The Big Fat Marketing Blog

Cereals go Back to the Future.

Tom Hansen — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:06:32 +0000

Cap’n Crunch just launched its retro packaging, using original type and design, as well as old-skool collectible trading cards on the back. (more…)

“I’d like 3 ads, 7 TV spots, 2 emails, some direct mail and a website”

Grant Johnson — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:03:45 +0000

It seems rather strange to me when you consider how fast marketing has changed, yet so many big businesses revert back to age-old methods to secure their next great advertising campaign and/or firm. Despite the fact their old-fashioned processes do not work!

Specifically, I’m referring to allowing “procurement” to handle the RFP duties to help their companies save money and treat the process of an advertising agency search as just another can of wax in their quest for their next full service marketing agency that will give them the biggest creative bang for the deepest discounted price. (more…)

Look, Up in the Sky….Ham & Eggs $3.99???

Beth Negus — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:47:08 +0000

One of the great things about going on vacation is it gives me a chance to look at marketing from the eye of a relaxed consumer, and listen to what other consumers—namely my kids—think about campaigns they see.

During our week in Maine, our eyes were looking skyward when we saw a small plane pulling a banner advertising the $3.99 ham and eggs breakfast special at Rosa Linda’s in Saco, ME.

My seven-year-old son was curious about the ROI of this marketing effort. Or more specifically, he wanted to know (a) what it cost to have a plane fly your message over the beach every single day, (b) why this restaurant wanted people to know what their breakfasts cost, when we always seemed to be closer to lunchtime when the banner flew over, and (c) why did people eat ham for breakfast? (more…)

Saks for Sale?

Tim Parry — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:29:30 +0000

Could be. This just in this morning from New York Times’s DealBook blog. The blog got its information from The Daily Mail, which reports: (more…)

And Now, a Word from Our Customer

Sherry Chiger — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:43:12 +0000

Lately more and more marketing emails seem to be referencing their top-rated and best-reviewed items in their subject lines and headlines. “Our Customers Speak Out—Shop Top-Rated Toscano Favorites!” is the subject line of a recent message from home decor cataloger Design Toscano. “Want to know what customers like you like best at Orvis?” is a somewhat clunky subject line from outdoor gear cataloger/retailer Orvis. “Protect your investment! 15% off top-rated outdoor furniture covers” teases country-living mailer Plow & Hearth.

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Will Social Media Bury Future Butchers Of Broadway?

Richard H. Levey — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:38:06 +0000

Playwright A.R. Gurney inadvertently gave marketers an object lesson in the power of social media – not with one of his plays (“A Cheever Evening”; “The Dining Room”, the Pulitzer-nominated “Love Letters”, among others) but rather with a letter to the New York Times which ran earlier this week.

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Bad Ballpark Promotions

Tom Hansen — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:34:52 +0000

Strange things keep happening at the Texas Rangers ballpark, where in July a fan fell from the upper deck trying to grab a foul ball, instead splattering five really unlucky spectators down below. (They’re all fine, by the way). This time, it was a pre-game promotion that went wrong. (more…)

Will FedEx Target Certain ‘Custom’ers for Rate Increases?

Jim Tierney — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:48:25 +0000

Will Federal Express begin targeting certain customers for custom rate increases above and beyond the general rate increase? (more…)

The Benefits of Failure

Grant Johnson — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:59:07 +0000

Nobody succeeds all the time. Everybody fails some of the time.

Good marketers succeed more than they fail … but when they fail, they still are winners. Why? Because good marketers leave their ego at the door and look at failure as an opportunity to learn and thus improve.

What can you learn from failure? (more…)

O goodness - When they sold you on “Social Media” You ……….

Erik Hauser — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:47:50 +0000

(The following is a public service announcement - not really!;)

You…..Didn’t really think that there was going to be some vast dialogue going on? Chalk this one up to some free time on my hands, but here we go…..

Everyone duck because here come all the marketing geniuses clogging up the media channels with “I told you so” - or worse yet - slowly reversing their positions.

O wait - what am I doing right now? Gut check - O Yeah…I was just watching and laughing the whole time…Ok I’m good..I passed my version of ‘The Mirror Test” which BTW is a great new book by my good friend Jeff Hayzlett - Former CMO of Kodak - Available everywhere…with my ADD I’m waiting for the audio version…moving on…. (more…)