RESZEL | Blog

Marketing/Making of the St. Patrick's Day Green

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 10:02:14 GMT

As we settle in to celebrate St. Patrick's Day 2011, I can't help but notice the unfortunate, ever-growing, holiday juggernaut that is ... the marketing/making of the St. Patrick's Day green. Raised Irish Catholic south of Chicago (south side Irish don't you know), St. Patrick's Day was always a family day filled with fun, food and frolic. Yes. frolic. ;-) But over the years, like many Americanized holidays, St. Patrick's Day has taken on a "forced" commercial flavor that for many revelers and realists, for many reasons, leaves somewhat of a bad taste in the mouth. Even in the old country, St. Patrick's Day is becoming a day of marketing/making of the green rather than a celebration of heritage and culture. Case in point, until most recently, pubs in Ireland were closed on St. Patrick's Day as it was and remains a day of worship. Here in America, you could also say that St. Patrick's Day is a "holy day" with many, at the end of the day, on their knees worshiping at the almighty porcelain toilet forced to revisit an over-indulence/consumption of green bagels, green beer, green eggs and ham and so on.

Nowadays there are Kiss Me I'm Irish merchandise and competitions, Shamrock Shakes, Lucky Charms, Pot-O-Gold lottery tickets, etc., etc., etc. And don't even get me started on the whole corned beef and cabbage pot-luck-dnner thing. For years restaurants and diners across the country have seen green serving up corned beef and cabbage to patrons happy to plunk their greenbacks down for what could be deemed one of the more untraditional Irish-isms ever! Once and for all people, corned beef and cabbage is NOT traditional holiday fare in Ireland or anywhere else ... other than America of course. At the end of the day, St. Patrick's Day that is, reality finally steps in and then realization sets in ... no denying it, the St. Patrick's Day marketing/making of the green is here to stay. Or better said as an old world Irish proverb ... 'Tis better to spend money like there's no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there's no money.'

Brand Nau·se·am: Ad Before Video Content Fail

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:40:40 GMT

Don't mean to sound too naive or preachy but am I the only person that has an issue with commercial lead ins to online "news" videos related to the horrific tragedy in Japan? Don't get me wrong, I get the whole ... captive online audience - ad before content - strategy. But for a news event the likes of this? Using tragedy to hock brands just prior to viewing Japan's devastating loss of life and property is horrific in its own right. Not to mention the overwhelmingly "negative brand positioning by association" factor. Not sure it's such a brilliant move to gain eyeballs only to associate your brand with human suffering?

Brand Bash: NLDS and The Rice-A-Roni Haters?

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:08:58 GMT

A brief word on some good old fashioned, fun, lighthearted brand bashing, major league baseball, rabid baseball fans, delicious rice/pasta dishes and of course, the fabulous city of San Francisco.

So I'm sitting at home the evening of October 10th, ensconsed in my favorite chair, snacks at the ready, watching the Braves and Giants do battle in the 2010 NLDS. God I love baseball, especially this time of year! I also love people watching, especially rabid baseball fans, their signage, demeanor, etc. During an Atlanta Braves pitching change late in the game, a Braves fan proudly stood up and displayed a sign that immediately caught my eye. As soon as I saw it, I jumped up, paused the Tivo, grabbed my iPhone and snapped a few photos of the television screen. Apologies in advance for some of the image pixelation on the photo attached to this blog. Reason the fan sign was of interest? Appears that one rabid Braves fan is a hater of not only the Giants baseball club, but apparentlly any and all brands associated with the city of San Francisco, as evidenced by their sign simply stating Rice-A-Roni Sucks. It gets worse because the word Sucks mind you, is in RED and in all CAPS!! I'm stumped. Rice-A-Roni? Really. Of all the brands associated with San Francisco, you (anonymous fan) select the wholesome goodness of Rice-A-Roni? Yeah, yeah. I get it. Like the jingle of old . . . "Rice-A-Roni" a San Francisco Treat." Can't say for certain but I don't think the Rice-A-Roni jingle mentioned "a San Francisco Giants treat." I could be wrong? Come to think of it . . . no I'm not wrong. They don't mention the San Francisco Giants in the Rice-A-Roni jingle.

Seriously. Rice-A-Roni? Is that the best you can do when it comes to fan brand bashing of the opposing team and the city, state and/or overarching region in which they hail from hence reside? If you must, how about bashing other things, companies, products, etc., from the greater San Fran area. For example The Gap's new new logo. Yes! The Gap's new logo!!! I can see it now. Rabid Braves fan spends hours creating a sign and then at the right moment during the game, anonymous fan proudly stands and delivers with hands and arms thrust in the air, a fan sign that exclaims . . . The Gap's New Logo SUCKS and oh yeah, but the way, I don't really care for or enjoy your baseball club known as the Giants. Okay. A bit wordy, but you get the point. I guess what I'm trying to say is . . . bash the team if you want, don't bash the brands that make America and the American Pastime great.

Brand Blur and The $5.00 VIP Experience

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:48:46 GMT

What is a V I P worth today? Better yet, what is the customer experience worth today? Better still, what does it mean to clearly identify your brand's ID and positioning as it relates to the "first impression" customer experience? Short answer, to some $5.00. Allow me to explain. While traveling this past weekend with my family, kind of a last summer fling before the new school year begins, I came across what I like to call a Brand Blur. What's a Brand Blur? Happens when the positioning of a brand's product/service (or the product/service of a brand's alliance provider/partner) blurs the line between perception and reality. Majority are unintentional, happen upon first impression and most require a little closer review.

Back to the family mini-vaca, already in progress. As my family and i passed through the threshold of our "standard hotel room", my gaze was immediately interrupted by three letters boldly declared on a particularly attractive room amenity. Amazing how my brain immediately interpreted these letters. All I saw was V I P emblazoned on what appeared to be a complimentary bottle of water. How nice I thought, that this particular household brand name hotel had provided us with, not just any bottle of water but a VIP bottle of water! Again, amazing how my brain immediately interpreted the three letters as V I P AND that VIP, at least in my mind, equates to the word - complimentary.

Considering we had already shelled out a modest amount of money for our "standard hotel room", I wasn't exactly anticipating any V I P treatment. But as the perceived appearance of a complimentary V I P bottle of water loomed large in the focal point of our room, intentionally paired with the "standard hotel room" clunky plastic ice chest and squatty drinking glasses, I began to give in to the seduction of the V I P (Very Important Person) mindset. Immediately my brain began to conjure up visions of complimentary poolside cocktails, valet parking privileges, extra towels, unlimited shower caps, etc., etc.

Then of course I was slapped back to reality as I took a closer look at the brilliant blue V I P tag resting neatly around the neck of what my brain had perceived as a V I P complimentary bottle of water. Upon closer examination, I came to find out that this is NOT in fact for V I Ps NOR is it a complimentary bottle of water. No. This is a V | P bottle of water. In mere seconds I had gone from V I P to V | P, falling victim to an abbreviated brand stamp and creative use of the keyboard symbol for "pipe" found on the right-side of the primary keyboard, immediately under the delete key. With reality crashing down around me, stripped of my V I P status, ;-) I read on. It was now all as clear as the sparkling water in the bottle I held. This particular bottle of water is NOT only NOT complimentary, it is in fact "provided for my convenience" at a charge of $5.00? So, if I am so inclined to be convenienced, I am to conveniently pay $5.00 for the bottle of water upon consumption of said convenience. Not exactly the V I P treatment.

Brilliant or baffling? The simple fact is that I was momentarily taken in by the iDEA of exclusivity and three unassuming letters. Separately they mean nothing. Put them together and they take on a very specific customer expectation. Our eyes met across a not so crowded "standard hotel room". As is often the case, anticipation, excitement and expectation reigned and upon getting to know one another better, reality set in. V I P? No. V | P. A brilliant attempt by a hotel and their alliance partner to create up-sell opportunities? Hardly. A baffled customer experience brought on by delusions of grandeur? ;-) Could be. Either way, it all comes down to crisp clear brand and product positioning. In this case, what could have been originally perceived as a complimentary offering to an exclusive set of clientele can and probably often does give way to confusion with the later leaving some customers thirsty for a better brand/product experience?

Macy's Thanksgiving Day 180-Second Spot

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:15:23 GMT

Not looking forward to the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade or should I say, the 3 hour NBC commercial, brought to us by NBC's exclusive coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics!!!!. Do we really need Roker and cast of Heros at parade curbside freezing their unmentionables off in an act of shameless promo? How does seeing the stars of NBC shows, bad lip-syncing celebs and lame parade banter enhance my Thanksgiving Holiday! Don't get me wrong, all about brilliant brand marketing. Thing is, nothing brilliant about the Hello Kitty float sponsored by Pepto-Bismol!

Veterans Day Sale?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:09:37 GMT

Veteran's Day 2009 - First off, allow me to express my undying appreciation, respect and admiration for all veterans. HEROS ALL! Without you, there would be no FREE in FREEdom! Personally, I would like to thank my father in-law Jamie E. [NAVY], my friend Nick M. [AIR FORCE] and my Dad [ARMY].

VETERANS DAY SALE? I've NEVER been a fan of the Veterans Day Sale campaign. Honestly! Do retailers really believe a Veterans Day Sale with 50% Off Select Futons or Sweaters actually honors our Veterans and their families? How about offering Veterans and families deep discounts and not just on Nov. 11th. Without that kind of commitment, the Veterans Day Sale campaign is nothing more than a shallow gimmick.

Radio Shack Now - The Shack?

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:33:58 GMT

Radio Shack announced that they will be changing their name to "The Shack" with the hope of reviving their stodgy brand image. The Shack? I sense a HUGE celebrity endorsement in the offing! Instead of The Shack, how about The SHAQ!!! Kidding!!!!!

Kay Jewelers

Thu, 21 May 2009 17:07:57 GMT

Celeb Endorsement Branding Pitfalls.

Case Study: Kay Jewelers Mother's Day 09. Kay dusted off their Jane Seymour jugger"NOT" ad campaign and took another run at the "Open Hearts" product line. Seriously, Open Hearts? When I think Open Hearts, my mind conjures up thoughts of ... Open Hearts-SURGERY, Cardio Resuscitation, Hospital Bills and oh yea, lavish jewelry from Kay! Is that the Brand association Kay wants?

Apple MacBook Air Branding - "Incredible In Incredibles"

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:08:36 GMT

So I'm sitting at home pre-Superbowl Sunday, camped out on the couch with my boys, looking for some kid-friendly television programming. As I click through the DirectTV guide, I happen upon the one zillion or more Nickelodeon/Disney channels. Low and behold, the kids and I spy "The Incredibles" movie listed in the guide, the kids shriek with delight and before you can say MacBook Air, we're engrossed. We pause the movie for a scant moment, (gotta love Tivo), grab some snacks, and get settled in for a long, winter's evening.

I'm a huge fan of the movie "The Incredibles", we own the DVD, and I can honestly say we've seen the movie no less than 50, maybe 100 times. Round about 45 minutes into the movie, I'm struck with an image I've never seen before until now. Amazingly, Pixar, in conjunction with Apple of course, present us with the MacBook Air in all its glory. Yes, the MacBook Air, 4 years before the product was launched to the masses. Amazing coincidence or brand business as usual from the fine folks at Apple. Talk about your Visionary Brand Strategy!!!

Don't kid yourself! An undeniable image strangely reminiscent of the MacBook Air laptop does appear in the movie. If you would like to see for yourself, grab the DVD and fast-forward to the following scene: Mirage sneaks into the cubicle of Mr. Incredible immediately after Mr. Incredible (Bob), is called to the office of his boss. Mr. Incredible is fired, goes home, dumps the contents of his briefcase in the trash, hears a large clunk in the can, reaches into the trash can, pulling out a YELLOW BUSINESS ENVELOPE, reaches into the YELLOW BUSINESS ENVELOPE and . . . wait for it . . . pulls out the MacBook Air!! Amazing right? Apple and Pixar had the foresight to strategically integrate the pending launch of the MacBook Air in a movie from 2004! Was Apple and/or Pixar crazy or crazy like a fox? We know that during the recent MacWorld 2008 Keynote, Steve Jobs launches the new MacBook Air, presenting the new product literally from "thin-air", like a rabbit from a hat or in this case, a laptop from a similar YELLOW INTER-OFFICE ENVELOPE! Mr. Jobs then treats those of us watching the Keynote to a preview of the new MacBook Air television spot where we once again see the MacBook Air, seemingly pulled from "thin-air" from the all too familiar YELLOW INTER-OFFICE ENVELOPE.

Call it what you will . . . visionary strategic brand brilliance, product placement premonition, or just a lucky coincidence? I call it INCREDIBLE.