Is Xbox targeting sexist jocks?

It should be an absolutely fantastic week for Xbox. On the verge of Christmas and having recently released its most recent iteration of a gaming console Microsoft should be sitting back and reaping in the benefits of an extensive marketing campaign.

http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/news/sony-and-microsoft-square-up-for-ps4-and-xbox-one-launch-showdown/4008579.article

What a shame it therefore is that Xbox has instead fell victim to a heated sexism debate.  Having recently released a letter to the other half to justify the purchase of an Xbox Microsoft made one crucial tiny little error- They assumed the only people buying the console were men!

http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/news/microsoft-xbox-one-marketing-prompts-sexism-allegations/4008723.article

It is of course a shortsighted and immature mistake for the company to make. We live in a world where gamification is wide reaching across the sexes. These types of faux pas highlight the changing trends and important issues companies need to be aware of. Relying on old pre conceived ideas and/or stereotypes to shape creative messages simply won’t work in this day in age.  For a company the size of Microsoft it shouldn’t be new news that they have such a massive female base that would have potentially of taken offence to this messaging.

http://venturebeat.com/2013/09/19/microsoft-coo-40-percent-of-xbox-live-audience-are-female/

Pay attention and listen to your audience. If you do that you won’t find yourself making any embarrassing changes to marketing campaigns. In the case of Xbox once again the tweets and buzz of the social networks have prompted action from the games console giant.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-11-27-microsoft-slammed-for-sexist-xbox-one-ad

Not a great result for Xbox but one it will no doubt recover from. The question is will they learn this crucial oversight?

Asda Wal-Mart haven't had much to be thankful for this week

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that Wal-Mart are not having a good time of things recently. The month started badly with the news that their market position in the UK had slipped mostly due to impressive performance from the discounters.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/nov/19/britain-supermarkets-market-share-fall-tesco-sainsburys-lidl

Asda have struggled to hold share for most of 2013 and this issue has not gone unnoticed by the management team who plan to address some of the issues faced with a £1 billion reinvestment plan. If you want to run through the detail you can check out the below article however I wouldn’t expect any surprises. In fact you could be mistaken for confusing this to something Tesco may have released years ago. With a strong focus on convenience, increasing online sales and addressing quality you might be forgiven for asking where is the innovation?

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/nov/14/asda-fight-rivals-1bn-investment-plan

It is clear that Asda are working to the motto that spending money makes money, which is a popular strategy for many of the big boys in retail recently. However will any of the planned changes make a difference to some of Asda’s underlying issues as a company?

For a long time Asda Wal-Mart have had a chip on their shoulder when it comes to the power of loyalty and data. The American juggernaut is convinced customers are purely motivated by price and the concept has traditionally allowed them to grow into the company they are today. But is this proposition viable as we move into a world where understanding big data becomes more and more important?

Wal-Mart’s recent negative press in the US regarding the treatment of staff and the subsequent attention this has garnered via social and more traditional forms of media demonstrate why Wal-Mart may want to consider their loyalty proposition.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-20/wal-mart-is-having-a-very-bad-week.html

As customers become more informed and the choice they have increases they will begin to transfer more of these beliefs and values into their consumption decisions. Wal-Mart need to understand how these types of decisions can impact their brand reputation and consequently sales. If they truly believe that price drives the loyalty of customers then they are also in a position where they will continue to loose to the smaller discounters who can offer further discounts. So the Brand Avenger would suggest spending a little bit of that money in building a loyalty proposition may not be so much of a bad idea.

Kellogg's 'feed a hungry child' campaign leaves a bad taste in the consumers mouth

Kellogg’s join the long list of companies who have fallen fowl of the consumer by offering to do something about poverty and hunger if they get something back in return.

http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/kelloggs-apologizes-promising-feed-hungry-kids-only-if-you-retweet-153764

There is a worrying trend in today’s age with companies embarking in activities that can be easily deemed as emotional blackmail. Promising to feed a hungry child in return for a mention, like or re-tweet of information via social media is a high-risk strategy to say the least. Of course Kellogg’s aren’t the first company to embark in such controversial activity, however the way in which this message was communicated and subsequently conveyed may take the award for worst social initiative of 2013. One critic goes as far as to sum this up as ‘vanity metrics’ and it’s clear that when it comes to Kellogg’s and this campaign they couldn’t be anymore self conscious.

http://www.deeson-creative.co.uk/blog/kelloggs-faces-twitter-backlash-for-give-child-breakfast-campaign

Some have gone as far as to suggest the Kellogg’s groveling immediately following this controversy is nothing more than a non-apology. Whether this is true or not it is clear that if this is the feeling Twitter still have some work to do with their social media strategy. And this couldn’t be anymore clearer by the fact that Kellogg’s still continue to plug its strategic social responsibility days after this controversy albeit phrased in a slightly more political correct way.

http://jkoulianos.com/kelloggs-twitter-hungry-kids/

Of course all of this begs an obvious question. If you can afford to feed a hungry child then why would you endeavor to feed as many hungry children as you can? Don’t hold the public to ransom or try and pull the wool over our eyes by stating you will do something that has as wide an impact as saving lives in exchange for generating online buzz. These types of ‘vanity metrics’ are wrong and put plain and simply are exploitative. Kellogg’s should learn to use their size and strength for as much good as possible. And if you want to build a following or fan base do it off the back of understanding your online audience as opposed to tugging on heartstrings with  a form of emotional blackmail.

Are Google having a goggle at my email?

Microsoft has taken the gloves in the fight for E-Mail supremacy with Google by questioning the ethical decision-making behind the commercialization of customer email info.

http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/news/microsoft-slams-google-for-email-snooping-to-sell-ads/4008513.article

Should Google be punished for using content generated in personal email to sell advertisements? If there are a room full of people whose job it is to scour every single LOL and XOXO in your email then of course they should. However when it comes to Google’s use of targeted advertisements in email is this is the case or is there something far less sinister at play?

As the continued power of the Internet and influx of social media sites shows no signs of slowing down we are more exposed to ‘datafication’ today than ever before. With the presence of data comes the ability of companies who know how to use to their advantage. This could be through understanding the customer in more detail and/or selling building the information to sell to suppliers. One quick review of the site Microsoft has set up to explain G Mail would seem to clearly suggest Google are commercializing their data for targeting purposes.

http://www.keepyouremailprivate.com/GetTheFacts

The further and further you dig into Google’s email policy the nearer you get to the fact that Google do in fact appear to be reading content generated. In some instances Google appear to be downright unapologetic for such policy preferring to reference themselves as an assistant rather than a spy.

http://www.dailytech.com/Google+Yes+we+Read+Your+Gmail/article33184.htm

Google have made attempt to quell any long-term mistrust of the brand by ensuring customers that the process of data sourcing for targeting purposes is automated and not ready by a human. This may bring little comfort to the suspicious John Doe who was worried that Big Brother was reviewing everything he communicates over email however does this still make it right for customer data to be used in this way?

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/09/05/google-seeks-to-dismiss-gmail-privacy-lawsuit-says-it-has-right-to-scan/

The Brand Avenger would ague that the right answer revolves around how secretive you want to be and how accepting you are that as we continue to produce more and more data Google will become just one of many companies looking to make money out of data this way. Having access to intimate data sources is by no means a new process. Look at the transformation and continued success Tesco have experienced in launching the Clubcard, which gives an insight into half of the UK Households buying habits. If Google can ensure the use of data is automated and steps are taken to remove identifying info such as name and address, I would rather this form of advertising than getting hit with boring, irrelevant information in other areas of my super hero existence.

Colgate's #brushswap turns into brushgate

What happens when a brand promises customers free products as part of a viral campaign and can’t keep up with the campaign? Wide scale criticism and public humiliation is the answer.

http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/1218637/colgate-brushswap-debacle-banned-ad-watchdog-misleading-claims

Colgate clearly didn’t have any luck when it came to this campaign. Deciding to host #brushswap in a crowded location like Waterloo certainly doesn’t help with crowd control of the size of a rampant public who have caught wind of a cheap deal. Within two hours the experiential campaign was brought to a complete halt by Network Rail staff clearly concerned about the swelling around the pop-up toothbrush stall.

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2361854/Brush-controversy-Colgate-promotion-backfires-hundreds-mob-promotional-stands-free-electric-toothbrushes.html

What happens when a campaign doesn’t go according to plan? Well of course the angry mob takes to Twitter to voice their concerns. Colgate clearly didn’t have this in mind when they were thinking about how much social awareness this could drive.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=106943352729676&story_fbid=490648371025837

It’s hard to read some of these comments and still believe in the old adage that no news is bad news. When negative criticism is coming straight from the mouths of the very people you were trying to target with promotional giveaways you begin to create more hard work than good. The lack of judgment and accuracy in forecasting demand brought together the very consumers who expressed an interest in using Colgate’s premium branded products and instead created an army of disgruntled brushers.

When the chips are down for a brand following a publicity stunt like this what is that last thing you want? If you answered more controversy than you would be on the money my friend. It turns out the electronic brush that Colgate suggested cost £169 actually retails more accurately around £85. So there you have it- not only do you manage to annoy a target audience, you also manage to get in trouble with the authorities along the way. Just a couple of things to consider the next time a brand look to use experiential marketing to convey a message. And next time Colgate look into using innovative marketing for product sampling they might want to brush up on their demand forecasts.