Chado Advertising and Design recently produced a large full color catalog for Cyclone Bicycle Supply, a local Portland bicycle parts and accessory distributor. Cyclone offers a wide variety of products and brands and distributes their products internationally. For 2010 they wanted to update the look and feel of their catalog to make it both aesthetically pleasing and easy to find products. Chado developed a unique color-coded organization system enabling readers to quickly skim through multiple categories and find the specific product they are looking for. Chado worked very closely with Cyclone throughout the entire process to ensure all of the product and pricing information is current and correct and the catalog appropriately reflects the company and the reputable brands they carry. Paying meticulous attention to detail Chado’s production team labored over each and every page to ensure quality. Now after months of intricate production work the catalog is back from the printers and ready to be distributed internationally.
It was just three years ago when Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google took the stage with Steve Jobs to help unveil the revolutionary iPhone at the annual MacWorld Expo. The two technology giants worked together to enable Google services to the iPhone. Their relationship flourished during development and they appeared to have a bright future together even joking that they should merge and call the company AppleGoo. Schmidt was even invited to serve on Apple’s board.
Today, it is a much different story. These once very close companies are now bitter rivals battling for dominance over the mobile computing market. They have been fighting over the last six months over patents, applications, and lawsuits to try to gain an edge on this emerging market. Early this month, Apple sued HTC, a phone manufacturer that make mobile devices that run Google’s Android OS claiming they violate iPhone patents. Google is pushing for smartphones to have an open, nonproprietary platform where users can download anyone’s app to use on their device. Apple, on the other hand, wants the market to be tightly controlled and apps can only be downloaded through their own App store. Even further, Jobs claims that Google stole from them by releasing a similar product. Jobs was quoted saying “We did not enter the search business. They entered the phone business” believing that Google wants to kill the iPhone. Although Google claims that some Android prototypes predate the iPhone they continue to battle over features and functions like the multi-touch control. Then the already fierce battle heated up when Verizon started running ads declaring Android’s superiority over Apple with the ability to run multiple applications at once and took shots at AT&T’s poor network performance.
In July, when Google tried to include Google Voice on the iPhone and was immediately denied by Apple, Schmidt stepped down from the board and the acquisition battle ensued. Apple made a bid to acquire AdMob, a mobile advertising company, but was scooped up by Google. Apple responded by quickly acquiring Quattro Wireless, AdMob’s top rival. The same day Google introduced the Nexus One with many similar features to the iPhone. Google is also developing a set top box that will rival Apple TV. There is now speculation that Apple’s next move against Google could be to make Microsoft’s Bing the preferred search engine on the iPad and iPhone. Even bigger, the newest rumor is Apple developing their own mobile advertising platform taking the battle to a whole new level.
The new service, rumored to be called iAd, is said to debut April 7th. This move isn’t surprising with their acquisition of Quattro and discouraging App store developers from creating apps using location-based information for mobile advertising, most likely because they plan to do it themselves. Jobs has also been describing iAd as their next revolutionary service. It seems that Apple plans to take over mobile advertising much like they have digital music. Now, with Google’s recent patent and their acquisition of AdMob both sides have a strong foothold and the battle for the mobile advertising has begun.
Regardless of the outcome, this fight for market dominance will undoubtedly spawn some revolutionary technology, continue the debate of open source vs. tightly controlled technology, and determine the future of mobile technology and possibly advertising.
This month, Swedish furniture giant IKEA launched an interesting campaign in Paris. Using four high traffic metro stations as their venue, they displayed furniture collections on the subway platforms. The subway walls were also lined with prints showcasing interiors of IKEA’s showrooms transforming the stations into living rooms. This interesting, interactive campaign gave potential customers a chance to interact directly with the brand and try out products in a memorable atmosphere where commuters can comfortably wait for their train in style. Sure, this campaign is risky with the extremely high possibility of vandalism and damage done to the furniture and wouldn’t work in every subway station but this experiential marketing campaign will no doubt be talked and tweeted about long after it has ended.
This month John Deere introduced a series of exceptional ads that have managed to add excitement and inspiration to the otherwise relatively boring agricultural equipment industry. The new brand campaign,What will you create?, features real John Deere customers who have created what they describe as “visionary lawn art”, turning what used to be a chore into a way to express yourself. The campaign is meant to inspire customers while breathing new life into an iconic brand. Along with the print ads, they also have revamped their website to showcase more examples of lawn art created using John Deere equipment. The site also has a form where visitors can submit examples of their own lawn art to be featured on the site. The ad above features Stan Herd who creates designs seen from airplanes on his Kansas property. Another ad features Pearl Fryar from South Carolina, who has logged over 1,000 hours on his John Deere. This new campaign is very effective because instead of focusing on the products its focus is on the people and their stories creating an emotional connection with the brand.
In an attempt to draw users back in, Myspace has begun revamping their site for a comeback. As more and more users shift over to social network applications like Facebook and Twitter, the former leader Myspace has been surpassed while quickly losing market share. With their lack of growth compared to the enormous rise in Facebook users and Twitter boom, Myspace isn’t the juggernaut it used to be. For years they were the undisputed king of social networking but they got complacent and failed to innovate, this presented an opening to Facebook and now they dominate the medium with over four times as many members. While Facebook has taken over, Myspace has remained profitable bringing in about $350million a year mainly from advertising, but this too could change very soon. They have a shared advertising revenue deal with Google currently that has been keeping the company profitable but with the recently announced Google Buzz social networking platform it is unclear if they will renew their deal. Between these problems and a recent management shakeup, Myspace has a lot of work ahead to accomplish their goal, but their strategy seems solid.
Instead of looking at Facebook and Twitter as competitors, Myspace is now changing their strategy and looking towards these once rivals and potential partners for distribution and synchronization. They have already synced services with Twitter so tweets or status updates on one service are automatically posted to the other.
They are also shifting their target market and content strategies. They will now appeal to a younger crowd focusing on music, movies, and games by using the service to discover new music, view movie trailers, and play games in a social environment. Instead of being a “place for friends” their new mantra will be “Discover and be Discovered” moving further away from social and focusing more on the media aspect. This rebranding will include simple, clean pages to avoid the unappealing cluttered pages that have become expected with the original design. They are investing a lot in their gaming channel by working with social-gaming firm Playdom. They have also teamed with Microsoft to improve their mobile web services and revamp its look. Lastly, they are keeping music a main focus.
Myspace Music has been an extremely useful and popular medium for bands to increase exposure and connect with fans. While Myspace’s user base is down compared to Facebook, their music channel is still considered quite successful. If they can continue their success of this channel while improving their video and game channels, it could prove successful.
Many argue that Myspace is already done and their failure to innovate along with other social networking sites has already sealed their fate. With social networking dominated by Facebook, Google’s new social network, and Apple trying to take over distribution of digital media there may not be room Myspace. But with their new strategy to reinvigorate the brand and network, their resources backed by their parent company News Corp, and their still popular Myspace Music channel I believe there still is a chance for them to find their niche and survive, it just won’t be focused on networking with friends. It will be very interesting over the following months to see how they choose to re-brand and if their strategies will work.
I know the technology in the above example isn’t directly applied to advertising (yet), but I think it serves as a great example of how constant innovation is necessary for any industry.
Film has been rapidly evolving with new technologies and techniques like digital video, high definition, IMAX, and 3D to make the viewer’s experience as realistic as possible and engage them to connect with the content. This movie has taken innovation a step further by breaking the “fourth wall” and engaging the viewers directly. As the hype for this movie builds it will be interesting to see its effect on future films. This new technology could potentially change the landscape of movies and how they are experienced in the theater much like emerging 3D technology has with movies like Up and Avatar. Now audiences expect to be engaged and the only way to deliver is through innovation to stay ahead of expectations.
Although they are different industries, this example of evolving technologies and increased interaction parallel the changes in the advertising industry over the past decade. Brands that have embraced innovation and engaged consumers through channels like social media have thrived while late adopters are struggling to catch up. As social media marketing continues to grow and we discover new ways to effectively track returns it has become a crucial part of any digital marketing strategy. As companies like Google reinvent the way data is collected and shared it will open up exciting new frontiers in marketing that simply must be embraced. This is why constant innovation is so important for industry growth and must be embraced for survival.
The LA times just announced that Google (who else) has won the patent for using location based data for advertising. The patent, numbered 7,668,832, was filed way back in 2004 and was just now awarded to Google by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The patent will allow Google to build tools for advertisers that use location information to determine ad placement, track performance in certain areas, target customers based on their location, and ultimately improve the effectiveness of their campaigns. This could have far reaching effects on smartphone users with location aware phones making them susceptible to a constant barrage of ads as they go about their day. The technology could determine based on location if an ad should be sent and what content is appropriate making it ideal to reach your target market directly Google hasn’t announced exactly what they will do with the patent but it will definitely change the mobile user’s experience.
Chado Advertising & Design has produced this high concept print ad to help the Epic Group celebrate Bangladesh Independence Day. The ad is slated to make rounds in major publications throughout Asia like the South China Morning Post beginning March 26. The ad’s main focus is “cutting edge solutions and world-class manufacturing” provided by the Epic Group with their superior technology, constant innovation, and use of quality materials resulting in inexpensive yet superior garment manufacturing. The imagery in the ad is meant to represent the Bangladesh flag. Adopted January 13th 1972, the green flag with a red circle is a national symbol of Bangladesh where Epic has deep roots and a strong presence. The green on the flag represents the lush vegetation and greenery of Bangladesh with its vitality and youthfulness while the red represents the rising sun and sacrifices that the people of Bangladesh made to achieve independence. The red circle in the ad is displayed with a two sided coiled ribbon with one side displaying the red color from the flag and the other displaying images from different Epic Group manufacturing facilities showcasing their technologies and high quality garment work. The coiled ribbon was used because it effectively represents how the Epic Group is directly intertwined with the country of Bangladesh. This new ad will increase awareness of the Epic Group and their world-class manufacturing services to more potential clients while giving back and celebrating the history, culture, and independence of Bangladesh.
In an interesting move last week, Xerox started running ads in the Hollywood trade publications like the Hollywood Reporter in an attempt to keep its trademarked name from being used. They are requesting that mainstream media stop referring to making a copy as “to Xerox” or copies as “Xeroxes”. Typically, having your brand name directly associated with and often used in place of the actual product would be considered an honor for the brand, demonstrating its impact on culture. Take Band Aid adhesive bandages, instead of making a shopping list and writing “adhesive bandages” people usually will refer to them as band aids by habit. Same goes for brands like Q-Tips, Kleenex, and Coke. Having your brand name interchangeable for the actual name of the product means that your brand is in the forefront of consumer’s minds increasing the chance that they will use your product. Now, there is the fear of brand dilution. They fear that by using their brand name as a noun in TV and movie scripts it will devalue the name of the brand as common usage continues. It will be interesting to see if this strategy hurts or helps the brand in the long run.
Experiential marketing, utilizing unique marketing tactics giving consumers the opportunity to engage and interact with brands to create an emotional connection based on a branded experience, continues to evolve, finding new approaches to connect with consumers. One of the most interesting is the latest campaign from Pepsi’s Tropicana brand. In January, Tropicana traveled to the northern Canadian town of Inuvik, which experiences weeks of constant darkness during the winter, to brighten their day. Knowing the adverse effects of 31 days without sunshine they decided to bring them the sun. This seemingly impossible task was accomplished by constructing an inflatable electric powered artificial sun that was raised high above the town. While the locals gathered to watch the sunrise they were given bottles of Tropicana. Not a bad way to market your brand when you want to be associated with morning sunshine. The best part of video was the people’s reactions as they gathered to bask in the “sunshine” with an astonished look on their face. Instead of simply distributing product samples, Tropicana made it an event that will not be soon forgotten. This experiential campaign was especially effective because of the strong emotional connection they made with customers with the unique experience, they will always remember how Tropicana came to their town and did the impossible. They managed to give them an unforgettable experience that is impossible to duplicate at the perfect time and were able to center the whole experience on their brand.
As experiential and guerilla marketing techniques are used more frequently to make a stronger connection between the consumer and the brand I predict we will see more campaigns like this. After all providing customers with an experience centered on your brand is the best way to make an emotional connection and foster a strong brand relationship that will last long after the campaign is over.
Chado Advertising & Design has produced this high concept print ad to help the Epic Group celebrate Bangladesh Independence Day. The ad is slated to make rounds in major publications throughout Asia like the South China Morning Post beginning March 26. The ad’s main focus is “cutting edge solutions and world-class manufacturing” provided by the Epic Group with their superior technology, constant innovation, and use of quality materials resulting in inexpensive yet superior garment manufacturing. The imagery in the ad is meant to represent the Bangladesh flag. Adopted January 13th 1972, the green flag with a red circle is a national symbol of Bangladesh where Epic has deep roots and a strong presence. The green on the flag represents the lush vegetation and greenery of Bangladesh with its vitality and youthfulness while the red represents the rising sun and sacrifices that the people of Bangladesh made to achieve independence. The red circle in the ad is displayed with a two sided coiled ribbon with one side displaying the red color from the flag and the other displaying images from different Epic Group manufacturing facilities showcasing their technologies and high quality garment work. The coiled ribbon was used because it effectively represents how the Epic Group is directly intertwined with the country of Bangladesh. This new ad will increase awareness of the Epic Group and their world-class manufacturing services to more potential clients while giving back and celebrating the history, culture, and independence of Bangladesh.
