Not Much Holiday Cheer This Year

With one of the busiest shopping days of the year fast approaching, retailers are not holding their breath that the holiday season will be full of cheer. While we will all have to wait to tally the ad spends for the last quarter one thing is for sure they are going to be disappointing. The economic doom and gloom seems to have everyone holding on to their wallets for dear life, that includes consumers and advertisers alike.

Offering better customer service options seems to be the typical pitch for now, Wal-Mart is advertising more available cashiers and Kmart has brought back the layaway policy, which should hit home for those facing maxed out credit cards. For most retailers going after the early shoppers in hopes of getting any sales they can is also the current effort with the typical focus on discounts and low cost gift ideas.

The Ripple Effect of Detroit Woes

It is still uncertain what will happen with the troubled GM, whether that corrective action will be a government bailout, bankruptcy protection or some combination remains to be seen. One thing that is obviously clear is that none of the options are attractive to the people they effect. There has been much media coverage about the overall reaching impacts from job losses; not only at the OEM level but also for supporting services to the automotive industry such as the suppliers that also employee staff to produce parts that go into the vehicles and various other labor required to support a manufacturing endeavored of that nature.

There is also the impact to the advertising world. Automotive comes in a very close second to retail in ad category spending. Think about what brands you see most often from your own experience. If those brands go away, I don’t think the remaining automakers will require much advertising to pick up sales as the field is narrowed. This has a significant impact on media and agencies alike.

This is not just an issue for Detroit, the ripple effect continues outward at the local level with the dealerships that will no longer be advertising as well. Many people simply will not consider buying a vehicle from a manufacturer facing bankruptcy as concerns over warranties and future service come front and center on consumer’s minds. Dealerships are getting hit hard with this reality, as they face their own challenges, closing doors at record rates, they too are no longer contributing to advertising.

Generic Brand Anyone?

This a prime example of advertising gone awry, take a look at what happened when Motrin posts a video on their website Saturday and ends up with some very outraged moms. Twitter and many other blog spots were all hopping with comments, which led to the ad being taken down from the Motrin website and I’m sure some very sincere apologies being issued.

The ad as seen below targets moms as baby wearers which they depict obviously causes pain. My son is now 19 years old and since he out weights me by about 80 pounds it may not be an issue for me personally, at the moment. However, from the time he was born until he was too big to fit in one of the handy baby wearing devices I was a proud member of the sling, pouch, front baby carrier epidemic popular for quite some time.

Advertisers should be aware of the response that can occur when people are deeply offended. In this example, the rapid execution that came with the sharing of this news was precise by mothers that banded together. It’s already Tuesday and the conversation is still going on the Twitter page, #motrinmoms, set up and shared in record time upon the discover.

When you miss the mark in today’s world it really hurts. One would think a little more research and/or possibly a testing with some real moms would have been in their best interest.

Press Release - Keeping Online Blog

Advertising is no small industry with an estimated $200 billion spent annually, but one that affects all of us. Author Laura Kimball explores just how advertising today is changing our lives in her new book, Getting You Online and Keeping You There.

PRLog (Press Release) – Nov 10, 2008 – Her latest book covers the shift in advertising to get people online for a more interactive experience. With topics such as changing privacy policies that dictate the amount of information that can now be collected and used about individuals for targeted advertising to shifting budgets. The latest trends in both marketing and advertising are all covered for a comprehensive view. This engaging book is a great collection of information for anyone interested in today’s changing market.

Read the entire release at PRLog.

The New Billboards

Billboard controversy in Los Angeles strikes debate over the latest outdoor advertising. It seems the electronic billboards that flash all night are attracting the attention of residents. In addition to the people that are annoyed by the continued radiant flashing are the concerns over safety as these attract the attention of drivers. It seems that effective advertising is always subject to the viewer. The new technology does add some character and is quite lively in presentation. However, what if you happen to live across the street from such a continuous, eye catching marvel? Please give us your opinion on the topic.