Monday, October 22, 2007

When aesthetic pays a return?

Nobody dislike beauty, however what I felt interesting is how and when to active 'beauty' this benefit as leading advantage in you product development investment basket, coz the return seems varied.

Sony recent Bravia LED campaign could be the first example deserved to talk about, which takes 'aesthetic-leading benefit' in a smart way. If you only look at the headline - 'color like no others', I would feel they are taking risk of making aesthetic as leading benefit in a category still valued on technology equity, however the creative execution takes a big role that brought out the leading benefit so vividly and impressively, besides, a smart approach of delivering 'better color contrast' functionality same time. Although now I still couldn't see colour is a key factor in LED purchasing, the potential is there to be created. Then, gradually the category's benefit landscape would be enlarged, that's how creativity pays a big role in a new benefit's return.
However in some other developed technology items such as cell-phone, aesthetic has already been included as hygiene… You can still claim on the colour or design mix as the driven benefit as many do. But make sure it's cutting edge and shocking cool, otherwise hard to be sufficient to stand out from thousands of products offering 'total value package', recent Samsung SGH-J608 print ad missed the point by single-way claiming color as the driving benefit. Certainly the product is 'cool ocean blue' - beautiful and different, however the total offer is relatively weak by having this single benefit driven, besides the execution is normal, at this case I would doubt the return of the resources behind such benefit 'investment' ( or is it the reason they price the item less than 2K..comparably low within Samsung’s portfolio )


Wednesday, October 3, 2007

We take bus, but not brainless

(Photo taken on Hou Hai bus stop)
Long holiday officially kicked off yesterday and surprise receiving piece by piece – smart idea or stupid ad, I shared one Good idea in last post…Now can't help bringing an awful one - as a really shameful marketing job done from a world-famous FMCG...

The ad is about claming Kraft Pacific biscuit has a strong 'cracking' mouth-feeling (in Chinese: Cui); main-visual is purely 'broken biscuit pieces' and unbelievable mindless headline: Do you want to get on the crowd bus? Be 'quick' ! (in Chinese: Gan Cui).

I have found the ad on as many bus stop billboards as I have probably seen. It makes its biscuit looks like broken hard paper and the headline is…not funny, not intelligent and worse, IRRELEVANT

First I seriously doubt whether they got a good benefit to talk about. Even the target is the mass who only eating biscuit to kill the time but still 'cracking mouth-feeling' is not strong functional attractive as 'tasty, nutritious or organic'…Second, suppose their insight is OK but please get a relevant execution, now even sitting here I have baskets of idea of making the 'cracking mouth-feeling' as 'taste linkable' and eye-inviting. Last but not least, its unbearable execution quality. The ugly local-style execution is completely disaster...

OK, dont blame my over-critical here, its absolutely irresponsible marketing, we will see the brand drawn back through value ladder till disapeared someday...if no change for the current standard!