Corporate Eye

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Susan Gunelius

Susan Gunelius

Skittles Website – Zany or Just Plain Crazy?

Skittles launched a new version of its website that Carole Walker, Skittles vice president of integrated marketing communications calls, “zany,” but just about everyone else calls plain crazy.

What’s the buzz about?  Rather than providing a traditional website that a consumer would expect to find after typing www.skittles.com into their browser search bar, consumers find this…

skittles_website_550px

What the heck is that, you ask?  Well, you’re not the only one. 

If the goal was to stir up a negative online buzz, then the Skittles marketing team succeeded.  If the goal was to meet customer expectations (or exceed them), as every brand’s goal should be, then the Skittles team failed.

You see, the Skittles team is trying to bring interactivity to its website by basically replacing the site with either a Twitter page (like the above version) or a Facebook page or even a Wikipedia page to which visitors can add content. 

So what do you think?  Clever, useful and whimsical as the Skittles team seems to think – or not?  I vote not. 

When a consumer visits your website, they’re looking for information.  They don’t have time to weed through a bunch of cr*p to get to the information they want or need.  Bottom-line, when your website causes consumers to stop and say, “What the h*ll is this?”  it’s not a good thing.  I’m all for adding interactivity to websites and allowing consumers to take control thereby deepening their relationships with a brand, but from the consumer perspective, my feeling is – give me the information I need, and give it to me now, or I’m going to look elsewhere.

My opinion, go back to the drawing board, Skittles. 

Your opinion?

5 Ways to Achieve Experience-Based Brand Differentiation

coke-museumThe correlation between the need for superior customer service and stellar customer experiences with brands AND a struggling economy is not rocket science.  It makes sense that people are going to be more price sensitive than ever during an economic downturn, but they are also likely to be far more affected by negative or positive customer experiences — and that includes experiences with brands.

It’s a simple concept really.  When every dollar counts more than ever (like during a recession), consumers are far more aware of who they give their money to in exchange for products or services.  You better believe they remember and pay more attention to people who talk about positive or negative brand experiences.

What’s the solution for brand managers and marketers who want to achieve experience-based differentiation when the economy is weak?  Again, it’s simple.  [Read more…] about 5 Ways to Achieve Experience-Based Brand Differentiation

Miller Introduces the 1-Second Ad

miller_high_life1Who would have thought that a one-second beer commercial during the Super Bowl would get noticed?  Miller.

At a time when brands are competing harder than ever to get noticed between the clutter of messages consumers receive each day, Miller decided to break the television advertising mold with a one-second commercial. 

If you didn’t see the ad, check it out below.

 

What I love about this ad is its simplicity.  It reminds me of the Budweiser “Wassup?” commercials.  Of course, Budweiser had intended to push the word “true” in those ads, but “wassup?” became a term that permeated U.S. culture as fast as any Seinfeld quote like Frank Costanza’s classic “Serenity now!” 

You can see two Budweiser “Wassup?” commercials in the video below.

 

And for fun, here’s a “Serenity now” clip from Seinfeld.

 

So what does this tell us as marketers?  First, a well-placed ad with a simple message can work.  According to AC Nielsen, the one-second Miller ad moved the rating meter the same as the average 30-second commercial did during the 2009 Super Bowl, and sales for Miller High Life jumped the week after the commercial aired.  In other words, it really does pay to think out of the box and break the mold.  The question is whether or not your company is ready to be the next trendsetter.  In today’s economy, it could be what sets the winners apart from the losers (or at least the companies that will be here this time next year and those that will have to shut their doors).

What do you think?

Hat tip to Brand New Day for this post topic.

Image: Flickr

This Just In – Customer Experience Affects Brand Loyalty

lego_loyalty_cardIn a new study, Forrester reports the obvious – customer experience affects loyalty.  In case you were wondering if there was any correlation between experience and future action, you needn’t wonder anymore.  Forrester surveyed 4,500 U.S. consumers about 100 brands to come up with this finding.

However, there is more to it than the obvious.  The more interesting part of the survey is the comparison of the data to the results of a similar Forrester survey conducted in 2007.  Across all 12 industries included in the survey, the degree of correlation between experience and loyalty increased in 2008 over 2007.  The cause?  The tanking economy. [Read more…] about This Just In – Customer Experience Affects Brand Loyalty

It’s Bankruptcy Number 3 for Trump Entertainment

trump_plazaJust four years ago in 2005, Trump Entertainment emerged from its second Chapter 11 filing, and today, the company, along with nine of its affiliates, went down that path for a third time.  Certainly, the recession played a significant role in the fate of Trump Entertainment, which operates three casinos and hotels in New Jersey.  The company is quick to point out that the Chapter 11 filing will cause no changes in daily operations or the company’s philosophy. 

The Chapter 11 filing did not come as a surprise to financial experts, and it certainly won’t hurt Donald Trump who vocally disagreed with the Chapter 11 filing and stated he would resign from the company’s board if it filed for bankruptcy.  Looks like he’s moving onto bigger and better things, because according to an article on Reuters, Trump claimed that Trump Entertainment, “represents less than 1 percent of his net worth and that ‘my investment in it is worthless to me now.'”  Strong words from the anti-brand champion who vacated the role of CEO of Trump Entertainment after the 2005 bankruptcy problems. [Read more…] about It’s Bankruptcy Number 3 for Trump Entertainment