"Buy the Way…" Insights on Integrated Marketing Communication

This week, reading the Dove articles for real beauty, has me thinking a lot about how the creative landscape and the sociopolitical environment we are in are colliding. Whether we like to admit it or not, the truth is we have become a society that is constantly on the edge of offense. The struggles Dove has faced with their real beauty campaign and the misguided advertising they have received backlash for is just one of many examples to demonstrate the fine line between being powerfully disruptive and dangerously offensive when attempting to create buzz-worthy advertising.

I can understand the boundaries that have been crossed with many very public advertising flops we have seen in the past few years. Nivea clearly crossed the line with their “White is purity” slogan, which was deemed racially offensive in their messaging (Chi, 2017). Another example of ill-conceived advertising is Benetton’s “Unhate” campaign, which used photoshop to put world leaders together in inappropriate liplocks (2017). See the photo below, which anyone at first glance would consider unacceptable without any explanation of what was happening. (Which makes one wonder how it was ever published in the first place…?)

A no brainer – right? But what about the ads that are NOT so obvious in their shortcomings? Pepsi caught a lot of heat for the commercial with Kris Jenner handing a police officer a Pepsi. Negative feedback poured in claiming that Pepsi has made light of the recent protests and reduced their complexity and seriousness down to something as trivial as “sharing a Pepsi” to overcome social inequalities (Siegal, 2017). Was this the intention, though? Obviously not. The message was to share in our humanity and come together with a common appreciation. Essentially, a creative and disruptive advertisement that, perhaps, waddled too far over the line. They’re not the only ones who have slipped with good intentions (that were far less obvious than the above “unhate” images are). There are plenty others who have unnerved our society for some reason or another within the past few years (see Dua, 2017).

So, how far is too far? And at what point does creativity avoid disruptions for the sake of not “disrupting” anyone? Are we as a society becoming more sensitive? Or are we pushing the boundaries too far in our advertising?

References

Chi, L. (2017). From Pepsi to Nivea: Some of the worst advertising fails. BBS News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/business-39511906

Dua, T. (2017). The 10 worst ads of 2017. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/worst-ads-of-the-year-2017-12

Siegal, J. (2017, April 5). Watch the Pepsi commercial that have the entire internet going crazy. BGR. Retrieved from http://bgr.com/2017/04/05/pepsi-ad-kendall-jenner-tone-deaf-commercial/

Branding for a company is crucial. Companies that can leverage their brand, understand their market, and share their company with its consumers rise to the top. Those companies that leave out one of the previously mentioned tapper off, loose traction and inevitably fail.

In the fashion industry, a companies brand is essentially everything. People not only recall brand names but some of the most iconic clothing companies have leveraged logos to makes their brands stick. When we think of Nike, we see the iconic swish. When we think about Lulu Lemon its hard not to think of the infamous (yoga pants) upside down horseshoe. Or when we think Lacoste we can see the tiny green crocodile on the front of a fitted polo.

Well surprisingly enough, Lacoste has done away with its iconic crocodile. Lacoste has launched a new campaign “Save Our Species,” which replaces the logo with ten emblems of endangered species that will individually appear in a series of limited-edition polo shirts. This kicks off a three-year partnership between Lacoste and IUCN to raise awareness for animals that could use the more visibility.

The company will only have the number of shirts available for sale that corresponds to the number of animals of each species that remain in the wild. This will be a total of 1,775 shirts running for $186 each.

Although the company has replaced its logo on this line, this has shown to be promising for the brand. With millennials disrupting the market, companies have to find new ways to position their brands. Companies that have relied on being a “big brand” have the potential to fade out as millennials continue to disrupt markets. Millennials seek to buy into companies that prioritize “making an impact” on the world around them. Companies should follow in Lacoste’s footsteps by making a shift of being purpose-led. Not only to gain traction with the new wave of consumers but to use their resources to change the world.

More than 29.9% of all websites are WordPress websites. And if WordPress wants to keep that market share, it needs to evolve with the market. The desire to remain relevant could be why it’s releasing a new editorial experience code-named Gutenberg.

What is WordPress? It is the open source content management software that has helped novices and experts create websites (WordPress.org). You can either open an account with WordPress.com, or you download the software and install it on your hosting package. Both applications are known to be easy. WordPress is known for being easy to install, easy to use, and easy to manage. That’s why bloggers and big corporates chose WordPress to run their sites.

If you are looking for a job in marketing, there is a strong chance you’ll be asked to edit or create content using WordPress. (And, it is also why we are probably writing these blog posts.) Knowing how WordPress works can help you get a job because so many websites are run on WordPress. Drupal and Joomla are the second and third most platforms, and either combined market share is expected to be less than ten percent.

How can WordPress keep the market share? WordPress 5.0 will launch an editor that allows users to create and reuse blocks of content. Gone are the days when you hunt and peck for the single word that has to be replaced in a 3,000-word post. Content editors can embed video content, advertising, and full-width images without scrolling through code or writing complex PHP code to add content.

The new editorial experience of Gutenberg helps WordPress evolve, but not all themes and plugins will be ready for the new release (Cullen, 2018). And users who want to use the old editor will have to install the Classic Editor plugin to make sure their websites run as of the first of the year.

Do you manage or edit a WordPress website? Are you prepared for this next release? Have you started to make updates? Or, do you feel like your attempts to update your site may be as flawed as the gif below.

Resources

Cullen, C. (2018). Getting your WordPress website ready for Gutenberg. WP Buffs. Retrieved from https://wpbuffs.com/ready-for-gutenberg/

WordPress.org. About WordPress. Retrieved from https://wordpress.org/about/

On February 16, 2018, I, along with a group of eight or nine friends packed ourselves into the only section of the movie theater that we could find to accommodate such a large group to experience the opening of one of the most anticipated superhero films in history. There was something different about this anticipation. This film did not have a lead role played by Mark Wahlberg, Ryan Reynolds, Chris Pratt or any other A-list white male protagonist we’ve become accustomed to make opening night appointments to go see. The film featured a dynamic cast of African American actors and actresses, led by Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan. Directed not by Michael Bay, Zach Snyder or Joss Whedon, but by a budding black director by the name of Ryan Coogler. This film, created with a $200 million dollar budget, in it’s first two weeks has already made over $400 million domestically and is nearing $1 billion internationally.

Records the film has broken in just it’s first weekend is enough to rethink Hollywood’s approach to filmmaking. Biggest opening for a non-white director in history, biggest February opening in history, biggest weekend for a non-sequel feature in history, and is already the highest grossing film in America to be directed by a black director.

With all of this success, it is hard to believe that non-white male directors have struggled to garner the resources necessary to bring their visions to the big screen. Past thoughts on the subject were that films that didn’t feature a white male protagonist would have a difficult time being successful internationally. This film has already made over $400 million dollars internationally before opening in Japan or China. The widespread myth that it would be a risk for Hollywood studios to provide talented non-white directors with talented predominantly non-white casts has been shattered by Black Panther.

Disney committed unprecedented support behind this film by providing a nine-month long marketing campaign around this film. Spending over $40 million on TV ads alone shows how much Disney executives believed in this film. Easily the most tweeted about film of 2018, the integrated marketing approach that Disney is world-known for has clearly brought consumer engagement to the next level. The moral of the story is that when studios are brave enough to give the reigns to highly talented people of all ethnicities or genders, they will see large dividends pay off for them in the profit margins. It looks to be that this will be more of way of life in Hollywood now then just a fad, thanks to this outstanding cinematic feat.

Wakanda Forever.

With the Dove readings and videos I had for school this week, I couldn’t help but think about other struggles women face in our society. Not only do we have an impossible standard of beauty to strive for, but we also struggle in the workplace. I’m not even necessarily talking about sexism from male co-workers, but how we (as women) tend to hold ourselves back. Many of you may have read the book Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg; if you haven’t, I definitely recommend it. In her book, Sandberg explains how men often go after opportunities, even if they don’t meet all of the qualifications, whereas women only go after an opportunity if they meet all of the qualifications (think: applying for a job or promotion). According to Sandberg, women are more likely than men to suffer from imposter syndrome; I have experienced the type of feelings described with imposter syndrome, but I didn’t think of it as a common experience because it’s not something commonly discussed in social circles. Sandberg gives several tips on how we, as women, can recognize when we are holding ourselves back, and what we can do instead. She talks about the importance of mentorship, and I can proudly say that I have one of the best mentors I could ask for. I’m also fortunate to work in an industry that has a higher percentage of women in executive leadership positions than most other industries in the United States. In her book, Sandberg also talks about sharing the responsibility of parenting. Although I am not a mother, I have seen most of my friends share the responsibility of parenting with their spouses. As a woman or as the father, friend or spouse of a woman, have you noticed that women tend to hold themselves back? What can you do differently for yourself or for the women in your life to help them achieve more and lean in?

Hello All,

I am currently dealing with a dilemma with my daughter where I had to move her over to a softball league versus keeping her with boys in a baseball league. Where she was currently excelling, but society tells her that she can’t play baseball and she needs to play softball.  Granite I have another son close to age, and he plays baseball, so I am not one-sided here.

My dilemma I fully understand that there no women players playing in the MLB which is a male-dominated sport. But why? I know that their softball leagues and the All-American Gils professional Baseball League during the war to help baseball keep in the public eye in skorts. I am sure some of us watched the movie “A League of Their Own.”

The fact of the matter I that we are in the 21st century and the fact that my daughter is recommended to move to a softball league because she is a female and she should be playing with other women versus boys. My thoughts are if she can keep up with the group and is better then some of the boys I fail to see the issue.

I fail to see if women can play the post and where women are not required to be as strong or as fast as males should the this not be baseball? I feel that this sport should integrate women or start their league where they are not required to pitch underhand and can adhere to the same rules and regulations that males play. I genuinely wonder why society has not pushed or excepted that women can play baseball and not just softball.

what everyone’s thoughts?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/447773-no-girls-allowed-why-arent-there-any-women-in-mlb

Four months ago I was promoted from marketing coordinator to marketing manager at the credit union where I work. I recently made my very first hire. Her name is Nicole, and her first day is tomorrow. I feel like I may be as nervous as she must be. Why? Because I hired Nicole to be our social media coordinator, a role that I had been clumsily juggling along with many others, and I have no social media strategy or plan. So, how am I supposed to guide her?

Credit Union trade publications recommend marketers have a social media strategy, plan ahead and schedule social media posts in advance, but social media has often been an afterthought for me. Like, “Oh crap! It’s already Wednesday and I haven’t posted anything on social media this week. Quick! Let’s look at what’s trending on Twitter and I’ll copy one of those topics.”

Technology is improving by the day and there is no denying that social media is a part of our daily lives, which means social media is a part of marketing as well, because marketers have to post communications where their audience is.

I obviously recognized the credit union’s need for a social media coordinator, which is why I posted the position and hired Nicole. However, it wasn’t until last night, when I read an article about social media that I truly realized how behind we are as a credit union when it comes to managing social media. The article, written in 2012 (already six years ago!), explained how companies such as Wal-Mart use public posts on social media to listen to customers and identify current trends in order to plan their inventory.

On a related note, I’m personally very active on Facebook and it never stops to amaze me how Facebook seems to know me so well. One day I posted that I ran a 10k race in the rain, while carrying an umbrella the entire time; the very next day an ad for an umbrella appeared in my newsfeed. (“Sometimes it feels like . . . somebody’s watching me.”)

As a credit union, we need to step our game up. We have had direct reviews and questions from our members that prove we are behind the times (“When will you guys get Apple Pay?”), but we have the capability to spot these needs before our customers specifically ask us on a public forum, which makes us look antiquated (which, let’s face it – we are).

Although I am nervous – I am also excited. I am certain that Nicole has the ability to develop our social media strategy and take us to the next level!

Airports are taking advantage of the huge success of Black Panther, which is expected to surpass the 500 million dollar mark just nine days after its release (Tartaglione, 2018). Wakanda is the setting of Black Panther, the fictional African utopia of our dreams. If Wakanda isn’t real, should airlines be taking advantage of it for advertising purposes?

If you haven’t seen the trailer for Black Panther, check it out here. Be careful! You might just end up with Wakanda fever.

On February 19th, Atlanta International Airport tweeted “the bags are packed #wakandaforever”. Their tweet quickly gained traction and it now boasts over 15 thousand retweets and 34 thousand likes. Atlanta Airport didn’t stop there. They continued the conversation by actively replying to those who took time to respond to their text, engaging in a clever back and forth which included tweets that were chock full of movie references. Their creative use of Black Panther by dreaming up a flight to an imaginary place, Wakanda, grabbed the attention of big name twitter accounts including Marvel Studios, DJ Styles, and a Black Panther cast members Forest Whitaker and Lupita Nyong’o.

So… What’s the twist?

A town called Stockbridge, which sits just twenty miles outside of Atlanta could actually be considered the real version of Wakanda.  This rock quarry is where much of the movie was filmed (Oller, 2017).  Should the city of Atlanta be focusing on this from a tourism standpoint, rather than the airport pretending to send flights OUT of their city.  Let’s bring the people IN instead! The kingdom of Wakanda may not be exactly the same as it looks in the movie, but it would still echo the presence of the black panther himself, Prince T’Challa (Tejan-Sie, 2018).

Orlando International Airport joined in on the Wakanda fun with a tweet that featured an airplane plastered with “Wakanda Air” and the silhouette of a black panther. Orlando really could offer those daily nonstop flights to the little rock quarry just outside of Atlanta. Come on guys! The dream of #WakandaForever could be a beautiful reality.

Take a virtual tour of the real Wakanda here. Picture this: adventure inspired hikes into the quarry; the picture perfect setting for your next instafamous instagram picture boasting the hashtag #wakandaforever.

Do Atlanta and Orlando have it all wrong? Atlanta is sending opportunity away to a make believe place instead of opening it’s doors to the real Wakanda. Dear Orlando, you’re almost there.  Just sell those direct flights to the good ol’ ATL. #WakandaIsReal

References

Tartaglione, N. (22 February 2018). ‘Black Panther’ to pounce past $500M ww box office today. Retrieved from http://deadline.com/2018/02/black-panther-second-week-international-box-office-results-korea-success-1202297841/

Next flight to wakanda? Airports have some fun on twitter. (21 February 2018). Retrieved from https://www.nbclosangeles.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/Next-flight-to-Wakanda-Airports-having-some-fun-on-Twitter-474781043.html

Oller, J. (21 February 2018). Bye! We’re booking a flight to wakanda thanks to Atlanta’s airport. Retrieved from http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/bye-were-booking-a-flight-to-wakanda-thanks-to-atlantas-airport

Tejan-Sie, M. (22 February 2018). Atlanta’s airport offers ‘flights’ to wakanda. Retrieved from http://abc7.com/entertainment/atlantas-airport-offers-flights-to-wakanda-/3119580/