Can simplicity reach the top?

Sometimes simplicity is the best weapon to fight for being a trend. And that’s the case of Minute Maid, which made an advertisement without any sense for their "lemon and nothing” drink. In this ad, Minute Maid also made a reference to toy that, although being quite simple, they can be incredible fun.

Here are the three successful ads:

Minute Maid chose the similarity between a simple stick with drinking “lemon and nothing” in order to show the naturalness and simplicity of the drink. The brand launched after a variety of simple toys such as a stone, a stick or a box in so as to prove that nature is best.

It is a creative way to attract customers from a young age, but without forgetting about older ones. It gives a very understandable message: “Lemon & nothing” is a natural and healthy drink.

Do we really want Google Glasses?

If you thought the NSA was too invasive by tracking your phone calls and emails, wait until you see what happens when everyone starts wearing Google Glass. Currently being tested by so-called Glass Explorers, Google Glass is expected to hit the market in April 2014. Google has a great demonstration page which shows stunning videos and photos supposedly taken with Google Glass, all presented in beautiful HiDef with appropriately uplifting music. Based on the number of people who are willing to stand outside an Apple store for days every time that company hiccups, one can assume there will be a similar rush to be the first Google Glass customers.

Before anyone starts planning to sleep outside to buy these glasses, though, some people are already casting a wary eye on the product. Even in preliminary testing phases, Google Glass has opened a Pandora's Box of legal concerns. If it does become the next big thing in wearable technology, what are the ramifications for intellectual property and personal privacy when somebody can secretly film or take a picture of you with, literally, the wink of an eye? It's not bad enough to see what stupid things people post when using one hand with a cell phone; what will happen when they are given glasses that make it possible for them to be even stupider with two hands? Google responded by making modifications that would make this harder to do, but hackers will be only too happy to quickly find ways around those measures.

Some bars and restaurants are beginning to ban Google Glass and that is only the first salve in the privacy wars. Should movie theaters and concert venues try to ban them as well to prevent unauthorized sales? Paparazzi will especially love the ability to out celebrities no matter where they are.

Another potentially-dangerous legal question around Google Glass is using it to access turn-by-turn navigation while driving.

All these makes me think... Do we really want Google Glass to be a part of our daily life?

The Good Burger

Restalia Group, the owner of 100 Montaditos and La Sureña, has launched a new franchise called The Good Burger, aiming young customer, offering their local as a social meeting point. The brand will compete with McDonald’s and Burger King, but leaving the children out.

Morrison’s agency is the one in charge of the positioning of the brand, the branding and its strategy of communication. 

On a first stage, The Good Burger (TGB) will open a total of 10 locals in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Sevilla throughout this year, heading to a total of 100 locals during 2014. The new brand has developed its positioning strategy under the name of “massclusive”, defining its service and product as an experience of quality, unique and exclusive with lower prices than te usual of the market.

The strategy of communication has been developed under the thought of combine the American burger models with the habits that characterized the Spanish public, especially when it comes to socializing on meal times. 

The Representation Project

The Representation Project is a movement that uses film and media content to expose injustices created by gender stereotypes and to shift people’s consciousness towards change. Interactive campaigns, strategic partnerships and education initiatives inspire individuals and communities to challenge the status quo and ultimately transform culture so everyone, regardless of gender, race, class, age, or circumstance can fulfill their potential. 

It started two years ago with a documentary film directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom. You can see the trailer of the movie here:

http://vimeo.com/18985647 

The documentary didn't get to a lo of people but they continued with the project and their last video "How the media failed women in 2013" has been a success with more than 1 million views in only one weekend. Maybe this can change the society we live in and maybe make marketers think twice before launching a campaign of a product using pretty women on them.

Is Apple changing the marketing direction?

For years, Apple's advertising has almost been a parody of itself. A product appears on a white screen. A disembodied finger starts tapping and swiping its way through the device's features. A self-satisfied voice proclaims the experience "magical."

And ... scene!

Apple was telling us its products were magical.

In four new ads from Apple, however, that format has been ditched in favor of a much more thoughtful, inspiring message about how Apple's devices actually function in the real world. Instead of telling us they're magical, the ads show us they are. 

Last year, amid the iPhone 5 launch, Apple's ads were becoming old and stale. More recently, Microsoft launched a new campaign for its Windows 8 tablets that parodies Apple's ads. That's a sure sign that the shark has been fully jumped.

Since then, the company appears to have done some soul searching. The process has recently borne fruit, however.

In the newest ad, five people describe how apps have improved their lives. They're not playing Candy Crush Saga. The users include a Paralympic athlete who adjusts the angle of her prosthetic feet with an app, a Kenyan bush doctor who uses a health care app, and there's a particularly beautiful section about an app that preserves the language of native people living in the Arctic Circle.

It follows on the heels of a corporate image ad dedicated to the primacy of design at the company: "This is our signature, and it means everything," it says. The closing shot shows the motto, "Designed by Apple in California."

That was preceded by two ads for the iPhone highlighting iTunes and the phone's camera. They showed people using the devices in real life, with an understated music score. The subtle message is: We make this easy. That's why you choose us.

To many this will seem like trivia. But at major companies, and Apple especially (Steve Jobs used to sign off on ads personally), changing your corporate image and doing a whole new marketing campaign are regarded as major endeavors. Apple spends roughly $1 billion a year on ads. So this is one of the biggest corporate image makeovers of the year.

One thing they need not worry about, however, is their creative reputation. The ads look and feel great. They took a risk, and the first part of that — do we like them? — has paid off.

The new Christmas Lottery spot, is it really that bad?

Christmas Spanish Lottery always goes hand on hand with its commercial. For many Spaniards, the first time that it airs on TV is a sign; a mark that indicates that it is already here, Christmas has arrived. It’s time to fill our hearts with the illusion and the Christmas feelings, not only for the lottery but also the so endearing dates that always make everyone a little happier.

Every year the announcement of the Christmas Lottery has aimed for the same, but it has always been a topic to talk about. A lot of people have been the star of them, sharing tons of stories throughout the years. Every year, the spot has reached a public, succeeding on its goal of being a trend, not only actually buying lottery. So, is this year the most talked commercial? I believe so.

We can speak better or worse but, it has been a long time since a commercial brings so much attention: five Spanish artists recognized worldwide, each of a different age and audience, each of them a style and particular characteristics, and a catchy melody.

It has been the most parodied Christmas Lottery spot in history, which means that it has been one of the most seen and repeated in history. And it can be good or very bad, but when referring to an advertisement, all publicity is good. The more you talk about it and the more it’s seen the better because that means more impacts on people.

So, despite whatever criticism the new spot can get, always remember that it has reached the main goal: get you to see it.

Abercrombie & Fitch

Abercrombie & Fitch started as a store for outdoorsmen and evolved into the epitome of preppy cool. 

But recently, the store has lost its way. 

Abercrombie has been criticized for excluding large women and promoting unrealistic standards of beauty.

Sales were also hit as more alternative fashion trends became more popular. 

A&F started as a store for outdoorsmen.

David T. Abercrombie founded the waterfront company at South Street in Manhattan in 1892. It sold hunting and fishing equipment and was called Abercrombie Co.

A few years later, Ezra Fitch, a high-profile lawyer and regular customer, purchased a large share of the growing company. In 1906, when he was officially named a co-founder, the store was renamed Abercrombie & Fitch. 

Abercrombie wanted to continue to provide outdoor gear while Fitch had a greater interest in the general retail so the two eventually parted ways.

It eventually grew into a department store on NYC's Madison Avenue.

Abercrombie sold his share of the company in 1907, enabling Ezra to achieve his goal of expanding the store's general retail. A&F started a mail-order catalogue and opened a 12-story location on Madison Avenue in New York City.

The department store had a shooting range and golf school in addition to sporting goods and apparel. 

In 1910, it became the first retail store to sell both men's and women's clothing.

In 1939, A&F branded itself "the greatest sporting goods store in the world."

Abercrombie & Fitch was the official outfitter of Charles Lindbergh's historic flight across the Atlantic in 1927.

Earnest Hemingway and Teddy Roosevelt were also patrons of the store.

The company hit some financial road bumps as it grew.

Like many others, Abercrombie & Fitch struggled during the Great Depression, but prospered again shortly after.

The company reached its sales peak in 1947 and continued to expand into the 1950s. 

Stores opened in Florida and San Fransisco but sales slumped in the 1960s when then company president John Ewing refused to reduce prices.

Abercrombie & Fitch ultimately filed for bankruptcy in 1977 and was acquired by Oshman's Sporting Goods.

Oshman's opened stores under the A&F banner, including the first in Beverly Hills, California, but sales were still slow.

Limited Brands bought A&F in 1988, and refocused it on apparel.

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Limited Brands purchased Abercrombie & Fitch in 1988 and the retailer made apparel its focus.

Abercrombie & Fitch's headquarters also were moved to central Ohio, where they remain to this day. 

Mike Jeffries joined as CEO in the early 1990s, and built the company into a teen retail mecca.

Company president Sally Frame-Kasaks left Abercrombie & Fitch in 1992 and was replaced by Mike Jeffries.

Jeffries foresaw the expansion of the teen retail market in the 1990s and made it the focus of Abercrombie & Fitch.

Under his leadership, things got steamy.
Jeffries took Abercrombie & Fitch in a preppy, casual direction while maintaining some of the of the outdoor flair in the brand's marketing.

He also turned up the heat and hired photographer Bruce Weber to shoot sparsely dressed models for the brand, frequently in provocative poses. 

LFO, a pop/rap group comes out with the single "Summer Girls" in 1999 that includes the lyrics: "I like girls who wear Abercrombie & Fitch, I'd take her if I had one wish."

The song spent four weeks at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year.

Parents grew concerned about the message and impact Abercrombie and Fitch's racy campaign was having on its targeted adolescent market.

But the company's popularity with American youth grew and consequently, Abercrombie & Fitch expanded rapidly under Jeffries. 

When he took the reins of the company with the moose logo in 1992, there were 36 stores that generated approximately $50 million in annual sales. In 2012 the company had grown to include more than 1,000 stores with annual sales surpassing $4.5 billion, according to its annual reports.

In 2002, the company received backlash for products that were perceived as offensive.

According to the San Fransisco Chronicle, in 2002 Abercrombie & Fitch recieved substantial public backlash from Asian Americans for T-shirts featuring caricatures with slanted eyes and rice-paddy hats. 

Trouble continued one year later when WWD reported that the company's "magalog," A&F Quartlery, was discontinuing. Though the publication, frequently featuring nude models, received public protest, a lack of interest was the reason it folded.

Issues were released in 2008 and 2010 but there haven't been any since.

A&F employees accused the retailer of discrimination the following year.

A class action lawsuit was filed against Abercrombie & Fitch in 2003, alleging the company engaged in discriminatory hiring practices against African American, Latino and Asian American applicants. 

The complaint claimed store managers were instructed to deny that their store was hiring if applicants didn't fit the "A&F look," amongst other illicit practices. 

In November of 2004, Abercrombie & Fitch agreed on a settlement and was required to pay $40 million to applicants and overhaul its hiring practices.

Things got worse when a company model claimed he was asked to masturbate at an A&F photo shoot.

Former Abercrombie & Fitch model Benjamine Bowers sued the company and a modeling agent after he was asked to masturbate at a 2011 photoshoot, The New York Daily News reported at the time.

The agent, Brian Hillburn, allegedly told Bowers to masturbate so he would appear more "relaxed." 

Hillburn then allegedly exposed himself to Bowers.

Bowers claimed that he was asked to do the photoshoot entirely for Hillburn's own interest and filed a $1 million suit against him and Abercrombie & Fitch.

Jeffries' bizarre rules for employees aboard his private jet surfaced in another lawsuit

A former pilot who filed an age discrimination lawsuit against Abercrombie & Fitch in 2012 disclosed an "Aircraft Standards" manual for Jeffries' private jet that raised some eyebrows.

The 40-page manual explicitly required the male models to wear Abercrombie & Fitch polo shirts, underwear and flip flops when on board. They also had to wear Abercrombie & Fitch cologne. 

Black gloves were required to be worn when handling silverware and white gloves when setting the table aboard the G550 jet.

The retailer's international expansions plans have fallen flat.

International expansion had been a focus of the company for the five years leading up to 2012, but international sales decreased 26 percent from 2011 to 2012

Stores in Europe and Asia were the reason the company gave for forecasting a first quarter loss to in 2013.

Jeffries has been criticized for excluding plus-sized women from his brand.

In a 2006 interview with Salon, Jeffries said sexual attraction was important to the "emotional experience" in the stores.

"That’s why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that,” he said at the time.

His comments resurfaced in a recent article on why Abercrombie & Fitch doesn't sell XL or XXL clothing for women, and the company faced major backlash from everyone from Ellen DeGeneres to Kirstie Alley.

A Change.org petition has more than 77,000 signatures calling for the company to alter its portrayal of "cool" teens.

Jeffries apologized, but the company's future looks uncertain.

In a May 15 Facebook post, Jeffries issued what was viewed as a pseudo apology for his 2006 comments, and the company's future suddenly seems uncertain.

Abercrombie & Fitch reported a 9% decrease in revenue and a 17% drop in same store sales for the first quarter of this year and has scaled back expectations for the year. 

Jeffries, 68, entered an employment agreement in 2008 to remain CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch through February of 2014. There is speculation that his tenure with the brand will come to an end when his contract expires in an attempt to redefine the brand's definitions of "cool" and recapture consumers.

Share a Coke Campaign

In the last few months there has been a growing trend for friends and colleagues to spam Twitter and Facebook feeds with pictures of Coca-Cola bottles and cans. As you probably already know, the world's largest beverage company has replaced its usual branding with 150 of the UK's most popular names. Each of these carried the hashtag #shareacoke to encourage users to promote the brand online.

The campaign was originally trialled in Australia in 2011 and produced some impressive results. Young adult consumption increased significantly, up by 7%. The campaign also earned a total of 18,300,000-plus media impressions, and traffic on the Coke Facebook site increased by 870%, with page likes growing by 39%.

Since the UK campaign was launched on 29 April, its proven to be just as big a hit in the UK. From a social perspective, Coca-Cola has seen itsFacebook community grow by 3.5% and globally by 6.8%. The hashtag has also been used 29,000 times on Twitter (Brandwatch, 2013). A study from YouGov in May this year, using its BrandIndex, highlighted that Coca-Cola had also increased its Buzz score, moving it from negative to positive. We'll have to wait and see if sales have increased, but here are lessons we can draw from this campaign.

Mass market penetration
Most campaigns that launch have a core target demographic in mind. Coca-Cola's campaign was no different, focusing on 18-25-year-olds. However, something that worked to the company's advantage was limited alienation. Any consumer aged between 13-60 could essentially take part without feeling excluded. Today's consumers want to feel unique, and giving users something affordable and personalised is a key way to succeed. Some may argue that certain groups were eliminated because the campaign was limited to 150 names, but you'll always have a degree of exclusion.

Personalisation
Everyone loves something that's personal and unique to him or her, even if it is just a drink. It has become very apparent that personalised content is a core focus right now – 78% of consumers feel that brands that create unique and personalised content are more interested in building a relationship with them (Hanley-Wood Business Media, 2013).

A recent study by Intent HQ also found that more than half of Britain's social media users are willing to share personal information to receive personalised content. If this isn't enough to focus on personalisation, what is?

Why would McDonald's want a 3D printer?

What happened to "you get what you get and you don't get upset?"

That sentiment is null as McDonald's IT Director, Mark Fabes, ponders the idea of using in-store 3D printers to print the company's famous Happy Meal toys.

Fabes says using 3D printers on-site would allow staff to print the toy of the child's choice, should the kid not like the toy McDonalds is offering at the time.

"Countless families have had their enjoyment of a nutritious McDonald’s ruined because they turned up the week that the starring character in that season's kiddie-sized blockbuster had been replaced by an earnest but boring supporting character as the toy of choice," the UK's Register reports.

Having the ability to create toys on demand could potentially become an even bigger draw for families to visit the establishment. But the somewhat egregious idea is just that; an idea.

Apart from cost considerations, there is the issue of whether plastic smelting machines were appropriate for use in food outlets.

But 3D printing is making its way into everyday life more and more.

Just a few weeks ago, it was reported the heartwarming story of a father who was able to print a 3D prosthetic hand for his son.

Marketing lessons from The Joneses Movie

This weekend I saw the movie The Joneses with my dad and with his help, I managed to learn 5 marketing lessons.

The Joneses is a film written and directed by Derrick Borte. The Joneses is a 2009 American film, it stars Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Amber Heard, and Ben Hollingsworth.

Kate, Steve, Mick, and Jenn Jones move into a high income suburb under the pretense of being a typical family relocating due to the changing nature of Kate and Steve’s careers. In reality, Kate is the leader of a team of stealth marketers, professional salespeople who disguise product placement as a daily routine. Their clothing, accessories, furniture, and even food are carefully planned and stocked by various companies to create visibility in a desirable consumer market. The team quickly ingratiates itself into the community, slowly shifting from displaying products to recommending them. Soon, local stores and businesses are stocking products based on the Joneses’ trend-setting styles. 

Beside the story of The Joneses movie, we also can learn how to be a good sales. Here are the lessons:

LESSON #1: INTRODUCING YOUR PRODUCT WITH KINSHIP

In this movie the family Joneses introducing himself as the new neighbor prior to his neighbor with the family. The first day they spent just to introduce they familyf without offering a specific brand goods to the neighbors.

Lesson: As a sales person who offers goods to the potential customers you can’t directly offer products to meet openly to your consumer. You must introduce yourself first, by allowing your customers to know you personally. This is because consumers are now increasingly savvy, they need a lot of consideration in choosing and deciding to buy a particular item. So with a personal approach, can help you convince potential customers the goods that you offer.

LESSON #2: JOIN SOME COMMUNITY

How do you find the people who need the goods you have to offer?
As has been exemplified in the film The Joneses, Steve and Kate Jones join some neighboring suburban community, club member’s golf and salon. This is done by Steve and Kate when first trying to offer items they wear.

Lesson: Join some community is important to know and learn about what your customers want, the selection of community you want to follow also should not be arbitrary. Options community is very determine for the success of your marketing product.

LESSON #3: BECOME ATTRACTIVE OF OTHER PEOPLE

In this movie the whole family is a trend. This was deliberately done by the family of The Joneses to attract the attention of friends and colleagues to buy the same items as they wear.

The Joneses not offer openly goods, their use and explain the benefits and advantages of the object.

Lesson: Customer shouldn’t like that such sales hold up or attack them with various deals or advantages of a good explanation, it would make them uncomfortable. Make it a family atmosphere and show them that you are also wearing items that you offer, if you wear it, you can more freely tell your experience during the use of the good.

LESSON #4: SELL BUT DO NOT LIKE TO SELL

Joneses family, as has been told in this film is the sales disguised as a happy family. They like to sell lifestyle, by using the latest model stuff as I have described in the Lesson #3 above. By becoming an attractive, your promotion enables to sell the goods your offer.

Lesson: Create an atmosphere as comfortable as possible with your prospects, invite them talk about anything, and take a gap where you can enter the conversation by offering a product.

LESSON #5: KNOW WHAT YOUR CUSTOMER NEED

In one part of the story, Steve and Kate have a neighbor who isn’t too happy with his marriage. Steve was declining to take this opportunity to reach out to neighbors with jewelry showcase for Kate, and that neighbor’s interested in giving a gift of jewelry also for his wife.
From the story, we can draw the conclusion that, by knowing the desires of your customer marketing sales process will take care of itself.

Lesson:  Knowing who your customers are, not just on a superficial level, but also on a deeper level, is fundamental for business longevity. It can help your business with most any targeted marketing efforts.

You must know what the customer needs. By knowing this for sure you will be able to offer the goods you have th easier.

Coca Cola, the most famous brand

Coca Cola is the most famous product in the world, almost 95% of the population, sells 4 of the 5 most drunk soft drinks, and as The Beatles said, “it is more well-known than Jesus”, and therefore, in the United States they did a study in which pictures were shown to children and a 100% recognized the brand easily while only a 65% recognized Jesus. How can a product created back in 1892 to soften headaches become the most significance brand on the planet?

Firstly, thanks to the image of the brand that they have been developing throughout all these years. We can determine 3 facts of the image they sell:

1    1.  Refresh the world

2    2. Inspire moments of optimism and happiness

3    3. Create values and leave positivism

This picture reflects the 3 aspects I have mentioned

All these have been possible thanks to its marketing department which has managed to not only attract customer but also empathize with them. Coca Cola’s advertisements have made a difference everywhere; the most relevant ad lately has been the one of “There are reasons to believe in a better world”. Nowadays, in times of corruption and economical crisis Coca Cola showed us the other side, where there are people with good hearts capable of helping without expecting anything in return.

With messages like this, Coca Cola has reach the top

The most viewed video of publicity, Dove

A month ago, Dove published a video on Youtube about real beauty and now it has become the most viewed advertisement video ever with more than 114 million views in 25 languages.

The video is basically a forensic artist who has worked with the FBI, Gil Zamora, asking women to describe themselves physically, then there women are described by outsiders who have been watching her. In the end, both portraits are compared and the differences are amazing.

With this, the company wanted us to take note that we are not always as we are seen, that we try to search for complexes that don’t exist.

“The campaign evoked an emotional reaction on millions of people to inspire them to share a positive message”, said Fernando Machado, the vice-president of Dove Skin. “Beyond the millions of views, the testimonies from people around the world is what excite us”