Brand Revolution: Nike+ and Apple iPod Join Forces

In today’s society, especially with the generation Y coming of age, we expect more from the things we purchase. Everything should serve more than one purpose. Take cell phones for example. Used to be that cell phones served only one purpose: to allow you to get them on the phone, or for them to reach you, when you are out and about. Now, Cell phones not only give you the capability of reaching anyone anywhere in the world at any given time, but you can text message them, check your email, take pictures, record videos, keep track of dates, and even listen to music. That’s just the shortlist of what cell phones are capable off.

Electronics aren’t the only things we expect more from. In fact, it’s the name on that piece of electronic equipment that has the task of meeting and exceeding our expectations. When you buy a car, you consider a number of things before you decide on a particular make or model. But once you’ve chosen a brand, your next car is likely to be from that same family…if the car company has succeeded in making you a loyal customer to their brand.

And how do they do this? Not only by providing you with a quality product, but just by purchasing that product you have purchased a piece of equity in that brand. The longer you stay loyal, the more you get out of that brand. Lifetime oil changes, or free loaner cars when your car is in the shop, for example.

The best example so far of a brand working for a consumer is Nike. The new Nike+ “is revolutionizing marketing,” says Nick Law of R/GA, “people are beginning to expect more from a brand than a witty narrative, and Nike+ redefines how a brand can reach it’s audience through meaningful enabling experiences.” Nike, however, didn’t do it alone. While they are the driving force behind the campaign, they partnered with Apple’s iPod to introduce an innovative system that uses the athletic legacy of the Nike brand and the technological mastery of the iPod to broaden both the individual and interactive sport of running, says creativity magazine.

The Nike+ campaign has successfully changed the way we think about brands. With their integrated campaign you not only use their product (the shoes), but then you sync the receiver to your computer and you can connect to others like you from around the world and compare statistics and compete against each other.

It works by placing a sensor in your specially adapted shoes and a receiver in your iPod. Once you activate your shoes, (yes, I said activate your shoes) the sensor begins to communicate with your iPod, giving you up to the minute information regarding your speed, time, distance, and calories burned. From there, you begin running, listening to your favorite running music. By pressing the center button on your iPod, you tell it to play your “power song” to give you that extra boost you need to get your energy up.

Today, a company’s brand is its meal ticket. If consumers aren’t loyal to the brand, or if the brand stops providing it’s consumer with quality products and reasons to keep coming back, it will disappear. With a company like Nike, the brand is pretty well established. But, just because it’s been around for a long time doesn’t mean that it can’t fade from people’s consciousness. If they didn’t continuously strive to give their consumers, more Nike wouldn’t be the success that it is today. It’s with award winning ideas and campaigns like Nike+, and connecting their brand with such forward thinking companies like Apple that takes Nike to the next level, and keeps them at the top of the heap, among its competitors.

Part of offering more to the consumer is providing fully integrated marketing campaigns. By partnering with Apple, Nike was able to make its product interactive and allow the user to connect with thousands of likeminded consumers around the world. It has provided a setting for runners to go and chat with other runners and compare notes. This also translates into a great Word of Mouth campaign as users will tell their fellow friends about the product who will pass on the message to more of their friends.

Today’s consumers are smarter than ever before, so you can’t rely on the same tactics that used to work in the past, such as basing a campaign on a single Unique Selling Position (USP). Consumers are way too savvy for that. Now, you have to start by identifying the brand, then define a position (or positions) that keep on working for the end user. Campaigns need to use several messages for selling the same product, not just one.

What we do at Benedict Advertising is work with our clients to help identify their brand. Once we have identified their brand we strive to manage it so it constantly resonates and is always up to date with its consumers wants and needs. By providing an identity, and unique experiences that allows our clients to interact with a brand, we build a base of consumers that are loyal to our clients. That is the goal of any agency.

Let the revolution begin.

News of Interest-Jericho, Esmee Denters, Justin Timberlake, Paris Hilton, and Benedict Advertising

I just finished reading an article about Dan Rather’s “sexist” comments regarding Katy Couric and her role as the first solo female news anchor and at the end of the article, in seemingly unrelated news, was a blurb that impressed upon me the growing influence of bloggers and other Internet users.

It came as a shock during last months Network Upfronts in New York where thy announced the line up for next fall that CBS was canceling the critically acclaimed show Jericho. But now, according to the news article, thanks to an Internet campaign started by disgruntled viewers the show has been given a second chance. As part of the campaign, organizers delivered thousands of pounds of peanuts to CBS’s corporate offices (which was a reference from the season finale).

I don't know if you have heard of this relatively unknown singer, Esmee Denters, but I came across her on YouTube only about two weeks ago. Today, I saw a news article about Justin Timberlake signing this YouTube Phenomenon to a recording contract. She became hugely popular on the video repository by singing her favorite songs including JT's "What Comes Around Goes Around". She racked up over 3.5 million views to date.

There is certainly an untapped resource in the blogging world with regards to advertising and marketing. Recently, we posted a link on a blog site and asked the bloggers to check out our website and tell us what they thought. We also posted a video on YouTube from our recent Taco Eating Contest. From the blog location we received nearly 300 unique visits and a ton of comments. The video on our website was viewed 78 times from that same portal, and the one posted on YouTube has resulted in 150+ clickthroughs to our website.

I just wonder how much of a factor the public outcry from bloggers and others around the world played in getting Paris put back behind bars. If we had ignored it and kept our mouths shut would she be still sitting in her house? Hmm...

Now, if bloggers can get a network to reinstate a cancelled show, get a girl from the Netherlands a recording contract, and can generate a considerable increase in website traffic just from one post, think of what else they can do? I’m going to postulate something here and say that maybe one day bloggers will rule the world! If they don’t like something they will stamp it down! If they love it and you try to take it away from them…they will bury you in peanuts!

She's Not the Only One!

It's not often that I find myself on the same side as the Reverends' Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton. But for once I am glad they are here. As I'm sure most of the known world has already heard that Paris the Heiress has been released from her jail cell to fulfill the remainder of her sentence in the lap of luxury that is her own home.

WTF! No, this is worth spelling out...WHAT THE FUCK?

I don't know to what avail they will be able to reverse this serious miscarriage of justice, but whatever they try I'm behind them all the way! (Even if it is from 2500 miles away) I can't believe that the Sheriff's Office and the District Attorney thought they'd be able to get away with this with there not being a huge media fall out.

I was on the MSN forum regarding this topic and in the time it took me to post my coment 40 more pages had been added. 40 pages! When I went back to check it around 3 pm, it had jumped to nearly 900 with almost 10,000 comments. You think she'll be able to sweep this one under the rug? Paris Haters had kept largely to themselves up to this point, being that "hating" on her too much would be a waste of their precious time, and she didn't deserve it. But, rest assured that now, it's on! She is going to be a free for all, and I don't know many people who would pass up an opportunity to join the club.

She has sunken to an all time low if you ask me. She had a opportunity to finally be a responsible adult and own up to the consequences of her actions and she blew it. AND, she wasn't alone. The entire justice system of the State of California were sitting there right next to her, holding her hand, and wiping her nose.

Mental Anxiety? That's the best excuse they could come up with to let her weasle out of her sentence? I'm sorry but I've known people who were incarcerated and have had a much worse time coping with it than her, and you don't see them sitting on house arrest instead. They've had children die while in jail, and do you think they were allowed out to attend the funeral? Absolutely not!

So, why is Paris so special? She's not even a decent role model! I mean, at least Michelle Rodriguez (who served less than a day of her sentence) isn't an abominable excuse for a human being. If Paris had contributed more to society than paper to wipe my ass with, then maybe I'd say, "okay, fine...3 days is enough." Hell, I'd have been okay with it if they had just said that we're letting her off due to "overcrowding and good behavior." But, letting her out because of the mental anxiety?

So what if she is crying all the time, not sleeping, and not eating? She should have thought about that before she considered getting behind the wheel while intoxicated, and then proceeded to violoate her probation TWICE! (I don't care what she says, she was wrong!)

Well, I've had a couple of hours to cool down and have had a new perspective thrust upon me in those few hours. I went to an "end of the year" social for Kenny's Engineering Society and met the most interesting people I think I've ever had the pleasure of encoutering. And I couldn't help but draw a comparison between this couple and Paris. It just throws into sharp relief the difference between people regaurdless of their level of affluence.

The people I met tonight were very wealthy...maybe not as rich as the Hilton's but just the same. You couldn't tell it by looking at them, or even talking to them for that matter. They were so down to earth and genuinely good people. They have led amazing lives that are filled with connections with people they've touched. They've made a difference in peoples lives.

This couple is moving to India and a few weeks where they have servants and drivers and will basically be living in the lap of luxury. But, they also take their driver to the doctor when he gets an infection (and pay the bill) and they all get their teeth cleaned together. You think Paris would give to shits if her driver had to have surgery on his feet because of the many years spent walking around barefoot? My guess is she'd probably fire him, and leave him to take care of it himself.

The conclusion that I've come to is that even if Paris had no money at all, she'd still be a miserable excuse for a human being. That's a pretty harsh thing to say, but seriously, what good has she done with all the money she has? What charities has she stood for? How many young girls has she talked to about the importance of getting a good education and respecting themselves enough to not sleep around with every guy you meet?

There are alot of people out there who have amazing advice to give. But it seems the only way anyone will listen to them is if they have a lot of money and are a celebrity. So, given that she has all this money (that she didn't earn) and that every girl over the age of 8 knows who Paris Hilton is, why doesn't she try to set a better example.

The only reason I was so glad that she was actually going to jail was because I knew that while incarcerated she would have to face what type of person she is. But, now, thanks to the monkey's sitting in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and District Attorney's Office (and the quack of doctor who certified that she was suffering from "mental anxiety") she gets to return to a slightly hindered version of her life.

Now, she doesn't have to spend 23 hours a day, alone with herself. She can call up her friends and have a party for the next 40 days if she likes. What could she have possibly learned in no more than 78 hours that could change her for the better? My bet is nothing!

I know for a fact that money isn't her problem. Being rich isn't what made her this way. I know plenty of very wealthy people who are stark contrasts of Paris Hilton. For starters, they actually earned their fortunes...they didn't just have it handed down to them.

Anyway, I think I've wasted enough of my (and your) time. I'll be placing bets to see when (in the next 40 days) she violotes again. Man, I hope she does! I'd like to see her wriggle out of that one...alas, she probably will though...the snake that she is.