Communicate Your Success

Jonathan Richardson February 21st, 2007

Pizza Hut is jumping on the word-of-mouth bandwagon with a new contest that looks to “hire” an Honorary Vice President of Pizza. You can check out the details on their site, but the basics are submit a two-minute video of your love for Pizza Hut pies and hope you win $25k and pizza for a year.

I’m sure this effort will clear its ROI, but it seems like these types of promotions are already reaching saturation. With Cingular, McDonalds, NBC, Career Builder, Disney, etc. recently touting contests on You Tube, standout marketing in this arena is getting harder by the upload. I can’t fault people for wanting to replicate success, but as a wise professor once told me, “if you can’t be the first to do something, move on and be first at something else.”

Instead of spending time on contests like this, why not come up with a way for me (18-34 male demo) to order a large pepperoni directly from my Xbox. Now there’s a tasty way to market.

• Consumer Generated Content , Marketing , Advertising
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Jonathan Richardson January 31st, 2007

With the flexibility, freedom and viral nature of blogs and video sharing sites, advertisers and communicators now have even more ways to propagate their message and start a conversation. These new tools however, must still be used under many of the guidelines that govern traditional media.

In a recent example, vacuum cleaner manufacturer Dyson, Inc. was challenged by a competitor through the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus to prove claims made about the company’s product in a video posted to YouTube. The video, titled “Dyson Ball Video – Dyson has balls,” suggested that Dyson’s vacuum provided more suction and did not clog like competing models manufactured by Hoover, Euro-Pro and Kenmore.

In its petition to NAD, Dyson competitor Euro-Pro stated the comparison between vacuums of different size under less-than-usual circumstances was misleading and not a true head-to-head test.

After reviewing both positions, NAD issued a decision saying it considered the video a comparative product demonstration and “was therefore advertising and subject to the legal requirement that it be truthful and accurate.”

So what does this mean for those using social media tools to promote their product? In a word . . . nothing. Though the tools may change, truthful and honest communication is just as important now as it ever was. Just because there’s a new way to do things doesn’t give us the freedom to abandon our responsibility to accurately portray our product, service or goal.

Dyson has since taken down the video it posted to YouTube, but you can request a copy of the NAD’s report by visiting their Web site at nadreview.org.

Disclaimer: NAD is a division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, which licenses my employer, The Better Business Bureau of Northwest Florida, Inc. That said, I am not involved with any cases or disputes brought before the NAD.

• Social Media , Advertising
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Jonathan Richardson January 25th, 2007

I know it’s advertising, but I like this spot. Rather than taking the standard route and shooting Woods behind the wheel endorsing the automobile, the commercial keeps your attention by doing something different. Watching people who most likely drive nicer cars than a Buick win an SUV isn’t captivating, but seeing the surprised looks and imagining yourself in that position makes it interesting to watch. Plus, it helps to remind us how important it is not to choose the wrong spokesperson to hock your wares.

• Advertising
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Jonathan Richardson August 30th, 2006

CNET has posted an interesting article about CBS’ attempts to promote upcoming shows through billboards in NYC (hat tip to CorpCommBuzz). Using Bluetooth technology, billboards can now beam show clips to cell phones, PDAs and other bluetooth enabled devices. What better way to spend time waiting for a train than watching clips for upcoming sitcoms without spending cash for data access.
And with Adweek reporting on Neilsen findings that show in-store TV ads influenced purchasing decisions for more than two-third of shoppers and caused nearly half to swap a product for one being pitched, using Bluetooth technology to advertise directly to consumers could be highly effective in retail settings as well.
So what’s your take? Will new channels like ads via Bluetooth help advertisers break through to consumers, or is this just the next step toward having unwanted ads beamed directly into our brains and product placement in our dreams?

• Advertising
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