Sharpie Hits the Mark

Who hasn’t used a Sharpie marker? Whether labeling something in black permanent marker or decorating something special in a rainbow of colors, Sharpie is everything from super useful to wonderfully creative.

The consumer marketing strategy behind Sharpie’s new interactive website, www.SharpieUncapped.com, takes the use of Sharpie markers to a whole new level.

From showcasing creativity on office nameplates to Surfboards to even a BMW, consumer engagement is taken to the next level with a celebration of the product and brand. With links to content on Flickr and YouTube, a Facebook Fanpage, @SharpieSusan on Twitter, and a corporate Blog, there are plenty of ways for consumers to showcase their creations and be reminded just how awesome Sharpies are.

Have you seen the new Stainless Steel Permanent Marker? Authors have been using them at book signings and celebrities have been using them to sign autographs. Who knew you could show some bling with a Sharpie for the low price of 5.99?

Consumer-driven marketing is always going to win. Sharpie has taken a seemingly simple, unglamorous product and turned the perception around to create an innovative, creative product line. It’s a brand that people are not just talking about; Sharpie enthusiasts are now engaged in a community revolving around creativity, inspiration and innovation.

--Brandi Heinz

Branding Blunders: Is Pepsi Maxed Out?

The Pepsi family is striking out left and right with its marketing efforts this year. From the widely panned logo redesign and "Refresh Everything" campaign that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, comes a repositioning of the Diet Pepsi Max product. During the 2008 Superbowl, the product was introduced with a call to "Wake Up People!" During the 2009 Superbowl, the new repositioning that targets "manly men" ages 25-39 was introduced with the "I'm Good" commercial.

What makes the product different from Diet Pepsi is added ginseng and more caffeine. And according to the product description on Pepsi's website: It’s a crisp, refreshingly delicious zero-calorie cola that helps wake up your mind and body! And now, the product comes in black packaging that looks like a carbon copy of Coke Zero. The Pepsi Max team is popping up at summer festivals, nightclubs, and car shows with the "Fantasy World" trailer, hoping that vampy women dancing in a see through cage, free poker games, and free samples will increase sales.

*taken at Chicago Summerfest June 20, 2009

There is no online component to the campaign (which is surprising given the target consumers' active engagement with social media), and the link to www.dietpepsimax.com just takes you to the main Refresh Everything page that isn't even fully functioning!

This new effort is confusing and disjointed. What really doesn't make sense is why Pepsi decided to change its targeting a year later--why take women out of the equation? Can they not handle they extra oomph in Pepsi Max? Will they not respond to the black package? In this day and age, are men really that afraid of being caught drinking a "diet" drink?

--Stacy Cohen

Skittles: Bite-Sized Attempt at Social Media

One of many companies to recently jump on the social media bandwagon, Skittles developed a Web site redesign and coordinating social media campaign. On March 2nd, Skittles launched its new website as a social media hub, transforming its homepage into a Twitter ‘Skittles’ search stream. The Web site also showcased the Skittles Facebook fanpage and showed real-time search results on branded YouTube and Flickr pages. Taking advantage of the Web 2.0 technology and user generated content set off an instant buzz across social media platforms – and in the online marketing world. Supporters and critics weighed in on how they thought the campaign would fare, and watched as Skittles replaced its Twitter feed with its Facebook fan page on the main homepage the next day, most likely due to profane and inappropriate comments tagged with Skittles on Twitter, a space that is difficult to control.

Now, nearly two months later, the buzz has died down and most praise has been replaced with criticism. After seeing a 1332% spike in web visitors on March 3rd (as reported by Hitwise), the Web site’s traffic is still double what it was before the social media blitz (according to Alexa).

Skittles should serve as a case study for any marketer attempting to bring social media into its brand strategy. The main principals of social media include conversation and engagement. Creating buzz and promoting your brand to consumers through social media is one piece of the puzzle, but don’t forget response, rewards and engagement with both fans and critics. Keep in mind the ‘what’s in it for me’ for the consumer. Be sure to provide relevant information and rewards for your brand advocates, sparking an ongoing relationship that provides long-term results.

What do you think the next step for the Skittles campaign should be? How will they begin to engage their consumers through social media?

-- Brandi Heinz