Whether you believe in Disney’s magic or not, this new campaign really highlights this entertainment giant’s savvy lure. For all of those parents booking the ultimate Disney trip and gift it to their kids this holiday season, Disney has prepared Mickey to deliver the good news - via a phone call to the kids on Christmas morning. To many Mickey-crazed kids out there, this is well worth the price of admission.
Regardless of politics or feelings toward Rush Limbaugh, here at Cricket we’re wondering what in the world made General Motors sign Rush to a deal to tout GM’s green stance? WHAT?
This is not only strange because of Rush’s assurance that global warming is a hoax, but a very bizarre choice because a company that isn’t in great shape in terms of its brand shouldn’t be making such polarizing moves.
Guess we’ll have to wait and see if Rush drives one of his beloved, huge Escalades to the next GreenPeace rally.
Is it just us, or is “Social Networking” (yes, with caps) really not anything more than traditional networking but with a different medium?
Don’t get us wrong. We LOVE networking and it really is a beneficial method of business and friendship development, but to say that this is a new thing is silly. (Heck, even How to Win Friends and Influence People was written in the ’30s and it talks about the same thing!) All networking is and should be social! So, get out there and meet some new people!
Yup, that’s my action name on the new MINI Cooper films’ website using the Action Name Generator.
This is supposed to be a viral campaign to watch the films. Well, I must admit that I’m running short on time today, so I didn’t watch, but I did use the name generator and it’s quite funny. Try it.
If you’ve watched any TV in the last month or so, you’ve likely seen the ad where a large egg cracks and two grown men covered in yellow ‘yolk’ come sliding out. Now, what disturbs me about this is that it’s a great ad — it’s memorable, funny and a great way to communicate the birth of a new morning radio show.
Watch and let me know your thoughts …
Another quick note — Had a call today from a friend who works on the Auto Show. He is in Spokane, WA, in a pole barn, selling for one of the Big 3.
What’s funny — why, in this day and age with technology allowing us to view the cars online (and even personalize and order one to deliver to our doorstep) do we need to have Shows in every corner of the Country? No wonder US car makers are falling behind. It’s time to stretch out from those cozy offices in Detroit and really look at the world and marketing opportunities around us…
I was flipping through the channels last week and stopped and watched with fascination a program that aired live from the Auto Show. Yes, I’m a bit of a car fan, but what was so interesting was the complete lack of production finesse and budget, yet here I was glued to the set.
But beyond the production value of the program, what was striking was the difference in marketing savvy of the car companies involved in the Show. Of course, the US Big 3 were there with magic men and buxom women, but many of the other car companies were just that — cars. Now, I’m sure that they too have car bunnies hanging around to sell their products, but they weren’t evident on this program. Funny how marketing varies…
Other interesting tidbits — Volvo’s newish logo is still bizarre, no matter how often I see it. It truly is the “male” sign. No question. And, BMW’s new convertible hard-top is a great idea, and really something to behold. Finally, no matter how many times I hear about North Americans needing smaller cars, every company still has a fascination with big trucks/SUVs and bigger gas tanks. Even Porshe with their pretty and pretty expensive Cayenne. Ah well, some things never change.
Today, Stuart Elliot of NYT posted his thoughts on the best (and worst) ads of 2006 — and although we agree with his findings, he doesn’t give enough time to the strangest trend in this year’s ads. Cavemen.
If you’ve seen the Geico ads with the smart albeit misunderstood cavemen that are trying to succeed in today’s world, you’ve likely laughed out loud, just as we have. These ads are perfect. You never get tired of them, and visually they are a treat. And, they are so memorable. And that’s what makes them best of all. Unlike most other ads that are created lately, it’s actually easy to remember which company these ads were created for. And, that’s the point of advertising, isn’t it!?
A few years ago, a friend had the option of buying a jingle created just for his company by their radio station on which they were advertising. It was short, catchy, and had the makings of a memorable diddy. But, it was cheesy to have a jingle. Wasn’t it?
Have you seen (or rather heard) the animated ad for Mini-Wheats cereal? Yup, it’s been out a while, but it has really taken over some critical space in our minds here at Cricket.
Have a listen. Then, ask yourself when the last time was that you heard a good jingle? Didn’t these go the way of the horse and buggy?
Seems that after this little numbers’ popularity in the trend circle, we’ll be seeing a few more catchy jingles in the works for 2007…
Yes, the new Wii gaming system is exciting. Why? First, because it makes players get up off the couch and move. But, more importantly, because women like it. Seriously. In stores visited this weekend, those standing around these systems weren’t geeky young guys with gamers’ calluses.
No, it was women, and they are excited. “Wow, this is so cool!” was the exclamation from one young female shopper to another. They were standing, staring and ready to buy.
Yes, as Wii debuted in stores across the land, women young and old were attracted to the sights, sounds and actions of this interactive gaming system. And, since we know which of the sexes makes purchasing decisions, it looks like the Wii will be a hit. Finally, something us girls will play, too.
We don’t usually use this space to talk about our clients, but here’s an exception. Recently, we worked with Wagner Spray Tech and the City of St. Paul on an anti-graffiti program to rid the City of tagging.
Wagner donated funds and equipment to outfit a new “Graffiti Wipe-Out” van that is on call and will rid residences and businesses of nuisance graffiti within 48 hours.
Check out the whole story. Since this is a pilot program, we’re working toward successfully implementing this program in cities across the US and Canada.
On this, midterm elections day in the US, have you noticed how much the “middle class” has been mentioned lately? From Lou Dobbs’ new best seller, to the many stories about how the middle class are disenfranchised, being left behind, etc., we’ve noticed this phrase everywhere. (There was also a story about the forgotten middle class in Canada in the Toronto Star, and a local story ran on Buffalo evening news.)
It seems to be the latest hot button, especially as the focus for many of those running in this election, however our question is — how is this news? What has changed? Why so hot right now? The middle class should always be a focus for marketers looking to communicate with the mass market. What are your thoughts?
Some of us here at Cricket are fans of football, and you know that we’re huge fans of PR. Now, the folks at the NFL Network have combined the two. Point After is a new program that discusses the after-game press conferences where the coaches comment on their games, and then the hosts of Point After discuss those press conference comments. It’s kind of an interesting premise for a program. We’ll see if anyone watches it besides us…
I’ve been told that this blog has been a little negative lately, however we at Cricket believe in learning from others, and most of the time, it’s what not to do that truly stands out.
Take The Bad Pitch Blog for example. First, read the rant about a bad pitch that this blogger received. Then, read the response from the offending firm, and the blogger’s response.
Now, I agree that it’s embarassing to be ‘outed’ for a bad pitch, and we all make mistakes, however this firm really drew their own fire when admitting that they send releases to a 6,000 (!) reporter media list. The whole point of strategic media relations is to RESEARCH a relevant list of media outlets, PINPOINT who to contact and PERSONALLY contact each reporter. Each reporter contacted should write about your industry or have an interest in your potential story. This is one step to success in getting a story placed. Yes, there are other steps, however beginning with spamming thousands of reporters is not the answer.
If this is how your company or your PR firm handles media relations, raise a red flag. This gives media relations a bad rep, and won’t do you, your company or your client any favors.
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. One of my fave cars, the VW Beetle, has been Barbie-ized. Yup, hot pink with the Barbie logo for all to see. Introducing, the Volkswagon Beetle Barbie.
Cute? Yup. Even if I hate to admit it.
Brilliant? You betcha. Only 13 will be produced and only in Mexico. Pink VW bugs will be all over the ‘My Super Sweet 16‘ wish lists this year — and what a great PR partnership move for Mattel.
Yes, it’s true. Those in my generation and before remember the good old days of great prizes (and even peanuts) in Cracker Jacks. Sweet caramel corn, crunchy peanuts and (oh, glory be) a prize in every box.
Those days are long gone. My most recent purchase netted me the lamest “toy” ever. Called “Nutty Adventure Courses,” it’s a few cheap stickers that you’re directed to stick to your table and fling the peanuts around to gain points. That would almost be fine if I liked stickers on my table, and the bag contained more than three peanuts.
Okay, I understand that toys are expensive and apparently peanuts are too, but why include them at all? I don’t buy the bags of Cracker Jacks for toys, and seeing how cheap they are, I doubt kids do either?! Nostalgia aside, this is pitiful.
Marketing folks at Cracker Jack take note — if you’re going to do something, then do it well. You have two choices — offer better toys (like KinderEggs) and market the hell out of them, or cut out the crappy toys and add a few more peanuts. You won’t lose sales, and you may even gain a few.
Thanks to Michael Glenn for pointing this out — Apple’s site has some confusing information on it about the battery exchange, which is a major communications issue, but after reading it over again (and again) it seems that the company will replace the battery without having to send it in before receiving a new one… At least it says that in one section. So, although it should have been more clearly written (why is clear communication so difficult?!) it seems that their customer service is still what I’ve come to expect.
According to the BBC, “computer giant Apple is recalling 1.8m batteries used in its laptop computers around the world”. At Cricket, we use these laptops for everything that we do. We proudly tote our little Apple laptops to client meetings around the country. They travel with us everywhere. And do they travel well.
So, why then is Apple’s recall asking customers to send in the batteries of these laptops? Isn’t that a bit ridicuous for a product that, at its very core, is meant to travel and not be plugged in while Apple waits for my battery and then sends me a new one?
The customer is not at fault here. Each Apple customer purchased a machine to travel with. This is not a customer-friendly solution, nor is it a marketing-friendly message. It says that Apple does not in fact know who it’s customers are and how they use these machines every day.
This is a very silly move for this typically marketing-savvy company.
The Internet buzz was huge and carried on for months. Every where you read, this movie was being plugged. But, even though this past weekend saw Snakes On A Plane hit #1, the movie only took in 1/2 of what was expected ($15M). Howard Dean’s hype was the same — much buzz and little results. So, does that mean that online buzz should be ignored?
As with anything, this is an example: You simply can’t rely on one communication vehicle to make a campaign a success. And, results matter — not from one source, but from all sources. Online, traditional media, marketing, PR, advertising, and word of mouth. It’s all part of the promotion puzzle that makes for great, sustained visibility.