Know Your Audience

advantages and disadvantages of nostalgia marketing?
     When it comes to nostalgic in advertisement I believe it can  be either a blessing or a curse. If used in the wrong context, an idea can easily fall flat on its face. But if showcased in an authentic fashion, the marketing plan will definitely flourish. Taking the costumer back to the "simple days" intrigues them and overall brings excitement to the intended target. Furthermore, if a company tries to demonstrate a product as something it just is not, then the customer will pick a part the Ad easily and see it for what it really is, a fake. 

     For example one company that really takes nostalgic seriously is Jordan Brand. Micheal Jordan is globally known and a basketball icon, some even believe he is the greatest of all time. With his shoe line they are consistently "Retroing" his signature shoes that he wore back in his NBA days, this meaning re- releasing classics in traditional and modern color ways. Being a branch of Nike, Jordan Brand has been the most successful counterpart in their entire line up. So successful that other companies started replicating their marketing strategies. For example, Reebok has recently released retrod Shaquille O'Neal shoes. Though he just recently retired, the mixture of his name, advertisement and brand loyalty helped the marketing plan tremendously. Nostalgia strikes again in the footwear world.  
 










(Jordan 1 ad releasing this holiday season)

     On the other hand Nostalgia can also fail to market something, simply if the item or brand is not vintage. You can not pass off something that is not true to itself. Example when it comes to technology, the industry is always growing and if you don't change with the times you will get left behind. Imagine if the iPhone tried to advertise there product as nostalgic. The smart phone is just way too new and complex to start a vintage campaign.  With computers, the item has a history that dates further down the road, But being technology I still don't think it would be smart idea to do a Nostalgic marketing approach. 
  
     This is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. It just does not do it for me. This Ad just does not show case the product, yest it shows the evolution of the computer, but what does the new product pose. Where is the bells and whistles. It is vintage but it is also old. when being nostalgic, I believe you still need to be modern at the same time. Innovation should not be over looked.   

H.O.G questionair

1. Harley owners group is a great example of a brand community, and I truly believe that it does have its advantages. When an individual is accepted into a community it makes their very existence more enhanced, at feeling a part of something much more bigger than yourself is always a plus. It creates a bound that consumes ones life style.

2. Riding together as a pack, collecting memorabilia  and being offered exclusive membership motor services are all part of the sweet community Harley manages to provides. These are few of the perks that demonstrate and enhances bran loyalty.

3. Harley should definitely should expand there club. The larger the group the more pride people will have in its community. basically, the more the merrier. Plus profit will continue to grow with is good as well.  

4. Besides the Posse rides I believe having a bike show would be a great idea. Every now and then have members from across the world to show off their highly tricked out and customized rides. It would be a great way to increase profits and pride in the brand. It would be like an Harley Davidson EXPO where everything revolves around the bike.

The Ipod Killer?

     Today we will talk about the Zune, a portable music player created by Microsoft. I know many of you probably do not even remember this device ever releasing. This handset was supposed to be revolutionary and the answer to the groundbreaking apple ipod witch released in 2001. Though popularity grew large with the ipod, the Zune on the other hand, had a difficult time launching off the ground (November 2006). Holiday 2008 comes and reportedly 85 million dollars worth of Zunes were sold, where as apple reached up about 100million dollars more, making the grand total of the ipod reaching 185million dollars in that particular holiday season alone. Eventually Microsoft discontinued the device in 2011, understanding their mistakes and knowingly they could not compete with the ipod.  

      Customer behavior was simple here. People just did not get the device, they could not see why they would switch over if they already own an ipod, what was the point? The features and price were very similar and coming into the race 5 years late was a huge disadvantage. The ipod world and society had already boomed and took over the glob. This was the main external influence in the purchase or none-purchase of the Zune. Internally, like I said before consumers did not see the benefits of owning this device. I would probably say people were emotionally detached from this product. There were minor differences in hardware and software and the overall marketing/advertising for the Zune was just plain bad. It was smart for them to discontinue it, or else it would have burdened them much more pain and lost in the long run.

Surffs (the web) up

      Politics has been in the media for many decades now. As shown in class Propaganda was a huge part of US, Britain, Soviet and even Nazi Germany history. It is powerful imagery backed up with a ton of emotion and pride. Weather it was positive or negative the messages were loud and unforgettable. Though those methods of mass communications were effective, now and days we have it even more easier with the birth of social media. Many political campaigns are catching momentum now more than ever before.
     One example the Surfrider Foundation is an organization here in California that is growing tremendously. They are a non- profit dedicated to keeping the ocean clean and ready for our enjoyment. They have a Facebook page and can be found at https://www.facebook.com/surfrider
They currently have 200 thousand + likes and have an interactive  following. Posting current environmental issues that relate to the ocean and also showing what we can do to help is genius. Like propaganda it is very one sided but it is positive and for a great cause. Images such as renewable water bottles and pollution in the sea touches us as an audience  and makes us want to change, in turn, changing the world in a large scale sense. This is essentially what politics and advertising does when they come together. 

Sex Sells

      The commercial above is an advertisement for GoDaddy.com. In my opinion I've always thought of this company as a bit sexist and even sleazy at some points. I feel as if the name of the website itself is deceiving and misleading. Because the vision they portray is so off pudding, you would never guess what they are even trying to sell. Obviously they are using these women as tools and taking advantage of the phrase "sex sells". They specialize in website creation and customization, but one would never guess that with this brand identity. Phrases such as, "customer service, with a personal touch" can be easily taken out of context. By doing this they are promoting bad habits and bad business ethics as well. I believe there is a way to use sex or gender in advertisement but this example does not showcase it. It tries to be comical and clever but for me, they gone to far with this one.  

     The video above also contains gender and also even racial stereo types, but I believe this is how advertising should be showcased. If one wants to use sex and/or race with their ads I would recommend using it in this type of context. Yes the Asian man is technologically savvy, but it is not over the top and demoralizing. Also the white middle aged women seems helpless with her cell phone needs, but she is a well known comedian who can also be asking questions just to be sarcastic and funny. Furthermore, notice how she is also fully clothed and not chosen solely for her body only but for her stand up skills. For me, I think this commercial uses these actors in a bright light and uses stereotypes in a better and almost in a non- offensive way unlike the GoDaddy.com commercial shown earlier. Like racial content, I believe the advertising industry has a ethical responsibility to hold these high standards for gender stereo types as well.

Crossing the Line

     For me there is a thin line between target marketing and flat out racism. Companies need to be more careful when it comes to advertising their products. Although the industry has gotten a lot better when it comes to this subject, it still lies within our media today.

   
     To the left is a radio ad. if you read the bottom text closely it says "Don't Kill Yourself over Craft". Obviously this is meant to be a joke with the middle eastern man strapped with a vest full of arts and craft. It mocks a large group of people deems them as bomb wielding terrorist. For some this ad may be hilarious but personally, i think they drop the ball with this one. its is over the top, disrespectful and demoralizing. This  ad was running in Israil  last year, and this is just a small sample of what today media holds. So , yes I believe that racism is not a thing of the past. It still comes up every once and a while, and in this case I believe that it is extremely wrong.
   
      The industry does get it wright once in a while as well. when stereotyping is used in a upbeat and whitey way, i do think it is ethically moral. By no means is it right, but at the same time i dont think its completely wrong. justified, in other words. For example
in the Nike ad bellow LeBron is showcased with several asain

spirits and a dragon, this ad is more than 5 years old but I believe it is a successful print. Being part asian myself  do not feel offended by this work in any way. Matter of a fact, I think its very unique how they collaborated the NBA super star LeBron James with the manga anime culture. They try to embrace and understand it, while at the same time advertising their new shoe over seas. I actually bought that shoe way back and i have no regrets.
   
      In conclusion, Advertisement agencies and other companies definitely have a ethical responsibility, not only for to public but to be true and right to themselves. Make sure their piece is not hateful and or demoralizing to any group of people. Embrace the culture and showcase it through a positive light. If these criteria are followed, the work will be looked as rightful art instead of inferior garbage.

Symbiotic Breakdown

      The video above is a 2013 commercial from KIA motor company. Recently I feel like this company has really re-invented themselves in an extraordinary fashion. The signifier is the Pro athlete, Blake Griffin himself. Along with the car these two are expressed as an item. The commercial signified that if you work hard and dedicate yourself to your craft, one day you can own an amazing car like the KIA Optima. In other words these are the denotations and connotations. This is all done with a great sense of humor, spontaneous and witty at the same time. It also manages to be very informative, with the comical gloves they  mention the lever shifters the car offers, one of the many features the car has to offer. The ideology behind this ad. hits the  bulls eye on many different levels.

     Another great piece of work that has a very iconic edge is the "got milk?" advertisement. The glass of milk and the milk mustache are symbolic to American pop culture. In this print ad to the right, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is the focal point. The tree, cat, text, milk icon and reaching hands are also denotations.The connotation is that the milk has protein that will potentially help you "Save the Day". The Rock is also a very muscular man. Like the video, this print add is indexical, the signifier is directly connected to the signified. The product and the celebrity are intertwined helping to sell.

     The last ad I chose is a GUESS billboard. This is showcased on a large canvas elevated to for the public to see. This advertisement below, sells by portraying the lifestyle of the rich and the famous. The sexy women, GUESS text, logo and hand bags are all

denotations, what we see right in front of us. The life style that i mention before is the connotation. It is as if you buy this brand, you can be living and having the visual appeal like the women shown in the billboard. The color scheme as well is selling sophistication and class. The black, white and gold are perfect elements to portray these emotions. It definitely has a feeling of royalty to it. All three of these ads are great and have their moments. These are a few of the symbiotic elements that live within advertisement.

"Art of Story Telling"

      Advertising agencies have existed for decades and though there are many companies out there, there is only one that continues to exceed my expectations. Wieden + Kennedy seem to have the magic formula when it comes to advertising. They manage to communicate with their audience on an emotional and global level. What really amazes me is how they sometimes pin  point and target people without even using dialog in their ads. Capturing imagery that truly speaks for itself is what they are known for. Coke, Nike, Old spice, Levis and Crystler are just a few big companies they have worked with. Wieden was also the man behind the Coca cola Polar bears and the Nike phrase "just do it".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgfqys_pkAo

      In the link above Dan Wieden the Co- Founder and CEO of W+K is interviewed on THINK TV. He talks about the future of advertising and mentions how Broadcasting + Interactiveness will create bigger and better opportunities for companies. Advertising is also not about selling, but about creating a strong provocative relationship between good companies and consumers. Furthermore suggesting that television is the "campfire" at night. By staying interactive with the audience it keeps their attention on several different levels beyond just television.

   



 

Brand Culture 8/27

When thinking about this topic, what immediately came to mind was my first job. About 2 years ago I applied for Nike as a shoe sales men. It was in my beginning stages of my college career and I wanted to work for Nike Factory in Milpitas so badly, in fact I didn't apply anywhere else, just to focus all my energy into getting this one position. My reason was solely because of their Brand recognition, their Brand Culture. There slogan was "just do it" and through out my life that saying stuck with me. It resonated with everything in my life. Schooling, Athletics and work ethics all came down to that simple saying. It also did not hurt that Nike is the premiere bran in active wear, to me they were innovative, functional and fashionable. They were true pop culture and I loved everything about it. Because their advertising is so great, i feel an emotional bound with the brand.  Furthermore, though I quite months ago, I still "bleed orange"(another term picked up by Nike, in case you did not notice).

Test Entry

In this class I hope to learn many aspects of advertising. For me, it is important to visualize the creative and symbolic elements of these pieces of work. Weather it is pop cutler or politics I would like to examine the emotions they illuminate through the audience. Also due to diverse ethical codes it is interesting to see what others perceive different ads as, either negative or positive. We all get touched by these ads but with every person it resonates differently. I am looking forward to this class and to learning all that I can.