Marketing Inspiration

A Super Bowl Strategy That Paid Off

In a post at MarketingProfs' Daily Fix, Steven Schreibman discusses Nationwide Insurance's controversial decision last year to leak its Super Bowl ad a week before the sporting event. Outside observers weren't the only skeptics. "There was even some debate among our own advertising team about whether this was 'spoiling the surprise' and watering down the ad's game-time impact," he says.

But his company's gambit paid off. The spot—starring Kevin Federline as a rap star wannabe who works at a fast food joint—garnered 600,000 hits at the company's Web site, and the majority of these were from first-time visitors. Further, Schreibman notes the unorthodox strategy didn't prevent the ad from winding up on several "best of" lists.

Other companies recognize the value in the Nationwide approach as can be seen by the companies that posted their Super Bowl ads on YouTube long before their scheduled airtime. Pepsi, for instance, offered up the differently EnAbled humor of Bob's House; Bridgestone, gave us a sneak peak of Richard Simmons as the target of a speeding automobile.

"This experience has made me a true believer in the power social media," says Schreibman. "In fact, the early buzz we built by making the ad available to social media outlets became a catalyst for overwhelming interest from traditional media." And that's our idea of Marketing Inspiration.

Get to the Po!nt

Master Your Domain

In December, Hollywood learned that the AMPTP—which represents producers in their protracted negotiations with striking writers—hadn't covered its online bases. While the organization owned amptp.org, it didn't control amptp.com. A pair of TV writers with time on their hands used this oversight as an opportunity to make jokes at AMPTP's expense. Nikki Finke of DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com described the satirical coup as "laugh-out-loud funny no matter what side of the issue you're on."

Ed Lee of Blogging Me, Blogging You provided a side-by-side comparison:
From the "real" amptp.org: "The WGA has now been reduced to pounding the table, and this baseless, desperate NLRB complaint is just the latest indication that the WGA's negotiating strategy has achieved nothing for working writers."

From the "spoof" amptp.com: "We are heartbroken to report that despite our best efforts, including sending them a muffin basket, making them a mix CD, and standing outside their window with a boombox blasting Peter Gabriel songs, our talks with the WGA have broken down. Quite frankly, we're puzzled as to why this happened."

The comedy writers only rented amptp.com for a few weeks, so their site didn't last long. But it forced the AMPTP to spend energy counteracting it rather than promoting their own cause.

The Po!nt: "You'd do well to remember this story next time you propose a Web site," writes Lee. "Don't be cheap. Buy all the relevant domains you can. Even buy some common misspellings of your domain." This can prevent you from being sidelined unnecessarily, whether at the hands of merry pranksters or malevolent competitors.

Get to the Po!nt

Freedom to Brand Fearlessly

In the most recent edition of Editorial Emergency, Simon Glickman and Julia Rubiner warn businesses against fear-based branding. Many clients approach the dynamic copywriting duo with requests for their signature wordplay and then second-guess the recommended strategy, worrying that the punchy copy might not appeal to the widest audience. Maybe, these clients wonder, we're better off going with something safe—like our competitors use.

But Glickman and Rubiner don't see the point. "Your competitor's site? Dullsville, daddy-o. They're trying to be all things to all people, so there's no telling who they really are." Among the "muddy biz-babble" the two dismiss:

• Highest quality


• Industry leader


• Commitment to excellence


• Years of experience


• Solutions-oriented

We defy the average visitor to recall a single phrase from such a dreary spiel," say Glickman and Rubiner. In order to achieve indelible branding, they continue, you must (a) clearly separate yourself from the pack, and (b) figure out who your ideal clients are and speak directly to them.
So fear not. If your target audience responds to an irreverent, edgy tone, for instance, be irreverent and edgy. Your branding might not appeal to the entire world, but it will appeal to your customers.

The Po!nt: "[T]hough you may feel you're just playing it safe, fear-based branding is actually toxic to the development of your brand," argues Glickman and Rubiner. "As the old saying goes, standing in the middle of the road only means you'll be hit by traffic in both directions."

Marketing Inspiration

Did He Really Call It a 'Nymphomercial'?

In a post at his blog, Drew's Marketing Minute, Drew McLellan presents the case of Jay Nussbaum, a novelist who figured he might as well use viral video to promote his latest effort, A Monk Jumped Over a Wall.
To tease the reading public, Nussbaum dramatized a scene from his story of an ethical lawyer who battles a devious client. Doesn't sound all that exciting, does it? But Nussbaum overcame that obstacle by giving his (possibly NSFW) video a name guaranteed to generate page views at YouTube: Nymphomercial.

The title isn't totally off-topic because, before we get to the novel's surreal sequence, we're treated to a Portia de Rossi look-a-like in a turquoise bikini who rolls around on the floor and reads excerpts from the book. She then makes an improbable appearance in the scene itself—it isn't clear if she's part of the novel, or simply an extension of the nymphomercial's gimmick—and also to offer a final thought: "I mean, if a book is good, you don't need a hot girl to sell it. But she just might get you to jump the wall." Wink.

"Was it a safe choice?" asks McLellan. "Hardly. How many remarkable products/companies stay in the safe zone? How could you use viral video to shout over the crowd and be heard in a remarkable way?" And we think pondering those questions will give you plenty of Marketing Inspiration.