Posted by Elena del Valle on June 24, 2011
The Age of Persuasion book cover
Photos: Counterpoint Berkeley
Based on a radio program by the same name The Age of Persuasion How Marketing Ate Our Culture (Counterpoint, $26) was written by Terry O’Reilly, the host of the program, and Mike Tenant, who with O’Reilly produced, researched and wrote the content of the program. Although the book is written in the first person it is the work of both contributors. At the beginning, they point out some of the things they have in common beyond their knowledge of the ad world and radio; they are both natives of Ontario, Canada of Irish ancestry who started writing ads at private radio stations in the early 1980s.
In the book, they address the difference between marketing (the process of promoting, distributing and selling) and advertising (exposing the public to the product or service through paid ads); branding (the promise of a product or service); new technologies; clutter; radio audience; billboards; telemarketers; and movie theater ads among other related issues.
Terry O’Reilly, coauthor, The Age of Persuasion
The 324-page hardcover book, published in 2009, is divided into 12 chapters: Clutter, Breaking The Contract, The Rise and Fall and Rise of Branded Entertainment, Persuading Yoots, The YouTube Revolution, Guerillas in Our Midst, The Lesson of Clark Gable’s Undershirt, The Language of Persuasion, A Sense of Persuasion, The Human Face of Persuasion, The Long and Short of It, and The Wall of Cynicism.
Mike Tennant, coauthor, The Age of Persuasion
O’Reilly has experience as a copywriter and director and is the cofounder of Pirate, an audio production company based in New York and Toronto. A resident of Kitchener, Ontario Tennant is the cocreator and writer of The Age of Persuasion, a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio series.
Click to buy The Age of Persuasion
Posted by Elena del Valle on June 20, 2011
Vivemejor.com, one of the sites where marketers placed ads targeting Latinos – click to enlarge
Marketing efforts by large personal care products companies increasingly have a broad reach, according to Hispanics and Personal Care US January 2011, a Mintel report released earlier this year. That company’s researchers concluded marketers of well known brands are presenting their products to Hispanic consumers in English or Spanish in print, online or televised ads.
When targeting Hispanics marketers for brands like Dove, Degree, Pantene, Aveeno and Colgate are relying on online marketing strategies and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and websites like Walmart.com, Latina.com, or Starmedia.com thinking some members of this market segment may not be watching television or reading print magazines.
An example is ViveMejor.com, Unilever’s Spanish-language sister site to complement its online presence at MakingLifeBetter.com. The site promotes personal care products Suave shampoo, Dove, Pond’s, and Axe next to beauty tips, social networking links, and food recipes for Unilever food brands.
Another example is the promotional efforts of Axe deodorant featuring humorous and sexy Axe deodorant and shower gel television ads in Spanish and English boosting the newcomer brand’s popularity. One in three Latino men are thought to purchase the product.
Anti dandruff shampoo brand marketers for Head & Shoulders placed ads in People en Español, Selecciones, Siempre Mujer and TV y Novelas in early 2008 to the tune of $157,250. Hoping to reach acculturated Latinas aged 18 to 24 on mainstream television marketers for Kotex’s U line produced ads featuring women of color. The survey was conducted online in August 2010 among 534 U.S. Hispanic respondents aged 18 and older.
Posted by Elena del Valle on November 9, 2010
ANA banner near the meeting room
Happy anniversary! The national economic slowdown, registration fees between $1,195 and $1,395 and exorbitant parking fees at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach notwithstanding this year’s Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Conference sold out. Six hundred people with an interest in diversity market segments registered for the ritzy event at the posh Florida hotel.
It is not the first time the organization’s diversity conference does well. Attendance, like the emerging markets profiled and discussed at the conferences, seems to grow every year. In 2007, the event held in Boca Raton, Florida had record attendance of 430 (for more on the past ANA events see ANA 2007 multicultural conference has record attendance and National advertisers association recognizes members’ multicultural TV ads).
Beatriz R. Perez of The Coca-Cola Company answered questions
The 2010 conference began Sunday, November 7, 2010 at 2 p.m. and concludes today at 3:30 p.m. Monday morning when Beatriz R. Perez , chief marketing officer, Coca-Cola North America, The Coca-Cola Company shared insights on her company’s strategies to reach multicultural markets the large meeting room appeared to be near seating capacity. After she answered a few written questions submitted by the audience and selected and posed by a moderator Mark Addicks, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, General Mills discussed his company’s diversity goals and efforts to target Hispanic and African American consumers. Outreach to Asian American audiences is on the wish list he said in response to a question from the audience.
Rick Wion, director of Social Media at McDonald’s Corporation, outlined his company’s four year old social media efforts and emphasis on authenticity and brand reputation management immediately before lunch. The near full lunch room was buzzing and the conversation was so loud at times it was impossible to hear the presentation (or see the bottom of the two giant screens) about workforce and workplace changes in the year 2020 by Tanya M. Odom, director of Innovation and Social Media and Coach, The FutureWork Institute.
Posted by Elena del Valle on July 19, 2010
A scene in Papas Brujería
Photos, videos: Heineken USA
Heineken USA is relying on Mexican humor and folklore to win the loyalty of Mexican Newcomer consumers, Mexican men between 21 and 34 years of age living in the United States less than 10 years. The beer maker recently launched Tecate Light Papas, a broadcast, out-of-home and retail marketing campaign, including three Spanish language 30-second ads filmed and produced in Mexico City, Mexico, for Tecate Light. Scroll down to watch the three ads in Spanish.
The Tecate Light Papas television commercials, which took three months to film and produce in Mexico, are scheduled to air concurrently from May to September 2010 on Univision, Telemundo, Azteca America and Estrella TV in markets where the beer is available, including Arizona, California, and Texas.
Christian McMahan, chief marketing officer, Heineken USA
“With this installment of Tecate Light’s Papás campaign, we’re creating continuity of two characters that connect emotionally with the brand’s core consumer, Mexican men making a living in the U.S. Most importantly, by incorporating humoristic and visual elements that only they would understand, Tecate Light is further positioned as an authentic Mexican light cerveza that offers them much more than just another light beer option,” said Christian McMahan, chief marketing officer, Heineken USA.
The three spots, peppered with Mexican slang, humor and culture and the brand tagline “Por los que quieren más” (“For those who want more”), feature two Mexican parents whose son, José, lives in the United States and drinks light beers that, according to the ads, don’t compare to the flavor of Tecate Light.
A scene in Papas Garrafon
In one of the ads, for example, the mother, who believes that her son has been cursed into drinking other brands, performs a limpia, or a cleansing, on his portrait. In the second commercial, the parents become clearly agitated as the local water boy walks by the house offering his services, reminding them that their son prefers watered down beers.
A scene in Papas Gringos, the third ad with replacement parents
In the third ad an American couple pretend to be José’s parents and talk to him in a heavily-accented Spanish. Soon his real mother and father appear saying “Since you keep drinking light beer from over there, does it mean you’re also looking to replace us?” The ad closes with the American and Mexican dads comparing their pronunciation of light beer.
The three commercials were directed by Simón Bross, who also help create Tecate’s Anthem 3 campaign released in April 2010 (see Heineken launches new Tecate Spanish language ad campaign targeting men 21 to 34). Adrenalina, the brand’s advertising agency, created the ads; Media Vest’s MV42 Degrees handled the media buy.
Manuel Wernicky, president, Adrenalina
“The Papás have become iconic characters who represent the different mindsets newcomers experience as they straddle two worlds,” said Manuel Wernicky, president, chief ideas officer and managing partner, Adrenalina.
Posted by Elena del Valle on July 7, 2010
Memo Ochoa in an Allstate campaign ad – click on image to enlarge
Photo, videos: Allstate
Allstate wants to win over 18 to 49 year old men who prefer to watch television in Spanish. Toward that end representatives of the Illinois based insurance company dedicated several weeks to filming (and producing) two 30-second Spanish language television commercials in Mexico City, Mexico. Scroll down to watch the two ads, Gloves and Wall, in Spanish.
Work on the ads for an undisclosed budget was the responsibility of several people from Lapiz (production), White House (editing), Absolute Post (post production), CO3 (transfer), Human (music), and Another Country (sound design). Lapiz, under the creative direction of Javier Osorio and Eduardo Cintron, led the conception and production of the TV commercials. Briton Gerard de Thame was in charge of the direction.
The commercials are airing through the World Cup and beyond on Univision, Telemundo, Galavision, Telefutura, TV Azteca, and all their affiliates as well as ESPN and its affiliates. The spots should also stream online on major Spanish language sports sites and ESPN.com.
Gloves first aired May 2010 while the Mexican National Team played in a series of friendly matches throughout the United States. Wall made its debut during the start of the World Cup on June 11, 2010.
According to an Allstate representative, the company that provides insurance products to more than 17 million households has been the exclusive sponsor of the Mexican National Team for the past four years. During that time, Allstate representatives have developed several television ads with a soccer theme including some that have featured Memo Ochoa (Francisco Guillermo Ochoa Magaña), a Mexican football goalkeeper. Although the Mexican National Team is based in Mexico every year they play friendly matches in the United States. Allstate executives hope to take advantage of the game’s popularity to expand the insurance brand among team fans.
Marketers at the insurer believe the ads have resonated well with fans of the Mexican National Team, the sport in general, and among the general Hispanic population in the United States. Allstate also developed print, radio and online advertising in support of this program, linking to its soccer communication platform: Proteccion es la jugada (Protection is our game).
As part of the campaign, Luis Roberto Alves “Zague,” a former Mexican footballer, is scheduled to twitter live from South Africa throughout the World Cup and share blog entries in an interactive website, proteccioneslajugada.com. Through the site it is possible to send messages “via the bleachers,” orchestrate team chants, customize a soccer ball, and place Memo Ochoa’s hair on personal photos.
The Allstate Financial Group, founded in 1931 as part of Sears, Roebuck & Co., sells life and supplemental accident and health insurance, annuity, banking and retirement insurance to individuals and companies through company owned and independent agencies, financial institutions and broker-dealers. According to the company website (KeyMetrics 2009), 27.4 percent of its employees are minority members divided as follows: 16.2 percent of its employees are African American, 8.3 percent are Hispanic, 4.3 percent are Asian and .4 percent are Native American. When it comes to officers and managers the company workforces is 21 percent diverse: 8.6 African American, 7 percent Hispanic, 3.6 percent Asian and .5 percent Native American. In 2009, there was one African American on the company board of directors.
