Kimberly-Clark and Unilever See the Value of New Media

In yet another example of the importance new media has in strategic marketing plans, corporate giants Kimberly-Clark and Unilever are expected to shift ad spending from traditional media outlets to non-traditional media by significant amounts.  K-C will shift it's spending away from print and TV by 24% and Unilever is cutting its number of television commercials to only 30 this year.  For both companies, the idea seems to be to focus more on a few larger completely integrated campaigns than a number of smaller campaigns.  

As is probably apparent from my previous posts, I think that this shift is a good thing for the advertising industry.  By embracing the vast possibilities of digital media, companies are able to present a more complete and effective marketing campaign.  Plus, in my opinion, it allows for greater flexibility in terms of creativity.  The traditional 30-second TV spot (which is practically a piece of art when done right) just isn't as effective when it stands alone.  

But then again, who cares what I think?  Do you think that this shift is a good thing for the marketing industry or does it make you less enthusiastic about entering the working world?

The Wide World of Marketing

Anyone with an inkling of knowledge about the economy knows that America has been in a bit of a tight spot lately.  Since globalization decided to peek its ugly little head around the corner, the US of A has had a hard time adjusting to the new world economy.  But of course, as with most things in life, there is an upside.

With the emergence of Asian markets, China in particular, there has been an explosion of opportunity in the marketing industry.  With many Asian countries becoming more receptive to Western goods, the time to strike for marketing professionals is now.  However, as this article points out, marketing there ain't exactly as sure a science as marketing here.

The solution to this: research.  Obviously, the more knowledgeable a marketer is about their market, the more successful they will be.  So, if you're at all interested in a career overseas, start studying now.  It's likely that the first generation of marketers to really succeed internationally will be the ones who prepare the best.  

The Ugly Truth

You know, I was thinking lately, I've never really been the "cool kid". That's not to say that I'm not cool, though. What I mean is; I've never been a trend setter. I've always caught on to fads right in the middle of their life cycle. You know what I mean. It’s that span of time right before something becomes overhyped and lame and nobody would be caught dead with it in public. In other words, when your parents start thinking it’s pretty cool.

Anyways, it's this type of person who decides what’s going to be hot or not in popular culture. Whether it's the next great tv show, fashion designer, musician, or restaurant, the "cool kids" are the ones who seem to hear about it first. In many instances, the influence of this group can be so powerful that an entire brand can grow from practially nothing into a thriving business in only a few short years. One example of this was featured recently in a video segment at CNNMoney.com.

Uglydolls are little plush dolls which, aside from being just plain cute, are some of the hottest items in the toy industry. The video explains how the Uglydoll brand has grown considerably without any major marketing initiative. Through the power of mostly word-of-mouth marketing and selective distribution outlets, Uglydolls have been a big success and continue to gain momentum. Make sure you check out the CNN link if you're at all interested in buzz marketing. It's probably one of the only case studies which will make you feel all warm and fuzzy.

Is Advertising Inefficient?

Because I've been such a thrifty (i.e. cheap) person my entire life, I've never been particularly susceptible to advertising. No matter how cool I thought an ad was, I've never been the type to see a commercial and then immediately need to buy the product. When I do spend money, it's usually on one time extravagances like a nice dinner or a trip to the movies. In other words, advertising doesn't incite me to act.

But I'm in the minority, right? I mean, everyday I see people walking around with stuff that they probably don't need. They must have been influenced by advertising, right? But maybe not. Think about the last time you were compelled to buy something based on an ad. What was the product? Why was the ad effective? It's probably more difficult to recall than you thought it would be, right? That's because, according to some experts, advertising is quickly losing its effectiveness in the face of a tidal wave of new technologies and modes of communication.

In a post for the FASTforward blog, Paula Thornton explains that "The only reason advertising continues to survive is that it is ‘familiar’ and it is monetized." In other words, advertising continues to work because we haven't fully fleshed out the intricacies of new media. Once a more reliable system is established and embraced by the business world, it is almost a guarantee that traditional advertising will die out.

Needless to say, this is probably a bit scary for today's average advertising executive. Faced with rapid and unexpected changes to the traditional media model on a near daily basis, many long time pros are probably finding themselves up the proverbial creek without a paddle.

Well guess what!

We can be that paddle! We are the next generation of marketing professionals and it is our responsibility to understand how to navigate this new media landscape. We are the first generation in history to have come of age when computers were widely available and we can use that in our careers. We should not wait for the current marketers of the world to ask us for help, we should be offering it. Buzz marketing, guerilla marketing, social networking, viral videos; these things are part of our turf. It's time that we let the business world know that.

Marketing Jobs in the Public Sector

Often times, when marketing students are looking for their first grown-up job out of college, the places they usually steer towards are pr and advertising agencies.  But it's important to remember that you can still be a successful marketing professional without working in an agency.  One way to do this is my working in the public sector.

Now I know that government job advice isn't my gig (Sean and Christina handle that) but, as graduation looms closer and closer, I think it's important that I become more and more fully committed to seeking out jobs in every possible marketing field.  I mean, why not, right?  It'd be stupid to not explore all of your options.  

 
So, just what kind of jobs do marketers get in government?  Well, one of the most obvious types is in the tourism industry.  If you think about it, every city in the country has a tourism board.  Who do you suppose it is who works for that board?  If you guessed p.r. specialists, you're right!  After all, what is tourism if it's not promotion?  Typical job duties could include everything from event planning to writing press releases and traveler's guides.  To see some of that work in action, just go to any city's tourism website.  Chicago and San Francisco are both good examples.

Another job you can get in government is as a press secretary or a public affairs specialist.  Basically, both of these positions can be characterized as publicists.  In the prior case, you would be a publicist for an elected official, in the latter, you would work for a government department like the department of defense or treasury.  In both cases, your marketing skills would be put to use frequently.  People with strong communication skills are definitely needed in government, now it seems more than ever.

So, the moral of today's story is that your future marketing job may not come from the most likely place.  If you poke your nose around different industries just a little bit, you're bound to sniff out something worthwhile.  Even if you have your heart set on having your own little cubicle in a big shot agency, it's never a bad thing to keep your eyes open to other possibilities.  

Why Marketing Is Good For Society. Seriously.

Every so often, when I think about my choice of a future career, I have this kind of ethical panic attack. I start thinking about the end goals of marketing (i.e. profit) and I get discouraged. Should I really spend the rest of my life encouraging people to consume, consume, consume? Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a commie or anything, but the truth of the matter is, capitalism can be downright depressing. It seems like it brings out the worst kinds of habits in people: envy, greed, lust, materialism, etc. The list goes on and on.

So when I clicked on to AdAge this morning and was greeted by this lovely article from John A. Quelch and Katherine E. Jocz, I was uplifted. In a surprisingly logical way, the authors point out how the benefits of marketing and democracy are very similar. You see, marketing, like democracy, offers six societal benefits.

Exchange

Consumption

Choice

Inclusion

Information

Engagement

These qualities, when practiced by marketers are used to develop a fair and healthy relationship with consumers: one which is based on trust. As long as marketers remember to be socially conscious and keep their principles intact, there's no reason to feel bad. We are providing a service which is important to the functioning of a healthy society. Thanks AdAge for showing me the way.

Super Bowl Ad Review: Year 2

Would you believe it's been an entire year since I started blogging for Experience.com? Good Lordy, time does fly. Well, anyways, in case you hadn't heard, a little thing called the Super Bowl happened on Sunday. Unlike last year's relatively unexciting Chicago Bears whuppin', this year's Super Bowl featured, arguably, the most improbable upset of all time. Seriously, who would have said at the beginning of the season that the New York Giants would win it all?

But we're not here to talk about the game.  No, we're here to talk about the ads.  And let's just say, it's a good thing the game was exciting, because, for the most part, the ads stunk.  It seems like this year most of them fell into one of two categories.  It was either the, "Wait, what was that ad for again?" variety or the, "Wow, that really cost 2.7 million dollars?" type.  It seemed that there was, generally speaking, just a plain lack of creativity.  Here's my unscientific list of hits and misses from this year's festivities.  Mind you, this list doesn't include all the commercials, just the ones I thought were very good and very bad.  In other words, I'm showing the As and the Fs.  If you want to see the Bs, Cs, and Ds, you can see all the ads again on Youtube.

The Hits

E*Trade - Trading Baby

This ad was very enjoyable to me because of two things.  One, it has a cute baby talking like an adult, always a recipe for comedy, and, Two, it delivered a cogent message about the product.  Trading stocks can be an intimidating process for some people.  With E*Trade, trading is so easy a baby can do it.  Brilliant.

Budweiser - "Rocky" Clydesdale

While I think that this ad could do a better job at selling beer, the image of the Budweiser Clydesdale is fairly well implanted into the conscious of America.  What really makes this ad work is its clever and somewhat surprisingly heartfelt narrative.  Everyone loves a good comeback story, and the training montage set to the strains of the Rocky music was simply too good to ignore.

Fed-Ex - Carrier Pigeons

Animals are usually a sure hit in commercials.  So how about giant, destructive, man-eating animals?  Well, if this Fed-Ex spot is any indication, the bigger and more terrifying the better.  Kudos to Fed-Ex for pulling one of the more creative ads of the day.  

Tide to Go - Silence the Stain

This was my favorite ad of the night.  Besides delivering an incredibly strong brand message, the spot was brilliantly conceived.  What's more distracting than a big ugly stain right in the middle of someone's shirt?  I love how the guy giving the interview's eyes keep wandering toward the stain.  Very funny and subtle acting for such an absurdist style ad.  

The Misses 

Well, since Salesgenie.com occupied the top spot on my list last year, I must say I'm a little surprised they ended up here again.  Usually when something is so unbelievably terrible and stupid a company tries to change it for the better.  Instead, Salesgenie's spots are still lame and, now, are even mildly offensive.  I just don't get it.  How can one company invest so much money into such a lame commercial? Are they trying to use reverse psychology or something?  I just don't get it.  Anyways, here's the spots in questions.  I'm not even gonna bother commenting on each one separately.