Smart way to get a message across….

It’s an oldie but definitely a goldie. I was re-introduced to the classic campaign for the Melbourne Metro recently and reminded just how funny it is.

Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNR2EpS0jw

An interesting new trend emerging is the power of the Clean Slate brands.  However I am not sure the trend is that of clean slate ie I don’t think consumers are looking for brands without baggage so much as it’s so much easier and less risky now to search and buy the new – with personal recommendations driving trust and appeal.

KEY FACTS:  92% trust recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising, up 18% since 2007. Online consumer reviews are the second most trusted source of brand information with a 70% trust rating, up 15% since 2008. Television ads were trusted by only 47%, down 24% since 2009.  (Nielsen, April 2012)

My favourite new brand (which my children have introduced me too) is Tinc.  Taps into the eternal passion that children have for stationary combined with cool packaging and really touchy feely products.  Each of the products has a name which gives a pencil a moshi monster type appeal and personality.  They even have an app that you can use to earn ‘pebbles’ (by marketing Tinc to your peers) to get money off products.

Make mine a Big Mac

For many commentators the stock market is the barometer of economic performance, but recent years and its volatility must raise a few questions about its accuracy.

Others have advocated talking to taxi drivers  - and while I’m always interested in their views, and like Faith Popcorn feel that if you take enough journeys you do get a feel for what’s “going on” in society, I’m not sure their perception of their own prosperity is a good indicator for the whole economy.

Some advocate the length of women’s skirts but (partly wishing to avoid any challenges of sexism) I would note that there is not only less consistency in skirt lengths in recent years, but more and more women are wearing trousers, leggings and jeans, so I’m not putting my money on that

No for me the best indicator is the level of that McDonald’s puts on its value offering.

As Annie Gasparro in the WSJ put it recently:

“Typically investors look to McDonald’s for a broad sense of how the global economy is affecting consumers. To put it simply if McDonald’s can’t sell a $1 cheeseburger, that doesn’t bode well for the rest of industry”

Given the recent pronouncements from Chief Executive Don Thompson that promotions on higher priced items weren’t “resonating with consumers” and the continuing emphasis on The Dollar Menu I would predict the economy has a long way to go yet before we’re really in recovery.

I do rather like this clever and timely ad for tomorrow’s Guardian. Love them or hate them, two icons brought together on a page.

I’m old enough to remember a time when brand extension was the exception to the rule, when Ries and Trout told marketers that it broke one of their immutable rules; but nowadays there are few brands that haven’t tried it. However there are still some that when you see them for the first time, they make you smile.