Learnings from Modea Speaker

Today, Steve Grant came to speak to my class, and let me tell you, it was anything but boring! Grant is an excellent speaker and content he spoke about was very interesting. I could really tell that Grant was excited to be there and really gave it his all. He was very energetic and engaging and did a great job of making me excited about what he had to say. He was extremely entertaining to listen to and he even cracked a few funny jokes.

I have attended several other speakers recently, and have noticed most of the presentations' goals have been to promote their company and also talk about their position within the company. This isn't a bad thing, don't get me wrong. It has been interesting to hear about different companies and the different types of jobs out there. But Grant took a very different approach to his speech. The goal of Grant's presentation was for us to take away valuable knowledge that would help us become successful. He truly wanted to try help us. I loved Grant's presentation because it was focused on delivering useful information to us so we could get inspired and do something great. 

I must say, I was expecting Grant to be like all the other speakers I've heard recently, and only speak to us about Modea, and the job he has there. But instead, he spent most of his time talking about one of his previous accounts, Prudential. He based his presentation off his experience with this company and how he helped them reinvent themselves.The information he shared about this real life project is really going to help me develop a creative brief for Uniqlo. Prudential was having a hard time connecting with their customers and changing their image. He talked about how they needed to bring the outside inside and had to relate to their customers. He explained that understanding the customers and connecting emotionally with them is key.
 He also gave an example of  an unsuccessful SMP that they used, and explained that the reason it didn't really work was because people didn't relate to it and it didn't have a strong meaning. He also talked about the 5 C's (Consumer/Customer, Content, Company, Competition/Category, Collaborators) and how they are an important tool to use when you are developing a creative brief. He also talked about Perceptual Maps, and explained how they can help you position yourself and identify holes in the market.

Steve’s presence in the room was noticed by everyone. He did a great job keeping our attention and teaching us valuable knowledge. I was able to gain a lot of insight listening to him that will help me with my creative brief.

Guest Speaker: Steve Grant, Head of Strategy, MODEA

Steve Grant is a Brand and Digital Strategist. He has been in the industry for over 15 years and has experience working with many different types of companies. Grant has lived in places all around the world and has a lot of knowledge to offer. He specializes in new product development and thrives on working with complicated brands. Modea hired Grant as Head of Strategy to help define their strategic vision. Modea is a fast- growing independent digital agency that defines themselves as brand builders, who love technology. They offer strategy services (like consumer research), user research, creative services, technology services, and much more.

I think clients view Modea is a young and exciting new company. Because they are based in Blacksburg, Modea hires many recent Virginia Tech graduates. Because many of their employees are younger, they are able to offer an innovative and fresh point of view. I think having a youthful staff attracts clients to Modea because they are interested in their unique perspective on things.

Modea is a very small company that is also very young. A strategic issue that could be very threatening to them is being able to stay competitive in the industry. They are competing against a lot of big-name competition that could potentially pose a threat to them. Larger companies tend to have more resources available to them, such as, man-power and hefty amounts of funning available. In addition to competing against larger sized companies, Modea also has to worry about older companies that have been established and are experienced. Newer companies have to build up relationships and make a name for themselves. It’s hard to enter into an aggressive industry and compete with companies that have been around for years. Companies like Modea, who are both young and small, don’t have as much leverage as other larger and more established companies. A loss of a big client or employee could be detrimental to them because they do not have that “safety net” built up yet.

Question: Modea is a very fast-growing company, how do you keep up with the expanding business? Are you hiring on more employees?

Aflac's Star

American Family Life Insurance Company (Aflac), is a insurance company that is based in Columbia, Georgia. Aflac was founded in 1995 and  is the largest provider of supplemental insurance in the United States, but it wasn't always like this. In the late 1990s Aflac's brand recognition was extremely low, at about 10%. They realized they needed to change in order to be able to take on the competition. They needed to define their brand and spread awareness.

Aflac invited several agencies to come pitch them ideas for a new advertising campaign. Aflac was looking for a idea that could be a fully integrated campaign and would be able to communicate the company's brand message. The agency that fulfilled what they were looking for was the New York based Kaplan Thaler Group. This agency created Aflac's iconic duck mascot. The Aflac Duck campaign was launched in 2000 and hasn't looked back since. In a very short time period Aflac was able to raise their brand recognition up to 90%.  The Aflac Duck did such an incredible job gaining brand recognition because they were able to get the consumer to remember them. It appealed to the public because of  the humors and entertaining mascot, the duck helped bring personality to the brand. Since the campaign was launched  Aflac won numerous awards and is known as one of America's favorite advertising mascots. Some people criticize the duck for being annoying and loud, but the Aflac Duck has a life of its own and is impossible to forget.

 
But that’s where the company’s branding success stops; most Americans have only heard of the brand. While the duck advertising campaign did an amazing job of increasing Aflac's brand recognition, research showed that consumers don't know much about the company. People want to learn more about the company's products and services, Alac needs to better explain what they do in their advertising. As a result of this change in strategy, Aflac has recently launched a new branding campaign. These new ads still feature the trademark duck, but they also explain exactly how Aflac’s insurance policies can help consumers.


The Aflac Duck has appeared in 52 television ads and numerous radio ads, and has done an amazing job helping increase the company's brand recognition. But Aflac recognized that spreading awareness wasn't enough on its own. As a result, Aflac has taken steps to develop a new campaign that will provide a greater understanding of what the company offers and why it matters. The Aflac Duck campaign has become one of the most successful campaigns in advertising history.

Does FIAT cross the line?

 Fiat is an Italian automobile manufacture and a major player in the European marketplace. Last year Fiat decided to enter back into the North America market, and according to this article things didn't go as they had planned.

"We thought we were going to show up and just because of the fact people like gelato and pasta, people will buy it,” says Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne.

Because of this disappointing debut,  Fiat recently decided to relaunch their marketing and advertising campaign to try and stir up some interest about their brand. Their marketing revamp was meant to try and capture the attention of the public, but in my opinion Fiat took it a little too far. Fiat's first display of their new marketing campaign was a commercial that was aired during the  Super Bowl.

I think this ad is ethically questionable because it  is too risque and sexual, I mean the name of  the ad is "Seduction." The title alone should be a read flag that this commercial is not appropriate to air all over the TV for all ages to see. The content of this commercials should be for adults only. I think Fiat should tone down the erotic body language in this ad to make is appropriate for younger viewers. In addition, I think this ad causes further controversy because it portrays women as an object. The young man in the commercial is captured by the model's sex appeal and sees her instead of the car. I think this objectifies women because it depicts a human been as a only a sexy object. Fiat is stereotyping by gender and portrays women more as objects instead of people.

A more recent example of Fiat's new marketing revamp, is a commercial that features the famous actor Charlie Sheen, who while under house arrest drives a Fiat car around inside his mansion. In my opinion, this commercial also is ethically questionable and is very controversial.

Charlie Sheen is a celebrity who has be trademarked as a "party boy." It's not secret that Sheen is a drug addict, has been convicted of battery twice, has been involved with prostitution, spent time in jail, and was fired from the show, "Two in a Half Men" becuase of his indiscretions. To say the least Charlie Sheen is a troubled person who is on a downward spiral. However, in this commercial, Sheen, even though under house arrest, is depicted as the "life of the party" and is surrounded by gorgeous women. The ad is sending a message that even though this person has committed a crime and is being punished by the law, they can still be cool. I understand that Fiat is trying to push the envelop and gain publicity, and after all who would be better to do that than Charlie Sheen? But I personally think it is outrageous to praise someone for breaking the law. What kind of message does that send to the public about their company? That they don't care about the law? I don't agree with the message that Fiat is sending out through this commercial and I think it is unethical.

Fiat is a bold and unique company that is trying to make a name for themselves. While it is well known that "sex sells", I think Fiat could benefit from toning the sexual content down in their "Seduction" commercial and not portray women as objects. I also think that Fiat should reconsider what message they are sending out to the public in the Charlie Sheen "House Arrest" commercial.

"Eat Mor Chikin"

Chick-Fil-A is a fast food restaurant that is headquartered in Atlanta and is known for their chicken sandwiches and waffle fries. Chick-Fil-A's renegade cows are also a focal point of their brand and have become their most famous advertising campaign yet. Just about everyone is familiar with the Chick-Fil-A cows; they have been entertaining customers for more than 17 years. From their slopping handwriting to their misspelled words, these cows have been involved with almost every ad Chick-Fil-A has produced and become a fully integrated marketing program. The Chick-Fil-A cows campaign was designed to try and convert beef eaters into chicken fans, thus having the cows advertise the slogan "Eat Mor Chicken." The Chick-Fil-A cows and the "Eat Mor Chickin" campaign has had so much success over the years and won numerous awards. I think this campaign is really creative and funny, it is something that is hard to forget about. This article quotes Chick-Fil-A's senior vice president of marketing about the success of the cows:

"This campaign has been more successful than we ever imagined it could be," said Steve Robinson, Chick-Fil-A's senior vice president of marketing. "The Cows started as part of our advertising campaign, and now they have become part of our passion and our brand."


One if the most popular methods of advertising the Chick-Fil-A cows "Eat Mor Chickin" campaign is use of billboards. Chick-Fil-A wanted to keep their advertising simple and inexpensive. Chick-fil-A’s billboards are three-dimensional and depict black-and-white cows climbing on each other to put up signs saying “Eat Mor Chikin.” Some might consider the use of billboards to be out dated or ineffective, which in some cases I believe is true. But Chick-Fil-A's billboards have continued to be successful because they are straight to the point, memorable, and funny. Their cow and “Eat Mor Chikin" campaign is depicted well on billboards because it is easy to read and understand so that drivers who are passing by will understand them. The cows are humerus and are sure to make people laugh, which will help them remember the Chick Fil-A brand.

People know the cow is for Chick-fil-A. This is a great example of how advertising can become part of a brand. These clever roadside billboards are a great and inexpensive use of advertising that further help spread the Chick-Fil-A brand name.

Moe's Mission

I have loved Moe’s Southwest Grill ever since middle school when they opened a restaurant up less than a mile from my house. Moe’s opened their first restaurant in Atlanta in 2000 and are also headquartered there. They now have expanded to have locations all over the nation, heavily in the southeast.

Moe’s has made a reputation for their enthusiasm and friendly environment. Each time a customer enters the restaurant an employee shouts out “welcome to Moe’s!” Not every restaurant instructs their employees to full-heartedly greet each of their customers every time they come in the door, and I think this aspect really sets them apart from the competition. People take notice of the little things and I think this type of hospitality is truly remembered by customers. Moe’s advertises their brand as a warm and friendly atmosphere where a loud welcome is all part of the experience. Even their decor and menu items reflect Moe’s excitement and enthusiasm. Moe’s is decorated with bright colors and lots of patterns. I think this colorful and crazy design really ads to their fun environment. In addition the names of the items on the menu are all corky and amusing which also plays up their fun image. I think one of the most successful advertising technique Moe’s uses is “word of mouth.” Whenever someone dines at Moe’s they want them to have a positive customer experience that is unique compared to all the others they have had before. They want their customers to be able to easily absorb their friendly environment and spread the word about it.  Moe’s has trademarked themselves as a fun and friendly restaurant and this is clear in all of their advertisements and branding efforts.

Another reputation that Moe’s has is for their healthy and fresh dining options. Moe’s prides itself on their low calorie offering as well as their 20 plus all-natural ingredients that can be added onto menu items.  One of the reasons I love Moe’s is because it not only tastes good, but I can really tell how fresh their food is. The president of Moe’s has declared that they are on a mission to improve the healthiness of their food. This is why they created the “Moe’s Food Mission Wheel” as shown bellow:

This was created to showcase their healthy menu and to prove how fresh their ingredients are. In addition Moe’s wanted to cater to their customers who are vegetarians, gluten free, or who have food allergies.  This food wheel does a good job displaying their healthy and fresh menu.

Earlier this year Moe’s also created a YouTube campaign that goes about advertising their fresh ingredients in a different way. Take a look at the clip below:

This video “Microwaves Ruin Everything” was made by Moe’s to emphasize that their ingredients are made fresh daily, while other competitors use frozen ingredients and just microwave them. This campaign demonstrates this detail in a unique and funny way. It’s not something that anyone should try at home but this video has caused a lot of attention and it definitely gets the message across. However some might say that using YouTube for advertising is not effective. YouTube is commonly recognized as a website that is for younger people and is used for entertainment purposes only. But I think Moe’s made a good move by putting this video on YouTube, it has gotten almost 2 million views. They did a good job using entertainment to advertise and also educate all ages about their food.

In this article, the president of Moe’s speaks about the two most important aspects of their reputation. He quotes below:

“Since Moe’s always strives to give our customers the highest-quality service we wanted to begin incorporating the highest-quality ingredients, too, so that we were treating our food like we treat our customers.”

Moe’s is all about their food and their environment. Moe’s is one of the newer chain fast food companies out there, but they have done an excellent of advertising their brand. They make it very clear what is important to them and what they what to be known for.

Happy Birthday to You

This summer I had an internship with a marketing research company that is based in Atlanta. While I was interning there I got to work with team members on many clients’ accounts. One of their biggest clients they handle is The American Cancer Society (ACS), which is also headquartered in Atlanta. The American Cancer Society is an nationwide nonprofit health organization whose goal is to eliminate cancer. While I was interning I was able to work on research projects for The American Cancer Society specifically dealing with their commercials and became very familiar with their media advertisements. 

One of the commercial that stood out to me the most was their “Happy Birthday to You” commercials.  Obviously the song “Happy Birthday” is one of the most well known songs around the world that everyone can relate to and connect with. ACS has tagged lined themselves as the “official sponsor of birthdays” because they believe that every birthday you celebrate is a victory, another year for beating cancer. Their mission is fight cancer so that we you can celebrate more birthdays and live longer. I think the idea behind using this as a themes song to fight cancer is brilliant because it is so unique. It’s amazing that even something simple, like celebrating a birthday, is now motivating society to join the fight against cancer. These commercials really make you stop and put things in perspective; people are fighting for their lives while others are crying because they are upset about turning 50. I think that was ACS’s goal about this campaign. They want people to take a step back and appreciate life, and hopefully feel moved to help end cancer. 

ACS also used celebrities in these commercials. Many big name singers such as: Justin Bieber, Colbie Caillat, Devo, Jack Johnson, Dave Koz, Maroon 5, Jennifer Hudson and Keith Urban, have joined the battle again cancer. Each version of these commercials shows the famous artists singing “Happy Birthday” in their own creative style. These celebrities have donated their talents to help magnify the success of the campaigns. I think have having a famous singer really helps draw the viewers in; most recognize the artists signing but am a little thrown off because it is not one of their own songs. It makes you stop for a second to figure out the message that they are sending. They do a good job with the commercial of making the viewer think, while also making an emotional connection with them.  Whether or not people want to admit it, society is heavily influenced by celebrities. When people see famous stars getting involved with campaigns like this, it definitely gets their attention. Viewers are probably more curious about ACS because of their connection to these celebrities.
I think these advertisements by The American Cancer Society have been and will continue to be very successful because of their creativity and use of famous celebrities.