Front and Back Stages: Goffman applied to the Food Industry

The topic of last class consisted of a discussion on the food industry and the types of advertising they engage in to promote their product and hide its often grisly origins.  The commentator and creator of Food Inc. described a disconnect between consumers and producers of food.  We as consumers are no longer aware of where our food is coming from and the processes involved in creating it.  One way the food industry creates this disconnect is with the brand images they show.  Their product is often described as "farm fresh" and has a picture of a traditional farm with a red barn and green fields.  This is simply not the case.

Interestingly enough, Erving Goffman, a noted sociologist, was brought into the conversation.  And many of his thoughts on impression management can be directly related to the food industry and their attempts to hide their true image.  Within impression management is the concept of  the front stage and back stage of anyone's personality.  The front stage consists of a highly managed impression that one uses with friends and in daily contact to provide a desirable image to others.  The back stage is an area where one can relax their impression management and act as they truly are.  The food industry uses a front stage impression to convey a message to consumers about their product but their backstage is highly industrialized and not ideal for most consumers.  They are a two-faced industry that promotes a highly superficial and downright erroneous image of themselves.

I feel it is imperative to once again reconnect with the origins of the food we eat.  It is important to shorten this gap between us and the food industry for regulation purposes and to forecast any possible detrimental affects it might have on our society.

Advertising and the "child obesity epidemic."

After watching the documentary Food Inc. I began to wonder about how food advertising affects its viewers and what types of advertisements are most prevalent.  And according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation a vast majority of the ads that kids see on television are for products that nutritionists are telling us to eat less of.  The study found that children under eight see one advertisement for nutrition or fitness for every 26 food ads and for preteens, it's one advertisement for every 48 food ads for preteens.  The ratio is worst of all for teens; seeing one health conscious ad for every 130 unhealthy food ads.

The plethora of unhealthy food advertisements that children are subject to may be a perpetuating cause for the child obesity epidemic.  Television has become so ingrained in our society that it is no longer a luxury of entertainment but part of our daily existence.  A normalcy that is now overlooked.  These young children are bombarded by these unhealthy food advertisements a majority of the time and begin to internalize the message as it becomes part of their routine; making it a habit.

However, there is hope.  Recently, a task force of lawmakers, FCC commissioners, broadcasters, and food and beverage executives conducted a meeting as policy makers are putting increasing pressure and accountability on broadcasters to address obesity.  Ten major food and beverage marketers, including McDonalds, voluntarily agreed to devote at least half of their advertisements to promote healthier diets and lifestyles for children.

As awareness about child obesity and accountability towards marketers increases, let us hope that progressive steps will be made to educate our youth about healthy living.  We are truly facing an epidemic that must be addressed through the forum that helped to perpetuate the problem in the first place.  It falls on marketers and advertisers to set the bar to reverse their image and re-inform the public and specifically our youth about healthy food options.

Where Does Rape Fit in to Advertising

I recently discovered some controversial ads by Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana.  Both ads contain a single scantily clad female surrounded by shirtless males in aggressive stances.  The public backlash of these photos describes them as promoting violence against women and rape.  I realize that the United States is known for its proliferation of sex in the media and advertising.  It is part of our cultural history and is now a societal norm.  But where do we cross the line -- some would agree, with the Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabanna ads.

It is the American ideology to push the envelope and go where no one has gone before.  That is what makes America what it is today.  But I would have to agree that these ads push the line between art and sadism.  Even if rape and violence against women is an extreme view (which isn't a stretch) of this photo, it definitely is promoting aggressive hegemonic masculinity and male dominance over women.  This seems odd in an era where women have almost reached parity with men in terms of the wage and gender gaps in our society.  However, maybe the shock is what these advertisers were looking for.  The motivation might have been to create controversy in order to promote their name, but unfortunately not their image.

http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2007/03/stefano_gabbano.html
http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2010/10/calvin-klein-ads-banned-for-promoting-rape.html

The Polls are In and it's Internet Baner Ads by a Landslide

In an era where individualized advertising is the preferred technique, Facebook is one of the most popular forums.  Many of us can recall banner ads on our profile page that are tailored to our interests by tracking our movement on the internet.  You might think that this is the most effective technique to grab our attention but you'd be wrong.

AdweekMedia/Harris Poll conducted a survey to find out what kind of advertising people were most likely to ignore.  And a majority of the vote goes to Internet banner ads.  43% of those surveyed stated that Internet banner ads were the advertising type they ignored the most.  Internet search-engine ads also did poorly- 20% claiming they ignored them the most.  So why is it that these types of ads are most likely to be skipped over and disregarded when they show a great amount of individual connection.

As far as Facebook goes, it seems to me that people have no desire to follow a banner ad because that is not what they're on Facebook for.  They are looking for a connection to their peers and family and not for an advertisement that they are bombarded with constantly.  In addition, these banner ads have become almost ubiquitous across the Internet; so much so that I can't recall the last one I noticed simply because I ignore them all.  It could be that the amount of these ads is overwhelming and the actual importance of them is minimal.  They have simply become background, part of the landscaping that comprises the Internet.  They are just a piece of the structure that, more or less, has very little importance or influence over our daily lives.

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/digital/e3iff352c323b9a2c10626c155c7736411a

The Rise of Communist China; The Fall of Traditional Advertising

Upon reading about the history of advertising in China I found  the development and extreme shifts in the role of advertising fascinating.  It seems that China has seen advertising bloom, have it completely taken away, and then have it reemerge in contemporary society.  One aspect of advertising in China that I found particularly fascinating occurred as the Communist regime rose to power in 1949.

With the advent of Communism in China came the complete removal of traditional Chinese advertising up until that point.  Traditional advertising was replaced with propaganda media with the ultimate goal of serving the Communist party.  This extreme and sudden repeal of advertising is hard to imagine.  This made me wonder how life in the United States would change if modern advertising as we know it was suddenly taken away?

So much of what we fill our time with throughout the day are supplemented by advertisements.  The TV we watch, the flyers and billboards in the city, the internet ads, etc.  Our whole environment would be transformed and seem boring compared to our normal visuals.  The numerous opportunities we are presented with on a daily basis would disappear and our knowledge of so many products would vanish.  Some might find this change pleasing and a refreshing change of pace, but I would think a majority of the population would begin to miss the normalcy it has come to claim in our lives.  It is a staple of the environment and is just part of our world in the United States.  This all is not to mention the economic benefits advertising has and the many forums it sustains merely with its presence.  All in all, the thought of having a world without advertising is like taking a piece out of a puzzle.  It would be incomplete and the picture that is our daily lives would become skewed and ambiguous.

Consumer Segmentation Research Paper

Just recently I finished my research paper on the systems and concepts that are used to categorize consumers into distinct groups to be marketed to.  I'd like to reflect on several points that peaked my interest in my research and development of my paper.

One method used to segment consumers that was discussed in class was the VALS system, which seemed to be a very popular and modern choice for marketers and advertisers.  However, during my research I uncovered another method, the LOV (List of Values) that involves providing subjects with a list of values and having them rank them or having them choose their two most important values.  What was interesting is that in one research paper I uncovered, which was slightly dated (1978) it compared the two systems and found that the LOV system was more effective in segmenting consumers.  But in our class readings the only method given was the VALS system and other methods were left out completely.

And later during research I found that the method described in class readings was actually a revised version of the VALS system; termed VALS 2.  However, this distinction was not brought up in the reading and the new version was misleadingly labeled VALS.  The updated version of VALS has slightly different consumer categories and contains only eight categories and not the original nine.  I wonder if the new version of VALS, VALS 2, is now more effective than the LOV system.  I would like to find more research on the comparison of the updated VALS 2 version and the LOV method and see which ones are used more commonly by marketers and advertisers.

Wal-Mart: Beauty and the Beast!

Wal-mart, possibly the most dominant and profitable retailer of recent, has come to wear two masks.  One the one hand they are this profit-driven evil that crushes small town Mom & Pop shops without remorse.  They drive labor costs down to a bare minimum forcing other stores to change their policies.  By the way, as of 2006, the Wal-Mart full-time employee earned & 9.76 an hour.  They also import a majority of their products from China, destroying U.S. manufacturing jobs, some who's business' previous major client was Wal-Mart itself.  

However, on the other hand they provide an efficient and convenient service to Americans at the lowest price possible.  This benefits many working and middle class Americans who don't have the money to shop at other local businesses where the prices are higher.  

The polarization of Wal-Mart is extreme and continues to grow as the store does.  While there are major benefits there are major detrimental effects.  One Fortune 500 article by Jerry Useem stated that, "If you're a consumer, Wal-Mart is good for you. If you're a wage earner, there's a good chance it's bad. If you're a Wal-Mart shareholder, you want the company to grow. If you're a citizen, you probably don't want it growing in your backyard. So, which one are you?" 

As time goes on and criticisms and boastings about Wal-Mart increase I do believe that one image will prevail for Wal-Mart-- a negative one.  While the low prices are desirable the cost of "low cost" is too great.  In an economy where the source of big business is becoming a heated and studied aspect, the image of Wal-Mart will deteriorate.  However I don't expect Wal-Mart to quit expanding and dominating the market but I do expect public criticism to catch up with Wal-Mart and hopefully it will instigate a sel-examination of Wal-Mart and its practices.

Source: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2004/03/08/363689/index.htm

O.M.G.I.G.P: Pulled for Good Reason.

Bradley and Montgomery, an Indiana based advertising firm created a series of Internet Explorer 8 commercials, featuring Dean Cain, that received several mixed reviews from the public. One commercial in particular, "O.M.G.I.G.P," had to be pulled due to public backlash against its offensive and graphic nature. And these commercials overall have been met with harsh criticism as to their overall quality and general effectiveness.

The O.M.G.I.G.P commercial depicts a women puking multiple times after viewing porn on her husbands computer. Not only does her husband slip on her puke but she then pukes on him several times after he's slipped in it. My question is why does this commercial fail to successfully transmit a clear and accepted message to the viewer about Internet Explorer Eight?

First of all, and maybe most obviously is the graphic nature of the commercial. The vomiting of the women completely smothers any humor or message that Microsoft was attempting to send. I was immediately given a nauseous feeling and lost all interest in what the commercial had to say after the vomit sequence. I am assuming that this commercial is attempting to find a "shock" factor, in which the pure value of something unexpected is appealing and marketable to consumers. Unfortunately, this "shock" factor is smothered by the nature of the ad. One final possibility as to the failure of this ad is the overall feeling of a lack of quality. The atmosphere of the commercial, from the clothing, to the color, and the acting just appear to be substandard when compared to other successful commercial campaigns. The ingredients for a successful commercial are just not present in the Microsoft ad and the public distaste for the commercial seems appropriate.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/167779/microsoft_pulls_grossout_ad_for_ie8.html

False Advertising Perceptions

One common perception I have of advertising is that they are deceiving and lying to us all the time. This perception is also commonly portrayed in movies, such as in Crazy People and The Fighting Temptations. I believe that the public sees advertisers as manipulators that will say anything in order to gain attention and money.

However, it seems as this is not the case. Because advertisers create work that represents a client and presents their work to such a large audience the standards for their work is very high. The ethics and honesty that are required is set at such a high level to meet stringent legal requirements.

This is not saying that advertisers don't on occasion walk a fine line of ethics. Such as branding a kids cereal as healthy that clearly contains significant quantities of sugar and carbohydrates. But in actuality, the options for egregious statements is not possible because of the high potential for serious legal consequences. Maybe we come to gain this perception from movies and TV because we, the public, rarely have a chance to see what advertising looks like behind the scenes. A majority of the mainstream are mostly unaware of the mechanics of making an advertisement, so they must rely on the depiction of them in movies and TV.

The GEICO Octopus is Baffling!

In our class discussion about interpreting advertising I was reminded of a GEICO commercial about renter's insurance.  What is fascinating about the commercial is that it opens with a well-dressed man seated next to an octopus on a table who sings nonsense at you for thirty seconds.  The commercial ends with GEICO saying you can save on renters insurance.

The commercial baffled me but when I was first reminded of it I could not recall what the ad was for, only that it had a singing octopus.  They were able to grab my attention but were unable to relate GEICO to the singing octopus.  I wondered what the commercial was even trying to say to me and how it related to GEICO.  I am still baffled.

It is possible that there is no explicit meaning and that GEICO was merely attempting to shock and confuse it's viewers hoping that this would generate hype about the commercial and the company.  The commercial would become well-known specifically for the fact that is bewildering in its message and content.  It fits into the realm of shock-value and definitely sticks in your memory, which is a goal of advertising.  But the commercial might have failed in defining a definitive relationship to GEICO which is also imperative for any advertisement.


youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIxuP4UJNUM

The McDiner: A Branding Failure

In our discussion of Coca-Cola we learned that their branding techniques helped propel them into one of the most universal and well-established brands in the world.  Following Coke's success, our group discussion attempted to find another company that was as well-known and historic as Coke.  We thought the McDonalds chain held close to the popularity that Coke has achieved.

One aspect that I would like to highlight is that branding techniques do not always work.  With regard to McDonalds, there was one branding technique that was implemented and failed that I was fortunate enough to experience while it lasted.

Starting in 2001 Coke launched a new take on fastfood and introduced the McDonald's Diner: The McDiner.  One of these test restaurants was located in Lafayette, IN; my hometown.  These restaurants included table service, an estensive 'down home cooking' menu, and an order-in telephone located at each booth.  Each Diner also served their regular fast-food menu but mainly focused around the diner aspect of the restaurant.

Only after a couple years these test Diners were discontinued and converted back into the normal McDonalds restaurant.  My question is what were the motivations of these restaurants and why did they fail?

I believe that McDonalds was hoping to appeal to the midwestern culture of 'down home cooking' in an attempt to attract more families and diversify their image.  However, my experience with this Diner was that it seemed superfluous and of low quality.  When people think of McDonalds they think of efficiency, accessibility, and the McDonalds history and culture.  When you factor in the Diner environment those pre-established expectations of McDonalds have changed.  It felt as if the restaurant was mixing two restaurant styles that should remain separate because of the desired demographic and individual expectations associated with each style.  Ultimately, I feel people have come to recognize McDonalds with a specific style and McDonalds has created a strong brand loyalty.  When this concept was changed its customers were not given what they expected and had previously received from the McDonalds chain.  This created a distrust and backlash against this new chain and the resultant conversion of the McDiner's back into the normal restaurants.

http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/eating-drinking-places/4280476-1.html

Coke: The Beginning

In watching the documentary The History of Coca-Cola, I couldn't help but be enraptured its movie-esque beginnings.  The chain of events that have decided Coke's ultimate success follow a dazzling narrative, that is usually seen only on the 'big screen.'  What's also amazing is the role that advertising played in getting Coca-Cola out of the local scene and into the national eye.

Coke's humble beginnings started with John Pemberton in a basement where he diligently attempted to find his one great invention, which is what most of his life had been dedicated to.  And when he finally found the right product he didn't have the resources or time to make it profitable before he died.  In fact, one of the historical experts on Coke, from the documentary, claims that there is a good argument that if the company had stayed in Pemberton's hands the company would not the cultural icon it is today.

The company was later invested in by Asa G. Candler, who was a successful businessman who initially turned down the opportunity to invest in Coke.  But this all changed after having only one glass of it!  "The most important glass of Coke ever served," is how the documentary recalls the historic event.  From here on out it was Candler's vision of Coke and marketing techniques that made Coke known and available to everyone.  One of his first techniques was to place the brand name on things that people used and saw in their everyday lives (e.g. posters, calendars, and notebooks).  And through this path the modern and highly successful brand of Coke made its way into the lives of Americans.

It seems imperative that a majority of the current success of Coca-Cola be given to the ingenious and innovative advertising and marketing techniques used to spread the word of Coke.  One new way of marketing the product was to give out coupons for a free glass of Coke.  This technique had never been used before Coke marketing, but was extraordinarily successful.  It was Candler and his vision that allowed Coke to flourish while pushing the rules of advertising to new heights in order to present Coke to the world.

Documentary of Coke: http://www.youtube.com/user/frakdox#p/c/9AD8E1C4D2D8FDAA/0/cNXTXJM4jLE

The Creativity of Coke

Last class we took a look at a variety of Coke commercials in reference to their creativity.  Coke has created so many memorable commercials and phrases that their brand is a staple of American culture and is known across the world.  "Things go better with Coke," "It's the real thing," "Enjoy," and "The Coke side of life," are just a few of the slogans used throughout Coke's history.  Their increasingly creative commercials and slogans keep Coke among the most well-known and most recognizable brands of all time.

One commercial in particular I would like to focus in on is the "Mean Troy" commercial, featuring Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  This commercial is a remake of the famous 1980 "Mean Joe Greene" commercial who also featured a professional football player.

I believe this commercial is so successful because it appeals to so many different demographics, through it's history and creativity.  For people who saw the "Mean Joe Greene" commercial as children the new "Mean Troy" commercial creates a sense of nostalgia by reminding them of their childhood and the part that Coke played in their lives as children.  This commercial also works strictly for the NFL fans and specifically Steelers fans by showing a franchise player in an environment where they can hear him speak and interact. And finally, the commercial incorporates characters from another Coke campaign, the "Brand Managers," into this commercial.  For those fans of Coke who have enjoyed and can relate to those characters is just another point that draws people into the coke franchise.

It is Coke's creativity and ability to appeal to many different demographics that makes them so universal. They have the ability to invoke an array of emotions from the viewer to grasp their attention and keep them interested in the brand and appreciating the effort that Coke displays through its advertising.

"Mean Joe Greene"- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oaiV8MQH7s&NR=1&feature=fvwp
"Mean Troy" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKFUcEkIbEg

Hegemonic Masculinity in Beer Commercials

The perceived differences in masculinity and femininity are as relevant in social interactional contexts as they are in media and advertising.  The media uses many preconceived and stereotypical means of reinforcing strict rules of masculinity and femininity in society.  One specific concept, hegemonic masculinity, is an historically embedded term that helps define a specific type of masculinity that is superior over all others.  It is characterized by the perception that males must dominate others males and subordinate women.

This hegemonic masculinity is displayed ubiquitously throughout many beer commercials.  One specific commercial that reveals this is for Bavaria Beer.  The commercial shows a man on a beach pulling a Bavaria Beer out of an ice bucket and simultaneously, a scantily clad woman emerges from the water.  All ensuing moves the man makes with his beer bottle, the female mirrors with her actions.  It's as if the beer bottle is acting as a sort of 'voodoo doll' for the woman.  He is, in a sense, controlling her actions.

Viewing this commercial through a larger societal lens reveals deeply embedded norms of masculinity and femininity.  We are told that women should be focused on their physical appearances and that men occupy a dominant role, often subordinating women.  This concept is undermined and belittled through such advertising schemes as beer commercials.  We are told over and over again, no only though beer commercials but from countless other societal facets, that masculinity is defined one way, and that femininity is defined another way.  And if we do not prescribe to these roles and pursue the actions expected of us we are breaking unspoken laws that have serious consequences in soceity.

Bavaria Beer link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9oYYoQlIdE

GEICO: A Multi-Faced Company

Creativity in the advertising world, in contemporary media, has seemingly pulled ahead, in terms of importance, in all facets of the advertising process.  With the vast amounts of advertisements we come into contact with nowadays, so many lacking in creativity or pizazz ultimately lose our attention and fall to the waste side.  It doesn't matter if the product is phenomenal, if the advertising doesn't have that creative edge that we as consumers have come to expect then we simply disregard it.  We have come to associate a well-produced and creatively ingenious commercial with a product that exhibits the same characteristics.

One companies advertising that has flourished creatively is GEICO.  They consistently work with the Martin Agency located in Richmond, Virginia to produce the diverse and creative advertisements.

The Martin Agency has used an advertising technique that is uncommon in today's industry by running multiple campaigns simultaneously.  There are four main ad campaigns that GEICO has the opportunity to run at any given time:  The Gecko, Good News, Testimonials, and The Cavemen.  Each campaign has the same message but varies greatly in the style that is used to reach the potential consumer.  This allows for a greater chance of catching the attention of potential clients.

This technique, in my opinion, has the potential to start an industry trend.  The increased success of GEICO and their ad campaigns can attest to the effectiveness of their technique.  In an age where the consumers attention is fragmented among so many different media forums, in which a seemingly superfluous amount of advertisements bombard us, it would appear that GEICOs approach is simply appealing to this cultural evolution.  Their success is stationed in the fact that they provide the opportunity for the consumer to make decisions about which ad they would like to associate with their company.  We are in an age of media opportunity, where we can make multiple decisions about what to give our attention to, and if your a company who is also providing multiple options, then the consumer is more inclined to choose you over the single-faced competitor.  GEICO has uncovered this golden insight and are reaping the rewards for their clairvoyance.

Examples and link for each campaign:
         The Gecko: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNvo3dR3RIA&NR=1
         Good News: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kb4XIFSwOU
         Testimonials: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJMGS7l0wT8
         The Cavemen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPPfYKbO-1M&NR=1

Behind the Scenes: The "Stride Shift" Focus Group

Focus groups are an important research aspect for many advertising agencies.  They are usually small groups, between six and ten, and pertain to a specific demographic or psychographic that the client is hoping to target.  The goal of a focus group for an ad agency or client, is to instigate conversations, through a mediator, about their thoughts and feelings on a given product.  This allows the agency to draw out any specific concerns or advantages they should promote or shy away from in order to better market the product.

The 'Stride Shift' commercial for gum creates an interesting fusion, combining the structure from the research of the gum into the actual advertisement.  It is a fictional glimpse into a focus group trying the new gum. Each member has a slow but instant shift in the gum, "from berry to mint," causing a freak-out reaction that requires a dousing of water to calm each member down as their gum shifts flavors.

Following the initial scene they reveal another aspect of the research and show people observing, through video camera, the reactions of the members.  This technique is also used often in focus groups in order to relate back and analyze the comments or reactions in a focus group.

It is an interesting idea to incorporate the research of a product, in this case a focus group, into the commercial advertising of the product, even if the research portrayed is fictional.  It provides a glimpse into the world of advertising research and creates humor in the idea that the fictional focus group has an actual freak-out.  The uniqueness of the commercial stands out and creates a fresh and uncommon take on what commercials can show about advertising.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxEV767gxzM

Sherwin Williams Seeks Out and Finds the 'Makers.'

http://attitude.adforum.com/top5/2010/09/21/sherwin-williams-bees-mckinney/

The best psychographic system for categorizing consumers is known as VALS, which stands for "Values, Attitudes, and Lifestyles."  This system distinguishes between eight separate types of consumers.  The categories include: "Thinkers," "Believers," "Achievers," "Strivers," "Experiencers," "Makers," "Innovators," and "Survivors."  Each category is targeted at a consumer that holds specific values and beliefs that define what exactly they look for in a product.  This allows companies to tailer their commercials and advertisements towards consumers who fall into these categories.

One specific and simply ingenious commercial advertisement from Sherwin-Williams truly captures the heart of the "Makers" category, according to the VALS system.  First of all, the "Makers" category targets consumers who are self sufficient and practical.  They look for reliable products that they are able to use in projects they do themselves.  They are independent and believe in doing home projects on their own and the right way.

The Williams commercial, entitled "Bees," which one can watch through the link at the top of this entry, uses a plethora of paint sample cards to construct a natural environment centered around the life of a bee, who uses bright color samplers to build its hive.  The commercial ends with the line, "Make the most of your color with the very best paint."  The commercial is vibrant and uplifting but still sends the message that if your going to do-it-yourself... use Sherwin-Williams paint.  It is wonderfully simple and beautiful in its delivery and presentation and any self prescribed "Maker" would have to shut his/her eyes in order to not be seduced by that advertisement.

DVR: NOT the Death of the TV Commercial.

Digital video recorder's (DVR) are not stealing as many commercials as was previously speculated.  A recent study co-authored by a Duke University professor expected to find that homes with DVR's affected consumers' shopping behavior.  The study actually found that there was virtually no difference in shopping behavior in homes with DVR's and in homes without them.

The researchers involved studied data from a three-year study of homes that were given a DVR and ones that weren't.  The researches studied the purchases of new products, advertised products, and store brands in 50 separate categories.  What was found is that the difference between the cases was negligible.

Some speculation as to this outcome involves the notion that households with DVR's still watch 95% of their TV "live," so they actually have a limited ability to fast forward or skip commercials.  Others have speculated that TV watchers merely change channels or go to the kitchen for a snack.  

Whatever the case may be, there is still hope for the TV commercial.  Unfortunately, according to a 2006 survey by the Association of National Advertisers 60% of advertisers planned to cut TV spending due to the DVR.  Hopefully this information will resonate with advertisers and all will not be lost.  

The fall of the TV commercial, it would appear, was not a very far one, and it might just have the strength to stand back up.  It seems that the speculated decline of the TV commercial might have partially been perpetuated by a self fulfilling prophecy.  Given the technological advancements and combined social annoyance of the TV commercial, how could one not think it was bound to fall.  But whatever the future holds for the famed TV commercial, lets not give up hope just yet.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/05/04/465920/no-death-rattle-for-tv-ads.html

Is Media Multitasking the Norm?

Gfk MRI's annual Media Day survey reveals that multitaskers might have tipped the scale in their favor.

They have reported that adults who engage in other media activities while watching TV, reading magazines or newspapers, and using the internet almost equal those adults who exclusively use one of the four media groups at a time.  The percentages of the non-multitaskers, who exclusively use one of the four media groups, over the past two years, has dropped at least 3 percent, except for TV users.

The largest change, not surprisingly, was in internet use, where users who exclusively focus on the internet dropped from 54 percent to 45 percent.

The American public's focus has become increasingly fragmented with the constant innovation and melding of the internet, social networking, cell phones, and technological accessories.  It has come to the point where we are no longer satisfied with completing one task at a time and hunger for the complications of multitasking.

It would appear that multitasking is no longer seen as a hinderance to our performance and has stepped into a new light.  Instead of being seen as a fragmentation of our focus it is now the way we efficiently get things done.  It is becoming an expectation that we must be able to multitask to the nth degree in order to satisfy our drive to fit as much work/social networking/online shopping as possible.

I don't believe it is unreasonable to think that Gfk MRI's annual Media Day survey's will continue to show a decrease in the number of exclusive users of the four major media groups.  The question is: Where will it stop and how will it affect the expectations of what we can fit into a single day?

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/media/e3if8cf70233aa65f1bb93fa853d1980fc1

Corona Extra: I'm in a Drunken State of Relaxation

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1315793544?bctid=608222919001

What do you think of when you hear, see, taste, touch, or smell a Corona Extra?  You probably think of a beautiful white beach on a perfect day, sharing an ice-cold bucket of Corona Extra with your significant other.  Which is exactly what they would like you to see.

In their new tv ad, posted above, they've added a twist on the white beach scene and show people overlooking a city-scape, and snow-capped mountains, etc., while enjoying their Corona Extra.  With the tag at the end saying, "Find your beach."

Without distinctly changing their message, Corona Extra exudes an environment upon you, one in which you have no responsibility, your daily stresses have been erased, and you've found relaxation.

 Corono Extra means carefree. Corona Extra means unwinding.  Corona Extra means relaxation.

The very sight of a Corona Extra, and you automatically want to take it easy and just have a (their!) beer.  Corona wants you to immediately and instinctively draw an image of your life on vacation all the time.  They are promoting a type of lifestyle branding that slowly percolates through you until you decide it's time to relax and have a Corona, whenever you see their ad.

It goes beyond just associating Corona with relaxation and verges on insinuating a lifestyle that one should live if they want to drink a Corona.

Uncle Ben's Moving Up in the World.

In a marketing world where competition is stiff and a recognizable and relatable spokesperson is essential, Uncle Ben (Uncle Ben's Rice) just got a promotion.

If you visit the Uncle Ben's website you'll notice you can take a tour of Uncle Ben's spacious, wood paneled, new office.  His new office includes a leather chair, book case (full of Uncle Ben's rice), chess table, globe, and contemporary furniture.  The virtual tour allows you to select certain items that explains details about the anatomy of rice, or the plethora of Uncle Ben's rice options, or merely to see his classy bow tie collection.

In any case, this new position of Uncle Ben seems a bit exaggerated.  In an attempt to crawl out of their affiliation with 19th and 20th century stereotypical marketing racism, they have given Ben the upper management position, clearing them from their distasteful past.

Even though this change was an exaggerated and blatant attempt to sever their historical ties, the website experience wasn't disagreeable (maybe except for the self-portait of Uncle Ben in his own office!).  The interaction with the Ben's office is entertaining and almost resembles an 'I Spy' mystery game where you must hunt out and find the clues to solve the case.

While being obvious about its motives, Uncle Ben's new image isn't unpleasant and Uncle Ben's certainly wasn't the only company in the past to use stereotypical marketing to catch customers.  Other companies of the like have either disappeared or adapted to contemporary perspectives and Uncle Ben's is making a statement as to their longevity and ability to adapt.

http://www.unclebens.com/?showoffice=true

Sweet 'N Low's New Campaign

Sweet 'N Low's new ad campaign, created by Mother, New York, is targeted for a potentially younger crowd, in an effort to broaden their clientele, which is currently the "45-year-old-plus women."  I fear they may have missed their mark unless their potentially younger clients are eight-year-old, pink obsessed girls.

In addition to the retro ladybugs shown above the new art work consists of a retro-style owl, and a peacock doused in pink psychedelic patterns.

While these images do provide a very youthful and fresh image, part of Sweet 'N Low's campaign goals, I'm not sure they will draw in the younger crowd as expected.  These ads invoke images of pig-tailed girls pasting flower stickers on all their newest Barbi's.  I doubt that their potential clientele involve this age bracket and I fail to see how the younger crowd will be drawn in by this new artwork.

Bobby Hershfield, co-cd at Mother, stated, "We didn't set out to make a retro campaign, but this is the look that emerged from staying true to the brand.  It happens to be in fashion right now."

As a college students, I am bombarded with fashion combinations of all sorts and have found that while certain fashion aspects from the 1960's and 70's are present today they have been reinvented for our era.  The artwork used in Sweet 'N Low's new campaign seems painfully true to its generation.  Too true in fact.  I fear that these images will fail to attract the younger crowd and, in reality, appeal to the company's previous demographic.

Unfortunately, I see this new ad campaign as nothing more than a fresh face-lift with little hope of attracting a younger crowd.

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/strategy/e3iea381ae4ffdbc7aed57ba6aad54ad69d