Badvertising – New Mother by Coke

Many including startup blog predicted the death of Mother Energy Drink before it was launched. By the way this was Coca Cola Australia’s 4th attempt to get a share of the energy soft drink market. Other attempts included Lift Plus, Burn and Sprite recharge. All of which bombed.

As predicted ‘Mother’ should have been called ‘Dog’. So they’ve burried the old stock on hand and Coke have re-launched Mother with an all new fix all flavour. Which has lead to the following badvertising:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvgIopzPflI]

Memo to Coke Marketing team: Taste has nothing to do with it. Half of Red Bull’s consumers even admit they don’t like the taste. Consumers know the same people developed the flavour profile of this launch too, and yes they know it’s made by Coke.

The energy space is already occupied in the minds of consumers. The market is already dominated by two powerful brands with strong identities & distribution depth. Save your money on advertising and put it towards buying Red Bull gloablly or V for the Asia Pacific market – because this category is already game set match. The two horse race which all categories become has been run and won.

One more thing – this spot is so contrived, your target market would be laughing at you.

Kind regards – Startup Blog.

Note to start ups – if you’re launching a me too, without a price, distribution or technology advantage – best to re-think the launch plans. If Coke can’t do it – why can you?

Not only rice

Kai – sent me the following visual of a Melbourne Rice Bar:

Was it just in case we’re were’nt sure if they sold drinks as well?

Maybe it would have been more interesting if they said ‘Rice bar’ – only rice, nothing except rice dishes, we are the rice experts…

Cafe press & customer service

I recently ordered this most rad t-shirt on line from cafe press:

After a month it still hadn’t arrived. So slightly upset  sent them through a note as below.
My email:

My order was meant to arrive between these times: Estimated Arrival: Monday 6/30/08 – Monday 7/7/08. But I am still yet to receive it and I am getting worried that It will never arrive. It is now 7/13/08 so it has been nearly a month! Can you please follow up for me. I am a first time cafe press customer and so far it hasn’t been a good experience.   

1st cafe press response:

Dear Steve,

Thank you for contacting CafePress.com! This note is to inform you that we have received your inquiry and are assigning it to a representative. We respond to all email messages within 24 hours. If you do not receive an answer within 24 hours please call us toll-free at 1-877-809-1659 during our customer service hours Monday – Saturday 9:00 am to 9:00 pm EST.

To help track your inquiry we have generated the following reference number LTK419015882692X. Please use this number in any further communication.

2nd ‘real person’ cafe press response:

Dear Steve, I am sorry to hear you haven’t received your order. I checked and it is past the date it should have arrived. To make sure there are no further delays please confirm back with your correct shipping address. As soon as I get this information I will replace your order at no charge. I look forward to your reply.  

If there is anything else I can do for you please let me know. 

Best Regards, Crystal R.

A few things for startups to notice: 

  • Yes, it was an automated response, but a real living, breathing person got back to me within 24 hours. ‘We want to deal with real people.’ Only real people can respond to emotion.
  • They offered a toll free number for me to call on if a didn’t hear within 24 hours. All websites should have someone you can call.

  • They advised they would replace the order, no questions & immediatly. They accepted fault.

  • They included a link where I could rate there customer service even though, I was potentially an upset customer. No excuses, no hiding on their behalf.

In short, cafe press offered; guarantees, to fix the proble, they accepted fault, and started a feedback loop which has lead to great customer service, from a potentially negative situation. Now I’m blogging about a positive situation when it may well have been the opposite.

Webpreneurs – Be like cafe press.

Virtual ‘Radvertising’ – Heineken

This is ‘radvertising’ for many reasons.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M2mABv2RAI&feature=related]

  • It highlights a single minded product benefit – nothing artifical
  • It leverages historical brand postioning & authenticity – so it’s believable
  • Chooses a topical juxtapostion which is easily understood
  • Has broad appeal which can cross the chasm of age demographics
  • The creative idea is strongly linked to the consumption environment & category
  • It’s sneezeworthy (worth spreading / has viral potential)
  • It’s entertaining. Which by the way is never, ever an objective of ‘radvertising’. It’s a BONUS.

Mind your language

The slight nuances of language are vital. When we hear people’s words, we can see into their soul.

 

Do people work for you, or with you?

 

Same thing? Not really. Not at all in fact.

 

Working for you

Working with you

Directive

Collaborative

Authoritarian

Decentralised

Divergent goals

Convergent goals

Business expense

Revenue generator

Employee

Partner

 Working for you

When people ‘work for you’, we subconsciously kybosh their potential as idea merchants and problem solvers. This is a mistake at all levels in any organization.  

When we work with people, our minds open and our world changes.

 

The payment method or equity position of those working with us is irrelevant, what is relevant is how we view our people. And that view is determined by the language we use, in this instance and many others.

The back up

A ‘very’ single minded proposition. I guess the product benefits are clear, low start ups costs,  with a very targeted market. I’ll be interested to see what people think of this one!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6sFPDI6poE]

 

 

Cut through v3.0

Driving in the city I noticed these. They caught my eye. I stopped to investigate.

 

 

 

Turns out it’s the ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) ‘Game On’ exhibition where you can play your way through the history of arcade and video games. I’m a sucker for retro video games and so I’m on it big time.

 

I never watch free to air TV – where they’ve been advertising. Without this piece of cool outdoor, with great cut through, I’d never have known.

 

People find us in different ways. We must know how to find your our people.