Take Our Post Superbowl Ad Challenge

Click here to take our survey

So do you think the cost of advertising in the Superbowl is worth it?

Want to know what impact you could get for that kind of spending elsewhere? Or 1/100th of it?

The Brand is Dead. Long Live the Brand.

No, this isn't a hi-falutin' discourse on the state of the brand today.

But it is a shout out for the value of dead brands.  And what can be done with them in the right hands.

In our green, recycling way, we've been interested for a long time in dead or tarnished brands, and how great marketers (like these guyshere), can bring them back to life.

While we haven't acted on this yet, we'd like to.  

We appreciate what Brad Hittle and team did for Pabst and now Schlitz.  Not dead brands, but stale as 30 year old beer, and, yet, he revived 'em with smart positioning, packaging, and promotion.

And we marveled at this odd auction last fall in New York:

http://adage.com/article?article_id=147556

One random rep in attendance signed over a cashier's check for about $2000 and ran off with the rights to failed, but hallowed, old magazine brand, Collier's.

So, if you see a brand you want to revive, we're big fans of fixer-uppers...and would be happy to help.  

"Murph, we're gettin' the brand back together!"

Tech Tracks on the Ski Slopes

We're always looking for cool new convergence ideas, and this is definitely one:  Epic Mix.

http://www.snow.com/epicmix/home.aspx?cmpid=ET900094&et_rid=100512035

Simply stated, they've put RFID (trackable chips) on ski passes.

And they've leveraged it larger than a winter storm in International Falls.

So what does this hi-tech tracker enable?

Track your progress throughout the day. 

See you entire day's run online before hitting the apres ski.

Even earn various 'pins', awards for hitting milestones slopewise.

Most importantly, find your friends at any time on any slope.  

Lord knows we could use that last feature, Mr. Hey-Slow-Up-on-the-Mogul-Run!!!!

The intro video for Epic Mix needs a better editor -- like lift lines, the shorter, the better, in video demo-land.  But apart from that, we're diggin' this development.

And as long as the chip survives Epic Mixes of downhill spills, bring it on!

WOMEN & BEER

No, that’ s not the start of a bar song.

In the spirit of the season, we turn our thoughts at Bandwidth to food and spirits. And
this new beer line caught our attention.

As you may know, women are becoming a bigger part of what was traditionally a male
market for beer, in the US and abroad.

Some beer manufacturers have lowered the carbs and the calories to women, but Polish
company, Carlsberg Polska, is making a bold move to create a beer just for women,

Their brew, Karmi, brings sweet flavors and complexity to the palette without pumping
up the calories or alcohol content, so it’ s more in line with what health conscious women
are looking for in a beer.

So far, Karmi comes in a handful of flavors: Classic (caramel), Poema di Caffé (coffee),
Selua (pineapple/piña colada), and Lamai (guava, dragonfruit and mint.) All are sealed
up in a luxurious bottle that feels far more elegant than most dude brews.

Clearly time to cue up a Dudes and Daquiris bar song after Auld Lang Syne.

Happy New Year!

Leadership Lessons in a Rock Fan's Dance

Many of you may be familiar with TED videos, the online video library of  great talks from the TED (Technology Entertainment Design) Conference.

This talk in particular was great in its simplicity. Far faster  than Gladwell's Tipping Point read, and just as cogent in its dissecting  a video of a concert dance to make a point about how group movements  start.

The lessons for marketers, leaders, teachers, party-throwers are  readily apparent: it's the second "follower" that has real guts,  turning the bleeding edge into the leading edge.

The second person to follow a lead:

   
• turns a solo into a group
   
• commits his or her credibility to a possible lone wolf, person, or idea
   
• enables the more risk-averse to join in

It's time to value that first convert in following the lead or idea. Seconds, anyone?

Sample Pack Rats

Takahiro Kawano took traditional free sampling to a new level -- the ground floor retail level.

He created Sample Lab!   It's a store that allows consumers to explore sample products, bringing  a fresh concept to “tryvertising”. 

The 'lab' is filled with lots of unreleased goods in food, beverage, and beauty products.  

There's a store front.  A demonstration room.  A woman's powder room to try out cosmetics.  Experimenting is the key in this lab.

After sampling, members (15 and up who must register) are required to fill out surveys via cell phone.  If they really like the item they may buy it if it's available.  If not, they can take up to 5 or 10 samples home. 

The brand, designers, and manufacturers use the surveys to improve and tweak their product before release.  Sample Lab!’s unique system not only offers brands consumer feedback but also helps generate word of mouth buzz and excitement for new products. 

The franchise is still young, but Sample Lab! has around 700 consumers walk into the Harajuku store a day!  Stores aren't located outside of specific Asian countries, but there is definite interest in opening Sample Labs! internationally. 

Anyone up for trying one?

http://springwise.com/marketing_advertising/tryvertising_lab_in_tokyo/

http://www.samplelab-international.com/why.php

http://www.pbs.org/nbr/site/onair/transcripts/080327e/

http://www.japaninc.com/mgz_october_2008_sample-lab

Don't Go Away Mad, Men.

Yes, now that we're in the heat of summer, it's time for Don Draper and the whole Ad gang to hit our home screens again.  Complete with commercial interruptions.

If you don't know the TV show Mad Men, on AMC network, you are either far too busy, don't care about marketing, loathe serial dramedy, or all of the above.  Not that we'd fault you for any of that.

For the Mad Men neophyte, the show is all about the 60's NY ad game. Stylishly shot.  Very well acted.  And great writing, with lines like these:

You know what my father used to say? "Being with a client is like being in a marriage. Sometimes you get into it for the wrong reasons, and eventually they hit you in the face."

Now in the 4th season, the hits in the face keep coming.  Along with stiff drinks, and all the other Rat Pack longings.

You can catch up on it here:  http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/

And when you do, or if you have, you'll find this faux periodic table amusing and creative:

http://flavorwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/PeriodicTableofMadMen-Flavorwire-Miethner.jpg

Almost as useful as a cocktail recipe book.