‘Happiness’ drives another new business venture for Coca-Cola

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The notion of Happiness is something Coca-Cola has long been incorporating into its brand DNA. With an estimated brand equity of $72 billion, Coca-Cola has well and truly hit a soft spot with consumers. Now, the company is seeking to expand this joy into the realms of social media, through the launch of a new photo app, ‘Happy Places’. 

 The free mobile app is aimed at encouraged people to share their happy moments with friends.

“Your day, your friends, your trips, your music… your life is full of happy moments worth storing and sharing. 
Happy Places by Coca-Cola is that place where you can upload photos of your happy moments, share them, and remember them any time you want” - Coca-Cola

Users will be able to view and comment on friends’ pictures just as with the likes of Instagram. There is also the option to follow hashtags, such as #music #festivals and #dogslife. This will allow users to keep up to date with friends’ photos that fit prioritised "moments."

Versions of the Happy Places mobile app for both Android and Windows phone are currently not available for download, but the app is available for iOS users through the iTunes store, which was released on November 1^st 2012. The website www.happyplaces.com, registered in June, is currently still inactive.

The absence of Instagram-esque filters on Happy Places might mean it is at a disadvantage when compared to its competitors. There are circulating rumors that Twitter is launching their own photo filter, cementing the trend that customers want an artistic component offered in their photo apps. 

It will be interesting to see how far a global company such as Coca-Cola can push this app. The fact that the company has such an international presence means there is potential to reach out to a whole new audience that most photo-sharing services have never dreamed of. 

Once the website is launched, we will have more details on the service. For now, I don’t think that the Happy Place photo app will make as big a dent in social media as the likes of Instagram, as the service offering seems limited in comparison. In my opinion, the availability of editing options is the key to the success of photo apps. Everyone wants to an artist, to make a statement in ‘vintage fade’ or ‘colour shock’, and the likes of Instagram’s filters have made this possible at the touch of a button.

 

Sharon Donnelly - Marketing Advisor

Ms Halappanavar died at the Galway hospital on October 28th of septicemia seven days after she presented with back pain. She had been 17 weeks pregnant and her husband says she asked repeatedly for a termination over a three-day period but was refused, as there was a  heartbeat present.

The inquiry team has seven members. Its chairman, Prof Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, head of obstetrics and gynaecology at St George’s Hospital, University of London, said it was important to have representatives from Galway University Hospital on it to allow the panel to compare the guidelines in use there with the national and international guidelines.

The investigation into the death of Savita Halappanavar will now be “utterly independent’’ of Galway University Hospital, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.

The husband of the late Savita Halappanavar wants employees of Galway University Hospital removed from the inquiry established by the Health Service Executive into her death.

Mr Higgins said the investigation into Ms Halappanavar’s death must ensure “above all else” that women will be safer and get the medical services during pregnancy to which they are entitled. He was responding to questions from local journalists during an official visit to Liverpool and Manchester.

The inquiry to come into the tragic death of the young Indian woman must meet “the needs of the public’s concern, the need of the family and meet the need of the State”.

The HSE  published the terms of reference of its inquiry and named three new members, two Irish and one from England, of the inquiry team. These replaced the Galway-based consultants who stepped aside in an unsuccessful attempt to meet the objections of Mr Halappanavar.

The report to be compiled by the team will not identify staff members involved in the treatment of Ms Halappanavar or any other names, according to the terms of reference.

The death sparked off a heated debate and protests in Ireland for a change in the country's abortion laws. Around 10,000 people marched through Dublin on November 18 during one such protest.

Niamh Cusack- Marketing Advisor 

Paddy Power Obama Campaign - An Intelligent Publicity Stunt or A Step Too Far?

The U.S. Presidential Campaigns of both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have been the centrepiece of international news across the globe over the past few weeks. However, last week the spectacle came to an end as the American people took to the poll's to choose the next leader of their country. Although the U.S. polling day was set for the 6th November, Paddy Power were so sure of themselves and confident in the success of an Obama win that they declared they would begin paying out to all punters who backed Obama to win from Sunday the 4th of November.

A spokesman for Paddy Power explained how the company felt that Obama's win was a "nailed on certainty" making the possibility of losing the €500,000 associated cost of an Obama loss extremely irrelevant to the company:

Romney gave it a good shot and is doing well in the popular vote, but we suspect he’s had his moment in the sun and is likely to be remembered more for his legendary gaffes than Presidential potential.  

The overall betting trend has shown one-way traffic for Obama and punters seemed to have called it 100 per cent correct.  

Despite Romney appealing to the large evangelical and senior vote, America’s sticking with black and cool.

So this may all seem like a bit of harmless fun and an intelligent risk worth taking for the betting company that is known for its wild marketing and advertising campaigns. However, many have criticised the company for its print media campaign that was launched in support of the Obama payout:

The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland stated on Monday the 5th November that they would be launching a full investigation into the matter after receiving a public complaint in relation to the advert. Ken Robertson, a spokesman for Paddy Power defended the half-page advert stating the company did not create an ad that was meant to be racist or stereotypical. He added that in keeping with previous campaigns developed by the international company, it was "edgy, if not a little bit provocative but always funny".

So how would you rate the overall marketing campaign engaged by Paddy Power? Personally, I think its another example of the smart marketing that the company is consistently famed for using. It has caught international headlines across the world, has got people talking about the brand yet again and all for a feeble cost of a 1/2 page print advert in a local Irish newspaper. A single complaint to launch an investigation seems unrealistic, I might go as far as saying it may have been Paddy Power themselves who issued the complaint - more media attention, more hype - more brand awareness.

Overall the campaign has had one question resonating in my mind - what's next Paddy??

 Jennifer Beirne - Marketing Advisor

Facebook is testing a retail-friendly “Want” button

Facebook is testing a retail-friendly “Want” button accompaniment to the “Like” button, which could help Facebook increase revenue through sales commissions and ads. Facebook is working with seven retail partners in the beta test, including Pottery Barn, Wayfair, Victoria's Secret, Michael Kors, Neiman Marcus, Smith Optics, and Fab.com. Facebook users in certain areas have been able to click “Want” and “Collect” buttons upon products from the retailers.

Items that users “Want” will be saved in a collection or wish list. Also the wanted item will appear on the users’ timeline. In turn, Facebook friends will be able to look at a users' wants/collections/wish list and treat them.

During the test phase, Facebook will not get a commission for wish list purchases by Facebook friends. However, it is likely the social network will take a cut when the feature is rolled out properly.

Although Facebook won't get a cut of sales, Robert W. Barid analyst Colin Sebastian told Reuters that the "Want" button provides other opportunities for monetisation. "In addition to potentially collecting a transaction fee for referring users to an e-commerce site, Sebastian said that retailers might also pay Facebook to promote products featured on users' wish lists, similar to the way the Facebook's current ads function."

The “Collections” wish list feature will be gradually rolled out to all US users when the wish list feature is fully integrated into Facebook.

The Collections feature won't be a social plug-in or available outside of the Facebook site for now, the company said. It will be viewable by Facebook users on their News Feeds.

There was some talk at the time of the addition of a Want button for products, but more speculation centred on different variations of how a user might be able to signify that they'd consumed media.

Mengxue Zheng - Marketing Advisor

007 Loses his 50 year tradition

In recent times product placement has become more and more popular being used in anything with air time on our screens from day time TV, documentaries and movies. Product placement is where branded goods or services are placed in a context of being advertised in such things as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. Famous movies and TV shows that are popular for product placement are James Bond, Sex and the City, The Hangover, ET, The Office, Mad Men, Suits and Friends to name a few.

With the release of the 50 year anniversary bond movie “Skyfalls” this month product placement is set to go crazy. When you think of product placement through all the James Bond movies we automatically think of brands such as Dom Perignon, Rolex, Aston Martin and Walther PPK are all naturally linked to James Bond. In recent times they have changed Bonds habits and have changed the regular product placement to new brands which are Heineken, Range Rover and Coke Zero. James Bond has always drunk Vodka Martinis 'shaken, not stirred' since the line first appeared in Ian Fleming's novel Diamonds are Forever in 1956.

But Bond has hit hard times like the rest of the world and has been forced to sell himself to the highest bidders as film-makers MGM have tackled financial difficulties. It is believed that the Bond deal to swap Vodka Martinis for Heineken was worth a massive €35 million. They claim the movie could not have been made without the deal.

Although in my opinion, I do not know if this is the right move for the enterprise especially as it is an iconic 50 year anniversary release. But on the other hand will viewers even notice the difference?

Do you think €35 million was worth MGM changing 007 James Bonds trademark drink for a 50 year symbolic movie or do you think the change is a good for the move?

Nada Mousa- Marketing Advisor J

Express Yourself With Your Espresso

Screen shot of the 7-eleven website

Some Americans live and breathe politics, and now some of them can sip it.

With the U.S. presidential election just six weeks away, American consumers can slurp their morning coffee while toting a Democratic or Republican coffee cup from the 7-11 convenience store.

The store is running it’s 7-Election campaign for the third presidential election in a row. By purchasing the cups, participants can cast their vote with either the red Republican cup for presidential hopeful Mitt Romney or the blue Democrat cup for President Barack Obama.

Though it is considered to be an unscientific polling device, the results have been relatively accurate in the past. According to the store’s website, the cup's sales have echoed the popular vote in the last two elections and predicted the new president of the U.S. for both. 

As of last week Obama leads with 58% of the vote in cup sales, while Romney has acquired 42% of the votes. All of the participating states are blue for President Barack Obama, except for Idaho and West Virginia.

Beginning next week the 'mobile oval office tour' begins a road trip around the U.S. The company will tour in a truck containing a replica of the oval office in the White House while giving out free cups of coffee leading up to the elections in November. Voters can also have their pictures from the road posted on the 7-eleven website.

It is also a fully integrated marking campaign with the opportunity for voters to follow on social media as well. Consumers can download special edition Facebook cover photos for social media profiles complete with the 7-eleven logo and their preferred presidential candidate.

If the pressure of politics is too much while you’re waking up in the morning, there is also a purple, non-partisan vanilla-flavoured Slurpee to ‘chill out’ with all of the heated political talk. The tagline reads, “Chill with vanilla. Spread the peace.”

So whether voters pledge red, blue or purple, consumers can make their own judgement when it comes to their morning java. Wake up and smell the democracy!

Unilever’s Lynx ‘Newsjacks’ Prince Harry Vegas Scandal

Recently, Prince Harry once again hit headlines as naked photos of him on holidays in Las Vegas were published online. The photos were published on website TMZ on the 22^nd of August 2012.

St James’ Palace initially reacted by contacting the UK press through the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) in order to remind UK editors that the “pictures were private and any possible publication of the photos would intrude upon the Prince’s reasonable right to privacy” (campaignlive.co.uk). However, it would seem that the sheer scale of the internet coverage the pictures were receiving on the internet was just too much for The Sun, which decided to publish the pictures on the 24^th of August with the headline “Heir it is! The pic of Harry you’ve already seen on the Internet”.

In that issue of the Sun, Unilever decided to connect Lynx to the royal scandal by publishing two one-off tactical press ads which joke that it may have been caused by the ‘Lynx Effect’. The ads were created by Bartle Bogle Hegarty London and use the same typeface as the governments “keep calm and carry on” posters. The ad itself says “Sorry Harry if it had anything to do with us” and shows a picture of Lynx’s newest scent Lynx Attract. The two adverts are very much in keeping with Lynx’s long-running ‘Lynx Effect’ marketing strategy which markets the Lynx product as being irresistible to women.

It would seem that Lynx managed to ‘newsjack’ this story quite effectively. ‘Newsjacking’ is a relatively new concept, which means injecting your ideas into breaking news stories in order to try to generate media coverage at a very low cost. Successful attempts are rare but it would seem that Lynx managed it here.

Lynx’s social networking publicity more than doubled after the ad ran, with mentions of the brand on Twitter alone going from 1500 to 3300 daily mentions. Lynx reached 1.5% of Twitter with key words appearing with Lynx including “advert”, “today”, “Sun”, “great”, “Prince Harry”, “Vegas” and “love”. By Monday, Lynx had reached a score of 3% on Twitter with the word “clever” being referenced alongside Lynx. Furthermore, by Tuesday, Lynx’s score had increased again, now reaching 5% of Twitter newsfeeds, of which 59% belonged to those between the ages of 18 and 34 (you.gov.co.uk).  Interestingly, the Lynx Attract product is the first Lynx product to be released which includes a version for women and during the three-day period, between 48 and 52% of those hearing about Lynx on Twitter were women.

This is not the first time that Lynx and BBH have used Prince Harry in an advertising campaign. In November 2010, just two days after the engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton, Lynx ran a seven day advertising campaign with the tagline ‘Keep up Harry’ at an estimated cost of £35,749. However, although a figure has not yet been released for the cost of the ‘Sorry Harry’ campaign, it is likely to have been much lower as the ad ran for one day only.

Personally, I really like this ad campaign by Lynx. The humorous taglines fit well with the Lynx brand image and the overall marketing strategy for the product. News jacking is a really good way for the brand to gain extra publicity at a low cost. If Lynx continues to be innovative and stay ahead of the competition in this way then it will continue to differentiate itself from the rest. My feelings regarding Prince Harry’s behaviour on the other hand are a blog for another day...!

Audrey Aspell – Marketing Advisor