Unfortunately, until now, the image most of us associated with Old Spice is old, distinguished men.  No wonder the company is working so hard to revitalize the brand; the audience they connected with most is inevitably dying off!

I was tickled when I saw “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” commercial back in February.  It’s hilarious!  And within the past five months, it has turned into an internet sensation, receiving close to 13 million views on YouTube.

No doubt, the company is attempting to reach a new demographic and what they’ve done so far appears to be working! College students and young adults love the commercials.

But Old Spice didn’t stop there.  They took their viral campaign to the next level by reaching out to influential bloggers and admirers.  Mashable announced Old Spice’s latest and greatest viral idea yesterday.  The Old Spice guy is now making personalized messages for his biggest Internet fans.  Check out this video made for Perez Hilton, which was posted to Twitter.

Old Spice has even recorded marriage proposal messages.  (This is my personal favorite.)

So, why is this idea pure genius?  It’s encouraging more viral chatter for an already very successful campaign!

• The Old Spice guy is connecting with opinion leaders and other online influentials that will be prompted to comment and share the video with their target audience.

• A personal connection will be made with people the ads are created for.  People that admire the popular bloggers, and lesser know individuals, will become invested in the brand and more likely to make a purchase.

I wonder what my dear grandpa would say about the technological mayhem surrounding one of his favorite brands today?  I’m sure he’d find the humor associated with the brand just as entertaining as I do.

For decades term ‘Chevy’ has been a representation of the iconic American brand.  Countless artists have written songs about Chevys; from Don McLean’s “American Pie” to Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock.”  Now GM wants to take a more formal approach, encouraging employees to only refer to the brand as a ‘Chevrolet,’ claiming it will create more brand consistency.

The New York Times published the memo in the article, “A Chevy by Any Other Name.” When reviewing this article and applying my own thoughts on branding, two things come to mind.

1. The advertising agency can’t possibly know how important the word ‘Chevy’ is to the brand
2. This may just be a big publicity stunt to get people talking

Words are essential for building a strong brand. Most brands are successful when they reduce the essence of the brand to a single, easy to pronounce word.  In my opinion, the companies that have synonymous nicknames are the ones that are most memorable.  Some companies even trademark their nicknames; take Coca-Cola’s nickname ‘Coke’ and Federal Express’ nickname ‘FedEx’ for example.  These names hold an innate power.

Wow!  This news makes me wonder how much GM is paying the advertising agency that’s willing to sacrifice the a part of the company’s identity.

Love the commercials, or hate ‘em, the Freecreditreport.com band has been haunting consumers with jingles – they just can’t shake from their minds – for over three years.  But not for long!

According to Brandweek, Experian, the owners of Freecreditreport.com, just announced that they will be rebranding and shifting their focus to the website/name Freecreditscore.com.  It turns out; Freecreditreport.com commercials have been under scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission.  The FTC has issued videos implying the company has been misleading customers to think that they can get a credit report without hidden fees.  After all, their name is “FREE” creditreport.com.

As Experian goes through this rebranding initiative, they have decided to fire the old band and launch a new campaign to search for a replacement band.  They will work the auditions into a promotional campaign that incorporates a combination of traditional and social media components.  Know any musicians looking for a job?  Let’s hope the next band isn’t as obnoxious as the first.

What are your thoughts on the rebranding initiative?  Do you think their new plan will change consumer perception?  Is the FTC right for stepping in?

This week Gamasutra.com announced, after a very public dispute over gaming commissions, Facebook and Zynga struck a new five-year strategic partnership. Details about the agreement and how fees will be structured have not been released, but one thing was made clear; Zynga was not willing to accept the 30 percent cut of revenues that Facebook was originally demanding. And, to be honest, I can’t blame them. Even if the cut of revenues is much smaller, Facebook will end up being much better off having Zynga games on their website than not.

Here are some reasons why both parties are winners in this agreement:

• Revenue: Zynga makes money by giving players the option to buy virtual currency. Facebook provides the perfect platform for reaching the masses because it is the most popular social network on the planet. Where else can Zynga go to connect with so many potential customers? This can be mutually beneficial because the companies will share a percentage of the profits.
• Advertising: Zynga has more than 239 million active users on Facebook. These gamers check Facebook more frequently because most games are set up on a timer. This drives massive amounts of online traffic to the social network on a more frequent basis, which leads to more clicks on links throughout the site.  Consequently, this generates more advertising revenue for Facebook.
• Connecting with new markets: According to CNN, social games tend to appeal to women and other non-traditional gamers. This creates a huge opportunity for the video game market and Facebook advertisers. Marketers can reach a new segment of the market through these virtual games.

Only time will tell exactly how Facebook and Zynga will take advantage of these new opportunities. But one thing is for sure – whether you’re a lover or a hater, Zynga games are here to stay – at least the next five years – which means you can keep harvesting your pumpkins and shooting your neighbors.  Congratulations!

Pulp Fiction

Yesterday, Science Daily published a report that identified some pretty interesting trends.  While the depiction of smoking has declined over the past 20 years, tobacco product placement and imagery has not.   The analysis identified brand appearances and smoking paraphernalia for brands, such as Marlboro and Silk Cut, were found for five-minute intervals in more than 15 films, which accounted for more than 50% of each year’s box office success.

According to the article, “Two thirds of films classified for under 18s and over half (61%) classified for under 15s featured tobacco intervals. Between 2004 and 2008, of the films containing tobacco intervals, 92% were rated as suitable for those under 18.”

A study done by UCSF states there is a direct correlation between youngsters that watch smoking in movies and those that start smoking.

Tobacco companies pay big bucks to movie studios to have their products placed in films.  The films created by these studios account for more than 90% of children’s on-screen tobacco exposure.  Ouch!  That’s why several groups are petitioning to have an automatic “R” rating placed on all films that have tobacco products in them.

I’m not here to harp on smokers.  I smoked years ago, and I can’t say that I would have never tried a cigarette if I hadn’t seen them in movies.  But I do know that most teens are influenced by the people they look up to, and there are hundreds of tough, sexy, glamorous, cigarette-toting characters in the blockbuster movies we watch today.  Is it really necessary?

I found out about the movie’s release like most, by stumbling across sublime images of the movie’s characters on social media outlets and blogs.  As  the new “Alice’s” debut has moved closer, Disney has taken every opportunity to promote the new movie by releasing countless commercials, billboards, music videos, viral marketing campaigns, interviews – and the list goes on.  A number of other companies have decided to jump on the “Alice in Wonderland” bandwagon, which isn’t a bad idea, considering the massive amount of exposure the movie is getting.

Here are a few Wonderland inspired product lines that seem to be great choices for the movie’s existing target market – teen girls and young women who are into dark romance or those who are already fans of the uncanny world portrayed in Lewis Carroll’s books, Disney’s original 1951 animated feature, among other popular versions of the story.

• OPI Nail Polish announced a new line of “Alice in Wonderland” nail color, with the tagline “Color so fantastic, you’ll think you’re dreaming.”
• Urban Decay, which is sold at Sephora, has developed a “Book of Shadows,” showcasing a 16 eye shadows with names such as “White Rabbit, Jabberwocky and Oraculum” in a Wonderland inspired box.
• Hot Topic is selling all kinds of trendy “Alice” inspired gear.  From jewelry, to jackets, to Mad Hatter totes, they are fully committed to the newest Disney movie.

According to the Wall Street Journal article, “Disney Invites ‘Goths’ to the Party,” Disney doesn’t expect “Alice’s” merchandise sales to measure up to the $8 Billion “Toy Story” empire.  But connecting with a new segment of the market could be exactly what Disney had in mind when they hired Burton to work on their latest film.  By hiring an edgier director, they can focus on tapping into a market that isn’t traditionally targeted by Disney’s infamously juvenile and innocent brand.

Take Lady Gaga for instance.  At 23 years old, she’s sold 15.3 million digital tracks, generated four number 1 songs from her debut album and is nominated for five Grammy awards.  Yes, she’s talented.  But how did she make it when there are so many other talented musicians that can’t seem to get a break?

It’s all about brand positioning and marketing.  Here are a few things that have propelled Gaga into super-stardom:

• Brand Positioning: Gaga holds a unique position in the mind of consumers in relation to competing artists.  When competition, like Taylor Swift and Beyonce, are appealing to audiences with an innocent, girl-next-door image, the only way to get ahead is by posing as the complete opposite.

• Timing: History repeats itself.  Lady Gaga isn’t the first artist to become famous by stunning her audience. Queen, George Michael and Madonna are just a few artists that have pushed the limits by not conforming to sexual and fashion boundaries.   But it’s tough to have more than one popular misfit in the industry at time so Gaga’s timed it right by entering the industry when other artists are mellower.

• Style: Her style has been described as risqué, wild, cutting edge, and cross-dressing.  Some refer to her as the Marilyn Manson of pop!  Whatever you want to call her style, it’s one of a kind.  She’s hired outlandish designers to fill her wardrobe and she’s not afraid to cover herself in blood to get attention.

• 360-Deal: According to the Wall Street Journal article, The Lessons of Lady Gaga, Universal Music Group’s deal with Gaga is the reason for her success.   Labels are slashing their artist rosters to invest more money in their high-ticket artists.  They invest tons of money up-front for marketing, in exchange for touring revenues, merchandise sales, and even celebrity endorsement deals.  Troy Carter, Gaga’s manger, credits the 360-deal for her success, stating, “Would she be in the position to play in front of 20,000 people a night if the record company had not put up the marketing dollars?“

• Embracing Digital Distribution: Consumers can download and share music for free, without having to pay for songs.  Many musicians condemn digital distribution because they think it’s ruined their chance at getting revenue from their music. Lady Gaga has done the opposite, making her music available to anyone who wants it.  The accessibility of her music has made more people want to attend her shows, purchase her merchandise and it increased her brand loyalty.

• Talent: She wouldn’t be where she is today without talent.  She writes her own music and her tunes alone have a style of their own.

• Initiative: She’s a workaholic.  She is 100% devoted to her music, speaking engagements, concerts, fans and the team of people that supports her.  She shows the drive and determination that it takes to make it in the industry!

Lady Gaga’s got all of these things going for her, however, her long-term success will hinge on evolution.  She may be on top of the world now but her image wont keep up the momentum for long.  Like all life-long musicians, she will have to reposition her brand to achieve long-term success.

Good luck, Gaga!  Can’t wait to see what you morph into next!

The classic 80/20 principle claims 20 percent of all customers generate 80 percent of the demand. For example, heavy users make more than 60 percent of fast-food visits, but they only account for one of five fast-food patrons. If we can understand what these super-consumers want and then offer it to them, it will be mutually beneficial.

Tap into Your Super-Consumers reinforces this philosophy. Some of the examples provided by author Eddie Yoon boast a 20% increase in sales and a migration to the top spot within the respective industry. If companies keep brand-loyal customers happy, they will continue to come back for more.

Research can help us make informed decisions. Interviews, focus groups, surveys, questionnaires, and observation can all be useful tools. However, knowing the right questions to ask is equally important. It’s important to ask your best customers what matters most to them.

Are your star patrons looking for additional features, distinctiveness, better quality, improved service? Most consumers will pay a premium for their ideal product. It’s up to us to give them what they want.

The NFL quickly squashed the campaign; fearing more brands and players would pull such stunts, potentially ruining the game.  The NFL threatened each “poser” with a $10, 000 to $100,000 penalty, depending on the game.  Supposedly, players are restricted from “wearing, displaying, promoting or otherwise conveying their support of a commercially identified product during a game while they’re on the field.”

Captain Morgan, himself, spoke up to defend the stunt:

“Captain Morgan here, as you know I believe in celebrating legendary times with my fans and my friends and always doing so in a socially responsible manner. I am a man of action, a man of the moment, and I always make fun a priority. And when it comes to football what is more fun than a touchdown? I believe in drinking responsibly, marketing responsibly and helping charities too, but understand my friends at the NFL’s perspective. I will continue in my quest for legendary times and ask my fans to do the same.”

Sounds like my kind of captain!

Well-known symbols are often used to represent companies.  Take Mercedes-Benz and McDonalds, for example.  Consumers see their brand marks and immediately recall the company name.

Branding has three primary purposes: product identification, repeat sales, and new product sales.  When companies use a logo to represent their product, they allow marketers to differentiate their products from others so consumers can immediately indicate the product’s quality. The repeat and new product sales that are generated from a company’s brand recognition can make or break a company.

Logos are a very important part of branding to buyers and sellers.

Advantages to buyers:

• Helps identify products
• Cue to product quality and consistency

Advantages to sellers:

• Basis for product’s quality story
• Provides legal protection
• Helps to segment markets

A logo’s shape and color can have a lot to do with a company’s success.  Check out 6 Things We Can Learn From Google’s Logo for tips on how to create a meaningful and valuable logo!

Test your brand familiarity by taking this Corporate Logo Quiz.  How many logos can you name?