The Coupon Craze

The last time coupons were popular at such a large demand was during the last economic recession.  Clipping coupons is not the most impressive past time so it is obvious to see why they are more popular at times when the economy is falling and people are looking for simple ways to save money, and do it fast. Coupons, in turn, are the best way to do that.  They are readily available almost anywhere you look, they are free, and you can get what you need immediately. 

According the the February 11, 2008 edition of Brandweek, marketers spent more than double the amount of money on freestanding insert coupons in 2007 compared to 2006. Some companies were just increasing spending while others were joining in for the first time. Discover Financial Services and Citigroup were among a few who decided to give the sunday papers a chance.  Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and General Mills have always included coupons in their marketing plans, but they too have increased spending.  Procter & Gamble and Unilever both spent more than twice as much on FSI's in 2007 than in 2006.

The category total for 2006 was $413.3 million and for 2007 was $907.6 million.  The increase in spending is because, "for marketers, FSIs are a measurable, inexpensive way to reach these budget-conscious customers."  As discussed in the prior blog, to keep coupons with the technology age, many companies are offering printable coupons online as well.  This way, there is faster audience research and less production costs. 

The newest effect of increased coupon use for marketing needs is the entry of brand new industries onto the scene.  Coupon use is growing within the medical field as well as restaurants and other services. 

Tv shows aren't alone on the internet

As fantastic as most viewers think watching their favorite tv shows online is, they may not enjoy the commercial segments throughout the show.  Watching tv shows online, however, still cuts the viewing time down a lot, around 40 minutes for an hour long show, and about 23 minutes for a half-hour show. 

I have recently started watching Lost from the beginning. I was never into it when it first aired but I was bored a few weeks ago so I started it to keep myself entertained. I had never really watched a lot of tv shows online before. One here or there but nothing continuously. 

As I watched each episode I noticed that each one was sponsored by a certain brand or company.  Some episodes had a number of different ads while others had only the same brand. Showing tv shows on the internet in the first place was an amazing idea, but allowing the viewer to become part of the show itself was even better.  The viewer is not just laying in front of the computer zoning out, but instead has interaction by having to click to continue with the next segment. And since the commercials usually only consist of one short commercial, there is not really enough time to get up and leave, so most viewers probably sit and watch them.  

Although it may not be seen as a direct promotion, I just think the idea as a whole has really made a big difference on how people view tv and/or the internet and how they are connected. People themselves are taking a greater role in what they watch and how they watch it. 

It seems that every network has it's own offerings for internet viewing.  Each has certain characteristics and qualities but all offer one thing in common, and that is choice for the viewer. 

Ford is Dashboard Drumming

I don't think I've seen....or heard of something like this before.  As others have mentioned, I don't know how really believable it is, but it is still is a pretty unique thought.  

Ford is promoting the new Focus by...actually destroying one. Ford and Ogilvy have come together and hired two composers to tear apart a Ford Focus and then build 31 musical instruments out of the parts. "The new Ford Focus. Beautifully arranged" is the new tagline. 

From the Advertising Age article, "The five-door hatchback was hot off the line when film composer Craig Richey and New York sound designer Bill Milbrodt ripped it apart to create things like a Transmission Case Cello-Dulcimer, Rear Suspension Spike Fiddle and, cheekily, a Fender Bass."  

"Ode to a Ford" is the composition title.  It is definitely not the usual car commercial but at the same time I'm not sure if this quality-being able to make musical instruments out of your car, even if it does sound beautiful- is something that people will really buy. It will grab the attention of the viewers out of surprise and doubt possibly, but I in the long run I don't know how much of an effect it will have on actual purchases of this particular vehicle. 

The spot is pretty long, and a little repetitive, but still is impressive.  Either way, I'd like to see how this campaign turns out.

Ohhh the Hallmark Holiday

Today is Valentine's Day.  Some can think of nothing better while others try not to let it cross their minds.   While reading the New York Times today I could not help but be overwhelmed, not only by the array of promotional ads for high-fashion names, but more by the fact that every single ad had to do with buying something for a loved one.  Once, Valentine's Day actually meant something to people but now it is just another consumer-driven day, celebrated by card suppliers and chocolate makers.  

Don't get me wrong, I like Valentine's Day just as much as the next person but it is hard to get past all of the consumerism to reach the "real" holiday of love and happiness and feelings and friends....

Opening the first page you can see ads for Chanel, Cartier, Gucci, Coach, Mikimoto, Prada, Hogan, Bloomingdales, Tiffany & Co. and Saks.  Some are generic ads but most are targeted just for Valentine's Day with free giveaways and deals.  Looking further into the NYT there are many more ads for jewelry, fur coats, and perfume. There are a number of full page ads just for this specific day, it is pretty ridiculous.  Even though I do enjoy the idea of Valentine's Day, each year it gets worse and is basically just annoying now.  Valentine's should be limited to grade school kids to eat candy and cupcakes all day, not to bombard America with more stuff we don't need. 

Just for fun: History of Valentine's Day- nice video and fun activities!

Coupons for Anything!

From food products to shampoo to vitamins, www.printcoupons.com has coupons for anything you could possibly need, besides real veges and fruits of course. Categories for coupons include foods, tax prep, personal care, health care, household, beverages, and entertainment. You can search through those categories or top brands, or even specific coupons for your zip code.  

Bright, bold star shapes show how much each coupon is saving you as a customer who simply just has to push print to save tons of money!  Even on the first page of coupons you can save almost ten dollars just with coupons.  Clipping coupons was once a stay-at-home-mom's past time but today is it a really simple way to save a lot of money on the items you buy anyway.  

People use the internet for hours each day, so hey, while your surfing around why not drop by this site and print off the coupons you need, or want, and save yourself and/or your family some money.  It might take an extra few minutes to go through the pages and print the ones you want, but with coupons for 55 cents to $2.50 it can really make a difference when your standing at the cash register.  There is even a coupon for $25 to H&R Block! How can you beat that?!

Another great feature of this site is the recipe page.  You can pick a recipe to make for dinner and then go through the pages and print out the coupons for the food items you need! Save time and money in the same place! The recipes even include nutritional information, ratings, and a print option as well.  

There are other sites that have similar options so definitely search around and find the one that works for you, but take advantage of the free savings that are waiting right around the corner!

Merriam-Webster Word of the Year Contest

Surprisingly enough Merriam-Webster's #1 Word of the Year for 2004 was 'blog.'  For 2005 it was 'integrity' and for 2006, 'truthiness.'  For the wonderful year of 2007 Merriam-Webster once again hosted a contest for the public to help pick the Words of the Year.  The #1 Word of the Year for 2007 is 'woot' or 'w00t' to most on-line gamers, which is just where the word originated. 

W00t was first seen in competitive on-line gaming forums as part of a language used by hackers using numbers and letters to make up words.  Woot can either be spelled with two o's or two 0's, or zeros.  In addition it can also be used as an exclamation to express excitement etc. Some others say it means "we owned the other team" which is a second reference to it's use in gaming. 

Last year I was introduced to a website, simply, www.woot.com, which sells only one item a day with limited supplies.  I'm not entirely sure how it is related or if it is at all, but still interesting. 

To find out what words to pick from, Merriam-Webster tracks the usage of new and popular words.  They also have to gather citations and examples. Thousands of people voted in this year's contest.  With growing popularity I can see many more people voting or tuning in for the next Word of the Year. 

The nine other words rounding up the top 10 for 2007 include: facebook, conundrum, quixotic, blamestorm, sardoodledom, apathetic, Pecksniffian, hypocrite, and charlatan.  To find out the meanings of these woods you can visit the Word of the Year pages.  Also visit the home site, linked at the top, to see the Word of the Day, and many more options. 

Also check out an article by Wired about the Word of the Year. 

KFC might be plucked from the Super Bowl

The famous Super Bowl commercials are now priced up to $2.67 million dollars for the 2008 game.  The price tag, however, still hasn't stopped the many companies who continue to draw viewers to the game.  KFC might not be one of the companies who can afford $2.67 million for a 30-second spot but that hasn't stopped them from trying to get their name in the headlines. 

For the 2008 Patriots v. Giants game KFC will be opening their new Hot Wings promotion by including the players themselves, or at least trying to.  They have agreed to donate $260,000 (the cost of three seconds air time during the Super Bowl) to the Colonel's Scholars in the name of the player or performer who does the chicken dance in the end zone.  

Even with this unique marketing and great cause, KFC is finding it hard to recruit a participant.  Because KFC is not a sponsor for the teams or the league, players could be fined for participating.  As of Janurary 29th no player had yet to agree to the chicken dance.  

 

As the NFL spokesperson, Brian McCarthy has shown the joint feelings toward the promotion, "It's ambush marketing, trying to affiliate yourself with the biggest sporting event." While Rick Maynard, KFC's spokesperson for the hot wings promo has stated, "we haven't heard from the NFL and we are committed to being respectful of the property and rights of others.  We would never intentionally ruffle any feather."

 

I understand that the NFL has certain rules and regulations for sponsors etc. but I hope that someone at least participates to make this promotion successful.  It's a creative idea that KFC should get more than negative credit for. 

 

Read the full article at Advertising Age.