Corporate Eye

...compare, compete, excel

Susan Gunelius

Susan Gunelius

80% of Online Video Traffic Comes from Blog Referrals

youtube_generationThere is no doubt that online video is the next big trend in online marketing and branding.  Statistics from comScore show that the increase in online video has surged in the last year alone, and the 18-24 year old demographic watches more online video than television.  A new report from TubeMogul directly links the success of online video to blog referrals.

The TubeMogul report shows that longtail search drives 80% of traffic to the top online video websites. 

What does this tell us? 

Simply creating online branded videos isn’t enough.  To drive real traffic and make those videos work for your brand and your business, you need to reach out to bloggers.  That doesn’t mean simply inundating bloggers with PR pitches, but rather, actually building relationships with bloggers, particularly those who write about your brand’s niche.  [Read more…] about 80% of Online Video Traffic Comes from Blog Referrals

Carl’s Jr Goes Green

It wasn’t long ago that Hugh Hefner was the spokesman for Carl’s Jr.  Things have changed at the fast food chain, and the new focus is on the environment.  CKE Restaurants, the company that owns Carl’s Jr., is trying to reposition the brand as green by opening what it claims is the first of many green restaurants hitting the United States. 

The debut eco-friendly Carl’s Jr. restaurant is in Carpinteria, California, and according to BrandWeek, it includes, “Energy Star rated equipment, solar reflective roofing materials, a rainwater reuse system, a smart irrigation system for the landscaping and LED parking lot lights.”  The company plans to “measure and evaluate” the green elements of the new restaurant, and if they’re successful, the company will roll them out to more locations.  [Read more…] about Carl’s Jr Goes Green

Creative Brand Promotions – Barbie at NY Fashion Week

barbieBarbie is an iconic brand, and the Barbie doll will hit 50-years of age on March 9, 2009.  To celebrate the half-century mark, Mattel is thinking out-of-the box.  This weekend, Barbie will walk the runway at New York City’s Fashion Week in designs created by 50 of the top designers in the world, including well-known names like Tommy Hilfiger, Diane von Furstenberg, and Betsey Johnson.

Barbie is one of those brands that has become an icon.  The brand has been at the center of controversy while being adored by loyal consumers generation after generation.  In the U.S., the name “Barbie” has become a generic substitute for all similar dolls in the same way that Kleenex has become a generic name for tissues. 

The Barbie brand has had its ups and downs over the years, but lately, it’s been back on the rise.  After winning a lawsuit against the manufacturers of Bratz dolls last year that basically mitigates one of the brand’s main competitive threats, Barbie is on track to monopolize its market again.    [Read more…] about Creative Brand Promotions – Barbie at NY Fashion Week

The New Trend in Branded Cities – Love It or Hate It?

times-square-new-york-cityBranded cities are the new ad rage – outdoor destinations built for the purpose of delivering ambient marketing messages. 

The newest entrant to the branded city trend is El Portal in Los Angeles, California.  This branded city was built from the ground up with advertising in mind under the guise of providing outdoor entertainment and community events.  El Portal is 4,500 square feet and includes shopping, entertainment and town hall areas with a large number of digital displays to communicate more advertising messages than anyone could possibly remember. 

El Portal holds 4,000 people and is not the first branded city, but it is one of the first built from the ground up.  For example, areas in Dallas ,Texas and Glendale, Arizona near sports arenas have been turned into branded cities.  El Portal, however, also represents the first branded city targeted to a specific demographic — the large Hispanic population that lives in the South Gate area of Los Angeles. [Read more…] about The New Trend in Branded Cities – Love It or Hate It?

Google, Keywords, and Trademarks – French Companies Cry Foul

gavelNews is making its way across the Internet today about two French companies that are suing Google because their trademarked names were purchased as search ad keywords through the Google AdWords program by the companies’ competitors, and ads were served by those competitors when people typed the trademarked names into Google. 

The two companies, Voyageurs du Monde and Terres d’Aventure, are suing for significant sums of money according to The Register, despite the fact that a judge has already determined that the loss of business to both companies as a result of the served ads based on those trademarked keywords was very marginal.  Apparently, two other companies have won similar suits against Google in France the past, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy and Meridien Hotels. [Read more…] about Google, Keywords, and Trademarks – French Companies Cry Foul