BLOG 4: PoSitIoNing for Flat EaRth !!

When I first watched the ”Flat Earth” commercial I didn´t understood the relationship between the logo with a pig image and the potato chips. Yet, after I investigate I now understand that the company is trying to make us know that awkward things can be real (impossible can be possible). I'm sure Frito Lay meant its new natural foods "Flat Earth" brand name and flying pig logo to seem unconventional and clever, because fruit and vegetable snack chips are unconventional.

Each time we think of chips brands, I am sure we think in Cheetos, Doritos, Ruffles, Tostitos, etc. which are targeted to young people, especially to men who don´t care about maintaining a good body shape. But Frito Lay concerned about its consumers health and necessity of abandoning greasy bags of chips for healthier snack foods, have recently designed ”Flat Earth” chips with which you get 1/2 serving of fruits or veggies in every serving. So if we eat the whole chips bag we can justify it with, "well, I just had my servings of veggies and/or fruit!" That is why I think these chips are totally targeted to women among 25 to 40 years old, who consider themselves or who aspire to have a wealthy living style. However, this doesn´t means that men couldn´t try them.

I believe that the positioning of the brand is really clear, because since you see the webpage you can realize that the message they want to transmit is of a healthier and better world. Also, the brand slogan “When pigs fly” is telling us that impossible things can be done even if we don´t realize them in our minds (Just as Flat Earth did). Moreover, I believe that even if we can relate pigs as being dirty and fat animals, this is not the image that “Flat Earth” wants to create in our minds, because they are creating a cute and lovely image of a pig with its wings, and because they are showing with their commercial a neat and green environment. So I believe that the brand has a good positioning statement because it really reflects “Flat Earth´s” competitive advantage. In other words, “Flat Earth“provides healthier chips, even if these are always seen as greasy and unhealthy products.

Furthermore, I think that the brand tries to motivate consumers to taste the “impossible” chips showing in the commercial the woman who was enjoying its chips before eating them. For example, now that I saw the commercial I would like to buy the chips just to taste them and have an opinion about them. Also, another thing that can motivate people is the fact that in the commercial they show all the chips features so the fact they looked just like a potato chip but much healthier than a chip is a good statement to call consumers attention.

I think that until now “Flat Earth” is showing a clear and innovative implicit message below the brand´s name, but if I had to change something I think I would eliminate the pig from the logo (not from the slogan), because even if it´s perceived as cute by many women, it could be kind of contradictory, because as I said before, when people think of pigs they can relate to them as fat and unclean. Even so I recognize that “Flat Earth” really took care of all the small details when they first launched their campaign. Another thing I would consider to change would be the blue color of the bag, because even if that color makes us think about lighter products, a green color will be the best in my opinion. So that consumers can think about the brand as healthy chips, and not as light chips.

If the brand wants to be positioned to a younger audience such as college young women I would suggest the company:

- To launch a campaign in which they kind of challenge young college people. This means that they could launch a campaign daring people telling them that they can't eat even one, so they are consequently going to buy “Flat Earth” chips to taste them.
- To install in every school vending machines with “Flat Earth” chips all around the country.
- To maintain and reinforce the nothing is impossible slogan.
- To use well known actress which promote the brand, just as Eva Longoria did for Magnum.
- To make more emphasis in the product features to appeal body conscious women.
- To organize focus groups in which they join young college women to ask them their preferences in some topics, as in which kind of media they see mostly all of the products they buy, their favorite flavors, the opinion leaders they follow, the environment they imagine when they think of the brand, etc.
- To select another environment for the commercial. For example, instead of using a big beautiful house that can only be afforded by older people, they should use a department where mostly all young people use to live.

BLOG 3: EtHiCS In ADveRtisIng!!

Nowadays we live in an interconnected and globalized world in which all business owners are fighting to have the best position among competitors. More clearly, we live in a world where brands exist everywhere we look, because all companies want to communicate with their customers or with their target market to influence their decisions toward its products or services. Companies or business men want to obtain greater earnings in less time, and usually this requires using the manipulation tactic by showing all the “possible” benefits their product can give, even if sometimes they need to “lie” or to hide the truth, just for obtaining economic rewards. That is why I think ethics in advertising is important, because even if advertisers have to influence people´s buying decisions, they have to do it with honesty. They should have to tell you the complete truth about the product features even if they are trying to convince you to acquire a certain product. Yet, most of the time this does not happens as it should need to be and as a result ads are just made to make people buy things they do not really need at all and that they just consequently buy them to be part of the brand. They are just made to manipulate or to create a stimulus toward a product that is completely unnecessary, such as prescription drugs which are used by people who think they will not be able to deal with their problems, without have not tried them. Just because they saw a commercial or an ad about this issue that was really appealing to them, they think they ought to buy the product to feel better as the guy that appeared on the commercial.

Another great example where Ethics in business arises is in the food industry, because although restaurants as McDonalds need to have promotion to stay in the mind of its consumers, some argue that this kind of publicity exhort people, in particular children and teenagers to have a fat meal which contributes to the childhood obesity, because most of McDonalds campaigns encourage overconsumption by promoting its food products for “everyday” eating. I believe that targeting this kind of unhealthy food to young people is not the most ethical thing to do if you take care of them, but I also think that the company is just trying to form a brand image in the consumer and it is trying to sell its products. So as result I think that neither the company, nor the children are guilty. The ones that have most of the fault are the parents which are moved by their kids to have that type of fast food every day.

There are other controversial issues that come to mind related to unethical marketing tools, as trying to position credit cards in the minds of kids. But, although I do not completely agree with this fact, because they are teaching children to buy and buy even if they do not have any money available just as their parents do. (They are hiding the fact that they would have to pay when their accounts arrive.) I think they are just teaching the real way it works in life. Even if their own purpose is to sell more and to create a greater brand image, they are just doing their job.

So in conclusion, I would say that definitively in today´s advertising it is really difficult to observe a completely ethical commercial or ad, because advertisers just want to make products more appealing to consumer's eyes by disguising them. How are they going to be able to make you know their product, if it is not only by advertising? So in my opinion most of the fault is of parents who leave their children in front of the TV for hours, action that makes children more vulnerable to acquire everything they watch on their favorite channels. So I can just say that marketing firms will never stop doing advertisements so it is up to us to make the right decision on whether or not to buy their products. Meanwhile Ad agencies need to be careful with how far they take their advertisements, because society can be offended by these into receiving wrong messages from the ads exposed.

Blog 2: Brand Identity

HARD ROCK BRAND IDENTITY

Hard Rock is a global phenomenon, which has been expanded to more than 40 countries all around the world. The brand stands for spreading the spirit of rock music from the hottest and best known musical artists of the last 50 years. At Hard Rock you can have a classical American meal; meanwhile you are entertained in the same place due to its great environment and wonderful background scenario which makes you receive an authentic and unique living experience. Nowadays, Hard Rock is one of the most successful global brands, given that it has 92% of brand recognition.

BRAND IMAGE: Rock shop, music groups, lyrics lovers, global phenomenon, posters, guitars, cafe, hotels, casinos, restaurants and LP´s.

BRAND IDENTITY: Hard Rock is the best and only one theme restaurant with background music of the last 50 years even if it has some indirect competence as Planet Hollywood which does the same activity of entertainment but with movies instead of music.

BRAND POSITION: Hard Rock is actively communicating that it is the originator of theme restaurant dining, and that it continues being the dominant rock connection for music enthusiasts worldwide. The brands wants to make us recognize that Hard Rock is one of the most globally recognized brands known for rock music showed throughout its live concerts, Hard Rock live performance, collectible and fashion merchandise as for example the well known pins and clothes, etc.

When people think in the brand, they think about the pleasure of live, entertainment, having fun, and about exciting audio and video environment that constantly stimulates the senses of spectators, without taking in count their age.

CORE IDENTITY (Brand as Organization/Brand as Person)

VALUE OFFERING: Relaxed environment, living experience provided, fun (theme restaurant), good service and speed, and excellent BBQ sauces.

OPERATING VALUES: Integrity, professionalism, innovation, passion and a kick-ass service.

BRAND PERSONALITY: Music lovers oriented, wholesome, cheerful, fun, and enthusiastic.

EXTENDED IDENTITY (Brand as Product/Brand as Symbol)

PRODUCT SCOPE: English influence, American food, gathering atmosphere.

FOOD QUALITY: Variety of good American food with Rock´n´ Roll flavor.

USERS: All music lovers, doesn´t matter the age!

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: London (1971)

CONVENIENCE: All around the world, near its target market and in touristic places.

SERVICE: Friendly, welcoming, fast and relaxed.

RELATIONSHIPS: Since Hard Rock was established, it has been dedicated to a wide diversity of philanthropic causes and activities around the world, because the brand has in mind making the earth a safer, healthier and a better place to live.

Nowadays Hard Rock, has been helping a wide range of organizations which had been benefited in the form of economical aid, food and merchandise. Some of those organizations are: Amnesty International, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Children's Miracle Network, Fundacion Pies Descalzos, Global Angels, Habitat for Humanity, among others.

LOGO: Hard Rock logo is really simple, it just has the name on it “Hard Rock” engraved on top of a circle in dark colors, especially black. This color frames the relationship between the organization and its clients, given that black represents all the rock lovers’ community.

SUBBRANDS: Hard Rock Café, Hard Rock Hotel, Hard Rock Casino, Hard Rock Park and Hard Rock live.

SLOGANS: "Love All, Serve All" ... "All Is One" ... "Take Time To Be Kind" ... "Save The Planet."

VALUE PROPOSITION

You should buy the brand because Hard Rock makes you live…

FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS: Comfortable atmosphere, good time, experience at a theme restaurant, good tasting American products, live music, warm service, shop centers, and entertainment at meal that appeal people to go there.

EMOTIONAL BENEFITS: Being at Hard Rock makes people feel fun and relaxed just by hearing music, watching videos and attending the spectacle. For kids the park is ideal to have a wonderful time at the roller coasters while enjoying the great music environment and the company of the Hard Rock characters. At the same time, adults (lovers of music) can have the best experience of their lives just for being at the park, or the casino, or the hotel, or at the restaurant, etc…

Warmth via link to family because you can be doing the things you like (music) meanwhile you are spending time with your family.

PLEASANT EXPERIENCE that makes you remember being at a concert while you have dinner, FUN VIA EXCITEMENT!

CREDIBILITY: High in performance of music spectacles and entertainment.