While analysts expect PepsiCo to announce on Feb. 9 that it’s upping its spending by $400 million to $500 million in 2012 -- in large part to provide more support for its core soft drink and snack brands -- the company certainly hasn’t stinted on spending for its beverages’ Super Bowl XLVI presence. PepsiCo has released details about the components of its Bowl efforts, including sneak previews of new, celebrity-studded TV spots, plus social media initiatives and a long list of Bowl tie-in events. Flagship Pepsi’s 60-second ad, dubbed “King’s Court,” features 201’s “The X Factor” winner Melanie Amaro singing for a “royal court of rock,” including “king” Elton John. Amaro sings a contemporized version, recorded for the TV ad, of the Aretha Franklin classic “Respect.” The “medieval rock fantasy” spot -- produced by TBWA/Chiat Day and directed by Noam Murro -- ends with a (not yet revealed) twist and the tagline: “Where There’s Pepsi, There’s Music.” Intended positioning: Pepsi is the brand for people “not afraid to take a chance, raise their voices and give it their all.” Also: Pepsi’s taste “is worth challenging a king for.” Amaro’s prizes for winning “X Factor” included appearing in the Pepsi Super Bowl ad, as well as a $5-million recording contract. PepsiCo's second Bowl ad, a 30-second spot for Pepsi MAX (the official soft drink of the NFL), features Regis Philbin in his first television project since leaving "Live! With Regis and Kelly." The spot shows a Coke Zero deliveryman trying to buy a bottle of Pepsi MAX in a supermarket discreetly, only to be unexpectedly picked as the grand-prize winner of “Pepsi MAX for Life.” Philbin appears as an "on- the-spot reporter” capturing the hapless, soon-to-be-famous deliveryman’s reactions. Heightening the competitive jab, the spot is backed by a recording of the Hank Williams classic “Your Cheatin’ Heart” by Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles. PepsiCo will tie several social media/digital programming initiatives into the game. Pepsi fans who "Shazam" the “King’s Court” spot during the game will be able to view Amaro's “Respect” music video. There will also be an NFL-themed version of Pepsi Sound Off, the brand-led social TV platform that Pepsi launched during “The X Factor” to engage consumers in a real-time “viewing party” with celebrity hosts, plus a branded, Super Bowl-themed Pandora station offering fans Pepsi-curated music/programming before, during and after the game. Finally, through the social network Get Glue, fans will be able to check in and unlock exclusive content and free Pepsi. In addition, Pepsi and Pepsi MAX will host a slew of Super Bowl activities in Indianapolis between Jan. 27 and Feb. 5, including:
Toyota is extending "The Camry Effect" on the Super Bowl this weekend. The automaker is adding a sweepstakes element activated by a smartphone app to an ad that will air on the Super Bowl that extends a Camry-hagiography campaign that launched last fall to promote the 2012 version of the car. The new chapter of the campaign, called "Connections," involves smartphone app Shazam, and allows people to vie for a chance to win a Camry or gift one to a friend. The program features an ad to appear first on YouTube on Feb. 1. Viewers can watch the spot daily with smartphone in hand, and use the Shazam app once daily through Feb. 5 for a chance to win the car. Participants will also be able to "Shazam" the spot when it makes its national broadcast debut on Sunday. For digital immigrants, Shazam is an audio-ID smartphone app that can identify songs and artists by "listening" to ambient audio. A spokesperson for Toyota's AOR Saatchi & Saatchi LA, which developed the campaign, explains that starting Thursday, when the "Connections" commercial runs online, people can "Shazam" the ad. When they do, they are automatically entered for a chance to win the car. She says people can do this every day, including when it airs on TV during the Super Bowl, right after the “Toyota Half Time” report. The online-first Super Bowl TV spot encourages people to enter the giveaway and start a new "Camry Effect" because they can enter for a chance both to win the car and to give it to someone else. People can also enter every day via an online form, per the company, which said it will tell the winner the good news the night of Feb. 5. The "Camry Effect" is a social media campaign that -- according to Dave Nordstrom, VP of digital marketing at Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. -- is among the most ambitious social media campaigns the company has ever done. Central to it is a community at www.toyota.com/camryeffect that allows Camry owners to talk about how the car has changed their lives, or has held a place of honor in marriages, births, youthful follies, and golden years while "witnessing the collective impact they have had on the nation," says Toyota. The program, which launched last fall, is just one element of the larger launch campaign, via Saatchi LA, for the 2012 Camry that bore the theme line -- “It’s Ready. Are You?” -- and included six TV spots.
Maybe America has been depriving itself of conversation hearts and bling long enough. A new study from the National Retail Federation reports that people plan to go a little crazy in the Land of Love this year, spending $17.6 billion, the highest in the decade it has been conducting the survey. The average person celebrating with Cupid plans to plunk down $126.03, up 8.5% from last year’s $116.21. As usual, men plan to spend more than women: The typical guy is likely to spend $168.74 on clothing, jewelry, candy and greeting cards. Women are expected to spend an average of $85.76. And men and women who have a ball and chain (um, significant other) plan to spend $74.12 on their spouse or significant other, up from $68.98 last year. Jewelry is definitely high on the list, with 18.9% planning a glittery purchase, up from 17.3% and the highest percent in the survey’s history. (Total spending on jewelry is expected to reach $4.1 billion, up from $3.5 billion last year.) The NRF’s survey, conducted by BIGInsight, includes some 9,300 adults. In some cases, the jewelry spending will be major: While Valentine’s Day is always among the most popular days to get engaged, a new survey from Sears reports that 40% of the unmarried couples it surveyed plan to get engaged on Feb. 14.) But the most common way to celebrate, however, continues to be through greeting cards, with 52% planning to buy a Valentine. (Some 60% of women will, compared with 44% of men.) Not surprisingly, card purchase is much lower among the 18-24 set, which spurns the holiday’s traditional Hubba-Hubba candy hearts and paper-doily cards. Card marketers are increasingly targeting younger buyers with elaborate card apps, such as justWink from American Greetings, which allows users to personalize electronic V-day cards with photos from their phone, and even sign it with their finger. (Videos express the language of love in such Gen Y terms as “Sweaty Beaver,” “Uniporn,” and “Ralphing Rainbows.”) For $2.99, users of the app can turn the e-card into a printed one, and have it mailed to a friend.
You probably know this, but Acura's Super Bowl spot is going to be a minute-long ad featuring Jerry Seinfeld and, at the very end, Jay Leno. The ad, focusing on Acura's NSX supercar concept, will air during the third quarter. Most people also know that Leno and Seinfeld both have sizable car collections. In fact, when the comedians were playing the Improv years ago in New York, Leno was working as a chauffeur (rumor has it he once drove Jack Lemmon around.) Acura's Super Bowl ad has something of a "Green Eggs and Ham" story line, with Seinfeld following a man around who happened to grab the first reservation to buy the NSX when it rolls into showrooms this year. But Seinfeld wants to be first, and so he goes to Seuss-like (Suessical?) extremes to get him to give up the keys to the forthcoming NSX: Seinfeld offers the Soup Nazi to him; he offers him a comatose alien in a body bag; a ride on an extremely fast speedboat; and a sock puppet performance at the guy's bedside recreating “Boardwalk Empire.” When, finally, Seinfeld gives the guy access to his personal Manhattan zip-line transit system, the man gives up the NSX key -- or is about to when suddenly Leno shows up. The ad ends in a familiar setting from Seinfeld's TV program. "The goal is to present a commercial that not only clearly positions the NSX as the ultimate 'must have' sports car, but does it in a way that is memorable, entertaining and aligned with Acura's brand position," said John Hage, EVP/executive creative director at rp&, Acura's AOR, in a statement. The Super Bowl campaign includes a pre-game release of a 1-minute, 50-second extended version of "Transactions," PR initiatives, search, seeding and paid media placements. The commercial will be featured in Acura dealerships across the country. Acura and W Hotels have a long-standing association that makes the brand the "preferred vehicle" of the luxury hotel chain. As such, the commercial will also be shown in-car on the MDX's rear-entertainment DVD screen during W Hotel guest rides. Acura's sibling, Honda, is also using a celebrity, Matthew Broderick, in a Super Bowl spot for the CR-V crossover that recreates the movie that made Broderick a star, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." There is a risk in using celebrities in Super Bowl ads, per media research firm Ace Metrix. The firm notes that last year, ads without celebrities performed 9.2% better than those with them.
Krups USA, maker of coffee and espresso machines and kitchen appliances, is kicking off the "Krups Best Brew Awards 2012," a campaign introduced to discover the best coffee shops across the nation. The company is inviting the public to submit their favorite coffee shops on its Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/KRUPSUSA). In addition, Krups is expanding this year's search to discover the best baristas throughout the country. Talented coffee-tenders are invited to showcase their skills in order to vie for a seat on the "Krups Coffee Council." Millville, N.J.-based Krups is promoting the contests on both Facebook and Twitter. On Facebook, the company has created separate tabs for both contests. Nominated shops are encouraged to share the contest with their clients, fans and social media circles to garner votes. Last year, the contest was called the “Krups Cup O’ Joe Awards,” but the company ran into some trademark issues -- so it changed the name for this year and going forward. Krups' motto is “Passion, Precision, Perfection” and the contest seeks to find like- minded coffee purveyors, says Michele Lupton, Krups marketing communications director. The awards will honor the best coffee shops in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. People can vote on Krups’ Facebook page for one of five local shops in each city, comprised of last year's winners and overall top picks, in addition to having the opportunity to "write in" a vote for a favorite coffee shop that may not appear on the list. Voting will be open through Feb. 24 and winners will be announced Feb. 27. Baristas in these 10 cities who want to win a seat on the Krups Coffee Council can submit a video demonstrating their talents and complete a questionnaire, all of which can be found on the Krups Facebook page. Submissions must be sent by Feb. 24 and the winners will be announced April 2. Krups will utilize the council throughout the year for regional events and promotions, media opportunities and new product demonstrations.
While most companies are all over Facebook and Twitter, CMOs confess they are at sixes and sevens with their digital marketing strategy. The Boston Consulting Group reports that 77% aren’t sure where best to reach their customers, a critical component of any digital strategy. And 55% say they have only “minimal or informal metrics to measure the impact and return on investment of digital marketing efforts.” The study, “Marketing Capabilities for the Digital Age,” included marketing execs at 31 major corporations in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the U.S., and found that 96% use Facebook, and 83% Twitter. But even these major social platforms are tricky, with renegade or rogue pages causing problems. One exec reported that once the company started using social media, it realized it already had 200 different Facebook and Twitter accounts in markets around the world. And overall, the execs expressed concern that they had been able to link their social-media strategy to business objectives. There’s also an ongoing disconnect between what these marketers think consumers want (73% think people are looking for information on social sites, and 69% believe they seek reviews) when consumers either want a discount (61%) or to make an actual purchase (55%.) While managing platforms is problematic, managing people isn’t easy, either, with 29% saying that hiring or retraining talent is a problem, and few think they have the necessary training in place. “The companies that are doing a good job often have a center of excellence, where they are building a true test-and-learn culture,” Katherine Sayre, a BCG partner and coauthor of the report, tells Marketing Daily. “You don’t want everyone at the company thinking about the next platform, but someone has to, and there needs to be controlled experimentation. Leadership has to show a commitment to digital channels by providing brand dollars, but there has to be a system to report back quickly, so what works can be shared, and what doesn’t can be shut down.”
People are growing more satisfied with customer service, although they continue to switch companies (including wireless phone, cable and utility providers) at high rates. According to Accenture’s Global Consumer Survey (which polled 10,000 consumers in 27 countries), two- thirds (66%) of consumers said they switched companies based on what they considered to be poor customer service. That’s up about 8% over the previous year. Wireless phone, cable and utilities had the highest year-to-year increase of switching (up 5% year-to-year), including consumers who either switched entirely to another provider or added services from a different provider. “Companies tend to be measuring switching at an end-game level,” says Robert Wollan, global managing director of Accenture’s customer relationship management division. “Now companies need to be on guard for managing not only the total churn metric, but also the partial switching -- perhaps as an indicator of a customer on the way out. Ultimately, only about a quarter of consumers (23%) feel “very loyal” to their service providers, about the same amount (24%) who indicated they had no loyalty at all to providers. Fewer than half (49%) said they were influenced by loyalty programs offered by their service providers. Meanwhile, the 10 attributes the survey uses to track customer satisfaction all increased in 2011. For instance, 33% of consumers were satisfied with the wait time for service (compared with 27% in 2010) and 38% said they were satisfied with the ability to resolve issues without speaking to an agent (compared with 33% in 2010). Ultimately, the survey uncovered “blind spots” that were important to customers, but were not being met by companies. Among them:
Why is Deion Sanders smiling? Maybe it's because he's starring in two Super Bowl ads. Find out more in today's Super Bowl edition of Out to Launch.
If you believe everything you read, you might think that with only a few days to go, the whole “Super Bowl” thing is a done deal where marketing is concerned. Prime television spots were snapped up back in September, and now they're sold out. Advertisers are already teasing their most-anticipated commercials online. The Super Bowl is, after all, a singular opportunity for marketers: It's the only broadcast whose advertising attracts as many viewers as its football action, and the only one with ads that get tremendous press coverage. Viewers may be time- shifting, but in this case it's often to rewind the commercials. However, you don't need to spend half your marketing budget on TV spots or be an official sponsor to get a branding boost from the biggest television event of the year -- far from it. Even brands without the time or resources for an all-out marketing blitz can move the ball down the field if they’re willing to make some unconventional digital-marketing plays. The key? Keywords. Massive media events like the Super Bowl bring keyword-targeting opportunities that extend far beyond game day. And yet even the savviest marketers often don't realize the potential of smart keyword strategies to capture heat (read: traffic) from big events like the Super Bowl. Ready to win big this year? Here are a few tips: Timing around a sporting event, holiday, or product launch can make all the difference in keyword performance. Publishers begin to see increasing traffic to Super Bowl-related content up to three or four weeks ahead of the event. That's not to say it's too late for those of you who have yet to suit up. There will always be overlooked keyword inventory, and unexpected ways to broaden the impact of a campaign. Make it relevant. Focus on your users, their interests, and the context in which your ads are being displayed. These days, good ads deliver good content. And we've seen evidence that advertisers who provide users with informative content -- the ones who offer stuffing recipes the week before Thanksgiving, for instance -- are rewarded with 5-6x the usual CTR. Another great example: When a technology brand wanted to show off its analytical prowess, it used a major tennis event to build a real-time interactive scoreboard, hosted in an ad unit that appeared alongside relevant content online. Users got more than the match score; they also got a reading on match “momentum,” which allowed users to experience one way the company extracts meaning from data. Get creative. Marketers love the Super Bowl for one reason (mostly). For six hours on one day every single year, they know exactly where to find their customers: on the sofa, at a party, with friends. Ironically, that gives them enormous leeway in finding ways to reach those customers. Think about it: How many Super Bowl ads have anything to do with football? (Answer: Not so many.) Even if your target audience doesn't quite line up with the ones watching the big game, you can still ride its coattails to marketing success, with a smart keyword strategy that leverages the buzz without busting your budget. Soon the Super Bowl will be a distant memory, and we'll all be off sharing, posting, and "liking" our favorite ads. So get off the bench, and get into the game. After all, the Olympics are just around the corner.