Category: Advertising & Marketing

Marketing through Pinterest

Posted on by Brian Lee

I’ll admit it. I am a Pinterest addict. Over my winter break, I spent countless hours on the site, “pinning” recipes, clothes, photos from blogs, etc. to my “pinboards.”

If you haven’t heard of Pinterest yet, you will soon. The site already has a reported 3.3 million users and is growing quickly. Many companies like Gap, Whole Foods, and the Travel Channel have already created their own profiles in order to interact with their fans through the site.

Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board. It works in this way: users can “pin,” or post, original photos or content from their computers or from around the web. You then pin this content on one of your pinboards (which are like bulletin boards) that are separated into categories like Travel, Recipes, Clothing or Dream Home. You can also “re-pin” other users’ posts.

Pinterest provides an interesting opportunity for marketers. It gives companies the opportunity to promote their brands to their customers in an engaging and visually stimulating way.

At the same time, too much self promotion is a big no-no for brands on the site. For example, a clothing company might have a “Vintage” or “Street Style” pinboard that serve as inspiration for their line, but should avoid posting photos of all the clothing items they sell onto their pinboards. The point is to capture the essence of the brand without just posting content that is directly related to it.

Interacting with customers through Pinterest is a new concept for many marketers. I’m very excited to see how we can integrate the site into our clients’ marketing plans in the future.

Capitalizing on popularity

Posted on by Brian Lee

I recently saw a trailer for a new Fox’s cartoon that made me irrationally irritated.  And by new I of course mean the television version of the 2004 movie “Napoleon Dynamite.”

Now, it’s not that I dislike the movie. To be honest, I haven’t seen the movie all the way through.  I have seen enough bits and pieces to understand the cultural references but I doubt I’ll ever sit down and watch it in its entirety. It’s just one of those movies where it isn’t necessary for me.

My annoyance stems from the movie being eight years old!  If this show came out in 2005 when all the “Vote for Pedro” shirts were popular and everyone doing terrible job impersonating Jon Heder then I wouldn’t have an issue.

I will never hate on someone trying to capitalize on their cultural niche. But you have to move fast.  It doesn’t make sense to wait because you’ll lose the momentum, which is the reason people take interest in sequels, endorsements, merchandise, etc.  I mean come on, think about those kids from the Jersey Shore.  Eight years from now, do you believe anyone is buying Snooki perfume or the Situation’s workout DVD? It’s doubtful.  So I hope they put their name on everything and jump on any spinoff offered! Make that money while you can!

It just doesn’t make sense for a “Napoleon Dynamite” show in 2012. But maybe I am wrong.  Maybe there is a huge nerd following that’s been waiting for years to have Napoleon and crew back in their lives.  I guess I’ll have to wait and see.

New threat to political ads

Posted on by Brian Lee

Political advertising in Iowa appears to be “politics as usual.” This December, $10 million was spent on television and radio ads in Iowa by Republican candidates and, to a larger extent, Super PACs.

$10 million could feed 40 million hungry children! This kind of spending, however, is not new to politics. And there’s nothing new about public disgust over the wastefulness of spending millions of dollars on political ads.

What’s new is the possibility of nominating a presidential candidate that has yet to spend a penny on advertising.

Thanks to Americans Elect, a nonpartisan nonprofit whose mission is to nominate a presidential candidate through an online voting process, there is a real possibility of having a third option on the ballot in 2012. A candidate chosen by the people and the issues, not advertising, and not a political party.

Advertisements do play a role in politics–mainly to inform the public that otherwise wouldn’t pay attention to politics, about the candidates. Yet it’s long overdue we have an alternative to choosing a candidate by the amount of money they spend on advertising, trying to sway public opinion with empty slogans, little information and misleading attack ads.

If Americans Elect succeeds in getting a third candidate on the ballot without spending big bucks on ads, people may decide it is no longer necessary to donate money to primary election campaigns.

A world with no political ads? I think I’ll survive just fine.