Dr. Pepper Slow on the Flavor Message?

Marketing

By

Steve Poppe

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July 28, 2008

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It was reported in today’s WSJ that Dr. Pepper is launching a $35 million ad campaign telling consumers to drink Dr. Pepper more slowly. Only then, according to a market research company that uncovered this little gem, will one really experience the 23 flavors that blend together to create the distinctive taste. Did someone say cherry?

Deutsch, the Dr. Pepper agency, admits the idea is a little far-fetched and, so, has surrounded the “drink slowly” idea with two fake doctor spokespeople: Dr. J. (Julius Irving) and Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer of the sitcom Frasier.)

Soda experts quoted in the article agree the advertising needs to emphasize taste attributes and I agree. Here’s the problem (and I reserved the right to correct myself after I see the ads,) the core taste attribute is the 23 flavors. The advertising is about drinking slowly in order to taste those flavors. If the 23 flavors get lost, the core value is lost and the idea ends up being the drinking process. And with fake doctors as spokespeople, I fear the real idea will be buried even further.

The brief is probably something like “savor the 23 flavors” but with emphasis on the savor and not the flavor, Dr. Pepper and Deutsch will have misfired.

Southwest Airlines has an Idea.

Marketing

By

Steve Poppe

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July 25, 2008

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I rant like a broken CD about the importance of a powerful branding idea to drive business. Nowhere are the positive effects of an “idea” more evident than at Southwest Airlines. Southwest’s suit strategy is “be the lowest cost provider of airline travel in the U.S.” (The “world” should be in their future.) If every fiber of its corporate being is put into reducing costs, today and in the future, the company has a mission…an idea.

But as Carmine Gallo (www.carminegallo.com) would ask: What’s in it for the consumer? The answer is “savings,” but that’s not very message-sexy. So the creative solution to low-cost carrier is “freedom.” You are now free to move about the country. Brilliant idea. Brilliant translation of the idea into creative. Brilliant mnemonic. You can’t say those words without hearing the voiceover.

Why is Southwest the only airline to announce a quarterly profit? Its fuel hedge program. Management thought ahead. (Ford, GM, you listening?) Southwest has an idea. When you have an idea, you have focus. When you have focus you can fend off the opposite. Peace!

Air Google. Like gas?

Marketing

By

Steve Poppe

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July 24, 2008

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Google gives us the ability to search the Internet for most anything, but primarily it searches for tagged instances of words. We don’t yet have a public search tool for the utterances of the masses though — not unless you count Homeland Security recording certain words flowing over cell towers, telephone and VOIP (voice over internet protocol) switches.

But if we did have an Air Google, the ability to search and count the words used in everyday conversation, I think the words that would come in first and second are “like” and “gas.” The kids say like a lot — sometimes 3 and 4 times per sentence – and everyone is talking about the price of gas.

Hmmm. Air Google. I give it 30 years.

Social Gaming

Marketing

By

Steve Poppe

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July 23, 2008

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Social gaming is “the haps,” as my fictional hero Dave Robicheaux likes to say. And the Zynga Game Network is validation of that statement having just received $29 million in funding from Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers and Institutional Venture Partners. This, I also know, because my son plays social games for hours each night with friends and acquaintance around the globe.

Zynga, founded by Mark Pincus the co-founder of social networking site Tribe, which gives him some social computing cred, is targeting Facebook users to propagate his games. Since many Facebook users are really just looking for something social to do and are showing signs of getting tired with the little nuisance apps, smart games make a lot of sense. Kleiner, late to the party with social computing investments, sees the value here. No dopes, they.

If you think social games are the haps, wait until you see what’s happening in “episodic social video games.” Kuma Games, for instance, today released with Spike TV “The Kill Point.” www.kumagames.com Talk about fresh.

PS. Have you checked out Karen O’s new side band, Native Korean Rock and the Fishnets?

Ford Finally Has Lasik

Marketing

By

Steve Poppe

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July 22, 2008

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I love this quote from Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford Motor Company in today’s New York Times: “We don’t have a sustainable company if we don’t do this.” His quote references a pre-announcement that Ford is going to convert 3 of its North American truck and SUV assembly plants to fuel efficient car plants. From the same article written by Bill Vlasic: “The sweeping changes are the result of months of strategic discussion by Ford executives….” Months??? Strategic??? Forgive me for over-simplification, but a junior high school debate team could have made this decision.

Anyone with a little foresight could have made this decision. How about 3 years ago when Ford was hemorrhaging billions? Might not they have had some strategic discussions then? I applaud Mr. Mulally for this move, but wish he had made it November 5, 2006. Sixty days after he took over.

Better Rhythm for Google AdWords

Marketing

By

Steve Poppe

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July 21, 2008

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There’s a little rift going on at Google over ad revenue: One faction feels that more ads should be served while the other faction wants less. The “more” group thinks ad revenue would have been higher this last report had they their way. The “less” people feel fewer, more highly targeted ads will bring out advertisers willing to pay higher prices.

I have been managing an Adwords campaign through Google for a while now and beautiful algorithm aside, I get the sense that there are some human decisions taking place there that have been shutting down my keywords. There are times when Google says a particular keyword should cost me $4.00 which I am not willing to pay. So I get shut out. I wouldn’t be upset if I searched that keyword and there were lots of other advertisers there but sometimes there aren’t. I smell a brain. A capitalist brain.

Let’s give Google Adwords back to the algorithm.

Levi Strauss 501 Jeans — Live Unbuttoned

Marketing

By

Steve Poppe

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July 18, 2008

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There are a number of brands I love but Levi Strauss and Co. 501 button down jeans are at the top of the list. Another brand I really like is Bartle Bogle Hegarty, Levi’s ad agency.

BBH and Levi Strauss are launching a worldwide campaign selling 501 jeans and the manufacturer has boldly decided to use one campaign idea (Live Unbuttoned) and one jean design around the world. What that means is that a pair of 31-34s sold in New York will match a pair sold in Tokyo stitch for stitch. Same rise, same pockets, same everything. This is a very smart move. I don’t care how un-cool America is in other hemispheres, 501s are a brand of amazing power and allure.

I would love to have been party to the research that helped form the Live Unbuttoned creative idea — I can only imagine. “Unbuttoning” has changed the course of history. If handled well, this campaign will change the course of Levi Strauss history. Good luck!

Who can afford to buy a car company? I cahn.

Marketing

By

Steve Poppe

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July 16, 2008

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If you think Carl Icahn has been a pest insinuating himself and his money into the Yahoo Microsoft deal, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Always with an eye for big corporations, Mr. Icahn can smell General Motors’ blood in the water, so you know he’s thinking about pilfering GM and wondering which car brand he wants to take on.

In order to jump in to the soon-to-be GM fire sale, though, he will need to do something with his Yahoo holdings. The dude doesn’t even use a computer for goodness sake, but he does own some cars.

My bet? He’ll go for the GM brand whose manufacturing facilities can scale down to compact cars with the least amount of friction. Saturn? Peace!

Hope I’m wrong.

Marketing

By

Steve Poppe

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July 15, 2008

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Here’s a short post from vacation land and one which I truly hope is wrong. While at the Allen and Company summer retreat for the high and business mighty, Rupert Murdoch reportedly lost his wedding ring. If it fell off his finger. That may not be a good sign health-wise. I probably have too much time on my hands and am too wrapped up in Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road.” Yeah, that’s it.

A Quick Win Idea for Anheuser Busch InBev.

Marketing

By

Steve Poppe

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July 14, 2008

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Now I know the economy’s in the shizzer. Anheuser Busch pulled the plug and accepted InBev’s $70 a share bid. They reasoned it was going to be too much work to fight their way out of the beer doldrums. Too bad. Anheuser Busch was a great corporate citizen in this country and will be missed – especially in St. Louis. I can’t wait until Busch Stadium is named after some bank.

Here’s what Anheuser Busch couldn’t do and what Anheuser Busch InBev must do to pay back the incredible debt it’s assuming: It must understand and serve the most profitable beer segments around the world. The first segment it needs to corner is the light beer segment in Spanish speaking countries. Cervecería India, owner of Medalla Light, is doing a great job with this segment marketing a low-cost 11 oz. beer that flows like water in Puerto Rico. A similar beer sold in the U.S. would take off and kick-start the new ABI portfolio giving other up-market segment portfolio managers time to figure out how to increase share of Bass, Stella and the poorly managed “king of beers.” Get to it. Peace!