I wanted a Mac but all I got was this lame PC

<br/><a href="http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?vid=0bb6a07c-c829-4562-8375-49e6693810c7" target="_new" title="Laptop Hunters $1000 - Lauren Gets an HP Pavilion">Video: Laptop Hunters $1000 - Lauren Gets an HP Pavilion</a>

Have you seen the new Microsoft commercial? Lauren, a cute redhead 20-something, needs a new computer -- specifically a 17-inch laptop for under $1,000. She starts at the Apple store before discovering that you can't get a decent Mac for that cheap...so instead she's stuck going to Best Buy or Staples or some store like that and springing for an HP computer. The ad summary -- with a PC, you get more for your buck.

Advertising based strictly on price -- it's a relevant idea, given the state of the US economy, but does it work? I don't think so.

There are two major issues I have with the ad:

1) Advertising based on pricing only works in the short term. To successfully market something, the product has to be valuable. Basing an entire marketing strategy on selling a cheap product is the least effective way to add value to your product. Consumers aren't stupid, and we know that you get what you pay for. (And as a side note, the HP computer that Lauren ends up with sucks.)

2) In the end, Lauren doesn't get what she really wants (a Mac) and instead settles for what she can afford (settles being the key word here). Do you really want your product to be one that people "settle" on? It's hard to build long term brand loyalty when even you admit that the competition is better.

Thoughts?

Vroom, Vroom!

I came across an article in the NYT about Harley-Davidson and the company's recent financial woes. Seems that Harley, a classic Outlaw archetype brand, is seeing fewer of its core target -- baby boomers -- shelling out dough for the bikes. To add insult to injury, younger riders are turning to Harley's rivals. Harley, it appears, ain't doing so well.

It's sort of interesting that such an iconic brand is finding itself in such a pickle -- and it's in this mess precisely because it was (or IS) such a defined brand. The whole premise behind effective branding and marketing is to create a story that resonates with the audience and makes your consumers feel that they belong with your brand....that they need your brand. Harley's whole image was creating a "bad boys" family of bikers. But now that the economy is suffering, being a bad boy isn't enough for these men (and sometimes women) to shell out tens of thousands of dollars for the thrill of experiencing the Harley story. And because Harley defined its brand so clearly, the company is having a tough time getting embraced by those riders outside of its usual target.

I know that marketers can't please everyone, and that they have to focus on their key audience. But what do you do when your core audience -- the people you have been going after for decades -- suddenly drop your brand? How do you evolve and attract new customers without isolating your original target completely? Thoughts?

Legal Ads

Boston's most famous seafood joint, Legal Seafoods, has released new ads for the Beantown T. They're pretty entertaining -- and since they've been approved by the MBTA, they won't be taken down like their last campaign.

Thoughts? I don't really know if the ads work well with Legal's overall brand image, but they are certainly cute.

Just for fun

My friend sent me a link for a recent concert featuring....well, you'll have to watch the video to see.



LOVE THIS VIDEO.

Organizing my life

Sorry I have been MIA lately. It's been sort of crazy over the last few days. However, I have some very exciting news to share with y'all -- I have a job! I'll be working as a senior account executive at a small marketing firm here in Houston. I'm totally stoked about the new position. It will be fabulous!

Anyway I have to run, but I promise to write a more complete post tomorrow. In the meantime, did you hear the news about The Post-Intelligencer? Not a good week for the print media world. Even Houston, which has been somewhat sheltered during much of the recession, isn't immune. Did you hear that the Houston Chronicle may merge with the San Antonio Express-News?

Sigh.

Self-portraits

My school photo when I was in 2nd grade and lived in Cali. I haven't had a professional photo of myself taken since I was a senior in college.

My friend Raluca treated herself to a portrait session a couple of months ago. The photos are amazing (sorry, she won't let me share any!) and she captured a really cool time of her life -- being young, single, and carefree.

I gotta admit, though -- at first I was taken aback by the idea of getting self-portraits. But then I started thinking: I'm only going to get fatter, wrinklier, and uglier. Shouldn't I be capturing myself now?

Have you taken any professional photos recently? Should I?

Paris, je t'aime

As most of you know, I spent my junior year abroad in Paris. It was THE bomb. Being a 20 year old American girl in Paris is freaking amazing. I won't get into details, 'cause it would take you about 3 hours to read this post, but suffice it to say: IT.WAS.THE.BEST.YEAR.EVER. (Btw, the photo above was taken with my host bro back in 2002. I "made" Thanksgiving dinner for my French fam - or, to be completely honest, dropped 100 euros on a pre-made dinner, courtesy of a little American restaurant in Paris.)

So given my adoration of Paris and all things French (with the exception of the rank scent of the Paris Metro. It really is that bad.), I must comment on my fave collections from Paris Fashion Week. All you non-fashion lovers, go check out Sports Illustrated. Otherwise, onward!

Some of my faves: (DISCLAIMER: Paris Fashion week kicked ass. I loved lots of collections, but the ones below stood out as both interesting AND (sorta) wearable.)


















Balmain. The rocker chick look will always win in my book, even if it is a bit boring. I think it all stems from my secret desire to cover my arms with tattoos and rock it out Courtney Love style. (And as a side note, what better inspiration to hit the gym than to fit your bod into this dress? Sexy doesn't even describe it.)

Balenciaga: Flirty, fun and feminine. Not words usually associated with this label, but it works this time around. And there was still enough of an edge to make a heart flutter, even just a little.

Hermes: Ah, I love Hermes, even if one of their famous scarves will set me back half a paycheck. (And if I wanted to splurge on a handbag...well, there goes my 401K.) This collection does not disappoint. Leather, luxury and Amelia Earhart go well together.

Lanvin: Lanvin, if you were a man, I'd jump you. You're so Parisian, which I love -- sleek, modern, and consistently sophisticated. If my bank account were bigger (er, a LOT bigger) we'd make one sweet couple.

Men at work....or not (and what's a marketer to do?)

My friend Jess needed a last-minute babysitter for her two adorable kids, so I volunteered to serve as nanny du jour. Her kids, 4 and 2, are obsessed with trains and the zoo, and as luck would have it, the Houston Zoo is literally a stone's throw from the Hermann Park Train. So guess what I spent my morning doing? That's right -- hanging out with lions, tigers, and bears, as well as some dirty diapers, juice boxes, and trains.

The zoo itself wasn't especially interesting (I've been about a dozen times this past month -- it's my go-to babysitting distracter) but what was interesting was that I saw at least 5 dads wandering around with strollers, diaper bags, and (of course) kids. These weren't single dads -- gold bands donned their ring fingers-- but it was clear that they were in charge of the kids. One dad, decked out in shorts and a tee-shirt, sported an Accenture hat. Needless to say, I don't think riding the carousel with his twin daughters qualified as consulting. Another victim of the recession? Probably.

I recently came across an article about how the recession is impacting traditional gender roles at home. With men being laid off at a much faster rate than women (per the article, at least -- as y'all know, your's truly was laid off, as were many of my friends with boobs), more and more men are watching the rugrats, cleaning the house, and making dinner while their wives are serving as the chief breadwinner. And while a female provider is nothing new for some well-educated couples, it looks like it could be a new trend among average Americans as well.

It will be interesting to see if this current trend continues. Some statistics show that women now make up almost 50% of the workforce -- that's pretty exciting (although let's not forget that women still earn, on average, $.80 for every dollar a man makes. Boo.) If the number of women in the workforce continues to grow -- and if these new Stay At Home Dads don't return to their jobs -- some marketers are going to have to shift how they're speaking to consumers. Advertising that used to target Stay at Home Moms will now need to start speaking to Stay at Home Parents. Could Glad commercials soon feature both women AND 40 year-old-men with glasses, balding hairlines, and expanded midsections?

As a side note -- Sammy, Jess' two-year-old daughter, gives the best hugs ever. So cute!

Soda, au naturel

Did you know that Pepsi is launching a natural soft drink? First a new logo, now a new soda. Check out the article here.

I am not sure how I feel about this one. Sure, it makes sense that food and beverage companies are riding the natural food wave. Today's consumers are demanding healthier food, and companies are responding. But natural soda? Isn't that an oxymoron of sorts? I always thought the natural sodas sold at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's were sort of silly. If you want something natural, drink H2O.

Anyway, the new Pepsi Natural will contain (duh) all-natural ingredients -- sparkling water, raw sugar, natural caramel and kola nut extract. You'll also save 9 calories compared to regular Pepsi. Yum. But you can't just buy it anywhere -- Pepsi is doing a selective launch in major US cities. I suspect Pepsi Natural will see the same fate as Crystal Pepsi (remember that one?) but you never know. It will also be interesting to see if Coke jumps on the natural soda bandwagon. Only time will tell.

Things you may not want to know about me....

For no particular reason -- 5 tidbits about yours truly that make me blush.

1) I once went 5 days without showering or bathing. Keep in mind that I was camping and hiking and had very limited access to running water, but even so - ick. My hair was thisclose to dreadlocking.

2) I like to pop pimples. It's gross.

3) You know the magaine Glamour? The really cheesy one whose cover is always promising to divulge what really turns him on? Well, I am obsessed with the Glamour.com blogs. It started with the style blog, but now I read the dating blog, the fitness blog, the weight loss blog, the "I-got-knocked-up-and-am-now-a-single-mom" blog, the cancer blog (yes, there is a cancer blog!!)...and I read them every single day.

4) When I listen to my iPod, I make up dance videos in my head in which I'm the star. They're usually really bad.

5) I am a psycho Google stalker. If I've met you, I've Googled you. Sorry, but it's true.

OK, I've dished. Now it's your turn!

Facebook, new and improved and (sorta) copying Twitter

Did you guys hear about the new Facebook changes? In case you've been living under a rock, you can check them out here. The overall gist -- Facebook is about to become the ultimate personal homepage. Here are some of the major changes that we'll see in place sometime next week:

- live feed. That's right -- Facebook is copying Twitter! The new live feed will also allow for easy uploading of pics, videos, etc. (Thank God since it is such a pain to upload now!) And, like Twitter, it will be in real time, which means no refreshing (the current Facebook updates every 10 minutes or so.) Sweet!

- no more Friend limit. The old Facebook limited your friends to 5,000, so companies and public features were having to turn to Twitter to keep their fans/customers updated. Sort of makes you wonder if we'll have to redefine the definition of Friend, but I digress...

- a new and improved hompage. The new homepage will feature the live feed and allow users to easily filter and sort through the updates. (Especially important for those with more than 5K friends -- most likely the celebs and corporations who will be taking advantage of these new Facebook changes.) Also cool -- those "friends" you interact with the most will be highlighted to stand out.

It will be interesting to see what happens to Twitter during all of this. Let's not forget that Twitter is still in early adopter stage, and it's very possible that Facebook's changes will wipe it out. I hope not -- I, for one, use Twitter as a professional tool, whereas Facebook is reserved for my actual friends. (After all, does my boss really need to see pics of a recent vaca in Vegas? I don't think so.)

Viagra and 13 year olds

Have you seen the new Viagra commercial? It's supposed to remind you of your first time. Um, yeah, because for most people, their first time is like totally awesome and amazing and just incredible.

Yeah, right.

Anyway, check it out below. It is definitely a different approach for Viagra, so kudos for that. But is it just me or do the kids look like their 13 when they really start getting frisky? I don't even think I had kissed a guy by the time I was 13, let alone done the dirty. Ick.

Btw, the ad is by Z Publicidad in Mexico.