It's 2:30 pm on a Wednesday Laura, a mother of three has just finished grocery shopping and is beginning to unpack the large brown paper bags. She unpacks everything except for the fresh vegetables and whole chicken that she will cook for dinner. It's only 2:45 by the time she's done, she still has another hour before it's time to pick up little Suzie from soccer practice. She allows herself to have a seat on the couch in her tidy living room. She pulls out a magazine from underneath the coffee table, opens it up, and lets out a sigh of relaxation. She finally has 20 minutes of time to herself. Her eyelids begin to draw shut as she lays back on the sofa to rest in a more comfortable position. Suddenly the front door swings open and her teenage daughter and 9 year old son burst into the living room, home from school early. Her son runs straight to the bathroom leaving a trail of sand that falls curiously from his trouser pockets. Her teenage daughter throws her backpack onto the couch then walks lethargically toward the kitchen. As Laura stands up to close the front door she hears her son call loudly from the bathroom. She makes her way towards the bathroom slowly, then when she hears water trickling onto the floor, picks up the pace until she finally gets to the restroom. To her extreme surprise she finds her son huddling over the overflowing toilet bowl. She walks over to inspect the toilet bowl and finds that there is a large bull frog stuck at the bottom of the porcelain bowl. She calmly reaches for the plunger and as she is about to shove it down into the toilet the frog leaps out into her son's arms. He looks up at his mother, smiles then runs upstairs into his room. The water begins to seep down into the toilet and Laura throws a towel around the bottom of the toilet. Laura makes her way back into the living room and looks up at the clock. 3:15, she still has a little bit of time. She looks down from the clock to the couch where her daughter's backpack, now opened, is sprawled across books, pens, and an open bag of potato chips. Right as Laura is about to tell her daughter not to ruin her appetite, she remembers that they are having dinner guests tonight!
Three hours later Laura has picked up Suzie from soccer. Her dinner is hot and ready to be enjoyed. Her house spotless just like it had been before the kids got home.
It's a good thing Laura has Febreze! She pumps 2 squirts in the bathroom where earlier in the day a frog had been trapped. She then sprayed Febreze in the living room, killing the smell of salty potato chips and leaving the aroma of fresh gardens and chamomile. The doorbell rings and Laura quickly places the bottle of Febreze in the hallway closet as she opens the door. With a smile she welcomes her guests into her fresh smelling home!
Monday, April 29, 2013
WWF
The World Wide Fund for Nature is a non-governmental organization that raises awareness and supports issues regarding conservation and restoration of the environment including the wildlife that occupies the environment. The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international organization represented by a panda as its logo and is seen in numerous ads. These simplistic ads created with the help of computer aided design pose powerful and effective meanings.
This ad by WWF shows an adult cheetah and a cub with size labels attached to their backs. The caption is "Fashion claims more victims than you think" In this ad, the message is that poachers hunt wildlife, in this case the two cheetahs, for clothing mainly as a fashion fad.
This is another simplistic yet powerful ad that reveals the destruction of wildlife due to mankind himself. In this computer aided advertisement we can see that all the trees within miles are cut down besides one tree which man has left for himself to provide shade for comfort after his doings. By destroying nature in this way this leaves no traces of anything living beyond miles. Without even knowing what WWF is, people who see their advertising will get the picture and message even though it may be interpreted in different ways.
What's holding you back?
Commercial billboards and signs can be seen numerous times during a road trip. If billboards are lucky enough they will get a receive some attention from drivers on the road or passengers, consumed by their electronics. Drivers and passengers can easily see huge flag poster billboards from far away but the ads aren't always eye catching enough, or worth the effort to pay attention to get closer to it. Take this billboard for example, it is an advertisement to buckle up for safety. It is written in big letters, clear enough for everyone to see. It is even accompanied by a striking image. The billboard depicts the possibility that you could end up in a wheel chair if you should end up having an accident without wearing a seat belt.
The billboard is striving to motivate people to "click it or ticket" for their own safety, but most who don't have their seat belts on have already made that conscious decision and will not be easily persuaded to buckle up.
Advertisement strategies that will for sure capture attention have been implemented onto freeways and local areas. Innovative advertisement is a strategy that is outside of ordinary advertising. It is a form of advertising that is aesthetically appealing and eye catching. If I accidentally left my seat belt unbuckled or even purposely and drove across this eye catching billboard sign I'd be more likely to buckle up immediately than if I saw the one above.
The billboard portrays the striking image of a passenger sitting in the backseat without restraints holding him back from being shot strait forward from the "sling shot" Above has a quote that says "The Back Seat's No Safer. Belt Up". Although the billboard is aimed towards radical passengers in the back seat who don't buckle up, surely all passengers and drivers will get the message that if you aren't buckled up in a collision, you are likely to be slung-shot out the car through the windshield just as the billboard suggests. There are less words on the billboard, but it is overall more effective than the first billboard. It's 3D attachments and even the legs dangling from the person bring life to the message, and create an even more dramatic seriousness of the outcomes of riding without a seat belt. Advertisers have come up with a whole new form of advertisement, the kind of advertising that is meant to be seen and that will definitely catch the attention of everyone sitting in a car.
The billboard is striving to motivate people to "click it or ticket" for their own safety, but most who don't have their seat belts on have already made that conscious decision and will not be easily persuaded to buckle up.
Advertisement strategies that will for sure capture attention have been implemented onto freeways and local areas. Innovative advertisement is a strategy that is outside of ordinary advertising. It is a form of advertising that is aesthetically appealing and eye catching. If I accidentally left my seat belt unbuckled or even purposely and drove across this eye catching billboard sign I'd be more likely to buckle up immediately than if I saw the one above.
The billboard portrays the striking image of a passenger sitting in the backseat without restraints holding him back from being shot strait forward from the "sling shot" Above has a quote that says "The Back Seat's No Safer. Belt Up". Although the billboard is aimed towards radical passengers in the back seat who don't buckle up, surely all passengers and drivers will get the message that if you aren't buckled up in a collision, you are likely to be slung-shot out the car through the windshield just as the billboard suggests. There are less words on the billboard, but it is overall more effective than the first billboard. It's 3D attachments and even the legs dangling from the person bring life to the message, and create an even more dramatic seriousness of the outcomes of riding without a seat belt. Advertisers have come up with a whole new form of advertisement, the kind of advertising that is meant to be seen and that will definitely catch the attention of everyone sitting in a car.
What elephant in the room?
Television is definitely not the elephant in the room at my house. Honestly my parents are pretty far back in the advancement of technology. I think it is just because my parents prefer things that they are already familiar with. That being said in my house, my family gets all their news and entertainment from the television. For as long as I can remember the Television has always been on. The top three occasions that the TV is not on in my house is if no one is home, if we're having a holiday dinner with guests over, or if the power has dramatically gone out. I don't really watch TV a lot so I have a lot of patience when it comes to seeing the commercials that air. Most of the time when I call myself "watching Tv" I'm really not. I'm usually multitasking, either cooking,cleaning, or scrolling through internet pages. I can recall all the different songs that play in commercials, or I can even tell you the phone number to a certain law firm. I found out recently that I don't even watch the commercials. I found myself singing along with a commercial then when I looked at the TV there were visuals of a mini can driving through a landscape. I had never actually watched the commercial, but heard it a billion times before.
I actually like watching commercials on TV though. I really like watching clever ideas unfold and seeing how different things are marketed towards different groups of people. Besides sometimes commercials come at the perfect times. During an intense or hilarious show that's hard to walk away from, it's nice to have a two minute break to use the restroom, throw my laundry into the dryer or microwave a hot pocket.
Although the television is the prime source of entertainment at my parents house, it isn't for me at my apartment. I personally go straight to my laptop for news and entertainment. If I ever have a huge chunk of time to just relax I will watch movies on my computer. It is convenient for me and is virtually free of commercials or pop up ads.
I do have a less patient side though, when it comes to listening to Pandora on my phone. I absolutely hate it when ads interrupt my music on my phone. There is actually a double standard here. If I get an interruptive ad on my laptop while listening to Pandora, it is no biggie to me. It's only 29 seconds of my life, besides I'm zoned in on homework anyway. But when I listen to Pandora on my phone then 29 seconds becomes an eternity. I usually use Pandora on my phone when I'm driving or in the shower. These are the times where I couldn't even get to my phone to change the station if I wanted to. I'm instantly put in such a vulnerable state where I just want to listen to music but can even listen to my favorite songs without being inturrupted by some high pitched girl persuading me to get an online agree in Santa Clara County. These ads are nowhere near desireable, but for me, they really aren't too unbearable. It also depends on what website you're on when you're receiving your ads. A lot of sites such as Youtube, Amazon, and even Pandora are really good about keeping the ads somehow related to your interests.
I actually like watching commercials on TV though. I really like watching clever ideas unfold and seeing how different things are marketed towards different groups of people. Besides sometimes commercials come at the perfect times. During an intense or hilarious show that's hard to walk away from, it's nice to have a two minute break to use the restroom, throw my laundry into the dryer or microwave a hot pocket.
Although the television is the prime source of entertainment at my parents house, it isn't for me at my apartment. I personally go straight to my laptop for news and entertainment. If I ever have a huge chunk of time to just relax I will watch movies on my computer. It is convenient for me and is virtually free of commercials or pop up ads.
I do have a less patient side though, when it comes to listening to Pandora on my phone. I absolutely hate it when ads interrupt my music on my phone. There is actually a double standard here. If I get an interruptive ad on my laptop while listening to Pandora, it is no biggie to me. It's only 29 seconds of my life, besides I'm zoned in on homework anyway. But when I listen to Pandora on my phone then 29 seconds becomes an eternity. I usually use Pandora on my phone when I'm driving or in the shower. These are the times where I couldn't even get to my phone to change the station if I wanted to. I'm instantly put in such a vulnerable state where I just want to listen to music but can even listen to my favorite songs without being inturrupted by some high pitched girl persuading me to get an online agree in Santa Clara County. These ads are nowhere near desireable, but for me, they really aren't too unbearable. It also depends on what website you're on when you're receiving your ads. A lot of sites such as Youtube, Amazon, and even Pandora are really good about keeping the ads somehow related to your interests.
Bring back the good times
When we're young kids we want so bad to grow up and do all the cool things that older people do. When we're older we yearn for the feeling of being carefree and young again. We would do anything to go back to the simple days when we anticipated play dates not pay days. When summer days consisted of theme parks and thrills not cellphone bills. A time when we could enjoy our favorite ice cream without guiltily making plans to jump on a treadmill afterwards. These days we find joy in the little things that remind us of those good times when we were younger.
A concoction of these sentimental memories and advertisements can wind up being a very successful product.
The advantages and disadvantages of nostalgia in advertising depends on the success of the product. In the cases where products can get people to remember times from their past, AND provide great taste, feeling, service it is a success. The advantages of choosing to advertise with nostalgic references is that advertisers already know what was popular with their target audience. If something was popular with a certain group of people before, it will be popular with that same group of people today. This time it has the added admiration because it brings along the same feelings that people can only reminisce about nowadays.
One disadvantage that can come from nostalgia marketing is if the product being advertised, fails to meet the standard of what the person expects. Tapping into the past and bringing forth memories can be bitter sweet, so if a consumer finds that the product being advertised doesn't accurately bring them the same feelings they had in the past it can be a major setback for the advertising campaign.
I think nostalgia campaigns work better when they are used to market items such as candy, toys, or clothing. These are items we have strong connections with when we are young, so they make us remember the most blissful moments of our childhood. Products that might not be so successful with nostalgic highlights would be electronic devices. Society is pretty persistent about progress with technology. It's actually quite brutal. Once the next big thing comes out, or updates become available, anything and everything before that becomes obsolete. I can't imagine an add trying to take us back to the stone age. I did come across an add for internet explorer. It brought back so many memories. I found myself smiling, and saying out loud, "oh yeaaah!" I am a chrome user myself, and I really only ever use I.E. if I absolutely have to. The product was anonymous until the very end, but by then I was already sold on whatever it was.
The advantages and disadvantages of nostalgia in advertising depends on the success of the product. In the cases where products can get people to remember times from their past, AND provide great taste, feeling, service it is a success. The advantages of choosing to advertise with nostalgic references is that advertisers already know what was popular with their target audience. If something was popular with a certain group of people before, it will be popular with that same group of people today. This time it has the added admiration because it brings along the same feelings that people can only reminisce about nowadays.
One disadvantage that can come from nostalgia marketing is if the product being advertised, fails to meet the standard of what the person expects. Tapping into the past and bringing forth memories can be bitter sweet, so if a consumer finds that the product being advertised doesn't accurately bring them the same feelings they had in the past it can be a major setback for the advertising campaign.
I think nostalgia campaigns work better when they are used to market items such as candy, toys, or clothing. These are items we have strong connections with when we are young, so they make us remember the most blissful moments of our childhood. Products that might not be so successful with nostalgic highlights would be electronic devices. Society is pretty persistent about progress with technology. It's actually quite brutal. Once the next big thing comes out, or updates become available, anything and everything before that becomes obsolete. I can't imagine an add trying to take us back to the stone age. I did come across an add for internet explorer. It brought back so many memories. I found myself smiling, and saying out loud, "oh yeaaah!" I am a chrome user myself, and I really only ever use I.E. if I absolutely have to. The product was anonymous until the very end, but by then I was already sold on whatever it was.
"Good to the last...flop"
In today's busy and demanding world many find that they cant possibly go on with their daily schedules without a fresh and tasty cup of Joe. There are tons of coffee vendors out in the world, and even more in-home coffee brands to choose from. Among one of those well known in home coffee brands is Maxwell, coffee that is "good to the last drop!" Almost a decade ago Maxwell coffee producers tried to get a step ahead and bring an easier,faster way for consumers to drink their coffee.
As if instant home made coffee isn't fast enough! Maxwell coffee created "Ready to drink coffee" Maxwell was already a successful coffee brand so they had a little bit of room to explore throughout their line of products. This coffee which was introduced to coffee enthusiasts in 1990 and was marketed as a more convenient way for a hot cup of coffee. The literal failure of the product was that the container that it came from was not microwavable. Not to mention that the container that held the "ready to drink" coffee was a 48 oz. portion. So what it came down to was consumers pouring the coffee out of the carton into a mug then microwaving it anyway. Many people found no distinct difference between that and pouring themselves a cup of coffee straight from their coffee pots. What Maxwell coffee brought to consumers was a new item, but no new convenience was introduced at all. The product itself was a bit redundant.
Something that contributed to the set back of this product was it's packaging and placement in the grocery store. The box that it came in had a promising image of a steamy hot cup of coffee, yet the box itself would have been placed right next to cold beverages in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. I personally think it would catch me off guard if I saw a product claiming to be piping hot...in the refrigerated section. I'm always skeptical when it comes to new products claiming to make things easier or more convenient. I honestly don't think that pouring cold coffee into a mug and microwaving it shaves of any time or effort from turning on my coffee pot.
On the other hand though, I think Maxwell could have had a successful product in their "Ready to Drink" coffee if they changed their direction. Not everyone likes to drink hot coffee. Iced coffee is a very popular beverage. It gives people the caffeine boost they want but enables them to drink it anytime of their busy day. Ready to drink cold coffee allows consumers to enjoy cold coffee at home without having to worry about their drink becoming watered down by ice cubes. In actuality all Maxwell had to do was change the way they marketed their product. They could have included an image of a tall cold refreshing glass of iced coffee. Or they could have even marketed it in both directions. Instead of printing "enjoy hot" on their package they could have written "refreshing hot or cold". Then it would be in the hands of the consumers do decide how they wanted to drink their coffee. At least they would understand its versatility.
H.O.G. A Way of Life
Brand communities definitely end up with a greater involvement with the brand. It's one thing to like and buy a brand for yourself, but when you can share that same interest with other people "likes and interests" turn into passion and ways of life. The members of
the H.O.G. are all drawn together because of the bikes they love to ride. When they come together they become prideful of their Harley way of life. I kind of see it as closely resembling school pride at a College football game. There are some students that are proud to be at their school. They have admiration for their school and genuinely love being able to call it their own. When student's like these get together with other students who feel the same way their admiration becomes extreme pride. Students that don't even know each other could meet up at a tailgate of football game. When they see that they share the same enthusiasm it becomes something more! All of a sudden it's a mob of people who share instant camaraderie.
The "homecoming" type event that HOG members attended was a great way to build togetherness. The rallies enabled HOG members to meet up with and build friendships with other devoted Harley Riders. I personally think the Posse Rides are more effective in enhancing the meaning of the Harley Davidson way of life. They are actually riding their motorcycles throughout the country. There is so much strength in numbers, so members riding together in large groups makes an impact on people both in and out of the Harley community. Outside members see how close knit HOG members are when they travel together. On the inside end members "roll deep" together. Meaning they are almost brothers in a sense. Kind of like a fraternity member from one school would have a mutual relation with a member of that same fraternity from a different school. Riding through check marked areas with other Harley riders is both a personal and group achievement. I like the fact that HOG members recite a Posse Oath before embarking on their riding adventures. It makes the Harley group exclusive. This kind of distinguishes members who are truly devoted riders. In high school my wrestling coach would tell us, "Once a wrestler always a wrestler. When you meet someone in life who was also a wrestler you'll share instant camaraderie, because you both have been through the tough training." I feel like these Posse rides highlight the same type of thing for Harley Riders. Members who do participate in the rides will forever share the feeling of being "free and out on the open road" with other members. I feel this strengthens the group even more. Having a universal oath makes the ideals and values of Harley riders standard. It is like the Alma matter of a college, or Boy Scout's honor code.
I don't think Harley -Davidson should get more involved with the ride than it already is. Creating a list of checkpoints is enough to get Harley riders going. I think it is good, because it gives Harley riders a place to start. Members can meet up and become good friends during the planned tours, but I feel that Harley riders would eventually begin to explore on their own. After all that is one of the values that Harley Davidson portrays, being worry free and just enjoying the open space and freedom. If there was more involvement from the corporate level it could dilute the experience of riding for participants. Set itineraries defeat the purpose of the meaning of Harley Davidson. One slogan that Harley uses is "the road starts here it never ends" so basically any more involvement from Harley Davidson could set up limitations for Harley riders.
Besides the Posse Ride, Harley could increase involvement from it's consumers (members) by creating a monthly publication. Different from the H.O.G. magazine, this would be more of a newsletter where a spotlight would be on one of the members each month. "Rider of the Month" It could be like a type of social networking for the members. The members could read about commonalities they have with others. The spotlight article could share that certain members location which would inevitably link other HOG members in that area. It would be kind of like a member appreciation ordeal.
The "homecoming" type event that HOG members attended was a great way to build togetherness. The rallies enabled HOG members to meet up with and build friendships with other devoted Harley Riders. I personally think the Posse Rides are more effective in enhancing the meaning of the Harley Davidson way of life. They are actually riding their motorcycles throughout the country. There is so much strength in numbers, so members riding together in large groups makes an impact on people both in and out of the Harley community. Outside members see how close knit HOG members are when they travel together. On the inside end members "roll deep" together. Meaning they are almost brothers in a sense. Kind of like a fraternity member from one school would have a mutual relation with a member of that same fraternity from a different school. Riding through check marked areas with other Harley riders is both a personal and group achievement. I like the fact that HOG members recite a Posse Oath before embarking on their riding adventures. It makes the Harley group exclusive. This kind of distinguishes members who are truly devoted riders. In high school my wrestling coach would tell us, "Once a wrestler always a wrestler. When you meet someone in life who was also a wrestler you'll share instant camaraderie, because you both have been through the tough training." I feel like these Posse rides highlight the same type of thing for Harley Riders. Members who do participate in the rides will forever share the feeling of being "free and out on the open road" with other members. I feel this strengthens the group even more. Having a universal oath makes the ideals and values of Harley riders standard. It is like the Alma matter of a college, or Boy Scout's honor code.
I don't think Harley -Davidson should get more involved with the ride than it already is. Creating a list of checkpoints is enough to get Harley riders going. I think it is good, because it gives Harley riders a place to start. Members can meet up and become good friends during the planned tours, but I feel that Harley riders would eventually begin to explore on their own. After all that is one of the values that Harley Davidson portrays, being worry free and just enjoying the open space and freedom. If there was more involvement from the corporate level it could dilute the experience of riding for participants. Set itineraries defeat the purpose of the meaning of Harley Davidson. One slogan that Harley uses is "the road starts here it never ends" so basically any more involvement from Harley Davidson could set up limitations for Harley riders.
Besides the Posse Ride, Harley could increase involvement from it's consumers (members) by creating a monthly publication. Different from the H.O.G. magazine, this would be more of a newsletter where a spotlight would be on one of the members each month. "Rider of the Month" It could be like a type of social networking for the members. The members could read about commonalities they have with others. The spotlight article could share that certain members location which would inevitably link other HOG members in that area. It would be kind of like a member appreciation ordeal.
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