Subaru vs. Ford - And Texting While Driving

This week, Subaru ran four - count 'em - four FULL PAGE ads in the News Section of USA Today. Here's the series of ads the car maker ran and what Ford is doing in contrast.

 

Ad #1: Through snow ...

 Ad #2: Through the woods ...

Ad #3: On the open road and into the sunset ...

 Ad #4: Through the mud ...

It's all terrain for Subaru but ... where's the car? It's cool. They're selling what the car can DO. They're leaving their competitors in their tracks and making them eat dust. (For the media buying inclined, ads were all on the left page of four consecutive spreads.)

In contrast, let's look at Ford's double truck magazine ad in this month's Travel+Leisure magazine ...

"Daddy, why are you texting while driving? Oprah says that's a no-no!"

Ford explains, via body copy to Daddy (aka Jordan) ...

 

So if you're wondering how to combine Social Media with your print ad, here's a solution from Ford. Or if you are thinking of updating your Facebook status about your All New Ford Explorer while driving, please wait until you're in the driveway.


Advertise responsibly.

Auto Dealerships Try to Outdo with Bells and Whistles

Bells and whistles - that what we direct marketers call snazzy formats and tipped on do-dads that you might find on a direct mail package. They're usually rather costly but can have a great ROI if they bump up response. Case in point ...

Two auto dealers send similar mailings to me on the same day - what are the chances of that happening? It may not seem too unusual until you look at the actual mailers ...

This one is from Peruzzi Nissan.

Hey, that's a real key tipped on the piece. Wow! And a scratch off. Double wow!

This one is from Dieckhaus Buick.

That's a real key tipped on the piece. And a scratch off. Semi-yawn. I've seen this trick before! Oh, wait - this one has more pages. It's like a newsletter. Hmmm. Interest piqued. AND there's a check inside - "Customer Down Payment Assistance - Pay the sum of:  ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY FOUR DOLLARS AND ... 00/00." You may have me at varoom.

Bells and whistles be damned. Too bad I am not in the market for a new car. Those keys are not cheap to put on a mailer. For high-end products like cars, the cost to put something in the mail with a real key can be worth it if it bumps up response.

So I wonder which of these mailers outperformed the other? Is this something new for auto dealerships to send mailers with car keys tipped on? Have you seen it before in your mailbox? Inquiring minds want to know.

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR NONPROFIT

The Copy Grove has just completed the training required to do SOCIAL MEDIA for the American Red Cross, Lower Bucks County Chapter.

LinkedIn Creative Group Asks: Do We Really Tell Stories?

“Brand stories"- what's the story? Nowadays, advertising agencies and creative boutiques are being charged with the task of creating a narrative that tells the story of a brand like a Hollywood movie. Is it what we are in the business of doing anyway or just a passing fad? LinkedIn creative group asks the question.

Your thoughts?

Catchy Slogans - Reincarnated (Part 2)

The Original:

"What Happens Here, Stays Here" - In 1999, the team at communications agency R&R Partners introduced this fresh campaign and a new motto for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau (LVCVB). Maybe you remember the commercial featuring the two women who go into a bathroom at a Vegas club and switch wigs ...

Reincarnated:

Flash forward 2010-2011, Luvs has put its spin on the tagline to come up with "What happens in diapers should stay in diapers." Here's the spot that's currently airing ...



I'm lovin' it!


MORE CATCHY SLOGANS REINCARNATED ...

Cloud Computing is Great, But ...

Cloud computing is hot now - witness the Windows 7 commercial that aired this holiday season about going "to the cloud."


This is web based electronic storage, a convenient way to back up your photo, Word doc, MP3 and other important files from your SmartPhone, laptop, or what-have-you favorite go-to-device. Windows 7 isn't the only one to offer this service. For instance, Toshiba offers it and so does a company called GoGrid, to name a few.

The information you back up to the Cloud is accessible as long as you have an Internet connection. That's the convenience, but it can also be a downside for business people who depend on having constant access to archived or "work-in-progress" electronic files.

Say the Internet goes down. A Verizon cable is compromised or something goes awry with Comcast. You don't have access to your primary device. You've got a deadline to meet and need to work on some files - which, unfortunately, are only backed up in the Cloud. Unless you're Icarus, too bad; you're out of luck. 

Modern technology rocks but you don't want to get stuck between it and a hard place. Even with state-of-the-art web based electronic file storage, you can still build a case for backing up to a good-old-fashioned flash drive. So go dig up the free one you got from the trade show you attended last year or the one that vendor just gave you. It might come in handy!

Visual Thinking Slideshow

Share & Share Alike: A How-To Video about Google Docs

A Year of Twitter

Click on image to see larger at
Flowtown - Social Media Marketing Application

Catchy Phrases: What's "In" Now

"Game-Changer." You've heard the phrase. But have you used it? USA Today used "Game-Changer" in a recent article about the tax cut bill, and one of my new clients just gave me an input document with the phrase in it. Use "game-changer" to describe anyone or anything that brings something good and different to the playing field - innovation or convenience. One company that specializes in innovation and brand growth even uses the phrase as their name, without the hyphen. Now more than ever, the market needs "game changers" to stimulate profit and growth. Be one! Or at least write about one.

FileCatalyst Provides Alternative to "YouSendIt"

Have you heard about FileCatalyst? They're a great alternative to yousendit.com - offering a variety of products and services related to file transferring to make life easier. They have a free service where you can send large files; it's quick and easy, with no log-in or registration required. They're known for secure and fast file transferring. Try it out free at FileCatalyst.com and let me know what you think.

Nothing To Sneeze At - Kleenex TV, Social Media and FREE Sample Campaign

Kleenex's "Softness Worth Sharing" campaign combines TV advertising, a microsite, social media and free sample giveaways for seasonal promotion genius that's also worth sharing.

The "Softness Worth Sharing" campaign is a great example of brand and direct/social media marketing synergy. Thirty-second TV advertising drives viewer traffic to the website to send a free package of softness anywhere in the US. At the "Softness Worth Sharing" site, simply fill out the sender and recipient information to start the "chain of sharing," which you can track like a UPS package on the site via a map.

Here's one of the 30 second TV spots from the Kleenex "Softness Worth Sharing" campaign ...

Now go send some free tissues.

I just wrote a letter to Santa!

Macy's gives back ... and brings pre-holiday magic online with a unique, fun and generous website to help support the Make-a-Wish Foundation(R).

For every letter received, Macy's will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, up to $1,000,000. Help make wishes come true by writing your own letter to Santa! Click on the letter above and it will take you right to the site ...

Creative Shopping Bags - An Idea for Advertisers

These days you read and hear so much about the potential of social media for marketers that we tend to forget about other ways to be innovative in "the real world." Shopping bags have traditionally sported a store or company's logo. At boredpanda.com, you can read about and see how advertisers are taking this concept to new heights - with subway bus handles!

Read more.

Courageous Creativity: October 2010