ThinkNoLimit Marketing Coaching

Received a mailer from a company called "樓上". If you have never heard of 樓上燕窩莊, you just wouldn't be able to figure out what company it is. 樓上燕窩莊, as the name implies, used to be specialized in bird nest. All its shops are located within commercial buildings and supposedly it can save on rents and offer consumers better prices, hence the name. Originally, it would be good to be small and focused on a specific speciality with a name to establish a perception in the mind of the consumers. The trouble comes from the intention of expansion. It now has 20 stores around town selling more than bird nest, ranging from Japanese imported food to ox sauce, like a mini supermarket. The result is a pretty odd name, 樓上, to tell consumers they are no longer selling bird nest only while keeping some association with 樓上燕窩莊 ...

Advertorial is an advertisement in the disguise of editorial. It's difficult to be done well. Most advertorials can be easily identified to be long-copy ads where no one will read them. Here is a good example we can learn from. First the layout should look similar to that of the editorials of the magazine you place your advertorial in. Second, you need a headline that doesn't look like an ad headline. Finally, branding is important but you will need to be subtle. Readers will turn away if you place big product shots, big logos in the advertorial. The key is to attract people to read. Branding or mention of your brand can be added near the end of the advertorial.

BRAND'S essence of chicken has launched a new TVC. Still remember the last campaign with Eason Chan in it ? If we put the two TVC side by side, you will see the new one is a disappointment. Why ? By the use of big celebrity like Eason Chan, certainly you will get fast spread awareness, create credibility and generate word of mouth. Yet when you can't afford the celebrity at later stage, all the magics will be gone at once. It's worth a second thought about using celebrities indeed. Somehow it's a road with no return. What you get is inconsistency at the end.

The latest TVC of Lipton tries to equate the consumption with hugging to depict the warm hearty feeling of the consumption. It's a sound attempt but the association between hug and tea consumption is rather far-fetched. Consumers may find it difficult to associate. I wonder if it would be better to skip the hug idea and just use the touching scenes to express the consumption experience.

This is a low cost animation production playing with the rather popular TV show 超級巨聲. It's not a great idea but the message is clear "Ribena is made from blackcurrant, rich in Vitamin C". The ad compares blackcurrant with grape. Is it trying to counter other grape juice products like Minute Maid ? Or is it trying to clarify that Ribena is not made from grape ? For an established brand like Ribena where there is no more new news about the product function, maybe it would better to strengthen the brand on the emotional ground.

In recent years, there has been an upspring of "doctor alternative" products. The most pronounced phenomenon is the growth of the health supplement category. Some companies are also eyeing on the business of the dentists. In addition to teeth whitening treatment products that are said to be comparable to the treatments in dental clinics, here comes a product said to restore decay. What will come next ? In a way, these products discourage people to seek proper professional treatments. Maybe it's time for the dental association to combat with this trend with PR, for the benefits of the dentists.

The household consumption of cooking oil must be on decline or with no growth. People eat out and for those who really cook at home, they use less oil due to health concern. Brands are competing for market share with price as it's not easy to come up with real product differentiation to win. Cooking oil is cooking oil after all. This cooking spray is meant to meet the health trend of using less oil. Will it sell ? The thinking may be good : "People are using less cooking oil anyway. So let them use less and provide the convenience with a spray container. We can probably ask for a higher price." Yet it reminds some smart consumers to make their own home-made version : Just put the cooking oil into a spray bottle. It's much more economical. LOL.

IKEA is airing a new campaign. The message is "IKEA is offering unbeatable prices to everyone". It reminds me of the latest Mannings TVC . In the Mannings TVC, it says "it provides personal caring services to everyone". The creative ideas are different but the messages are pretty similar. Can we call them idea twins ? Both companies belong to the Dairy Farm group. Are they having the same agency ?

You wouldn't miss this campaign of Dove. There are TVC, print and outdoor. As most of us know, chocolate is a mood elevator and many people, especially ladies, take it as a treat to pamper and relax. The campaign tries to have Dove to own such category motivator. The strategy is sound but the creative idea is rather questionable. The analogy with taking medicine is not quite a good association.

Different legends in history have made use of different tootls to influence the world. That's the analogy for selling 1010 Next G mobile data service. Bruce Lee, Martin Luther King and JFK. The target audience may be aspired to these legends but still is the analogy a bit too "big" ? it just gives me goose bump... I wonder why it doesn't mention Obama and his Blackberry... LOL

Tax paying season is around the corner. Presumably tax loan is quite a big market and many banks and financial institutions are spending big in communications. Wing Hang is a bank with low recall and awareness but you must be aware that it's quite committed to the tax loan market over the years. Each year it launches a new TVC with 鄭中基. When you see 鄭中基 at this time of the year, you would be reminded of Wing Hang for tax loan. That's the upside of using the same celebrity in a consistent manner over time. Yet you may run into the risk of having a serivce or a company too attached with a celebrity. Imagine if that celebrity is no longer used, due to budget or whatever reasons, all the association effects will be gone at once. It can be quite fragile.