Engaging Your Audience: Gotham's Finest

As discussed in Anthony Young's Brand Media Strategy, one of the most important things your brand can do is properly engage your target audience.  One campaign that successfully engaged their fans on its way to becoming highest grossing films of all time was The Dark Knight. 

 

The main tactics used by TDK in order to increase buzz regarding the film was the use of viral marketing.   Warner Bros. used many interactive elements that went viral immediately in order to really engage their hardcore fans.  One example of this was when they created WhySoSerious.com which lead readers to an online scavenger hunt that ended up leading them to real-world bakeries in 25 different cities.  Once at the bakery, participants would ask for an order left for "Robin Banks" and the cashier would hand them a special cake with a number on it.  Inside the cake was an evidence bag containing a cell phone and a joker playing card along with clues to the next location.  This is a great way of getting fans involved with your brand while also using teasers as to what the film is about.  In this case, engaging participants to get involved in the scavenger hunt shows how much hype existed for the release of this movie.  

Warner Bros. also created an online newspaper for The Gotham Times where the movie takes place that was only promoted via social media rather than traditional methods.  This further engages their audience because the film's target audience relies more on social media rather than traditional means like TV and radio.  The results of these viral campaigns were staggering with millions of Google searches and YouTube hits.

The main point of this is that engaging your audience can be vital to your brand's success.  By utilizing the proper channels and creating a campaign that is interesting and entertaining, The Dark Knight was able to captivate millions before the film was even released which lead to its outstanding box office success. 

Whats all the Buzz About?

From a marketing perspective, buzz can be defined as a method of advertising that gets consumers talking about your product, service or idea in order to increase sales.  Uses of buzz can be seen every day through teasers, press conferences, and commercials.  While buzz is usually beneficial, it can also be detrimental if used improperly.

Such is the case with the Ford Edsel in the late 1950s.  Ford tried to create buzz by parading an Edsel across the country via train but covered by a tarp.  This concept was designed to stir consumer's curiosity as to what the car might look like.  Although this did create buzz, the actual car did not live up to the wild expectations that this campaign created for consumers, and the model did not sell very well at all.

 To this day, buzz marketing is still used by many brands in order to create excitement about the release of a new product.  One company that has utilized buzz more than any other is Taco Bell with the introduction of their new Doritos Locos Tacos.  After the success of the Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos, the public demanded the product expand to feature the Cool Ranch flavor of ideas.  Taco Bell then released the following commercial called "The World's Most Obvious Idea" as a teaser for the release of the Cool Ranch Flavor:

In this case, it was easy for Taco Bell to create buzz because their consumers were already demanding this product.  Taco Bell chose to acknowledge this in the commercial by portraying various situations of customers saying that they should make a Cool Ranch flavor.  With the success of this new flavor, Taco Bell released yet another teaser trailer for their newest brand, Fiery Doritos Locos Tacos, titled "The World's Most Hottest Idea" which can be seen below:

This created a lot of buzz amongst the brand's consumers because the Doritos Locos Tacos have become so successful during their short lifespan.  In order to create buzz, Taco Bell really needed to know their market.  With the success of the nacho cheese and Cool Ranch versions, it was a no brainer for Taco Bell to release a new version.  Because the Fiery DLT is relatively new, it may take a while to see the success of this teaser trailer.

Are you reaching your market properly?

Even if your company spends millions of dollars on the perfect ad campaign, your efforts could be completely wasted if you are not reaching your intended target market.  Consumers used to act in a very precise way that could be easily represented through the Consumer Pathways model which goes as follows: 

 

 Traditionally, the the process that the consumer would complete in their head went from step to step starting with awareness and ending with brand advocacy.  However, with all the conveniences of a modern day society like the availability of the internet as a shopping hub, consumers no longer have to start at one particular stage over another in order to purchase a product.  

For example, over this past summer I was browsing the internet looking for a new TV for my dorm room.  After checking a few sites, I finally found a brand I've never heard of for a really low price.  Being a college student, I am naturally broke, so having a low price is an important quality to me, so I decide to purchase this no-name brand.  This puts my involvement stage, active consideration stage, and purchase stage all before my awareness stage because I had never heard of the brand.  Being a naive college student, I didn't even think to look into the brand to see if they are a reputable company.  Naturally, the TV was poor quality, my parents got mad at me, I returned it and thus ended the brief relationship stage I had with this company, which means the odds of me becoming a brand advocate for this company are slim to none.

As a marketer, you cannot always assume people will follow the traditional model properly.  In order to combat this, marketers need to be proactive in the way they engage their consumers.  You may think you have a big idea that is going to make your company millions, but if it is not made readily available for all consumers to access in their own methods, you may find yourself unsuccessful.  Customers buy products for various different reasons including emotional attachment, functionality, and even price.  If your brand media strategy does not adhere to your target market's motivation for purchase, they will not be your customers for much longer!

Using the Product Color Matrix

The Product Color Matrix (PCM) is a tool that marketers can use to model their products in order to appeal to a certain demographic.  Products are assigned a color based on their segment of the matrix and the different colors represent which type of product it is. 

For example, "White Goods" are large tools like appliances and insurance that carry a high risk and are purchased solely for their functionality. 

"Red Goods" are large toys like sports cars, motorcycles, and fashionable clothing.  These products carry a high risk because of their large price tag but are more of an expressive product. 

"Blue Goods" are functional products described as little tools that are used every day like gasoline and laundry detergent.  These carry a very low risk and are purchased for their functionality rather than their expressiveness. 

"Yellow Goods" are little treats that are purchased for their expressive values like snack foods, desserts, and beer. 

In many cases, a product can often fit in to multiple sections of the matrix depending on their intended or actual use.

The commercial I chose to analyze was a recent Taco Bell commercial that is a part of their "Live Más" campaign featuring their Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos.  In my personal opinion, I think that Taco Bell is considered a "Blue Good" because it is very low risk (inexpensive) and is mostly purchased for its functionality (to satisfy hunger).  However, after watching this commercial, one could argue that Taco Bell could be considered a "Red Good" because it is almost used to express individuality.  The "Live Más" campaign is geared towards young adults and focuses on living life to the fullest, focusing on expressiveness. 

I think that this commercial does a good job at showing the expressiveness of Taco Bell even though it is generally considered a "Blue Good." It clearly shows a nervous young couple on their first date, and the boy finally gathers the courage to kiss her while eating the new Doritos Locos Tacos. 

Another Taco Bell commercial titled "Grande Papi" takes a similar route in showing the expressiveness of their new "Live Más" campaign. 

This commercial features a father walking through the streets of a city eating a new Cantina Steak Burrito from Taco Bell.  Even though he is carrying his child on his chest, he still has his "cool factor" by eating Taco Bell, thus adding to his expressive individuality.

I think Taco Bell is using these types of commercials to try and change their brand image.  In the past, Taco Bell has received criticism for being extremely low quality food that is only good for a quick snack or a drunken late-night purchase.  The Live Más campaign focuses heavily on youth and young adults and recognizes their desire for expression.  I think that the marketers knew this when designing these ads to appeal to their desired demographic.