Big Bang or Bust?
Sidestep these marketing mistakes for a banner new year.
By Kim T. Gordon
Planning a hot new marketing program for 2002? Sometimes, what may at first look like a brilliant marketing move can be a big mistake. Here's how to avoid four marketing blunders that can torpedo your best laid plans.
A Case in Point
Probably the funniest, most imaginative television commercial of the year ran during the Super Bowl. Dubbed "Running With The Squirrels," it was a parody of the running of the bulls through the streets of Pamplona, Spain, but instead of angry bulls, hundreds of squirrels chased the runners through the ancient city. Unfortunately, the spot did little more than entertain, since most viewers were left puzzling about exactly what was being sold. While the spot cost the advertiser, EDS, about $6 million, the vast number of Super Bowl viewers who saw the commercial received an empty message -- if they were unfamiliar with the advertiser and had no idea what products or services were provided, it's unlikely they were motivated to become customers.......[read more after logging in]
|
