Monthly Archives: June 2008

Energy Drunk on Viral

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Gatorade recently released a fake, nearly unbranded video of a ball girl making a ridiculous catch at the outfield wall. Numerous versions are floating around the web and have accumulated well over 1,000,000 views in the last few weeks.

Unbranded viral ads are obviously nothing new, but what’s striking about this one is it comes several years after Gatorade’s biggest competitor, Powerade, introduced a very similar campaign – at a time when they were far less common.

Powerade’s Very Real Power campaign featured ‘real footage’ of athletes and non-athletes performing (digitally created) super-human feats of strength. You may remember Roddick sticking a serve in the clay, Lebron routinely stroking full-court treys, or Vick annihilating his receivers in practice. Non-endorsee spots included cameraman, surfer, whale, runner, and “throw it back” – an ad that’s suspiciously non-existent on the web- during which a girl in the bleachers throws a homerun ball all the way back to the catcher. Oh, and that was directed by the same guy who did the new gatorade video.

So as quickly as the web kids scream “fake” (again, a less common practice in the Powerade years), some of the crankier ad folk hustle to expose this ‘shameless reproduction’.

Personally I don’t care much that it’s a rip-off. It’s inevitable in this line of work. And the videos are very fun. To me, the bigger question here surrounds brand equity. Does Gatorade really believe they can enter Powerade’s space and come out winners? Um, I guess so.

The problem, as I see it, is time. Obviously this video is the flavor of the month. But when customers are thinking back, trying to recall these videos amongst the mind clutter, who is likely to get credit? If you’re the market leader and category pioneer, I don’t think it’s wise to even publicly acknowledge the #2 – let alone dabble in their brand territory.

Selling Story In Music

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A friend once told me that Jack White started dressing in red, white and black to distract from the fact that he was a young white kid playing the blues in Detroit. Whether or not this is true, it’s a fitting example of the myth surrounding a genius musician.

In a recent post, Seth Godin reminds us of the importance of product story. No place is this more evident than the cluttered world of new music. Take the story of Bon Iver; one of my favourite artists of the last year:

Following the break-up of his previous band, Justin Vernon secluded himself to a cabin in northwestern Wisconsin for three months planning to “hibernate.” Three months of solitude resulted in the creation of For Emma, Forever Ago. “All of his personal trouble, lack of perspective, heartache, longing, love, loss and guilt that had been stock piled over the course of the past six years, was suddenly purged into the form of song.”

In today’s music age, when online reviews and forums are a go to filter, the pre-experience story set Bon Iver apart. The hauntingly gorgeous product fulfilled the legend.

As for the White Stripes, they sold their ‘official story’ as a two-piece brother-sister outfit clad in the peppermint colors of “innocence and anger”; a bizarre tale of the Zag as told in Neumeier’s most recent book. Again, the pudding was proof enough.

The Androgynous Mindset

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Business Week (somewhat) recently explored the slump in the male economy. From last November through this April, American women gained nearly 300,000 jobs while American men lost nearly 700,000. Why?

There are plenty of sound explanations for the moment, but I’d prefer to look ahead at why women increasingly seem better poised for today’s employment market. In Daniel Pink’s brilliant book, A Whole New Mind, he argues that a holistic, whole-brained business approach is essential to success in today’s hyper-competitive global economy. He investigates the role of left & right brain against gender, and his findings are nicely round-up in this interview excerpt:

Q: In A Whole New Mind, you tend to refer to people as “she.” Do you feel that globalization highlights the role of women? Do you also mean to imply that the androgynous side of the human spirit has some sort of advantage in the new economy?

Pink: There is lots of evidence that people with more androgynous minds that can reason both in a typically “left-brain,” masculine way and a typically “right-brain,” feminine way have a comparative advantage in the modern economy. I think that a lot of the abilities that are often dismissed as “feminine” or “soft”—things like empathy, to some extent even creativity itself—are more valuable nowadays, and that might confer a slight advantage on women. But I think that the future does belong to people with androgynous minds, people who have that analytical capability but people who also have that artistic, empathic ability.

Working women have historcially been forced to adopt the androgynous mind. North American Business has always been driven by typically-masculine thinking, not to mention the fact that it’s still largely run by old boys. Most guys, on the other hand, have probably never needed to embrace a feminine mindset in a working environment. So I suspect many are not adjusting well to the call for change. But with women now our best customers – and their emotional, right-brained qualities increasingly critical in today’s global economy – it’s an outlook we’d better start opening up to.

Genetics and Primary Care

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I am becoming more and more interested in the potential role of genetic counseling in the primary care setting. The findings of a “Personalized Medicine and Wellness Survey” released this week only serve to add fuel to my “genetics in primary care” fire. The results show that people are more likely to turn to their doctor for information about genetic testing than to pursue it on their own. The researchers conclude that makers of genetic tests will be more successful penetrating the market if they target doctors, rather than consumers themselves.

There are several obvious limitations of the survey (i.e. small sample size, selection bias). But, I still find it interesting, especially given the controversial direct-to-consumer advertising campaign for hereditary breast cancer testing that was launched by commercial lab Myriad Genetics last fall. Many within the genetics community perceived this campaign as Myriad’s attempt to bypass the “bottleneck” effect created by limited genetic counseling resources, and increase profits by encouraging consumers to seek out the genetic test on their own (although a doctor’s order is still required). If you subscribe to the belief that genetic testing of this nature should always be preceded by appropriate education and detailed consideration of the potential implications of the test (as I do), then the above scenario is very problematic.

So, the good news is that people do turn to their doctors for information about genetic testing. The bad news is that many doctors, especially family doctors, are already over-worked, over-stretched and under paid. Expecting family doctors to stay on top of emerging genetic technology and research and find time to relay this knowledge to their patients is not, in my opinion, the most feasible option. I personally believe that genetic counselors should set up to the plate. Perhaps I can enlist Sean to help with the marketing…

Nike Just Does It (again)

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Nike’s new Tiger ad is heavy. If you haven’t seen it, enjoy.

The remarkable thing about this commercial is its relevance:

On Father’s Day and US Open Sunday, the late Earl Woods tells a story of Tiger’s mental toughness while his son battles through knee-pain in search of his 3rd national title.

Wow. ESPN has a great article on the thinking behind the spot. The admakers discuss the opportunities and risks – and they’re the first to admit that they got “lucky” with the timing of his surgery against their ‘strength of mind’ message.

But you’ve got to be lucky to be good. And these guys are definitely good. As Murketing’s Rob Walker says “”Nike has always tried to have ads that have talk value the morning after”. They’ve obviously done that again.

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Afterthought:

The relationship between timing and relevance is much discussed of late. Along these lines, a friend (who just moved over to media) recently brought up the notion of examining brand speed by clocking the marketing process from Idea-To-Market (ITM). I think this might make for a very interesting investigation.

ITM Credit: Anthony Hello, Mediacom

Discrimination, in perspective

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I recently read this article about albinism in Africa and it has been haunting me ever since.

In genetics, we talk a lot about discrimination. May 2008 was a historic month for the genetics community in the US. After 13 years of congressional debate, the Genetic Insurance Non-discrimination Act (GINA) was finally signed into law. Protection against genetic insurance discrimination is an extremely important issue. However, this seems to pale in comparison to stories about people who are literally being hunted because of their genetic status.

In 2006, researchers at the World Health Organization published a report on the status of albinism in Africa. In addition to several other issues, they found that there is a complete lack of understanding within the community and among individuals affected with albinism about their own condition.

Being born in South Africa and having spent time in Kenya and Uganda, I feel a sense of connection to the African continent. So, here I am, finally with some credentials and a specific knowledge and skill set, wanting to do something. This is an open call for ideas, suggestions and thoughts.

Rick Guidotti

Photo Credit: Rick Guidotti

Recovering From The Worst Campaign Ever

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Steelback 2004-2007

Occasionally I’m completely baffled by a brand’s marketing strategy. One such example was Tiverton, Ontario’s Steelback Beer. Born in only 2004, Steelback exemplified how not to launch a product. A massive media spend with scattered, utterly cringing ads. It got so bad I used to joke with friends that Steelback was one big marketing practical joke. Their logo was plastered all over Ontario – ‘with television ads, racing sponsorships, arena naming rights, concert promotions’ – yet I’d never once actually seen 1 of their 11 beers in person (and I quite enjoy beer and beer drinking occasions). It must have been some sort of massive social experiment, right?

Sadly, it wasn’t. It all fell under the self-indulgent marketing plan of Frank D’Angelo. D’Angelo made his money in juices, but participation in his own Steelback ads are what gained him notoriety (see bartender in the above video). During prime-time television commercials he talked about Steelback beers with former hockey stars like Phil Esposito, about his energy drinks with disgraced sprinter Ben Johnson, and about the company’s Grand Prix race with actor Paul Newman. He also happened to sponsor a band – The Steelback Two-Four – in which he himself was the lead singer.

Believe it or not, it didn’t pan out. In fact, last year marketing costs alone surpassed Steelback’s revenues. As of November, 2007, Frank D’Angelo’s Steelback was history.

The new Steelback!?!

A few weeks back Steelback announced it was returning as a ‘reinvented microbrew’. New CEO Jonathon Sherman plans to “slowly develop a small number of craft beers in an Ontario market with a much smaller advertising budget.” He’s focusing on “appropriate packaging” and the “right image’, and saying things like “we’re selling the steak, not the sizzle.”

But I wonder if an understated approach is too little, too late. As perhaps the most atrocious campaign to hit Ontario drinkers ever, it epitomized egotistical overspending and irresponsible advertising. So how can a relatively quiet repositioning overcome the tarnished image of Frank’s Steelback? In a category as tough as beer, I strongly suspect it can’t.

The way I see it, they have a couple viable options for recovery:

1. Change the name and start fresh
2. (The more fun option) Not only acknowledge, but leverage their past blunders. Why? D’Angelo’s marketing efforts were so horrible that they were remarkable. So make that part of the story:

Hey, we realize we really screwed up and we’re sorry to have insulted you with such brutal advertising. But we have a great product now, check it out [if you can forgive us].”

What a great way to make your poorly spent ad dollars of the past work for you in the present. People like honesty (a brand apologizing for bad advertising is definitely not common) and they LOVE a good comeback story! Plus there’s a decent chance the ironic pabst blue ribbon crowd gives it a shot.

At the end of the day, I’ve never even tried Steelback. Problem is a lot of people haven’t. And I fear quietly repositioning as ‘Steelback the microbrew’ won’t help that cause. Hope you can prove me wrong guys…

“Personalized” Medicine

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In the first couple of months of graduate school, I was filled with an insatiable need to create. I stayed up late into the night writing lyrics and tapping out melodies on my keyboard—something I haven’t done since I was a kid. Eventually, assignments, deadlines and exams took over my late night hours, but I remember thinking that there was something about the intensive scientific learning that was triggering synapses in part of my brain that I had neglected for years.

 

I was reminded of this while reading this article, about the connection between medicine and art. I am encouraged by the movement to bring humanities back into medical curriculum. This seems to be connected to Jay Parkinson, who is taking an innovative and creative approach to medical care.

 

In my opinion, genetic counseling has a leg-up on other medical professions in that the stated purpose is to attend to the human aspect of the medical experience. However, for such a cutting edge field, genetic counseling is surprisingly stagnant when it comes to innovation with respect to the counselor-patient interaction. As genetics becomes more mainstream, and personalized medicine becomes a reality, genetics professionals are charged with the challenge of coming up with new and innovative ways to provide the best care for their patients. In an attempt to do just that, Heather Shappell founded this  company, the first service to exclusively sell genetic counseling services. Other companies (for example) now offer genetic testing and genetic counseling services online. While such services are a huge step in the “innovative” direction, I anticipate that the best model will be realized when convenience and accessibility do not come at the expense of the creative human interaction between counselor and patient.

Commercial Tracks

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7 Reasons For Brands to Use New Music

(This post was originally written for AdBakery)

The recent use of indie music in commercials is well documented. The days of fans crying “sell-out” are disappearing. TV appears to be the new radio, with bands breaking out when their song is played on the latest teen drama, or iPod commercial. I watched it first hand as some university buds of mine tipped from campus heroes to Canadian celebrities – no small thanks to a Zeller’s commercial.

Artists are realizing, in today’s age, the exposure and payout are just too good to turn down. Can you blame them? People don’t listen to radio outside of their cars. Myspace is cluttered with a zillion songs. TV is one of the few channels that still hits the masses. And it can come with enough cash to fund the next European Tour.

But what about the brands? What’s in it for them? Why don’t they stick with the monster Hits and household radio names? Here are seven reasons:

1. The Hits are expensive.

Putting a Cat Power song in your commercial is less pricey than using The Power of Love.

2. The Hits are played out.

We’ve all overdosed on songs. Overplay is a major complaint of both commercials, and commercial radio. Obviously you don’t want people rolling their eyes when they see your ad because they’ve already heard the song three times that day.

3. The Hits already mean something.

Everyone knows the hits. That’s why they’re hits. If someone is familiar with a song, be aware they have already associated ideas with it. For example: if you used Umbrella in your K-Way ad – you can assume that some people will connect the K-Way brand with Rihanna, her music video, a store they heard it in, and so on. Now these experiences might be negative or positive – but they exist, and you should recognize they will affect the way both the commercial and brand are received.

4. New Music means nothing.

To the majority of viewers, the under-the-radar song they’re hearing in your ad has no previous connections. So there’s a better chance it takes on the message you’re trying give it. This is especially important in an industry where muddled messaging is an all too common blunder.

5. New Music promotes discovery.

Putting a new song in your ad can spike the viewer’s curiosity. If they like what they hear, they might search for it (more on this to come). If they find it, your brand gets credit for the discovery. And if they become a fan of the artist, even better. Who doesn’t love the feeling of a great find?

6. New Music means something.

To a few, the underground artists producing the new “commercial music” are a big deal. These ‘Spotsters’ read Pitchfork, go to shows every week, and are on the look out for the next next-big-thing (disclosure: I’m a recovering one). This small group will also connect the song and brand with prior experiences. However hook-ups have more potential in this instance, because these people are often heralded for their influence.

7. New Music promotes conversation.

Ads with New Music can become social objects among both ‘Spotsters’ and those who don’t know the song. In the past, Spotsters were known for crying sell-out. But these days – as long as they’re not supporting Walmart or Hummer – many just seem pleased for the artist (and pleased they’re in the exclusive group that actually recognizes the song). Alternatively, those unfamiliar with the song might ask their ‘indie friend’ about it (see image below); or turn to on-line social resources like Yahoo Answers, Youtube, and AdTunes. Either way, conversation is good.


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While it’s nice to assume that all factors are considered when choosing music for an ad, it’s probably safe to say there are usually only a few driving factors. Be it budget constraints, or just an ad exec with a cool vinyl collection – I’m glad to see some unsung artists getting the mainstream love they deserve.


[Post: Sell-out or Trailblazer? Should we be apologizing to Moby?]