Recently Saturn has been struggling in sales, so GM is hoping to revive the brand with the new Saturn Sky. Instead of pulling the brand off of the market, GM is taking a huge risk with the Sky roadster in hopes that it will turn things around for them. They know that Saturn does have brand loyal customers, so they're hoping that the new sporty look of the Sky will spark some interest.
The new vechicles are supposedly a big upgrade from the Saturn. They're steel-bodied cars instead of plastic, and the Sky's are coming with a pretty hefty price tag. But will it be enough to revive the brand and get them out of the hole?
In my opinion, some serious marketing skills are needed if GM thinks that they can make up for their losses with the Saturn in the past few years, but it definitely can be done. Their biggest obstacle will be to transform the idea of a Saturn from a cheap car to an "affordable luxury." A tough task, but not impossible.
I think the Sky looks like a really nice car, and yet it is still affordable to those "young professionals" who are just finally making enough money to buy their own car that's a little nicer than the one they learned to drive on. I can see that being the biggest target market.
This is just one example of the issues that advertisers are faced with. It is also a great example of repositioning the brand or product in the eyes of the consumer.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Commonly Misused Words
Once upon a time there was a princess, whose skin was fair and hair was long and blonde, who was in search of her prince. A wise old woman had told her that if she were to ever find him, she must first trek through the forest, in stormy weather, to the site where an altar had been made by a witch.
"It's there that you will find your prince," the old woman said.
The princess accepted her mission, except she had just one question. "Is there a track that I can follow through the forest?," she asked the old woman.
"Tracks do not come for free. You will have to pay a fare of two golden coins," she replied.
"Well that's not fair," said the princess, "Who's going to be able to afford that?"
"You're a smart girl. You'll do the right thing." And with that, the old woman vanished.
It wasn't about doing the right thing, it was the principle of the matter, the princess thought to herself. She felt she had the rite to travel without paying a fee. After all, she was royalty. And as you can imagine, the princess did not know whether or not she would do the right thing. However, she did not lose sight of her goal.
She thought about how the journey would affect her, as well as the positive and negative effects of finding a prince. Advice from her old principal came to her, but she tried not to let that alter her feelings. She knew what she wanted and she knew how to get it. She even jotted down some thoughts on some stationary, and went as far as to cite the sources. This girl meant business. She dreamed of becoming a playwright one day.
The princess finally set out on her journey. She left in the middle of a thunderstorm, and she listened to everything the old woman had said. As she walked her shoes were either too loose or too tight, and she had to stop to adjust them. Eventually she arrived at the altar.
In front of her was a stationery witch, and she was not budging. The princess tried to talk to her but she wouldn't respond. The witch wore a cape, and its ends were frayed. Frustrated, the princess began to dance around the witch, trying to make her move or to atleast make some affect. Her dancing finally effected the witch, and she began to laugh.
With one flick of her wand the witch made a prince appear. The prince and the princess fell instantly in love. (Well what else were you expecting? It was their destiny!)
But do you really think they're going to live happily ever after?
"It's there that you will find your prince," the old woman said.
The princess accepted her mission, except she had just one question. "Is there a track that I can follow through the forest?," she asked the old woman.
"Tracks do not come for free. You will have to pay a fare of two golden coins," she replied.
"Well that's not fair," said the princess, "Who's going to be able to afford that?"
"You're a smart girl. You'll do the right thing." And with that, the old woman vanished.
It wasn't about doing the right thing, it was the principle of the matter, the princess thought to herself. She felt she had the rite to travel without paying a fee. After all, she was royalty. And as you can imagine, the princess did not know whether or not she would do the right thing. However, she did not lose sight of her goal.
She thought about how the journey would affect her, as well as the positive and negative effects of finding a prince. Advice from her old principal came to her, but she tried not to let that alter her feelings. She knew what she wanted and she knew how to get it. She even jotted down some thoughts on some stationary, and went as far as to cite the sources. This girl meant business. She dreamed of becoming a playwright one day.
The princess finally set out on her journey. She left in the middle of a thunderstorm, and she listened to everything the old woman had said. As she walked her shoes were either too loose or too tight, and she had to stop to adjust them. Eventually she arrived at the altar.
In front of her was a stationery witch, and she was not budging. The princess tried to talk to her but she wouldn't respond. The witch wore a cape, and its ends were frayed. Frustrated, the princess began to dance around the witch, trying to make her move or to atleast make some affect. Her dancing finally effected the witch, and she began to laugh.
With one flick of her wand the witch made a prince appear. The prince and the princess fell instantly in love. (Well what else were you expecting? It was their destiny!)
But do you really think they're going to live happily ever after?
Monday, April 23, 2007
Another Prominent Figure
Although Rosser Reeves is one of the most influential figures in the advertising business, in my opinion Leo Burnett comes in as a close second. He started one of the greatest advertising agencies that still holds his name today.
Leo Burnett's advertisements emphasized visuals as opposed to long drawn out body copy or explanations. The pictures got the message across and the copy just simply backed the original message up. Burnett is also known for creating some famous brand icons such as the Pillsbury Dough Boy, Tony the Tiger, the Jolly Green Giant and the Marlboro Man. These, along with many others, are images that almost anyone would recognize, even today.
Burnett started his career at an advertising agency called the Homer McGee Company. It was here where he worked on several accounts for automobile ads. He later was hired at Erwin, Wassey as the head of their creative department. It wasn't until 1935 that he founded the Leo Burnett Company, Inc., in Chicago. This was a risky move because most of the big players could be found in New York City, and there was not much in the midwest as far as advertising went.
One of Burnett's most famous quotes is, "When you reach for the stars, you may not get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either." I think that clearly shows his ambition and thought process. He truly believed that anything was possible and he strived for the best in each and every campaign he worked on. Without the work of Leo Burnett the advertising business certainly would not be where it is today.
Leo Burnett's advertisements emphasized visuals as opposed to long drawn out body copy or explanations. The pictures got the message across and the copy just simply backed the original message up. Burnett is also known for creating some famous brand icons such as the Pillsbury Dough Boy, Tony the Tiger, the Jolly Green Giant and the Marlboro Man. These, along with many others, are images that almost anyone would recognize, even today.
Burnett started his career at an advertising agency called the Homer McGee Company. It was here where he worked on several accounts for automobile ads. He later was hired at Erwin, Wassey as the head of their creative department. It wasn't until 1935 that he founded the Leo Burnett Company, Inc., in Chicago. This was a risky move because most of the big players could be found in New York City, and there was not much in the midwest as far as advertising went.
One of Burnett's most famous quotes is, "When you reach for the stars, you may not get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either." I think that clearly shows his ambition and thought process. He truly believed that anything was possible and he strived for the best in each and every campaign he worked on. Without the work of Leo Burnett the advertising business certainly would not be where it is today.
Back to the Beginning.
I found another source that will help me in the organization of my paper. The website for Advertising Age had a timeline of major happenings in the world of advertising.
This source is extremely organized, and it is easy to take information from. It allows you to click on any time period and lists the major events that were going on in the world of advertising at that time. It is very helpful when it comes to dates of major events and I think it will be helpful to organize my paper chronologically.
I will definitely be able to use some of the information in my final paper. I don't know if I will use the actual information, or just the dates and other things to keep my paper organized, but either way I'm really glad I came across this.
Also, Advertising Age is one of the biggest, if not THE biggest magazine in the business, so it is definitely a credible source. One of my advertising professors even suggested that we subscribe to the magazine because it always has the most up-to-date information, and interesting stories about what is going on in the world of advertising.
This source is extremely organized, and it is easy to take information from. It allows you to click on any time period and lists the major events that were going on in the world of advertising at that time. It is very helpful when it comes to dates of major events and I think it will be helpful to organize my paper chronologically.
I will definitely be able to use some of the information in my final paper. I don't know if I will use the actual information, or just the dates and other things to keep my paper organized, but either way I'm really glad I came across this.
Also, Advertising Age is one of the biggest, if not THE biggest magazine in the business, so it is definitely a credible source. One of my advertising professors even suggested that we subscribe to the magazine because it always has the most up-to-date information, and interesting stories about what is going on in the world of advertising.
A Look at the Other Side
Although it is difficult for me to admit, many people believe that advertising can have many negative effects on people, especially children. Millions of children sit in front of the television on Saturday mornings to watch cartoons. Some may watch a few of their favorite shows, while others spend hours upon hours sitting and staring at the screen. In one hour of television there are approximately 20 minutes worth of commercials. After a few hours, that commercial time begins to add up. When children are exposed to television advertising for long periods of time, it can begin to have serious negative effects.
Because Saturday morning is a popular time for children to be watching television, it is also a popular time for advertisers to run their commercials at a high frequency, or in other words, the same commercial multiple times. Children may see the same McDonalds commercial five times during a certain program. The advertising may also be different commercials for the same product.
The brands that are advertised on Saturday mornings are also very specific. Most of the commercials will be for fast food or sugar cereals. To the advertisers, it only makes sense to target these brands to children who will eventually convince their parents to purchase them. However, advertisers have failed to take into consideration that their commercials could possibly be overwhelming to the young minds of their target market.
Children account for billions of dollars in sales each year, and they are an essential target audience to many brands and companies. However, are those billions of dollars really worth the consequences? Child obesity is becoming a real problem in today’s society, but can we directly contribute that to Happy Meal commercials? Some will argue yes.
Other arguments have also been made against advertising targeted to children. People believe that because children are exposed to so much advertising at such young ages, they can develop brand loyalty while they are extremely young.
In addition to brand loyalty, advertising can also put images into the minds of children. Due to the excessive cigarette advertising with Joe Camel, this mascot became as recognizable to six-year-olds as Mickey Mouse. Later, after the Joe Camel ads were discontinued, a study showed that Camel was the most popular brand of cigarettes that was sold to minors. An obvious conclusion can be drawn, but whether or not it is a fact is debatable.
Although the negative effects of advertising are a clear reality, the blame cannot be placed entirely on the advertiser. Parents are also responsible for the health and well being of their children. Although the commercials are there, the parents are also allowing their children to be exposed to them. Assigning blame, however, is not the main concern. Children’s lives are being affected because of advertising without question, and measures to prevent or stop this need to be taken.
Because Saturday morning is a popular time for children to be watching television, it is also a popular time for advertisers to run their commercials at a high frequency, or in other words, the same commercial multiple times. Children may see the same McDonalds commercial five times during a certain program. The advertising may also be different commercials for the same product.
The brands that are advertised on Saturday mornings are also very specific. Most of the commercials will be for fast food or sugar cereals. To the advertisers, it only makes sense to target these brands to children who will eventually convince their parents to purchase them. However, advertisers have failed to take into consideration that their commercials could possibly be overwhelming to the young minds of their target market.
Children account for billions of dollars in sales each year, and they are an essential target audience to many brands and companies. However, are those billions of dollars really worth the consequences? Child obesity is becoming a real problem in today’s society, but can we directly contribute that to Happy Meal commercials? Some will argue yes.
Other arguments have also been made against advertising targeted to children. People believe that because children are exposed to so much advertising at such young ages, they can develop brand loyalty while they are extremely young.
In addition to brand loyalty, advertising can also put images into the minds of children. Due to the excessive cigarette advertising with Joe Camel, this mascot became as recognizable to six-year-olds as Mickey Mouse. Later, after the Joe Camel ads were discontinued, a study showed that Camel was the most popular brand of cigarettes that was sold to minors. An obvious conclusion can be drawn, but whether or not it is a fact is debatable.
Although the negative effects of advertising are a clear reality, the blame cannot be placed entirely on the advertiser. Parents are also responsible for the health and well being of their children. Although the commercials are there, the parents are also allowing their children to be exposed to them. Assigning blame, however, is not the main concern. Children’s lives are being affected because of advertising without question, and measures to prevent or stop this need to be taken.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Should I Be Persuaded?
Although this is no longer a current advertisement, I found that the commercial for the "Chocolate" cell phones that featured Christina Aguilera's song, "Candyman" was brilliant. If you're not familiar with the commercial, I'll try to describe it for you.
The scenery was almost like a high-tech candy factory, with conveyer belts going every which way. But instead of candybars traveling about the factory there were the cellphones. The three colors of the cellphones (red, white, and green) were the three colors used throughout the commercial, and the way the commercial flowed was unbelievable. Christina Aguiulera's song worked perfectly as the "soundtrack" for this commercial because she describes a guy like candy, but in this case it seems as if she's describing the phones. Also, a main feature of the cellphones is that they double as an mp3 player, so it was like the song was coming from the phone.
As I write this I feel as if I'm not giving the commercial as much applause as it deserves. I guess you just have to see it, and for those who have I hope you agree with me!
The commercial just had so much synergy, everything was related and it had many key aspects that an advertiser strives for. For one, the catchy pop song will most likely be stuck in your head for the rest of the day, if not the week. The use of color and movement makes it hard to turn your head or flip the channel in the middle of it. The way the product, the song, the visual, the colors, and the design all work together is really great.
Sometimes I feel as if I'm the only person in the world who would rather watch commercials than the actual television programming. I, obviously, blame this on my major, and at times I find it extremely annoying. But on the other hand, I enjoy it. I found this commercial to be one of the best that I've seen in a long time, and it motivated me to one day create, or atleast be a part of creating a commercial that is on the same level.
Another point that I hesitate to make is that the commercial began to persuade me that I NEEDED one of these cellphones. I am ashamed to admit that I was sucked into the business that I will one day be working in. I have not, however, purchased one. Yet.
The scenery was almost like a high-tech candy factory, with conveyer belts going every which way. But instead of candybars traveling about the factory there were the cellphones. The three colors of the cellphones (red, white, and green) were the three colors used throughout the commercial, and the way the commercial flowed was unbelievable. Christina Aguiulera's song worked perfectly as the "soundtrack" for this commercial because she describes a guy like candy, but in this case it seems as if she's describing the phones. Also, a main feature of the cellphones is that they double as an mp3 player, so it was like the song was coming from the phone.
As I write this I feel as if I'm not giving the commercial as much applause as it deserves. I guess you just have to see it, and for those who have I hope you agree with me!
The commercial just had so much synergy, everything was related and it had many key aspects that an advertiser strives for. For one, the catchy pop song will most likely be stuck in your head for the rest of the day, if not the week. The use of color and movement makes it hard to turn your head or flip the channel in the middle of it. The way the product, the song, the visual, the colors, and the design all work together is really great.
Sometimes I feel as if I'm the only person in the world who would rather watch commercials than the actual television programming. I, obviously, blame this on my major, and at times I find it extremely annoying. But on the other hand, I enjoy it. I found this commercial to be one of the best that I've seen in a long time, and it motivated me to one day create, or atleast be a part of creating a commercial that is on the same level.
Another point that I hesitate to make is that the commercial began to persuade me that I NEEDED one of these cellphones. I am ashamed to admit that I was sucked into the business that I will one day be working in. I have not, however, purchased one. Yet.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Expository or Persuasive?
Considering my topic is for the most part based on facts and leaves little room for opinions, my final research paper will most likely be expository. I don’t see how I could form a persuasive thesis about the history of advertising; there’s not much that needs persuading. It will be simple to lay out the facts in chronological order and in a neat, organized way. However, when it comes to the strategies used in advertising, I may include some of my opinions on which are best, or where advertising is going in the future. For the most part my final paper will consist of hard facts and information that I have collected, so it only makes sense for it to be expository. In a way, it is a bit ironic. Advertising’s main purpose is to persuade people to buy products, and yet my paper really won’t be persuading anyone to do anything.
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