Kursten Brown: Ithaca College

2009-09-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

Additional MOI Posting: Google amazes

2009-04-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

As I was doing regular research last night for a final paper, being a college student, of course I started my research with a general search from Google's homepage. Now I and Google alike are not that old, but anyone can see how much Google has developed since it first began. On the homepage Google has started advertising its own browser, Chrome, to download.

After the Google Ad word presentation the other day I started thinking about how complex this whole process is. Other search engines simply do not compare to Google. It is to the point that when you open Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox now (maybe Chrome soon) if there is not an automatic Google search bar then it completely throws off your plans. In my opinion Yahoo and plain other search engines just don't cut it. We have grown accustom to the way in which Google searches and displays our information so now any less in inadequate.

My recent interest, however, started with a simple letter, D. By typing one letter into Google's search bar words and phrases come up for you....just in case those include whatever you were searching for that might have started with D. Dictionary, dillards, Disney channel, dell, delta, Disney, dominos, dictionary Webster, direct tv, and David's bridal all come up in the first drop down of possible search options.

Dell: Pricing Strategies

2009-04-11T17:57:00.001-07:00

I just bought a new laptop computer from Dell. Definitely no more of this whole required Mac thing. Park was/is pretty ridiculous for requiring their students to purchase the MacBook Pro laptops. Of course the computers are nice and shiny and incredibly useful for those computer whizzes and TVR kids, but not IMC. All my scholarship and summer job money after high school went straight into a computer that I did not know how to use, and obviously didn’t last very long, even with only using it for internet and word. Either way, I was finally able to buy the Dell computer I wanted 3 years ago, that is also new and shiny, and a lot cheaper and fits my needs perfectly fine. My point is that when I was forced to buy the Mac (for my freshman fear of the unknown) I did not get to choose what came with it. Sure I had those options, but it was wiping me clean as it was so I had to get the basics of everything. With my own hard-earned money (again) I was able to really look at what I wanted in my Dell computer and order it with confidence that it was what I wanted and needed, for the price I was willing to pay.

Looking back at my own process through the Dell purchasing system I can easily see two different pricing strategies that work very successfully for Dell. Depending on the product and the consumer Dell is able to profit from using both fixed and dynamic pricing strategies.

Looking at the fixed pricing strategies it is obvious that Dell uses markup pricing, bundling pricing and strong promotional pricing (the end result of which is being typed on right now). Dell has a wide variety of products that are sold from the company itself and now also through distributing companies like BestBuy. Dell produces and sells a number of different products like laptop computers, desktop computers, printers, and scanners. The products they sell all have many variations and different qualities which allows Dell to price their products accordingly and reach as many consumers as possible. There is even a new laptop that is directly competing with Apple’s Macbook Pro through style and price. The new Dell, the Adamo, is shown in silver or black and starts at $1,999. Dell is obviously targeting those Apple customers who still want a Windows system. Most importantly, Dell does not actually produce each individual part that they use to build their computers. Dell has to first purchase parts from other companies like Intel and Microsoft in order to build the computers that their customers want to purchase. Dell uses a Markup strategy so that they do not lose money when buying the parts. Sure, it might be cheaper for an individual to buy all the parts themselves and put the computer together with no markup prices, but there are only a select few of us out there that can do that. Kodos to them, but the rest of the world wants their computers built and delivered to their doorsteps ready to turn on and use.

Depending on the product being purchased Dell is also able to offer bundling pricing. I don’t think Dell will cut the cost if one order included 5 computers or something similar but Dell does offer bundling prices within their services like computer support, insurance and in-home care, shipping and handling, and some smaller add-on products like games, Microsoft Office, and virus protection software.

Promotional pricing is Dell’s biggest advantage. On any given day Dell is putting on at least one promotion, if not more. I have seen Dell television commercials, product magazines, newspaper inserts, print advertisments, and countless internet ads. Dell is constantly is the consumer’s mind when it comes to purchasing a new computer. I purchased my own laptop because of Dell’s March Madness promotion. I was looking for a new computer anyway but I was taking my time to do a fair share of research before my purchase. The March Madness promotion went on for ten days and had a select individual promotion for each day. The daily promotions only lasted for that one day, so this promotion added the effect of scarcity into the equation. In addition to scarcity, only that day’s promotion could be seen so the consumer had to take a chance with not knowing what the other daily promotions would be. I actually ordered my own computer on the very last day of promotions. All of these promotional deals have a close end-date or “limited time offer.” The good thing about Dell is that even if one attractive promotion passes, there is a good chance a similar one will start again in a few weeks. Dell prices their computers as one of the lowest brands in the industry. The prices are configured depending on the parts that are included in each individual computer. There are regular computers offered but consumers are also able to customize their own which of course is now an expected part of web 2.0. Consumers can also choose to spend more to upgrade their hard drives, battery life, virus protection software, warranties and much more. In addition, consumers can end up spending hundreds more by the luring sidebar full of mice, printers, speakers, webcams, and other products that they can add on. $20 doesn’t seem like so much when you know you are already going to be paying over $700, and that is a fact that Dell has taken advantage of very well.

CareerBuilder.com...probably will have part in my future

2009-03-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

Careerbuilder.com is a pure play model and has influenced other .com businesses like Monster and local employment sites. Careerbuilder is the U.S.'s largest online job site and puts over 1.6 million jobs in front of poised job seekers all over the world. The vision and mission statement reads "We are changing the way companies around the world recruit their most important asset: their people. Our mission is to be the global leader in online recruitment advertising by being an employee-driven, customer-focused organization that provides the best rate of return to our stakeholders." Careerbuilder was founded in 1995 at NetStart Inc. In 2002 they became the industry leader.

Although Careerbuilder now has sales offices in physical form around the country, I am using Careerbuilder as a pure play example because they began as one. Their main business is

still conducted online. I think this is a good example of growth for such a business. A company can start off small with no physical existence and grow to be the industry leader and world influencer. Gannett Co., Inc, Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company and Microsoft Corp all have a share in the ownership of Careerbuilder.com. It also partners with 150 newspapers and leading portals such as American Online and MSN. Careerbuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Asia.

Careerbuilder uses both the Affiliate Model and the Advertising Model to generate revenue. One the Careerbuilder site there is actually a section describing their Affiliate Program. Careerbuilder integrates their job search tool and links with other sites in exchange for earnings in commission for the traffic those sites drive to Career

builder.com. According to Careerbuilder there are 3 ways members of the affiliate program can earn revenue. 1.Applications to Job Postings- job seekers can apply to as many jobs as they like, and members are paid for the total applications received. Applying to jobs is free for the job seeker. 2. Job Postings-3. Consumer Products- Products like CB Resume, Resume Direct, and Sure Check help aid the job seeker in their job search process. And members get a commission for each sale as well. Working with so many partners Careerbuilder must also integrate specific banner exchange, pay per click, or revenue sharing aspects as well. Members are compensated for every online job posting that is purchased and posted on CareerBuilder.com through the online form.

Careerbuilder also uses the advertising model with its partners and other companies. Careerbuilder draws in revenue through advertising by convincing other companies to advertise on the site. In the advertising section of Careerbuilder's website it states "we deliver a very 'Internet-Involved' audience with a high propensity to shop, buy and dig for information online, exactly the kind of web users you would want to reach with your advertising message.

Our continuously growing network includes over 1,000 partners, and 138 newspapers and 40 television stations. Our web partners include major publishers like MSN, AOL, USA Today and Google as well as diversity websites such as Equality Magazines and MSN Latino. Because of the wide-ranging nature of our partner sites, CareerBuilder users have considerably diverse profiles and are highly Internet savvy." This is obviously drawing in customers to advertise with Careerbuilder and has profited them well. Careerbuilder has done its own research and provides the demographics and user behavior of its site visitors for advertisers to view. Advertisers get options to advertise depending on specific demographics, geography, categories, and key words. Careerbuilder offers creative placements in banner, skyscraper, leaderboard, rectangle, text link, and email styles. It doesn't sound like a bad deal to me!

Careerbuilder has done a significant amount of research and the results definitely show. In order to evaluate the success of their business Careerbuilder should be measuring its performance by the number of people that actually get jobs because of Careerbuilder. This can be measured in a number of different ways, and a few different aspects can be measured at the same time. Careerbuilder needs to look at the number of qualified people posting resumes, the number and type of jobs they are applying to, the number and types of jobs available, the time period this takes place, the duration of time it takes before a job is offered and taken, etc. I'm sure Careerbuilder has these statistics already but I cannot find the results on the website.

Either way, during my search through the Careerbuilder site I have found some very interesting jobs myself. I will be graduating next December and I now know that I will come back to this site to look for my own jobs. I like the way it is set up with different search options. With the whole economy talk and job loses and blah blah blah, it doesn't seem the same on the website. There are tons of jobs that have been posted in the last day or two, even in a smaller area like Ithaca. I think this will be a very valuable tool for me in the future.

Case #2: Ethical and Legal Issues

2009-02-26T08:05:00.000-08:00

When most people think of the rapper, Lil Wayne, they don’t get a picture of clean-cut, proper, mature performer in their heads. This case against Lil Wayne does not help his image.

This case has a mix of legal and ethical issues along with remix and copyright problems. The one example in class, involving Kanye West, unfortunately was not enough for the music industry.

In 1965, The Rolling Stones released their song “Play With Fire.” Over forty years later, Lil Wayne tried to incorporate the melody and lyrics from the Rolling Stones’ song into his own song titled, “Playing With Fire.” The Rolling Stones are contracted with Abkco Music Inc., which have executives who were originally prepared to grant the request to use “Play With Fire” as part of Lil Wayne’s song. Late the Abkco Music Inc. executives changed their minds when they learned of the lyrics to the Lil Wayne song. In the case the lyrics were called “explicit, sexist and offensive.” Abkco Music Inc. of course did not feel that those lyrics would match appropriately to the original music o

f the Rolling Stones.

The real issue started once Abkco executives learned that the song has been recorded and released with no contractual agreement anyway. They found out about the release through reading reviews. Abkco Music then sued Lil Wayne, his producer, record label and music publishers because of the copied song. The copyright suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. By the time the actual lawsuit had been filed Lil Wayne’s album “Tha Carter III” had sold almost two million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen Soundscan. The single itself sold another 42,000 digital copies through download services like iTunes. Topping that off, the album was the best-selling album of 2008, with 2.8 million units sold domestically. These statistics don’t even touch the number of copies of the song that were shared and spread illegally. Lil Wayne was forced to permanently remove the song from the “Tha Carter III” album both on the physical and digital sources, as well as all of the single download options.

According to music industry lawyers, in most cases like this, the winning plaintiff would be awarded royalties and damages. So far, however, neither side of the case has released any information about financial compensations in the settlement. The settlement was announced by Abkco, Lil Wayne’s record label, Universal Music Group, and the two publishers of “Playing With Fire,” EMI Group Ltd. and Warner Music Group Corp. Interestingly, both Lil Wayne’s and the Rolling Stone’s recordings are distributed by labels owned by Vivendi SA’s Universal Music Group.

Usually the winning plaintiff wants a financial compensation from the lawsuit, but in this case it was instead demanded that the song be removed from the market. “It’s not common, because usually they want the money, but it’s a remedy that’s available,” said Donald S. Passman, a lawyer and author of “All You Need to Know About the Music Business.” In response, Abkco President Jody Klein said, “The lawsuit was not about money. It was about protecting the written works of our songwriters.”

The link to the related article located in the ProQuest database:
http://ezproxy.ithaca.edu:2086/pqdweb?index=4&did=1635360291&SrchMode=2&sid=11&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1235615757&clientId=12342

It is incredibly unfortunate that issues like this occur in the entertainment industry, or any industry at all for that matter. Especially in this case, where it is very obvious that there was no signed agreement and that Lil Wayne and/or producers, writers, etc, released the song on purpose with the intent to get away with it.

I also respect the label’s decision to force the song to be removed from the album and digital purchasing systems but I also think that the Rolling Stone’s and their Abkco Music label should have been reimbursed with a fair share of the sales.

So although the two songs were technically different because of the lyrics, and most likely a slight variation in the music, it is extremely important to go about these types of agreements correctly. Copyright also addresses issues of expression, which shows in this case how the Rolling Stones label did not want to be associated with Lil Wayne’s sense of expression through his music. Through the 1976 Copyright Act the owner of the copyright, “Play With Fire,” has exclusive rights with reproduction, preparing derivative works, performing the work publicly, and distributing the work. More importantly, copyright becomes property of the author as soon as the work is finished. Copyright covers literary works, musical works, dramatic works, motion pictures and other audio-visual works, pictorial, graphic and sculptural works, sound recordings, and architectural works. Maybe Lil Wayne should have studied up on copyright before he we

nt ahead and recorded and released his song. If he had he would have known that work is still copyrighted even if the work doesn’t have a © symbol, if there is no monetary charge, if it is on the internet, or if the copyright is not defended, thankfully in this case the copyright was defended. There is fair use of copyright material for certain reasons like criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research, none of which had anything to do Lil Wayne’s release.

Hopefully even these two examples will be enough for the music industry to shape it up. Otherwise there will be even more unsatisfied consumers out there.

Nike v. Puma

2009-01-29T17:23:00.000-08:00

While creating personal shoe designs on each of the Nike and Puma sites I was able to fully understand the consumer experience. I created accounts for both websites in order to save my work and go back to it later.

I enjoyed the NikeID site more because it seemed to me to be more relevant and directly related to the shoe-buying experience. The Nike designs were more appealing to my personal style and interest so it kept me more focused. I did experience a few technical difficulties, however, when I was unable to save my first two shoe designs. From the consumer standpoint this situation was extremely frustrating because I had to start the design over two times until I finally decided to give up and wait for another day. So although I like the visual design and set up of the Nike website more, the Puma site was actually easier to use. I also thought Nike stood out because you can also take part in the creation and design of certain clothing and sport items as well.

Nike’s website headline for the shoe design section read, “Dominate in colors all your own.” I felt that this fit well with Nike’s image of top sporting equipment and appeal. This also tied in with the option of picking the specific shoe design based on specific sports teams’ colors. This was not an option I took advantage of but I know many people who would fully appreciate it. NikeID also offers an in-person studio where customers can make appointments to try on the shoes in-house. This is also a very creative idea, especially for those customers who are willing to pay top dollar for their sneakers. This NikeID Studio is connected to big names like Ludacris.

The website itself was full of audio and visuals that catch attention but can also drive you a little crazy after awhile. There were a lot of pop-up description boxes and flash animation.

One positive part of the experience was the option to start with a blank shoe design or look at other original designs that were submitted by customers like yourself. You can also design any type of shoe you want, not just one or two different styles.

The Puma Mongolian Shoe BBQ website was a much more unusual experience for me than past online shopping has been. I did not like the concept/idea of relating shoe design with cooking. Logically it makes sense, I guess, but when I am looking at shoes, I do not also want to be thinking about ingredients that I will be putting in my mouth. Puma’s website opened with the heading, “Grab your chef hat and preheat your creativity.” It’s an original idea, but it just threw me off a little. The whole look of the website, from the opening photos to the commentary really did not make is seem like a shoe supplier. If I didn’t already know what Puma was when I saw the homepage, I would probably think it was the website of a restaurant. In support of the website, at least I can say Puma kept the concept constant throughout.

Puma’s actual shoe design process was easier in most ways. Unfortunately there were only three styles to choose from. And although the process of creating and saving the design was easier, I was less satisfied with the graphics, colors, angles of view, and event the lay out of options. When a color selection was made it looked a lot different on the shoe in the picture than actually in the color sample. The shoe design was also split up into three sections. This option added more available combinations but in some ways provided too much to do and not all the colors matched.

The Nike shoe design also allowed for the customer to click directly on the section of the shoe they wanted to change. That was useful because most consumers don’t particularly care what the company has decided to name each individual part of the shoe, they just want to get their job done in the easiest and most enjoyable way possible. The Puma site, however, did not provide that option. Instead there was a list on the side that held the names of each part along with the colors you could choose for it. It took some guessing and clicking around, but eventually it worked out.

The two companies had slightly different approaches to their customized athletic shoe websites but the overall ideas were the same. It is hard to differentiate a service like that because for the most part the same options will be offered. Even if a competitor was offering a characteristic that you didn’t, it probably would not take long for the opposite company to offer their own variation of the same thing.

I did enjoy the Nike experience more, even with the technical problems. My own personal taste has everything to do with that decision. Companies must really look at their target audience and main customers in order to create the right website environment and experience, otherwise a lot can be lost.

New stuff starting from here..

2009-01-29T17:22:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I originally made this blog for my Audience Research class as a sophomore at Ithaca College, and guess what!? Another class is requiring a blog…so I’m going to use the same one!

Grand Theft Auto IV

2008-04-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

WHOO HOO! It's finally here! I don't really know what all the fuss is about because I have never played the game, but I do know that millions of other consumers have and it is HUGE! According to the AdAge article, the Grand Theft Auto IV release "is expected to lift the entire industry even further, while putting the spotlight firmly back on the core gamer audience."

Currently the record for video game sales is held by Halo 3 with $300 million, but that is expected to be broken with the GTA release by up to $50 to 100 million more. The game producers are not the only ones who will be getting direct sales increases. Gamestop, Game Crazy, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart will all benefit from the sales of the game, especially those that held special opening nights and promos for the game.

The M rating has had some downfall on strictness for minors and some marketing activities. With those problems, the game has still received all perfect reviews so far and special recognition for its "first-time interactive play as well as superior graphics on the next-generation platforms of both Sony's Playstation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360."

Tyson's misleading promo gets disputed!

2008-04-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

In my two health classes I have heard so much about diet and the national food intake lately. One of the biggest topics has been meat and the harmful substances that are used to raise chicken, pigs, and cows which are then turned into the meat we consume and those harmful substances and put directly into our own bodies. Many consumers are still unaware of these huge problems but it is becoming a more popular and serious topic everyday.

According to AdWeek, Tyson's latest ad campaign contained ads that read ,"Raised without antiboitics" but that claim does not include the detail that the specific antibiotics it does not contain are those that can also affect the antibiotics that humans take. Tyson does actually use other antibiotics when raised the animals. Competing companies, Perdue and Sanderson brought the ad campaign to a federal judge and showed that no companies use antibiotics that can affect the antibiotics that humans use, but the ads would appear to consumers that those other companies do.

There was a preliminary injunction granted against the marketing Tyson used, in part because of the huge loses that the competitors have been experiencing. Sanderson reported $4 million in loses while Perdue reported $11 million.

Tyson has all of the materials for the campaign and although they had not released it yet, it had plans to begin before the main summer grilling season. As passionate about advertising and marketing as I am, I have learned about the information from the other side, the meat industry in particular, and so I strongly feel like is one campaign that needs to be left alone because of the amount of misleading information consumers will get.

Meaningless Promos

2008-04-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

I'm not really sure how this makes sense, or why people would be interested, but hey, people will do anything for more money and fame. Oprah has been in the news a lot for her weight problems and inability to cook, not like it's anyone's business, but people still talk about it.

Oprah's magazine, O, is now coming out with a new cookbook that even features a special recipe from Oprah herself (and her personal cook), reports MediaWeek. The companies excuse for putting out the cookbook is that it is more of a reflection of Oprah's style and attitude rather than her eating habits.

The cookbook also includes recipes from other famous cooks like Bobby Flay, Daniel Boulud and Ina Garten. This thing is, Oprah doesn't have to have cooking ability and maybe her weight will help sell the delicious recipes, but no matter what she is interested in or what she is trying to sell, as long as Oprah's name is on it people will buy it. And from a business perspective, there could be nothing better than to be able to sell absolutely anything because of the name you have created for yourself. Congrats Oprah.

Virtual Worlds...right on time

2008-04-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

After the great presentation in class last week I thought this would fit in perfectly with what we have been learning about! Although there are already hundreds of virtual worlds already set up "Big Media Players Going 'Virtual' for Kids" is the topic of this MediaWeek article.

I have honestly never visited a virtual world site, even though I always remind myself to while I am having a discussion about them with someone else, but then I always forget... I always have a lot going on and I really can't imagine having enough time to just hang out in a second world. Sure, if I had two of me I'd love to create another, better me to play with...but I don't see that happening anytime soon. But either way- tons of people do have the time and obviously they love doing the virtual world thing cause it is still growing like crazy!

Today there are virtual worlds designed for any target- older adults, young children and all ages in between. People from different ages visit and participate is other sites as well. The bigger media companies are now targeting mainly 'tweens' which are 8-12 year olds. This is actually probably the best market because these kids don't have a lot of homework to do, money to go out, or even cars to leave with. They sit at home until their parents get home from work and what better to do then play on the computer?

I really do want to discover what this virtual world thing is all about, and maybe this blog will finally push me over to edge to actually put the time into explore. Companies are putting a lot of money into them...so there has to be something cool there, right?

Will Physical Media Completely Disappear?

2008-04-10T17:11:00.000-07:00

The ways in which customers can rent and watch movies in the last few years has changed dramatically, and is getting kind of confusing now with all of the options. I am used to the one option of going to the video store and walking around aimlessly for hours trying to pick out a movie, but definitely not getting my movies in the mail or on my computer. Of course most consumers of these products are well past that stage at this point and will be more welcoming to this addition from Blockbuster.

Blockbuster is now introducing a set-box top, compaired to the Apple TV, and will be available for competative prices overall. This set-box top will "allow video content to be streamed directly to a television," says The Hollywood Reporter. "The service would take advantage of video-on-demand technology from Movielink that allows movie downloads from Universal Studios, Paramount, Sony Pictures, MGM, and Warner Brothers," THR also noted.

No report has been released about how much this service will cost or how it will work, except that it would be simple to make it competitively affordable with other similar services. On top of that, Blockbuster has one more advantage because of its strong relationship with the studios, a vast selection, greater than other services may be able to offer.

Overall, it leaves the business of movie rentals in a wobbly spot once again, especially for those customers like me, who may actually prefere the whole experience of going to rent a movie and not just staying at home and having it appear when I want. If newer additions are continuous there may not be any such stores in the future, and although that may not be realistic for now, it will leave many customers in the dust.

Latino MySpace! whoo hoo!

2008-04-09T13:50:00.001-07:00

I don't really have a great use for a MySpace, Latino style, because I am the whitest girl around, but I know many people that will LOVE this new addition. Latino, everything, has been a growing trend in the past little while with special television stations, radio stations, rising popularity in music, etc. It is not really that surprising since Latinos and Latino Americans make up such a large percentage of our population.

Although the MediaWeek article is short, we do get some necessary info from it, including that "among the site's initial media partners are ImpreMedia, Spanish Broadcasting System, Billboard en Espanol and Remezcla.com." Although some test runs have been out for awhile this is the official launching of MySpace Latino- which by definition is "a bilingual version of its mega-popular social networking hub geared for U.S. Hispanics.

The site features a variety of Hispanic-aimed content that will benefit anyone from music lovers to sports fans. This popular social networking is designed specifically for Latino Americans. MySpace already has 9.7 million Hispanic members but now those members can also choose to become a part of this extended edition.

One more thing to embarrass yourself with while walking alone

2008-04-03T16:42:00.000-07:00

Although this somewhat new technology is really cool and interesting, I just don't see the need for it. Anyway- Yahoo has teamed up with vlingo, a speech recognition technology firm to provide users of Yahoo with the ability to make web searches on their mobile devices without actually doing anything.

The same technology that is already in cars and on computers can now be used anywhere. This new option is called oneSearch 2.o. Users only simply have to speak the words of what they want to search for...and vola! According to the MediaWeek article, "over time, the product's voice recognition capabilities will adapt to an individual users' voice, said Yahoo executives."

The technology will start out only on BlackBerry devices but will eventually expand to other sources. In addition, Yahoo will enhance text-based mobile search tools as well. Sometime in the future users will not even have to open a browser to conduct a web search. That sounds just plan lazy to me!

Now, I'm usually very busy but I don't have a BlackBerry or other crazy devices. Even for people who use things like that 24/7 this may seem a little much. On the other hand, this new idea could be everything they ever wanted. I guess we will just have to wait and find out.

Cold Hard Fan Contest

2008-04-02T17:25:00.000-07:00

Coors Light is now hosting their Cold Hard Fan Awards contest where fans can enter for a chance to win and compete in Las Vegas. The contest does not appear to go along with any certain sport so any fans can enter. On the home page some entries are listed, "I once attended a playoff game shirtless, in January" and "I have a cape made of all my basketball ticket stubs." Those sound like pretty cold hard fans to me!

My favorite Cold Hard Fan reason so far, "My doorbell plays my team's fight song, " is so funny! I would really like to read all the submitted reasons so far. I bet there are some pretty intense fans out there. If you would like to enter the contest you of course have to be twenty-one years old, as I found out the hard way.

The online advertisement doesn't have a lot of other information about what the trip to Las Vegas actually consists of so it is a little confusing for participants. If I really wanted to enter, I still wouldn't know exactly what the contest was in Las Vegas or what I was competing for. Although it is the 8th year of this competition there are always newcomers and therefore Coors needs to include some more info.

Hormel vs. Fast Food

2008-03-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

Unlike the healthy teas in my prior post, Hormel isn't targeting the same consumers. Although Hormel products are not much different than fast food in nutritional value, they are trying to create their own image with, "Create Something Great." This is compared to fast food as just being "something" while Hormel refrigerated Entrees are "something great."

BrandWeek is the best source for these articles...so this is once again from them...."Hormel wants consumers to know they don't have to turn to fast food when they're too busy to cook." Hormel is going to promote their new idea with tv and print ads that go along with the idea of fastfood icon characters running after a mother on her way home from work while trying to find something to feed her family. When the mother arrives home the Hormel Entree is there to defend dinner time...very corny.

The food items are not new to the company but they are looking for a new way to promote them and new consumers to attract. Hormel wants consumers to realize that even if they are in a rush for dinner time they do not need to resort to fast food. Instead they have the option of fast dinner entrees that still taste great.

Hormel plans on running the ads through August but may continue longer if it turns out successful.

Be honest! with Honest Tea!

2008-03-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

I have seen these Honest Teas in our little college store but seeing the small pieces at the bottom, I never had the biggest desire to try it. Healthier diets are now the range all across the country so the Honest expansion should go over well, especially now that they have added slightly more sugar. The range of teas are still USDA Certified Organic but now they will also appeal to the sweeter consumers.

The flavors include Citrus Green Energy tea, Honey Green tea, Lemon Black tea, Peach White tea, and Pomegranate White tea with Acai. Honest Tea is trying to expand its market with the added sugar and keep the USDA certification at the same time so they can reach more consumers.

Along with the added sugar, Honest Tea has also changed its packaging to attract different consumers that are looking for healthy treats but are not the most hard-core types. This is really the best way for companies like this to attract new consumers who have multiple interests. Many studies report young consumers as being connected to this- they adapt to new habits or interests- like healthy eating- but they also chose products with depending on price, popularity, and similar characteristics.

According to the BrandWeek article Honest Tea will begin the new promotion with "a year long, 10-city sampling tour." Jamis bicycles will also take part in the promo for a supporting sweepstakes.

Pontiac uses Hot Wheels image to promote new G8

2008-03-22T16:43:00.000-07:00

As a child, I may have been the only girl to have a collection of hot wheels cars, but I loved them anyway. I didn't play with the cars the way my brother did. Instead I had my collection lined up along my bedroom window pane, just to look at. With this example it is obvious why Pontiac has chosen the target and approach to this campaign. They are targeting married men from 35-45, who most likely played with their Hot Wheels cars as children.

This campaign for the first new sedan in over three years brings together these toy cars with video games to raise the feelings these men felt so long ago when they played with their cars. One of the tv spots that will air during the NCAA basketball's March Madness shows the G8 racing around tracks that resemble a Hot Wheels racing set, and if that doesn't bring back memories I don't know what will!

The G8 is being promoted as "the most powerful car under 30 grand," according to the BrandWeek article. Ads will run in a number of different magazine titles as well as network spots. "The notion of the campaign is this unique bond people have with their car," said Jeff Cruz, the executive creative directer at Leo Burnett.

Another spot begins with, "Remember how you felt about cars as a kid?" the narrator says. "We do," says the narrator, as the G8 takes to two wheels on a hairpin turn, revealing the name "Ben" written in child-like scrawl on the undercarriage. All the ads sound really fun and creative to both watch and read

Pontiac spent $144 million on U.S. ads in 2006 (excluding online), but lowered the spending significantly last year to $95 million, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus. This ad campaign to assist the new G8 seems like it should be very successful and I can't wait to see them...even if I am still just a little girl who collects toy cars, and not the 40 year old man who actually wants to play with the real thing.

Check out the Pontiac website too! It looks awesome with the new campaign!

What does Gatorade, the moon, and Tiger Woods have in common?

2008-03-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

Well...to answer that question....the new Gatorade promo that is releasing three new flavors created with the help of Woods, along with a virtual golf competition later on this spring. What more could you ask for!?

According to the BrandWeek article, "Gatorade said today it would break a TV spot during the NCAA Men's Division I basketball tournament on CBS this weekend in which Woods, dressed as an astronaut, takes his game to the moon." The connected promotional sweepstakes "Out of this world" will begin in April.

The new gatorade flavors sounds pretty regular with a slight twist, Red Drive ( cherry), Cool Fusion (citrus), and Quiet Storm (grape). Nothing really new or exciting there, just another way to sell stuff with someone else's face on it.

The fun part will be going to the www.gatorade.com and playing virtual golf on the moon! There are also grand prizes to be won and virtual golf skills to be tested when the team visits Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago, Miami, and New York.

Coupons in the Best Places

2008-03-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

If you have a dog or cat you will know what I'm talking about when I mention coupons inside the product you have already bought. I guess cereal is in the same category but a lot of time you have to send in box tops or have to actually do Something to get what the company is showing you on the box. There are many products, like dog food, that have regular coupons right inside the bag, usually in a little plastic cover and usally for the same product, or a newly marketed or more expensive product.

As I mentioned in a prior post the present economy is forcing people to use more coupons to save money where they can. So, where these included coupons may have been a pain in the past, many people are now seeing them as a free and beneficial oportunity to save money.

I had an early birthday party with my family last night and as always we bought a Carvel ice cream cake for dessert. Right inside was a coupon enclosed in a plastic cover for $1.00 off another cake of the same size. I was so excited because we buy ice creams cakes for any possible celebration that we can think of because we like them so much. But as usual I took the coupon out of the box and put it in a place where I thought I would be able to find it when I needed it, buttt it is already missing. My point is that while these included coupons are handy and helpful, if it is not part of your lifestyle to use them on a regular basis they usually just pile up in a drawer or in the car.

But boy, do I wish I could find that ice cream cake coupon!

Walmart Makes Positive Sustainable Changes

2008-03-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

Walmart has teamed up with Aveda to set 3 environmentally-friendly goals for the future. Walmart plans to be supplied with 10% renewable energy, to create zero waste and to sell products that sustain the company resources and the environment. Overall, Walmart plans to reduce it's packaging by 5% by 2013. To some people that 5% may not seem like a lot, but 5% to Walmart is a lot more than most people could see in a lifetime. It is really a significant amount of savings that will positively affect the whole world. And because Walmart is such an influential company, hopefully other smaller companies around the globe will catch on and begin to do similar acts.

It is obvious that most promotions are only used as a way to increase sales or profit but this promotion will actually do some good for the company while making a difference in the surrounding society. According the the AdWeek article, by changing the way it packages it's goods, Walmart will affect greenhouse gas emissions, product-to-package ratio, the amount of renewable energy used in packaging production and transportation emissions, among other things.

Walmart has already taken steps to make similar changes. For example by May of this year Walmart will only supply liquid laundry detergents and fully supports the concentrated detergents that use less water. If Walmart alone and make these significant changes and influence companies around it, whether for ethical or commercial reasons, I think our society can benefit from it in more ways than one.

I am from a small town, where as I type this, a Super Walmart is being built on the edge of town. The people of this town have been fighting for years about whether or not to build a Walmart here because of the repercussions on the small area business'. Even though Walmart has many other practices that need to be evaluated and changed to better our world, I think this is a start, and one that should be recognized.

Golf Promotion

2008-03-08T17:32:00.001-08:00

From this week's online edition of BrandWeek, "Acushnet Golf next week will launch a season-long promotion designed to help its Pinnacle brand stand out during that is generally considered a very quiet day during a professional tour week."

The promotion is called Tuesdays on Tour and will start for the PGA Tour's Honda Classic event in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. During the month of September Acushnet will put on twelve activities at pro tournaments. The reason behind this promotion is to grab the attention of the golfers and fans once they arrive but they have yet to start the actual competition. There will be a specific area set up for visitors to practice and have a chance to win prizes and actual samples. There will also be junior clinics offered.

Tuesdays on Tour will include appearances by members of the Pinnacle Distance Team who can help the competitors with entertainment and information about the new line of Pinnacle Platinum Feel and Distance offerings. Other stops on the tour include Irving, Milwaukee, Greensboro, and the first being Madison on September 20th.

New Promo For Geico

2008-03-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

The little gecko is no longer running the show by himself. Similar to the Caveman promotion, Geico has mastered up a new television spot featuring the gecko along with a new character, "the world-renowned nature expert."

The tv spot is one like many others; a nature show where a camera man follows the main character around to tell the story. Geico has mentioned that the show has stemmed from the immense amount of huge gecko fan coverage. People have taken ahold of, not only the company, but who actually represents the company.

I understand this completely from a personal aspect because last summer when my grandparents were visiting, my Papa mentioned how he wished he could find golf club covers with the gecko's picture on it. Geico has really done an amazing job over the last decade to create and build this image that represents the company.

Reported from this week's BrandWeek, "At one point, he British-accented host turns the camera and describes the gecko as 'an extraordinary creature with a curious adaptation, the ability to save people hundreds of dollars on car insurance."

This short show should be very interesting to watch! I can't wait!

Frito-Lay and the Food Network are Teaming Up

2008-03-01T17:25:00.000-08:00

After Rachael Ray's huge success with the Food Network, Ingrid Hoffman is next in line. As the host of the Food Network's show, Simply Delicioso, Hoffman will work with Frito-Lay and Tositios specifically with hopes to reach the status of Emeril Lagasse and Sandra Lee in the tv cooking world.

Tostitos is putting up a $5 million deal with the Food Network to "show Hoffman whipping up a different, party-tested recipe with an assit from Tostitos products," as told in this week's edition of Brandweek. Brandweek also explains, "this marks the brand's first widespread integration package on the network" even though Tostitos has worked with the Food Network in the past.

Hoffman already has her own cooking book and her show, Simply Delicioso is based on low-impact entertaining at home. In edition she also hosts a Spanish-language show.

Brands are always finding new ways to bring their products to the front row of what consumers are already watching. The Food Network has grown in popularity in the last few years and will continue to grow as consumers are concerned with healthy eating and entertainment ideas. Only the future will tell if the team of Tosititos and the so-called new comer, Ingrid Hoffman can make it.

The Coupon Craze

2008-02-28T20:11:00.001-08:00

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

2008-02-23T20:09:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-14T19:51:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-02-09T20:13:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-06T20:41:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

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.

Getting paid to have sex, wait, isn't that supposed to be wrong?

2008-01-31T20:27:00.000-08:00

I don't know how more people didn't hear about this amazing Durex promotion...apply to win $1,000 by testing condoms! Well, even though I didn't hear about it, thousands of lucky people did.

Anyone could apply, men and women of all ages, backgrounds and sexual orientation but only the ones with the best answers on the application were chosen.

On the opening day Durex received 14,000 applicants for their new promotion. The promotion included tons of free supplies and the only requirement was to be honest about the sexual experiences with the products. The few thousand people who were chosen to participate in the test needed to report on-line about their enjoyment with the Durex condoms and lubs and whether or not their sex lives have changed.

I couldn't find any information about how long the testing is supposed to go on for but when the results come out I can't wait to see how the testing actually went. Out of that many applicants I'm sure Durex was able to choose from some crazy people so the results should be interesting. I hope that at least a summary of the results will be released to the public, I don't see why not if already the sales have increased so much from the publicity.

Durex has also done a "Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey" with results being released a little at a time- interesting if you want to take a look!

I've pretty much summed it up but here's a short article from BBC news.

2008-01-31T08:57:00.000-08:00

Testing a link!!

test post

2008-01-24T08:12:00.001-08:00

This is just a test post! :) Just editing to see if the date changes!