Last month, Stephen Colbert mercilessly mocked Miracle Whip’s new TV commercial on his Comedy Central show.

Yesterday, Miracle Whip struck back with an open letter to Stephen Colbert in newspapers yesterday threatening to “dominate the airspace” on his show to expose his viewers to “hardcore Miracle Whip attitude and revelry.”

Dear Mr. Colbert,

Recently on your show, you tapped into a sore spot in our nation’s psyche: the eternal struggle between mayonnaise and Miracle Whip.  And surprisingly, for a man of your impeccable intellect, you’ve chosen the wrong side. A side doomed to a painful, drawn-out, utter and complete defeat. Like the Plantagenets in the Hundred Years’ War. Or whichever on was the cat in “Tom and Jerry.”

Mr. Colbert, we found your attacks a little harsh, occasionally funny, and at times, wholly inaccurate (for the record, our target is 18-35, not 34). But unlike most advertisers who are so mayo, who would back down at the slightest whiff of controversy, and pull their advertising from not just your show but from your entire network and all its sister entities – we intend to do the opposite.

On Thursday, November 12, we will dominate the airspace on your show. With every commercial break, your viewers will be exposed to hardcore Miracle Whip attitude and revelry. You will see our legion of (as you call them) “mayonay-sayers” snarfing sandwiches topped with our one-of-a-kind flavor in a very cool and totally hip way. They will be in your face and massively dope. It goes without saying, they WILL NOT TONE IT DOWN. And you will begin to see the soft, bland white walls of the mayo empire begin to collapse under the weight of its own whipped-egg pretentiousness.

Think about it, Mr. Colbert. In a sense, we will own you.

We’re on a mission. We’re taking no prisoners.

We’re raising Hell, man.

THE BOLD MARKETING TEAM AT MIRACLE WHIP

Comedy Central’s responded right away in the afternoon to MW’s letter with the following statement on their blog:

Well, now MW has responded with the big guns. That’s right, they’re buying up a bunch of ad space on tonight’s Colbert Report. Aw snap! It’s like they say, you mess with the bull, you get the giant horns made of ad revenue.

Living up to their open letter, MW dominated The Colbert Report last night by airing three new commercials.

I honestly don’t know if this is a parody or not — a big part of me hopes that it’s authentic…  But regardless, what a smart and creative way of expanding out MW’s campaign in traditional media that spot-on supports their new strategic positioning and message – “We’re Miracle Whip and Will Not Tone It Down”.  Great job Bold Marketing Team At Miracle Whip!

via brainpickings.org

via brainpickings.org

via brainpickings.org

Next time, I’ll think twice before throwing away those useless, inglorious toilet paper rolls.

Posted via web from Snacking

 

Posted via web from Snacking

A good introduction to social media.

What kind of person would think about using a tree as a musical instrument? I was amazed by what Diego Stocco was able to compose using an ordinary tree in his garden. Shuffling leaves, tapping bark and strumming and bowing on twigs. By considering the tree from a different perspective, Diego transformed it into something completely different.

Diego Stocco – Music From A Tree from Diego Stocco on Vimeo.

Discovering new and unique ways to create something different from a common object or idea is a challenge for all creatives. We often set our own boundaries and expectations of what something “should” be, defined either by the project parameters or personal preferences. Overcoming these limitations opens up a world of new experiences and fresh inspiration for our work. What can YOU do with a tree?

[As posted on Sigma's Fuel for Thought]

I decided to round up some interesting facts, figures and best practices on online video, while many of my fellow Sigmites are out this week producing them.

Recently comScore reported that in April 09, U.S. Internet users viewed 16.8 billion online videos. Nearly 152 million folks watched an average of 111 videos, and an average online viewer watched 6.4 hours of video. The age of online video viewers trends slightly younger, however, viewership by Generation X and older boomers are at no small scale.

That’s a lot of folks watching videos online. And every minute there’s around 20 hours of new videos being uploaded to YouTube. However, videos that generate millions of views overnight are few and far between—especially those uploaded to support a marketing agenda (e.g., commercials or promotional videos created by companies to promote their brands).

Here are some basic, yet essential, guidelines for online video success that we use to provide results for our clients.

1. Take a Long-Term Perspective: While it is true that some online videos became an overnight sensation (e.g., Susan Boyle), the reality for most is that building an audience takes time—weeks, months and perhaps even years. Keep in mind that unlike running a TV commercial where your ad/message disappears after your schedule runs out, online video has a potential to be active for years, accumulating viewers all along the way. Therefore, creating content that has long-term relevance is key, which brings us to our second point.
2. Content is King: Don’t just put a TV ad online (unless you have an incredible, one-of-kind commercial). Create a short, entertaining message through a good story (e.g., humor, heartfelt tales, did you know, can you believe this, etc.). People love to be surprised and everyone enjoys a good laugh. Just as laughter works, so do tears, joy, compassion and a poignant moment. The key is offering the viewer some quick entertainment that will engage them to respond, further investigate and/or share with their network.
3. Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan: Just like you would with a TV commercial, incorporate a strategic plan behind your online video. Don’t just count on people stumbling onto it. Remember that your new video has a shelf life of 48 hours before it’s moved from the Daily Most Viewed list to the Weekly Most Viewed list on most video sharing sites, so it’s important to share and spread the video quickly. Some basic tactics that should be included into the online video launch include sharing and posting on social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, MySpace), reaching out to bloggers and sending out email invites to your circle of contacts.
4. Engage with Your Viewers: Some of the most successful videos are those that are able to solicit comments and start discussions with their viewers. According to Tim Street, creator of French Maid TV, in order to get your video to a higher plane, “It needs to interact with the viewer, and allow the viewer to interact with the characters or the creators.” Comments are a great way to hear feedback and receive ideas for future initiatives. Keep in mind that comments may not always be positive, but they present the opportunity to connect with your audience one-on-one. Therefore, make sure to properly monitor the social web sphere across all chatters on your video and brand.

Related articles:

[As posted on Sigma Blog]

No one loves snacking on great videos more than the folks at Sigma (BTW, we call ourselves “Sigmites”).  To us, it’s both an inspiration and a great escape—fresh thoughts to fuel new ideas, and as refreshing as a brisk walk on a spring morning.  So this week, we are rounding-up some of our favorites that we found during the past week.  See more in our Video Snacking lounge.

Death Cab For Cutie’s Little Bribes - We first found this video on Twitter.  @RossChing sent out this tweet and three days later, it’s been picked as Vimeo Staff Favorite and been viewed over 23K times. Good luck @RossChing, no need to “bribe” when you can crank out this kind of awesome work.

Blame it on Ringo - They say there are 4.2 million CCTV cameras in the UK and an average person is caught on camera 300 times per day (so they say…).  For the CCTV camera on Abbey Road, blame it on Ringo.

Obscura Mint Plaza Building – Projections are in 2D but when combined with 7 HD projectors, it’s sensational.

YouTube Mosaic – Made with 1.4 million tiles and thousands of unique YouTube video stills.  It’s definitely a one of a kind, maxing out YouTube’s annotation editor.

San Francisco Zoo’s Critter Quest – What a smart way to re-connect with locals and visitors, perfectly blending traditional media with digital.

Let it Shine – We’ve all seen Honda’s light show videos, but we really like the version on Vimeo. To get the perfect integration experience, view this one on Vimeo.

Thanks for tuning in… now get back to work!

[As posted on Sigma Blog]

Rarely does a day go by without my reading or hearing a going-out-of-business article/message.  Each time I hear the company/brand name, I ask myself, does it matter to me (as a consumer) that they will no longer exist?  Sure, there are some that make little or no impact on my life, but there are far more brands/companies that I say, “it matters.”  Why?  Because I have a personal relationship and connection to them.  Those relationships range from personal preferences to convenience to reminiscence of what some of them meant to me at some point in my life.  Well, I found out last week that I’m not alone in my thinking.  MatterMeter,  a new site for consumers, lets the world say which brands matter and which ones don’t.

The grim destiny of brands/companies we know so well is unavoidable, as their downfall has stemmed from a variety of areas (lack of innovation and reluctance to change applying to many of them).  But while many will fail, many more will survive and come out even stronger.  It all depends on what we do along the way — including some key strategies for surviving and thriving in today’s business.  Starting this week, we will highlight each one.

Part 1:  Adapt to the Changes.
Know your current and emerging customers — their needs may have changed because of the downturn. Your service offerings, messaging and brand experience may also need to change in order to properly connect with them.

A fine example of adapting to change is Home Depot’s current focus on catering more to the everyday homebody/do-it-yourselfer to offset the decrease in the stream of builders and contractors. Here’s a selected list of marketing/sales efforts they are implementing to energize their business, as covered by Mercury News.

1. Power Hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, when sales associates are placed at the end of each aisle to assist customers who shop during their lunch hour.
2. Ladies Night Out classes geared to women with a common interest. At the store located at The Plant in San Jose, for example, female customers buying expensive tile wanted lessons on installing it themselves.
3. Free Weekend Clinics for Kids on how to build age-appropriate toolboxes, planters, derby cars and other projects, materials included.
4. Do-It-Yourself Workshops where homeowners are taught how to repair screens, paint, install plumbing and other tasks usually done by pros.
5. A Garden Club customers can join for access to master gardeners, project ideas, coupons and a buying guide for anything related to gardening.

So, what are you doing to adapt to the changes?  Share them with us.

One of the best thing about Twitter is the abundance Twitter tools, apps, widgets, etc.  Almost everyday, I come across something new and today, it’s @Walter’s Twitter Mosaic via @ljjones.

Twitter Mosaic creates a mosaic of your followers and/or friends (similar to FriendorFollow.com) which can be placed on to a T-shirt, mug, mouse pad and tote bag.  The site also gives you a code to place the mosaic on your blog.  More details here.

As much I appreciate all my Twitter buddies, I can’t imagine wearing all of you on a T-shirt. Please don’t take it personal, it just doesn’t go with my wardrobe and I’m not sure how you would feel about having your ‘image’ be in my wash with my socks. So, I’m posting you in this blog entry.  Cheers!

Get your twitter mosaic here.

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