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All blogs written by Megan Angevine, Spring 2017

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All blogs written by Megan Angevine, Spring 2017

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Contact me at mrangevi@ncsu.edu
Source used throughout: Comillas Intro to Marketing Powerpoints

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While looking at other PR blunders this week, I cannot go without mentioning the Nivea "White is Purity" ad that launched in
the middle East. The ad features a photo of the back of a woman in a white bathrobe with long dark hair. Over her is the caption, "White Is Purity" and the description below reads "Keep it clean, keep bright. Don't let anything ruin it, #invisible".
Within seconds of the ad being posted, it immediately received an incredible amount of backlash. The slogan "White is Purity" echoes that of KKK ideology. It was seen as racist and disgusting. Perhaps the worst part of this scandal, PR-wise, is that it was hailed and supported by known racist associations, most notably the alt-right group, making it appear that Nivea is for the Nazis.
This again shows a big marketing issue that I feel has been really relevant lately. With Pepsi, and now this, lots of ads seem to be done in bad taste and are not being appreciated. There is a fine line between being bold and targeting an segmented audience and being obtuse and offensive. This ad has failed and Nivea's image is suffering as a result.

Sources:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39489967

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As an active study abroad student, I am constantly searching for the cheapest way to travel around Europe. With that being said, my tight budget has led me to the infamous low-cost airline RyanAir one too many times. Compared to most of the other popular European airlines they are advertised as having some of the lowest airplane ticket prices. Naturally, traveling students like myself and my peers, purchase tickets from them.

A RyanAir flight experience is like no other. You are bombarded with the crew members selling you food, drinks, lottery, and even perfume! If I'm remembering correctly, the crew members walk up and down the aisle prior to take-off offering perfume brochures. This process continues for the entire flight, no matter how bumpy the ride gets. They do not ever even turn the lights off; it's very hard to sleep. I have noticed that passengers actually show interest in the things they are selling, proving this to be a successful marketing technique. These perfume companies are relying on RyanAir and their crew members to present their products to customers while traveling rather than in a conventional setting. I think advertising luxury goods in this type of environment is a way to target the psychological and behavioral tendencies of their consumers. More often than not, travelers on planes are going on vacation and may feel tempted to treat themselves or their significant other. Outside of this, perfume is usually marketed in department stores, whereas here on the plane it would be much more of an impulse buy. They are capitalizing on placement (one of the 4p's) by having this product conveniently up and down the aisle.

The company handing the advertising job over to the airline is paying the bill while the airline should be close to cost free, making a profit. These RyanAir marketing strategies compensate for their low ticket prices.

Sources:
https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/about-ryanair/inflight-magazine

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This semester has also caused me to reflect a lot on my own college experience and the marketing efforts done by my school, North Carolina State University (NCSU). Several events are held throughout the year and even here in Spain, I am still getting the email updates from my university on them. I have come to notice that many of these events are subtle marketing attempts by the school. The main event going on right now is entitled PackaPalooza. It is basically a festival on Hillsborough Street (the main street on campus) where vendors can come set up booths, and bands come play. Looking back, this is a brilliant marketing tactic done by my school.

First there is the social media marketing. This, I presume, is done because it is the most modern form of marketing and is a channel that almost all college students use. We take pics and post them using the hashtag #packapalooza, thus advertising for the school, and generating more interest from our peers in the event.

The vendors pay to come set up and join the event, and many of them pass out small free items such as frisbees, plastic cups, or coupons. The students love to receive this stuff and in exchange the vendor is getting to advertise and put out more information in order to attract students.

All of the bands that play are students that have their own bands and they compete to be able to play
for Packapalooza. This makes entertainment free for the school and generates more interest in the event among the students.

All these marketing techniques have shown me just how much depth has gone into this program and how my school has really found a great way to generate interest in our school. They are creating so much brand loyalty because students love this day and it only makes us love our school more. Well done, NCSU!

Sources:
https://packapalooza.ncsu.edu
https://social.ncsu.edu

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Super Bowl 2017 Mercedes AMG GT C Roadster - Born To be Wild

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Commercial Super bowl 2017 ad meredes amg gt roadster born to a wild - bikers route 66. Publicité "Easy driver" Mercedes pour le Super Bowl 2017 présentant la nouvelle Mercedes AMG GT Roadster. Pub réalisée par les frères Cohen sur le thème de bikers barbus et bien méchant.

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The Boston Marathon takes place early spring ever year in Boston, Massachusetts (America). This year, post-marathon, Adidas sent out a congratulatory email to all the runners. This is quite typical of a running company, especially one that is affiliated with the race (like Adidas is)...so why was this such a big PR scandal?

The heading of the email read "Congrats you survived the Boston Marathon!". This phrasing is not ideal and was seen as offensive and in poor taste. I am almost in shock upon reading this that someone would ever even say that. At the Boston Marathon, a terrorist attack occurred and bombs left 3 dead and over 260 wounded. It was a shocking and tragic day for America and not one that any of us will forget for a long time. A man-hunt ensued, searching for the bombers and they were found and brought to justice after a shoot-out. This was a scary and devastating time for Americans, so you can clearly see how the fact that Adidas congratulated runners this year for "surviving" is a huge misstep.

In conclusion, this further highlights what I have touched on in previous blog. For successful marketing, you cannot merely sell your product. You have to be aware of the social climate and know how your attempts will be perceived by your target audience.

Sources:
https://pics.me.me/congrats-you-survived-the-boston-marathon-today-at-9-40-am-19228176.png
https://pics.me.me/congrats-you-survived-the-boston-marathon-today-at-9-40-am-19228176.png
http://cdn.history.com/sites/2/2014/03/166670387-H.jpeg
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/specials/boston-marathon-explosions
http://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_960w/Boston/2011-2020/2013/07/23/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/tlumacki_Bostonmaratonfinish_sports570-4416.jpg
http://www.history.com/topics/boston-marathon-bombings

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This week, Pepsi released a new ad featuring celebrity Kendall Jenner - and almost immediately it was recalled. I couldn't even find it online anymore, as they have removed all traces of it on their website and youtube channel. I did, however, find it on youtube posted by another used who recorded it before they took it down and have attached that below so that you can see it.

In the video a man is playing cello on a rooftop, a girl in a hijab is drinking a pepsi, protestors are marching and Kendall Jenner is modeling. The girl in the hijab gets angry with the photos she is taking and decides to photography the protest. The cello player joins as well. Kendall Jenner spots him and immediately leaves her photoshoot. She walks through the crowd, takes a pepsi and hands it to the cop. The girl in the hijab takes Kendall's photo; they all cheer and hug/high-five. Pepsi's tagline follows: Live Bolder; Live Louder, Live for Now.

Immediately following the release of this ad, Pepsi received HUGE backlash, understandably. It came a a time where (as I have stated before) there
is a lot of political tension in the American climate. We have seen tons of marches already this year, and regrettably some have turned violent in the past. For Kendall Jenner and Pepsi to act like racism, police brutality, and other major issues could've been solved with a Pepsi is infuriating to many. Police brutality is dividing the nation and cops have unjustly killed so many people this year already. People immediately beginning replying to the ad, with comments such as "Wow if only Rodney King had given the cop a Pepsi", etc.

This is a marketing issue because it served as a huge PR blunder for not just the company but for Kendall Jenner as well. She didn't leave her house for awhile after and paparazzi have been specifically instructed not to mention Pepsi in front of her. The ad may have been well-meant, but it was terribly received. and this serves as a lesson when considering marketing. You do have to take risks in order to be memorable, but you also need to know your audience and make sure an ad is not offensive. Clearly this ad had not been tested enough before it was put into mass circulation.  For more information, see the following websites: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/apr/05/pepsi-kendall-jenner-pepsi-apology-ad-protest & https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/3324727/kendall-jenner-feels-heartbroken-by-pepsi-advert-backlash-and-has-shut-herself-off-from-the-limelight/

Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/apr/05/pepsi-kendall-jenner-pepsi-apology-ad-protest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA5Yq1DLSmQ

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Budweiser 2017 Super Bowl Commercial | “Born The Hard Way”

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Over this past weekend, the California music festival Coachella began its first of two weeks. I personally turn to Coachella mostly for the fashion, as do many. People's outfits are posted online everywhere.   Coachella serves as one of the biggest celebrity events of the year, but not just celebrities attend. The music festival is open to everyone and is an entire weekend (two weekends in a row) of dancing, drinking, and just hanging out.

An shining example of marketing that really stuck out to me from seeing Coachella pics all over my social media feeds this weekend was the Bumble Party. Bumble is a dating app, much like Tinder in that except you swipe left or right depending on if you like someone's profile. If you both like each others you are matched up and have the ability to chat. The only difference is that only the women can initiate conversation.

Since Bumble is a newer app than Tinder, it emerged in an already existing market, heavily focusing on its points of difference: female-initiated conversation. The app is branded to give it a fun, flirty and more wholesome image than Tinder and to project female positivity.

The Bumble Party was held by Kendall and Kylie Jenner, two celebrity sisters that embody the target audience. Bumble purposely had Kendall and Kylie throw the party because they know they have a large following of girls that consist of Bumble's target audience. Kendall and Kylie are young, glamorous, independent, modern, and seem to have it all. That is the image Bumble is trying to replicate. I can't think of better celebrities to have as the face of their company. The girls both instagrammed advertisements of themselves for Bumble; Kylie to her 92 million followers and Kendall to her 79 million.

In conclusion, just throwing a party at Coachella brought Bumble a lot of social media buzz and interest over the past two weeks, and having Kendall and Kylie throw that party generated even more interest - specifically from their target audience. Below is Kylie's social media post from the event, which generated over 1.4 million likes and further advertised the Bumble brand. Spredfast recorded that, from hashtags at Coachella, Bumble generated over 411 million social media interactions (the 7th most of any hashtags from that weekend).

Sources:
http://www.travelgrom.com/coachella-parties-2017
http://shoppermagazine.es/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/kylie.png
https://www.spredfast.com/social-marketing-blog/3-lessons-brand-activations-coachella
https://www.instagram.com

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The Super Bowl Commercial: Mercedes "Born To Be Wild"

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The Super Bowl Commercial: Mercedes "Born To Be Wild"

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The third and final Super Bowl commercial I'd like to reflect on, is another automobile commercial from that day, but one that differs greatly from that of Audi: Mercedes.

This commercial heavily focuses on branding Mercedes as wild, adventurous, enviable car for wild, adventurous enviable people. As people would like to think of themselves that way, they naturally begin to covet this car in order to attain the image they have associated with the car.

In the commercial, we are at a bar with a rough motorcycle gang. The only option on the juke box is Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild". They all play pool, arm wrestle, head butt, fight and flex their tattoos. They're wearing all leather; they are tough - you don't want to mess with these guys. Suddenly someone runs in and grunts "We're blocked in". They all are outraged and head outside. You wonder who could've possibly blocked in such a group. The car blocking them is a convertible Mercedes. They all stand speechless, in awe as a well-dressed man (still with leather and grey hair, but immaculate and put-together) walks out and presses the button to turn his car on. "Born to Be Wild" blasts out from his speakers as he drives off into the distance. The tagline reads "Born to Be Wild", then the word "born" is replaced by the word "built", saying that Mercedes are "Built to Be Wild".

It's a song we are all familiar with, and it is a smart move of Mercedes to associate themselves with it. This is Mercedes' way of establishing SBU. Rather than saying merely that they are selling this car, they are selling this experience and lifestyle. They also are intentionally aligning themselves with this image of toughness and wild adventure in order to attract more customers and cultivate this brand image.

Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoz2GAhH1WA

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The Super Bowl Commercial: Audi "#DriveProgress"

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The Super Bowl Commercial: Audi "#DriveProgress"

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Earlier I wrote about Budweiser's politically charged Super Bowl commercial surrounding immigrants and the American dream. Another slightly political commercial that caught my eye was that of Audi. We all watch the Super Bowl every year, and usually can look towards the commercials for a bit of comic relief during what can be a stressful game. However, politics seems to have permeated all aspects of the American climate lately, and although some ads still were hilarious, some had a much deeper message.

Audi's in particular had a message worth repeating. It shows a father watching his daughter race in a car they built together. As she drives along, he wonders "What do I tell my daughter? Do I tell her that her grandpa is worth more than her grandma?" and continues asking heartbreaking questions like this until she finishes her race. She wins and they triumphantly walk over to his gleaming Audi. He then reflects, "Or maybe, I'll be able to tell her something different" as they get in the Audi and drive away. This poignant commercial is so beautiful. The screen then reads "Audi of America is committed to equal pay for equal work. Progress is for everyone". Watching this commercial, especially with the juxtaposition of light humorous commercials around it, is enough to bring tears to your eyes.

Rather than shoving their feminist equality views down viewers' throats, the marketing team at Audi uses an emotional appeal. They align themselves with consumers by relating to them. It calls on a father's pride and love for his child. Following the commercial, the president of PepsiCo tweeted his praise, calling it "well-done" (https://twitter.com/BradJakeman/status/826875034094465024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Faudis-super-bowl-ad-on-gender-pay-gap-faces-criticism-1486059609).

Psychologically, Audi is also somewhat targeting women in this proposal, because they know that this ad will cause women to support them and be loyal to them over other brands. Claiming that they care about equal pay positions Audi as a very socially conscious, forward company. They are proving what it is to be constantly adapting to be able to suit the needs of your customer base. No longer can it just be about the car; consumers care about the company and about social issues. Posting something so political can be risky because you might be alienating some of  your customer base, but it also could prove worth it as it fosters more brand loyalty by others. According to Kotler, this shows Marketing 3.0, the third stage in the evolution of marketing. Audi is aiming at making the world a better place; they're being socially conscious and differentiating not just their product, but their values (equal pay) compared to other companies.

In conclusion, this ad drives consumers to the company through emotional appeals, psychological appeals and by adapting to fit their customer base. This is a really good and successful commercial. They have hit their target audience and they have differentiated themselves from others by specifically advertising their stance on equal pay over the cars themselves.

Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6u10YPk_34
https://twitter.com/BradJakeman/status/826875034094465024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Faudis-super-bowl-ad-on-gender-pay-gap-faces-criticism-1486059609

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Back in the US, I drink Red Bull all the time: if I’m ever feeling a little tired, if I need to cram for a study session, if I didn’t get enough sleep. This is very common among college students in America. Coming to Spain, I didn’t realize how prevalent Red Bull will still be. While many of the brands I am used to do not exist outside of America, Red Bull, it turns out, is for sale in 171 countries (http://energydrink-es.redbull.com). I had no idea how huge of a company it really was. In addition, taking this class has opened my eyes to the tactics and strategies behind Red Bull’s marketing plan. I knew before that mainly college students drink Red Bull: me and my friends all do, but my parents don’t and even my sister who is only a few years out of school doesn’t. However, I figured that happened organically, that an energy drink just fit more with the college student’s lifestyle. Now I know that Red Bull is purposely marketing to people my age. For example, my boyfriend’s fraternity gets free cases of Red Bull delivered to their doorstep every month in exchange for advertising for Red Bull via social media.

Before this class, drinking Red Bull was somewhat natural for me as a way to get more energy. Now, I see the Red Bull fridge in my neighborhood grocery store every day and think deeper into it. I see the strategies. There are two Red Bull fridges, one beside each cash register. I know now that that plays into the 4 P’s of Marketing, specifically Placement. They are positioned right beside each cash register for maximum convenience, in hopes that you impulsively add one to your cart as you check out. As we learned about the first week of class, Red Bull has identified a need in the market and by positioning their product so closely to the check out, is capitalizing on this.

Perhaps the marketing strategy that Red Bull most heavily focuses on is branding. We learned in class about how important the brand’s image is to attracting the target market, and Red Bull seems to focus the majority of their advertising efforts on this. Red Bull strives to be seen as daring, adventurous, cool. They maintain this image by sponsoring daredevil-type events, mainly extreme sports, like skydiving. Consumers then naturally begin associating Red Bull with these events and start to subconsciously see Red Bull differently. For example, back home Red Bull recently held the “Red Bull All-Snow”, a competition in Vermont in the beginning of March. At the Red Bull All-Snow, anyone can register to compete in an old-school snowboarding competition on a course that Red Bull has made. Red Bull runs the contest; their logo is spray painted across the snow. This is their marketing, and yet the people are coming to them. Consumers are paying to enter this competition to be a part of this extreme Red Bull lifestyle.

In conclusion, it is easy to say that my thoughts surrounding one of my favorite go-to beverages has really changed this semester. They have really researched consumer behavior and adapted their marketing strategies around it. I know that I personally will impulsively decide to grab a Red Bull as I am waiting in line next to the register. This class has opened my eyes to how complex Red Bull and their marketing strategy truly is.

Sources:
http://energydrink-es.redbull.com
https://www.redbull.com/us-en/events/red-bull-all-snow-freestyle-snowboarding-competition
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/626481857161375748/OeXi9avz.png

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The Super Bowl Commercial: Budweiser's "Born The Hard Way" 

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The Super Bowl Commercial: Budweiser's "Born The Hard Way" 

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Back home, it’s a tradition that nearly everyone in America watches the National Football League Super Bowl every February. More than 111 million people watched the game this year (fortune.com/2017/02/06/super-bowl-111-million-viewers/), and because it is known to be one of the biggest televised events, the commercials have become coveted time slots for advertisers. This has grown so much, in fact, that the Super Bowl is known for the commercials and many people that aren’t that interested in football still tune in to watch the Super Bowl Commercials (myself included). If I was at home this year, I would’ve been watching the Super Bowl at a huge viewing party with about 50 of my friends, and we would have been paying just as much attention to the commercials as the actual game. No talking is allowed.

Even studying here in Spain, the Super Bowl is a big enough part of American culture, that me and five other students studying here in Spain still gathered at my friend’s apartment to screen it online. As the team takes a time-out, the game goes to commercials. Although I always pay attention to commercials (we all are), this year I noticed myself analyzing them more than usual – most likely due to all that I have learned about advertising and marketing due to this class. One commercial that especially stood out to me this year was the Budweiser’s.

Budweiser is a very popular American beer, first introduced in 1876 (http://www.budweiser.com/en/our-beers/budweiser.html). This year, their Super Bowl commercial, entitled “Born the Hard Way” centered around their history. The commercial opens with a foreigner in Europe. This man has left Germany because he wants to be in America, and upon arriving there, he is immediately and unfortunately placed with some opposition. People are yelling at him to go back to his country, for he is not wanted in America. He preserves and makes it to St. Louis, where he presents his idea (Budweiser Beer) to a business man. The tagline then reads "When nothing stops your dream. This is the beer we drink". Presumably, this commercial is telling the tale of how Budweiser, perhaps the most American beer there is, came to be - and that it came from an immigrant.
When I first saw this commercial during the Super Bowl, I was shocked but also moved. I was immediately sure that this is the most political that this company has ever gotten, and was proud of how bold it was of them to take a stance during the Super Bowl. Clearly this ad is reflective of our new president, Donald Trump and his  position on immigration, a position that it appears much of the country stands behind. Budweiser is reminding all of America (for all of America is watching) that this nation was built on immigrants. We need immigrants. They have shaped America.

Marketing-wise, it was a risky move for the company to talk politics like this during a football game. And as the nation is divided over immigration, this was a risky topic to take a stance on at all. Although some people were angered by it, this was a smart marketing move for this company because it really enriched brand loyalty. If you are an immigrant, or the child or grandchild of immigrants, you can relate to this ad.  You feel like Budweiser is looking out for you. They are appealing psychologically and biologically. The company also covered their tracks by marketing this commercial as "Pro-America" and about the American Dream, rather than anti-Trump (it just happened to be glaring the opposite of his Immigrant Ban). I personally have never liked them more.

Sources: fortune.com/2017/02/06/super-bowl-111-million-viewers/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtBZvl7dIu4