Creative Briefs

1. Creative Brief

Agency: Lewis Marketing        Client: Wyndham Vacation Ownership

Product:  Timeshare

 

Why are we advertising?

We are advertising to increase product awareness and educate the target audience. Advertisements will also be used to increase credibility. Current owner families can provide brief stories on why they chose to join Club Wyndham. We want families to see the value in owning their vacations instead of renting them.

Whom are we talking to?

We are talking to Caucasian, African-American and Asian families between the ages of 30-45 with an average income of $65,000 – $160,000. They have children and value spending quality time with their families. They primarily live in single-family homes in suburban neighborhoods.

What do they currently think?

They currently think that timeshare is not a good investment due to limited flexibility with the fixed week program.

What would we like them to think?

We would like them to think that owning their vacations is more beneficial than renting them.

What is the single most persuasive idea we can convey?

The point system allows owners to take cashless vacations instead of spending cash every year for vacations with no return on investment. The flexibility of the program allows families to spend more time together and travel when they want, how they want and where they want. They are able to explore the world and experience adventures together.

Why should they believe it?

Club Wyndham is the world’s largest in the following three categories: vacation ownership, hotel franchisor and external exchange.

Wyndham Vacation Ownership currently has over 900,000 owner families and the membership is continuously growing as more resorts are built.

What is the personality we want to convey?

The personality that will be conveyed is cheerful, engaging and family oriented.

Are there any Sacred Cows?

No

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Creative Brief

Agency: Lewis Marketing                                                             Client: BasKIDS

Product:  Non-Profit Organization

Why are we advertising?

We are advertising to increase community support for local charity events. The target audience needs to be educated on the organization in order to know how they can support the youth.  Advertisements will also be used to increase credibility. We want the target audience to see the value in supporting and investing in the next generation. Many people aren’t aware of the homeless rate in the area or number of children hospitalized due to illnesses. The advertisements will increase awareness so that children aren’t neglected during the holidays.

Whom are we talking to?

We are talking to African-American and Caucasian families between the ages of 18-40 with an average income of $25,000 – $100,000. They are college educating and believe that education and community support is important.

What do they currently think?

They currently think that there are shelters and programs that provide for the less fortunate.

What would we like them to think?

We would like them to think that supporting the less fortunate and investing in the next generation is important because they are the future. We want them to see the value n donating clothes, food, school supplies and books to children that come from families that are unable to do so.

What is the single most persuasive idea we can convey?

Children are the future. It is important to invest in their future and give back to those in need  because we never know when we will need a helping hand.

Why should they believe it?

BasKIDS has been servicing the community for two years. They have developed a partnership with the DC Homeless Shelter and George Washington Hospital Center. They have hosted events to raise books and toys for the children and take them to pre-selected drop off locations. Once a week they go to the homeless shelter to read to the children and there as been an increase in the children’s reading and comprehension scores.

What is the personality we want to convey?

The personality that will be conveyed is cheerful, loving and positive

Advertising Pitches Guinness &Coca-Cola

Part One

Guinness: Made of More

Real men are defined by their character, not their physique.

Real men don’t let challenges prevent them from enjoying life.

Bond with those that share the same values, because loyalty is hard to come by.

It takes adventurous spirit and irrepressible ingenuity to do things the Guinness way!

Real men drink Guinness because they are made of more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part Two

Coca-Cola: Share the Love

Starting college can be an exciting and intimidating experience.

Students leave home and come from different parts of the country and world.

No one knows what to expect or how to break the ice.

Coca-Cola encourages freshmen to make a friend, open happiness and share a Coke!

 

 

Creative Choice Commercials

1. Budweiser Lost Dog 

 

Plot: The commercial starts out with a dog and Budweiser Clydesdales in a stable. The dog leaves the stable and gets locked inside a truck. The dog exits the truck in town and is officially lost and has to find his way back home. On his journey back home he gets lost and encounters a wolf, then the Budweiser Clydesdales show up to defend him and lead him back home.

 

Strategy: Jake Scott directed the commercial. He used an emotional touch to advertise the Budweiser brand. In the commercial the Budweiser Clydesdales help the puppy learn the true meaning of friendship by defending him and guiding him back home. The intent of the commercial was strongly communicated through the characters. The farmer in the commercial wore a Budweiser cap but it wasn’t very noticeable when watching the commercial the first time around.

Positioning Statement: #BestBuds always have your back.

2.  Dove Evolution

Plot: The commercial featured a bare faced model. When she first entered the screen her hair was wet and undone she had on no make up and had a very blank face. Throughout the commercial her air is being styled and multiple cosmetologists are doing her make- up. Once her make-up is finished her face appears on a computer display and a mouse is being used to click sections of her face and neck to make cosmetic alterations. The edited image is placed on a public billboard.

 

Strategy: The Dove Evolution commercial was created in order to help women establish a stronger foundation of positive self-image and self-love. The goal of the commercial is to empower women and re-assure them that all women have flaws, which make us unique and beautiful.

 

Positioning Statement: Dove is not about women feeling more beautiful; it’s about more women feeling beautiful. – Philippe Harousseau

3. iPod: iTunes

Plot: The Apple iTunes commercial features several silhouette images of people dancing to pop music. They background constantly changes colors and the silhouette images appear to be enjoying themselves while dancing to the constant beat. Each silhouette image featured a white iPod and earphones.

 

Strategy: The director wanted to communicate that using Apple iTunes can provide you with a convenient and easy way to download and enjoy your music. Although the commercial didn’t directly show the process of how to download music and what genres are offered; the silhouette images and flashing background was used to represent the variety of genres offered and the convenience of enjoying music on-the-go using the Apple earphones.

 

Positioning Statement: Explore all genres of music using Apple iTunes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#OscarsSoWhite: Boycotting using multiple platforms

The 2016 Oscars was interesting for very many reasons. In January 2016, Jada Pinkett-Smith called for a boycott of the 2016 Oscars due to lack of diversity among nominees.

The Power of Social Media

Social media is a strong emerging media platform. An entire boycott of the Oscars was formed after the release of Jada Pinkett-Smith’s video. It can be argued that many African Americans were tired of the lack of diversity among Oscar nominations throughout history, but the moment Jada’s video went viral the movement began. The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite was a trending topic on Twitter Sunday evening.

Although the movement started with a Facebook video, opinions were being shared across many platforms. Many celebrities voiced their opinions on social media, the red carpet and on stage!

Tweets

 

Oscars Tune Out Press Conference before we gather for the demonstration. pic.twitter.com/uqiqBrn9ot

— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) February 28, 2016

Red Carpet Interviews

On Stage

Chris Rock hosted the 2016 Oscars and made it a point to voice his opinion in his opening monologue. 

Boycott Effectiveness 

The Oscars Ratings have continuously decreased over the past eight years. Do you think lack of diversity has contributed to the low ratings? Although ratings were low there was positive and negative feedback via social media during the Oscars. despite those who weren’t watching pictures and videos from the Oscars were shared across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. How can marketers for the Oscar use social media for the 2017 Oscars to increase ratings and conversation about the event?

Mobile Apps: Privacy vs. Functionality

Consumers are constantly looking for convenience. Although there are tons of options to choose from it is important to choose wisely. There are four must-do’s before downloading a mobile app:

1. Download from known stores and start with anti-virus app
2. Use official apps only
3. Pay attention to app permissions
4. Use apps that communicate securely

How many people actually read the terms and conditions when downloading mobile apps? Although we may feel its unnecessary to read the fine print there are six reasons apps must have privacy policies:

1. You are Collecting Personal Data
2. Third-Party Services are used
3. Regulations Require Privacy Policies
4. App Stores Requires Privacy Policies
5. Potential Fines and Lawsuits
6. Consumer Outrage

Consumers should also be sure they are downloading the correct app. Your personal information can be comprised when you download the wrong mobile app. For example, The IP address and computer ID or MAC address can give away enough information, and data brokers can match information and identify the market.

 

 

The infographic below illustrates the different privacy concerns associated with mobile apps.

 GPS tracking is also a problem associated with mobile apps. Retailers have the capability to track shoppers. As they shop the data that is collected includes where they spend most of their time, whether or not they make a purchase and how frequently they visit the store. Sensors are used to track any consumer with a wifi-enabled phone, and their consent isn’t required.

Prevention and Regulations

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)  has become less about warnings and more about what action they will take against a brand disregarding the rules of privacy. Consumers that want to prevent their personal information from  being compromised and misused should verify the mobile app/ company privacy policy in order to know what data will be collected. For example, the CDC Privacy Policy  can be easily accessed via the website and it educates consumers on what private information is collected.

 

In order to prevent your private information from being compromised use the following steps:

1. Disable location tracking
2. Browse using an anonymity network
3. Update mobile device operating system
4. Back up device
5. Remote wipe
6. Lock screen password
7. Encrypt data
8. Restrict wifi activity
9. Browse Using An Anonymity Network.

 

Battle of the Voices

Consumers no longer have to manually perform actions on their smart phones. Voice search can be used to do the following:

• Look up information
• Create calendar events
• Play music
• Get directions
• Send a message or make a phone call:
• Make reservations
• Get recommendations

Cortana, Siri and Google Now are voice search systems that are currently available. I own an iPhone 6s but I was curious to know if Apple’s Siri was the best voice search system compared to the others. The video below illustrates a side-by-side comparison of all three systems.

 

Some of the commands featured on the clip included:

• “Call Sam Sabri on Skype”
• “What is the weather like on Tuesday?”
• “Navigate to Dunkin Donuts”
• “What is the best rated Indian restaurant around me?”
• “Post a new Tweet”
• “Foursquare check-in”

As marketers gain a better understanding of consumers needs and interests voice search will provide more convenience to our daily lives. What future commands would you be interested in using for voice search?

 

References:

Rubino, D. (2014 April 14). Cortana vs. Siri vs. Google Now. Retrieved from http://www.windowscentral.com/cortana-versus-siri-versus-google-now?_ga=1.43566053.1589976318.1456183244

Breaking Through the Clutter

Companies can no longer effectively reach the target audience through one medium. A mobile strategy should be implemented in order for the target audience to seamlessly navigate from one medium to the next. Cross promoting can increase brand exposure and consumer interests.

Emerging media platforms such as blogs, social media and video streaming sites can be used jointly to enhance the consumer experience. For example, a hash tag can be featured in a commercial and the viewer can search the hash tag via social media in order to get more information or directly interact with the brand. It is important to keeps consumers interested through frequent engagement.

Some strategies for breaking through the advertising clutter include:

• viral marketing
• selective retention
• advertising on popular objects

It is important to try and understand the behaviors, interests and problems of consumers so that solutions can be created for them.In order to break through the clutter marketers need to view things from the consumers perspective by trying to understand the following:

• when is the best time to engage with an emerging media platform
• what device will be used
• for how long

A 2013 study conducted by Google Insights found that 90% of people move between multiple screens and devices to accomplish a goal.

 

 

 

How Safe Are We From Technology?

The Business Insider defines The Internet of Things as a network of internet connect objects able to collect and exchange data.

“The Internet of Things (IoT) has been called the next Industrial Revolution — it will change the way all businesses, governments, and consumers interact with the physical world”

“In total, we project there will be 34 billion devices connected to the Internet by 2020, up from 10 billion in 2015. IoT devices will account for 24 billion, while traditional computing devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets, smart watches, etc.) will comprise 10 billion”

The more data that marketers can access on consumers wants and needs the more effective their marketing efforts will be. But what type of problems or concerns does that create for citizens?

Within the past year there has been numerous cases of credit card breeches. Some of the cases include Wendy’s, The Hilton , and 12 Chicago area restaurant. If our credit card information isn’t safe, how safe is our personal information? The more data that we enter into smart devices, social media and enchanted objects the more information marketers can access.  HP Security Research conducted a study in 2014 that revealed  70% of the most commonly used IoT devices had serious security flaws. Moreover, 90% of the devices using unencrypted network service and 70% vulnerable through weak passwords (Weisman, 2015). Although the goal is to make everyday life functions and activities more convenient there are serious security and privacy concerns that have yet to be addressed. There is a lack of balance between accessibility, safety and privacy. Is it possible to implement laws or create a system that will provide safety and privacy for consumers who  use the IoT?

 

References:

Greenough, J. (2015, April 14). How the Internet of Things Market Will Grow. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-internet-of-things-market-will-grow-2014-10

Weisman, S. (2015, April 4). “Are you safe in the Internet of Things?” USA Today. Retrieved February 5, 2016, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/2015/04/04/weisman-internet-of-things-cyber-security/70742000/ 

 

Emerging Media for Toddlers

Over these past few months I’ve been observing my 18 month-old son’s interactions with technology. He watches me sit in front of the laptop hours of the day to respond to emails, do homework or shop online. He watches me browse social media using my iPad or iPhone. He hops on the screen whenever I’m on FaceTime with friends and family. As a result he knows how to use every device I own.

Due to the over abundance of electronic devices available for adults and children it’s difficult to avoid them. I recently came across an article that discussed iPads in the classroom. While I think it’s important for him to have an understanding of how to use emerging media I’m cautious the content being viewed and the amount of time he spends using it. I try to find balance between educational shows and educational game apps that can be  played on the iPad. For example,when waiting at a doctors appointment or taking an extended drive I allow my son to use the iPad to keep him entertained.
My concerns include side effects of electromagnetic radiation and lack of fundamental development.I’ve noticed that he is more interested in electronic devices than tangible games. He knows how to operate every television and computer in the house. For example, when he is tired of playing with his toys he goes to turn on the television then hands me the remote to turn to cartoons.

 

Are Minorities the New Majority?

 

Are minorities the new majority? Census data shows that millennials represent more than one-quarter of the U.S. population, are more racially diverse than the nation’s older generations.

 

Based on the growing data presented on minorities in the United States it is important for marketers to understand how to effectively reach their target audience. Marketers need to understand the cultural norms and values of minorities in order to effectively reach them. An article from Bloomberg Business suggest that businesses should start with observation and research. Become ingrained in their culture, dive in headfirst. Go to cultural events in your neighborhood—parades and festivals—and get your own access. Don’t use focus groups or make one mass appeal that doesn’t resonate with different communities.

The type of emerging media platform used will vary based on the minority group. For example, data from Nielsen research found that Hispanics are most likely to watch tv in the language they prefer to speak at home.

The Nielsen Research is relevant to digital video streaming companies such as Netflix because they offer movies and shows targeting Hispanic groups and translation options. There’s an old saying that “a child is born every second”, if there is any truth to this saying each day the chances of a minority being born increases. What can marketers do to develop long-term relationships with minorities so that their children develop the same brand loyalty?

 

 

 

References:

Klein, K. (2010 December 14). What Companies Get Wrong When Marketing to Minorities. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/dec2010/sb20101213_643259.htm

Nielsen. (2011). Hispanic Media in the US. Retrieved from http://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/corporate/us/en/newswire/uploads/2011/04/Nielsen-Hispanic-Media-US.pdf