Oreo - successful advertising campaigns 2011

Innovative, strategic and engaging are the three words that describe Oreo's attention-grabbing new media advertising campaign.

The Oreo carved out its niche as milk's favorite cookie by devising its ingenious twist, lick and dunk brand communication strategy. Now, across multiple key global markets, its core strategy remains consistent and crystal clear.

In the new creative campaign, the traditional dunk of an Oreo cookie into a glass of milk is brought to life with the use of a panoramic glass elevator. As the elevator descends each floor the effect captures the gesture of an Oreo being dunked in a glass of milk.

The new media should always use effectively together with old media.  The campaign did the broadcast commercials and online media nationally with print ads began in January. Regional-specific broadcast spots ran during the same timing.

Brand utility

Brand utility

Marketing can be meaningful and authentic.  Brand utility is an example.

There are many brand utilities that I use.  For instance, Futureshop website.  Whenever I am bored I would love to get on its website and search some new products that are just being released. 

Iphone products such as Iphone and Ipad are other brand utilities that I use.  I just traveled to Los Angeles and San Francisco during my reading week.  During the flight, I had so much time to spare that I was playing games on my Ipad, as well as using other apps that I downloaded.  Not only I used all this free time, but also I learned some knowledge from the apps like I was reading the articles from iBooks.

I think brands that could easily build utilities are clothing stores, fast food restaurants, Wal-Mart and Home Depot.  

Brand utility is a great way to build a good relationship between consumer and the brand.

Broadband Challenge

Challenge:

How long could you go without using any forms of traditional medium (television, radio, print, etc) but internet?

First of all, I am very comfortable using internet every day, especially as an advertising student.  I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is turn on my computer, play some music, get on social network like Facebook and Renren and browse the internet.  I rarely watch television and if I listen to the radio, it’s always in my friends’ cars or other public places which I didn’t mean to. 

When I wait for the bus, instead of calling to check when the bus comes, I search “Maps” application on my iPhone by using 3G network.  We can do everything online, including watching television, movies, design, etc.  The most important thing is with little cost.  

However, if I can only use internet for everyday life, it all depends on the stability of the internet.  When we have no wifi, 3G or technical issues of cable, we have no access to the internet.  It sometimes happens and it’s risky. 

My prediction of Oscar winners

Oscar Nominations 2011 List

BEST ACTOR

The Nominees:
Javier Bardem, 'Biutiful'
Jeff Bridges, 'True Grit'
Jesse Eisenberg, 'The Social Network'
Colin Firth, 'The King's Speech'
James Franco, '127 Hours'

BEST ACTRESS

The Nominees:
Annette Bening, 'The Kids Are All Right'
Nicole Kidman, 'Rabbit Hole'
Jennifer Lawrence, 'Winter's Bone'
Natalie Portman, 'Black Swan'
Michelle Williams, 'Blue Valentine'

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

The Nominees:
Christian Bale, 'The Fighter'
John Hawkes, 'Winter's Bone'
Jeremy Renner, 'The Town'
Mark Ruffalo, 'The Kids Are All Right'
Geoffrey Rush, 'The King's Speech'

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

The Nominees:
Amy Adams, 'The Fighter'
Helena Bonham Carter, 'The King's Speech'
Melissa Leo, 'The Fighter'
Hailee Steinfeld, 'True Grit'
Jacki Weaver, 'Animal Kingdom'

Personally, I have the prediction that Jess Eisenberg will win the award of best actor.  After The Social Network released, people started to talk about it.  Its own facebook page was created and it got 687,452 likes.  In other forums and blogs, people are blogging and posting their own opinions.  The internet now has a large voice and it is somehow showing most audiences’ views to help to choose our best prize for actors, actress, picture, etc. 

Social Media

Social Media

Value is found in the communication.  This is why social networking tools such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter are big nowadays.

Personally, I use Renren which is considered as Chinese Facebook every day.  The reason I started to use Renren because almost every single of my Chinese friend uses it.  It is such a fascinating tool that I could find my elementary classmates.  The same as Facebook, I get to know more about my classmates and friends.  This is networking and one day it might help with your future.  As the network grows, its value grows. 

A lot of companies have already found the potential of these networking tools.  This is called social media marketing.  They start to buy and place advertisements on these websites.  The effectiveness of the products being advertised is highly increased.    

Youtube is very successful social entertainment.  We can find several brands are being advertised through Youtube such as Absolute Vodka, Home Depot, Quicksilver, Nike Training and CBC.  Statistics show that in June 2007, YouTube represented 11.5% of the user's online activity, and since increased its visitors to reach 22.3% in November 2009, and it is still increasing.  It indicates that more and more audiences are visiting Youtube, in another words, products are being advertised through Youtube are being noticed more than before.

Guerilla marketing

Guerilla marketing is an unconventional system of promotions that relies on time, energy and imagination rather than a big marketing budget.  Guerilla marketing campaigns are targeting the people in unexpected locations. Guerilla marketing involves unusual approaches such as intercept encounters in public places and street giveaways of products. 

Up to now, I haven’t experienced any guerilla marketing.  In my opinion, it is not accessible to everywhere, but more in bigger and busier places. 

There are many guerilla marketing that I think are really well executed.  Examples are by following:

1.     Fedex-kinkos

It is very smart to create a guerilla marketing campaign for correction fluid product on zebra crossing.  There is a high population of pedestrians in everyday life.  They will see this campaign each time they go across the street.  It draws people’s interest to check what exactly the giant object is and it works very well.

2.     IKEA’s Parisian Guerilla Marketing

The first picture features a boy is trying to turn on the light which it’s just a stage property of this campaign.  The second picture features several people are waiting for the subway while sitting on IKEA products.  It brings the audience the involvement to this guerilla marketing campaign.  When other people see these scenes, they would like to check out what exactly it is.  After noticing it is actually an advertisement for IKEA, people will get more impression of this brand. 

I feel the sentiment expressed in Urban Span is annoying.  It also could create the negative impact to the products or brands being advertised.

Social Contract

Social Contract

We give brands our attention in exchange for something we find valuable. 

Each brand needs awareness to sell, so they need customers’ attention.  In generally speaking, all brands are active and audiences are passive, it brings the companies or agencies to think hard in order to find ways how they could create the brand awareness and draw people’s attention.

For example, companies or sponsorships will bring events to town.  Last year the World EXPO took place in Shanghai, to bring the attention to audiences, Coke Company offered free cokes for the visitors to EXPO.  The visitors were from all over the world and it was a good decision to make this strategy happen. 

Online advertising becomes more and more popular nowadays.  Younger generations tend to use Internet more.  High fashion and electronically brands are using online advertising increasingly.  For instance, PRADA just released fall/winter 2010 fashion show around the same time with live on TV.