The Saddest Rebox - Walgreen's Coupon in the World

As an occasional renter of the Redbox movies, I received this coupon in my email inbox the other day and it made me sad:



Why would Redbox think I'm super excited for this (and I'm not judging you if you actually are). All I could think of while reading this was some lonely spinster receiving this in their inbox and getting excited about a movie night in eating Hot Pockets and Haggen-Dazs and then falling into a food coma half way through "Leap Year." All because of this coupon. Is that what you're trying to sell me, Redbox? Sad, pathetic loneliness, and saving a dollar with a free movie? It leaves nothing but bad associations.

I'm taking a pass on this coupon. Give me a less depressing deal, Redbox, and we will talk. While you're at it, you could start renting out video games any day now. Now that all the local video rental stores are closed down, there is a huge, vacant gap in the video game rental department. Read more!

Restaurants Think Millennials Eat Different Than Normal Humans

Look at those crazy Millennials in that picture. When they're not styling their hair or being ironic they are always on their phones sharing their entire life with the world digitally. This is how marketers generically perceive this generation*.

*The exact time frame of the Millennial generation (also known as Generation Y and Echo Boomers) varies depending on who you ask. It is sometime between 1978 & 2000. Some divide that time frame into two different generations: Gen Y = born late 1970s to 1990 , Millennials = born 1990 - 2000. Dividing it makes more sense to me as the behaviors and attitudes of a 32 year old today (born 1978) are a lot different from those of a 10 year old today (born 2000).

Millennials are defined by 2 things:

• They are constantly online, either on the computer or their cell phone
• They share everything about themselves.

That's it. There's nothing else to them. You can sell and justify any business decision based on these two generalized attributes. At least that is the impression that I got this morning when I read a USA Today article about new menu items being rolled out by national restaurant chains including California Pizza Kitchen and Cheesecake Factory. The chains are adding small, cheaper, tapas-style items to their menu that are meant to be shared among friends. Their logic behind this new addition: Millennials like texting and sharing and stuff, they will like sharing food too (and then possibly Tweeting about how awesome it is?).

From the USA Today article:

Casual-dining chains are trying just about anything. They're particularly eager
to attract socially minded Millennials who are just as comfortable sharing a
plate of food as they are sharing social media.

"This is how the next generation is eating," says Bob Hartnett, CEO at Houlihan's, which just rolled out 23 small-plate items.

WHAT?! When did we start eating differently? I'm not saying these new menu items are a bad idea, they're not. I do, in fact, enjoy ordering a bunch of small plates and sharing among friends, but why is this being considered a Millennial only activity? When I'm out at a tapas-style restaurant I don't see only a 20 somethings sharing food, I see people of all ages and backgrounds be it friends, families, or coworkers. It appears to me that this is how EVERYONE is eating.

It is just as illogical to say that Millennials are eating differently, than it is to say Millennials are all over social media, when data has shown that Baby Boomers are the growing demographic in Facebook and Millennials have no use for Twitter. Face it, everyone is online all the time sharing info, and everyone likes to share food when they go out to eat. If you don't realize that when developing a marketing strategy, you're leaving out a large part of your target audience. We have progressed beyond, "kids these days and their crazy technologies." Either we are now all Millennials in some shape or form, or maybe, just maybe, there is more to the Millennial generation than the generic definition placed on them.

Where do you stand? What defines a Millennial to you? What additional attributes would you add?

Read more!

'Nurse Jackie' Character Uses Twitter in Real Time; the future of interactive television?

How are you feeling this morning? Everyone nursing a wicked hangover from the wild 'Nurse Jackie' viewing party you went to last night to celebrate its second season premiere on Showtime? No, me either. Did you at least read the tweets from one of the show's characters last night(@DoctorCoop)?

'Nurse Jackie' is Showtime's latest attempt to launch a successor to the aging "comedy" 'Weeds.' It stars 'The Sopranos' Edie Falco as Jackie, a nurse in a NYC emergency room. Like all of the main characters in Showtime's half-hour shows, Jackie is a dysfunctional anti-hero. She's just your regular run of the mill no nonsense nurse, wife, and mother with a pill addiction and fidelity problems. There's also a ZANY cast of supporting characters that fill up the hospital with their own quirks and problems.

Yeah, it's about as lame as it sounds. Jackie is an annoying character that gives the viewer very little reason to root for her, and despite all the zaniness, the show is rather dull. I watched the entire first season assuming at some point things would get exciting and interesting. They never did. I was going to ignore the show's second season, which kicked off last night, but I had to see how their unique interactive Twitter marketing experiment would play out.

As the New York Times reported, in the episode the comic relief character Doctor Cooper (Peter Facinelli) would tweet about something in the episode, and his message would post to his Twitter account in real time, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Kind of a cool idea, right? So how did it go down? Learn after the jump.

I'll set the scene for you. INT - HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY

About 10 minutes into the episode (so around 10:10 PM EST) Doctor Coop, who mistakenly believes that Jackie has a thing for him, asks Jackie out to a game that he has good tickets for. Jackie brushes Coop. We end the scene with a dejected Doctor Coop walking away and starting to pull out his phone. A few seconds later this message shows up on his Twitter account:

That's it. Nothing very earth shattering, but experiments like this do open the doors for more creative interactive marketing of television programs, and a great way to bring eyeballs (and therefore $$) to a particular show. A report issued by the Nielson Co yesterday found that multi-tasking is on the rise. The number of television viewers who simultaneously surf the Internet increased by 35% in 2009. The networks can use social media as an interactive TV Guide, reminding the viewer that 'How I Met Your Mother' is on now, and they should change the channel from 'House' to watch (and participate in) it. Plus, if you're on Facebook or Twitter and all of your friends are discussing what they're watching, don't you want to watch too and join in the conversation?

Extending the world of a fictional television series beyond the weekly episode and onto the Internet is not necessarily a new device. CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" has successfully used this marketing device by mentioning a website or video on the show, and then actually creating the "fictional" site mentioned, but it takes planning from both the creative forces behind the show and the CBS marketing department to do it effectively.

For example, did you catch the Super Bowl commercial with Neil Patrick Harris's character Barney Stinson holding up a sign in the stands with a phone number to call him? If you did in fact call that number, you would have heard a message from Barney asking you out on a date. On the program the next night, the characters on the show watched the Super Bowl wondering where their friend Barney was, until they saw him on TV, the same way you the viewer saw him. Barney's story in this episode was about how he was going crazy because all of these girls called his phone and now he has too many woman to choose from. If you were a woman who called that number the night before, Barney was talking about YOU!

Why go through all the effort to do this? To create a stronger connection between the viewer (consumer) and the program (brand). It builds brand loyalty. By interacting with these sites or videos, the viewer is essentially entering the fictional world of the program. They are seeing and experiencing the same things the characters are. Watching the show has transitioned from a passive activity to an active one. The fan or viewer feels they have a personal investment in the brand and will hopefully return to it week after week.

With fictional characters using Twitter in real time, the lines blur even further. The viewer is not only entering the world of the show, in their own way they are now experiencing the same things that are happening to these characters as it is happening to them.

This is a great way to market a show, and maybe even work in some paid product placement, but it also opens the door for a lot of creative opportunities.The success of 'Lost' has proven that when viewers are passionate about something they are willing to get online and dive deep into the world, all the while spreading positive word of mouth about the brand.

The networks should start experimenting more. How about a serialized show, a season long 'Twin Peaks'-style mystery, with every character and suspect tweeting their point of view and opinion in real time and throughout the week? The viewer would have to put together clues and cross reference stories to solve the big whodunit. I'd give it a shot, would you.

Or how about an SNL-type live improv sketch comedy show that allows the viewer to tweet suggestions to the cast just like if they were at a live Second City show?

There are a lot of cool marketing possibilities here. That being said, I don't think I'll keep up with 'Nurse Jackie.' It's still too boring. I will continue to follow @DoctorCoop though. If something interesting happens, I'm sure he'll tell me.

What do you think of scripted television shows incorporating real-time Twitter messages from characters? Would you participate or do you find it intrusive? How would you like this used in your favorite show (assuming Jack Bauer can find the time to tweet)?

Read more!

Fox wants you to mourn, advertise, buy stuff

For those of you who have yet to watch last night's episode of 'House,' and hasn't been spoiled by what happened, and don't want to be spoiled at all, STOP READING NOW.

I'm not a big fan of "House." My wife likes it, and I'll often watch it with her while multitasking. It's amusing enough, but I have no vested interest in the show. For those that do, however, last night's episode, where Kal Penn's character Lawrence Kutner is found dead by a self-inflicted gun shot wound in the show's first 10 minutes, must have come as quite a sad shock.

Unlike most television deaths, this one wasn't coming from a mile away. There wasn't a "farewell" episode, a redemptive scene, or endless foreshadowing. In fact, the suicide was so shocking (and realistic) because there were no signs or backstory leading the viewers (and characters) to a reasonable conclusion. The episode was well written, acted, and edited; a high point in the series this season.

Then Fox had to go and cheapen all that creative work with a stupid cross promotional marketing gimmick. Fox has set up a "In Memoriam" website for the character. On the site (which I do not want to link to), visitors can view a fake memoriam video, read fake letters written to Kutner from the show's other characters, read his fake obituary, and see clips from "Wolverine" while buying a "24" T-shirt via links at the bottom of the page.

Fox has also set up a Facebook group "in loving memory" to the character. There, viewers can post their favorite memories of Kutner and get a memorial badge to post in Facebook profiles and blogs.

First, there is something morbid and wrong about an international corporation asking me to join them in mourning a fictional character. Second, after so many people worked so hard to create this episode, why did they feel the need to cheapen all that hard work by turning it into a commercial for News Corp. products? They told a moving story that was less moving once Fox decided to manipulate fan's connection to the show to help them promote the network. Nowhere on these sites are there links or discussions about suicide or suicide prevention. Just a lot of ads.

Plus, THE CHARACTER ISN'T REAL!!! How can you share your favorite memory about someone that doesn't exist?! That's a waste of everyone's time. Instead of spending time mourning over "losing" a "friendship" that never existed, why not see what your real friends and family are up to. Lean on them during this "tough time."

What do you think? Did Fox cheapen things or do you want to see more of this type of cross-promotion?

Oh, and in case you haven't heard, Kal Penn asked to leave the show so that he could take a job as the White House's associate director in the Office of Public Liaison. I consider that a step up from "Harold & Kumar."

Read more!

BRAND UPDATES: Tropicana & Starbucks' VIA

Here's a quick update on two previous posts:

Tropicana

In February I wrote about the outrage consumers had over the new packaging design of Tropicana's orange juice. The mob was loud enough that Tropicana ditched their $35 million dollar campaign to revert back to their old OJ design.

Last week, Tropicana reported a 20% decrease in sales from Jan 1 - Feb 22 (the day before the debranding announcement). That is a loss of nearly $33 million during that short time period; all because of a little change in art.

has anyone seen the old/new design back in the grocery store?

Starbucks' VIA

Two months ago I also wrote about Starbuck's new venture VIA, its single serving, water soluble, instant coffee. At the time I thought it was a bad decision for the brand, and that opinion hasn't changed. Whether it tastes good or not, Starbucks shouldn't try to be everything for everyone. They already tried that and it backfired.

Regardless, the VIA rollout continues. VIA is now being sold in Target, Costco, and Barnes & Noble stores in Seattle and Illinois. If you live in those areas, try some and let us know what you think? Would you have VIA every day or only on days when you're in a hurry and need a last resort coffee? Read more!

TROPICANA, DON'T EVER MESS WITH MY ORANGE JUICE PACKAGING!!!!!!!

Take a look at these two orange juice cartons. If they were side by side at your neighborhood grocer, which one would you choose to purchase? Well, THE JOKE'S ON YOU! They're the exact same brand of orange juice!! The carton on the left is Tropicana's new packaging design. Some very vocal consumers, however, prefer the carton on the right. They can rest easy tonight, Tropicana announced they are returning to the old design.

Last month Tropicana was proud to introduce a new packaging design for their orange juice. Gone was their iconic orange with a straw stuck in it, and in its place was a tall glass of OJ. The redesign was accompanied with a $35 million campaign with placement everywhere including print, billboards and television.

THEN .... THE WORLD IMPLODED!!!

Even though Tropicana focused grouped the new design to death, consumers did not like the new package. Some loyal fans were downright outraged. They felt an attachment to the old logo, and felt the new design made the product appear like a generic brand of orange juice.

“Do any of these package-design people actually shop for orange juice?” one e-mail complaint asked. “Because I do, and the new cartons stink.” (Courtesy of NYT article below)

Thanks to social media tools like Twitter, as well as using blogs and e-mail to spread word of mouth, consumers were able to make their voices heard. More importantly, Tropicana was willing to listen and quickly change course. The old packaging should be back in the stores some time next month.

There are 2 key takeaways here:

1) Consumers use social media to organize and make their voice heard. Tropicana admits that only a small fraction of their audience complained, it was a very vocal and loyal fraction. Brands should listen to what is being said about them and be willing to respond if needed. By changing course so quickly, Tropicana avoided the further spread of backlash and anger that could have lead to a significant sales decrease.

Consumers can complain about anything. When I was little my sister wrote a letter to General Mills because she felt that they did not change the content on the back of the Frosted Mini-Wheats box often enough, and she was tired of looking at the same old info every morning. They sent a form letter thanking her for her loyalty in response. I wonder what she could do now with social media. Would she get more than a form letter if she was able to organize a group who felt the same way she did? Probably. Social Media has given the consumer that power.

2) Every logo matters. Tropicana president Neil Campbell admitted he did not realize consumers had such an attachment to the orange and straw logo. While it isn't as iconic as Coca-Cola's use of red or the Nike swoosh, the logo was recognizable. To completely remove it from the packaging was a mistake. Focusing on a glass or orange juice would have been fine, as long as that orange/straw image was present somewhere (even add the red and white straw IN the glass of orange juice). If you want to overhaul a logo, do what Pepsi did (which owns Tropicana) and make slight design changes that seem different while still being recognizable as the brand's logo.

What do you think? Did the new packaging bother you? Did you even notice it?

Tropicana Discovers Some Buyers Are Passionate About Packaging - NYT Read more!

K Mart: A brand slowly dying

Quick, when was the last time you were in a Kmart? Do you even know where your nearest Kmart is? Are you sure it is still in operation?

I personally don't know the answer to any of these questions. I cannot remember the last time I've been near a Kmart. Have you ever been to a Kmart and not left a little depressed? Every Kmart I have ever been in the lighting has been slightly poor, the floor a little too dirty and sticky for my liking, the shopping carts have at least 2 bad wheels, no one smiles, and the little plastic pony out front looks desperate for someone to feed it a quarter. Just writing this makes me feel dirty and lethargic.

Despite these negatives, Kmart will not go the way of the Woolworth. At a time when large nationwide retailers like Circuit City are closing stores left and right Kmart still stands. Why?

Four years ago Kmart was about to close up when Sears decided to snatch it. At first that seemed like a good idea. With a little retooling and re-branding Kmart had the chance to become viable again. But that never happened. Kmart just kept on keepin' on while Wal-Mart and Target (the Wal-Mart with style) stole their market share. Today, Sears announced a larger than expected third-quarter loss of $146 million dollars. Their scapegoat for this loss (besides the recession): weak Kmart sales.

Yet Kmart still lives. What should Sears do in this situation? If they keep with the same plan, Kmart will continue to slowly die until it takes the Sears retail stores with it. Or they can completely overhaul the Kmart brand. It clearly cannot compete with Wal-Mart and Target. So maybe they should redefine themselves. As what, I'm not sure. A grocery store with a large garden center? A mini-Sears with frozen foods? Private shoppers? Home delivery? Pet stores? Anything they decide would be an expensive endeavor if they want it done right.

Lastly, Sears could sever their useless limb (there has to be a Craftsmen tool for that, right?). Sell off or shut down Kmart; recognize they missed their window for re-branding opportunity, and leave Kmart behind with the last century.

What do you think? Is Kmart worth saving? Should Sears overhaul the brand? Do you cry when you close your eyes and imagine yourself lost in Kmart?

Read more!