By Andrea Kunicky
The NBA season tips off tonight, but the buzz among hoops fans is about LeBron James' new Nike commerical, which addresses the off-season controversy over his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat. "What should I do?" the NBA star asks rhetorically.
The commerical - titled “Rise” - consists of James pitching the audience various scenarios of what James could have done and how he might satisfy critics who think he made the wrong decision last summer in deciding to leave the Cavs and sign with the star-studded Heat.
"We're celebrating his courage to forge his own journey even when others may have disagreed with his decisions," Nike's vice president of global brand marketing Davide Grasso, said in news stories.
The reaction from the release on YouTube has been overwhelming. Well, that ad "is pretty much perfect," says Royce Young of CBS Sports. It's "candid" and allows us "to see the human side to LeBron" that had all but disappeared lately. If James' goal here was to restore his brand, then "put it this way: Mission Accomplished."
While you can argue over James' image, CNBC's Darren Rovell noted that Nike shoes are "barely mentioned in the spot."
In my opinion, this was another great marketing tool for James. If people agree or disagree with his decision, James and his popularity is so great that we can’t turn our heads away from him. People might still be upset with where he decided to play but it seems this is his way of showing that he really doesn’t care what people think of him. It’s honest and rebellious. It’s a reflection of James.
TNT will show the video tonight during its coverage of the NBA season opener between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics, so it will be interesting to see how the reaction is to this now controversial ad.
Andrea Kunicky is an Account Executive. Contact her at andrea@maroonpr.com.
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
5 Tips for Building an Effective Website
By Chris Daley
The inspiration for this blog came when I was building a website for a new client of ours. I conducted research and thought it was interesting how many sites weren’t fresh and updated, which is strange, since websites are your most important marketing tool.
It made me think of the Simpson’s episode where Homer decided to start his own online company. Who can forget these famous Homer quotes?
"Oh, they have the Internet on computers now?" or
"Where's the ‘Any’ key?" or
"The Internet? Is that thing still around?"
The Internet is still around and it has become the most popular way people get their news, according to a recent study conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Everything in our lives is integrated with the Internet and your website has to look professional and be functional if you want it to be effective and represent your company in an engaging way.
With this in mind, I developed five tips to keep in mind for current businesses or new businesses wanting to build or update their websites.
- Create a website with room to grow it: If you are a new company, or are creating a website from scratch, don’t be so concerned with filling the website with fluff or generic photos. Keep it simple in the beginning, but leave the site wide open for adding new content and sections. You want to always be able to add news aspects to keep up with the times and keep it a living and breathing site.
- Avoid too much animation: It’s not the year 2000. Flash animation is not the coolest invention on the Internet anymore. Incorporate some animation but don’t have too much where it takes a few minutes to load up a web page. In general, people have little patience so in the time they’ve waited to watch your page load up, they’ve moved on.
- Incorporate new content regularly: It is important to continuously generate new and engaging content for your site. Update it a few times a week if possible. This does not always have to include news about your company. It can be a variety of things ranging from news within the industry you work in, blogs from you or your staff, new photos and/or videos, etc. It doesn’t look good if your site is never updated and people will never feel the need to come back to your site if the content is stale.
- Add photos/videos often: People love photos and video. If you were to ask a multimedia editor at a newspaper what are the most viewed sections on their website, they will most likely tell you it’s the photo galleries and videos. With this in mind, make sure you add photos to your site from recent events you attended or managed and maybe videos as well. Flip cams are very cheap and any amateur can record a nice video which will enhance your webpage.
- Mobile compatibility: Most people in our society are attached to their Blackberry, IPhone, etc. Nearly everyone checks the Internet on their phone when they’re on the go. This is only going to grow and soon everyone will have a phone that can connect to the Internet. So, be sure to build your site so that people can access it from their mobile devices.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Bon Appetit Baltimore
By Tim Richardson
Food brings people together. Whether it’s a first date, a special occasion or just catching up with friends, going out to dinner is always a popular idea.
Baltimore and roughly a dozen other cities around the country capitalize on that notion as twice a year (winter and summer) they offer a weeklong celebration of cuisine called “Restaurant Week.” During this time in Baltimore, more than 100 restaurants throughout the city offer customers the opportunity to enjoy a three-course dinner (not including alcohol) from special prix-fixed menus for a reduced set rate. Some restaurants also offer a lunch menu.
Baltimore’s summer edition of Restaurant Week took place August 13-22 and featured a set price of $35.10 for dinner. The primary objective of the promotion is to entice diners who have been watching their budgets to venture out to a local restaurant for an enjoyable gourmet meal at an affordable price…and it usually occurs in a restaurant that they have not visited previously.
But from a marketing standpoint, it’s also a great vehicle for restaurateurs to promote their restaurants to the community in an effort to attract new business. People are more selective these days on how they spend their discretionary income. So competing against dining at a local restaurant are activities such as taking in a play, going to a concert, or attending a sporting event. That said, showcasing the area’s restaurants and helping diners discover new establishments not only highlights the many offerings available in Baltimore, but it brings an economic surge to the area. By offering a diverse selection at an affordable price, restaurants can sell around 1,000 Restaurant Week menus during the promotion. In an economy where people have elected to eat at home more instead of dine out, that traffic and revenue are clearly significant to the restaurant industry. Some restaurants have even chosen to extend their Restaurant Week specials, varying in length by the restaurant.
Restaurant Week is also a resourceful PR initiative for Visit Baltimore and the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore in how they market the city. Visit Baltimore is the official sales and marketing organization for Baltimore, while the Downtown Partnership is a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to make downtown Baltimore a great place for businesses, employees, residents and visitors. During Baltimore’s Restaurant Week this summer, over 4,200 people “liked” the promotion on Facebook and it was “re-tweeted” by more than 200 users on Twitter. Stories also appeared in the mainstream media on TV and in print/online outlets about the restaurants featured in Restaurant Week, the popularity of the promotion, etc.
And word is spreading to other cities about Baltimore’s Restaurant Week. According to an article in the August 3 issue of The Baltimore Sun, the culinary offerings of the city were a main topic when Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake spoke earlier this summer at a meeting in Oklahoma City. The Mayor was addressing the U.S. Conference of Mayors about what will be taking place when the group visits Baltimore next summer, and a number of the questions from her fellow city leaders concerned the food in Baltimore.
I’m a fan of Restaurant Week. My wife and I participate in both of the seasons in which it takes place and enjoy the opportunity to try new places that peak our interest from the list of participating restaurants. In fact, one of the restaurants we visited last summer is now the place where we dine throughout the year to celebrate all of our special occasions. That would not be the case if my wife had not said, “I’ve always wanted to try that place…let’s check it out during Restaurant Week.”
So the concept of a special, low-cost menu that allows people the opportunity to enjoy a night out while also generating interest about the city’s local restaurants and boosting the economy seems like a pretty good deal for everyone.
Tim Richardson is the Executive Vice President of Maroon PR. Contact him at tim@maroonpr.com.
Food brings people together. Whether it’s a first date, a special occasion or just catching up with friends, going out to dinner is always a popular idea.
Baltimore and roughly a dozen other cities around the country capitalize on that notion as twice a year (winter and summer) they offer a weeklong celebration of cuisine called “Restaurant Week.” During this time in Baltimore, more than 100 restaurants throughout the city offer customers the opportunity to enjoy a three-course dinner (not including alcohol) from special prix-fixed menus for a reduced set rate. Some restaurants also offer a lunch menu.
Baltimore’s summer edition of Restaurant Week took place August 13-22 and featured a set price of $35.10 for dinner. The primary objective of the promotion is to entice diners who have been watching their budgets to venture out to a local restaurant for an enjoyable gourmet meal at an affordable price…and it usually occurs in a restaurant that they have not visited previously.
But from a marketing standpoint, it’s also a great vehicle for restaurateurs to promote their restaurants to the community in an effort to attract new business. People are more selective these days on how they spend their discretionary income. So competing against dining at a local restaurant are activities such as taking in a play, going to a concert, or attending a sporting event. That said, showcasing the area’s restaurants and helping diners discover new establishments not only highlights the many offerings available in Baltimore, but it brings an economic surge to the area. By offering a diverse selection at an affordable price, restaurants can sell around 1,000 Restaurant Week menus during the promotion. In an economy where people have elected to eat at home more instead of dine out, that traffic and revenue are clearly significant to the restaurant industry. Some restaurants have even chosen to extend their Restaurant Week specials, varying in length by the restaurant.
Restaurant Week is also a resourceful PR initiative for Visit Baltimore and the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore in how they market the city. Visit Baltimore is the official sales and marketing organization for Baltimore, while the Downtown Partnership is a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to make downtown Baltimore a great place for businesses, employees, residents and visitors. During Baltimore’s Restaurant Week this summer, over 4,200 people “liked” the promotion on Facebook and it was “re-tweeted” by more than 200 users on Twitter. Stories also appeared in the mainstream media on TV and in print/online outlets about the restaurants featured in Restaurant Week, the popularity of the promotion, etc.
And word is spreading to other cities about Baltimore’s Restaurant Week. According to an article in the August 3 issue of The Baltimore Sun, the culinary offerings of the city were a main topic when Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake spoke earlier this summer at a meeting in Oklahoma City. The Mayor was addressing the U.S. Conference of Mayors about what will be taking place when the group visits Baltimore next summer, and a number of the questions from her fellow city leaders concerned the food in Baltimore.
I’m a fan of Restaurant Week. My wife and I participate in both of the seasons in which it takes place and enjoy the opportunity to try new places that peak our interest from the list of participating restaurants. In fact, one of the restaurants we visited last summer is now the place where we dine throughout the year to celebrate all of our special occasions. That would not be the case if my wife had not said, “I’ve always wanted to try that place…let’s check it out during Restaurant Week.”
So the concept of a special, low-cost menu that allows people the opportunity to enjoy a night out while also generating interest about the city’s local restaurants and boosting the economy seems like a pretty good deal for everyone.
Tim Richardson is the Executive Vice President of Maroon PR. Contact him at tim@maroonpr.com.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Nike using World Cup to its Advantage
By Stefen Lovelace
We’re just two weeks away from the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the event is generating tremendous excitement all over the world. Even here in the US, people that normally aren’t avid soccer fans are starting to pay attention.
Nike, which is arguably the most recognizable sportswear and equipment supplier in the world, is already utilizing the attention being paid to soccer to its advantage. In the past week, Nike has been running this commercial below, which features some of the best soccer players in the world.
This is a great way for Nike to market its company. What makes this such a smart move is that Nike isn’t even a sponsor of the World Cup. Rival company Adidas is actually a partner of FIFA, but after seeing commercials like Nike’s, average fans might assume Nike has more affiliation to the event than Adidas.
When actual World Cup games are played, I’m sure Adidas will become more of a marketing factor, but it’ll be interesting to see if Nike does some ambush marketing, during the games. This will allow fans to continue to associate Nike with the top professional soccer in the world, without Nike having to pay the fee to be an official sponsor.
The World Cup is one of, if not the, biggest sporting event in the world. Like most sporting events, Nike plans on capitalizing on it.
Stefen Lovelace is an Associate Account Executive. Contact him at stefen@maroonpr.com.
We’re just two weeks away from the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the event is generating tremendous excitement all over the world. Even here in the US, people that normally aren’t avid soccer fans are starting to pay attention.
Nike, which is arguably the most recognizable sportswear and equipment supplier in the world, is already utilizing the attention being paid to soccer to its advantage. In the past week, Nike has been running this commercial below, which features some of the best soccer players in the world.
This is a great way for Nike to market its company. What makes this such a smart move is that Nike isn’t even a sponsor of the World Cup. Rival company Adidas is actually a partner of FIFA, but after seeing commercials like Nike’s, average fans might assume Nike has more affiliation to the event than Adidas.
When actual World Cup games are played, I’m sure Adidas will become more of a marketing factor, but it’ll be interesting to see if Nike does some ambush marketing, during the games. This will allow fans to continue to associate Nike with the top professional soccer in the world, without Nike having to pay the fee to be an official sponsor.
The World Cup is one of, if not the, biggest sporting event in the world. Like most sporting events, Nike plans on capitalizing on it.
Stefen Lovelace is an Associate Account Executive. Contact him at stefen@maroonpr.com.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Marketing Myths
By Mitchell Schmale
In a struggling economy, many companies fall into the trap of cutting certain internal budgets to manage costs and survive the tough times. Often, the marketing budget is one of the first to be slashed.
Effective marketing is vital for a company to remain competitive during the tough times so that they are poised to be successful when the economy improves. Companies may have to make tough decisions in managing expenses, but slashing its marketing budget should not be the easy fix. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.
A slow economy is one of the best times to raise your corporate profile as a leading company in your respective industry and capture valuable market share. Rather than turning to traditional advertising to raise brand awareness, many companies find a greater return in investment in public relations. PR and marketing support can grow customer awareness, create an exciting buzz around a company and help gain strong third-party endorsements in the media. During a down economic time, corporate and customer success stories shared through an effective public relations and media campaign often resonate much more powerfully with consumers than a stand-alone advertising campaign.
It’s time to dispel the myth that a company has to cut its marketing budget because it is not yielding the expected returns, when in fact, the truth may lie in spending its marketing dollars more creatively.
Mitchell Schmale is the Vice President of Maroon PR's Corporate Division. You can contact him at mitchell@maroonpr.com.
In a struggling economy, many companies fall into the trap of cutting certain internal budgets to manage costs and survive the tough times. Often, the marketing budget is one of the first to be slashed.
Effective marketing is vital for a company to remain competitive during the tough times so that they are poised to be successful when the economy improves. Companies may have to make tough decisions in managing expenses, but slashing its marketing budget should not be the easy fix. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.
A slow economy is one of the best times to raise your corporate profile as a leading company in your respective industry and capture valuable market share. Rather than turning to traditional advertising to raise brand awareness, many companies find a greater return in investment in public relations. PR and marketing support can grow customer awareness, create an exciting buzz around a company and help gain strong third-party endorsements in the media. During a down economic time, corporate and customer success stories shared through an effective public relations and media campaign often resonate much more powerfully with consumers than a stand-alone advertising campaign.
It’s time to dispel the myth that a company has to cut its marketing budget because it is not yielding the expected returns, when in fact, the truth may lie in spending its marketing dollars more creatively.
Mitchell Schmale is the Vice President of Maroon PR's Corporate Division. You can contact him at mitchell@maroonpr.com.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Incorporating Social Media Marketing into Proposals
Date: Monday, February 8, 2010
Let me start out by saying that I was one of those people who doubted the value of social media. I am 44 years old and just didn’t get it.
That has changed.
Over the last several months we have aggressively dived into the social media pool and discovered that it is not only valuable… but very effective. We have also discovered that it is still a relatively scary area for many of our clients, as they may not be as familiar with social media’s power as we are.
Not long ago, thanks in large part to very own Abby Draper, we have made social media marketing a large part of what we do for clients and a big part of our proposals made to potential new clients.
We’ve already seen incredible results for current and new clients, which include…
Existing Clients… Many of our existing clients were either not partaking in social media, or doing it poorly. We have essentially taken over their social media outreach and established wonderful lines of communication with them so there is a steady flow of information that allows us to update the SMM sites regularly. This has helped us learn a lot more about what they are doing and has made our firm an invaluable, and hence, irreplaceable part of their team.
Potential New Clients … We have demonstrated the work that we have done for other clients and when creating a proposal for new clients; we always stress how essential social media is today and will be going forward. Ten years ago some businesses had them and some didn’t…now it is not an option but a vital marketing tool. Sometimes we hear that they just don’t have the time for multiple daily updates. Perfect. We do it for our clients and become even more entrenched with them as a valuable part of their team.
Social media is a real tool and while some platforms may evolve and change in the years to come, the concept of social media is here to stay.
Wow, I guess you can teach an old dog a new trick.
John Maroon is the President of Maroon PR. Contact him at john@maroonpr.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)