Why Viacom may be missing the point in its fight against Google

by Jared on March 14th, 2007

By now, most people are filled in on the billion dollar lawsuit Viacom has brought against Google/YouTube for copyright infringement. In case you haven’t - or are allergic to newsprint - here is a quick 20-Something Marketing Synopsis for those of you with a 20 second attention span:

The facts are this:

• Viacom is the owner of MTV, Comedy Central DreamWorks Entertainment and a whole host of other media outlets coveted by 20-something’s.
• Viacom is claiming that YouTube, the popular video sharing site owned by Google, is not doing enough to remove copyrighted content like whole episodes of South Park or The Daily Show.
• Google/YouTube says it is doing enough, citing that since it removes clips on demand, it is protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

The interesting part of this argument is that of course, this isn’t about copyrights as much as it is about revenue. More

Just how stupid does AXE think the straight boys are?

by Jared on December 20th, 2006

So…my friend, Jared (no relation, pictured above) and I went out to lunch to pseudo-celebrate the afore mentioned changing of the MBA Spin statistics. We went right down the street to a small pub/restaurant and we were dismayed to see yet another attempt at a witty, memorable AXE promotion.

It’s not like the promotion wasn’t cute but seriously; what kind of idiots do they take the straight boys for? The promotion, which was cleverly done on a custom pint glass, promotes an AXE product they say can help you get over a hangover.

AXE Hangover Recovery says you can “party hard, wake up easy and get your game back” just by taking a shower with it. (you think I’m joking - see what they say here)

Now, I haven’t slept with a straight boy in a while (not since I swore off dating republicans, at least) but I can see quite a few issues with this promotion in actually getting to the point of sale. Let’s see - for the promotion to work the straight boys need to 1) actually get the humor, 2) not be offended by the humor 3) remember the ad after what the promoter believes to be a heavy night of drinking, 4) believe the ad’s claims that it can eradicate a hangover and 5) take showers when they’re drunk and before they go to bed, thus affirming the claim that they would want to wake up without a hangover.

For this ad, I have to the AXE ad guys some credit. It upholds the brand while at the same time making absolutely no sense. Then again, making no sense might just be their brand.

“The world’s most entertaining live billboard”

by Jared on May 16th, 2006

In the hotel industry, competition for business travelers has been fierce. The battleground has been primarily reserved in super-chick hotel concepts such as the “W” hotel chain by Starwood and through what I can only describe as a “mine is bigger” premium bedding competition (i.e. Westin’s Heavenly Bed and The Sleep Number Bed at Radisson Hotels). No matter where you go, every hotel chain is trying to outdo each other with promises of a peaceful night sleep.

Personally, give me a clean room, an old, classic hotel with classic service and I will be in heaven.

I digress though…enter the Heavyweight; Marriott Hotels and Resorts. Not only have these guys designed their own bed, but they are also making a major marketing play for the young professional market.

Marriott is indeed going MUCH farther with an entire room designed around the needs of the younger, more technology and ergonomically aware consumer.

The way their doing this is through the mSpot, a mobile hotel room complete with a stage on top. It’s currently touring the country and introducing itself to corporate expense accounts everywhere by way of massive block parties and VIP tours. I caught up with the mSpot in New Orleans where it had lined up a host of local talent including Kermit Ruffins, Jeremy Davenport and Ingrid Lucia for a massive Canal Street party coinciding with JazzFest.

When I toured the room, John ‘Spud’ McConnell (a local celebrity and character actor most remembered for his “Stay out the Woolworth” line in O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?) was there chilling out in what I can only describe as one of the most comfortable looking club chairs imaginable. It was a great touch given that around New Orleans, this guy’s popularity and likeability is somewhere up there around grits and gravy. So, as Spud made classic New Orleans quips and showed us around the room, I couldn’t help but notice that the room had every cool amenity known to mankind.

First the electronics…Appealing to massive techno-geeks like myself, the room has a full desk console complete with widescreen TV. Now, you might say that is par-for-the-course these days but what hotel do you know of that has a handy, arms-length series of connector ports where you can use it as your monitor. The room also has a touchpad safe built into your desk drawer to stash the laptop, which is a nice touch.

Completing the room is stylish decor, ergonomic lights, a swivel desk and a bathroom Caesar could die for (or so I am told, the show version of the mSpot comes sans royal throne).

Now, at this point I have to direct your attention to the fact that the mSpot New Orleans may have fallen short of its intended audience. The block party itself was incredible but I didn’t really see that many press outside. In fact, I may have been the only person that could even mildly pass as press which is a big concern given I am a bit bias towards Marriott in this case.

Something tells me though with the line of VIP’s waiting to take a tour, there wasn’t much of a need for press. Besides, when’s the last time the AP put up for a premium suite?

Op Ed: Getting Sick Of ‘Akeelah’

by Jared on May 2nd, 2006

Walking down the street today, I was disturbed to find myself swimming upstream in a sea of light green and yellow coffee clutches. As I made my 5 minute walk to the metro, I saw no less than 12 individuals carrying these things….and I only have to walk 6 blocks!

The culprit? You guessed it….Starbucks!

Once content with dominating the $40 Billion dollar coffee industry with their scorched coffee in overpriced, snooty paper cups, Starbucks is now turning its eyes to media with its first movie foray, Akeelah & The Bee.

It starts with Starbucks’ Main & Main placement strategy. They know they’re everywhere. They know they can bring massive advertising strength with their distribution network - what prerequisites are there for good movie making? Ok, ok ok….perhaps the movie is going to be ok but I have a serious beef with this. Once, a decent marketer with OK coffee, they have crossed the line with this ‘Akeelah’ promotion.

I make no pretense that I hate Starbucks. Its really nothing against their company per se, but there’s something depressing about seeing a Starbucks sign go up in a perfectly decent space where a privately-owned coffee shop should have gone. This is another sign that the four horseman of the apocalypse are going to ride into town with Starbucks coffee cups. (I can even imagine one of them saying “Damn it, Virgil! I told you not to get that extra shot of espresso! We are not stopping for a potty break!”)

The point is this, marketing entails responsibility and I echo AdAdge.com in calling this a bad idea. Starbuck’s core competency is marketing, and though I respect their right to get into media, what happens when they start to dominate this market too?

Its genius that they have this distribution network but its like they are using it to take over the world…its not fair, that’s my idea!

20SMF Consumer Report - Tab Energy Drink

by Jared on March 26th, 2006

One of the great things about being a 20-something includes the endless barage of consumer products forced upon us. As a service to our readers, the 20SMF is proud to bring you the first in a series of “Try It Before You Buy It” reports on consumer products.

Today, my friend Amanda (the VP, Randomness for the 20SMF) and I were at the local mall (BIG surprise there, I know). As we were riding the elevator, our attention was drawn to an obnoxiously pink booth in the food court. We decided to check it out.

Apparently, Coke is entering the energy drink market with a two-pronged strategy. The first is of course coke black aimed at truckers. The second is a white collar and feminine brand, Tab Energy.

That’s right - we said Tab. Long sought after in the dusty corners of supermarket shelves by aging 80’s party girls, Tab makes its comeback as the Coke alternative to Red Bull.

Click Here To See Amanda’s Take On Tab Energy & Our Short, 60 Second Report:

20SMF Consumer Report: TAB ENERGY DRINK

The Trouble with Valentine’s Day

by Jared on February 13th, 2006

For a moment, I am going to forget about being a bitter, single, elitist marketing snob and talk practically about the trouble with Valentine’s Day.

First, the background - I did some digging and it turns out that the celebration of the modern Valentine’s Day actually has its roots in several different historical practices. It seems that the modern version of Valentine’s Day is part a Christian version of a pagan sheep-herding holiday and part romantic epic featuring a roman priest named Valentine.

Since the idea of a single ‘true’ origin of Valentine’s Day is up for grabs, let’s just settle the historical hair-splitting and say that somewhere, somehow there is a reason beyond the cards and the flowers that this day exists.

Of course in popular culture, Valentine’s Day is the holiday to celebrate the ‘magic of love’ with gifts, flowers and expensive price-fix dinners. During this time of year, popular thought is you either love Valentine’s Day because you’re with someone or you hate it because you’re alone, sad and bitter.

In fact, the Washington Post recently had an online survey of best songs for an Anti-Valentine’s Day Playlist. The categories we had to choose from feature rage, regret and revenge. This is troubling because even though I am single, I honestly don’t feel any of those things.

This illustrates what I think is really wrong with Valentine’s Day. Apparently, there is no room in the red velvet-clad halls of St. Valentine’s massive cathedral for someone who is just there; single, strong, and happy. My problem with Valentine’s Day; there is no corresponding holiday to celebrate the individual, single person.

Now, I’m not talking about a day where only single people get to celebrate. I am talking about a day which says “you know what - you’re good enough as you are without needing anything - or one - else to validate you!” Something tells me you are never going to see this happen.

The reason you’re not going to see this is that you wouldn’t need anything to celebrate it. Gifts and flowers would be contrary to the point of celebrating someone for who they are. Oh sure. It’s easy to celebrate something when you know you can buy your way into validation and that’s what’s become so successful for consumer marketers on Valentine’s Day.

Pair this with that in marketing; it’s been the very nature of our jobs to create needs. We accomplish this by making the case that you’re not good enough on your own whether it’s in business or as a consumer. Thankfully, there are companies like Dove out there that are making inroads to the very basic point that you can market a product without telling someone that if they don’t buy it, something bad is going to happen.

The trouble with Valentine’s Day isn’t its blatant consumerism and it isn’t its seeming snub of single people everywhere. The problem is the fact that it distracts us from realizing that no matter what your ’single status’ is, we should be celebrating our own individuality and not just facing off on two sides of a “single” issue.

It tough though, to sell something by openly acknowledging, “You know what, you’re good enough without our product but here’s why you should buy it anyway.” Without that burning platform of need, you actually have to sell the product on its ability to inspire your target, not just by pointing out their faults.

Be assured, marketers will still be saying “you need this because it will fix what you don’t know is wrong with you yet” for some time to come. For now though, I am going to propose we each try to, at least once, sell something by saying “you need this because its going to enhance how fabulous you are already.”

We can start with Valentine’s Day….

Folks, its time we had a holiday that says it’s ok to be who you are no matter what you own or who you’re with or not with. No Flowers. No Cards. No Dinners. Just you, and the ultimate form of affection – the quiet contentment of being yourself.

Put that on a holiday card, Hallmark.

Moving From Content Production To Revenue-Gennerating Marketing

by Jared on February 10th, 2006

I think its fair to say that if you put a significant amount of time and effort into a blog and/or podcast - you have every right to see if you can use that content to generate some sort of revenue. In fact, the next big step once you find you can create content people actually want to pay attention to is bringing their hobby from just a good way to spend your time into a real money-making business model.

Now, I come from a strange perspective here since a lot of my content is about business models, or at least making money off of them through marketing. The problem I have is that as opposed to old media (TV/Radio/Print) that has perfected the ability to insert advertising cleanly and tastefully with their content, online content producers seem to graffiti it all over themselves like some drunk, deranged mud wrestler.

Case in point: the esteemed Madge Weinstein of Podshow.com. Recently, the influential ‘dyke-mother’ of Queercasting signed a deal with GoDaddy.com to sponsor her vidcasts. Madge, best known for her pointed and impassioned political podcasts which launched literally hundreds of new podcasting voices (mine included) has since produced three vidcasts that have been marked ‘Sponsored by GoDaddy.com. Checkout with code PS5 and save 10% at checkout.’ The first podcast was rather good, featuring an introduction by Madge wearing the signature “Godaddy.com Girl Shirt” and a tepidly humorous scripted clip from her ‘early days.’ However, the subsequent content she has produced has fallen short - way short. The last two videos are a6 minute clip of Richard Bluestein (Madge without the makeup) running around someone else’s house and a second, 35 second clip of what I can only identify as a liposuction machine sucking fat out of someone.

All I can say is that this is not content, its an excuse to put an ad out on the web. I am incredibly dismayed that a visionary content-producer like Madge would revert to this type of crap just to hawk a domain registration site. I don’t care if she has to produce material just to satisfy her contract, I seriously feel dumber from watching these things.

When you are ready to generate revenue, you have to look at how its going to fit into your overall brand. When you espouse anti-corporate values and then turn around and take money from someone like GoDaddy.com - you better make sure you make a point out of it.

As online content producers, we sit in a very privileged position. We don’t have editors, we don’t have censors, we can say whatever we want. However, that also comes with a promise to our readers and our listeners that we will at least try to entertain and inform them in exchange for their loyalty.

The solution to this is to decide what revenue-generating format works best for you. Its it a total sponsorship a ‘la Geritol? Is it specialty-placed ads like Google Ad-sense? Is it local sponors reflecting the local audience? Either way make it work WITH your content, not against it.

This is a brave new world, folks. As those of us who are in the lower tier of this medium start to climb slowly upwards, we have to face the challenges that every business must do. If we want to make this last, we have to do it right.

Episode #22 – Marketers Start Here

by Jared on January 12th, 2006

This week, a marketing basics refresher for pros as well as those seeking to break into the industry. Define, analyze and set yourself up for the most relevant opportunities in marketing while ridding along with the insanity of the 20SMF.

Show Notes:
I) Everyone’s a Critic
II) 4 P’s Of Marketing
III) Radical Career Basics
IV) Game Plan: Just ASK

Click Here To Listen To The Podcast

Referenced Links:
Wall Street Journal Article On Advertising Careers
US Department of Labor Summary of Marketing Positions