"Buy the Way…" Insights on Integrated Marketing Communication

Every now and then you treat yourself to a spa day, so why not do the same for your car? Or at least that’s what Jeep and creative agency Parasol Island has dreamed up as part of the car brand’s 75th anniversary marketing promotions. Yep, you heard right – a mud mask treatment for your car. It’s simultaneously the most ludicrous and genius promotional idea for the brand. Ludicrous because it’s literally just a little dirt in a can that you yourself mix with water into mud, and slather onto your Jeep model. Anyone can go into their backyard and make that happen, right? Well not exactly, as Jeep not-so-subtly points out. Hence, the genius behind the Mud Mask promotion.

These Mud Mask cans are meant to bring a taste of freedom and adventure to the city-bound Jeep dweller – those who have cement sidewalks or neatly trimmed grass plots as their “nature.” The Jeep brand is originally built to handle trails and off-roading. As the brand gets more and more popular among urban drivers, many Jeeps never fully realize their potential beyond downtown streets or suburban driveways.

This concept truly taps into the heart of what the Jeep brand is since its inception. It also nicely fills out Jeep’s integrated marketing communications by further enabling consumers to vicariously live out the brand lifestyle that they see and admire in visual advertisements. Many people are attracted to buying Jeep because they feel an emotional draw to the brand lifestyle of adventure and ruggedness. Jeep is evocative of a lifestyle that not everyone actually lives out, but they want to be identified with. Because the Mud Mask is enhancing this brand lifestyle, something so silly as a can of dirt suddenly becomes incredibly attractive and desirable to Jeep owners.

To prove my point, when I ran across this story, I shared it with my sister who is a proud Jeep owner in urban Columbus, Ohio. There are plenty of dirt roads a short drive outside the city, but the most dirt her car ever sees isn’t even dirt, it’s winter snow/salt sludge. For those who don’t live in snowy climates, this leaves a nasty white film that seems to take more than one wash to remove. Caked on mud would look so much more attractive! (and a great way to keep the salty film at bay) She immediately asked where she can buy it and was ready to put some money down for that classic Jeep look that she doesn’t have time to forge herself. She wants to feel adventurous but doesn’t actually fit that lifestyle.

The loyal Jeep owner is happy to spend a chunk of money on a can of dirt because it is premade and packaged by Jeep, therefore it must reliably enhance that brand image, right? Theoretically, yes, but actually Jeep isn’t selling these, they’re giving them away. And in order to build market demand, they are making a limited number of cans (75 in total – get it? for the 75th anniversary…). To win one of the “exclusive beauty treatments”, Jeep lovers enter their information into the Jeep’s German website and hope their name is drawn! The brand is fully carried through in the design of the cans as well. 375 ml of 100 percent real dirt is beautifully packaged in an aluminum can with black and white design in an elegant and modern style.

It’s “adventure in a can” as Jeep puts it, because it’s so much more than dirt. That dirt symbolizes the Jeep lifestyle in a can. It’s a promise to escape the pressures of the city and pursue adventures off the path well traveled. External packaging carries across the message that this is exclusive, elite and limited-edition, which only increases the value of each can. Jeep’s Mud Mask promotions are topped off with a gorgeous black and white film spot featuring their latest model the renegade, while images encourages viewers to get out in their Jeeps and let themselves free in the great outdoors.

https://youtu.be/TaSHMQEsWQA

Jeep’s promotion is certainly a groundbreaker. There are other competitive, rugged “outdoorsy” brands that could have easily come up with this themselves: Land Rover, Subaru or Chevy Trucks all evoke similar images of their vehicles climbing rocky paths or plowing through puddles of mud. But perhaps outdoor exploration is truly at the heart of the Jeep brand and Jeep lifestyle, whereas these other brands are distracted other aspects like luxury interior, horsepower or hauling capabilities. Jeep certainly jumps at this chance to be the first to bring the rugged lifestyle image to city dwellers and summarizes their integrated marketing mission in a simple statement for the Mud Mask promotion:

“Just in time for the brand’s 75th anniversary, Jeep is celebrating the special thing between Jeep drivers and their cars with the release of the ultimate gift for your Jeep: the Jeep Mud Mask. The first mud mask for SUVs promises to be adventure in a can, the emergency aid for all adventure-deprived City-Jeeps.
The strictly limited, and beautifully crafted Mud Masks contain exactly what a true offroad-adventurer is missing in the city: 100% real dirt, as an expression of the desire to escape the daily grind and search for new adventures far off the beaten track.” (Retrieved from thedieline.com, 2016)

References

Jeep Mud Mask. (2016, February 18). The DieLine. Retrieved from: http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2016/2/16/jeep-mud-mask

Jeep Mud Mask. (No date). Uncrate. Retrieved from: http://uncrate.com/stuff/jeep-mud-mask/

Macleod, D. (2016, February 17). Jeep mud mask. The Inspiration Room. Retrieved from: http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2016/jeep-mud-mask/

Moran, C. (2016, February 18). Give your Jeep a facial with limited edition Jeep mud mask.

The News Wheel. Retrieved from: https://thenewswheel.com/give-your-jeep-a-facial-with-limited-edition-jeep-mud-mask/

Nudd, T. (2016, February 16). Jeep is making limited-edition mud masks for adventure-deprived city Jeeps: Bringing the off-road to the on-roaders. AdWeek. Retrieved from: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/jeep-making-limited-edition-mud-masks-adventure-deprived-city-jeeps-169673

Tutu, A. (2016, February 17). Jeep offers limited-edition mud masks for city-driven jeeps missing off-roading. Autoevolution. Retrieved from: http://www.autoevolution.com/news/jeep-offers-limited-edition-mud-masks-for-city-driven-jeeps-missing-offroading-104763.html

Filters are one of the more popular features on Snapchat, from face recognition, geo-filters, fast-forward and rewind, the list goes on.  This past week, Snapchat just announced that its users can now create and customize their own filters.

In their most recent marketing communications, Snapchat released a video that showed both how to use this new feature, and why anyone would want to use it.

It was absolutely genius.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=32&v=E_ZjEeEez_0

“You can use their website to custom-build your filter, which includes a geographic area, a date, and a time for the filter to pop up. You then have to submit a graphic that lines up with Snapchat’s guidelines, which include no photos of people, no contact information, and no covering up too much of the screen. Snapchat will personally approve your filter before it becomes available, and the process will take about one day” (Seventeen Magazine, 2016).

The video Snapchat released explaining these instructions was so simple and enticing, a person with no graphic design experience could feel as if they could do it! There is however, one stipulation to this new feature: MONEY.

I believe the idea for this “customize your own filter” came in response to its users complaining about purchasing “face filters,” which was a widely received feature that was once free. The technology used face recognition to alter the user’s face with filters such as: crying tears, puppy dog face, and the most famous: the-rainbow-out-of-the-mouth filter.

Now, however, Snapchat has found new ways outside of advertising money to monetize, which is great for business. Snapchat has continuously proved itself with an ability to innovate and keep its users coming back. The only stipulation to this awesome new feature, is of course, cost. Users would essentially be paying the company for their own creation, and the right for others to use it. With their target marketing being millennials and Generation Z, money isn’t always at their finger tips, so it will be interesting to see how Snapchat’s users will receive this new add-on.

In sum, I leave you with the following thoughts:

• Do you think users will embrace this new feature despite the cost?
• What other marketing communications could Snapchat use in order to persuade its users to use this new feature?
• How can companies use this feature to its advantage? Would it be useful, or detrimental?

Sources:
http://www.seventeen.com/life/tech-social-media/news/a38285/snapchat-custom-geofilters/

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.playbuzz.com%2Fmaximumpop10%2Fwhich-celebrity-should-you-add-on-snapchat&psig=AFQjCNH0VTVeeLieK1skvaIQ__FsgQGU6A&ust=1456388379549155

In what must be a slow news week, Pepsi is making headlines with emojis. 🎉📰👏😳

Specifically, Pepsi announced the upcoming launch of their newest global “Say it with Pepsi” campaign, which will feature Pepsi emojis, or PepsiMojis, on bottles and cans starting this summer.

The PepsiCo Design & Innovation Center created hundreds of PepsiMojis for the project. Many of the emojis are very, very similar to the iOs and Android emoji libraries, with the exception of some new ones, including an emoji of the Pepsi logo.

The purpose of the campaign is to, no doubt, drive sales as well as to encourage people of the world promote the brand on social media with campaign hashtags, including #pepsimoji and #sayitwithpepsi. What was the inspiration for the campaign?  A Pepsi spokesperson has explained that emojis are now an universal language that transcends across cultures…Right…

In my opinion, Coca-Cola is the real winner in all this. By far.

You have, I’m sure, seen Coca-Cola’s wildly successful “Share a Coke with ____” campaign that brings personalization and delight to each and every bottle and can. Coke cans are tagged with over a thousand first names and fun phrases like “Party Starter” and “My Better Half.” Aside from increased sales (over 150 million bottles sold), Coke received a great social media boost (almost a billion Twitter impressions to date) when consumers started to post pictures of themselves with their personalized bottles.

And now, Pepsi is clearly trying to get in on that action. While I can’t deny it – I LOVE a good emoji – I can’t help but roll my eyes at Pepsi’s “me too!” initiative.  I understand Pepsi’s need to one-up Coke but this seems pretty desperate and, not to mention, eerily similar to “Share a Coke.” To add insult to injury, EVERY SINGLE ARTLE I read about the PepsiMojis mentioned the Coke campaign and compared the two. While I recognize the massive money that Pepsi is throwing into the campaign, Coke seems to be enjoying a great deal of free publicity – at Pepsi’s expense! For that reason alone, I call Coke the winner on this one.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2016/02/19/pepsi-emoji-advertising-marketing-campaign/80602336/

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/pepsi-about-unleash-emojis-its-bottles-and-cans-globally-summer-169782

http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/stories/history/advertising/share-a-coke/

http://www.sayitwithpepsi.ca/

In the age of digital media many individuals use social media to convey opinions, share life moments, and revel in shameless self- promotions. These mediums have changed the way we interact with one another, relay emotions, and gather our information and news. The more prominent platforms ─ Facebook, Twitter, Google +, LinkedIn, and Instagram ─ cater to a specific need and niche, targeting a specific market segment who benefits from their offerings. However, some of these media platforms are suffering, and first amongst this group is Twitter.

Twitter’s quarterly losses have been taking a substantial hit in their fourth quarter, with nearly 100 million dollars in net losses and a 13 cent reduction in stock shares. While these losses may seem minimal for a multibillion-dollar company, investors and shareholders find such losses to be both significant and revealing. Not only has this corporation struggled in recent years to gain profit but it has also been continuously reporting a less-than-impressive user increase when compared to other social media giants such as Facebook and Instagram.

One pertinent question is whether Twitter’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, has done everything he can to put the floundering corporation back on track. Does his background cater more to innovation and product development rather than business strategy?

Can Dorsey and his associated executives turn things around? There are several potential ways.

• Simplify Twitter’s interface to match other social media sites.
• Roll out new Twitter features and platform uses.
• Cater to everyday users rather than celebrities and public figures.
• Integrate ads to users in a form that caters to e-commerce.
• Overhaul marketing strategy to target new demographic groups of all ages.
• Re-position the platform to be synonymous with contemporary/hip ideals.

If Twitter does not implement a successful strategic marketing plan that captures the interest of widespread target markets, they will no longer be sustainable and become as dated as the seldom spoken about social media platform, MySpace.

References

Aguilar, M. (2016). Twitter is Flatlining. Gizmodo, http://gizmodo.com/twitter-is-flatlining-1758349442.

Guynn, J. (2016). Twitter growth grinds to a halt. USA Today. Retrieved from: http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/02/10/twitter-fourth-quarter-earnings-user-decline/80178140/

Popper, B. & Smith, L. (2016). Twitter’s earnings report shows its user base is shrinking. The Verge. Retrieved from: http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/10/10961776/twitter-q4-2015-earnings-user-base-stall-shrink

Over the past few years, “content marketing” has become a hot trend in the marketing communications business. We have started to become accustomed to seeing websites, Twitter feeds, Facebook posts, corporate blogs and so on that don’t necessarily try to sell us a product in particular, but bring us in and allow us to engage with their brand for a moment (Moz, 2016). A guide published by Internet marketing firm Moz cites Portent CEO Ian Lurie as describing content as “anything that communicates a message to an audience. Anything.” (Moz, 2016). And content marketing is using any kind of content to influence and change customer behavior (Content Marketing Institute, 2016).

Content marketing approaches on the web involve such interactions as video storytelling , interactive slide shows  and memories of a brand’s most famous spokesman.

There’s plenty of advice out there telling companies to get in the content-marketing game – there even was a post on this very blog.

But how effective can content marketing be if there’s so much of it that people don’t have time to find it?

Kara Burney of the company Trackmaven reports (2016) that in 2015, the amount of marketing content made by more than 22,000 brands grew by some 35 percent, the amount of interaction people had with that content actually decreased 17 percent. Marketing consultant Mark Schaefer (2016a) cites statistics from Trackmaven and others that show that much brand content is simply ineffective, noting for example that half of “professionally marketed blog posts receive fewer than eight social shares.” It’s a condition he describes as “content shock.” (Schaefer, 2016b)

The reason is clear, Schaefer says (2016b) – the amount of content available is growing at a rate far greater than our ability to consume it. Content on the web should grow by 500 percent over the next five years, but we human beings have much less capacity for growth – we consume 11 hours a day of content already, Schaefer notes. And if the average American sleeps just under 7 hours per day (Jones, 2013), then we only have capacity to grow our content consumption by 54% — assuming we do nothing with our time other than consume content and sleep.

Schaefer believes (2016b) that only by creating stronger and stronger content can a company stave off content shock – it will benefit consumers, he says, as they will have more choice and variety to choose from. It is the same idea as that which happened with television – there are several times more channels and shows to choose from today than there were a few decades ago, but the amount of TV people watch hasn’t increased (Burney, 2016).

Clearly it’s not enough anymore to create a website, flash out a couple tweets and call your digital strategy good!

References

Burney, K. (2016). Introducing the Content Marketing Paradox Revisited. Trackmaven. Retrieved from: http://trackmaven.com/blog/2016/02/content-marketing-strategy-report/

Jones, J. (2013). In U.S., 40% get less than recommended amount of sleep. Gallup. Retrieved from: http://www.gallup.com/poll/166553/less-recommended-amount-sleep.aspx

Moz (2016). Is content marketing right for my business? Retrieved from https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-content-marketing/is-content-right-for-my-business

Schaefer, M. (2016a). Break the mold: Why content marketing needs to be like a chalupa. Grow. Retrieved from: http://www.businessesgrow.com/2016/02/22/content-marketing-needs-to-be-like-a-chalupa/

Schaefer, M. (2016b). Content shock. Grow. Retrieved from: http://www.businessesgrow.com/2014/01/06/content-shock/

At this point, most of us have heard about the dispute between Apple and the United States Justice Department regarding development of software that can defeat the security features on the iPhone.  However, this post will not discuss any of the legal, ethical, or political implications of this matter, but will instead simply and objectively look at the potential marketing implications of this dispute, which has not been highlighted as much in the media.  While not as widely discussed in the media, the marketing component was recently discussed in a variety of news articles.

The premise of the marketing implications that Apple may face is largely based on public opinion.  The point has been made that complying with the order would raise concerns about privacy.  The defendant, Apple, argues that complying with the court order requiring them to develop software that can create what they are calling a “backdoor” into their devices, could compromise all of their devices.  The prosecution, the United States Justice Department, is arguing that Apples resistance to following the court order is “based on its concern for its business model and public brand marketing strategy,” and in turn its reputation.  In potentially undermining their reputation and associated aspects, Apple is concerned about how it may impact their marketing.

Apple’s concern is that these actions would potentially have a negative impact on consumer trust, and in turn, their marketing strategy.  It is argued by the prosecution that Apple is concerned with their appearance if they potentially compromised privacy and security.  The defense argues that Apple has incorporated privacy and security into their brand, and it is something that many customers have come to rely on.  The prosecution goes on to report that Apple is more concerned with their image than what the law, through the judge’s order, is requiring them to do.

There is another point that has been addressed in relation to this matter.  Apple has made very few public comments on this matter.  The prosecution points out that Apple has not indicated that they do not have the technical capability to handle the task, or that doing so would be an excessive burden on the company.  The only comment from Apple on this particular point was an acknowledgement that they do have the technical ability to complete the task.  This is important because there is a potential of Apple hurting their reputation with the appearance of not having the technical know-how to complete the task.  However, the statements of both the prosecution and the defense dispel the potential negative impacts of this premise.

What do you think about the potential marketing outcomes for Apple in this situation?

Is just the fact that Apple is generating this much attention having positive or negative marketing impacts for them?

How could Apple spin cooperation with the United States Justice Department in a positive light for their marketing?

References:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/justice-department-files-new-brief-to-force-apple-to-help-open-san-bernardino-shooters-phone-1455910046

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/20/business/justice-department-calls-apples-refusal-to-unlock-iphone-a-marketing-strategy.html

http://www.smh.com.au/business/media-and-marketing/us-slams-apple-ceo-tim-cooks-refusal-in-fbi-standoff-over-terrorist-iphone-20160219-gmz210.html

“Let’s Be Cops,” is the buddy comedy movie starring Damon Wayans Jr. and Jake Johnson. In the film two misfit friends decide to don LAPD uniforms and impersonate policemen. While pretending to be officers they get into a few comedic situations including chasing a 250-pound naked man and being mistaken as strippers. The film hit movie theaters August 13, 2014. Nothing too unusual about that right? Just Hollywood being Hollywood.

However, on August 9, 2014 18-year-old Michael Brown an unarmed African-American man was shot six times in the back by Officer Darren Wilson. The young man’s death sparked civil unrest and protests throughout Ferguson, Missouri and heated debate throughout the country.

A similar situation occurred two years earlier. This time the movie was called “The Watch.” The film starred Jonah Hill, Ben Stiller, Richard Ayoade, and Vince Vaughn as a ragtag band of neighborhood watch members. The characters found themselves in a faceoff with flesh thieving aliens.  The film was released on July 27, 2012.  Four months earlier on February 26, 2012 17-year-old African American high school student, Treyvon Martin, was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watch member.

“The Watch,” originally called “Neighborhood Watch,” had already began its marketing campaign when the Martin shooting hit national headlines. The initial teasers for the film did not divulge the alien plot. In fact, they featured the lead characters being overly macho with Jonah Hill mock shooting at teenagers with his hand. “The Watch’s” first poster showed a dark nefarious figure riddled with bullet holes with the words Neighborhood Watch prominently printed.

Original Poster – “Neighborhood Watch” – Prior to Martin shooting

After the shooting, the film’s studio 20th Century Fox changed the campaign from focusing on the faux bravado of the characters to highlighting the comedic characteristics of the actors. Although the marketers spent 10s of millions of dollars on the campaign they pulled teaser trailers from theaters. The posters and the name of the film were also revamped. The studio had the option of pushing the release date of the film until the country’s tension subsided, but the July date remained the same. “The Watch” had a budget of an estimated $68 million dollars; on its opening weekend it made just over $12 million dollars. The film is ranked 97 as one of the worst openings in movie history.  It would finally gross $35 million dollars, only making less than half of its budget back.

“Let’s Be Cops” had a budget of an estimated $17 million dollars; on its opening weekend it made just over $17 million dollars. But, it would finally gross $82 million dollars total. Even though the movie performed well there was a tremendous dip in the attendance of an African-American audience. Usually there is a higher percentage of that audience segment for a bona fide hit movie. “Let’s Be Cops” also had no true challenge in its opening weekend. The two films, “Expendables 3” and “The Giver” were already running in theaters at the time.

Both of these films suffered from bad timing, but “Let’s Be Cops” never had the ambiguous or ambitious marketing campaign “The Watch” tried to begin with. Buzz was generated for “Let’s Be Cops” via word-of-mouth. The images and trailer were far more straightforward then “The Watch’s.” The posters showed Wayans and Johnson acting like goofballs, which helped convey the message this movie is a comedy, not a film to be taken seriously. Although, the film was screened sporadically there were no traditional press screenings, therefore there were no media reviews for audiences to read. Most, importantly there were no underlying dark mysterious undertones mirroring tragic coincidences with the “Let’s Be Cops” rollout campaign.

Sources:

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Fox-Pulls-Neighborhood-Watch-Marketing-Wake-Trayvon-Martin-Case-30161.html

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/trayvon-martin-neighborhood-watch-fox-marketing-shooting-304712

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2012/03/28/fox-removes-neighborhood-watch-trailers

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/09/movies/bad-timing-for-a-comedy-called-neighborhood-watch.html?_r=0

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=neighborhoodwatch.htm

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-lets-be-cops-movie-ferguson-police-20140818-story.html

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=letsbecops.htm

http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2014/08/14/lets-be-cops-box-office-success-proves-marketing-trumps-timing/#5f2398986b83

http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2014/08/14/lets-be-cops-box-office-success-proves-marketing-trumps-timing/#5f2398986b83

Deadpool crushed it at the box office. But he wasn’t supposed too.

The movie was produced for just 58 million and took in over 132 million in its opening week in February, which is typically the doldrums for releases and is usually reserved for movies that the studio deems a flop or potential bust to burn off before the summer blockbusters come along.  Second week box office numbers look like it will hold on to the number one spot again and pass  over 200 million.

The character itself isn’t the typical mainstream character that comic fans are faced with. He doesn’t have the history of Superman or Batman, the star power of the X-Men or the Avengers. He is aniche character who murders people (a lot), wears a goofy red-suited costume, makes obscene jokes and is physically repulsive. The film was R-rated as well which limits the reach the movie can have with its audience.

The character had already been introduced in the first Wolverine movie as well and was generally loathed by hardcore comic fans because they had deviated so much from who the actual character was (which was also referenced in the film as a joke).  So what was different this time? Well first thing is the stuck to who the character was and what made him beloved to comic book fans. This was a true Deadpool movie, one that fans of his since his first appearance in New Mutants # 50 in the 90’s. It was important the tone and the costume were right.

Those items were important to the core audience, but how did the studio expand it to reach people who weren’t familiar with the character? It was through a really smart and aggressive viral campaign.

Before the movie was even made, it helped that “leaked” test footage online, creating a viral buzz for fans and was shared across social media and blogs. Fans responded positively and this served as the first stepping stone for the movie campaign. The studio also aggressively promoted the star of the movie, Ryan Reynolds, everywhere they could. He pushed and promoted how much of a labor of love the movie was for him as he had been trying to get it made for over a decade. The initial promos they made clearly demonstrated this was a different kind of comic book movie as they infused humor as the main introduction to the character – a completely different take to comic book characters that are usually positioned to demonstrate their powers or abilities.  They even used an April 1 prank around the movie being PG-13 during interviews only to have the character come on screen and declare who it would be an R-Rated movie, making the rating a positive as opposed to a negative. The humor theme continued a video of Deadpool spending Halloween with costumed kids, appearances at ComicCon,  the Conan O’Brien show with the final build up to the trailer which clocked 14 million views after it was released.

This movie shouldn’t have worked but it did for the following reason:

• The studio knew its audience. The product had to match the fans expectations and it created a good base of people who were going to promote it if they saw that they got that right (see the latest Fantastic Four for how to get characters wrong)
• The used star power to promote the campaign. Reynolds was front and center and is fairly savvy on social media. He demonstrated how much he loved the character and making the film
• It was a multi-faceted campaign that was heavy on the visuals and branding and then used multiple channels like video, social and billboards to promote the movie
• It owned the humor part of it. Deadpool is a violent film, but the humor element of the campaign helped soften that somewhat and opened the audience to the idea that this was more comedic than just a lot of blood and gore.

The result – the film is now being looked at as a franchise with another film in the works and potentially expanding the brand to an X-Force movie, which is a subset of the X-Men.

https://youtu.be/1Nvg0LwWeTU

References

http://screenrant.com/best-deadpool-marketing-stunts/?view=all

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alishagrauso/2016/02/17/in-hindsight-how-the-marketing-for-deadpool-broke-the-mold/2/#2143d2396c47

http://whatculture.com/film/8-most-genius-moments-in-deadpools-marketing-campaign.php/9

http://screencrush.com/deadpool-reynolds-x-force/

http://deadline.com/2016/02/deadpool-risen-the-witch-race-weekend-box-office-1201705730/

My iPhone knows too much.

Every morning when I get in my car to go to work, I look at my phone and it tells me how long it’s going to take me to pull into my parking lot. No big deal, right? Except that I’ve never put my work address into my phone… I’ve never asked my phone how long the drive would take…I simply get in my car each morning and drive. But yet my phone, typically thrown on the passenger seat, somehow knows where I’m going and how long it’s going to take me to get there.

Weird. And oddly, unsettling. Almost as if someone is watching and annotating where I’m going. Almost as if my privacy is being violated. Almost as if someone or some program has access to my data without needing my consent.

This week Apple is under fire for not rushing to fulfill a court ordered request to unlock the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino attackers (Lichtblau & Apuzzo, 2016). In an open letter to Apple customers (http://www.apple.com/customer-letter/) Apple CEO, Tim Cook, says Apple engineers have already complied with FBI requests to help unlock the phone, but the next step the government is asking for- a virtual “backdoor” that essentially is a software system that involves “circumventing several important security features”, is a bridge too far for the company. Cook fears this request could open a door to further breaches of privacy; allowing for customers personal data to become open and available upon government request (Cook, 2016). The Justice Department responded to this letter by filing a motion claiming Apple’s objections are not about security, but rather seem “to be based on its concern for its business model and public brand marketing strategy” (Lichtblau & Apuzzo, 2016).

So here’s the deal. I understand Apple’s concern, and I find it reassuring that “big business” is looking out for my privacy and cares to protect my personal data. Except that my personal data seems to be available to marketers at every turn. My Facebook page is filled with advertisements for products and companies that I’ve previously searched for online. We know that companies use software to collect information and then turn that knowledge into targeted opportunities to draw consumers to their products (Duhigg, 2012). While the expectation of privacy is a consumers right, the reality is privacy in relation to our consumption habits and how those habits are captured, analyzed and then marketed to, has become a gray area where lines are continuously crossed. But, when is comes to national security and personal privacy expectations, is it right to draw a line in the sand?

Full disclosure- I’m in the military. National security is kind of our thing, so when the government decides it needs the information stored on a phone that was used in an attack, and, oh, by the way, the attacker is dead and the phone is the property of another government office (San Bernardino County) which gave permission to access the information it contained, I have a hard time understanding the value of Apple’s position (Levine, 2016). In my mind, there is nothing more important than national security. And if this phone offers clues and information that can stop another senseless act, or save lives… I believe it’s Apple’s duty to do everything they can to release that information.

Our privacy is protected by our constitution, and everyone needs to live with a reasonable expectation of privacy. But, it’s hard to swallow the realization that my choices at my local Target are collected and used for future marketing decisions, and that’s not questioned…but a phone giant can block an investigation that pertains to national security and we have a country divided on either side.

Apple has a February 26 deadline to file a rebuttal and there’s a hearing scheduled for March 22^nd (Satariano & Pettersson, 2016). This case is certainly one to watch, particularly as it has the potential to change how privacy is handled by companies across the board.

References:

Cook, T. (2016) A message to our customers. Retrieved from: http://www.apple.com/customer-letter/

Duhigg, C. (2012). How companies learn your secrets. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/magazine/shopping-habits.html

Levine, R. (2016).  In the government vs. Apple, who wears the black hat?  Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/21/opinion/sunday/in-the-government-vs-apple-who-wears-the-black-hat.html?ribbon-adidx=4&rref=technology&module=Ribbon&version=context&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Technology&pgtype=article

Lichtblau, E. & Apuzzo, M. (2016). Justice department calls Apple’s refusal to unlock iPhone a ‘marketing strategy’. Retrieved from:http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/20/business/justice-department-calls-apples-refusal-to-unlock-iphone-a-marketing-strategy.html?_r=0

Satariano, A.  & Pettersson, E. (2016). Battle over San Bernardino shooters iPhone escalates. Retrieved from: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-20/apple-u-s-step-up-fight-over-san-bernardino-shooter-iphone