Tag Archives: advertising

by | Wednesday, August 16, 2023 · 7:30 am

Pssst… Want a free TV?

Telly: “Who wants a free television?”  

Me: “Me! Oh, wait. Is it a teeny tiny screen? Must be small or a poor screen to make it free. And there must be a charge somewhere…”  

Telly: “No, it’s not teeny tiny. It’s a 55-inch 4K television! And it’s free!”  

Me: “Wow. Then me! I want a free TV!”

Telly: “Great. There’s just one catch though. You also have to install a separate second display underneath that constantly displays ads and other information. That means all the time.”  

Me: “Hmmm….I’ll think about it.”  

While the above isn’t an actual conversation, it could be. And yes, a company named Telly is giving away 500,000 units of a 55-inch 4K televisions with a second screen. The second screen is located beneath the large screen and can show advertising, sports scores, and stock quotes based on a survey of the viewer’s information and interests. Telly is also equipped with a soundbar that includes a microphone and motion-tracking camera, and voice assistant.  

Telly starts with a survey gathering personal information plus information about cellphone provider, home ownership, household income, vehicle ownership, children, pets, and more. This information is used for selecting targeted advertising to viewers.  

Telly also collects information about what you watch, search for, others in the room, plus locations, geo-positioning, and more personal data. The data-gathering is required in order to retain the TV as free. And, even if you are not watching TV it will display ads.  

More than 250,000 people across the U.S. signed up in the first week Telly was offered. The company plans to distribute 500,000 units by the end of the year.  

Do you still want that free TV?      

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Show video about Telly: https://youtu.be/RsQ-RCe5YKA
  2. Show Telly website: https://www.freetelly.com/
  3. Also show Telly Terms of Service page: https://www.freetelly.com/terms-of-service
  4. Poll students: Who wants a Telly?
  5. What are the challenges Telly has to solve?
  6. Who is the target market for Telly?
  7. What is its appeal to consumers?
  8. What is its appeal to advertisers and companies?

Source: Fried, I. (17 May 2023). Telly’s free TV is latest take on ad-supported hardware. Axios.com.; Graham, M. (19 July 2023). A billboard for the living room? How Telly want advertisers to pay for your TV set. Wall Street Journal.

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by | Thursday, July 13, 2023 · 7:10 am

The Barbie Brand Goes Big

In my modest opinion as a marketer, nobody does branding better than ‘Barbie’ from Mattel It takes toys and keeps them relevant over decades. Case in point: Barbie dolls. While Barbie has had some ups-and-downs over the years, she is still a powerful brand icon. And this summer she gets her own movie!

The iconic doll has been a staple in American kids’ lives since the 1950s and it shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Barbie is now 64 years old (but doesn’t look a day over 19) and she has finely honed her marketing skills over the years.

This summer’s Barbie movie has more than 100 Barbie merchandise collaborations including an Airbnb stay at the Malibu Dream House (hosted by Ken). Other merchandise includes:

  • Barbie-themed Xbox Series S
  • Barbie roller skates from Impala
  • Barbie ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery
  • Pink-colored clothing at Gap
  • Hot Wheels Barbie Corvette
  • Barbie sneakers from Superga
  • Barbie pool floats at Target and Amazon
  • And much more…

The movie is a strong play from Mattel to increase growth by making Barbie a trending, pop culture sensation. To expand the potential sales, Mattel has partnered with other companies for even more pink Barbie-0branded products. Some agreements pay Mattel a flat licensing fee; others may be giving Mattel a percentage of the sales.

Think pink!

 Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Poll students: Who has played with a Barbie doll in their youth – or now?
  2. Why did Mattel want a Barbie movie?
  3. Discuss the four primary marketing strategies: market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification.
  4. Which strategy is being used for this product? Why?
  5. Divide students into teams. Have each team select one of the four different strategies and explain why that strategy could be used to market Barbie.
  6. Show the movie clip: https://www.barbie-themovie.net/
  7. View the Malibu beach house rental: https://news.airbnb.com/barbies-malibu-dreamhouse-is-back-on-airbnb-but-this-time-kens-hosting/
  8. Show Mattel’s Barbie website: https://shop.mattel.com/pages/barbie
  9. Optional: Have students search for Barbie-branded merchandise and collaborators.

Source: Lieber, C. (29 June 2023). The summer of ‘Barbie’ has only just begun. Wall Street Journal; Vega, N. (29 June 2023). ‘Barbie’ roller skates, Hot Wheels and dog toys: Brands are going all in on merch for summer’s hottest movie. CNBC.

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by | Tuesday, June 27, 2023 · 7:11 am

Culture Wars Impact Retailers

The world can be a tricky place for marketers and brands these days. Cultural differences can cause a big backlash when too many consumers take offense at certain topics that are endorsed by brands. It is a difficult balance that sometimes tips over to the negative.

Recently companies including Walt Disney, Anheuser-Busch, and Target have faced opposition to their support of the gay and trans communities. For example, June is Gay Pride Month and while many consumers and companies (such as Target, Walmart, Kohl’s, and JC Penney) fully support the issue, others may take an opposite view.

Target’s controversy relates to clothing, décor, and other Pride items which it was selling in support of gay and trans-gender rights. While the company has embraced the topic and products for a number of years, this year it went sideways. In some stores customers knocked down displays, threatened store employees, and posted on social media in opposition to the products.  

In response to the controversy, Target moved its Pride products away from the front of the store and pulled several products from sale, all in response to fears about employee safety. The response to Target’s move was disappointment from many consumers and organizations that supported gay rights.

How should we deal with sensitive issues?

 Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. This is a tricky topic for discussion, but one that bears examination by students.
  2. Discuss how companies can handle divisive topics.
  3. How should marketers balance messages to communities.
  4. Poll students: What are topics that are divisive and controversial? What examples have students seen?
  5. Show video about the issue at Target: https://youtu.be/AvfuoXga77Q
  6. Show Target’s website for Pride items: https://www.target.com/c/pride/-/N-5589f
  7. How should marketers address controversial topics?

Source: Nassauer, S. (25 May 2023). Target lands in culture-war crosshairs over pride month. Wall Street Journal; Reid, H. (31 May 2023). Target Pride backlash exposes ‘rainbow capitalism’ problem, designer says. Reuters New service.

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