Groupon's EPIC social media usage

This is going to be a ridiculously quick one as I am absolutely drowning in revision for my Marketing Services exam on Wednesday...however after a little lot of procrastination, I came across this absolutely brilliant use of social media from Groupon, and I couldn't not share it!

Have a read through this post on Groupon's Facebook page- and their fantastic responses to comments!

Groupon had posted the product on social networks previously and had received endless comments regarding the products similarity to something else... and Groupon decided to act on these responses in the best way possible- by embracing them!
The comments went viral and in turn gave Groupon fantastic PR and showed a lighter side to the brand. This reminds me slightly of the Penguin's #YourMum campaign I posted last month, however I believe Groupon did a much better job of embracing comments which were designed to 'take the piss' in a tactful, funny and witty manner.
Apparently, Groupon assigned three social media employees out of five to respond to comments on the Banana Bunker thread- real commitment!! The posts brought the spotlight to Groupon's page and they sold all of the Banana Bunkers before the post started being shared online! What a great way to sell inventories without doing a boring sales promotion!

When marketers think outside the box, react to trends (especially online), interact with consumers and deliver humour specific to their own product- it clearly pays off! Whether than be with short-term, fast sales or when building long-term relationships!

More posts once my exams are done!

Wish me luck,

Stephanie

Protein World's Controversy and Positive Body Image Advertising

'Sex sells' and objectified women is nothing new in advertising- and as a young marketer and a self-proclaimed feminist I am constantly viewing how gender stereotypes affect advertising and the way brands place a certain expectation on how people should behave based on their gender. However I have to say this type of advert doesn't just affect women, I've seen numerous protein shake-type companies flogging their products based on false-idealisms of the perfect man i.e. big muscles, abs etc. and it is really something I feel passionate about that marketers should look at ethically.

Protein World's London Underground adverts have been causing controversy and topical debate across the internet this month. If you haven't seen them here's their 'Beach Body' advert:

There was a huge backlash from angry tweeters and the ads were vandalised:

We love London. Fuck patriarchy. pic.twitter.com/bDeET7pzdO
— The Vagenda Team (@VagendaMagazine) April 22, 2015

A petition was started to remove the ads and the ASA received hundreds of complaints. All in all though, the backlash has caused an awesome body positivity message spreaded on the back of putting the Protein World brand in a bad light...

I am SO for the #eachbodysready hashtag!!! <3 http://t.co/RcL72FzAt7 pic.twitter.com/U2HLRjR2zm
— Tara Costello (@Catstello) April 23, 2015

Making people feel bad about their own bodies is not the way to sell products, despite the fact it may have done so 40 years ago, brands have moved on to empowering women, making them feel good about themselves and being accepting. I feel as though the Protein World is so archaic, not adapted to 21st century advertising nor does it consider the affect it may have on the public and the message they are portraying. The media has been shamed for putting unrealistic expectations in the minds of women and men with regard to body image and perceptions, so why hasn't Protein World learnt from other's mistakes? 

If you know me or my tastes in advertising you'll know I often speak about how much I love Dove as an advertiser- their positive body image portraying both women and men gives them such a great brand image and ultimately sell great products! I was so happy to see this piece of newsjacking advertising from Dove:

Nice topical ad RT: @DoveUK Yes, @ProteinWorld. We are #BeachBodyReady. #CampaignForRealBeauty pic.twitter.com/PcXczqnP9v
— Matt Weatherall (@MTWTHRL) April 16, 2015

Hijacking the negative PR which Protein World were receiving was an amazing opportunity for Dove to reinforce their brand values and show themselves completely opposing Protein World's messages. It also helped align Dove with campaigners on social media and showed the brand's support for what they were trying to achieve.

You'd think after receiving such heavy negative publicity and tweets like these:

No I am fucking well not and I don't think milk powder will help. Poisonous advert from @ProteinWorld pic.twitter.com/WRBIZOU8Su
— Alex Martin (@AlexFGMartin) April 15, 2015

'Protein World' posting massive adverts about being 'beach body ready' whilst promoting skipping meals. Wow.
— Rach Warrenger (@RachWarrenger) April 12, 2015

@ProteinWorld I think your tube advert is really irresponsible. You can see the girls ribs!! Is that what is meant by beach body ready?!!!
— Jo Marshall (@jomarshall2) April 15, 2015

This advert pretty much sums up everything that I despise about how we treat and value women's bodies. pic.twitter.com/PBZNyn8qop
— Hannah Atkinson (@hatkinson_) April 12, 2015

To be #beachbodyready you have to be slim? F*CK OFF! I dont care about your size, you wana wear a bikini then do it pic.twitter.com/vieVVQIKhv
— Tony Mitsinga (@TonyMitsinga) April 16, 2015

You'd think the first thing they'd do would be to employ a fantastic PR firm and do some serious crisis management right?

Wrong. 

They handled their social media reaction terribly.

Protein World deleted negative comments from their Facebook page, send horrible automated responses like these:

@ceciliadom Don't worry! Lose 2-4lbs per week- http://t.co/NKkl81UOsZ
— Protein World (@ProteinWorld) April 16, 2015

@rabbitinahat It's not too late to get your beach body! Lose 2-4lbs per week with our Weight Loss Collection :-)
— Protein World (@ProteinWorld) April 16, 2015

When they finally decided to respond to criticisms, their responses were rude, inappropriate and all in all made the situation much worse!

This one is significantly disgusting and displays a need to have clear brand guidelines and values to stick by in ALL forms of communication.

Jesus @ProteinWorld, do you want that hole to be any deeper? (via @willpscott) pic.twitter.com/hvzYQ9s7gl
— Laurence Hebberd (@LaurenceHebberd) April 24, 2015

This tweet was made by the company CEO who then started blocking all negative tweeters.

@daniellenewnham @JulietteBurton @ProteinWorld it sounds like Juliette had a lot of issues well before she saw the PW ad
— Arjun Seth (@arjun_seth) April 24, 2015

Both @ProteinWorld and their CEO @arjun_seth have blocked me. Bravo! pic.twitter.com/MvWrk4Majx
— Jack Ashman (@Jack_Ashman) April 18, 2015

Fighting fire with fire is never a good idea- and actually makes the company look guilty- despite no signs of any admittance of such, nor an apology. The brand were retweeting any tweets which shunned campaigners...then the CEO posted this tweet:

And I can't even comment on how greedy, selfish, ignorant and lack of customer focus this brand/ spokesperson is displaying.

And that ladies and gentleman is how not to run an advertising campaign.

However, with the continual push from brands and the media to gain their perception of the 'perfect body', it's unfortunate that people will still buy these crappy products!

Let me know your thoughts over on my twitter account @stefclarkx I would absolutely love to hear your opinions!

Stephy 

My Pick of the Ads!

I have been totally inspired by some amazing adverts this week, some totally beautiful, some interesting, some shocking and some a little bit weird! Here are a few of my favourites at the moment:

AARP

This beautiful ad captures the irreplaceable relationship between Mother and Daughter in a simplistic, yet heartwarming way. The ad is aimed at carers in the U.S. and offers them support, whilst directing them to visit their site at the end of the ad. Although the brand have a specific target audience in mind- this ad appeals to everyone and really made me think about all your mother does for you and eventually that you will have to return the favour. It isn't a flashy ad, nor does it reflect a large budget or sell benefits to a consumer. It just shows appreciation for what must be a really tough role and makes the carer feel appreciated, supported and ultimately admired- it's a beautiful piece of work.
Warburtons How could I not choose this ad! As a Northerner- I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia seeing Sylvester Stallone running through Bolton! This is totally out of Warburtons' comfort zone but I really think the risk has paid off as this ad puts the Warburtons brand in the spotlight and adds a bit of glamour! This ad was first shown in the Britain's Got Talent ad break and I really think it is a family-friendly ad that appeals to all families- it's brill! The concept of 'freshness' of the bread is communicated well and they could have done this in a really boring, samey bread selling way- but they thought outside the box and I like it! Kingsmill has been delisted from Tesco which is a real shame- although this Kingsmill ad couldn't have been placed at a better time considering their peak on-top of their main competitor! Good, strategic move- even if by coincidence!
Hyundai Phenomenal advert from Hyundai, shot beautifully and a jaw-dropping, heartwarming story without being too cheesy/ looking like they were trying to make everyone shed a tear as to sell their products... which I have to say a lot of brands do nowadays! But I really believe this demonstrates Hyundai's capability for innovation. No doubt they will have received a phenomenal amount of PR for this campaign. The ad really can appeal to a diverse audience- who isn't fascinated by space?! I know it's a lot more people than those fascinated by cars! Of course this ad will have had a HUGE budget- which makes me consider what the ROI was. So much for beauty and awe... but will it really help them to sell cars? I'm not sure. However, it was a great watch! Smart Car
Again, simplicity is key here. A little bit of humour mixed with a rational appeal is a great combination and I think Smart have nailed that balance here. The direct stab at competitors is interesting, it's lighthearted yet conveys Smart's key benefit or 'point-of-difference' through a central message. Smart aren't competing on beauty or innovation or technology- just size- and that's all they try to be. They know exactly who they are and what there brand is and I think that works so well in this ad! And my not so favourite....
Victoria's Secret Tacky, boring, awkward to watch, cringey and that hashtag!

Thanks for reading!
Stephanie

My experience at IDM Summer School Assessment Day 2015!

Back in November, I was lucky enough to go to a talk at UWE by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing (IDM) about a career in marketing and agency-side focus, which I personally lack experience in and therefore found really rewarding and interesting. I was able to network with a couple of the speakers afterwards and was told about the IDM Summer School- an opportunity for graduates to spend 5 days immersed in the industry with the IDM in London and work to create live briefs for real clients and meet top agency contacts- what could be a better opportunity! I was dying to apply and wrote up my application almost immediately! The application was a long document summarising not only work experience but also university studies. I also had to write a brand review of a campaign I really liked which provoked a direct response- easy! I wrote about Kraken rum, a campaign I actually worked on myself and therefore knew inside out and really loved!

I submitted my application in December and didn't hear anything back until March! Such a long wait but I was so happy to be invited to attend an Assessment Day in London! I wasn't told much around what to expect apart from to prepare a presentation on something I was passionate about.

Once I arrived at the assessment day, I was greeted by 13 other candidates who were all absolutely lovely- I would genuinely be so happy if I made it through to the summer school alongside them- they were ace! We then took part in an ice breaker where I was asked which one person would I like to be for the day and I said "Obama or Simon Cowell".

Then we were given a brief for a group task which we had to compare two pieces of direct mail and identify the strengths and weaknesses of each, having studied and worked in marketing I found this really interesting and relatively familiar territory- nothing too challenging! I really enjoyed working with my group and I didn't experience the usual sense of tension or competition that can arise at some assessment centres, we were really collaborative and worked great as a team!

Then I was called to present my topic I was passionate about- I chose the lack of industry and development in the north and the lack of GDP that is created outside London and the South East. It really is a topic I'm passionate about and I did a lot of research to back everything up! I also used prezi for the first time to make it look super swish!

Then I was given an initiative test, which was a really interesting assessment method I haven't experienced before. I was given a scenario and had 15 minutes to prepare what I would do faced with it. I then had 10 minutes to present my findings to an assessor and I was able to compare the scenario to some event management work I have done and therefore found it quite interesting to see their response!

We were given lots of time in between the tasks to chat and I got to know the other candidates really well which was nice! I hope to see some of them again!

Then came the bit I dreaded the most- the maths test!! But actually it really was OK! It was basic percentages etc. applied to real-life marketing situations and therefore I found it much easier to think logically about the questions before I answered them. I hate it when assessments use questions like "What would the conversion rate between x and 9 be?" Name a time within marketing when I would actually ever use such a ridiculous calculation!? The questions at the IDM assessment day where much more applied and relevant which helped me do well (I think!)

Then we had a proof reading test which was to correct any spelling or grammar errors within a letter which was OK and we had lots of time to work through both tests so my panicking really was wasted!

Then my favourite bit of any assessment day... the interview! Mainly as I love talking about myself and I really do think selling myself is one of my main strengths! We spoke about my dissertation, work experience, agency culture, my career aspirations and placement year. I really liked all of the assessors and felt really comfortable talking to all of them!

The day ended with a summary of the week itself and what we could expect should we be lucky enough to get a place on the week long summer school in June! I should be hearing back in May whether or not I have a place- I can't wait to find out!!

Feel free to drop me a tweet @stefclarkx if you have any questions about the application process or assessment day!

Stephanie

What the #LeadersDebate says about Political Marketing

I was lucky enough to study Political Marketing whilst studying for my Marketing degree and I really believe it's a fascinating area of marketing which actually commercial marketers can learn a lot from.

The Leaders Debate aired last night on ITV which involved the 7 main leaders of the UK political parties debating their own policies and issues live on TV. The political leaders used a number of political marketing tactics in order to attempt to sway voters- here are some noteworthy examples:

Negative campaigning/ bad mouthing the opposition

David Cameron and Ed Miliband were the prime examples for this debate- their constant bickering and blaming was the focal point of both of their messages.

David Cameron said: “There’s only one group of politicians anywhere in this United Kingdom who have cut the NHS in the last five years and that was the Labour Party in Wales. So when you hear Ed Miliband’s promises, think about that.”

Ed Miliband on the other hand “David, I’m wondering what world you live in.”

It was almost playground like and I felt like I was watching two children arguing in a playground! This attack form of advertisement is traditionally used in U.S. politics and displayed an avoidance by both parties to display their own thoughts and policies, yet they were more than happy to attack each others mistakes and history.

Of course the extreme rivalry between Ed and David is due to the extreme likelihood that one of the two men will be Prime Minister on May 6th- and therefore it really is a cut-throat battle between them. 

This method is used subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) by a number of brands- the Cameron-Miliband rivalry almost reminds me of that between Coca-Cola and Pepsi! It is an ancient form of marketing and one which I believe the party leaders need to refine to ensure a more dignified and clever approach in the future as to not come across as children bickering in the playground.

Direct targeting/ marketing

Ok I use these terms loosely- however I think David Cameron executed his speeches brilliantly in terms of addressing individuals directly by name. He provided a personal element to his answers- thanking an NHS worker for his contribution etc. This really allowed his caring side to come across and just added a simple touch to the way he came across. Think how special you feel when someone remembers your name- you instantly warm to the person and it's a fantastic tool which politicians and brands alike can use to allow voters/ customers to see a likable, more positive side. 

Awareness

I for one had no idea what either the SNP or the Welsh party stood for- however it was interesting to see how these parties represented themselves amongst themselves the highly covered party leaders i.e. Clegg, Miliband, Farage and Cameron. I believe that SNP's leader Nicola Sturgeon was a brilliant speaker, who clarified her points well and stuck to what she believed in without being too wishy-washy (this isn't to say I agree with her policies however). According to a YouGov poll- Nicola won the debate!

Product Life-cycle

Again- bare with my metaphors here, but this one applies directly to Nick Clegg... in the 2010 election, Nick presented a new "brand" of politics by adding a new, real option within UK politics- an alternative to Tory and Labour votes. However, he failed to live up to this claim by not sticking to his promises and letting down those who voted. I love Alison Jones of Bath University's comparison of Nick Clegg being left at the bottom of the supermarket shelves in desperate need of a brand revitalisation to get them in to the forefront of voter's minds. The party are seriously lacking the support they received 5 years ago with the exception of a few long-term loyal backers.

Nick Clegg has lost his engagement with the British public- he needs a strong on-brand message to reinvent the Liberal Democrats- something which I really did not see evident within last night's debate. This is key within advertising to ensure brand messages are understood and are central to any marketing communications effort.

All in all I loved the debates and I love getting involved with politics, especially as at almost 22, this will be the very first time I have been able to vote!

Stephanie

The BEST and WORST of April Fools Day marketing campaigns

There isn't an event in the calender that marketers can't highjack nowadays and April Fools Day was no exception. This April 1st (before 12pm of course) swarms of marketing teams launched their clever tricks on to their consumers, attempting to catch them out and all in all gaining some coverage of their brands. Here are a few of my personal favourites from this year's jokers:

Playstation Flow

Playstation released this video launching their new Flow product:


I am going to be the first to shamefully admit I only realised it was a wind-up about 30 seconds in after I'd been cringing at the ladies over cheesy tone-of-voice! The video was funny, in line with their brand without being too out there or tacky and presented some great characters! Playstation even created a website surrounding the hoax product here which actually indicates the Flow was a joke- however a great new virtual reality product titled 'Project Morpheus' is actually in production! What a great way to create a buzz around the product and display Playstation's innovation without showing off- also a great way to get traffic to their website! Hats off Playstation! Microsoft Lumia Microsoft came up with this video announcing their new phone will go back to their original operating system: MS DOS a.k.a the operating system we all knew from those ancient PCs we had in the 90's that took ten minutes to boot up....
I'm not sure who Microsoft were trying to amuse here, but I doubt I'm the only one who didn't find this funny. The video wasn't easy to watch nor do I believe it will appeal to all of Microsoft's target audience- I'm not even sure the majority of them will get it. Are Microsoft just trying to make techys laugh here? If so- OK.... but therefore it can't really be considered as a mass marketing campaign. I'm just not sure about the whole thing! Microsoft's marketing annoys me full stop- sorry but I think it's crap despite actually liking the brand! They don't indicate their own capabilities and display any competitive advantage despite them losing customers to competitors on a daily basis! Up your game please MS!! Carlsberg Drone
How many guys wish this one wasn't an April Fool's Day joke? Really simple, yet funny and made every guy who watched dream of a beer drone I reckon!? I really like the video and I actually think it will have caught some people out! However, what I don't understand is why Carlsberg teamed up with the Northampton Chronicle to deliver them a bit of PR? A slightly ludicrous article which I'm not sure fits in with the Carlsberg brand whatsoever! I would love to have seen a bit of experiential marketing to coincide with the ad- something really low budget- maybe some surprised customers unexpectedly receiving their Carlsbergs! The ad almost looks as though it was thrown together a bit last minute and there's a lot more the brand could have done in extending the reach of the campaign.   Costa and a Kip
I don't know about you but I really want an ostrich pillow! Costa released this April Fools video announcing their new napping pillows to be trialed in store:
Costa are one of the last brands I would have expected to bring out such a humorous video- which is maybe why this prank works so well! I almost see the brand as slightly pretentious and therefore this shows a much lighter side to Costa and I think it works really well! The video is super short and therefore leaves you with a really puzzled look on your face! 
I don't think I've seen much Costa advertising before- but I would love to see more from you Costa!
Tweet me with more of your favourite April Fools marketing campaigns and let me know what you think of mine!
Stephanie

Experiential campaigns I've been working on!

I've been a busy bee working on some really awesome... and some not so awesome campaigns lately. With my job, I really do have to take the good with the bad sometimes- some campaigns are amazingly well thought through and executed and some are disorganised, boring and frankly feel a bit pointless!

So I thought I'd let you know what I've been working on and what I thought worked and what didn't from a frontline point-of-view!

#BLUFREEDOM

This is one of the best campaigns I've ever worked on, yet when the brief came in I was a little sceptical as working with a tobacco brand can sometimes be seen as a little bit unethical and I wasn't sure what the reaction would be.

For those who don't know- blu is a US-based e-cigarette company which has just been acquired by Imperial Tobacco, based here in Bristol. The brand was launched in the UK back in 2014 through these launch parties, showcasing their brand values and providing a sampling experience for their target market 'party people'.

The blu brand is focused around music, appealing to a more 'alternative' customer and have a strong emphasis on technology. Their brand values seem very integrated in everything that they do and they remain constantly focused on what they are trying to achieve. I worked on a launch party for all Imperial Tobacco staff in Bristol- held at the uber trendy creative space in Bristol- Paintworks. The whole event was totally in line with the blu brand with blu cocktails and champagne on offer, top class DJs, technology everywhere and of course plenty of blu e-cig samples to try.

Great PR event with @ImperialTobacco & @blucigs celebrating their partnership tonight!! #event #publicrelations pic.twitter.com/f3kbWFmQRF
— Steph Clark (@stefclarkx) February 5, 2015

The reason why I really loved the campaign is that the party attendees were really, really able to experience the brand and gain a sense of what it stood for.

 Harveys/ Bensons for Beds

You might think this is going to be one of my more boring campaigns- but actually, it's one of the most organised and I think rewarding campaigns I've ever worked on!

I used to associate both brands with cheap, low-quality furniture and Harvey's recognised this view amongst their consumers and aimed to change these perceptions. They worked on a complete re-fit in stores and held a launch event across their stores.

I was lucky enough to work on the whole launch weekend within the Torquay store, where myself and my event colleague Molly were greeting guests, handing them sweets and communicating the new store launch to customers.

The store were really grateful to have us in for the weekend and we gained really awesome feedback! Despite the action being really simple, customers did not expect to be faced with a tub of sweets when they came in to the store and therefore their reactions were great!

Dove Men- +Care

I got the chance to work with Dove Men at the 6 nations rugby match- Wales vs Ireland at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff- yes there are a few perks of this job! We were sampling Dove shower gels and driving brand awareness amongst rugby goers! Dove is one of my favourite brands and their ethos surrounding portraying 'real' men and women within their advertising is admirable. They aim to showcase an ideal man as a man who is comfortable in his own skin. 

As Dove Men is a key sponsor and supplier to the rugby teams- it was fundamental that their brand name was highlighted throughout the match and that consumers made that link between Dove and the rugby game. We had Dove ambassadors positioned at all exits handing samples to those leaving the game! It was a bit of a rush with 1000's of rugby fans to sample to- some of them had had a few too many beers and so was a bit of a challenge. 

Lovely team at the Millenium stadium working for @DoveMen today! #6nations #Cardiff #experiential #event pic.twitter.com/97mPclZ3Ll
— Steph Clark (@stefclarkx) March 14, 2015

Overall, the brand message was engraved in consumers minds and trial encouraged amongst hundreds of men and therefore I believe the event was a success! The place and target audience was entirely appropriate and well thought out as well as a perfectly organised event in terms of care taken and attention-to-detail, making this event a great success!

I have some really awesome events coming up in the next few months which I can't wait for! Keep your eyes peeled for updates and follow me on Twitter at @stefclarkx for more!

Steph