They may have a cheapo website and overly aggressive radio spots, but you have to hand it to DCU (Digital Federal Credit Union) for their willingness to try new things when it comes to marketing.
Today DCU sponsored a promotion in Worcester, MA offering gasoline at $1.99 a gallon. The promotion, offered in partnership with a local Gulf station, lasted from 7am to 1pm and was open to anyone.
It may come as no surprise that the event drew big, big crowds. According to news reports, the line of cars stretched a quarter mile, with some drivers waiting as much as two hours to fill up on discount fuel.
Presumably, DCU reps took advantage of the idle time to get to know their customer base a little better, perhaps handing out some free literature, maybe even writing up a few new accounts.
DCU is no stranger to thinking outside the box when it comes to marketing. Their website features a “classified” section where members can buy and sell goods and services ala Craigslist. And their decision to move away from the outdated “credit union” nomenclature, and foster a nimble, technologically savvy persona, has proven wise indeed.
DCU’s marketing isn’t faultless by any means. But you have to hand it to them when it comes to inventiveness and tenacity—particularly in this down market, when the status quo among most regional banks is to lay low, play it safe, and hope that their deposits somehow multiply.
Posted by Simon on July 22nd, 2008
Filed under Banking, Marketing | No Comments »
Earth Day 2008 has come and gone. I didn’t give it much thought to be honest, until I encountered the Google logo characteristically dressed for the occasion (in green). It fell on Tuesday, April 22–a day when the average price of gas rose above $3.50 for the first time. I did notice on the Sunday prior that the New York Times dedicated much of their magazine editorial to determining and managing one’s own carbon footprint. I was quickly discouraged when I realized that the price tag for these personal carbon improvements frequently exceeded $10,000.
So what does this mean for marketers? According to the Wall Street Journal, many corporate marketers with relatively large carbon footprints are making the most of the opportunity. Anheuser-Busch is launching a series of four new TV ads as well as a print campaign. One of the print ads features the headline: “We recycle five cans for every four we produce.” Yet “green” marketing is not limited to the time surrounding Earth Day. According to the article, Pepsi started a new campaign in February called “Have we met before?” The campaign will encourage people to recycle by using such strategies as placing recycling facts on millions of Pepsi Cola cans beginning in May.
Marketers with larger budgets now have the luxury of allocating a portion of their spend to green initiatives year-round. It’s relatively easy for companies like Starbuck’s to remind people of their environmental friendliness by simply printing the message on a coffee sleeve. But how do companies with smaller budgets speak to an issue that their customers are likely concerned about? Public relations remains a good way to tell a positive, local story about such simple community involvement as sponsoring a neighborhood clean up. Marketers should remember that their web sites are excellent vehicles to tell the green story as well.
Posted by Patrick on April 25th, 2008
Filed under Marketing | 1 Comment »
Yesterday was Super Tuesday, and though it looks like Hillary has nudged slightly ahead of her Democratic competition, Obama still takes the cake when it comes to a branding campaign. Sure, Hills has figured out how to adjust the flow on her tear-duct nozzles, but Barak wins the prize for hardest working logo. The key is its simplicity: rising sun, “field” of red stripes, and blue sky. But the amazing thing is how flexible this setup is—how it can be adapted for so many different purposes. For example, the logo can be tweaked to represent dozens of different groups—from Pacific Islanders to Americans Abroad.
Plus, the design team has also cleverly figured out how to work the logo into every state name.
I don’t know what it is about Obama that inspires this kind of creativity, and though I’m sure the designers of his official logo were well compensated, it’s interesting to take note of some of the “unofficial” t-shirts and posters that have been showing up all over the place as well.
Cool stuff. And it makes me wonder if we’ll be seeing some kind of groundswell of political art featuring the other candidates. Maybe some cool Romney stickers will start popping up in high-school lockers? Perhaps the kids will start tagging billboards with McCain graffiti? Mmmm, I won’t be holding my breath.
Posted by Simon on February 6th, 2008
Filed under Branding, Design, Marketing, Media, Miscellaneous | No Comments »
I attended the Harvard Business School marketing conference on Dec. 2, 2007, at which I met with and listened to people from all different product companies that make decisions on marketing and advertising avenues and strategies for their business. There was nothing new that I really learned, however listening to the perspectives and being on the agency side, was interesting. Speakers included the president of Unilever Americas, vice president of global brand marketing for Yahoo!, Inc., and the general manager for Hasbro. In addition to the speakers, there are panels surrounding revitalizing brands, globalizing brands, and alternative marketing which included people from some of these same companies, but also from companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Dunkin Brands, Proctor & Gamble, and Nike.
The main point of interest to me that was touched upon was this idea of reinventing the brand and gaining a new target audience. Dove is a great example of this since they provoke discussion with their advertising. As a brand, they are really trying to get to their audience through another avenue. They are targeting “normal” people by using “normal” people instead of models/actors. Unilever has done a great job in evolving the brand and using different media outlets to get their message out there. Their ads and spots are so controversial that they get to the next level of marketing by causing controversy, which were discussed on “Good Morning America”, “The Today Show” and “The View”. If you want to spark interest to reinvent the brand, look to Dove.
In case you haven’t seen these provoking ads (to my surprise most of the HBS students had not):
Evolution
Onslaught
This second commercial was only aired some 4 times because of how graphic it was. Go figure that America can’t deal with the realities of natural beauty…
Posted by Nirali on December 11th, 2007
Filed under Advertising, Marketing | No Comments »
Another advertising legend has passed on. Please take a moment to bow your head and pay tribute. It is only right. Three forefathers of advertising are no longer with us. God bless them. Most recently we lost, Mr. Whipple. Earlier this month we lost Tom Cadden. And, back in August, we said goodbye to Jerry Ringlien.
Not following?
Mr. Whipple influenced our desire for soft paper tissue.
Tom Cadden helped us fall in love with the power and scent of a strong, bald man.
Jerry Ringlien (please scroll to second “Remembrance” listed) taught us the value of loving our food the way we’d want to be loved.
It is incredible to look back at commercials of yore — to see how easily we were entertained and enticed. To discover the history of these ads and learn about the men behind some of the first jingles we probably ever memorized as a child. If you are like me, it probably didn’t dawn on you that these jingles were advertisements. To me, and maybe to you, they were funny little rhymes that you could sing with friends while making sandwiches… “My bologna has a first name!” or with sisters while conducting chores…”Mr. Clean! Mr. Clean!” And, it probably didn’t dawn on you that Mr. Whipple’s silly attempts at getting women to leave his product alone was anything other than laughable entertainment. The simplistic and humorous approach of these ads is universal and elementary. But I fear they haven’t stood the test of time. Rather, we are bombarded with and annoyed by commercials these days. We have stripped the subtleties of brand messaging and the values of entertainment out of our advertisements in favor of creating fast catch phrases to cram into our consumers’ minds. “Can you hear me now?”
Posted by Marrianne on November 20th, 2007
Filed under Advertising, Branding, Fun, Marketing | No Comments »