talk

Written by Nicolas Pinto

Billy Mays, the famous commercial pitchman, most known for his role in the OxiClean commercials, passed away on June 28, 2009, at the age of 50. Mays began his career at mall shows and convention centers near Atlantic City. There he learned the tricks of the trade from other veteran pitchmen and practiced his talent until he got to the top and became the famous OxiClean yelling pitchmen. His breakthrough helped the Appel family and Orange Glo International into a $200 million powerhouse. This year, he teamed up with his long time friend Anthony Sullivan to start on a Discovery Channel show “Pitch Men” aimed to show the world the process of the products that start from ideas that everyday people have, to multimillion dollar products that reach every house hold in America. Billy Mays knew how to turn an idea into a powerful invention, and helped people make their dreams come true.

Famous commercials from Billy Mays:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NNv2oiWdRU

http://www.asseenontvvideo.com/Billy-Mays.html

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter; Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen

 Written by Adal Gutierrez

The new movie building big expectations, not only among Disney fans, but especially among adults who have read the book, is Tim Burton’s adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. What is already an interesting project, because it is Burton and it is Alice, is flavored by the actors who bring the main characters to life: Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter; Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen; Anne Hathaway as the White Queen; and the new face of Australian actress Mia Wasikowska as Alice. Burton has already said he will stay true to the stories’ essence, although the plot is about a 17-year-old Alice that goes back to Wonderland, a place she visited ten years before. Recently, the images of some movie characters have been released and as you might guess, the movie will be a combination of live performance with animation. With Burton’s gift of a kind of insane and mesmerizing creativity; this movie might just surpass the great expectations it is generating. Alice in Wonderland is in pre-production and is expected to open in theaters March 5, 2010.

Too see more characters from the new movie, click below:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/gallery/2009/jun/23/tim-burton-alice-in-wonderland-johnny-depp?lightbox=1

Written by Melissa Schwartz

In this day and age, technology seems to be establishing itself as the go-to medium for marketing campaigns. However, some major companies are taking an old school approach when it comes to promoting their products and services—and they are generating positive results!

Nike’s “Paper Battlefield” campaign, which consisted of a series of silk screen posters featuring and created by the top 10 teenage stars of the Nike Basketball League, just won the renowned Cannes Design Grand Prix on June 24^th.  What makes this win most interesting is that in an applicant pool consisting of over 1,100 campaign entries, many of which were touted as ‘technologically innovative’, Nike’s campaign utilized a 10^th century platform (silk screening). They were renowned “for simplicity over technical virtuosity or category-busting innovation”; according to the Cannes design jury.

Nike isn’t the first power-brand taking a back to basics approach to marketing.  In 2007, UPS launched their now infamous Whiteboard campaign, a series of commercials featuring a man drawing mundane pictures on a white board in order to tell stories about different UPS shipping options and company values. Since the commercials first aired they have received over 100,000 hits on YouTube and were even parodied by arch nemesis—FedEx.

So why are such basic campaigns generating so much consumer buzz? When companies such as CBS Outdoor are developing advertising platforms which allow consumers to connect their iPhone to a display screen via WiFi or 3G to create personalized posters, how is one guy with a pen and a white board making headlines?  I could only imagine it is at least partially due to the fact that consumers are constantly inundated with cutting edge media. Ironically, technical and creative innovation has become the norm. In an era where each design company and advertising agency are attempting to outdo one another with the most attention grabbing and novel ideas, the presence of straightforward campaigns–where the message, not the medium, is the main focus—can be relieving. Throw in the fact that in this economy marketing budgets are being cut left and right, and everyone seems to be scaling down, letting go of some of the bells and whistles associated with modern advertising may just be the way to go.

See these ads at:

http://whiteboard.ups.com/#

http://adage.com/cannes09/article?article_id=137548 

I’ve heard it stated before that the sale of “small luxuries” like lipsticks and other beauty products actually increase during times of economic recession.  It seems this is ringing especially true right now with Latinas!  Latinas are more image conscious than non-Latinas in that 57% (compared to 42% of non-Latinas) said that they do “whatever it takes to look younger”.  In fact, Latinas are actually spending more than women of other races in the clothing, footwear, accessories and make-up departments!

Some cosmetic brands (Sephora, Clinique, L’Oreal) have already foreseen the great buying power that the Hispanic community presents and have expanded their line of products to incorporate more appealing options for Latinas.  Also, and possibly more important, these products live alongside and often in conjunction with their general market counterparts.  By doing this, these brands are actually creating a sense of acknowledgement amongst Latinas.  And being that Latinas are brand loyal consumers, I think it’s safe to say that no brand can afford ignoring them!

Ok, first let me give credit where credit is due: My 67 year old, conservative yet media savvy mother sent me this link.

It leads to a hub for disillusioned yet Americans in search for a new road map to follow.  Its main attraction is a well produced music video that puts its finger on the pulse of an American Population lost with within the tumult and turmoil that for better or for worse has turned our economy upside down. The premise that “I played by the rules and then the rules changed” is a valid one, if not the most empowering one. Perhaps in this new economy it’s not enough to simply play by the rules of the game, but we must also be prepared to see where the game is going and be prepared for changes. In a way, it’s a kind of therapeutic tool that builds community off of shared stories of personal sorrows. I think ultimately it will be an important part of our American history to chronic these stories of what the average American went through in the depression of 2009.
Its got a catchy tune as well.

http://www.bornagainamerican.org/

Experience leads to understanding.
Understanding leads to insights that can’t be learned in a seminar or from a book.
There is much talk these days about how the insight gained from ones colored life experience, adds to the understanding of a multicultural society.
I speak candidly of the discussion surrounding Judicial Nominee Sonya Sotomayor who enjoys a quick wit, a sharp mind and an honest tongue; all traits praised in Caribbean culture. It is ironic how her ethnicity not only influences her perception; it may be misleading how she is perceived, especially by those who do not understand her culture. The fact that she is so misunderstood gives credence to the argument that there is a large segment of the population that just “doesn’t get” multicultural.
The funny thing is that Sotomayor’s perfect English her credentials and her judges trappings leads this segment assume she should behave according to the protocol for women of their ethnic backgrounds, a stark contrast to the ones she grew up with. Aside from being female, Sotomayor might have little in common with a demure southern belle, or a housewife in the Hamptons.

One’s life experience for better or worse will always inform ones perception.
This only becomes a liability when one is not in touch with this fact, and assumes that everyone should share his point of view.
I think it’s noteworthy to be able to admit that our experience, ethnicity, religious upbringing, and our gender influence our perspective.  We do our best to look beyond that as necessary especially when trying to understand others, and leverage it when the time is right. Often enough this honest acknowledgement of our own colored lenses gives us extra motivation to get to know how others tick. It is this honest search that is to be valued in marketing as well as on the judicial bench. Taking no opinions for granted, making no assumptions, we are best armed to search for truth.

America’s Needle has Permanently Shifted.

We are not the United States of 15 years ago, and never has this been more apparent than in the election of our new president. Barack Hussien Obama represents everything that is different about our new America from the inside out. Younger than most of his predecessors , half black, half white, raised between Hawaii, Kansas and Indonesia - his complete profile could not be more different that those of Presidents past. His election and his cabinet nominees send a clear message for brand managers across the nation. Today’s mainstream market has fundamentally changed. It looks, thinks, and responds in a way that is completely new. This has been extremely hard for most traditional marketers to grapple with; and though it has led to much speculation, few have managed to plan and capitalize on this new American psychology. Those that have such as Obama, Nike, Apple, and others continue to reap enormous benefits.

It’s safe to say that the speed at which technology and media have been evolving have made us a more informed people with easy access to information in our language from around the world. The gadgets and widgets that keep us plugged in have made us avid yet selective (and  often critical) consumers of information. It has also made us a more empowered consumer, as platforms such as cnet, amazon, youtube, google groups, social networking sites and others allow us to complement or criticize brands and products as we see fit. With one click we can spread the word good or bad whether companies like it or not.

At the same time, immigration and globalization have changed our inner composition as a country and our exposure to other cultures abroad. With the entry of so many peoples from Latin America and Asia the apple pie of America has slowly evolved into more of an exotic fruit salad; richer in color and taste. As a people, Americans have a more global sense of self; what used to be patriotism to country alone has evolved into a loyalty to planet, and the world as a whole. This is what is causing the great leftward shift that has our conservative republican party flustered. Country First is not as relevant as People and Planet First.

continue reading “The Needle has Shifted”

Media Nerd is a native New Yorker and grew up among people of many different ethnicities. All the immigrant groups that contributed to the Boom generation had a very different experience from today’s Hispanic immigrant; to think that the Hispanic immigrant will behave the same way is to misjudge the current environment and mood. Becoming “American” doesn’t mean abandoning where you came from. The world has gotten smaller thanks to major improvements in communication and mass media technologies, so a large immigrant group will retain its native language. Hispanics are also rightfully proud of their heritage and this must be respected in your advertising efforts.

So Media Nerd invites you to have a margarita or a mojito while pondering the following:

1. Hispanic media availability and use is very different from general market. Television is by far the primary reach medium, so you must do this one correctly. You can’t replace it with anything else.
2. It’s not enough to translate your existing TV or radio spots into Spanish; they need to be culturally relevant. There are core values common to most Hispanic groups, but there are many vernacular nuances. You need a Hispanic ad agency with an ethnically diverse staff to provide their expertise in this area.
3. Just as language and media choice will affect your effectiveness, so will timing. If you discover that your Hispanic sales peak differently from your general market sales, your agency should be flighting your media buys accordingly. Launching everything simultaneously will make no sense if Hispanics start and finish their Christmas shopping earlier.
4. If you need to do local efforts, keep in mind that all markets are not created equal. Los Angeles and Chicago are primarily Mexican, New York and Miami are primarily Caribbean, Miami is more Spanish-dominant while New York is more bilingual; all of these factors affect the local media landscape and the users’ media habits.
5. Spanish-language newspapers are not likely to have a lot of reader duplication, so if your agency recommends 5 of them in a mid-sized to large market, that’s because you will need all five to reach the market.

As they say in novelas, “No te preocupes.”* A good Hispanic agency will be your strongest ally and best friend in capturing the hearts and minds of this market.

*Don’t worry.

By now I’m sure we’ve all heard of the Swine Flu epidemic which has been creating media frenzy for the past 2 weeks. IF you have not heard of it, frankly I’m a little concerned for you, and not because of the threat Swine Flu poses. In light of the current outbreak I have been stocking up on Purell these days but that is as far as my preventative measures have taken me. However, others are taking it to a bit more extreme measures… I give you the Flu Fashion Respirator Mask! They look like the surgical masks you would find in a drug store just wrapped in “stylish” fabric. The collection includes bandana prints, tie dye and of course what line would be complete without animal prints?! I haven’t been fortunate enough to see anyone sporting these on the streets of NYC yet but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time!

America is at its most multicultural when it is in the kitchen and the dining room. What we eat is a product of both our immigrant backgrounds as well as a more global and connected world.  Instead of a melting pot, we now have a delicious tossed salad with a multitude of options for dressings. Latino culture, with its growing influence, is part of this dining revolution. This Latino boom is driven by both mainstream interest in all things Latin, as well as a stronger interest by Latinos of all levels of acculturation to go back to their roots. This creates an opportunity for grocery stores and super-markets to develop in-culture experiences that will appeal Latinos and non-Latinos alike.

Creating an in-culture experience begins by knowing your local consumer base. You should invest in research to learn about the Hispanics in your sales area. Two of the key areas to look at are the nationalities and levels of acculturation represented. The nationality is key as it determines what types of food and products they’ll embrace. The level of assimilation is another key element that will influence the experience and products they seek. Those less assimilated to American culture, usually Spanish dominant, will be more attracted to products and experiences from back home.

Once you have a sense of the size and make-up of the population you’ll be in a better position to determine what type of experience to create. You should spend time with the consumer to find out more about the products and brands they want, but more importantly about the role of food in their lives as it will be these insights that will allow you to establish a true dialogue.

Any Hispanic grocery program should start with understanding that food is one of the cornerstones of Hispanic culture. As a result going to the supermarket, for instance, is a family experience where everyone plays a role. The dining experience is equally participatory, with multiple generations sharing a dinner table, as well as recipes. This applies to special occasions.

Given the central role of food in culture, the super market can play a strong bonding role with your Hispanic consumer. This is why bodegas are so popular both in Latin America and in U.S. Hispanic markets. They are meeting places to obtain not only the most fresh produce and products, but also where they connect with their communities.

This is one of the biggest lessons for American super-markets as they speak to Latinos, how to create this experience of trust. And this is more than just the product, this is about having the right staff who can speak the language. It’s also about creating events and having communications that speak to these insights. And with close to $1 trillion in purchasing power, and growing, that is a recipe American super-markets cannot afford to miss.