The Stackpile

May 27th, 2009

What was once so great…now this?

Photo of the Boston Globe

Its been several weeks since the Globe submitted its offer to the NY Times, and in that time it seems the media storm has subsided…for now.

Once able to out-bill all of the TV stations in the Boston DMA – The Globe is now jeered as a dying medium, a dinosaur, and an old rag. The fact is the Globe owes $20 million in concessions and is losing about $1 million dollars a week.

Thanks to the local media, industry press and newswires, everyone seems to have an opinion about its fate. It seems each person has a different point of view but only two things are certain:

1. The Globe will be here tomorrow, it will find new and innovative ways to keep its place in this uncertain media landscape. TV stations have not been without their own drama – the ratings competition is pretty fierce. And radio stations are feeling the impact of the transition to monthly people meter ratings.

2. Readership of the print edition will continue to decline. Shutting the Globe down tomorrow would be a tragedy but the alternative doesn’t look any better. If the NY Times decides to keep the print edition it will be a matter of time before they are faced with the same economic challenges.

So what should the Globe do if they want to keep their place in today’s media?

Here’s an idea: Get more people to read your content online and discover innovative ways to generate advertising dollars.

Sure, the print edition will be missed. But like anything else in life we learn to embrace something new and move on.

Posted by Trudy on May 27th, 2009
Filed under Advertising, Marketing, Media, Miscellaneous | No Comments »

April 15th, 2009

“The advert for the burger has caused outrage.”

The Texican Whopper, according to Burger King, is “inspired by the land where a man ‘ain’t afraid to sink his teeth into something hot and spicy.”

The burger consists of a flame-grilled Whopper topped with taco-coated chili con carne, spicy jalapenos, onion, lettuce and Canjun mayonnaise.

The television commercial described the new Texican Whopper as “the taste of Texas with a little spicy Mexican.” Literally depicted by a tall Texan cowboy living with a vertically challenged Mexican wrestler, named “Just a Little Bit.”

To view the commercial on youtube click here.

Mexico’s ambassador to Spain wrote a letter to Burger King regarding the inappropriate way the Mexican flag is displayed in the advertising campaign, as well as the improperly used stereotypical image of Mexicans.

Burger King has apologized for the advertisement and stated they have “made the decision to revise the Texican Whopper advertising creative out of respect for the Mexican culture and its people.”

There are strict rules about the use of the Mexican flag.

Posted by Marissa on April 15th, 2009
Filed under Advertising, Branding, Design, Legal, Marketing, Miscellaneous | No Comments »

February 19th, 2009

Facebook Fury

If you haven’t heard yet, Facebook attempted to change their Terms of Use under the radar to say that they OWN everything on Facebook, even if you cancel your account. Needless to say the 150 million users were not happy about the new terms saying Facebook owned their information for “forever”. The response was immense in the fight against the new terms of use. 64,000 users joined a group to fight it and thousands of people canceled their accounts.

I think its remarkable to see what an effect this has had on the social networks and how quick users are to react – in a matter of a day or two, online protests became a fury and forced Facebook to make a change. Amazingly, Facebook listened and reverted back to their original terms of use. The power of blogs and groups should not be undermined. This is the first I have heard of an online uproar at this scale and think that it can change the way we market. Getting a reaction from your audience is always the hardest thing to do but it looks like if you are dramatic enough, you will get the feedback you want (or don’t want).

Posted by Nirali on February 19th, 2009
Filed under Fun, Media, Miscellaneous | Comments Off

January 6th, 2009

McDonald’s looks good on paper.

After years of revamping the interior of McDonald’s locations across the globe, the chain has also decided to make changes to the way they package their food. With a focus on a more environmentally friendly and wholesome brand image, the restaurant’s packaging will now be made from a high percentage of recycled paper- an improvement from the non-biodegradable styrofoam and cardboard containers of the past.

McDonald's Clam Shells

Along with being eco-friendly, the containers will display images of some of the “fresh” products used to make the world-famous food. Photos of onions, 100% real beef, slices of cheese, and lettuce are shown on the the Big Mac boxes while the french fry sleeves display pictures of a semi-peeled potato. A similar approach is also used on the chicken sandwich and nugget packaging. The containers also possess short narratives on how each product is particularly unique and desirable to the consumer.

McDonald's Packaging

McDonald’s hope is that by focusing on the importance of locally grown, fresh, and high-quality products, consumers will think differently about the often stigmatized fast-food. Although they claim to be making efforts to stay ahead of obesity concerns, I’m not sure that adding a leaf of Iceberg lettuce to a 590 calorie, 34 gram of fat Big Mac will exactly entice the health conscious to trade in their salads and sushi.

Posted by Lindsay on January 6th, 2009
Filed under Branding, Design, Marketing, Miscellaneous | No Comments »

December 8th, 2008

The NEW Bank of America ATMs

From a technological standpoint, it’s pretty cool…

No more stuffing envelopes, filling out slips and entering totals via a keypad. The technology is called “check imaging” or “envelope-free deposits.”

For printed checks, the system automatically determines how much the check is for, and then presents you with an on-screen image and asks for confirmation of the amount. For hand written checks, it asks you to enter the amount and then shows a picture of the scanned check and asks for confirmation that the amount you entered is correct. The ATMs should cut reliance on tellers and deter fraud from “empty envelope” deposit scams.

Scan of Bank of America Deposit Receipt

The best part?

The ATM will print a receipt with small images of the scanned checks. And before you start worrying about security, the images have the routing and account numbers blacked out across the bottom.

However, there is a downside … it’s S-L-O-W. Each check has to be inserted individually and the deposit amount verified. Also, longer lines have started to form as ATM users struggle with the new process.

According to an Article by Dan Beighley for the San Diego Business Journal:

The new ATMs could save Bank of America and other banks about $1 per transaction by cutting manual processing of deposited checks and the need for envelopes, according to consultant Tower-Group Inc. of Needham, Mass.
Deposits are up by 50 percent at machines with the scanners, according to Bank of America.
“When customers see an image of their checks on their receipts, they’re more confident that the deposit has been accepted and they have assurance in hand,” said Kirk Lindsey, Bank of America’s ATM executive.

Rivals Wachovia Corp. and Wells Fargo & Co. also have introduced check scanning at some of their ATMs.

Posted by Marissa on December 8th, 2008
Filed under Banking, Miscellaneous | No Comments »

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What was once so great…now this?

“The advert for the burger has caused outrage.”

Facebook Fury

McDonald’s looks good on paper.

The NEW Bank of America ATMs