"Buy the Way…" Insights on Integrated Marketing Communication

Sure, marketers use every tool that they can to entice their consumers to buy their products.  But many times we are so focused on the visual that we forget just how much our ears dictate what we buy from TV, Radio, and Digital Media.  Below I have a few popular brands that have iconic sounds associated with their sales campaigns. See how many you can “hear in your head” even though I give you only the most basic text example with no indication on tone or melody.  How many can you hear in your mind?

AAMCO – Double A, (honk, honk) M C O
Taco Bell – Gong
Intel (what’s inside?) bum, Bum, bum, Bum
McDonalds – da, da, da, da, da… I’m loving it
T-Mobile – da da da DA da
Farmers Insurance – We are Farmers, da, da, da,da, da, da, da.
State Farm Insurance – Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there
Yahoo – Yahoo-o-o
Maybelline – Maybe she’s born with it, (Maybe it’s Maybelline)
NBC – N… B… C…
THX – An orchestra cacophony of sound to a resolution of sound
LG – Da da, Da da, Da da, ping

How about we try it the other way? See if you can name the brand by only listening to their sound.

Sounds can even draw attention from an audience on its way to get a snack during the biggest game of the year, even if the intent is to sound like something is wrong, like this Chevy Silverado Ad during the 2015 Super Bowl.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq3sY_zyU8Y

Musical Branding can influence how fast or slow some people shop (Iordanescu, 2010).

http://m0.joe.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/16081534/menshopping.gif

Some research has been done on how sound and music can map the brain to certain inherent human characteristics such as masculine/feminine, good/evil, however, more recent research even suggests that sounds can map other senses such as taste (Knoeferle, 2015). in other words, the next time you hear the McDonald’s “I’m loving it” music, it may affect how you actually taste their food! It’s one thing to have an actor say the words “can you hear me now?” for Verizon, but T-mobile’s pristine four-note melodic catchphrase may be doing more to your brain than any scripted words.

This next paragraph is for our GenX’ers and older (like me)… But what happens to the iconic sounds our past, or songs that are not being used anymore but have been burned into our memory like “The best part of waking up, is Folders in your cup” or “GE, we bring good things to life”?  Sound conservationists rest easy, someone has thought of that. A man by the name of Brendan Chilcutt has created the Museum of Endangered Sounds found here:

http://savethesounds.info/

Happy Hearing!

Knoeferle, K. M., Woods, A., Käppler, F., & Spence, C. (2015). That sounds sweet: Using Cross‐Modal correspondences to communicate gustatory attributes. Psychology & Marketing, 32(1), 107-120. doi:10.1002/mar.20766

“Music in Advertising; Commercial Sounds in Media Communication and Other Settings.” 2010. Reference and Research Book News 25 (2).

Image used: http://www.aweita.pe/sites/default/files/4507-el_poder_de_la_musica.jpg

Iordanescu, L., Grabowecky, M., Franconeri, S., Theeuwes, J., & Suzuki, S. (2010). Characteristic sounds make you look at target objects more quickly. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 72(7), 1736-1741.

http:///audio-branding-academy.org/aba/congress/2012-2/program-2012/sounds-speed-visual-search/

Sounds retrieved from http://www.moviesoundclips.net/

When you imagine a clown, do you think of a happy memory from childhood, or are you convinced it plans to kill you in your sleep? I’m firmly in the second camp, and as much as I love Halloween, the clown costumes and scenes absolutely terrify me. My strong aversion to clowns brings great joy to friends and family, as they tease me and pull a variety of clown-related pranks year-round. The thing is, my excessive fear of clowns is a real, documented phobia (coulrophobia) in the psychology world, and I’m far from being the only one who feels petrified when I see a circus scene at Halloween. It turns out that 2% of the adult population is afraid of clowns, and Charles Dickens’s writing about famous pantomime, Grimaldi, shed a light on the darker side of clowns way back in 1838 (McRobbie, 2013).

I was never sure about the origin of my clown panic, but experienced my “aha moment” a few years ago when a friend sent me this Smithsonian article about the history and psychology of clowns (one word…Poltergeist). The article lists multiple examples of scary clowns in popular culture, to include a long list of movies starring these creepy, murderous beings. If you’re with me in the 2%, you share my horror regarding the recent reports of clowns in South Carolina trying to lure kids into the woods with candy. Even if you’re not afraid of clowns, you have to admit that the reports are extremely disturbing. To make matters worse, as of two days ago, the sinister clown sightings have been reported in eight states (Kennedy, 2016).

So, here’s the question…WHY are there creepy clowns terrifying people across the country? One operating theory is that this is all a viral marketing campaign for Rob Zombie’s new horror movie 31, or even the upcoming remake of Stephen King’s, It (“South Carolina clown sightings,” 2016). While that theory seems reckless and insane, pressure is growing on marketers to create viral advertising that gets people’s attention (Elliott & Vega, 2013). And you know what? Anyone who saw these stories in the news now knows about the movie releases.

The studios affiliated with both movies deny any association with the clown sightings, and police believe some of the clowns are copycats or even hoaxes (Reinstein, 2016; Kennedy, 2016). Perhaps the movie studios are telling the truth, or maybe they are distancing themselves from a growing public relations and legal nightmare. Regardless, both studios and their movies are in the news. How does this end, though? Was this a clever, yet unethical, boundary-pushing marketing campaign that’s gone too far? Or do the 2% of us finally have the validation we never wanted? Let’s hear your thoughts.

References

Elliott, S. & Vega, T. (2013, May 10). Trying to be hip and edgy, ads become offensive. The   New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/11/business/media/trying-to- behip-and-edgy-ads-become-offensive.html

Kennedy, M. (2016, September 24). Sinister ‘clowns’ are scaring people in multiple states.   NPR. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/24/495298587/sinister-clowns-are-scaring-people-in-multiple-states

McRobbie, L.R. (2013, July 31). The history and psychology of clowns being scary.                 Smithsonian.com. Retrieved from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-history-and-psychology-of-clowns-being-scary-20394516/?no-ist

Reinstein, J. (2016, September 8). Those scary clown sightings aren’t a movie marketing     stunt. BuzzFeedNews. Retrieved from https://www.buzzfeed.com/juliareinstein/those-       scary-clown-sightings-arent-a-movie-marketing-stunt?       utm_term=.skg5VkEdnG#.pu66nZ7XQl

South Carolina clown sightings could be part of film marketing stunt. (2016, September 4). theguardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/us-           news/2016/sep/04/south-carolina-clown-sightings-could-be-part-of-film-marketing-stunt

Leave Skittles alone! What did they ever do to you?!

The Twitter-sphere was in an uproar last Monday night when Donald Trump Jr. (the son of Republic nominee, Donald Trump) made a distasteful comment on his Twitter account when comparing Syrian refugees to the candy, Skittles (Hauser, 2016). 

Skittles responded to the comment in the most direct and elegant manner, saying just enough to acknowledge Trump Jr’s comment, and being tactful by not getting caught-up in a sparing match of words, as to not fuel the drama.

Skittles’ parent company, Mars, Inc., packed a punch in the short Twitter statement: (1) The company disagreed with the statement without raging full-on war with the Republican nominee’s son, (2) they acted humanely by acknowledging that the refugees are people (and not candy) (3) and created great marketing for Skittles by not exploiting the situation, which in the end served as the best marketing technique (Disis, 2016; Wheaton, 2016).

Per AdWeek (Wheaton, 2016), Skittles was the most trending topic on Monday after Trump Jr.’s comment. Mar’s, Incorporated’s comment received 7.6K “Likes,” and had 5.3K “Retweets.” This is a company whose brand did an excellent job of taking the high-road and then being warded for it, as it raised Skittles’ brand equity (Wheaton, 2016; Young, 2014). I believe their action has won them high-favor with existing Skittles enthusiasts and potential customers. At the end of the day, when people use their buying power, they, we (I include myself in this context) ,want to invest in a brand of substance (Young, 2014).

Skittles via Mars, Incorporated, taught us marketing students the following 3 marketing lessons: (1) use the power of social media for good (Young, 2014); (2), to complement the previous point, the power of ‘word of mouse’ is a real thing (Young, 2014). People commenting and sharing opinions all over the web leaves a lasting ether imprint, so be on the right side of history, as ‘sitting-it-out’ can generate more good than milking the situation for all it’s worth (as evidenced by the number of ‘Likes’ and ‘Retweets’ Mars, Incorporated received); (3) brand association helps create brand loyalty (Young, 2014), and the words that come to mind after knowing how well Skittles-Mars, Incorporated, handled this situation include:  cool, humane, and people-driven.

Next time I’m in line at my local Gelson’s, I’m gonna grab a bag of Skittles, they deserve my business.

“Taste The Rainbow”

References

Disis, J. (2016, September, 20). What corporate American can learn from Skittles’ response to Donald Trump Jr. CNN Money [online]. Retrieved from, http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/20/news/companies/skittles-syrian-refugee-trump-jr-response/

Hauser, C. (2016, September 20). Donald Trump Jr. compares Syrian refugees to Skittles that ‘would kill you’. The New York Times [online]. Retrieved from, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/21/us/politics/donald-trump-jr-faces-backlash-after-comparing-syrian-refugees-to-skittles-that-can-kill.html?_r=0

Wheaton, K. (2016, September). Ad review:  Skittles make the play of the week. AdAge [online]. Retrieved from, http://adage.com/article/ad-review/ad-review-skittles-makes-play-week/306001/?utm_source=daily_email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=adage&ttl=1475278574?utm_visit=1982927

Young, A. (2014). Brand media strategy: Integrated communications planning in the digital era. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Reaching target demographics is key for advertisers to promote their brands effectively and social media advertising has become the best resource for that. According to Ganguly (2016) “social media advertising” allows businesses and advertisers to pinpoint potential customers “by using users’ own shared information to identify interest.”

With the increased popularity of Snapchat by the younger market, their user base can’t be ignored (Newberry, 2016). Those in the 18-24 year old demographic migrated over to Snapchat from Facebook “specifically because their parents do not” use it (Newberry, 2016). Though they have attempted to make Snapchat their own, the demographics and user base is constantly changing. On a given day Snapchat reaches 41% of 18-34 year olds in the U.S., whereas an average TV network only reached 6% of that same age group (snapchat.com). With that said, marketing and advertising agencies are taking advantage of this captive audience available to them (snapchat.com).

Initially, Snapchat’s CEO, Evan Spiegel was “against ‘creepy’ targeted advertising” because “brands try to act like your pal” and track you (O’Reilly, 2015). But now he jumped onboard, gaining revenue from several advertising option that are now offered by Snapchat according to their website. When it comes to making money, one can’t be faulted for changing their mind. The advertising options Snapchat offers are as follows:

Snap Ads – which are mobile video ads that can be up 10 seconds can have an interactive element such as a Sponsored Geofilter or Sponsored Lens added.

Sponsored Geofilters – This interactive element allows Snapchatters to see and use the brand’s Geofilter to snap a phone when in a location of the brand’s choice. These look like they could be fun if you were at one of your favorite places.

Sponsored Lenses – This is very clever interactive element which offers a “new take on brand activation” and allows Snapchatters to play with the interactive ad before sharing with their friends. Now, other than the fact that your had is a giant taco, using these lenses appear to be quite entertaining and engaging.

As described by columnist and fellow Snapchatter, Laurie Keith (2016), the six reasons below are why advertisers are looking at Snapchat to advertise:

1: Snapchat isn’t just for teens – the 25-34 year old range is the fastest growing demographic of Snapchat’s users.

2: Snapchat is an active audience – with delivery being quick (no more than 15 seconds) and the content only available for 24 hours makes users more are attracted to view it before it’s gone.

3: Cross promotion –  when creating content such as that in sponsored geofilters and lenses, the content can be saved on the users devices and shared on other platforms.

4: Authentic storytelling – with Snapchat stories only being available for 24 hours, a brand’s message is raw and uncut making them stand out as more authentic and allowing them to connect more efficiently with their audience.

5: Uncluttered by marketers – branded content will be distributed and consumed without interruption to allow audience to take in the message.

6: 1-to-1 chat function – Snapchat allows brands to connect directly to the consumers to provide updates and information.

Though I’m not a Snapchat user (plus I’m outside of the growing demographic), I do recognize the value advertisers find in Snapchat and why they are attracted to using it to reach specific demographics based on the reasons above. By using the information provided by users advertisers can promote products and services directly to those they deem as having an interest in them. 

How do you feel about social media/networking sites using profile information to direct advertise to you and other? 

References:

Ganguly, S. (2015, March 17). Why social media advertising is set to explode in the next 3 years. Retrieved from http://marketingland.com/social-media-advertising-set-explode-next-3-years-121691

Keith, L. (2016, January 25). Snapchat for Social Good. Retrieved from http://www.adlibbing.org/2016/01/25/snapchat-for-social-good/?hvid=4sHdHi

Newberry, C. (2016, August 24). Top snapchat demographics that matter to social media marketers. Retrieved from https://blog.hootsuite.com/snapchat-demographics/

O’Reilly, L. (2015, December 03). Snapchat is finally learning to love the ‘creepy’ advertising it once said it hated. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/snapchat-advertising-measurement-targeting-2015-12

Snapchat. https://www.snapchat.com/ads

So, Time Warner who was purchased by Charter Communications in May of this year officially is now Spectrum. I was a Time Warner customer and have to say the customer service left a lot to be desired.  I recall being on hold for what felt like hours just to get a simple billing questioned answered.  And if my service ever went out I could rest assured they would send a service technician out sometime before the next solar eclipse.  My point is Time Warner’s reputation was fairly poor – at least in the Los Angeles market.  Here’s a look at Time Warner’s last commercial prior to the Charter sale:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8Vjih5Azqw

Spectrum recently released a new commercial to officially announce and promote the name change.  The commercial quickly introduced the name change and that Time Warner is now Spectrum and quickly turned into what a customer should come to expect. For one, I was happy to see the focus on customer service, increased internet speed, and a commitment to reliability.  In addition, I was overjoyed to see Time Warner vanish.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Spectrum has a lot of work to do to win back customers while acquiring new ones.  Customers like me will be excited to see the changes, but if Spectrum doesn’t deliver on its promises they could see market erosion as people look for other service options.  I, for one, would have left Time Warner years ago, but the area I live in has limited options.

Time will tell if Spectrum can fulfill their service delivery promises it should realize a nice boost in sales which will translate to higher stock prices.  The question I now find asking myself is this the time to invest? I might take a flyer on Spectrum and invest in the company.  I’m typically not one to put my money on promises of things to come, but any improvement over Time Warner should yield some healthy returns.

References:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/time-warner-cable-sale-leads-change-article-1.2642360

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/time-warner-cable-subscribers-now-belong-to-charte/nrPdy/

http://archive.jsonline.com/business/charter-says-changes-coming-for-time-warner-cable-customers-b99746159z1-383533321.html

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-charter-ceo-20160920-snap-story.html