We Have The Car For YOU!

When a car company is advertising a new vehicle, they are selling more than just the car. They are selling an experience. However, in order for the commercial, magazine spot, or even web ad to be any bit effective, the experience must be relative to the target audience. Would you see commercial for a Chrysler 300 during the break of Jerry Springer? Probably no sooner than you'd see a Ford F150 ad on the Lifetime Network… Location, location, location.   

The whole idea of marketing is to identify what it is that your customer wants, then tell that customer that you have what they need, and then explain why your product is better than the competition. Your product can be the bee's knees, but if you market it by saying, "Buy my thing, it's good" the customer will be left with more questions than answers, so marketing to your customers needs is essential. 

Think about this… Nike never advertises their bottom-of-the-barrel shoes that anyone can afford. They don't market themselves as having a product that everyone is worthy of. No, they advertise their best products. The ones that make you fly higher, run faster, swing harder, and drain your bank account faster than you can say "Just Do It."

The auto industry takes a slightly different approach. Rather than market only the best products that make the customer feel like they are worse off without, car companies advertise to customer's wants and needs. Companies know where their customers are. Luxury cars will be advertised to the classy folks. Those looking to stretch a buck will most likely see a whole lot of Used Car lot commercials, or commercials that promote SUPER CLOSEOUT SAVINGS! 

Keep in mind that companies know who watches what... You don't see what you see on TV or in print by chance.

Next time you're watching the tube, take note of what type of commercials come on; specifically car commercials. Think about what type of audience those companies are trying to reach and consider whether or not you feel like you are part of that target audience. In the meantime, try to identify the audiences that these companies may be trying to appeal to... 

The Future is Mobile

GO MOBILE

The future of marketing can be summed up in those two words. According a post yesterday by Search Engine Watch Blog, Google has announced that it's 2011 strategic initiatives are "all about mobile."In a keynote speech on the 27th at the Interactive Advertising Bureau's annual leadership meeting, Google's CEO, Dr. Eric Schmidt, said mobile is taking off faster than predicted and that, "This is the future and everyone will adapt." To prove his point Schmidt offered some statistics displaying how rapid mobile is growing. These were the ones that stuck out to me most...

• There are more than 200 million YouTube mobile playbacks per day.
• 78 percent of smartphone users shop on their device.
• Schmidt predicted that digital display advertising could become a $200 billion a year business

So how does this relate to sports advertising?

$$$BIG MONEY$$$

Look back at the statistics I just listed above, courtesy of Dr. Schmidt. MORE THAN 200 million YouTube mobile playbacks per day, PLUS, 78% of smartphone users shop on their device. These numbers indicate that people are watching lots of YouTube videos on their mobile devices AND most of these people are also using their smartphones to shop. THEREFORE, companies like Nike, adidas, etc. can theoretically made a fortune from successful VIRAL MARKETING campaigns.

Nike had an incredibly successful viral marketing campaign in 2008 when they launched this viral video of Kobe Bryant jumping over a speeding Aston Martin to promote their launch of his new signature shoe, Hyperdunks. The shoe went on to become one of the hottest selling and popular basketball shoes of all time.

If athletic apparel companies utilize this viral marketing venue more, that means more mobile hits of their videos on YouTube, which translates to a possibility of millions of mobile sales from these same viewers.

Viral marketing is just one example. If you think about it, mobile marketing/advertising is absolutely the way to go. As smartphones are becoming ordinary, more emphasis is put on mobile web browsing. And what better way to reach consumers?! My Droid is ALWAYS by my side. As more people acquire smartphones as their mobile phones, that means there is a rapidly expanding population of people that can be accessed wherever, and whenever. Thus effective mobile marketing can lead to ENORMOUS profits for any company. But I see the opportunity for astronomical profits from the athletic apparel industries due to their reliance on web browsing, viral advertising, and their ability to constantly inform people of new sales or products, directly to their mobile devices. Being able to reach millions of people all the time, anywhere, is why mobile is absolutely the future of marketing and advertising. Mobile's future looks bright...and lucrative.

~Z