Decent Marketing

Burger King and C**ks

Okay, Crispin, Porter & Bogusky.  You got me.  I can't help but mention Burger King's promotion of their new Chicken Fries by tying in with the clearly fictitious band Coq Roq (pronounced cock rock, in case you weren't sure).  Did you really think putting www.coqroq.com at the bottom of your national television advertising was in good taste?  Did you really have no idea the site would read "Groupies love the Coq"?  Of course you didn't.  That's why you did it.  Because you know it will create controversy and buzz.  Aren't you clever.  Thank God my four-year-old son can't read yet. 

The more I think about it, I think Burger King really sucks.  So maybe the whole idea is appropriate after all.

Tag: marketing

ThinkAbout 2005

Jim Gilmore and Joe Pine, authors of "The Experience Economy", are now accepting registrations for their annual thinkAbout conference.  It will be held September 14 and 15 in Keystone, Colorado.  Their focus this year is to "envision the wide-open business opportunities found throughout the Experience Economy".   (FYI, for all of you Tom Peters fans, he'll be the opening speaker on day 1.)  For more info or to register, check out the thinkAbout website.

Is Dog arts or entertainment?: The Evolution of Cable Brands

My husband and I have noticed an interesting transformation happening with several cable network brands.  Some of the more intellectual, educational networks have succumbed to reality TV hysteria, and it now seems that their content doesn't quite match the brand meaning as it was originally intended. 

Consider A&E, the Arts and Entertainment Channel.  If you read the description of A&E at their corporate site, it states:

Now reaching more than 88 million homes, A&E Network brings viewers the Art of Entertainment through a unique combination of three genres -- the Art of Biography, the Art of Documentary and the Art of Drama.  A brand synonymous with excellence in television, A&E Network offers a diverse mix of programming ranging from critically acclaimed original series and movies, to innovative documentaries, to the Emmy award winning Biography series ...

If you watch A&E, you know they feature a lineup of such excellence in television as "Dog, the Bounty Hunter" (about a Hawaiian bounty hunting family), "Criss Angel Mindfreak" (about a David Blaine wannabe), and "Growing Up Gotti" (about the daily lives of the relatives of the famous mob boss).   My husband is fond of asking:  "Does this show represent the A or the E in Arts & Entertainment?"  We've come to the conclusion that most of them probably represent the ampersand.  Not that we don't love Dog, because he is in fact awesome, but these shows seem like strange bedfellows if you think back to the type of network A&E was when it was launched.

Then there's TLC, or the Learning Channel network.  TLC features such shows as "What Not To Wear", "Trading Spaces" and "Overhaulin'".  In my household, we've renamed it the Loser Channel, since it seems to be aimed at people who have no idea how to dress or decorate their home, and who drive cars in need of serious body work.  When I think of TLC, I think of shows about space, and nature, and ... and ... "Sports Disasters"?  As they describe it:

Through emotional storytelling, TLC seeks to unite, engage and empower people to transform their lives. TLC is one of the most valued entertainment brands in the marketplace today, a trusted place for viewers to find high-quality programming ...

High quality programming indeed.  Should I watch "Miami Ink", about a tattoo parlor in Miami airing on TLC, or "Inked", about a tattoo parlor in Las Vegas airing on A&E?  Decisions, decisions.

marketing

Things That Make You Go Hmm: Bissell and the Tour de France

One of the few good things about being laid up at home recovering from spinal surgery is that I've gotten the chance to watch the Tour de France every day on the Outdoor Life Network.  (Go Lance!) Of course the coverage is peppered with commercials from companies sponsoring the teams.  One that made me do a double-take?  Bissell.  Yes, the vacuum cleaner company.  They are one of the sponsors of Lance Armstrong's Discovery team.  Why?

Well, according to their site:

"The bikes used by cycling teams during their racing season are the most technologically advanced cycles in the world. From the strong, lightweight carbon frame to the 10-speed drive train, these machines have allowed the team to "sweep-up" the competition. But don't believe for a second the team has stopped striving to get better. Constant testing and tweaking are necessary if the team wants to stave-off the competition and stay on top.

Following that same line of thinking, BISSELL continues to create new and innovative cleaning machines to help you in your home. The BISSELL Lift-Off Vacuum with a detachable canister is the one vacuum for all your cleaning needs. The BISSELL Flip-It is a hard floor cleaner that easily "flips" sides for wet or dry cleaning! Always trying to meet your needs and help make cleaning easier, BISSELL innovation is second to none when it comes to cleaning your home!"

That is not very convincing marketing copy.  It seems like a big stretch to me that Bissell sponsors professional cycling.  In fact, it feels like an enormous leap.  If I'm not mistaken, followers of pro cycling are predominantly young, affluent males.   Now I don't know what the demographics of vacuum cleaner buyers are, since I absolutely REFUSE to buy one of those market reports sold for outrageous prices online, but I'm guessing we're talking mainly middle to upper-middle class women in their late 20s, 30s and 40s.  So the audience doesn't match.  And their most recognized product, a vacuum, is used indoors.  Also, vacuuming doesn't have much to do with fitness, unless you're one of those people who counts the calories expended on every household chore as a way to convince yourself you're actually exercising.

Is it possible that I'm way off?  I'm wondering if the president of Bissell happens to be a cycling fan.  Whenever I see a sponsorship that seems very strange related to the brand doing the sponsoring, it usually turns out to be some hobby of management.  Given how few people even follow professional cycling, and that an even smaller percentage of those match the vacuum buying demographic, I don't understand why Bissell would invest a lot of money in the team sponsorship and the advertising.  Maybe I'm missing something.

By the way, I love pro cycling.  And we use an Oreck.

Tag: marketing