ThinkNoLimit Marketing Coaching

When I saw this ad, I said to myself I must be getting old and dumb. I didn't understand this clever ad. It's selling non-stick pan alright but there is a creative idea which I found it hard to understand. I tried look at it closely, turn it upside down and even flipped a few pages of the magazine to look for follow-up explanation, presumably it's a teaser. None... I managed to figure it out after spending some more time on it... know what it's about ?

Quite many people are talking about the new launch of GUM 5 by Wrigley's. I bet the heated talk abouts must be generated by the TVCs and the packaging design which resembles to condom packs. I have clipped all three ads from YouTube for your enjoyment. The campaign has centred around taste sensation. No doubt these are great ads which are of high production value as well as successfully set up the expectation and build up the excitement for trial. The risk is there when consumers try it and find the taste nothing special. It will become an over-claim and the heat will only be like fireworks that last for a short while.

This must be a pretty memorable ad, probably not because of Andy Lau but the cute monkeys. Ads of 道地 TVCs is very consistent over the years. Andy Lau, the natural environment, and the soothing feeling of the music. I suppose 道地 is the leader in bottled tea. Does such consistency in advertising have anything to do with its leadership position ? Well sales do not depend solely on advertising but consistency in advertising would definitely give you a better chance to build the brand in the mind. Back to this ad. It's about a new product called 清烏龍 with the selling points of 茶清解渴 and 真正茶味. It's nothing special at all. What's the point ...

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.

I was wondering how Coke wants to manage the Minute Maid brand when I see this launch of grape juice + aloe bits variant. When it launched the brand with major investment, it launched 果粒橙 and later on, 西柚橙. I thought it was intended to stand for pulpy juice. Now it launched grape juice + aloe bits. Does it want the brand to stand for juice with fruit bits or something else ? What a brand stands for would depend on the products launched under it. Let's keep track of what Coke will do to manage this brand which is still at the early stage. It could be a learning example of brand management.

When my dad saw this TVC, he said : "what kind of abalone can Cafe De Coral offer you ?". This is exactly the doubt of the consumers. Cafe De Coral, as we all know, is a fastfood chain and it means cheap eat. If the price of this abalone menu is low, people would doubt the quality of the abalone. On the other hand, if Cafe De Coral is trying to trade up with this abalone menu, asking for more bugs, people will find it not so worthwhile as fastfood chain should still mean cheap eat. Cafe De Coral has been advertising different novelty ingredients, which is a good strategy to project a quality food image. Yet it's a bit overdone this time round while getting itself into a paradox... a bit 走火入魔...

When I saw this new pizza of Pizza Hut, I bursted into laughters. The new pizzas of Pizza Hut are getting more "creative" (or gimmicky). Can we call that pizza anymore ? I'm sure there will be smiley face pizza later... One would argue young people like newness and you will need to have some new items on the menu to attract them to come over and over again. True, but it's getting overdone. Putting sarcasm aside, if the leader in pizza is messing up with its pizza, there may be room for a pizza restaurant chain to stress on authentic pizza as the positioning. Target segment can be the richer mature group. Remember how Triple O and other premium Burger chains get shares of the burger market from McDonald's ?

Speaking of shampoos and shampoos specifically for men, Head & Shoulder has yet again launched a new formula, Strong Hair. It's said to protect you from dandruff as well as keep your hair strong. 甄子丹 is employed as the spokesperson. Although he may be the man role model and admired by the women who buy shampoos for their men, he doesn't really have the thick hair to sell strong hair... LOL ...

Since the success of 霸王 and the launch of Rejoice 漢方防掉髮, it seems a new 漢方 arena has been created in the shampoo market. More brands are launching 漢方 shampoos with 漢方 as the base for different consumer needs, like 澳雪HD漢方洗髮露 which is an anti-dandruff. With different brands investing, I'm sure the 澳雪 concept will get bigger and represent a major sub-category in shampoo market. There must be consumers shifting to 漢方 for initial trial but let's see which brand can sustain. Based on the concept of positioning, only one or maybe two can own 漢方.

Yes Lady Finance, the Chinese name is 發達太太. Just the name will catch our attention I'm sure. It's such a funny brand name for a finance company that lend money to luxury brand hand bag owners. That is, shopaholic women who may have over-spent on shopping of luxury handbags and many other things else. It doesn't come without consumer insight and there could be such need in the market. It just reminds me of the pawn shops in the old days.

Even if your brand is big, there are still limitations as to what it can extend to. Panadol means pain killing in the minds of the consumers. Stretching it into the cold and flu remedy arena is a bit marginal. People recall 幸福傷風素 better when they need cold and flu remedy. Now it gets into the cold syrup arena. For cough syrup, I can recall 樂信 and 佩夫人. When I look at the ad, the trouble is that there is nothing too special about this new cough syrup except the single-serve sachet packaging. That can be easily copied by any competitor.

Speaking of creative approach, jingle is another popular way of selling. It has the advantage of generating high recall and brand recognition. Adapted from an old song of 小虎隊, this jingle is quite catchy, isn't it ? Say sayonara to allergies. The benefit is sung out loud repeated in the lyrics. Yet one thing important is missing : the brand name. If we are to use jingle to (hard) sell our product, don't forget to blend in the brand name as well as the benefits in the lyrics. 喇叭牌正露丸 and 位元堂養陰丸 are good references.

Although it's not creative per se, demonstration can sometimes be a strong way to convince consumers. This is another classic. If you pay attention to it, you would probably be convinced too. The trouble is whether you would sit right in front of the TV and watch the whole 30" ad. I'm not saying this is a bad selling approach. The fact is all approaches have different shortcomings. This approach just lacks the stopping power.

Tsubu Tsubu is the real pulpy orange juice ! LOL. Minute Maid launched pulpy orange juice and let's ride on the trend created by it ! They have 陳奕迅. Let's get 任賢齊. In order for us to win, we need to highlight we are the real thing, we have more pulps, we are fresher... and let's come up with gimmicky, catchy name : love love 橙. Bingo, we have a winning formula. Don't laugh. These might be what were actually talked about in the boardroom.

How would you sell a handycam ? The obvious choice is taking the usage route, reminding people of how the handycam can be used in order to trigger the need for it. In the past, handycam was for shooting the life of the new born baby. Now it's for shooting new born doggies. Keeping pets is the trend but we see a lot of new born babies around us this year. If I have to decide, I would still use the baby route as people may find it more worthwhile to invest in a handycam for shooting their babies.

Having two LCD screens, one at the front and another at the back, is not a hugh innovation. When you get on Facebook, you will see a lot of people post photos that are taken by themselves. There seems a consumer need for a DC with two screen for self-phototaking. Yet the question is whether it is a determining feature that drives purchase. Or is it just a nice-to-have ? Will you bet you A&P to shoot a TVC and advertise heavily ?

The need for hair loss prevention is always there. Up until the launch of 霸王, the arena used to be occupied by high price brands that cost several hundred dollars for a bottle of shampoo. 霸王 is probably the first brand which has opened up the lower price market for hair loss prevention shampoo in a big way with hefty advertising. When Rejoice launches its 漢方防掉髮, I can't help the feeling that it's a copycat of 霸王. The ad is a very typical Rejoice ad with a good looking female model swinging her beautiful hair. It says 既防掉髮又柔順. Isn't it the best shampoo among all the other series of Rejoice ?

When Maxim's launched the Angel Cake, it wasn't supported by TV advertising and I just saw some print ads and outdoors. Surprisingly, it has been selling quite well. It's just a plan cream cake but I guess it wins with the pricing and the gimmick of DIY crispy sugar pieces. Now here comes the Devil Cake. Angel vs Devil, cream cake vs chocolate cake, it seems to be a logical extension. It should be another good selling item I bet. But just wondering what will come next after that ~

Pocari Sweat has a strong association with Japan as being a Japanese brand. It's also interesting to see Fanta being transformed into a brand with Japanese association with imported advertising and packaging. For the young, Japanese culture is what they aspire to. It could be the right thing to do as so far no softdrink is occupying this cultural positioning. It has recently launched a new Jelly pop and it seems the product is invented in Japan and the TVCs are produced in Japan too. Have you tried it ? You should if you haven't. It's a new taste experience.