Advertiser's Anonymous: Road to Recovery

Here is the video we made for the blog!

Advertiser's Anonymous: Road to Recovery 


Rory, Jacob, Erika, Alissa, Carla

Coke vs Pepsi Part 2/2

Coke and Pepsi Part 2/2

Topics to discuss

·        Demand and Availability

·        Self-Improvement

·        Preservation of the Original

Demand and Availability

For a product to be successful, it must make profit, and one of the ways that it can do that is through its distribution system, where is creates a demand though advertisements and therefore a need to create more supply. This is true for both Coles and Pepsi. However as these two competing brands have been incorporated into the fast food franchises and are advertised as the drink to go with this company’s product, then they need to compete in a different way, namely not both being available at once.

Both companies sign a supply contract with the individual companies they supply to and they are not ever in the same place. KFC for example stock Pepsi while Hungry Jacks will only stock Coke. This then causes a limitation of availability and puts forth the idea to choose this food place to eat because they carry Pepsi instead of Coke.

Self-Improvement

Both Coke and Pepsi have tried to do two things with their product. Firstly they try to put out a good product that pleases people in both athletics and taste and secondly they then take feedback and create versions to please everyone. It is this second point that has really made these brands successful internationally. As not only do they have a great product but they modify themselves to fix issues people have which not only earns them respect but also opens them up to new audiences by appealing to different groups.

They both do this with their different ranges of the same product. Coke has Regular which is identified as a red background with white writing. They then made one with the sugar taken out called Zero. This then appeals to the health conscious and parents who are heath conscious for children.                                                                                                                     

They then also have Diet which has removed the caffeine, meaning that people can enjoy the same great taste but may not be able to tolerate the caffeine now don’t have to. Pepsi have their own similar different versions, Regular Pepsi, Pepsi Max which has no sugar and Pepsi next which has less sugar as a in between option. All these options have been very successful and contributed to their success.

Finally both companies have come into the news recently over the new line in both products that use stevia instead of sugar as a sweetener and as an alternative to chemical sweeteners. This product is known as Coke Life and features a green label in both the coke brand and the Pepsi brand which helps to identify it as a stevia product. This change will appeal to the health conscious, those aware of the dangers of fake chemicals and also those who wish to lose weight as they have significantly less of an impact on the human body.

Here is a coke life video that illustrates people’s reactions to it interms of concept and taste. It highlights how people are very attached to this product and how they react to the change. This type of advertisement featured (interviews) is one very key way of advertising a new product or line.

 

 

 

Preservation of the original

This last point is very important. As a brand both Coke and Pepsi are very simple, the shape of the bottle, the plain coloured background, because what they are selling is the product. It is extremely popular. It is a drink, they want to sell its refreshes and its ability to go with most foods and give energy. Therefore talking about the good things about this product is key. The great taste and unchanged recipe have only fuelled its successes.

Web links-

https://www.coca-cola.com.au/

https://www.coca-cola.com.au/cokelife

image from- http://economicstudents.com/2012/10/coca-cola-vs-pepsi-the-economics-behind-cokes-dominance/ 

video from - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA_24DYzSQ4

Post by Alissa

 

Netflix vs Stan - Part 3/3

When comparing Netflix to Stan they have been able to solidify their market position through their content offering and this is a direct result of their advertising efforts.

The main TV series advertised by Netflix has been House of Cards, as it features major hollywood actors, and allows Netflix to grow their market share by appealing to a broad range of people, interested in the topic area of politics and drama.

Source: http://www.christianpost.com/news/house-of-cards-season-3-release-date-netflix-premiere-date-in-2015-delayed-due-to-maryland-tax-feud-115343/

Netflix released the first episode of House of Cards on the 1st of February in 2013, and released in an a fashion which allowed "binge watching" - basically allowing people watch the entire series in one sitting, as opposed to waiting for the show to come out week by week, episode by episode. This model proved successful and allowed Netflix to both gain market share and provide a model in a market which was struggling to find a point of differentiation.

Netflix decided to release season 2 and 3 of House of Cards in a similar, one shot, binge watch type schedule and companion advertising campaign.

Source: screenrant.com

As can be seen in the above banner, copy like "now Streaming", "Season 1" and "Now Only" accompanies the graphic of Kevin Spacey - The villainous main character, Frank Underwood. This advertisement highlights all the beneficial features of House of Cards, and provides an insight into what both Netflix and consumers value in this new, SVOD economy. 

Stan has attempted to do a similar promotion with the series Community.

Source:https://www.facebook.com/Stancomau

Whilst it wasn't made by Stan (Where House of Cards was made by Netlix) Stan has attempted to promote a similar offering of having an entire set of content. However, the shortfall of this offering is that Community isn't made by Stan and it isn't released in one big hit like House of Cards is. 

This means that Netflix has the superior offering over Stan, as they are able to produce, upload and advertise their series in a more exclusive manner than Stan is currently able to do. 

What does this mean for the future of advertising in the SVOD space? We expect more emphasis on the exclusive nature of original content - So expect more "Made by Netflix" or "Only on Netflix" or "First and only on Stan" - The great thing about this all is that the consumer wins. They are able to get a variety of content at a price and plan that is convenient for them. 

Watch the SVOD space, as it will no doubt be a battle ground for advertising! - By Jacob

Ethical Issues in Alcohol Advertising

In respect to many products consumer ethics play a huge role in the decision making process relative to what we buy. This concept is arguably the reason behind company focus on brand image and company values. However when advertising a product which in some respects isn’t ethically acceptable in society (Alcohol) marketers need to take consumer values into consideration in order to market their product effectively. Due to changes in societal values these companies now have to abide by regulation (government) bodies and family values in the community as they know bad values association is bad for business.

Due to these social and legal constraints there are restrictions on when certain products can be marketed e.g. no alcoholic advertisements on television before 8pm. These companies now have to follow a strict code of conduct which involves eliminating any sort of alcoholic or binge drinking association with their product.

In these instances some companies have taken to market their product in association with drink smart or drink classy campaigns. Take the example below for Ketel One Vodka, with a few suave men sitting around a table playing poker. The aim of this is to position their product in a category of smart drinking or superior good.

Another very controversial aspect in alcohol advertising is sponsorship of sporting events due to the young crowd which can be exposed to these messages and the culture of alcohol immersed into sport. For years now Victoria Bitter has sponsored Professional cricket series in Australia and in recent years has sparked ethical debate about exposing kids to alcohol advertising at a young age.

Post By Rory

Dove advertising

I decided to dedicate today’s blog post to the recent Dove advertising campaigns. Over the last couple of years Dove has become known for their clever and unique marketing campaigns. 

Ads about beauty typically involve slim models with nice skin and perfect hair, even though they do not need it these models are photoshopped anyway, giving an unrealistic image of what women should look like.

main.stylelist.com (Victoria Secret ad)

Dove has steered away from this strategy and taken different yet refreshing approach. In their latest beauty campaigns Dove has featured women of all shapes and sizes, emphasising the idea that women can feel beautiful regardless of skin colour, weight or height. Dove is encouraging women to love themselves and be confident in their own skin. This view an be seen in past and recent slogans used such as: ‘When it comes to your body, love the one you’re with’, ‘Be your beautiful self’, ‘Joy is the best make up’ and ‘Every body is beautiful’. 

rmitcatalyst.com

  Personally, I love the Dove campaigns. Encouraging women to value their inner-beauty and be happy with their body is a great message, it is advertising with a purpose. In todays society women place a significant amount of pressure on themselves to look ‘perfect’, constantly comparing themselves to the unrealistic portrayals in the media. Therefore, by having a big company like Dove encouraging women to focus less on the exterior and more on the interior is an excellent way to change the mindsets of many women.

cakeandpoison.com

Check out this video released by Dove

Gender stereotypes in advertising

In today’s blog post we will be looking at the portrayal of gender in fashion advertising. Labels and designers like Tom Ford, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and many more have all been criticized for their choice of techniques in past ad campaigns. These labels were accused of being sexist, as their advertisements seemed to stereotype gender roles and characteristics.

Dolce & Gabbana

www.buisnessinsder.com.au
Dolce & Gabbana, Spring/Summer collection 2007

This ad was faced with a lot of criticism after its release in 2007. The image depicts a woman being pinned down on the ground by a man, whilst others watch. This ad portrays men as dominant, masculine and powerful whilst the woman is vulnerable and submissive as shown by her blank facial expression. 

Gucci 

www.fashionadexplorer.com
Gucci Fall/Winter 2010
Photographer: Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott

Gucci, 2000
www.karanovic.org
www.photobucket.com 

Once again these ads by Gucci portray the man as dominant and powerful, with women being submissive and vulnerable. It is interesting to note that the man is always positioned at a higher level, by standing over the woman or having the woman lay on his lap. This portrays the idea that the two sexes are not equal, with men being more superior.

Tom Ford

www.fashiononrogue.com
Tom Ford Eyewear Spring 2010

www.thebeatmag.co.za

These ad campaigns by Tom Ford show the women as completely naked, whilst the men are fully clothed, wearing suits. This gives the idea that women are merely sexual objects for men. These ads also draw on the stereotype of women as submissive housewives, who are there to serve and look after men.

Gender Segmented Marketing

One aspect of advertising that often gets over looked is the concept of gender marketing and how it dictates individual consumerism. From a young age boys are told to play sports and girls are expected to act like young ladies and our society has in fact always been accustomed to the idea that men and women are different and in most cases must be segmented in order to market successfully.

Dominantly this ideal can be visible in the hygiene and health product industry as distinguished brands (i.e. Lynx for men & Impulse for women) compete with competitors in their own segmented markets.

Then we come to unisex brands like Dove who market to both genders, the question is does this company segment based on gender? The answer is yes.

Below shows two advertisements from Dove where the campaigns for both advertisements are quite contrasting with male being black and bold and the female being very white and light. Considering that there products are virtually identical the packaging and presentation is vastly different, which supports the theory that gender marketing is present in these developments.

In conclusion it is clear that gender segmentation for products is definitely present in the world we live in and raises the wonder into whether it is based on consumer needs or culture.

Product placement in music videos

Hi All,

Originally this post was going to be a general overview on product placement and music videos however, I have decided to narrow it down to one product that has been heavily featured in countless popular music videos, that product is Beats by Dre. 

Whenever I tune into a music channel and watch a top 40 countdown, the majority of the music videos featured contain some kind of product placement, and Beats by Dre is one of the only products that is consistently advertised in these videos. The main products featured are the Beats by Dre headphone and the Beats Pill which is a wireless speaker.

au.beatsbydre.com 

au.beatsbydre.com

Artists who have featured Beats by Dre include: Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Robin Thicke, Jessie J, Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Lily Allen and many more. Several of these artists are repeat offenders, placing Beats by Dre in their videos more than once.

Many people have argued that we are being brainwashed into buying this product. Beats by Dre seems to be the ‘King’ of all headphones and by owning one of their products your are on a par with the artists who feature them in their videos.

In many of these videos the product seems to fit in and does not look too obvious, like in Justin Bieber’s music video ‘Somebody to Love’. However, there are some videos where the product just appears out of nowhere and is completely out of context like in Nicki Minaj’s video for her song ‘Pills N Potions’.

Personally, I do not think much of this sort of advertising. I think we are exposed to it so much that we become desensitized to it. When I see Beats by Dre products advertised in music videos it flies under my radar and I do not think twice about it. 

Check out the music videos below and see if you can spot the product placement.

By: Carla