But did it live up to the hype?

***SPOILER ALERT***

If the Mad Men season 5 premiere is still sitting on your DVR, this review is not for you…  But if you tuned in for the return of your favorite ad execs, you saw an alarmingly happy Don, a noticeably absent Betty and Joan & Roger’s love child.

The return of Mad Men brought back the style and drama we’ve been missing, but we felt the first episode lacked in answers what it made up for in questions.  Why is Don so happy despite his bride’s embarrassing birthday surprise? Conversely, why are Roger & Jane so unhappy and what was the deal with creepy Lane and the picture of Dolores???  Will Red’s husband eventually do the math or will a striking resemblance to his real father give him away? Luckily we have 12 more episodes to find out!

What did you think of Mad Men’s return?

In a world where men get manicures and women race IndyCar, leave it to the soft drink industry to stir up sexism. Dr. Pepper has created a controversial campaign, “It’s Not for Women” to make a diet soda appeal to men.

And frankly, it’s about time someone stirred the pot!! We’re so uptight, especially when it comes to advertising, about who we’re going to offend that no one says ANYTHING anymore. C’mon people, it’s FUNNY… And I’m a woman!! I’m not mad that they “accuse” me of liking romantic comedies… I DO like them! But so do a lot of men… Just as men drink diet soda, women drink beer and we shouldn’t feel badly about it.

Bottom’s up!

In light of the recent scrutiny Ronald McDonald has endured for allegedly luring children to buy his happy meals, I’d like to take this opportunity to debunk the fairytale that marketers are ‘The Big Bad Wolf.’

Let me first remind you how lucky you are to live in a free market economy. That you have the CHOICE to purchase goods and services and that supply and demand dictate the prices you pay. If you don’t like democracy, there are plenty of places in the world that don’t enjoy this luxury. Let me also remind you that no one is holding a gun to your head in any retail establishment (if they are, immediately put down this blog and dial 911!) Nor should your children have control over the purchases you make. I too was a child once – that’s what we do, we WANT… EVERYTHING, but it’s our parents job to tell us no. And when you make eating at McDonald’s a special event instead of an everyday occurrence, your children will relish it as such. Not to mention, to McDonald’s credit, they now offer several healthier menu options, in addition to their burger and nugget staples.

Furthermore, marketing campaigns are built around delivering a message and educating consumers on their choices; because there are so many, our job is to set our clients apart from the masses based upon the features and benefits of their unique offering. Just because we’re good at our job, doesn’t mean we’ve taken away your right and privilege to choose what you want to spend your hard earned money on. So the next time someone in a clown suit, or a wolf in a nightgown, entice you beyond your ability to make rational buying decisions – don’t blame marketers, blame your parents;-)

And they lived happily ever after… The End.

We promised you Traditional Marketing Is NOT Dead; furthermore, the fusion of traditional advertising and social media into one integrated or hybrid marketing campaign, is the key to success.  One company doing just that (and doing it extremely well) according to this NY TImes article, is Chobani Greek Yogurt.  In the booming Greek yogurt business, Chobani is already #1 in sales; in fact, sales are up 225.9 % from the same period a year ago and nearly double that of their closest competitor, Fage.

So how did Chobani get where they are today? By using the consumers they’ve gained via social media in their traditional advertising of course! According to Peter McGuiness, chairman and chief executive of Gotham – the company responsible for the ad campaign, “We did not want a ‘corporate-out’ campaign, we wanted a ‘consumer-up’ campaign, to tap into and extend the ‘Chobani love’ that is rapidly spreading across the country.”  By advertising their tweeps on billboards and TV ads, as well as their website, Chobani makes “spreading the love” easy.

Personally, I love this campaign almost as much as I love Greek yogurt (though, admittedly I was a YoGreek fan until recently;-)  The price tag on this campaign is a hefty $13 million but with Greek culture popping up on grocery shelves across the nation, I have a feeling it’s a small price to pay!

What do you think about Chobani’s blend?

Do you ever wonder why you’re thirsty for a Coke after watching American Idol? Or suddenly have a hankering for an Oreo during a Friends rerun? This is the power of product placement; popular shows which draw thousands of viewers promote goods as part of the plot…  Notice as your favorite characters talk on iPhones, drive Fords or email from HP laptops. Coincidence?! I think not…

Also known as embedded marketing, this tactic became popular in the 1980’s. With the rise of DVRs and demise of commercials, marketers rely now more than ever on product placement as a form of creative advertising. In fact, 90% of people with digital video recorders skip TV ads altogether.  Most commonly placed products are automobiles, consumer electronics, computers, and tobacco. The queen of product placement herself, Ms. Carrie Bradshaw of the HBO series Sex and the City, touted almost every one of these categories and single-handedly increased Jimmy Choo shoe sales for the duration of the series.  Although, the series itself, as well as Apple, are rumored to have not accepted payment for placing certain products.

Its effectiveness is often assumed as the quantification methods used to track brand integrations are variable; however, it stands to reason products placed strategically in popular prime time series are likely exposed directly to their target audience.  So next time you turn on the big game, curl up for movie night or tune in to your favorite sitcom – notice what sports drink the players guzzle, what getaway car the villain drives and what cereal the family has for breakfast.  It may surprise you that they all have a brand name.

What are your thoughts on product placement?

I was recently asked my thoughts on why Kia would use hamsters to advertise their vehicles (we get asked a lot of car-related questions as it is assumed Motor markets only cars, which is actually not the case…) But it did get me thinking. The answer is, I’m sure they had their specific reasons and incidentally, it won Nielsen’s Automotive Ad of the Year; however, my theory is that IS the sales tactic… Or what I like to call: Things That Make You Go Hmmmm…

Something so outrageous, such as hamsters rapping, sticks with you. It had my friend scratching his head, now I’m writing a blog about his question. When companies can get you talking about their product, they’ve got YOU doing their marketing!

It hit me then why there are so many off-the-wall ads and slogans, simply because their bizarre nature has you spreading the word! The Geico caveman, the E-Trade baby, even the Dos Equis’ ‘Most Interesting Man in the World’ has me talking (in between sipping Dos Equis and E-trading online…;-)

Why do you think Kia chose to feature hamsters in their ads?

*** A big thanks to Steven Holt for this question and blog inspiration.

Or it’s having a heck of a time at the wake! Last week we showed you how to use both twitter and facebook more effectively. Today I want to discuss traditional forms of marketing and how a hybrid combination of both traditional and non-traditional methods can be key to a successful marketing plan.

Traditional Marketing, typically associated with advertising, is still very much alive and well – at least it should be. With the popularity of social and interactive media omnipresent in the marketplace, it is often assumed that these non-traditional methods have replaced traditional marketing altogether. However, as evidenced in this thoughtful blog post (no, not the one I’m writing now;-) you can see integration and interaction are key elements when creating an effective marketing mix.

Marketing, as a strategy, is about reaching an audience with the ultimate goal of making a sale. As a science, it is a bachelor’s degree. Just as you wouldn’t trust Dr. Dre, the rapper who uses the pseudonym of ‘Dr.’ to perform your heart surgery, you wouldn’t want a 13-year-old “twit” branding your business. Qualified professionals run agencies and although social media is an excellent marketing tool, you simply cannot rely on it as your sole solution to sales generation.

As we face the future of business with ever-evolving technology and media, adding value to your brand by implementing new marketing tools and staying updated with trends in the marketplace is important. But using the tried and true marketing methods proven time and again is imperative. So tweet, blog and facebook but remember, nothing says BUY ME like a good old-fashioned billboard!

How are you integrating both traditional and non-traditional methods into your marketing strategy?

With the fourth season of “Mad Men” wrapping up recently (and having just jumped on the band wagon myself…) I felt compelled to comment on what can only be described as a television phenomenon. One so dramatic in fact – they’re now designing suits to mirror it! Welcome back to the 1960’s, where drinking and smoking in the office were as dignified as the executives themselves. “Mad Men” is not only defining an era but an industry as well. This AMC drama has captured its audience with intensity, and then leveraged it into the marketplace.

The show seems to be spawning a whole new culture in advertising – even the commercials aired during the show are set in the same time period to keep watchers engaged (another phenomenon in advertising altogether…) But no one seems to be making the mark quite like “Mad Men.” A recent shopping trip revealed the “Mad Men Edition,” a moderately priced suit by Brooks Brothers. The ensemble boasts a sharkskin fabric, 2-button jacket with narrow lapels, hacking pockets and side vents.

With retro hair and make-up making a comeback as well, I can only presume “Mad Men” had something (if not everything) to do with this throwback trend; creating a cult-like following, which marketers have quickly caught on and leveraged to their benefit.

Where else have you seen “Mad Men’s” influence? What other television shows have impacted the marketplace in such a way?

How many advertisements do you watch with your significant other where one of you absolutely loves it and the other can’t stand? Probably most. But recently, I have seen a few companies that have created ads that both my husband and I find entertaining and creative. The most recent? Volvo’s ‘switch’ advertisement.

Creative. Funny. Unique. Very well put together. And appeals to both sexes. Volvo nailed this new creative direction!

What do you think?

Unless you have been under a rock for the last 2 months, you know that Droid hit Verizon stores on the 6th. I was estatic! I was so excited to have a touch screen plus real keyboard, apps and more on the Verizon network (because really, At&T? Get some service!). Anyway, it took me until this weekend to get to the store to go check it out, as I will never buy a phone without playing with it and asking a million questions first. Anyway, onto the 10 reasons that I hate the droid:

1. Their commercials make you want one really badly
2. The screen is awesome, the keyboard kicks ass, and they own the tech
3. It is on the Verizon network!!
4. It runs multiple applications easily
5. It is small and easy to carry
6. There are really cool covers for it in pink!
7. The price point is reasonable for a phone
8. The screen is easy to read and the touch is responsive
9. It shows real version of websites, instead of ‘mobile’ versions
10. The camera on the phone has more megapixels than my current digital camera

So maybe I should explain why these seemingly awesome things make me hate the droid? If you’re anything but a google fiend, you should know the answer.

Verizon took a huge step forward in partnering with google and android and creating the new droid phones. The commercials were awesome. The phone looked great and from most reviews, worked awesome as well. But it had one massive failure – verizon let google monopolize the phone. For example, here is what I learned about the phone while at Verizon:

1. I can’t sync my email without a gmail account
2. I can’t sync my calendar, tasks or contacts without a gmail account
3. Even with an exchange server, syncing doesn’t work well
4. I can’t buy apps without a gmail account
5. The apps you can get don’t run properly without a gmail account
6. Google runs everything on the phone
7. Google doesn’t allow non-google approved applications like ubertwitter
8. Yahoo? Nope, no access to that either.
9. Google and gmail are not user friendly
10. Did I mention google monopolized it completely??

The phone looks cool, the buttons work well, it covered all the things that the iphone can’t do (pics in the dark anyone?), runs multi applications and has both a real keyboard and a virtual keyboard…but it is designed to completely alienate anyone who doesn’t live and die by google.

So, I guess I’ll be waiting until the end of the month for the new Blackberry Curve…