Ries' Pieces

Super Bowl of Advertising - 2012

While the gridiron battle between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots was close, the advertising battle on the tube was not.

The Super Bowl battle for commercial success might better be described as a mixture of the old classics, the new stuff, the overly sexy and the over the top.

Here is my brief recap on the best/worst ads of the night.

 

The Old Classics

The Super Bowl isn’t for also-rans. The big game is best served by big brands that are category leaders and that support the game year after year with consistent themes.

 

Coca-Cola

The three polar bear ads delivered. The ads were classic storytelling for the whole family from the world’s most valuable brand. Coke combined its well-known Polar Bears with a football theme and its iconic bottle to produce a series of commercials that were both entertaining and memorable.

 

Budweiser

When Budweiser does it right, it gets it really right. The “Return of the King” and “Eternal Optimism” delivered on a recurring theme of the night. Times are tough, but Americans pull through so why not celebrate with a Bud? On the funny side, Bud also delivered with a Weego  rescue dog that fetches beers. An overused gag, but Bud found a way to make it fresh and fun. The misses came for the new brand called Bud Light Platinum. Nobody has heard of it and nobody knew they needed another line-extension of Bud. But when they find out that Bud Light Platinum has a higher alcohol than regular beer, the brand could have legs with young adults.

 

E*Trade

The talking baby is now a classic for the brand. Consumers love the creative which conveys the message that E*Trade is so easy a baby can do it. The brand has nicely evolved and continues to introduce fresh, new ideas. This ad talking about “Fatherhood” had a nice connection with the Super Bowl and family time.

 

Doritos

Getting customers to create winning commercials has turning into a successful Super Bowl strategy for the chip maker.  The Doritos contest has become a classic and much anticipated part of Super Bowl Sunday. As in years past, amateurs turned in some of the funniest laughs of the night. Man’s Best Friend involves a cat-murder, a cover-up and bribery. And Sling Baby, has granny using a baby slingshot to get some Doritos. I love the creativity and fun these ads deliver for a brand that is addictive with bold flavors.

 

The New Stuff

The Super Bowl can be an excellent place to launch a new brand. Apple famously did that with its Macintosh ad in 1984.

 

Skechers

Dogs and kids always attract attention in advertising. In this commercial, a cute little French bulldog takes to the greyhound track and wins thanks to his new Skechers Go Run shoes. The line promotes a more-natural running experience that is all the rage these days. The spot was particularly good as compared with last year’s revolting Skechers commercial featuring Kim Kardashian rolling around with a personal trainer.

 

Acura

Since 2005, car enthusiasts have been mourning the end of the NSX supercar. So Honda’s plan to return with a new generation of the NSX has gotten a lot of gearheads excited. This spot nicely uses Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno in an over-the-top story line about bribing the guy who is first line to get the NSX. The only problem is the car won’t be in production until 2015.

 

M&Ms

This spot introduced the new brown-color M&M character. Ms. Brown is smart and sassy. And using humor and a killer song makes this ad melt in your mouth not in your hands.

 

The Overly Sexy

Using hot girls to sell everything from boats to beer is taken right out of advertising 101. But several ads crossed the line and were more repulsive than seductive. When it comes to the Super Bowl and sex, there really can be too much of a good thing.

 

Teleflora

The oh-so-subtle “give her flowers on Valentine’s day and you shall receive” pitch. I’m sure guys would send that Victoria Secret model anything for a peck on the cheek. But as a women, I cringe at the transactional tone of the commercial. But I am looking forward to seeing what they are going to do for Mother’s Day.

 

GoDaddy

The entire marketing plan for this Internet registration site is creating a “too sexy” Super Bowl ad that will hopefully get banned, thereby generating a lot of publicity. This approach has gotten stale. Body paint? There is way too much porn on the Internet already, nobody needs to go to Go Daddy to see more of it.

 

H&M

Equal-opportunity nudity alert: David Beckham in his underwear! Goes to show you, naked men can flop just as easily as naked women. He is beautiful, but fast-fashion retailer H&M needs more than a naked Beckham to run a successful Super Bowl spot. How about an idea?

 

Oikos Yogurt

Full House hunk John Stamos eating Greek yogurt “9 ½ weeks style.” There is so much good to say about the sky-rocketing Greek yogurt category. Too bad they resorted to sex to sell it.

 

 

The Over the Top

Too many superbowl ads try too hard and do too much. More often than not it falls flat.

 

Century 21

Smarter, bolder, faster might be the name of the commercial, but it fails to deliver on any of those traits. The real estate company selected celebrities they felt embodied these traits. Smarter: Donald Trump, Deion Sanders. Bolder: Apolo Ohno. But where is the connection to selling houses? And “smarter, bolder, faster” is the last thing people say or think about after a visit with a Century 21 agent. They should stick to the Gold Jacket.

 

Kia

Over the top and loving it. This testosterone-fueled ad has a little of everything, hot girls, fast cars, cool bands. It is turbo-charged and might appeal to the young men in its demographic but the brand would have been better off if the commercial had first provided an understanding what a Kia is.

 

Pepsi

Pepsi was once the choice of a new generation. But with Coca-Cola beating them up and bumping Pepsi down to 3^rd place behind Coca-Cola and Diet Coke, this spot doesn’t ring true. The cruel King Elton John isn’t keeping anybody from Pepsi. Kids just don’t want to drink it as much as they once did. They are drinking Monster and Red Bull instead.

 

Volkswagen

You know when the sequel goes right to video. Well this commercial is like that. After last year’s success with Star Wars’ themed The Force, Volkswagen this time mixed dogs, weight loss and some weird Star Wars stuff at the end. It wasn’t a cohesive story and didn’t ever connect to the brand. It was just Volkswagen trying too hard to make a Super Bowl commercial and it shows. Simple stories that relate to the brand work much better.

 

Chrysler

Chrysler gave us an inspirational, gritty, 2 minute mini-movie – Half-Time in America with tough guy Clint Eastwood. But what are they selling? Detroit? Obama? I don’t get the connection to Chrysler, who promotes all the Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Chrysler brands at the end.  My problem is not with the production or sentiment; both are over the top and terrifically powerful. But Chrysler is the weakest of the big 3 and only survived because it sold a 53% percent stake to Fiat an Italian company. More like imported and paid for by Italy.

 

Super Bowl 2011: Game scores big, Advertising mostly fumbles

The stand out star of last night’s Super Bowl was clearly Aaron Rogers. Most people will be talking about Aaron and the Packers today instead of the commercials. Because it was the game that was far more super than any of the ads. But with the most-watched commercials of the year, the Super Bowl provides a good picture of the state of the advertising industry.

Here is my roundup of who scored and who fumbled.

Touch-downs

BMW: “Advanced Diesel – Changes.” Good commercials use good visuals. And nothing beats seeing the ultimate driving machine on the road. Unfortunately, diesel engines connote strong images of “smog,” so BMW brilliantly counteracts that concept with the song “Changes” to introduce us to the new advanced diesel cars from BMW.

Doritos: “Best Part.” Again, Doritos has a strong visual to work with: Its unique triangle covered in orange goodness. Everybody knows how the chips stain your fingers and how the crumbs stain your clothes, so the guy licking his co-workers fingers was the perfect twist. The twist really hammers in the brand strategy. Viewer-created commercials like this one have got to make Madison Ave nervous.

 

First downs

Pepsi Max: “First Date.” What men are thinking vs. what women are thinking is a simple idea brilliantly executed. Again, this viewer-created ad shows that big budgets aren’t necessary for a super Super Bowl ad. The key is a powerful idea. It also makes me think that a lot of talented creative people are out of work and submitting ads. “Zero Calories, Maximum-Pepsi Taste” is the closing slogan. “Zero” is nice, but it’s too bad Coca-Cola grabbed it first. The other problem is that half the commercial goes by without the viewer knowing exactly what the commercial is for? That’s a problem. The guy could have just as easily been distracted by a beer, a car or a Snickers bar.

E*Trade: “Baby -- Tailor.” What I love about these E*Trade ads is that they are in the game every year and stick to one visual that hammers their brand idea. “The site that is so easy a baby can do it.” However, this wasn’t my favorite execution. I much prefer the iPad/dog commercial that has been running the past few months.

Volkswagen: “Darth Vader.” As a parent, the Darth Vader spot pulled at my heartstrings. As a piece of work, it was brilliant. It beautifully captured the innocence of childhood. What it didn’t do, however, was to connect the idea to Volkswagen. Any car with a remote start could have been slotted in.

Volkswagen: “Beetle.” I loved it. I would have loved it more, if I knew up front the beetle was suppose to be a “Beetle.” The arrival of a new Beetle car is a big deal, so they should have showed the new car. That would have also made news and increased the chatter about the ad.

Audi: ”Release the Hounds.” Well, at least they didn’t release any more dead horse heads: Audi ads have come a long way since. They now have come up with the idea of a luxury car for a new generation. The visuals (Kenny G, the hounds) were hysterical. The only problem is that consumers don’t necessarily buy the idea of Audi being more prestigious or cooler than Mercedes. First, they need to establish the prestige of the brand before they run ads like one.

 

Fumbles:

Pepsi Max : “Torpedo Cooler.” Not every viewer-generated ad was brilliant, including this one. The commercial relies on the classic joke of hitting the guy in the crotch. Funny, sure. But the idea has nothing to do with Pepsi.

BMW X3: ”Defying Logic.” I think it is great that BMW is building cars in America. I think it is great that they are designing the cars in America, too. But they shouldn’t throw out their German roots. The brand is German and most of the profits are going back to Germany. I think that people buy BMWs not because they are made in the U.S., but in spite the fact they are made in the U.S. I think they should have spent more time showing off the new car.

Sealy: “Super Bowl After Glow.” Since I was watching the game with my 8-year-old son, I wanted to immediately change the channel for this one. Advertisers need to remember the Super Bowl is a family event as well as an adult one. The other problem with the commercial is that viewers have no idea what the company is selling. I certainly would have never guessed it was mattresses! They might have started off with the line “It’s better on springs.” I like the idea of being the opposite. Bouncy springs vs. memory foam. However, Sealy has been trying to tell us springs aren’t bouncy, haven’t they?

Anheuser-Busch: All of them. How the mighty have fallen. For years A-B seemed to have a system for creating a stable of funny, talk-of-the-party Super Bowl ads, along with a killer visual, the Clydesdales. This year, the ads weren’t funny and the Clydesdales were relegated to a bit part.

Stella-Artois: “Crying Jean.” This ad made me cry for the brand. Absolutely horrible. Again, the brand has an iconic image, the Stella glass. They showed the glass but connected it to crying ladies and a moody, pathetic-looking singer.

GoDaddy: “New Girl.” The twist of using Joan Rivers was funny. But their sexist shtick is worn out. The site is very effective, the advertising is not. They are lucky because they face no real competition in the category.

Groupon: “Tibet.” We can chalk it up as a rookie mistake to run a shocking and disturbing commercial without much redeeming value. After the intense excitement about the company and a pending IPO, this was a big PR black eye. The first part of the commercial showing Tibet and the needs of its people was poignant, but then to make a joke of it and your company, not savvy. Groupon has a problem when creating an commercial since they don’t have a strong visual to work with. What they are known for are their email messages. It’s harder to advertise a service that is unseen. The most successful service-company commercials first develop a powerful visual like the Aflac duck, the Geiko gecko and the E*Trade baby.

Snickers: “Logging.” It is hard to follow-up on the commercial that brought back the beloved Betty White. It was a classic, Betty White getting tackled on a muddy football field. It was fitting and shocking. This year Snickers substituted Lewis & Rosanne Barr. Nobody wants these celebrities back, and who even remembers Lewis? And getting hit with a log, not funny.

Chevrolet: “Old-Age Home.” Funny! Very funny. But the spot never got the brand message across. Could have been a commercial for anything. Chevrolet ran several spots during the game. Each was totally different, each was a one-off joke. So typical of GM; they spend a ton of money but they never get an message or idea into the mind.

Chrysler: “Eminem movie.” Chrysler is going to need a lot more than Eminem to save the company. The commercial was powerful in showing the images of Detroit and using its hometown hero Eminem. But I’m not sold that Detroit will ever come back to past glory. It is sad. Chrysler and “imported luxury from Detroit” are just not an easy sell. Chrysler should have started with what it already owns, the Minivans. (For Ford, it’s trucks.) What also watered down this ad is that Eminem also appeared as a cartoon in a dreadfully-awful Brisk ice-tea ad.

Motorola Mobility: “Empower the People.” If you want to compare yourself to Apple’s 1984 Macintosh commercial, you’d better be able to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. The Xoom tablet? I’d rather see them hammer the success of the Motorola Droid, an Android phone has been the much talked about alternative to the iPhone.

 

Super Bowl Ads: Winners & Losers

 

THE WINNERS

 

Budweiser. Nothing goes better with football than beer. And the King of Beers, a consistent game day player since 1989, has game ads down to a science. This year, Bud again used a combination of the Clydesdales, humor, tradition, the beer wagon, leadership and heart to get the job done with style. Like the Steelers, the Bud win wasn’t a blow-out, but in the end they end up on top. My favorite was the Clydesdale and the circus horse.

 

Monster. What works best in a Super Bowl ad is consistency. Monster was a game regular since 1999 and the standout "when I grow up" campaign. After a couple years off, Monster is back in the game and comes out a winner again. Again it is combination of a powerful visual, original humor and brand message that scored big. They had the backside of the moose plus the message of over 1 million jobs worldwide.

Denny's. When you can point out a clear difference between you and the competition in a humorous and memorable way it makes for a great commercial no matter when it runs. Not only did Denny’s allude to it’s competition as a bunch of circus clowns (serving food covered in whipped cream, sprinkles and goop) Denny’s is offering everyone in America a "real" grand slam breakfast tomorrow! Wow. With 1,600 restaurants in 49 states (only Wyoming is missing) expect lines out the door and lots of people enjoying a hearty breakfast no whipped cream included. Many brands like Denny's are better positioned by what they are not instead of what they are.

 

Doritos. Third year is a charm. Doritos has leveraged it's Crash the Super Bowl contest to appeal to the YouTube generation where everyone has a camera and everyone wants to be a film director. This year two unemployed nobodies from nowhere won the contest, took home 1 million dollars and even topped the USA Today Ad poll. While the ad was low-brow, slapstick and juvenile it appealed to the target market. While the ad lacked brand message, young men just can’t seem to resist crotch humor or the unique taste of Doritos.

 

Cash 4 Gold. Talk about the right message at the right time with a brilliant execution. Ed McMahon and MC Hammer both looking down and out trading in their gold mementos for cash. A hard sell and stand out cheesiness make this a standout. And who doesn’t have cheesy gold things from the 80’s they should be getting rid of for cash?

 

LOSERS 

 

Go Daddy. When GoDaddy first debuted its brand at the Super Bowl in 2005 it was a quirky unknown company blowing their whole budget to run two Super Bowl ads to create controversy to generate PR. The ad made fun off the famed wardrobe malfunction from the year before and it succeeded in getting everybody talking about it’s tastelessness but it also got a lot of people visiting and using GoDaddy.com. Fast forward to today, GoDaddy is now the world’s leading registrar with three times the addresses as its closest competitor. Today, GoDaddy needs to grow up. GoDaddy need to be not just controversial with it’s advertising it needs a solid strategy.

 

Hyundai. Hyundai has a terrible sounding name, but it has been a hot selling car by focusing on low cost and quality. And right now being the cheapest car on the market is a good place to be. But was that good enough for Hyundai? Of course not, companies always want what they don't have. So last year Hyundai launched the luxury Genesis model with a price point of $40,000. Have the cars been well received by the critics? Yes, it even was named Car of the Year. Will the Genesis be a hit with consumers? No way. Hyundai’s ad showing Mercedes and BMW executives screaming in fear over the Hyundai product reviews are laughable. For $10,000 consumers will drive a Hyundai, but for $40,000 no way. When consumers get money again they will be running right back to Mercedes and BMW. Prestige does not rhyme with Sunday.

SoBe. Again Sobe LifeWater ran an ad with every ad clique in the book throw into it. This year the ad had lizards, music, NFL players ballet dancing it was in 3-D. Too much is too much. The first rule of branding is that a brand needs to stand for something. Strong brands might sometimes get away with such antics but weak brands can't. The ad, the brand and the strategy are all wrong.

2009: The Year of Brand Darwinism

Welcome to a brand new year. It is 2009 and almost everybody is hoping 2009 will be better than 2008.

 

Sadly many brands didn't live to see 2009.  Some of the casualties of 2008 include: Bombay Co., Aloha Airlines, Skybus, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Linens N' Things, Sharper Image, KB Toys and Mervyns.

 

And this year many more are likely to be wiped out like Circuit City or perhaps even Sears/Kmart or Chrysler.

 

But is this bloodshed all bad? And how can you your brand avoid extinction? Read on.

 

First of all, brand busts are not a bad thing. It is brand Darwinism at its best, survival of the fittest. It is a good thing for everybody when only the strongest brands survive.

 

Currently we simply have too many of everything. Too many clothing stores, too many gas stations, too many malls, too many sandwich shops, too many coffee shops, too many furniture stores, too many car dealers, too many condos, too many real estate agents.

 

This excess was created by the previous economic boom. Anyone could start a business, open a franchise or buy a house and they did. And many of those brands, buildings and businesses needed to fail because they were bad ideas. Nobody can win unless somebody loses. That's life.

 

It is time to thin the herd. Of course, thinning the herd will not sound good if you are a sick buffalo trying to keep up (like anybody working at Kmart). But it is the best thing for the whole herd (Walmart/Target and you.)

 

Thinning the herd means more food and a greater chance of survival for the stronger animals and their young. The sick, old and weak animals drag down the whole herd down just like the sick, meaningless and over-populated brands drag the whole economy down.

 

If strong brands are allowed to succeed and weak brands are allowed to fail, the free market will allow prosperity to return. Propping up loser companies in the country or loser brands in your company is not a good idea. (The bailout,  for example.)

 

Now is the time to cut the losers (Chrysler, for example.) Nobody wants to see people lose their jobs. But the only way to create jobs is with strong brands and companies. Companies with strong brands generate profits. GM has billions in sales but still loses money, because they don’t have strong brands.

 

Not only do we have too many brands, but we also have a lot of very weak brands. How do brands become weak? Expansion and unchecked growth.

 

As every gardener knows, the way to keep a plant vigorous is by pruning. Corporate and government gardeners seem to have trouble accepting and understanding this principle.

 

Unchecked growth in all directions weakens a plant which needs constant pruning to remain healthy. The same hold true for companies. Yet when times are good, nobody wants to cut brands, products or services. And remarkably even when times are bad, nobody still wants to cut brands, products or services.

 

So how can you avoid extinction this year? Hopefully you have been a good brand gardener and have been pruning and keeping your brand strong. If you haven't, you can only hope your competition is a worse gardener than you are.

 

Just being well-known does not spare you from extinction. Unless you can link your brand to a category or an idea in the mind, your name might be known but it would be worthless. Chevrolet, for example.

 

In general, leading brands or strongly differentiated No. 2 brands in categories with a future have the best chance for success.

 

If you are a me-too No. 2 brand like Linens N’ Things or Circuit City, you are in trouble. If you are a No.3 brand especially behind two strongly differentiated competitors you are really in dire straits like DHL or Kmart.

 

If your category is a thing of the past, even though your name is well-known you are going to find survival difficult like Kodak, Sharper Image or Mervyns.

 

What the world needs, what the U.S. needs, what your company needs, (perhaps even what your waistline needs after too much Christmas pudding) is a lesson in gardening.

 

A healthy pruning now will be rewarded with a lovely growth spurt later on. Sounds illogical but it works.

 

Nobody ever said marketing was logical.

 

Olympic Glory and Shame

There is one thing for sure, nothing is for sure when it comes to the Olympics. The Olympics is a place where even the best laid plans can collapse in under a tenth of a second, by the whim of a judge or by a nagging injury.

Like its sporting counterpart, Olympic marketing is an expensive gamble that sometimes pays off big but many times doesn’t at all. For all the happy faces going home with gold around their necks there are many more heads hanging low. The Olympics are a winner takes all competition, where second place is no place because winning silver really means losing gold.

But as the old saying goes, you can’t win it if you aren’t in it. For mass marketing giants like Coca-Cola, Nike, McDonalds and Visa the opportunity to be an Olympic sponsor is too valuable not to take a chance on and too important to let a competitor get a hold of. So who won marketing gold? And was it smarts, money or luck that made the difference? Read on to see.

 

After Michael Phelps stunning sports perfection of 8 gold medals in 8 events, it would seem so easy to plan an Olympic marketing success. Find an athlete destined for gold medal glory and then pay them handsomely to endorse your product. Launch a massive marketing campaign tying the athlete, your brand and the host country to a powerful message to increase brand awareness and loyalty.

But just like competing in an Olympic event, it is easier said than done. I always thought badminton was a nice leisurely sport but after watching the women’s final where two Chinese athletes swatted the birdie to near extinction, you realize the Olympics takes everything to the extreme and that includes marketing.

Michael Phelps became at sensation at the 2004 Athens games winning six gold medals but there was nothing to guarantee that he could even duplicate that in Beijing let alone break the Spitz record. In fact, after a 2005 drinking and driving guilty plea you might have assumed sponsoring him could be rather risky.

 

Liu Xiang also became a sensation at the 2004 Athens games where he became the first Chinese man to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field. Liu quickly became the most celebrated and sponsored athlete in China. And Lui’s event, the 110-meter hurdles, was the most highly anticipated event at the Beijing games. Some fanatic fans even believed the Bird’s Nest stadium was built with Lui in mind as the place where he would defend his title and win gold in front of the home crowd.

For China, Liu is like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan wrapped up into one pretty package. A young, handsome, charismatic athlete who overnight won the heart of a nation and gained the interest of sponsors worldwide. No Chinese athlete has been marketed more aggressively or more successfully than Lui. Nike, Coca-Cola and Visa are all major sponsors of Lui and have invested millions in endorsement contracts and promotions centering on him. His face is plastered everywhere in China currently. And had Lui won gold at the birds nest, it would have been high fives all around.

But while team Phelps experienced the extreme high of Olympic glory. Team Lui experienced the extreme low of Olympic shame. Sadly Lui limped off the field Monday unable to even compete in his qualifying heat ending the dream for him, his fans, his country and his sponsors.

The games aren’t over yet, but the biggest win certainly goes to Michael Phelps and Speedo. The combination of Phelps’s record breaking medal count along with Speedo’s revolutionary new suit the “LZR” racer which dominated in the pool (nearly every gold medal swimmer wore one) meant a one-two knockout punch for the brand. Speedo’s $1 million dollar bonus paid to Phelps for winning 7 gold medals was money well spent for all the extra favorable PR Phelps, the LZR and swimming received.

In fact, Speedo originally had planned on a major advertising campaign last fall to introduce its new LZR suits, but wisely held off betting on major buzz coming off the Olympics. With Phelps and his 8 gold medals as the spokesperson now is the time to spend heavily on marketing. (It is just too bad summer and swim season is over. Maybe Speedo can ask to have the Olympics moved to May?)

Speedo first signed Phelps when he was 16 years old. In 2003, they signed him to his current deal which included the million dollar bonus and runs through 2009. Signing with an athlete before they are famous and staying with them along the ride is the key to long-term endorsement success. Jumping on the Phelps bandwagon now looks disingenuous on Phelps part and the companies.

Phelps and his agent need to resist the temptation to cash in quick on his fame. Too many endorsements for too many products will undermine his most valuable asset his honesty. Phelps promoting Rayovac batteries, for example, would be just as horrible for him as it was for Michael Jordan.

I actually cringe at the possible endorsement deals he might do? Can you think of any funny ones he should avoid?

Laura's Best Baby Brands

Babies bring joy to our lives and many new brands into our homes. I've had a lot of experience with baby brands in the last six years. As a Mom and a marketer it has been fun to evaluate them on both levels. I have watched the rise of lots of exciting new brands first hand. Here are my picks of the best brands.

You will notice that all the best new brands have several similar elements in common:

1. First in a new category.
2. Great name.
3. Tons of PR.

Boppy
$35.00 at Babies R Us

The most popular shower gift in America, Boppy is the must-have tool for all new Moms. The breast is best, say most Doctors, and Boppy makes it possible. I had one in every room I fed my baby. So I never had to reach too far when I heard a scream.

Designed with ergonomics in mind, Boppy provides support to reduce strain on your arms, shoulders and neck. It also can be used for propping a baby and allowing for tummy time. But its main focus is helping Mom’s feed their babies comfortably.

Dr. Brown’s
3 pack is $14.00 at Wal-Mart

For working Moms that breastfeed, a good pump and good bottles are a must. So I lugged my Medela “pump in style” breast pump all over the world from South Africa to India. But Medela doesn’t make my list because while it is a perfect pump it is a terrible brand. The name alone gives it little chance for success. I still can never remember it or how to say it.

While Medela did a lousy job of branding, the opposite is true of Dr. Brown’s. Dr. Brown’s initially focused on helping babies with colic. The bottle’s patented design helps with reduce air in-take a main cause of colic. Of course, what parent even wants to take a chance with colic. Like many parents, I used these just in case. And once you and your baby get attached to a bottle you seldom change.

Dr. Brown’s started as a narrowly focused specialty product but is now mainstream, not because the product expanded but because the consumer upgraded.

Dr. Brown’s is great example of using personalization in a name, like Papa John’s Pizza or Dell Computer. The name really gives credibility with this product, reinforcing the advantage of having the bottle designed by a doctor. (A kindly grey haired Dr. Brown comes to mind immediately.)

Bugaboo
$899 at BabyStyle

Best known for tulips Holland is also the home of great design. Bugaboo innovative strollers from the Netherlands are both functional as well as beautiful. Many times a hot brand will upgrade the whole category.

What Dyson did for vacuum cleaners, Bugaboo has done for strollers. While every other manufacturer was trying to make a stroller/car-seat combination, Bugaboo made a streamlined stroller with a look that appealed to parents not kids.

Seeing a Bugaboo for the first time certainly makes a lasting impression. When I first got mine, people would stop me all the time.

Robeez
$33.00 at Zappos

While most baby shoes are cute tiny versions of adult/kid shoes, Robeez are different. Robeez are designed especially for babies and toddlers. Barefoot is best for growing feet (according to most doctors and podiatrists) but babies’ feet also need protection and warmth. Robeez have thin soles, stay in place, are flexible and lightweight. As a result they are durable, breathable, skid-resistant and safe. Robeez is the doctor-recommended perfect first shoe. And with all the unbelievably cute designs, you hope your baby stays little just a little bit longer so you can buy more.

Bumbo
$40.00 at Babies R Us

A huge problem is that babies can’t sit up. Having to lie on your back or stomach all day is tough. New parents don’t realize how long it takes (at least 8 months) before a baby has the muscle strength to sit up. Bumbo offers a revolutionary seat that enables babies to sit upright all by themselves as soon as they can support their own head (around 6-8 weeks.) Bumbo is a brand are built by taking branding risks (not safety risks) and doing what nobody else has done or even thought of before.

Webkinz
$8-$15 at Amazon

Webkinz are not the same as your older sister’s Beanie Babies or your mother’s Cabbage Patch Dolls. Webkinz aren’t just a copy of the last toy craze they are something totally new and different.

The key to success is being first in a new category. Webkinz are the first stuffed animal that also lives in an exclusive virtual world. After ripping the code off the leg that allows online access for the pet on Webkinz.com kids basically throw the animal in the corner hardly to be played with again.

While many adults have checked out Second Life, millions of kids have stampeded to Webkinz World.

Crocs
$31.00 at Zappos

Looks aren’t everything. These funky-looking plastic shoes sure don’t look pretty, but wearing them is comfortable and contagious. When seeing a pair of Crocs for the first time, you think what are THOSE on your feet? The shock factor has greatly contributed to the Crocs craze. They are perfect shoes for kids since they are cheap, easy to wear and practical. Plus you can customize and decorate your Crocs to your heart’s content with Jibbitz (a nice second brand from Crocs). And at $2.50 a Jibbitz, that is money in the bank for Crocs.

Monkey Joe’s
Around $8 to play, Nationwide in the U.S.

In the 80’s every kid wanted to go to the fair to jump on the Moonwalk. In the 90’s every kid wanted to have an inflatable slide on their lawn for their birthday party. Now every kid wants to play every day at a Monkey Joe’s and have their birthday party there too.

Monkey Joe’s is the first chain (in the mind) of indoor inflatable playgrounds. Many companies have gotten into this emerging market, but Monkey Joe’s is the best because it has the best brand. Jump Zone? Way too generic. Too many companies that launch brands in new categories opt for a descriptive words when the best strategy is a new word (Bugaboo) or words used out of context (Monkey Joe’s).

As my kids move into school there are so many new brands to discover. We are all looking forward to the adverture of it.

5 Best Line Extensions of 2007

What is a line extension?

Taking a brand name in one category and using the same brand name in another category. Example: Tostitos are tortilla chips and now they make Tostitos salsa.

Top 5 Line Extensions of 2007

5. American Idol Camp

An extension of the hottest reality show on television. Now kids 10-15 can live their dream and learn about the music business from the pros.

4. Virgin America Airlines

An extension of Richard Branson’s successful Virgin Atlantic Airlines. Virgin America has a unique and focused position (low-fare, long-haul airline servicing the coasts) with a coolness factor of 10 and Sir Richard to boot.

3. Newman’s Own Wine

Paul Newman started with Newman’s Own salad dressing in 1982. And today Newman’s Own sells a wide variety of products that are focused on being better for you and better for others with 100% of the companies profits being donated to charities.

2. Curves Cereal

An extension of Curves the hottest brand in fitness and largest chain of gyms in the US. Many women include cereal in their diet plan. In a category with many small brands Curves on the box makes the position crystal clear.

1. PetSmart’s PetsHotel

The way to win is by being first. PetsHotel is not the first doggie hotel, but it is the first national brand. Budweiser was the first national brand of beer.

PetSmart has the brand savvy, operational expertise and real estate connections to make PetSmart a big success. If there is one thing we love more than our kids, it is our pets, and in some cases even more.

Why do some line extensions work and others fail?

Line extensions can work when a brand moves into a complementary category that has weak competition.

Virgin Cola didn’t work because Virgin is an airline and has no credibility in cola. And Coke and Pepsi are such dominant brands there is little room for anybody else even if Richard Branson will jump off a mountain naked to promote it. Same for Virgin vodka, Virgin wedding dresses and most of the crazy Virgin line extensions.

Many people assume we are against all line extensions. Not true. Most are foolish, faulty or forgetful. But some succeed and are savvy business moves. Sometimes a brand is so powerful it is OK to dilute it with expansion especially when the competition is weak.

Just remember, the real power in branding and business is in launching new brands.

The Good, the Bad and the Smelly

The past two days I have been up early to appear on Fox Business' "Money for Breakfast" to count down my top 5 line extension winners and losers of 2007 or "The Good, the Bad and the Smelly" as I refer to them. I'll start today with the losers and follow-up later this week with the winners.

What is a line extension?

A line extension is taking a brand name in one category and using the same brand name in another category. Scott used to be just a toilet paper. The number-one brand in fact. Today Scott is into everything:

• Scott toilet tissue
• Scott napkins: Scotkins
• Scott paper towels: ScotTowels
• Scott facial tissue: Scotties

Line extension killed the brand. No longer is Scott the number-one brand of toilet tissue. Today Charmin is the number-one brand. While well-known, Scott is a meaningless brand in the mind because its name is on everything.

Put Scott on a shopping list and what do you buy? I put Coke on the list; I buy Coca-Cola. I put Charmin on the list; I buy toilet tissue. I put Scott on the list and what do I buy and where do I use it?

Are different flavors a line extension?

Line extensions are sometime confused with flavors and varieties. Vanilla Coke is a flavor and Diet Coke is a line extension. There are lots of varieties of Tostitos chips. But Tostitos salsa is a line-extension.

Why do companies line-extended in the first place?

It’s the cheapest way to introduce a new product. You don’t have to spend millions of dollars on advertising establishing your brand’s credibility because everybody already knows your brand name. That’s why 90% of new supermarket brands are line extensions.

Unfortunately most new brands fail. It is especially confusing when you have the same brand name in two different categories. And long term, line extension it can damage the core brand by undermining its meaning in the mind.

But if they didn’t line extend how would companies ever grow?

Instead of always thinking how to line extend, companies should think more about launching second brands. Many line extensions represent a missed opportunity. Toyota could have sold many expensive Toyotas, but they would have missed an opportunity to launch the Lexus brand which today dominates the expensive car category. Lexus is much more valuable than the sales that might have been generated by an expensive Toyota model.

The 5 Worst Line Extensions of 2007

1. Play-Doh Cologne.

Hasbro says the fragrance is "meant for highly-creative people, who seek a whimsical scent reminiscent of their childhood."

Play-Doh does have a unique and different smell, but I doubt too many adults want to smell like Play-Doh. Kids play with the stuff despite the bad smell, not because of it.

What is next Eau de Huggies?

2. Hooters energy drink.

Hooters is known for boobs and chicken. The brand has no credibility in energy.

Just because everybody is doing it is not a good excuse to launch a line extension. Today there are hundreds of energy drinks. In order to succeed, you need be first in the mind and have a good name. Hooters has neither.

3. Jeff Gordon fine wine.

Don’t the wine makers attend any NASCAR races? I have been to several since moving down to Atlanta. And while I have seen a lot of beer consumed, I have never seen a glass of fine wine consumed. Wine and NASCAR go together like water and motor oil.

4. Disney wedding gowns.

As a wedding destination Disney has had some success. Disney World is a great place to visit, and many weddings are part family reunion these days so in some ways a Disney wedding makes sense. I have been to a wedding at Disney, but having Mickey Mouse and Goofy characters dancing with the guests is not my cup of tea.

I just went to a Cinderella party for a three year old. And while little girls loved to dress up as Cinderella, I don’t think 25-year-old really girls do. Not too many brides want to look like a cartoon character on their wedding day. Looking like Princess Diana is one thing, a Disney Princess is quite another. A G-rated wedding night is not a fairy tail ending.

5. Trump Steaks, Trump Vodka, Trump Rugs, Trump Water, Trump Cologne, etc. etc.

Trump is the most line-extended brand in America today. The Trump extensions are novelty items. They might sell a few in the short term, but long term Trump Vodka/Rugs/Water will never be a big deal.

Of course, all Trump extensions are licensed. So Trump doesn’t stand to lose any money on these deals, he just gets a cut if they sell. Which, in the case of most of these won’t amount to much.

Weddings and Funerals

This has got to go on record as one of the craziest line extensions ever.

The world’s most famous wedding-dress designer apparently thinks she can follow the bride right from the altar to the matrimonial bed. Vera Wang has teamed with Serta to sell designer mattresses for $3,000 a pop. For less than the cost of one of her dresses, at least you can rest assured you will get more than one use out of the bed.

Whenever you read a press release that says, leading “XXX” maker has now created a “lifestyle” brand and introduced “YYY.” watch out. It means leading XXX maker is diluting its brand and could be headed for trouble. There is no such thing as a “lifestyle” brand it is just a fancy word to try and justify absurd line extensions.

On the other hand, a former client of our has hit PR gold today with a front page story in the New York Times style section. We worked with Mark Duffey to name his brand and focus his company to create a new cateogory to be first in. Everest is the first nationwide funeral concierge service. For $995 or a monthly subscription fee Everest Funeral Package helps customers plan their final rites, providing concierge services that range from writing obituaries to negotiating prices with undertakers across the country.

 

We are so proud of Mark and all he has accomplished with the Everest brand. Look for him on a Today Show segment soon.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/20/fashion/20funeral.html

Brand Winner & Loser of 2005

Winner: Razr

The Razr is the only cellphone is focused on being a phone. It is small, sleek, stylish and selling like crazy.

Since unveiling the handset in November 2004, Motorola says it sold 12 million Razr phones worldwide as of October 1. More than half of those sales, 6.5 million, took place in the last quarter. That is despite the fact it was only made available last month to Verizon customers.

As a Verizon customer, I bought mine the other day as soon as I realized they were available and found the store selling them like hotcakes.

Motorola has re-pioneered the small phone where every other phone company has been busy adding features, size and bulk.

But not all is perfect. Motorola struck out with a brand called Rokr, a product that tried to combine a cellphone with an MP3 player. The brand fell flat with the critics and consumers.

In the end, if Motorola keeps the Razr focused on phones and forgets the silly convergence ideas, they will keep a winning brand in my hands and maybe your hands for a long time to come.

Loser: Bud Select

I thought about selecting the Green Bay Packers as the worst brand of the year. (My husband’s parents grew up in Green Bay and every game day drive from Peoria to watch the Pack play at Lambeau Field. My father-in-law’s favorite story is that my husband Scott was in-utero during the famed Ice Bowl in 1967.) But 2005, with Bret Farve on his last legs, was not a good year for the Green & Gold. Although adding insult to injury about the Packers on my blog would likely lead to a Brown family excommunication.

So instead, my choice of the worst and craziest brand this year is Bud Select. Does the world really need another flavor of Budweiser?

The answer is no. How many flavors of Bud can they dream up anyway?

Let’s take a recap of the selection so far:

Budweiser

Bud Light

Bud Ice

Bud Ice Light

Bud Dry

and now Bud Select.

Bud Select is by far the worst of the line extensions at Anheuser-Busch. A close second and third goes to Anheuser World Lager and B^e; but I just don’t have time to go into the craziness of those extensions at the moment.

The other Budweiser extensions (Light, Dry, Ice) suggest flavor variations. Bud Select suggests that all the other flavors of Budweiser, the “unselected” ones don’t measure up.

Why knock Bud Light, the largest-selling individual beer brand in America? Let Miller do that.

The problem is, Miller has been doing just that. But introducing Bud Select only gives Miller more fire. Bud Light must be a lousy tasting beer if they need to introduce a better-tasting beer called Bud Select. Bud Select just adds more water to the Budweiser brand pretty soon they might as well call it Evian.

Honorable mention: Airborne

Airborne, the folksy cold-prevention remedy invented by a second grade school teacher hit sales of $90 million in 2004 and more than doubled that in 2005. Without any advertising but plenty of PR, word-of-mouth and celebrity endorsements, the brand has become a blockbuster. The tipping point seemed to be an October 2004 episode of the Oprah show which spotlighted the brand. Sales for the brand on Drugstore.com jumped 700% the next week. Beginning this year with new competition hitting the shelves, the company has begun a reported $20 million advertising effort. Using PR to build the brand with a wonderful credible spokesperson like teacher/developer Victoria Knight-McDowell and waiting until the brand takes off to advertise is always the right way to go.

Myself like many others have become passionate about the brand. I will be traveling a lot in 2006 and I won’t be going anywhere without out this little insurance tonic.