Apple Gotta Step It Up!

As a young professional, I'm always looking for ways to enhance my productivity, to use up all resources I got on hand to perform well at what I do. Ironically, speaking of resources, I do not quite have enough to afford a tablet (sad,I know).

I'm going to be brave here and admit that, even though I have a crappy, seems-like-a-90s-brick phone, an iPhone 4, I haven't really used or get used to a tablet, like an iPad.

Just a few days ago, I paid a visit to one of my best friends. She has an iPad. I always travel with my laptop, because I try to be "productive" while traveling, but this time I didn't. I hate the small screen of my iPhone, so I my friend let me borrowed her iPad. I used it for an hour or two, maybe, and it sucked. I couldn't do two things at a time. For example, I was showing her a new song I had discovered (note: I wanted to show her the song, not its music video). When trying to surf around the web (Twitter), the music stopped! It didn't bother me as much, because I could have easily gone to Spotify or Pandora to search for the song (turns out she didn't have any of those apps, so  we had to rely on Youtube). 

This is just one example. This might sound silly, but it applies to the point that Windows is trying to make in this commercial. We found out that the video of this new song was funny! We wanted to watch it! But - oh no - we didn't know the lyrics! We have to switch apps to get the lyrics! And guess what happened! The video stopped, hence the music stopped too!

This is just a simple very simple example of how Apple needs to step it up! I know that it's a problem that can easily be fixed by downloading the necessary apps to listen to a song, switch apps for t he lyrics and not be frustrated of the music pausing because of the switch. Who cares! We are customers! We want things to be fixed for us (unfortunately). And Windows 8 just did that. Fixed it.

Let's face it. In this day and age we are drawn to do more than one thing at a time, practically. The ability to use at least two [visually needed] apps at the same time, is extremely valuable. Speaking of which, how much  does an iPad cost compared to the Windows 8, or any non-apple tablet, for that matter? - Yeah.

Kudos to Windows 8

Dove's message about beauty

I have mixed feelings towards this advertising video. Yes - an advertising video. It couldn't be a commercial; it is way too long to be aired on TV or in the radio (of course it could work if it is shorten). The point, however, of these mix feelings towards this video is that I am having a very hard time believing in it.I know what the message that Dove wants to push through. In fact I agree with it: "Your are more beautiful than you think you are." I love that message, yet I'm skeptical of the idea of portraying the truth of the message through a sketch artist. I'm not an artist. I don't draw, and if I do, it would be a stick figure that I would draw. But I know marketing and speak advertising language, hence my skepticism.

I do appreciate and admire what Dove is trying to do here, though. Whether is true or not, about the sketch artist, I do believe and agree 100% that "you are more beautiful than what you think you are." I believe that we tend to undermine our beauty and that we disregard how, not what, people think of us. See the difference? Is not what people think of you, is how they think of you and how they would describe you, physically and non-physically. 

Dove made a really good job creating this video as a part of their new advertising campaign. It is really compelling and appealing, especially to women. 

USPS - preparing

Maybe USPS is trying to create a better image before they officially close the Saturday operations in August. 

Volkswagen masks

VW always impresses me with its commercials. The "Get Happy" commercial VW aired on the Super Bowl was the exception, though. In fact, I think this New Volkswagen Beetle Convertible "Mask' commercial would have been more suitable for the Super Bowl. Ok - that's over now and I shouldn't rant about it anymore. Still, though, this commercial deserves a thumbs up! It's funny and nowadays funny sells - or at least it seems like it. Check it out and have a good laugh. And if you are a skier or a ski enthusiast  you'll find it even funnier.

Inception of ads

For the first few seconds I was surprised and confused. Surprised because there was a robot dog in the commercial. Confused because, well...what is a robot dog doing in a car commercial? Then, I forgot about the dog and found the commercial quite interesting. The next few seconds of this commercial well intriguing. As you follow the story it looks familiar... in a way.

It's Inception! That's why it looked familiar! It's ad in an ad! Actually, it's a series of ads in an ad! 

I won't deny it's clever, because it shows, through an inception of ads, the "different lines of [Chevy] vehicles." But I don't see the connection between that and the "find new roads" theme or slogan. 

Oreo: Seizing an opportunity...even in the dark

The stadium was almost entirely dark; confusion stroked. Yes, I bet you know what I'm talking about. During the Super Bowl  47 the power went out. The game was forced to stop at 13 min down the 3rd quarter due to a blackout. Instead of wondering what was happening, ingenious ad agency 360i and Oreo seized the opportunity in the dark and published their "dunk in the dark" ad. In the next few minutes, Oreo was the king of social media during the Super Bowl blackout.

You gotta admit - it was pretty darn smart. 

The comeback

After a little over a year since my last post, I've decided to make a comeback. Marketing and advertising wasn't always my area of interest and my passion. When I first started this blog I loved to identify key characteristics that make an ad, print or TV, a great ad. But, this past year my focus shifted towards my career, hence the one-year gap between my last post and this one.

Anyhow, now my newly defined passion involves a more in-depth sense and understanding of marketing and what it does to consumers. Nowadays, companies are trying many different ways to engage their consumers into not only buying their product, but into being part of their culture, their brand, their whole being, because at the end, companies exist because of consumers. Of course, social media plays a huge role in this. However, what truly enhances the interaction, connection and engagement between company and consumer is when the company lets the consumer be part of creating the value offered by the company. A great example is Frito-Lay's Dorito's fan-made Super-Bowl commercial competition. Frito-Lay lets the people be part of Dorito's brand. People become the means through which the company reaches to and connects with the people it serves, its consumers. When a company includes its consumers in their business model, they become key partners. Consumers are not seen or perceived as the reason or source of revenue anymore for the company, but as the link between the company and the value of its product.

Here's one of the finalists of the fan-made Superbowl commercial competition by Frito Lay's Doritos: