.Nostolgic

Nostalgic advertising has been used many times before and they sometimes have favorable outcomes. The reason for this is because it elicits a response from the consumer other forms of advertisement does not. For example, have you ever saw, heard, or felt something that took you back into time? If you have, that reminiscent feeling gives you a moment in the past and you just have to be there. Well, that's what some advertisements successfully do. Jack Daniel's "Legend" campaign did a great job of this. They showed legendary artists and bands such as Frank Sinatra, Mudhoney, and Joey Ramone. Their goal was to capture rock 'n' roll legends and associate that with Jack Daniel's. They intended to capture the greatest times and aligned it with their product. A large group of direct Jack Daniels consumers would probably be attracted to this commercial. Not only that, it could spike interest in non-direct Jack Daniel's consumers. According to www.adweek.com, it increased their Brand Power Index score (it is measured by the amount of social media buzz and online searches a brand receives every quarter) by 27% (Adweek Source). Although nostalgic advertisement has an advantage, it could have a negative impact as well.

A way for nostalgic marketing to negatively effect consumers is through eliciting negative associations in consumers. Certainly, Frank Sinatra could remind people of World War II, or a time when their girlfriend dumped them. These associations come in numerous forms and can sometimes not be calculated. But for example, if studies suggest that showing a bicycle in advertisement can boost market sales because it reminds people of their good times in the past, then why not go with that. 

Honestly, there is not much to say about negative effects in my opinion. I feel that there will be people that do like a nostalgic feeling and that there will be people that don't. Sometimes it favors the company and sometimes it works against it. Although this is not a 50/50 case, there are cases where nostalgic advertising can be very effective. It can help bring back the good times and memories to consumers. In effect, encourage consumers to purchase these brands' products.

Let's Ride.

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Brand communities do develop greater involvement in a brand. For example (a brand other than Harley Davidson), Facebook and its ability to unite people on a website. It is the number 1 social networking site because it creates a community for people to congregate to. Cynically speaking, it's like how a country creates national pride through the use of flags, national anthems, etc. People find something they identify with, which helps unite other people together (even people who are not associated with the organization, but people who desire to). Sometimes people desire to be part of something and Harley Davidson used that to their advantage.

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The word "posse" in "Posse Ride" says it all. If you are participating in the "Posse Ride," then you are part of a "posse." Although this is a superficial analysis, it says a lot. A "posse" is defined as a group of men who may be armed. You can make the conjecture that people who take part in these events are people who believe they are tough, or people who want to be tough. Let's face it, how can you not be or appear tough with a large group of motorcycle riders. Moving forward, within these "Posse Rides" motorcyclists bond with each other. They do this in a sense of riding together and sharing their lives with each other in various ways. Moreover, promoting camaraderie, which enhances the
meaning of the brand.

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I don't believe Harley Davidson should get more involved with the rides. Any more involvement would make riders feel controlled, or policed. The idea of Harley Davidson is for riders to feel free on the open rode without any restrictions (yeah, and that sometimes gets out of hand). The riders have created the image for Harley Davidson and they continue to do that. Any interference by the company will dilute the meaning of Harley Davidson. Let's face it, Harley Davidson is known for their riders, not for themselves (if that makes sense). To elaborate, the Harley Davidson riders promote Harley Davidson, they no longer need to promote themselves.

There are no other ways Harley Davidson could promote it. They have a lot of motorcycle gang members ride those bikes. They are not only nationally known, but internationally known. They are known to have one of the loudest motorcycles ever. Again, if there were any interference by Harley Davidson, I feel like it would not seem organic. Organic in a sense that they are what they represent. Meaning that the riders and the way they are portrayed (the people who they desired to attract) are what makes a Harley Davidson motorcycle attractive.

Buy Nike. Just Do It.

(Picture Source)

 Nike has been in the game for almost half of a century and have been growing ever since. Nike is not just a name to the consumer. It's a lifestyle. It's the life people choose when they exercise, play a sport, and walk around. Everywhere you go, you will see the word Nike and its notorious swoosh on pretty much anything.

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Nike has targeted its consumers who derive from all sorts of economic standing in society. They mainly target consumers ages 16-55 who possess high income standing or are part of the high income standing. The high income target market man cause medium to low income standing consumers to desire the product as well. And so far, this effect has occurred and has been occurring.

What makes Nike so attractive in comparison to its rival brands? For starters, they invest hugely into their Research and Development. Nike interviews customers to find what they can do to improve their products. As a result, they may put a logo somewhere noticeable, or have a commercial that includes specific scenes to attract more consumers. In addition, they also do testing on their products. This would include how the materials part of the product react to certain circumstances. For example, they would test the composite of a soccer cleat. This would include how it is affected with weight, in different temperatures, etc. Not only do they find ways to conform to the customer, they also are innovative risk takers. Nike has made products other brands would not dare to do.

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Two of some of the most recent successful products are the Nike FuelBand and the Nike Flyknit Racer. The Nike FuelBand was priced at $150. It has an electronic screen filled with a variety of colors and can calculate the amount of calories burned, miles traveled, number of steps taken, and NikeFuel points earned. It was considered unorthodox because the Nike FuelBand was considered to be in a different market (the technology market). The other product was the Nike Flyknit Racer. It was also an unconventional product. It was a shoe that was created through "knit threading rather than multiple layers of fabric" (Austin Carr, Nike: The No.1 Most Innovative Company Of 2013, www.fastcompany.com). This unorthodox creation yielded extremely light shoes. The risk taking Nike took, hit the consumers fast and hard. Making innovative and useful products can cause shift the consumers behavior positively (As we see here).

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Nike is not old. They have been competing with other brands for half of a century, but they have found ways to flourish like new. Through the heavy investments in their Research and Development Department and risky product creations, they have become one of the best brands there are. A lesson from one of Nike's tactics is to take risks through innovation. But be innovative in a way that serves the consumers better than before. The better it can be done, the more people are going to desire it.

It Works.

(Picture provided by www.environmental-watch.com)

 Greenpeace, founded in 1971, is a foundation that aims to protect the environment through direct-action. They execute this through investigating environmental crime, confronting environmental abuse, and finding solutions to help save the environment. Greenpeace chooses not to affiliate itself with the government or corporations. They believe that it goes against their values. Instead, they market themselves to individuals or different organizations that do not harm the environment.

(Picture provided by www.greenpeace.org)

The market themselves to the public in many ways. You can visit the six social networking websites that they have. These include Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Youtube, Pinterest, and Twitter.  These sites contain: updates about environmental issues that are occurring throughout the world, pictures of animals, and news about Greenpeace. Another marketing strategy they use is standing outside stores with their trademark t-shirts. What happens is they ask people who walk in and out of stores for a minute. Then, they give an introduction of what Greenpeace is. Afterwards, they ask if the individual would like to donate money, sign up for an weekly email updates, and many other things related to Greenpeace. Their advertising tactics don't stop there. They also do public protests that make the news and do interviews with news people in order to get TV time.

(Picture Provided by www.adverbox.com)

Greenpeace is an organization that has grabbed the attention of many people. For instance, in today's news, Greenpeace activists are detained in Russia for attempting to aboard an Arctic oil platform. They have made headlines on BBC, New York Times, Washington Post, and other big media companies. They have not only made an impact on American news, but worldwide news as well.

Some of the things they do may seem radical. I don't know whether it's right or wrong. All I know is that it works.

Roles. Roles. Roles.

Perplexed is probably an understatement for me in terms of my previous post. It seems that I am again on the issue of stereotyping utilized in advertising. What I want to do is try to be a little more definitive, meaning that I do not end up with an underlying issue that leaves me confused (if that's possible).

Roles. We all have roles in society don't we? Men work and women stay at home. Men mow the lawn, fix the house, and do the dirty work. Women keep the house clean and take care of the kids. But is all of this true? Why do we think this? Well, let's face it, advertising could be part of the reason for why roles are played this way. Let's say it is. Because in advertising, we can see the conspicuous (or inconspicuous for those who do not notice it) gender stereotypes that are played for the public to see.

Let's begin with an Easy Bake commercial in 2011. Obviously, the company targets young girls. How do they though? Well for one, there are young girls in the commercial. The music is sang by girls. The dominant colors are pink, purple, and white. Not to mention that they are doing their "job" as a female would, which is hinted by their mother working in the kitchen (clearly this is a connotation, but come on, does it not look like that?). Now this may not be the intention of the advertiser's, but it can definitely be construed as so.

Here's another one that's presented by AXE, a men's deodorant brand. Here, women are being objectified. In this commercial, there's an average looking man (not the one with large muscles and a protruding chin) who gets in bed with a woman because he used AXE. Throughout the commercial, the woman doesn't let go and he ends up using something called a "morning after pillow" to escape her. This commercial definitely doesn't give women the respect they deserve. It's implications are very harmful even if the intent wasn't meant to be.

Although women are given gender roles, so are men. For example, the man in this commercial for KRAFT has a deep voice, is muscular and defined, wears a v-neck t shirt, and speaks with a soothing voice. Essentially this man represents men women wish they had. And with this, they objectify him the same way advertisement's objectify women portraying them in a "sexy" manner. Therefore, it is implying that women should think of all men this way (it's a stretch, but hey, that's all I can think of for now). Although I am not offended in the least, there may be men who do dislike this type of depiction of man.

So I'm just providing a couple issues here. Is there a solution to at least balance the roles men and women play? I would like to think so. Most definitely for the first commercial that I showed (Easy Bake), there is a solution. What I would I do is add an even amount of boys and girls (1 boy and 1 girl). They would cooperatively bake together, dance together, and be in the kitchen baking with mother and father. Instead of a song sang by a girl, the song could have a male and female duet. The colors involved in the commercial could also be balanced. Such that there is an even amount of light and dark colors. I feel that this would be a proper solution to alter the gender role stereotype depicted in the original commercial. Now the AXE commercial is a hard issue to tackle. But maybe two brands can make a commercial together. For example, Dove and AXE could collaborate. Dove could make the exact same commercial as AXE, except the roles switch. That means that there would be a man stuck on a woman who uses Dove deodorant. They could also then use hash tags in their commercial in order to help increase social media popularity. For instance, "Dove Vs. AXE" (Battle of the Sexes). That would then even out the playing field. Yes, it may still be gender role stereotyping, but at least it's even. Now, the last commercial, I have no solution for. Take it out. Or leave it and make more commercials like that. For all I know, women are objectified so much in commercials. They are given this role to look extremely skinny and have massive sex appeal. It's unrealistic. Men depicted in the KRAFT commercial; that's also unrealistic. I really do not have a solution for it, except for take it down. What do you think?

Lost In Translation.

(Picture provided by www.bloggingthemaxey.files.wordpress.com)

It is 2013, does stereotyping have a place in marketing anymore? Throughout the past years, marketing agencies have integrated stereotyping in their advertisements in order to target a specific population of consumers. This includes portraying certain races in advertisements in a manner that seem offensive to different people. Whether the agencies' intent was meant to harm other races or not is beyond me. All I know is that as time progressed, more people began to show great disapproval towards these types of advertisements. As a person who believes that stereotyping is no longer necessary, I can still see why it is needed in the eyes of a marketing agency.

Obviously, the objective of a marketing agency is to help sell a product through the use of many advertising tools. Economically speaking, the purpose of a company is to maximize profit. Here is where the issue lies. How does a company maximize profit through marketing? Well, we have the different types of advertising tools (commercials, magazine ads, etc.) and its mass production (by this, meaning maximizing the amount of tools to send the message to the public). Next, we have the content. How can a marketing agency maximize profit through marketing in an ad itself? The best way I can think of is to target a large population. How? Through developing an ad that can make (or close to make anyways) that population relate to it. This is where stereotyping comes into play. This is how and why I can see marketing agencies still find stereotyping necessary. However, do marketing agencies take it too far sometimes?

The stereotypes marketing agencies depict are sometimes taken too far. What is meant by "taken too far" is that these advertisements have made an implicit and/or explicit offensive statement to a distinct group of people. The idea of being "taken too far" comes from the public that perceives and gives meaning to these advertisements. The issue is that we do not entirely know the true intent behind stereotypes that are presented in these advertisements. In addition, there is the problem of how the public perceives these presentations and how the public gives meaning to them. Therefore, we do not truly know if what we see and believe is what presenter actually intended. Also, we do not know if the one perceiving is misinterpreting the message given to them. Moving forward, although some people may say there's a problem, it doesn't entirely mean that there actually is one. In terms of the problem of racism found in advertisements with stereotypes, I feel that this is not the case.

 

(Picture provided by www.owni.eu)

There are advertisements that may seem innocuous, but may be harmful when examined closely. Innocuous meaning that it is not perceived as a group of people are being targeted in an offensive manner. Harmful as in the message is targeting a group of people in an offensive manner. It can be found in many advertisements. In a magazine ad by L'Oreal in 2009, the whitening of skin was implied to be better. This ad consisted of four photographs of Beyonce's (an African-American singer) face progressively whiten. In the first picture, her face is dark. By the fourth picture, her face is lighter and virtually white. Essentially, the message implied (whether it was intended or not) is use L'Oreal and your skin will get whiter, which is synonymous with better. Another example can be found in the Dr. Pepper Ten commercial. It explicitly states that Dr. Pepper Ten is for men only. Simultaneously, showing a muscular man in a tight shirt doing action scenes in a film. Then again, when I think about it, it is not saying men are better than women. It simply states that it's not a drink women would like. Coincidentally, some people were still offended by it. The effects of these ads have given the some people (if not many) a negative outlook on the commercial and company. In addition, does this even help a company help maximize profit? Would someone want to buy from a company that has advertisements that could be perceived as harmful? I would like to think not. Moreover, I feel that advertisements should no longer use stereotypes due to the backlash they receive afterwards.

(Picture provided by www.katie-contemporaryitaly.blogspot.com)

Why advertise something could potentially harm how the public perceives a company? I feel that at
this day an age, this generation is moving towards coexistence. People are still racists and people are always stereotyped. Consequently, advertising should push for a more positive image. For example, an advertising piece from Oliviero Toscani's "United Colors of Benetton." Not all of his pieces of course, but one's that show people of all sorts coexisting (not sure about criminals and innocent people and other drastic ones). An example of this would be the ad where a Caucasian woman and African woman hold an Asian infant together. Then again, I realize that people will make claims of it being racist. Now that I take a step back and think about this issue. I find that anything can be considered racist, stereotypical, or harmful based on how people perceive things. I am truly lost and I cannot see a way for marketing agencies to not receive criticism for their ads. I truly do not know what to say or what to believe anymore.

(Picture provided by www.flickr.com)

What Do You See? And What Does It Mean?

=Formula 1.

 

What we see here in the NBC Sports Network commercial is an advertisement for Formula 1's "Rolex Australian Grand Prix." We see scenes from the events that are a part of Formula 1 as the commercial plays. The advertisement begins with Ferrari's famous signature, their emblem and color. Then a man with a tranquil voice smoothly comes in and says, "Formula 1." And as he says this, the word "Formula 1" with a semi colon in front of it appears on the screen. Next, as he begins to talk, certain adjectives he lists after the "Formula 1:" scene appears. These words are shown on the screen with an addition sign on the top left corner of them. These words are action, mystery, drama, and thriller (note that these words are all capitalized). Also, as these words are shown, shots from Formula 1 races appear. The word "+ACTION" appears on a track in front of Lewis Hamilton's McLaren F1 car. The word "+MYSTERY" is shown on a McLaren pit crew member's face mask. The word "+DRAMA" appears in front of a scene in 2003 when Kimi Raikkonen pushes a race marshal. And the word "+THRILLER" is shown behind Fernando Alonso's Scuderia Ferrari F1 car burning out. As the narrator progresses in his speech, the scenes that take place or are associated with Formula 1 are shown. In addition, the process (such as the one described earlier) repeats itself with other categories and listings. It then ends with the man saying, "Man plus machine plus the world shaken and stirred. Formula 1 begins on Saturday March 16th on the NBC Sports Network." The key focus is that there is an equal sign after the text"Man plus machine plus the world shaken and stirred" is shown. In the end, we can the message this commercial is conveying.

Although there is a lot going on in the commercial, I feel that "a lot going on" was a message it was also trying to portray about Formula 1. I feel that it was trying to state that Formula 1 is not just a bunch of fast cars and skilled race car drivers racing. It seems as if the objective of this advertisement was to convey that Formula 1 is racing, but a lot more than that. This includes the adjectives he listed (action, mystery, drama, and thriller), the things associated with glamor (thrill seekers, the rock stars, and super models [shown in the video and not mentioned above due to boring repetition]), and the countries and continents these Formula 1 events take place in. In conclusion, the message is saying that all of the things they included in this commercial is Formula 1.

Doux, Super Doux.

(Picture provided www.wix.com)

This billboard is an advertisement for Ariel. It stands out by not being the standard rectangle billboard. The top of this billboard is folded or gives the illusion that it is. It is pink with patterns and has text spells out "Super doux" on the bottom left of the billboard. Doux is translated as soft in French. On the very bottom left of the billboard is the laundry detergent box by the company Ariel.

The message in this billboard is exactly what the text says; it's "Super doux." The billboard makes it so that I think that I can feel it (that it's super soft). The folds at the top of the billboard emphasizes the message. The billboard is supposed to look like a blanket or some sort of cloth with folds. This company is saying that if you use their product, your laundry won't just be soft; it will be super soft. I think that Ariel wants the consumer to think that they give soft a new definition.

We Go Where You Go.

(Picture provided by Men's Health Magazine Oct. 2013 issue)

This is magazine advertisement is for the University of Utah Health Care. It consists of a long paved straight road that diminishes the farther you look up the page. There is grass that lies next to the pavement and patches of dirt found around the grass. You can also see the water that lies beside the grass and mountains in the background. The light that shines in the picture looks as if it is trying to depict sunlight. Aside from the setting, there are two males that look below 50 years old that are on recumbent bikes. The effects on this image make it seem like these men are traveling fast on their bikes. Also, there is text on the back ground and at the bottom of the page. The first text that is black and is found above the man in red says, "We Go Where You Go." The text that is found below the man in white says, "Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation." On the bottom of the ad is a white strip. This white strip has an NFC bar code. It reads, "28 Sports in 28 Minutes." In addition to that, is more font that describes what is meant by the title. To the right of this text, is the text that reads "University of Utah Health Care" and under it reads the website. This part of the ad also includes the University of Utah Health Care's emblem.

I find this message very inspiring and comforting at the same time. Their message is that what you, the customer, want to do, they'll be there. No matter how extreme your sport, the University of Utah Health Care will be there to take care of you.

What Do You Mean By Change?

(Picture provided by www.cdn.visualnews.com)

Has anything changed in advertising now relative to the 1960s? The 1960s was the time of advertising revolution. We had Rosser Reeves who developed the idea of the USP, Norman B. Norman and the "empathy technique," Dr. Herta Horzog and her studies on American mass media, Bill Bernbach and his unorthodox approach to advertising, Shirley Polykoff and her introduction of women to the advertising nation, and Ilon Specht and her advertisement of adamant women. These were the original ideas pioneered in the 1960s that are still used today. I would like to think that the advertising industry has change, but there is reason for me to think otherwise.

(Picture provided by www.transformingcites.files.wordpress.com)

(Picture provided by www.twitter.com)

I think the advertising industry has changed, but the framework has not. First of all what is change? I'd like to think it's an original idea that has never been formed or brought up before. The problem with change is that for something that does change, there is something old that comes with it. For example, there were commercials in the 1960s and there are still commercials today. What has changed about them is that there is color on the TV, some of the products may have some technological advancement that improved it, and the way the product is portrayed to the public may seem different than it used to be.

Now I'd like to begin with the fundamentals, such as things that can be easily perceived (let's be honest here, I'm extremely lazy at the moment). Advertising is a game created for consumers and marketers. I believe that the objective of this game is for marketers to get the exact message, they created about a product and that is being sold, across to the consumer in hopes to make profit. The other goal of this game is for the marketers to win through selling that product. Now, do consumers and advertisers change? Last time I checked, we all have four arms, but maybe we have different ideas. But there are somethings that have not. For example, advertisers sell cars to consumers haven't changed. Cars are still cars regardless of its evolution. They have four wheels, a motor, and are meant for the consumer to move from A to B. Unless they can travel under and on water and fly, it's no different.

(Picture provided by eu.wilogo.com)

Now let's forget about the products, let's think about the marketing tactics and let's compare 1960s advertisement to 2000s advertisement. I think it's safe to say that the 1960s did not have Internet. So yes, social networking websites are what makes marketing different today compared to before. There's one for change. The issue here is that has the marketing technique changed? I say no, advertisements are still advertisements. For example, in the 1960s newspapers contained advertisements. Today that still happens on newspapers of course, but on social networking sites as well. Well, okay, that's advertisement for you. I think it's fair to say that where will always be some form of ad
on something that a large population of people frequently see (television shows, social networking sites, newspapers and the list goes on). Okay, well maybe that tactic isn't the right one to discuss to describe change in the advertising industry. How about advertising styles that affects how a person feels towards that product?

This commercial in 2009 is something I can relate to. It includes a family and how the smell of Folgers is the best smell to wake up to. The message is more loving than the first one and you can see that is something more people can relate to today.

This Folger's commercial in the 1960s is not something most people can really relate to in terms of the characters. I believe that many people would be offended by this. Most women and some men would look down on this commercial because it blatantly demeans women. Nowadays, we would not have a commercial like this. So yeah, there's one for change.











I came in a bit skeptical about the idea that the advertising industry has changed, but I realize that there is some change that comes with things that are old. For example, the framework of advertising may stay the same for a while (I can't predict the future). There will always be advertisers and they will always discover a way to market their product to a large population of people. The advertisements such as the styles that are used will more or less stay the same; they will attempt to make a commercial that the targeted viewer can relate to. And it seems as that is so. For example, a commercial in the 1960s may be less attractive due to its lack of connection to the consumer; therefore, possibly making the product less attractive itself. The advertising industry's framework will never change, but the way the package they present to the public will.

(Picture provided by www.taylorsoldoldtrucks.com)

The Formula 1 of KHP Consulting.

(Picture Provided by www.KHPconsulting.com)

Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsports and race car drivers, but it may not be as popular if it weren't for the works of a journalist. It began in 1985 with a native German journalist named Katja Heim who desired to bring Formula 1 above "[. . .]its limitations of its traditional media coverage in the motoring press and develop into a lifestyle brand in itself." This desire gave birth to KHP Consulting: an integrated communications agency. They have been of great help to the Formula 1 racing industry in its development of worldwide popularity.

(Picture Provided by www.autoracesponsor.co.uk)

KHP Consulting is an integrated marketing communications agency that provides event management, PR and communications, sponsorship consulting, and strategic advisory. The duty of event management is to provide hospitality for their clients and other services necessary for the event. For example, their work for Shell consisted of facilitating communication between Shell operating units,
building relationships and attending to needs of specific organizations related to Shell, and developing activities for the race event. PR and communications services clients through consulting strategies. For example, KHP Consulting worked on developing Red Bull and Casio's new sponsorship by generating media and consumer awareness. Sponsorship Consulting served to negotiate contracts and sponsorships between their clients (i.e. the Red Bull and Casio example). Lastly, KHP Consulting offers strategic advisory, which is its foundation of service. They solve all issues related to the event from race track operational management to ticketing, they bring race events to Formula 1 organization, and they find sponsors in order to help develop partnerships for local, national and international organizations. KHP has had many accomplishments throughout the years to prove its excellency for Formula 1 (more information about KHP Consulting can be found here).

(Picture Provided by www.KHPconsulting.com)

KHP has assisted Formula 1 and its sponsors well throughout recent years. It has helped improve the relationship between fans and Formula 1. They executed this through the introduction of the track walk, bus tours, public pit walk, driver meet and greets, consumer promotions, and race taxi rides on the track (this information can be found here). These activities give life to the ideas of fans who participate in these events. These interactive events give the fans a better idea and feeling of what its like to be Formula 1 race car driver. Ultimately, helping inspire fans to have more support for Formula 1 and give a clearer identity of what Formula 1 is. KHP has not only attended to Formula 1 fans, it has helped stage events at international racing circuits. Their introduction of the Bahrain International Circuit is proof of this. In 2003, KHP was asked to help introduce a new Grand Prix Circuit into Formula 1. Within six months, birth was given to the Bahrain International Circuit. This event just shows how well KHP Consulting performs and executes their objectives. It also shows how important their clients are. Thus, proving its excellency in Formula 1. If that's not enough proof, KHP has recently received many awards for their outstanding tasks. These include Best Race Promoter of 2004, FIA Institute Centre of Excellence Award in 2007, and Best Race Promoter of 2009. And if that's not enough, even Bernie Ecclestone, the President and CEO of Formula 1 approved of KHP stating that, "Operating in F1’s very tough environment KHP have proved over and over again they can deliver beyond their client’s expectations." KHP Consulting has been playing a large role in Formula 1 by executing its diverse duties and succeeding in the world of Formula 1.

(Picture Provided by www.KHPconsulting.com)

I have no idea how common it is for a journalist to create an integrated marketing communications agency and succeed. One thing is for sure, Katja Heim is one of those cases. Her creation of KHP has been a career success by assisting Formula 1 into the popular sport it is today. Its ability to gain sponsorship, create activities to help engage everyone involved with the sport (fans, new coming fans, sponsors, racers, etc.), solve problems for their clients, and achieve goals that assist Formula 1 in its growth. KHP Consulting services approved by their many awards and accomplishments. Even Bernie Ecclestone, the man who works with them approves of them. Has KHP Consulting improved Formula 1 through its marketing practices? Why not.

(Picture Provided by www.KHPconsulting.com)

That's What A Good Brand Does.

(Picture Provided by www.erepublik.com)

Progressive, Nike, Apple, Kellog's, and Coca-Cola; what do they all have in common? They are all brand names. And with those names comes some sort of impression left on their consumers. As Jerry McLaughlin, who wrote "What is a Brand, Anyway?" on the Forbes website, said, "It’s everything the public thinks it knows about your name brand offering—both factual (e.g. It comes in a robin’s-egg-blue box), and emotional (e.g. It’s romantic)." There are a variety of ways a company can do this to you. I feel that Red Bull is a good example of a company that does this well.

(Picture provided by www.seriouswheels.com)

The possibilities of getting people to have an idea of the company's identity are endless. Some companies do it poorly, others do it well. In my opinion, Red Bull is one example that does it well. From what I read in the Red Bull Marketing Campaign, Red Bull aims to assist those who need to increase physical and mental exertion with the use of their energy drink. They market themselves by sponsoring sports that are considered "extreme." These include motorsports, adventure sports, eSports, skateboarding, surfing, and a range of other things people would not dare to do. They also have commercials that include their athletes doing their "extreme" sports. They target (not with a gun) a broad range of "young urban males" from ages 16 through 29. They also have a secondary target, older males from the ages of 25 to 45 with the same goals in mind-keep people awake for long periods of time. (You can find the Red Bull Marketing Campaign here)

(Picture Provided by www.warm-up-lap.com)

From all the information I have gathered, I figure that Red Bull has a solid identity. By this, meaning that they have a clear thesis statement. Let's start with "Red Bull gives you wings." It's a tagline, it's something catchy, yet true. It encapsulates the intense rush you feel when your mouth is blessed the sweet taste of a Red Bull energy drink. Although that is my opinion, I look at who they sponsor and what they represent. They sponsor "extreme" sports; these sports are on a different level of intensity. These sports are life threatening. They require a high level of concentration and physical exertion (other sports do too, but for the sake of "extreme" sports, why not put it on the pedestal). Red Bull's product, their energy drink, represents exactly what those athletes represent. The desire for increased focus and physical activity. And with that, the ingredients effects of the Red Bull energy drink does exactly what they aim to show the public. Their thesis statement (identity) is clear through the culture they sponsor and represent. However, this is only the essence of their product so that people understand who they are. 

(Picture provided by www.Redbull.com)

How do we know who or what Red Bull is? Well, as I stated earlier, they sponsor extreme sports. But let's get into more depth on how we discover their identity. What are the advertising tools they use to spread their name? First, Red Bull has their own magazine called "The Red Bulletin." It includes breath taking photographs of Red Bull athletes doing their "life on the edge" activities. It includes music and lifestyle sections. Second, they are all over the Social Networking sites. Red Bull is found on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and many other sites. Lastly, they also have commercials. These commercials are extremely inspiring. I have watched many of them before on the edge of my seat and completely filled with wonder of the unknown. Overall, Red Bull is on everything that is current. They follow the trends and stick to their target group, which is Generation Y according to their Marketing Campaign. Red Bull is a very successful company and have shown it through their marketing and identity.

A brand is the identity of the company. It is something people think they understand, whether it may be factual or emotional. Good brands understand who they are. They know who they are trying to sell to. They know exactly what they are trying to sell. They know everything about themselves and they tell the public everything about themselves. And they do their best to remain in your hearts and in your heads. That's what Red Bull does.

(Picture provided by www.theprintblog.com)

Some Clever Tools of Influence.

(Picture provided by www.cabletechtalk.com)

No matter the direction I turn my head, I feel as that a salesman is speaking to me. This salesman is not actually a person who insists that I buy something I feel is not necessary for myself. It is something salesmen behind the scenes have created in order to speak for that product. These creations come in the form of billboards, commercials, banners, and many other innovative developments that help sell the product. How do I feel about this? I am not too thrilled, but I do understand why companies do these things. Obviously, they need to sell their product. Although I do not like the fact that I am being given a sales pitch almost every five minutes of my life, I am intrigued by how these creations can affect me and people in general.

(Picture provided by www.BuddyTV.com)

"Sales pitches" (Marketing practices that do not include direct human communication) are things I dislike the most, but their affects on me are interesting. I am grabbed by how these marketing practices have subtly persuaded me to at least give them a chance. One day, I was influenced to watch a television show called Suits. I was flipping through the channels on my television and eventually stopped. I forgot what it was, but a commercial came on five minutes later. This commercial blew up in my face. It started with, "You are looking at the best closer this city has ever scene," with a scene of the Brooklyn bridge in the sunset. The music in the background was subtle yet engaging. It had a dramatic yet upbeat sound. That commercial had me at the first four seconds. After that, I was a fool for the rest of it. My mind was open to it and I just wanted to know what this commercial was about. I am sure this has happened to me plenty of times before, but I am in disbelief just analyzing this scenario. I have always thought that I chose things due to my own influence, but this situation has made me think twice. However, marketing is not all about me, but other people as well.

(Photo Provided by www.dailybillboardblog.com)

Clearly, people are affected by advertising. The thing is, how they are affected amazes me. I feel that marketing reaches past the billboards created by people who work for that one company who tries to sell the product. It seems that consumers or people who are influenced by that specific "sales pitch" are tools of advertising as well. For example, a person becomes excited over a new product and discusses its features with a friend or a group of friends. There, a chain reaction begins and people who do become interested in this product may end up telling other friends. Advertising is a very intriguing tool to me.

I feel that marketing practices have made a big impact on certain parts of the world. It has interested me in many ways. First, its effect on me perplexes me. I thought I was a sole decider in my choices, but I may not be. Second, it can incite a chain reaction. Meaning that, one tool of marketing that was used to influence a person may cause that one person to be a tool of marketing. Although advertising is something I dislike due to the fact that I could be a victim of its influences, it is a practice that really does intrigue me.