AT&T Challenges Verizon

We've all seen cell phone commercials. There's a multitude of them and it seems that each company has it's own gimmick, theme, or celebrity. Recently I have noticed a couple TV ads that stand out. They're from AT&T and feature actor, Luke Wilson.

I noticed the ads because they are fighting back Verizon's recent claims. Verizon puts great deal of emphasis on their "4G" coverage, and how they out-do AT&T. I noticed (before the new AT&T commercials came out) that when Verizon shows a comparison between the map of their coverage and that of their competitors, they only show 4G. They never compare the total coverage area. In other words, it seems to me that Verizon may have a greater number of super awesome spots, but they have a lot more spots that have mediocre or poor coverage than they're competitors. AT&T has taken to pointing this fact out to the rest of the world.

There are several commercials in the series, but my favorite is the "Postcard" one, which shows Luke Wilson tossing postcards that represent all of the places that AT&T has coverage. I like the ad because the commercial specifically addresses Verizon's claims, it's not an overly complicated concept, it gets its point across visually and it does something clever that I've never seen any other commercial do.

It has a part one and a part two. When you see the commercial, after 30 seconds, it moves on to the next product's advertisement. Then, before you've returned to the program you tuned in to watch, you see Luke Wilson again for a few seconds, continuing to toss out postcards. Brilliant! It reminds the customer about the product without bombarding them. It's pleasantly unexpected and not annoying. It turns 60 seconds of advertising $ into a couple minutes because during those other commercials in between you assume Luke has been tossing postcards the whole time. I think the whole thing was not only clever, but results-oriented. (Too many commercials are neither, but that's another soap box.)

I thought the commercial was great, as well as the other one's in AT&T's recent line up.
What do you think? See for yourself.

Poptarts v. Toaster Strudel

I think Pillsbury's Toaster Strudel should give up trying to directly compete with Kellogg's Pop-tarts. Don't get me wrong, I think Toaster Strudel is delicious, but the strudel lacks many of the main features that make Pop-tarts so great.
Toaster Strudel must be stored in the freezer and then heated and frosted before it can be eaten. Pop-tarts, on the other hand offer much more convenience. They can sit on the shelf right next to the dry cereal and oatmeal, and can be easily taken with you to be eaten at a later time. In fact, when I was in high school, i used to bring the brown sugar ones with me to school and eat them mid-morning as a snack.

The TV advertisements for Toaster Strudel are aimed at kids, the same main target that Pop-tarts are marketed too. Toaster Strudel is never going to be a Pop-tart. They should quit trying to beat Kellogg's and go for a different demographic such as young professionals with "more sophisticated" taste. In fact, they could be marketed as the perfect breakfast food for pairing with a hot cup of joe. We all know that coffee has become a social craze through Starbucks and other coffee competitors.

I think Toaster Strudel is a great product and a delicious breakfast food, but Pillsbury should go for a different market segment rather than trying to take on Pop-tarts head-on.

Friend Request

I don't know if anyone else develops a list of favorite advertisements, but right now I'm a fan of the commercial that's currently out there selling Dentyne chewing gum.

While watching my favorite TV shows, I often find myself noting not only the goings on of the show's characters, but also the commercials in between. I know many marketing gurus have noted the trend that is steering away from mass media advertising towards direct marketing, but I think that when done thoughtfully and for the right reasons, traditional advertising can be effective.

Dentyne's commercial (if you haven't seen it, here's the youtube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5LnMngY51c ) plays on the popularity of social media as a substitute for human interaction. I like the fact that the concept for the commercial not only prominently features the product, but shows it in a way that prospects can relate to. Anyone who has ever chewed gum has offered a piece to someone else and perhaps started a conversation that way.

Most importantly, the commercial elevates the gum from being just something your mouth experiences to being a networking tool, a conversation starter, and a bridge between you and the people around you. Though I'm a fan of the commercial, I fear that the brand of the gum is not prominently featured enough to stick in the minds of the viewers. The prospect might be encouraged to buy gum, but not necessarily Dentyne.

It's a Soft Drink

Ever heard of the "Unique Sparkling Soft Drink" commonly known as Cheerwine? If you're not from the South East, you may not have had the pleasure of enjoying this distinctive cherry-flavored soda.

Cheerwine, produced by the Carolina Beverage Corporation, has been in existence since 1917 and has many avid fans throughout the South. In fact, some who live out of the area but grew up in the Carolinas drinking Cheerwine stock up on the soft drink while visiting home. The brand is still relatively unknown outside North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, but their loyal fan base in that region makes the company unique.

The reason Cheerwine caught my attention, other than the fact that I enjoy the taste of the drink, is their website and marketing. If you check out their website, they offer information for distributors and branded t-shirts, but also offer a culture. The quirky set up of the site and the series of videos featuring the product help to position the soft drink in the minds of consumers.

Word-of-mouth is something that could really work to the advantage of such a company. In fact, I heard about the product via word-of-mouth. I don't know what the future plans for Cheerwine include, but the company should take advantage of it's loyal fans and expand distribution. Clearly a nearly 100-year old recipe has worked in the Carolinas. Maybe they can apply that to an ever-widening market.

www.itsasoftdrink.com

Keeping Tabs

I have always enjoyed the chance to sit and flip through a magazine. In fact, the content isn't the only draw. I find the ads fun to look at too because they're meant to be eye-catching and attractive.
In a recent copy of Allure Magazine, one advertising page especially caught my attention for it's creativity and interactive element. I have to give them credit for thinking outside the box. The page features pull-off stickers of the lip color products that the reader is encouraged to use as sticky-tabs to bookmark pages while perusing the magazine.

I like the idea because the stickers increase the length of the interaction between the consumer and the advertisement. It takes advantage of the qualities of having print media form, something that's in the hands of consumers.

The idea was great, but the execution needed a bit of work. The stickers weren't sticky enough to adhere well to the glossy pages and fell off easily. Maybe they should get some tips from 3M, makers of "Post-its." Also, the brand name was not a prominent feature of either the ad as a whole or the individual stickers.

So many "creative" marketing ideas focus on being "innovative," without the component of practicality and goal of reaching the hearts and minds of consumers. I give them points for having a creative ad that goes in the right direction, and has the specific intent to increase product interaction with consumers.