We’re taking some time off from the blog to enjoy the holiday season with our family and friends. We’d like to sincerely thank you for your readership and for your participation with this blog–we are thrilled with the response.
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We look forward to 2009 and the ever changing world of marketing.
Warmest holiday wishes to you and yours.
Popular HBO television series, Flight of the Conchords has debuted to US audiences nearly one month early. This marketing technique is welcome from die-hard FOTC fans who have been waiting over a year for their favorite New Zealand duo to return.
Will this work?
It seems that the marketers of the show are catering to their established fan base instead of trying to gain new viewers of the program. What do you think of this technique?
Season 2 Online Premiere – Flight of the Conchords (US Only)
Burger King has just released a perfume targeted at women called “Flame.” The perfume smells of flame broiled hamburgers, much like a Burger King restaurant.
I’m beyond words with this one, so I’ll pose the question to our readers.
Just how can this be marketed to women? Is it marketed actually to men (think Victoria’s Secret) but makes women think that they must have it to be the ultimate sexual being? Or alternatively, is this a tongue and cheek (no pun intended) way to further objectify women into “pieces of meat.” We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Two key campaigns are set to be launched in the coming weeks:
• One aimed at generating long-term loyalty to Australian beef and
• The other focusing on families with children.
The increased volume of US beef entering the Korean market comes after a decision by Korea’s three major supermarket chains - to again stock US beef after a five year absence.
How do you think this going to work with Korean consumers? Will they be more enticed by the Australian marketing campaigns and purchase Aussie beef or will they support the US beef market?
For one, Australia is closer to Korea–providing a greener alternative to beef consumption. But quality, I can’t speak of.
Love to hear your thoughts!
For more information, please click here.
Sparks, the caffeine/alcohol drink produced by MillerCoors will be no longer. MillerCoors has responded to several US States Attorneys and reached an agreement with the prosecutors about the drink and MillerCoors marketing to youth. MillerCoors has agreed to remove the caffiene from the popular drink.
Prosecutors say that the potent drink, its packaging and its marketing was a clear target to the youth market–most of whom are below the legal drinking limit.
Recently, MillerCoors has discontinued their popular drink Zima–which was accused of the same backlash.
Do you think we’ll see more of these concoctions showing up? How can MillerCoors change their marketing of Sparks to a legal age?
Please post your thoughts.
Please click here for more information.
What’s on our plates for 2009? National Restaurant Association Research claims that we’ll be chowing down on more local produce, fresh kids meals and mini desserts. It all sounds well and good; however, I think that 2009 may see a hefty rise in cheap eats. From McDonald’s to KFC, people are looking to strip their budgets without foregoing convenience.
So what do marketers of quick serve restaurants (TGIFriday’s, Ruby Tuesday, Cracker Barrel) do with these highlights of new trends? Many of the quick serve restaurants rely on food shipped in from out of state. Will we see a rise in local food being served at these homogenized institutions?
Mini-desserts? Really? I’d love some examples.
Sprout Marketing is a new way for companies to pay the equivalent of one marketing executive and get a whole team of marketing executives in return. Tons of companies have recently signed up with them–taking full advantage of each precious dollar in a difficult economy. “Clients use a full-service, integrated marketing team with specialized expertise in high-level strategy, market research, executive coaching, Web services, public relations, advertising, events and tradeshows, and more.”
What do you think of this sort of marketing? Will your organization look to farm out your marketing initiatives to save a few pennies?
For more information, please click here.
From AdWeek.com
The good folks at AdWeek have announced their list of Top Media & Marketing Advancement of this year. Before you click on the list, we’d love to hear your picks for the biggest advancements of 2008. Was it the 3G cheap iPhone? How about Netflix streaming video? What about video game advancements?
For the list of Top Media & Marketing Advancements, please click here.
United Airlines said Thursday it agreed with EgyptAir to sell seats on each other’s flights beginning next summer.
The so-calle
d code-sharing agreement lets United sell tickets on EgyptAir flights as if they were operated by United.
United said it will put its name or code on EgyptAir flights from New York’s Kennedy Airport and London’s Heathrow Airport to Cairo.
EgyptAir will put its name on United flights linking Kennedy Airport with Los Angeles and San Francisco, and on flights from Heathrow to Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dulles Airport near Washington.
Both airlines are members of a larger group of carriers called the Star Alliance.
UAL Corp. shares fell 78 cents, or 7.5 percent, to $9.58 in morning trading.
From SunHerald.com:
One can always count on a local news story about the obesity epidemic among American children. From shots of chubby tummies to kids and McDonald’s there’s plenty of footage out there for the lazy journalist. And speaking of lazy, parents of overweight children now can feel a little less guilty about overindulging their children by getting kids–wait for it–their own exercise equipment. Yes, parents who refuse to work out themselves can get their children exercise equipment that can grow dust right alongside the adult versions!
Isn’t this rise in children’s fitness a bit of a Band-Aid for the problem? Shouldn’t more money be spent in traditional children’s toys: bikes, balls, bats, soccer gear, etc? Encouraging children to get out and have fun is a much better way than starting them early on the exercise machines meant for medevil torture chambers.
Of course, we’d love to hear your thoughts…
This season’s line of kids’ fitness products, targeted at children as young as 4, includes the Kid’s First Treadmill (suggested retail price $109.99) intended to develop cardio health and overall strength; Kid’s First Exercise Bike ($79.95), which comes with an electronic fitness monitor; Kid’s First Air Walker ($79.95), which mimics adult elliptical machines; and a 1/2- or 1-pound dumbbell set ($8.95), that helps build strength and muscle coordination.
For the rest of this article, please click here.
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