Sesame Street recently did a spoof
on Mad Men
by brilliantly summing up
the world of marketing.
First the advertising makes
the characters mad,
and then sad,
and then happy.
Marketing is about drawing emotion.
Toddlers get the concept
(there’s a reason why
95% of American children
have watched Sesame Street
by the age of 3
– the writers know their market).
Marketers should be able to also.
Get mad or sad or happy.
One of the top Delebs
is Elvis.
According to 60 Minutes,
Elvis’ estate earns $50 million a year
making Elvis one of the all time
top money makers.
Graceland is the 2nd most visited
private residence in the U.S.
But most interestingly,
the IRS says that
in 2002
84,000 people listed
Elvis Impersonator as their main occupation.
These impersonators add a live face
to the Elvis brand.
32 years after his death,
Elvis is loved and remembered
and BOUGHT by fans.
Every marketer’s dream.
One of the risks that
come with celebrity endorsements
is having that celebrity
do or say something
that, by connection,
damages your brand.
Wardrobe malfunctions,
verbal diarrhea,
movie bombs,
all could negatively affect your brand.
That risk is zero
with Delebs.
Delebs,
a term used by Green Light Talent Agency
(reported by 60 Minutes),
are dead celebrities.
Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein
are some of the big name delebs.
Their frozen-in-time branding
is an option for cautious advertisers,
resulting in
an eight hundred million dollar a year business.
It is clear from the trailers
that the movie
Jennifer’s Body
deals with the paranormal.
It has this paranormal element
because with movies like Twilight
and shows like The Vampire Diaries,
paranormal is hot
with the teen target group.
Unfortunately,
the marketing talks down
to this target group.
The paranormal element is a succubus
but there’s no mention of that
anywhere.
The only reason I can think of
for the oversight
is the assumption
that teens
won’t know or care
what a succubus is.
That’s a big assumption
with this very intelligent group.
When Microsoft came out with
their first Kylie commercial,
I was enchanted.
Here was a cute little toddler
showing the world
how easy it was
to take digital photos
and email them.
Kylie was believable.
I know toddlers who do that.
I have a very young niece sending me
emails consisting of photos
(and that’s it)
all the time.
The second Kylie commercial
is just that…
a commercial.
Is it believable that a toddler
would care or even know about
Windows 7?
No.
Would she make a slide show
with the ‘happy, happy’ words?
No.
The commercial is an insult to my intelligence.
And I feel like a fool
for believing her in the first commercial.
Just because a spokesperson
is successful in one campaign
doesn’t mean you should use her
in a different campaign.
Belz Outlets have a Monday Club.
On Mondays, shoppers over the age of 50
receive 15% off on all purchases.
That isn’t unusual.
Many stores have senior discounts.
What IS unusual
is that Belz also has a Friday Club.
On Fridays, shoppers under the age of 50
receive 15% off on all purchases.
Be creative with your discounts.
Use them to bring groups of people together
and create the client base
you wish to serve.
My mother is about to turn 63.
I know better than to call her old.
If I have to refer to her age,
I call her ‘older’.
That she can’t argue with.
According to a study
by the Pew Research Center,
people aged 18-29
believe
old age begins at 60.
Respondents over the age of 65
believe old age begins at 74.
Age is relative
and no one truly feels
he/she is the old category.
Never use old
when referring to the group
you’re marketing to.
According to a recent survey
by Pew Research Center,
53% of American adults play video games.
23% of adults over the age of 65,
81% of adults between 18 and 29,
and a whopping
97% of teenagers.
The most popular device
to play video games on?
The computer.
If you want to reach teenagers,
consider video games.
Standard wording of a ‘For Life’ contest
is to limit the number of years.
This disclaimer is
financially and legally prudent…
Unless your product’s selling feature
is that it extends life.
Jamieson Vitamins is advertising a
Vacation For Life contest.
They clearly state that
the ‘For Life’ really means
a maximum of 20 years.
I’m 38.
Having a vitamin company
tell me
that by using their product,
I’ll only live to 58
is NOT smart marketing.
Legal disclaimers are
part of the marketing message.
If they cause harm
to your brand,
find a new promotion.
Have you noticed that
SO many companies are supporting
cancer research right now?
A buddy involved in collecting those donations
told me that the size of donations
and the number of people donating
increases
whenever there is a break-through.
The average person believes
that a cure for cancer is close.
They want to be part of that winning team.
So they donate.
A friend of mine
was involved in an American Idol type writing contest.
The closer she came to winning,
the more votes she got from friends and family.
Communicate your achievements.
Set yourself, your project, your company
up as a win.
Seth Godin has a great post
on the flip side of this.