Brandeo is an online marketing resource that cuts through the clutter to update you on the need-to-know marketing ideas and insights that help build brands and increase sales.
Can you make the world a better place by making it fun for people to do the right thing? That’s the idea behind The Fun Theory , an Initiative of Volkswagon. This viral video, showing how people are encouraged to take stairs designed as piano keys, instead of the escalator, was one of the top ten viral videos in October.
Best Buy’s (BBY) Twelpforce consists of 21,100 employees who respond to customer tweets about consumer electronics via Twitter. To date, the Twelpforce has delivered advice in the form of 12,314 tweets to its 13,398 followers. Brandweek 10/31/09
Starbucks (STBX) will launch a new customer loyalty card program, called My Starbucks Rewards, on Dec. 26, 2009. The program will consolidate Starbucks Card Rewards and Starbucks Gold card. It has no annual fee, allows members to use one registered card (any Starbucks Card) and provides customized rewards, that increase with frequency of use. Chain Store Age 10/30/09
The Federal Drug Administration has notified Proctor & Gamble (PG) that the company’s marketing two of its Vicks-branded over-the-counter medications—Vicks DayQuil Plus Vitamin C and Vicks Nyquil Plus Vitamin C—violate FDA guidelines by portraying products as both a cold medication as well as a dietary supplement. Brandweek 10/30/09
Target (TGT) has cut 85 marketing jobs, about 8% of its 1,100 employees in that department.The recession has hurt Target because much of its revenue comes from fashionable nonessentials such as home decor and clothing. Chain Store Age 10/30/09
To introduce a leather-scented deodorant called Axe Instinct, Unilever (UL) is paying street musicians $1,000 to put up “Axe Instinct” signs, offer free deodorant samples when they play and, a few times a day, sing a ‘ditty’ “Look Good in Leather” that Axe is using in its commercials. NYTimes 10/29/09
Less and less individuals are trying out Bing says a study by online ad network Chitika. In looking at network traffic from August through the first half of October, it appears that although Bing's share of search impressions has declined at a steady rate, the number of users coming through Microsoft's (MSFT) decision engine has declined much more quickly.
In August, over 8% of search engine users and 6.7% of search traffic came from Bing. Since then, however, Microsoft's impressions share has dropped to 5.44%, and the user share has decreased even more significantly, to 6.28%. Chitika, Inc. 10/29/09
Videos posted on YouTube over the past two months featuring “the world’s fastest nudist” show a man, “clad only in running shoes, tube socks, and a strategically positioned frontward fanny pack” running through high-profile locations in New York City. Turns out the viral videos are a campaign for Zappos.The revelation comes too late for CNN and other media outlets who didn’t realize the runner was really an actor and included him in interviews and news stories. NYTimes.com 10/28/09
“United Breaks Guitars” musician Dave Carroll flew United Airlines (UAUA) last Sunday, and guess what? The airline lost his luggage. Carroll was on United because it was the only carrier with service from Canada to Colorado Springs where he had a speaking engagement. United located his luggage and returned it to him---the following Wednesday. NYTimes 10/28/09
Remember Dave Carroll, the musician whose prize Taylor guitar was broken by United Airlines' baggage handlers?
United refused to compensate him for the $1200 worth of damage sustained by the guitar so Carroll promised United he would write three songs about the experience. To date, his first You Tube video has garnered nearly 5 million views.
And now he's back with the second song in the trilogy: United Breaks Guitars Song 2. See below:
A Bollywood flash mob appeared in Times Square yesterday to promote "Bollywood Hero," an IFC 3-night mini-series, premiering August 6th, starring Chris Kattan (seen in the crowd of spectators.)
Dave Carroll has posted a brief video on YouTube to thank supporters and to announce that United Airlines “generously, but late, offered some compensation.” Carroll is the musician who produced “United Breaks Guitars,” a song and video about his fruitless quest to obtain compensation for damage done to his guitar by United Airlines baggage handlers. To date, the YouTube video has received more than 1.5 million views.
Carroll says he’s grateful for United’s offer, but suggested the airline donate the money to charity.
Actor James France was scheduled to give the June 12, 2009 commencement speech to UCLA graduates. But the announcement of his speech was protested by some students for not having enough accomplishments to serve as commencement speaker.
Franco cancelled less than two weeks before graduation, reportedly because of schedule conflicts – some say it had to do with student complaints; others say he just blew it off. But the real story, according to a video produced by The Harvard Lampoon, and posted on FunnyorDie.com, is that UCLA rescinded their invitation to Franco after seeing him rehearse his planned speech. The faint of heart should be warned – Franco drops the F bomb.
Babies rollerskate to a remix of the Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight to promote the rejuvenating effects of Evian mineral water in this You Tube video.
