PPB June 2016

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PPB

• JUNE 2016

THINK

MARKET SHARE

AD-ITIVES

The Original

Mobile Marketing

Strategy

TWO BRAND GIANTS HAVE KEPT THEIR UNIQUE

APPROACH ROLLING ALONG FOR 80 YEARS

need to remember that it takes skill, technique and practice to

write crisp, clear, compelling copy.

PPB

What tips do you have for companies who want to

improve their business and brand communication efforts?

Collins

Invest in communication. If used right, brand communi-

cation is one of the most powerful tools you have. Don’t trust

just anyone with your content. Just as you shouldn’t hire your

neighbor’s nephew’s girlfriend’s uncle to design your website,

you should be just as discerning and selective when you are

looking for someone to help with your brand message. With

the wrong messaging, a brand can come across as boring,

disingenuous and self-serving. And in today’s society, that

could be fatal.

Show the real you. Talk about the challenges you’ve faced

along the way. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. When you are

vulnerable, you can connect to the vulnerability of others and your

story will be relatable. But the bottom line? Have fun with it! We

are living in a very exciting time where basically anything goes.

(Continued from previous page)

HOW DOES A COMPANY

that finds a market for its services con-

vince the community to welcome it with open arms? This was the chal-

lenge for The ORPEA Group, a high-end senior care provider based in

France that wanted to make inroads in China. The eastern nation has a

strong tradition of caring

for elderly family members

at home, and though the

population continues to

age, sending seniors to

nursing homes is still not

widely accepted.

International ad agency

Fred & Farid Shanghai created a video ad for ORPEA that both embraced

Chinese culture and appealed to sensibilities regarding senior care. The

ad, “Helping Hand,” features seniors engaged in traditional activities—

with a sole visual focus on their hands.

ORPEA opened its first nursing home facility in Nanjing in March,

catering to residents over age 80, those with disabilities and those with

Alzheimer’s. ORPEA began welcoming its first residents to the 140-bed

facility soon after opening.

BRIDGING THE

Culture Gap

MARKETERS RUN THEMSELVES RAGGED

hoping to maintain

brand recognition among tech-savvy consumers, but two food

giants are sticking to one roadworthy tactic that has proven its

worth for nearly a century.

In the mid-1930s, sister brands Oscar Mayer and Planters

(both part of the Kraft Foods family) hit the streets with quirky

thematic vehicles—

the Weinermobile

and its lesser known

counterpart, the Nutmobile. Today the hot dog giant gets more

than 10,000 requests for Weinermobile appearances, and the

Nutmobile has secured a place in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day

Parade, which is viewed by millions across the nation each fall.

Both creations have gone through several variations over

the years, and today’s versions criss-cross the nation on promo-

tional tours every year. The Weinermobile travels roughly 500

miles a week through the country; the Nutmobile logs about

30,000 annually. The strategy may seem old-fashioned, but the

companies have deftly transitioned into the 21st century with

social media and even smartphone apps. The notion of literally

driving a brand has proven clever enough to be copied by

younger brands including Peeps marshmallow candy and Red

Bull energy drink.

The Peepster car is a springtime phenomenon that comes

out to cruise the tri-state area (Peeps’ parent company, Just

Born, is headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania). And Red

Bull’s energy drink-adorned vehicles are a centerpiece at its

marketing events nationwide.

PHOTO BY JOSHUA RAINEY PHOTOGRAPHY /

SHUTTERSTOCK.COM