablet models released in 2011, consumers are mostly unfamiliar with all but a few brands -- namely the iPod, the Kindle Fire and perhaps, the Nook. The problem for most of the year, according to Andrew Eisner, director of content for consumer electronics site Retrevo.com, is that most tablet manufacturers could not afford to undersell Apple. “There were an awful lot of android tablet announcements and everyone tried to capitalize on the popularity that arose around the iPad,” Eisner tells Marketing Daily. “We put forth a theory that there might be a flaw in the Google business model. Once these hardware vendors sell their [tablets] hardware, they lose out on any revenue after that.” For much of the year, the sticking issue for many consumers was price. With very little difference between features and price, consumers continued to opt for Apple’s better-known product. But when Amazon announced its Kindle Fire at a $199 price point, the option to go for something other than Apple was easier, Eisner says. According to a Retrevo survey from July 2011, nearly 80% of consumers said they would be willing to buy an Android-powered tablet (with features similar to an iPad) if it were priced below $200. “No one was able to have success with the tablet until Amazon broke the $250 price barrier,” Eisner says. “It does look like a two-horse race because Amazon can afford to lose money on the profits from the hardware in order to pick up the difference on other offerings.” Going into 2012, the picture for most Android makers doesn’t seem to get much better, Eisner says Apple is already expected to introduce an iPad 3 during the year, and may come out with a 7-inch version that would be priced lower than its current 9-inch tablets, Eisner says. “There’s a feeling that Amazon legitimized the 7-inch tablet. If 7-inch does catch on, as it appears to be doing, Apple might feel the need o come out,” Eisner says. “I think it’s going to be very challenging for the tablet hardware manufacturers because they’re still stuck having to make money on the hardware itself, and when they do that they can’t undersell Apple.” One place many tablet makers may find a break is through the use of tablets as a connective device for televisions, Eisner says. Samsung and Sony -- two brands that are well-established in the living room -- could make a case for Android-powered tablets that work well with consumers’ television sets. “The tablet will become something of an accessory. It could provide the smarts in a smart TV,” he says. “Not only will it be a remote control and a TV guide -- it could serve as a recommendation engine and voice command. It continues to be the model for the living room.”
Hendrick’s Gin has been running a grassroots effort that positions the brand as a whimsical, somewhat quirky spirit, whose botanical infusions (and positioning) take it out of the smoky old-boy's clubs that the idea of gin tends to inspire in people and into an "Enchanted Forest of Curiosities." The latter is the name of a series of events that Hendrick's launched in San Francisco and New York City in December that placed the brand in an environment designed to look like an indoor forest, with an immense fallen tree trunk as a bar, woodland creatures, and various other sylvan delights: Grimm-like like wishing wells, moss, creatures of the woodland, fireflies, performances, and Hendrick’s cocktails and canapés served by sprites. In San Francisco, the William Grant & Sons-owned spirit, whose theme is "The Most Unusual Gin," did several nights of events in its snow-filled indoor woodland scene with music provided by a 1920s inspired ukulele-led band. The drinks had names like the Archangel, Snow Miser’s Cooler, Alaskan Sour, Post In-Law’s Visit Recovery Punch, and Fifteen “bob” Punch. The New York event -- in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, of course -- had sword swallowers, bearded ladies, forest creature window performances and a concert by New York downtown favorites the Balkan Brass Band. Hendricks promoted the events and has content about them on its web site and on its Facebook page. Joanne Birkitt, senior brand manager for Hendrick’s Gin, tells Marketing Daily that the company -- which did the first such event in Manhattan last year, and the two this year in San Francisco and Brooklyn -- will be doing a broader, different program next year. "We're really pleased with how the events this year turned out and while we do not have plans to bring the Enchanted Forest concept to other markets, we will be rolling out an entirely new, delightfully unusual signature event series across multiple markets in 2012." Birkitt says the company created the "Enchanted Forest" concept last year to create a brand-specific setting around the Arcadian, folkloric, whimsy of Hendrick's Gin's positioning. She says the effort wasn't tied to an ad campaign, but that "We did establish partnerships with several media entities for individual programs and entertainment within the Forest each night." She adds that the Brooklyn event series included a foraged dinner with Edible NY, a storytelling evening with writers from The Onion, and a night of comedy from local drag queen/comedian Hedda Lettuce courtesy of New York Magazine. "In 2012, we will absolutely embark upon a robust marketing plan that will encompass advertising, PR, events and social media," she says. The company is aiming to appeal not so much to a demographic based on age, per Birkitt, but a fan of premium spirits who is likely to respond to a strong brand personality that diverges from the somewhat tweedy image that gin has. Traditionally, gin is infused with the essence of juniper berries and then with a range of "botanicals," which can be just about anything from anise to orange peel. Birkitt says Hendrick's botanical mix includes, among other things, cucumber and rose essence. "Many consumers have a notion of gin in their heads as the traditional London dry gin, so when they experience Hendrick's for the first time they are delighted...and in turn end up being incredibly brand loyal."
This holiday season, we’ve seemingly skipped over the feel-good movies that usually become instant classics ("The Santa Claus," "Home Alone") and have gone straight to blockbuster franchises with new releases like, "Mission Impossible IV" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." In fact, we can imply that the majority of motion pictures released this season are the most anticipated films of the year. The acclaimed actors can’t take all of the credit for creating pre-Oscar buzz, though -- it’s the online marketing campaigns that help captivate fans and propel award-contenders into the social media spotlight. Honestly, with the amount of creativity the entertainment industry is channeling into such efforts, there needs be an awards category for Best Online Movie Promotion. With so much video content now widely available online, movie fans are able not only to find movie trailers as soon as they hit the Web, but also to explore a movie before it opens. Curation of contextually relevant video content that surrounds a given release is an increasingly important part of buzz-building -- in many cases extending the movie marketing lifecycle to six to nine months before the premiere and continuing through the Blu-ray/DVD release several months later. We see a strong appetite among our viewers for a first look at holiday movie releases several months before they hit theaters, providing movie studios with a great opportunity to tap into and turn up this demand by establishing on ongoing dialog with consumers that generally peaks during this season. The magic is in providing viewers with access to complementary content that rounds out a story -- in video. This might include a series of behind-the-scenes featurettes, exclusive interviews with the stars, an original mashup that pays homage to related movies, music videos from the soundtrack or a countdown of all-time-great onscreen moments from past movies from the same director. It is this more fully developed online entertainment experience that encourages consumers to act as ambassadors -- not only watching and re-watching videos themselves, but sharing this content with friends and helping build excitement about the movie in the social media sphere. It is this type of personalized entertainment experience -- complemented by a multiplatform media campaign, in which consumers define their own pathway and engage with a movie over a longer period of time -- that begs the question, is the social engagement for a particular film indicative of the movie’s box office success? For the highly anticipated film based on the international bestselling novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Sony Pictures Entertainment creatively fed fans’ appetite for content by releasing a secret Tumblr site full of exclusive photos and a nine-minute news clip that is supposedly devoted to the disappearance of Harriet Vanger (the central mystery plot line). The site also launched a competition that involves solving puzzles embedded in photos posted on the site -- if you crack the code; you unlock a location somewhere in the world where an authentic prop from the film is hidden. Paramount Pictures also made good use of online promotion for “Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol” with heavy advertising across social sites. In order for fans to unlock exclusive footage of the film, they needed to tweet or share #Mission, and even released a free Facebook game that featured additional multimedia. Sony Pictures and Paramount Pictures are taking extensive measures to promote these two “holiday” films with multifaceted online campaigns designed to engage audiences. The reward for both is that in a few months, these efforts will still live on --and in many ways, evolve. Moving forward, marketers who don’t step up and integrate the many facets of engagement that online channels offer will likely struggle to build a similar level of excitement around their films -- no matter how groundbreaking the performances and effects may be.
2011 brought its fair share of social media headlines for businesses. Facebook grew to over 800 million users, Twitter reached the 100 million mark and Google+ made its grand entry. With new online channels emerging and the challenges they bring, marketers should review their 2011 initiatives to extract what worked -- and what didn’t -- before they move into the New Year and beyond. As part of this, here are the trends, surprises and lessons learned that shaped this year -- and will certainly be applicable well into 2012: Email marketing remains effective Yes, there’s a lot of talk and action around social media, but e-mail remains a viable, effective channel of communication. And in some ways, social media is feeding more to the fire. Marketers made email marketing a central part of their marketing budgets in 2011, and those budgets continued to grow. They have discovered that email is an effective way to grow and retain customers, and when combined with social media, it can become even more powerful. In 2011 email marketing became the central hub of online marketing, and usage of email marketing will likely grow in 2012.Social media arrives, but takes time As social media garnered a lot of attention in 2011, many marketers rushed toward it. Yet the dream of reaching millions of people to drive awareness and revenues hit the stark reality that social media is a marathon, not a sprint. Marketers are trying to develop their social media best practices, but are finding it difficult because there are just too many tools, and too many “experts” giving advice. We have come to the realization that there is no “right” answer, or magic bullet to getting social media right.Facebook remains #1 2011 was a great year for Facebook, as more businesses hopped on the bandwagon. A recent survey by leading email and social media marketing company iContact showed that 76 percent of businesses love Facebook. Furthermore, Facebook announced several upcoming changes aimed at maintaining its dominance in 2012. Marketers should remain aware of Facebook’s large and engaged user base and how that impacts their marketing efforts. 2011 is a shining example that Facebook represents a great opportunity for marketers to reach customers and prospects in new, more powerful ways.Mobile marketing still presents a challenge Many businesses are still overwhelmed with mobile marketing. There are too many choices for how to pursue mobile (mobile Web site, mobile app, opportunities to use text messages, QR Codes, etc.), which makes it difficult for many businesses to effectively invest in it. While larger companies can afford to try several tactics and see what sticks, many small businesses remain passive. Regardless of organization size, however, mobile marketing remained a prominent presence on everyone’s radar, as businesses have begun to determine how to make it work for them in the coming year. It’s all about content It’s very easy for marketers to become overwhelmed with the need to create content to keep marketing (email, print, blog, Web site, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) fresh and relevant. Ultimately, marketers have learned to generate and curate and reuse/repurpose content when appropriate. In 2011, many leveraged collaboration -- both internal and external -- to create compelling content to encourage engagement. Even with a proliferation of marketing channels in 2011, marketers are quickly realizing that it’s less about the channel and more about the content.