ThinkNoLimit Marketing Coaching

PCCW Wi-Fi is offering 2-month free trial of its hotspot Wi-Fi service. Don't get too excited about it. First, only users of mobile phone can enjoy this free trial. Why ? Data volumes used by mobile phones are usually smaller than computers. So it would be safe to offer free trial to mobile phone users only. Even if many people try it for free at the same time, the network wouldn't be overloaded so that the speed experience is maintained. Another catch is that the ad trumpets about the 100M speed. Yet in fact it's only available at certain hotspots only... how much longer can telco kid consumers with small prints ? I wonder.

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 ?

Thanks to a friend who sent me this. This video only lasts 5 minutes or so. It's worth the time to watch it and think it over. Everyone is talking about the importance of social media in marketing communications. It's free and it can reach the younger generation. Is it simply about posting your TVC onto YouTube ? And you expect people to send and share it ? If it's not creative or anything funny, people would not share it at all. Heineken here is a good example. You may call it a PR stunt, with the use of internet to spread it out.

得力素, Detrox, is such a long forgotten brand name. It was a glucose drink at the start and later diversified into lemon candy with glucose in the middle, said to be healthy (because of the Vitamin C) and give you the energy (because of the glucose). Now it re-appears as a candy that gives you brain energy after so many years. Does the positioning sound familiar ? It's like the candy version of Lucozade. Will that sell ? Maybe. If consumers buy on the brain energy positioning of Lucozade, there may be room for a brain energy candy which is more convenient. Yet it will takes a lot of resources and commitment to build/re-build such a brand.

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 ...

McDonald's has been with us for 35 long years and it's definitely part of HK people's life. I scratch my head when it only chooses to use the anniversary to do price-cut promotions. It can do better than that as it should be a good excuse to strike a chord with the consumers. I can only imagine it needs to face the reality : it needs to generate higher revenue to make up with the rise in rent. The sad part is that promotions after promotions like this will only project a cheap eat image for the brand.