Brands Without Borders - 2007

Here are some of these global brands that were under the spotlight during 2007 and I would call the "2007 Brands Without Borders":

What are the other brands that you would add to this list?

Mobile Advertising in the UK

This video corroborates the statements of the previous post. Mathew White, Mobile Advertising Manager for Channel 4 and Thomas Curven, Planning Director for Publicis-Dialog talk about integrating the mobile medium into Marketing and branding campaigns.

Top 8 Reasons to Integrate the Mobile Medium in a Global Marketing Campaign

When creating a campaign in various regions or targeting a diversified audience, you must use a medium that optimizes your efforts, which can very much be the mobile phone. Yes, the mobile phone. Here are a few reasons why the mobile phone can answer your needs:

1) The mobile phone is an ubiquitous communication channel. You can reach your target audience 24/7, anywhere.

2) The mobile phone is a complete communication medium and the user is offered a variety of content. Besides using voice services, the user can stream or download videos, connect to the internet, send and receive various types of messages (SMS,MMS, and e-mails), play preset or download new games, use various applications including LBS (location based services), among others. Therefore, a global Marketing campaign can use any of these to advertise or offer ad based content.

3) Your audience does not need to be in front of a TV set, connected to the internet, listening to the radio or reading a publication in order to receive your message.

4) Most likely, your target audience carry their cellphones with them, in their pockets or bags.

5) You can demographically target your messages according to region, age, gender, etc.

6) Also, you can personalize your messages according to the different demographics.

7) The mobile phone offers interactivity and you can prompt your audience to go to visit a WAP site if you send a WAP push, for example.

8) Your audience had opted to receive advertisement or ad based content and applications.

Obviously there are much more than only 8 reasons for you to think of using the mobile phone as a global Marketing tool. Once you start researching you will agree with me and come up with your own reasons as well.

Nickled and Dimed PR

Interesting article today at the Wall Street Journal. It talks about a “pay-per-placement” trend in PR. That is, instead of hiring a PR firm and paying the regular PR retainer, you pay per article published.

This looks more like a solution for small and medium businesses that are interested solely in getting the word out there.

I am a strong believer that Marketing and PR must be cost effective and although this type of solution may sound fair, before hiring a service like this I suggest taking into account the following:

1- The scope of work: Which publications/ writers will be pitched?

2- If you are paying per article, what is the maximum amount of featured articles that fits your budget?

3- Relevance of the publications. Does the publication where you had a featured article hit your target audience?

4- Size of the publication. Are tier 1, 2 and 3 publications differentiated? However the concept of tier 1, 2 and 3 is still inaccurate. Here’s an example: an industry blog can hit a higher number of potential clients than a mainstream publication.

5- RSS/ feeds/ replicating articles. The same article can be featured in various online publications, and commonly industry blogs use feeds and replicate articles. Is a replicated article being charged as an original article? What about articles translated into other languages?

6- PR and media relations efforts should always start with developing a strategy. Before pitching the press, carefully craft your messages. Also keep in mind that it is better to build strong media relationships than aim to at short term achievements.

Click here to read the article


Click here to read pitching tips.

Web 2.0 as a Global Marketing Tool

I have been working with Internet (and mobile) based products/ services since the 90's and have witnessed the progress of the platform, not only as what they used to call the “new economy”, but as a global Marketing/ PR tool. Here's an excellent clip that helps understanding what these changes were and the possibilities that lie ahead.

South American Way: Entertainment as a key Marketing Tool

I am currently working on a South American consultancy and these last days I have been immersed in a Brazilian Market research. One of the interesting aspects about Marketing in Brazil is how Brazilian society is strongly influenced by the local entertainment industry, mainly by the daily TV soap opera episodes (more specifically the 9:00 pm telenovela).

If you ask me for a cookie-cutter Marketing/ PR formula to launch a product in the largest Brazilian capitals (such as Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Curitiba and Florianopolis) I would suggest developing an integrated ad/ PR campaign using product placement during one of their telenovelas. But of course, this is just a hypothetical regional approach with no target audience segmentation.

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Another interesting point is how often entertainers migrate to politics in Brazil. Take for example Gilberto Gil (Brazil’s Minister of Culture), one of the most notorious Brazilian singers, or the former mayor of Sao Paulo and current Minister of Tourism, Marta Suplicy, who is a psychologist and used to offer sex advice on a popular TV show. And also Helio Costa, the Minister of Communications. He was one of the most prestigious hosts of Fantastico, a Sunday night TV newsmagazine broadcasted by Rede Globo.

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As I was writing the title of this post I remembered a classic performance by Carmen Miranda called South American Way. Always entertaining.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDwQN4UeF8E