It was bound to happen. I have joined the TwitterSphere:

http://twitter.com/kennySHARKchung

As soon as I heard about Puma City coming to Boston’s Fan Pier, I knew I had to go. More than a standard pop-up store, it’s an experience. Live DJs on selected nights, dedicated Puma stores, bars, rooftop views- this place has it all.

Why I think it’s awesome: Brand awareness. Puma sure isn’t the biggest dog in the fight, but hell if this doesn’t bring them closer to the forefront. How many times does a person get to see something like this in person? People will have an amazing experience there and associate those good feelings with the Puma brand. And a few sales here and there sure don’t hurt! A wise investment by Puma.

They take it down and bring it all over the world. Be sure to catch it before it leaves Boston on May 16th.

Here are my (less-than-stellar) pics:

Link: A Tech Company’s Campaign to Burnish Its Brand

The NYT article above is about the new ad campaign for Intel created by Venables Bell. It’s only a rebranding campaign in the loosest sense. Intel hasn’t changed their target demographic or what they do. In fact, they probably will never have to (barring some huge unforeseen event). Instead, under the advisement of Venables Bell, Intel is changing the “how” instead of the “what” of their message.

We’ve all seen Intel Inside for many, many years now. People know of Intel, even if they’re not quite sure what the company produces or why they’re important. But the problem is that in modern times, it doesn’t really matter if a computer is equipped with an Intel chip or not. In fact, the only ripple in recent memory in the everlong battle for processor market share was when Apple began offering Intel processors. Let’s face it, nobody will win this war unless one party goes bankrupt. Some people will always buy AMD. Some will always stay loyal to Intel. And others will find the third way.

The point is that when you can’t advertise your product, per sé, you have to appeal to consumer feelings. When that intermediate computer buyer walks into BestBuy and is looking at the specs of all available computers, that Intel Inside sticker has got to incite feelings of warmth and goodness inside that potential customer. It’s simple as that. And the easiest vehicle to achieve that? Humor.

So will this ad campaign be successful? Depends on Intel’s goals. I personally don’t think there will be much change in Intel’s market share (but I also think that a big name like Intel needs to rebrand itself too vehemently), and I highly doubt the minds over at Venables Bell don’t know this. So if their collective goal is to foster good feelings about the brand (as it should be), then how funny and memorable the commercials are will be the sign of success.

Link: P&G forecasts ‘buyer’s market’ in advertising

Too bad I’m on the agency side.

In the long run, this is a bad thing for the Advertising industry. Companies- big, important ones that others look to for guidance- are telling everyone that advertising is not that important. That it’s expendable.

Well guess what? It ain’t. Unless all your competitors are also scaling back on Advertising the same rate you are, you’re gonna lose market share. And when the economy turns and there’s money to be spent on ad campaigns again? Well, those who cut the most will be stuck playing catchup longer.

Brands cannot afford to be forgotten. Especially in this economic climate, you want people to remember your name, your product.

In my opinion, one company that’s doing it right is Hyundai. At the beginning of the year, they started the Hyundai Assurance Program campaign, which went far beyond any other car company’s Unique Selling Proposition at the time. Of course, GM has had their rejoinder. I watch broadcast TV a lot, and I can tell you that Hyundai commercials are becoming more plentiful (either that, or just more memorable). And look at the results: Hyundai has not only strengthened their brand retention, but has also increased sales. Now that’s good media planning!

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