I want it and I want it now...

The new trend in online retailing is offering same day delivering. Read the article below to find out more

Same-Day Delivery Becomes Costly Web Battleground

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324712504578133602774225678.html

Do you think this concept will work? Would you pay for this? How does this help enhance retailers omni-channel experience?

Lincoln eyes Super Bowl to make comeback - Sports Business News, Analysis - Dollars Blog - ESPN Playbook - ESPN

Quoted from http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/dollars/post/_/id/2483/lincoln-eyes-super-bowl-to-make-comeback

Lincoln eyes Super Bowl to makecomeback

December, 3, 2012 Dec 3 8:53 AM ET By Darren Rovell | ESPN.com

Jim Farley readily admits he's not particularly fond of Super Bowl commercials. But as the executive at Ford charged with re-energizing its Lincoln brand, he will be playing in the most expensive advertising market this upcoming year.

Farley says that for stalwart, well-known brands, he's not convinced a Super Bowl ad, which hovers around $8 million for a 60-second commercial, is a good value. But for a lesser-known brand looking for a boost, he thinks it could make sense if done the right way.

Courtesy of Lincoln Motor CompanyThe Lincoln Motor Company plans to use a Super Bowl commercial to attract younger customers for cars like the Lincoln MKZ.From a business perspective, Lincoln's Super Bowl ad will be one of the most intriguing stories in the battle to capture the eyeballs and attention of the biggest annual audience in U.S. television.

To understand why Lincoln is putting itself into the game, one has to understand where the brand came from. Two decades ago, Lincoln was the best-selling luxury car in America. But its owner, Ford, got distracted by other brands it had acquired, including Volvo, Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover.

Now those brands have been sold off and it's time to pay attention to Lincoln again.

The stark reality is that if something isn't done, the Lincoln brand won't survive. In 2011, Lincoln's average car buyer was 60 years old, the oldest in the entire business, according to automotive data company Polk.

Farley admits he won't sell any cars on a Super Bowl commercial alone, but he can start to turn the tide on the perception of the brand. The quest to make Lincoln more appealing to a younger audience will start today as the brand, at least in name, separates from its Ford owner by being called the Lincoln Motor Company. And it is introducing the MKZ, a midsize luxury sedan that's the first of four cars to be rolled out in the next four years.

Starting at $36,000, the car looks sleeker than your father's Lincoln and has more contour than the Town Car, the most visible car of its brand. The target market is a group called progressive luxury consumers, which is said to make up nearly one in four buyers of luxury vehicles in the U.S. The group is defined by buying for themselves instead of flaunting the car's logo as a status symbol.

If Farley was going to do a Super Bowl ad, he insisted it be done in a way that wouldn't upstage Lincoln's effort, but could also grab the attention of viewers who, once a year, are looking to be entertained.

The result will be the first Super Bowl ad generated by social media. Farley won't give specifics other than to say that the masses will help contribute to the spot through a yet-to-be-announced celebrity curator, who is responsible for gathering and choosing what will go in the spot.

It's one thing to use the Super Bowl to get people to buy $10.99 domain names from GoDaddy, it's another thing to sell cars. Farley says the value of buying an ad these days is introducing it before the game and getting buzz after it. Combined with a new car and different welcoming strategies (such as the opportunity for a prospective buyer to give the car a spin for a weekend), Lincoln hopes it can make a comeback and be top of mind -- just like its namesake

 

Do you think this is a good idea for Lincoln?  Is it worth it to spend $8 million on a 60 second sport?  Will it help lower the age range of their average car buyer? 

 

New Foursquare Button Lets You Collect and Use Reviews Later

http://mashable.com/2011/11/30/save-to-foursquare-follow/

What do you think? Will you use these features?

Walmart’s Animated Fruitcake Comments on Your Facebook Wall

Would you add Frank to your Facebook page?

http://mashable.com/2011/11/30/walmart-frank-the-fruitcake/

Virgin America Lets You Rent and Name a Plane for $60,000 [VIDEO]

http://mashable.com/2011/11/28/virgin-america-gilt-groupe/

Have a great day!
Ryan Harrison

Why has this taken so long...

With women making up nearly 50% of all Major League Baseball fans why has it taken so long to get a partnership with a major women's retailer? Read the entire article here

Why do believe it has taken so long for a partnership like this to develop?

Besides the obvious, what does Victoria Secret need to do in order to make this partnership with MLB and the MLB fans?

You can bank on it...

From the Wall Street Journal By KAREN TALLEY

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., years after a failed effort to obtain a bank charter, plans a 50% increase this year in the number of the company's stores offering bank-like services.
The expansion would push the number of Wal-Marts with "Money Centers" to 1,500, or a little less than one for every two Wal-Marts in the U.S., giving the nation's biggest retailer a financial presence that only a handful of banks have. Wal-Mart plans to open its 1,000th money center Tuesday.

The money centers cater to millions of the retailer's lower-income customers who don't have a bank account or significant relationships with a bank. The federal government estimates that the category accounts for one in four U.S. households. Click here to read the entire article.

What would you predict would happen to the banking industry if more retail stores follow this path?

This Should Be A Tweet

Do you use Twitter? Who do you follow? Do you follow any celebrities or athletes? If so, who do follow and why do you follow them? Are there any celebrities or athletes you have stopped following, why?

Which celebrities / athletes should use Twitter and which ones should not use Twitter? What are some guidelines celebrities / athletes should use when using Twitter.

Is She...

Watch Lady Gaga's telephone video and you will notice the increase in product placement. From Miracle Whip, Diet Coke, Virgin Mobile, Polaroid, Wonder Bread etc... the video is full of shameless plugs.

Has Lady Gaga sold out? Why or why not? Does her doing this hurt or help her marketing power?

I know..

I know who is going to be going to the Super Bowl but you have to click here to find out who. Tell me who you think will win the "real" game?

TREND ALERT!!!

Forget about wide rimmed glasses everyone needs to get monocles! They are starting to make a come back in the older generation over in Europe which means it won't be long before they are here...click here to read more.

What is it going to take to make monocles a major fashion trend here for the older generation? What about the younger? How much stickiness does this trend have or is it a destined flop.

So where should you advertise then?

If your target market is 15 year olds one would have to believe you would need to place adds on shows such as Family Guy and Gossip Girl. One of the costs to placing ads during those shows is being labeled Worst TV Sponsor.

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of shows that need to be taken off the airways and I understand the business model of how they stay on the air but go after the stations not the advertisers. It is exactly what some of the "worst" sponsors want. If you give a company a label such as worst sponsor aren't you going to increase the love for that brand? Does the PTC have any value behind the labels they instill on advertisers? Click Here to see what I mean and let me know what you think

Seriously?

Is anyone really going to buy this? $69.99 for framed sheet of paper? Couldn't anyone start a similar business and undercut them? Click Here to see what I mean.

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Is GaGa the new queen of fashion or should she tone it down?

Coincidence or just brilliant?

So was this by chance or a smart strategic move? Why would they use Sesame Street as a media platform?

Is this wise?

How long did it take you to realize who this commercial is for? Why would this company do this and how will it help them sell more products? Watch the video a second time and note how many times you see the companies name, brand, or even products, should they have done a better job placing their product with in the video? Excluding selling more total units, what would be the anticipated long run return on investment? Bottom line even though this is cool do you think it was worth the investment?

McDonald's is offering the chance to win $1 million to lucky winners in its online McDonald's Monopoly game.

Players can go online, roll the virtual Monopoly dice, and see how their pieces land. Players who land on "Chance" are entered into the $1 million daily drawing. Like with real-world Monopoly, players can acquire Monopoly properties but win real cash prizes.

The game can also be played on Facebook and on mobile devices. Read the full article here.

The recent McDonald's Monopoly game has another innovation added to the game, Facebook. Recently its been proven that Facebook is the new "spam sender" after Myspace. There are many groups and associations within the social network who use Facebook as a promotion/advertising technique.

McDonald's new app for Facebook shows that many big business firms are attempting to directly influence/advertise to the members of the social network.

Is Facebook really a socializing network or is it now the main face of advertising?

Do you ever click on the advertisements on Facebook? Is this effective?

The times, they are a changin'...(or credit cardin'??)

The Holiday Season seems to have started quite early this year and with this start, you will soon be hearing bells outside of almost every store you enter. Though the bells may leave your ears ringing for hours, they are quite effective, raising millions of dollars for the Salvation Army every year.


However this year, The Salvation Army is hoping that their donations will be great even in these "tough economic times" with a new donation option: paying with your credit card.



Do you think that it is a good idea that The Salvation Army is trying to stay current with technology and go digital?





Would you rather see them keep the old fashioned coins and dollars or move toward the credit card option? What are some pros and cons of both of these options.

There's no such thing as a 'free' breakfast?

The Timberwolves took to the streets the morning of their first game to provide and serve breakfast to morning commuters in downtown Minneapolis. Read the full story here.

Do you feel that the Timberwolves had a higher attendance rate at the season opener because of this (free) breakfast?

Do you think that it was a positive advertising tool? How would they be able to measure if this was a positive factor in attendance rates?

Is this deceptive or just the truth?

Does AT&T have a case? Is this deceptive? How might the average consumer misinterpret this ad? Did Verizon do anything wrong?

There is an I in Nike

First of all it was your dad and it is not you... Second of all there is no way you can ever be named a team player...Thirdly where was the coach, the university? They knew he was going to do it and let him do it. Click here to see what I am talking about

If you are the CMO for Nike do you sweep in offer a deal at the same amount, lower or higher than Adidas did or do you stay away for it is CFU and UNC?

Love it or hate it?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Like it, loath it, gotta have it? What do you think will be the most popular piece of branded Team USA apparel? Do you think Nike did the right thing by sponsoring the team?

DO NOT READ THIS...

If you think value menus are a good deal... http://preview.tinyurl.com/mx7mdy

If you really want to be shocked then http://tinyurl.com/ddxhf9

How could a company use the information in these articles in a positive way to increase sales.

Just Make It Free To Make More Profit

What if an airline gave away free tickets to anywhere it flys? What if your favorite artist gave away their CD for free? What if a cable company gave you a free HD TV? Sounds pretty good right? But what if I told you they would recapture their lost profit by selling complimentary goods at a higher price? Here is a look at a very interesting business model.




Do you think businesses should adopt this model? What companies would be best suited for this model? Do you as a consumer like this captive / optional pricing strategy?

Are you a green fashionista?

It seems that everyone is concerned with 'going green' these days. This is an interesting article about what to look for when choosing green, eco-friendly fashion. A few things to look for on the label: "Organic," Material (hemp, tuncel, cotton), Clothing care options (dry-clean only)

One thing the article DOESN'T touch on is the fact that no single piece of clothing can be 100% environmentally friendly. Why is this the case?

Become a label reader and you can save the environment...will this really catch on? Are average-Joe's, middle class people going to spend extra money for a green option/fabric/tshirt?

Armani has partnered with Samsung to create a luxury cell phone. The cell phone was created to match/compliment Armani suits and will cost over $1,000. Read the entire article here.

Was this an idea by Giorgio Armani himself or do you think this was a change implemented by the new, younger senior managers?

The Armani phone is equipped with a touch screen, Windows 6.5, and GPS navigation is it worth such a high price, simply to be fashionable? Isn't a phone, just a phone?

Will this make people look at and treat their electronic devices differently now? Do you think people will move toward having a phone for every outfit/day? Etc.

Good Timing...

Who could Bisquick team with to create some effective cross promotions? Is this a good time for this ad to launch? Go to http://keepyourleftoversalive.com let me know if this campaign will be effective. How hard will it be for this well known breakfast staple to become a left over staple?

I am going to run with this idea...

Bachelor star Andy Baldwin running a marathon is nothing new. Running a marathon in dress shoes...well that is sort of unique. This is not the first time some one has ran a marathon in something other than running shoes.

How will Rockport leverage this to help sell its shoes? What symbolism could they use? Is this idea pointed at the correct target market?

Don't Pass Go...But We Will Collect $200

Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. has developed a new way to resell tickets that shuts out the brokers and scalpers it has long scorned.

The system relies on Ticketmaster's "paperless" ticketing platform, which makes customers prove their purchase by showing a credit card and ID when they arrive at an event. Without paper tickets, there's nothing for scalpers to resell.

Now with its new exchange system, Ticketmaster has come up with a way to let buyers resell a paperless ticket, while still cutting out ticket-resale leader StubHub and other brokers. That gives Ticketmaster a chance to capture more of the so-called secondary market, which generates greater fees and profits per ticket, although fans sometimes feel ripped off.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hrIY6WBxfdiWRWKCo2W1Q-35dxngD9APODO80

If scalping tickets is legal, should a team or ticket broker be able to cap the number of games a person can resell? Or better yet, should they be able to assign a price ceiling on secondary market ticket sales?

On a final note lets talk about fees Ticketmaster collects on secondary resale tickets..."For the initial sales run, fees amounted to a little more than $4 per ticket, but on resales the buyer was required to pay $1.95 and a 15 percent transaction fee — up to $10.95 a pop. In the home opener, the total resale fee averaged $7.89 and was shared between Ticketmaster and the university."

When does the FTC step in and say NO the market should dictate the price of goods?

Do you know who Grayson Ozias IV is?

Do you even care to find out? The people at Levi's think 18 - 24 year olds will in hopes to increase engagement with its fan base as well as increase its email database.

Do you see yourself going onto Levi's web page to find out? Do you see yourself considering buying a new pair of Levi's because you now know who Grayson is? http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/digital/e3i6e0d957446c196ca5a5619964f5795aa

Lets take the high road on this one...What could Levi's do in order to make this more valuable to the target market.

Hey You!!!! Park it!!!

In Boston, Gary Washburn noted the NBA in a memo has "warned teams about players standing up in the bench area during games." Players often "block the view of fans, many of whom are season ticket-holders paying premium prices for seats." To "appease these fans and reduce banter between players and premium seat-holders, the league has warned players about standing" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/4). Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan said, "This has gotten to be a joke. These big guys are blocking the views of people who are paying not $50 or $75, but hundreds of dollars” ("PTI," ESPN, 10/2).

Should the NBA get in the way of the game? What could teams do to increase the value of those premium tickets besides telling players when to stand?

A New All Time Low...

The other day we decided to go to one of our favorite mom and pop family restaurants for a delicious sandwich. When we walked into the restaurant around 1 PM there were three tables being used. After we placed our order we went find a place to sit and what happened next was the beginning of end of us going to this particular restaurant.

Now keep in mind I noticed there was one employee working the counter taking orders and two back in the kitchen cooking with a total of nine total customers in the entire restaurant including us. With that, every single table was dirty. Dirty with food and baskets and even tips laying on the tables. Previous customers had come in and enjoyed a meal, as we were hoping to do, and their table was not cleaned or reset. I would be lying to say I was a little annoyed by this but I just let it roll off of my shoulder. We found the least dirty table and moved the trays to another dirty table. I went to the counter asking for a wet towel to wipe off the table so we could sit and wait for our order. One would think this would be a sign to the employees that they should clean their dining room. Especially since one employee walked out from behind the counter and wiped off our table. I was wondering if they were that clueless to not notice every other table was dirty and in need of cleaning. They quickly answered my question when the employee went back behind the counter and continued to do what ever they were doing.

Well we sat and sat and sat and waited for our order of two simple sandwiches for over twenty minutes before I went up to the counter and asked if we could get it to go. This restaurant is not known for their speedy service but every minute that went by we became more and more grossed out at how dirty the dining room was. To make matters worse no other customers entered the restaurant during this time so obviously someone should have been able to clean off the tables right? Nope.

We finally decided to get our order to go and as we were handed our food I had to say something. I told the employee their dining room needs to be cleaned because it was disgusting. She said she understood and was sorry. Don’t tell me you understand when you don’t.

You have a major brand touch point that is easily controllable and you could care less what your dining room looks like. Besides if your dining room is dirty what does your kitchen look like? I should have told her that if the health department walked in right now they would shut you down but I did not think of that until later.

I have worked in the restaurant industry and I know how busy it can get but I also know how important cleanliness is as well. It is directly related to the success of your restaurant and it is unfortunate that the staff working at that time were too lazy to realize this. It is a very simple business model; have good food at good prices and provide a good experience.

Instead if and when they lose their jobs they will blame the economy. Yeah…it was the economy that made you forget the only reason you have a job is because of the customers and that your laziness disgusted the customer.

Once we got home and started eating our sandwiches we noticed that the bread I was supposed to have on my sandwich was on my wife’s and I had her bread. Talk about putting a cherry on top of a bad experience to a restaurant I used to want to go back to but I won’t any more.

Fourth Of July is Expected to Make A Boom For Retailers

Click here to see what I mean

Value is Still the Main Ingrediant to Make You #1

Burger King is making up ground with its new edgy campaigns but they are still #2 and will have no chance of being #1 unless they focus more on value Click here to see what I mean

Burger King has been known for their edgy / controversial commercials like the Sponge Bog Square Pants Big butt commercials. These will never take the place of quality food, excellent operational execution, clean and sanitized facilities and value that McDonald's offers.

Value does not mean cheap but it does mean the consumer feels they've gotten value for money paid.

Lets say a marketing campaign somehow convinces an individual to head to BK for lunch. They get there, but the place is a little dirty and the employee behind the counter isn't paying any attention. So the consumer leaves because of lack of value. Was it worth it to run a campaign only the have the customer say I won't be back?

Peter Pan Theory for the Advertising Industry

Could the advertising industry be getting it all wrong? In a recent survey conducted by AARP the majority of consumers over 50 feels that advertising and marketing either portrays them negatively or ignores them altogether.

In other words, the advertising industry is not only being run by Peter Pan, but, just as Peter didn't understand the adult world, today's advertising industry doesn't understand the aging adult consumer. It thinks people over 50 are simply kids with graying hair who want and need all the same things that 30 year olds want and need.

Click here to read the entire article

The next time you watch TV look for these ads and then if you are watching TV with a person in the "baby boomer" category ask them if this is how they like to be portrayed.

Could this be the next fashion trend?

As I was watching the US Open golf tournament this past week I noticed a couple of trends shaping the golf apparel industry as well as men's casual apparel. The first and most obvious was the crazy pants. The second being the "engineer" style golf hats.

Which of these two fads is most likely to live longer?

Could this be the future of advertising?

This is an article from the Wall Street Journal about how congress is putting a smack down on tobacco advertising - in my opinion once this goes through they will start to attack other "sindustries" such as quick serve restaurants. Click Here to Read the Article

I am not a smoker, never have been, never will be. I think it is gross and love the fact MN is a smoke free state, but here are my thoughts regarding this article.

1. What happens when this destroys the industry and people lose jobs because of the government guidance?
2. OK so RJ Reynolds has to buy tombstone ads but can now buy more ads then before have they (the government) accomplished anything? Besides won't tombstone ads actually stand out? It's a common known idea that the more white space you create the more your ad will stand out.
3. I thought we live in a free enterprise system. Shouldn't the US keep playing with their "cars" and let the market determine the success or failures of other industries?

Facebook.com/MissedOpportunity

Facebook is rolling out another new feature that some people might actually want to pay for. But naturally, it's not charging. Another missed revenue opportunity.

Specifically, Facebook will start distributing vanity user URLs this Saturday at 12:01 a.m. ET. That is, instead of being facebook.com/ profile.php?id=49304583045308, you'll be able to send around a URL like facebook.com/coolguy.

Facebook will not charge for this feature. But it could! Given how many people spend money on virtual gifts on Facebook (and domain names), we think that millions of Facebook's users might spend something like $5 -- or even $5 a year -- for this sort of feature. (Certainly companies and self-promoting users.) Click here to read the entire article

Assume the role of CEO for Facebook. Justify why you believe not charging for vanity URLs is a good idea?

Name That Tune...

The right song can help a product shine -- but the wrong one can hit an off note. Billboard consulted with a six-person panel of experts in advertising and branding to determine our list of the best five songs in commercials -- and five that made viewers reach for their remotes.

Click here to read the entire article and then tell me if you agree or disagree with this list. What type of criteria would you use to pick the best and worst ad songs of all time. What are your best and worst songs based on that criteria

Taco Bell Raps Back...

Going to a drive through and rapping your order has had its 15 minutes of fame. But now the employees are rapping the order back. Is this amazing? No. Is this entertaining? Yes. Notice how they are rapping back the order while another customer waits for their order. Explain why you love it or hate this ad from Taco Bell?