Corporate Eye

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Susan Gunelius

Susan Gunelius

Tattoo Barbie Drives an Online Brand Buzz

Totally Stylin’ Tattoos Barbie is the newest introduction to the Barbie brand product line up – I kid you not.  Mattel claims the tattooed Barbie has been selling well, but the opposite seems to be true if you look at the online buzz.  This month, online conversations have been all over the Internet with parents and consumers questioning the appropriateness of tattoos on a doll targeted to young girls.  They do not believe Totally Stylin’ Tattoos Barbie is right for the Barbie brand.  Mattel has responded by saying the company has no plans to change or discontinue the product.

What do you think?  Does Mattel have a responsibility to develop products with the Barbie brand name that are all appropriate for the primary audience for the brand?  Is it ethical to sell a Barbie-branded doll with totally stylin’ tattoos on it? [Read more…] about Tattoo Barbie Drives an Online Brand Buzz

Online Behavioral Ads Guidelines Released, Google Waits Days to Launch New Behavioral Ads Program

google-gingerbread-man-cookieIt had to come, and it’s here.  All that work Google has been doing to track people’s online behaviors has come to fruition. 

First, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) released its online behavioral advertising guidelines earlier this month, and Google was one of the companies to agree to abide by them.  There are three primary rules that companies who agree to abide by the IAB guidelines must follow:

  1. Notice must be given to consumers that they are being tracked.
  2. Consent is assumed unless a consumer takes action and opts-out of receiving behavioral ads.  That means companies only need to provide an opt-out mechanism and seek consumer consent “where applicable” (whatever that means).
  3. Educating consumers about how their personal and private information is collected and how it can be used as well as how they can opt-out of behavioral advertising is required. [Read more…] about Online Behavioral Ads Guidelines Released, Google Waits Days to Launch New Behavioral Ads Program

Recession Bodes Well for Ambient Media

subway-adWhy is ambient advertising growing as the economy plunges?  Because everyone is looking for a way to make some extra money when the economy is weak.  It’s a great time for brands to find super deals on ambient media placement and for new locations to get in on the action to make some extra cash.

According to an article in Brandweek, the current recession is bringing a wider variety of ambient media placement opportunities to brands and advertisers than ever.  Check out some of the more unique ambient media opportunities mentioned in the article: [Read more…] about Recession Bodes Well for Ambient Media

Has Your Brand Been Twitterized?

When I say “Twitterized”, I don’t just mean, is your brand on Twitter?  I think by now, that’s a given.  What I’m referring to is the Twitterization of branding, advertising and marketing messages overall.  In a world that’s becoming more and more reliant on instant updates, real-time communication and short clips of information, is your brand on board and communicating the same way?

There is certainly no doubt that communication has changed significantly in recent years.  Who would have thought less than 20 years ago when instant messaging was all the rage that today we’d be talking about the mainstreaming of short, real-time, communication snippets.  That’s basically what communication has turned into – sound bites.  [Read more…] about Has Your Brand Been Twitterized?

Jaguar Employees Vote for 4-Day Work Week Instead of Layoffs

The economy is at one of its lowest points in history.  People are losing their jobs as corporate profits tumble.  Companies are asking for and getting bailouts to stay afloat.  What’s a luxury carmaker like Jaguar Land Rover to do?  Ask its employees for help – that’s what.

I’m always talking to any business owner who will listen about how leveraging the strength of employees as brand advocates is one of the most powerful marketing and branding tools a company can have.  Loyal employees are extremely vocal about the companies and brands they work for, and nothing is as powerful as word-of-mouth marketing in terms of retaining customers and finding new ones. [Read more…] about Jaguar Employees Vote for 4-Day Work Week Instead of Layoffs

Package Design Contest for Brooklyn

No, it’s not for the city of Brooklyn, New York.  This package design contest is for Bond No. 9’s newest product – a unisex cologne called Brooklyn.  The company already has a cool looking graffiti bottle for Brooklyn, but to let consumers take control, the company is asking consumers to come up with their own package designs for Brooklyn.  The only rule is the package design must be reminiscent of some aspect of Brooklyn or Brooklyn overall.  How would you evoke the essence of Brooklyn through a cologne bottle design? 

I met my husband when he was living in Brooklyn, so I have great memories of the time I spent there.  I can’t wait to see some of the designs that people come up with for Brooklyn perfume.

From a branding perspective, I love package design contests and events.  It’s such a great way to drive an emotional connection between consumers and a brand.  Events like package design contests allow consumers to “touch” a brand, get more involved with it on a new level, talk about it and experience it in a new way.  These types of events always work well for established brands (think of the Coke can redesign events surrounding the Olympics in 2008), but it’s not very often that a smaller brand achieves success with them.  I think Brooklyn is getting a buzz going about this new contest because the subject is tangible and has so many interpretations.

Do you think anyone will come up with a Horshack design (my hat tip to Welcome Back Kotter)?