Author: The Professional Student

Hello, and thank you for visiting my blog. My name is Shawn Smallwood. I'm an Army veteran, a classically trained pastry and savory chef, a former small business owner, and a graduate student who brings a unique perspective to innovative leadership and entrepreneurship.

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The Professional Student: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns” Magazine Advertisement Analysis

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to The Professional Student! This week, graduate students at Western Carolina University were challenged to analyze five magazine advertisements, keeping with the theme from the greatest marketing campaigns assignment. 

As I have posted previously, I will list the deliverables below for the analysis in case you’re just joining me for the first time.

The deliverables are composed of 5 different sections listed in the following order (Lahm & Lockwood, 2022):

  1. Describe the advertisement by product/service, company, brand, etc., and the focus. What was the appeal or technique that was used to evoke an emotional response? Include a link to the ad selected.
  2. What were the objectives of the campaign? To sell more? To inform customers about a new product feature? Were the objectives attainable and measurable, or were they time-specific? 
  3. Describe the target market that was the focus of the advertisement.
  4. What action does the advertisement want the audience to take? If action is taken, how will the audience member benefit from using the product? 
  5. Describe the value proposition of the product or service being offered in each advertisement. What are the specific reasons (product features and benefits) that would drive customers to purchase the product or service being sold in each advertisement? 

1. Old Spice: Smell like A Man, Man Advertising Campaign

The Smell Like a Man, Man magazine advertisement features old spice deodorant, body wash, and body spray with a beautiful background featuring the beach and ocean. The advertisement can be seen below.

https://www.strategian.in/post/case-study-on-old-spice-smell-like-a-man-man-campaign

A white horse is leaning into the display of hygiene products with a man sitting on his back. The man is shirtless in a pair of rolled-up jeans, tan boat shoes, and a matching tan belt, and his shirt is tied around his neck in a preppy manner like he is about to play a round of tennis. He has one hand on his hip, and the other is flat with his palm facing up, holding a bottle of body spray. His head is slightly tilted with a smirk and one slightly raised eyebrow to draw the viewer in. He is looking at you, and it is hilarious! His face is funny, and the notion of a man dressed the way he is dressed galloping about the beach with body spray on his palm like a serving tray full of drinks. The Old Spice Boat is displayed on the top right with the words “Old Spice” below it in classic Old Spice red. Under that, there is “SMELL LIKE A MAN, MAN.” 

Old Spice is owned by Proctor & Gamble, as I have previously discussed in the radio campaign advertisement blog. The consumer the advertisement is targeting is men who want to smell like a man, man! What’s the value proposition? Smelling like a man, of course! The objective of the advertisement is to sell a combination of Old Spice products. Interestingly enough, as I was reading about this campaign further, I discovered the reason behind this advertising was to encourage men to buy Old Spice products without taking away the fact that women enjoy using Old Spice products as well. 

This advertisement campaign ran from 2009-10, and according to an article in the New York Times, Old Spice spent $7.5 million advertising body wash in 2009, well under the $30 million spent by Axe body wash. However, in 2010, Old Spice was more aggressive than Axe and spent $11.4 million in the first quarter, whereas Axe only spent $3.6 million (Newman, 2010).

2. Nissan’s “Stay Home” COVID-19 Advertising Campaign

The second advertisement that I’ve chosen to look at is from Nissan, a popular Japanese vehicle manufacturer. Nissan serves many global markets, including Egypt, where this campaign was published. I really enjoyed looking at the two magazine advertisements that are shown in the link below.

https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/stay-home-8b153c9b-c5ac-4393-abdc-5a718cc8a38c

The first one has a Nissan symbol with a red backdrop. Below the symbol, the words “Innovation that excites” appear. Next is another display of words, “A safety Driven Lifestyle (value proposition). .” Below that is a vehicle bench seat displayed and set up like a living room space, complete with a floor lamp, table, and a house plant. To the right of the car seat couch, the words “Staying home with your family will save your life.” 

This was a very responsible and smart move for Nissan, and this advertisement would have served well in other markets outside of Egypt during a time of uncertainty. The use of the hashtag was also smart, as it highlights the widespread use of hashtags across several social media platforms. Hashtags place posts in related categories that pop up when users search for specific information. Using that particular hashtag could take people directly to Nissan’s social media posts or posts by users regarding Nissan. 

It wouldn’t be outrageous to think that most people who purchase vehicles value safety, especially a family vehicle where their loved ones will be passengers. Using the staying safe theme to highlight the safety of Nissan vehicles and the safety of staying home during the pandemic was smart. Nissan is demonstrating care and compassion while advertising its cars. I thought it was brilliant to use one of their vehicle bench seats in the same fashion as a couch in a living room. It looks warm and inviting, so Nissan’s are also safe, warm, innovative, exciting, and inviting!  A lot has been communicated in a straightforward ad, which I love.

The second advertisement is set up the same way with a few differences. Instead of a bench seat, there is a luxurious leather power bucket seat, almost recliner-like, complete with a gold side table, a vase of flowers, a reading book, a tall houseplant, and a beautiful light fixture hanging above it. The words “Enjoying the comfort of your home will save your life.” 

The same messages are being communicated, but I think both ads target two very different clients. In advertisement one, the bench seat is basic and made from cloth. Generally, cloth seating is more affordable than leather seating. The second advertisement seems more luxurious and aimed at customers who value luxury and comfort over practicality and price. It’s like looking at a base model vehicle versus the top-of-the-line trim level. 

In advertisement one, the target market is families or people looking for safety and practicality. In advertisement two, the target market is older people or people with more disposable income who value comfort and luxury. It doesn’t matter if you choose a base model or a top-of-the-line model because both will deliver innovation that excites a safety-driven lifestyle. 

Looking at Nissan’s financial data, sales in 2018 were strong at over 11 million Japanese yen. 2019 sales dipped slightly to just under $10 million Japanese yen. In 2020, sales dipped further to just under 8 million Japanese yen and have been going back up. In 2022, sales were at just above 10.5 million Japanese yen, which is almost on par with 2018 (Carlier, 2023). Looking at the amount spent on advertising, the numbers are very low compared to revenue (not bad). In 2018, Nissan spent just over 300,000 Japanese yen. The number continues to decline, and in 2020, Nissan spent 232,534 Japanese yen. In 2020, numbers were almost on par with what was spent in 2018, at 283,505 Japanese yen (Statista Research Department, 2023). I can see the correlation between what Nissan has spent on advertising and that year’s revenue. Of course, we have to take into account the pandemic and pandemic recovery, especially regarding the auto industry, as there were supply chain issues with microchips.

3. McDonald’s McMobile Advertising Campaign 

The McDonald’s McMobile campaign was targeted in North America and Canada, as the advertising agency was based in Montreal, Canada. A link for the advertisements is below.

https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/mcmobile

I found this advertisement to be simple yet effective. It was to the point, and I automatically understood what was being communicated. I had no particular feelings about the ad, but I don’t eat at McDonald’s. Displayed on the top right-hand corner of the advertisement are the classic McDonald’s golden arches with the words “Download. Order. Enjoy.” displayed. There is a burly background, and a woman holds her phone horizontally as if to take a photo. On her screen is a ham, cheese, and egg McMuffin. Similar images include a McCafe and a classic quarter-pounder. 

The value proposition is simple. Download the McDonald’s app, order, and enjoy your food. The target customer would be folks on the go who don’t want to deal with the time it takes to order and wait for food in person. This advertisement campaign was released in 2020, and McDonald’s grossed $19.21 billion globally, less than the previous year (Statista Research Department, 2024). There is nothing odd about the numbers because of the COVID-19 pandemic. McDonald’s spent over 650 million dollars on advertisements in 2020 globally (Statista Research Department, 2024).

4. Febreze Odor Chart Advertising Campaign

Nobody likes a bad smell, and Febreze is in the business of smelling good! This advertising campaign was released in Turkey, but it could have been successful anywhere as it is easy to understand and cleverly designed to represent a pie graph using smelly foods. Here is a link to the campaign. Like Old Spice, Febreze is owned by Proctor & Gamble.

https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/odor-chart

Three different advertisements are featured, all with Febreze Air in Ocean Mist. Advertisement one features a moldy wheel of cheese with a slice missing from it. Next to the mold wheel of cheese pie chart, a statistic states, “Bad odor makes it 84% harder to remember our memories.” As a chef, I appreciate this statement as it has been proven that smells can trigger memories. Nobody wants a bad or unpleasant memory triggered by a bad smell. 

In the second version of this advertisement, a red onion pie chart is featured, with the statistic “60% of the people who are exposed to bad odor has bad mood.” I don’t like to smell bad things, but I’m unsure about the truth regarding this. There are some grammatical errors, however. The “%” symbol is displayed on the wrong side of the number, and the “has” should have been “have a bad mood.” I’m not nitpicking, as this advertisement was in another country, but I noticed it. I completely understand how difficult it is to write in a foreign language and make an advertising campaign. I certainly could not make a Turkish advertisement. 

The last advertisement features a slice of a boiled egg pie chart with the statistic, “People stay up to 80% shorter on average in places with bad odor.” If your house stinks, your guests won’t want to be there. I like Febreze, and I think it has uses mainly in the bathroom as an after-spray deodorizer because it doesn’t matter how much you spray. If your home needs cleaning, no amount of Febreze can cover that up. Just clean your house! Most people don’t just slap on some deodorant daily without washing their pits, and if you do, that’s on you, but it isn’t going to be me! 

Some of the statistics made me laugh, and the use of stinky foods in the form of a pie chart was creative. The value proposition is clear: Febreze eliminates foul odors (to a point). Who is the target market? Anyone, I think, unless you’re scent-sensitive or allergic to strong smells. I also like the bright colors, as they grabbed my attention. The advertisements were simple and effective, which is something that I appreciate. 

I’ve discussed the financials of Proctor & Gamble in previous blog posts, so I will skip it and dive into something different. I’m curious to know how many brands that Proctor & Gamble owns. Proctor & Gamble is the 4th largest corporation in the world by market capitalization, and it’s Fortune’s 6th most admired company. Proctor & Gamble serves over 5 billion people globally with its brands (MMA, 2024). According to Levine (2024), “Proctor & Gamble is a leading consumer staple company with 80 brands.”

5. World of Wildlife Foundation “Love it or lose it” Campaign

The final series of magazine advertisements I will look at are from the World of Wildlife Foundation. The WWF is a non-profit dedicated to wildlife conservation and endangered species. Here is a link to their homepage to learn more.

https://www.worldwildlife.org

Here is a link to the “Love it or lose it” campaign.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/public-service-advertisements-psa

The Love It or Lose It campaign features several images, but the theme is clear: if we don’t love it, we will lose it. There is a billboard featuring a woman drinking water, and below the words, “Time is running out to protect our freshwater. Act now. Below that is a honeybee pollinating a flower with the words, “Time is running out to protect our food system. Act now. The theme continues with glaciers melting, endangered tigers, and forests. 

This series makes me sad because it’s true. All people have a responsibility to the environment in which we live on Earth. A lot is destroyed for the benefit of people, and it is unfortunate. Little things can make significant differences, like recycling, eliminating plastics, taking a shorter shower, organic gardening, renewable energy, etc. I think this is the value proposition. It’s the “Act now” aspect of the campaign. The target audience is everyone, as we are all responsible for doing our part to reduce carbon footprints. 

According to the World Wildlife Foundation, 85% of WWF spending is on worldwide conservation. Since WWF is a non-profit, all of its financial information is available below on its website. 

https://www.worldwildlife.org/about/financials#:~:text=All%20told%2C%20WWF’s%20net%20assets,pressing%20needs%20our%20planet%20faces.

Total revenues in 2023 amounted to 469,953,556 million dollars, and total expenses were 454,544,058 million. Regarding expenses, the amount spent on advertising was not explicitly listed. I saw their audit for 2022, which included 8,613,526 million dollars in advertising expenses. Revenues were slightly less in 2023 than in 2022, so I am guessing that advertising was around the same or slightly less. 

The audit can be found below.

https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/FinancialReport/file/wvsz4ctol_2023_World_Wildlife_Fund_Inc_SF_CFS.pdf?_ga=2.56794538.1415699859.1713125081-1843126818.1713125079

Thank you for taking the time to stop by The Professional Student. Please remember to comment or ask questions. Thank you, and I hope everyone enjoyed this analysis! 

References

Akhtar, S. (2022, June 15). Case study on old spice “smell like a man, man” campaign. Strategian. https://www.strategian.in/post/case-study-on-old-spice-smell-like-a-man-man-campaign

Carlier, M. (2023, August 29). Nissan: Total net sales. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/314849/total-net-revenues-of-nissan/ 

Febreze: Odor Chart • ADS of the WorldTM: Part of the Clio network. Ads of the WorldTM. (n.d.-a). https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/odor-chart 

Funding and financial overview | WWF. (n.d.-a). https://www.worldwildlife.org/about/financials 

Levine, S. (n.d.). What companies does Procter & Gamble Own?. The Motley Fool. https://www.fool.com/investing/how-to-invest/stocks/what-does-procter-and-gamble-own/

Lahm, R., Lockwood, F. (2022). ENT 610 Entrepreneurial Creation. Master of Entrepreneurship Degree Program: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns” Analysis. https://www.canvas.com

McDonald’s: Mcmobile • ADS OF THE WORLDTM: Part of the clio network. Ads of the WorldTM. (n.d.-b). https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/mcmobile 

Newman, A. A. (2010, July 15). Old spice argues that real men smell good. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/business/media/16adco.html# 

Nissan: Stay home • ADS OF THE WORLDTM: Part of the clio network. Ads of the WorldTM. (n.d.-c). https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/stay-home-8b153c9b-c5ac-4393-abdc-5a718cc8a38c

Procter & Gamble. MMA Global. (n.d.). https://www.mmaglobal.com/members/procter-gamble#:~:text=As%20the%20world’s%20largest%20multinational,the%20world%20with%20its%20brands.

Public service advertisements (PSA) | pages | WWF. (n.d.-b). https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/public-service-advertisements-psa 

Statista Research Department. (2023, September 13). Nissan ad spend 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1412701/nissan-motor-advertising-spending/ 

Statista Research Department. (2024, March 19). McDonald’s revenue 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/208917/revenue-of-the-mcdonalds-corporation-since-2005/

Statista Research Department. (n.d.). 

WWF – endangered species conservation | world wildlife fund. (n.d.-c). https://www.worldwildlife.org/ 

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The Professional Student: Subway PEST Analysis

Graduate students at Western Carolina University were challenged to create a PEST analysis. I’ve chosen to stick with Subway Sandwiches since I’ve already begun exploring them in my previous SWOT analysis. If you missed that, please take a moment to check it out!

Please enjoy my presentation, which can be viewed below.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, and don’t forget to leave me your thoughts and comments!

References

Bush, T. (2024, April 9). Pestle analysis of the food industry (with example). PESTLE Analysis. https://pestleanalysis.com/pestle-analysis-of-the-food-industry/#:~:text=Political%20Stability%3A%20Political%20unrest%20may,services%20can%20affect%20the%20indus

How do I do a pestle analysis? – steps and examples. Business Documents UK. (2023, April 15). https://business-docs.co.uk/scenario/how-do-i-do-a-pestel-analysis/

Kenton, W. (2024, February 27). What is pest analysis? its applications and uses in business. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/pest-analysis.asp

Keyser, W. (2023, April 4). Pest analysis. Venture Founders. https://venturefounders.com/pest-analysis/

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The Professional Student: Taste of Home Cake Baking Contest Edition

One thing that aspiring chefs or pastry chefs can do to get their names out into the world is to enter magazine baking and cooking contests. Last year, I did just that and entered a cake I created into a Taste of Home Party Cakes Decorating Contest.

I had no intentions of entering the contest, but a neighbor had contacted me with a special request for her granddaughter’s birthday cake. We decided on a cute donut theme! I looked on the internet to see if any cake contests were taking place, and Taste of Home was having one while I was already making the cake. I decided to go out on a limb and enter, and I ended up winning as a runner-up, winning a $250 prize.

Cartoon-style cakes had just become very popular then, and I wanted to do a variation on one using my style. I chose a seven-layer white cake with Italian meringue buttercream and homemade strawberry jam filling. There were four layers of cake with three layers of strawberry jam filling. I decorated it by covering it in white fondant with multi-colored polka dots, a red top outlined in black, and adorable mini donuts!

I’m glad I decided to challenge myself. Aside from the cake, I had to submit an entire video of me making it from start to finish and all the recipes I used.

Taste of Home Entry

Here is a link to the full article in Taste of Home.

https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/party-cakes-contest/

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The Professional Student: Pastry Chef Editon

Welcome back, everyone! I’ve been playing with the layout of my blog, and I’ve added a menu bar on the side of my homepage with a “baking” section. I figured it might be helpful to start posting some of my work there, as I would like to showcase and feature some of my other talents outside of graduate school coursework.

At 18 years old, I began my professional cooking career in the Army. Army cooking taught me fantastic time management skills and how to cook large quantities in a short amount of time. I held various positions in the kitchen, including head baker. After being honorably discharged, I attended Le Cordon Bleu in Dallas, Texas, and graduated with a 4.0 GPA, earning an AAS in patisserie and baking. After graduation, I left Dallas and moved to Asheville, North Carolina, to work as a lead pastry cook at The Biltmore Estate for almost five years. Like many service industry workers, I found myself suddenly unemployed due to the pandemic and ventured out alone. 

I started the company during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was a great way to work from home while going to school at the same time. I had not transferred to Western Carolina University yet and had more free time to spend on baking. I operated the company for two years. When I began my studies at Western, I needed more time. I decided to shut down operations and move forward with education as my main priority. I still bake on the side for customers, but now, it’s a fun hobby I enjoy as a creative outlet!

I think the best way to showcase some of my work is by sharing a link to the Instagram account I used for my custom-made dessert company, Custom Goods LLC. The business is no longer active, and I’ve since closed it down, but I keep the Instagram page up to share my work with others. Here is the link to the Instagram page. Please enjoy my work and feel free to comment or ask questions. Thank you!

https://www.instagram.com/customgoodsllcnc?igsh=dndnZ2NteTdoMHhz&utm_source=qr
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The Professional Student: “Engaging Professional Marketing Services”

For this assignment, graduate students at Western Carolina University in the Innovative Leadership and Entrepreneurship program were challenged to visit a PR firm, advertising agency, or other marketing services firms to create a publicly available audio or video presentation. Alternative options include writing an essay based on research or creating a digital tour for a professional marketing firm. 

I decided to visit a local PR firm, Darby Communications, in Asheville, North Carolina, and make a video presentation. The firm is owned by another student in my cohort, Coral Darby. Coral was kind enough to grant me access to her business and her amazing staff. Everyone at Darby Communications was so kind and I appreciate the time everyone gave me. Thank you Coral, Mindy, Suzanne, Lysianne, Stacy, and Angie!

Coral, along with all the interviewees, have given their written consent to have their interviews publicly released. Consent forms have been uploaded online to the university portal in accordance with Western Carolina University policies and procedures.

Please take an opportunity to check out Darby Communications in the link provided below:

Home

I hope you enjoy my video presentation, which you can access at the link below, and I look forward to reading your comments and feedback. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope everyone is enjoying The Professional Student!

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The Professional Student: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns”Newsprint Advertisement Analysis

This week, WCU graduate students studying innovative leadership and entrepreneurship are diving into newsprint advertisement analyses. If you’ve missed my previous analyses, I’ll post the criteria below.  

The deliverables for the assignment analysis are composed into 5 different sections listed in the following order (Lahm & Lockwood, 2022):

  1. Describe the advertisement by product/service, company, brand, etc., and the focus. What was the appeal or technique that was used to evoke an emotional response? Include a link to the ad selected.
  2. What were the objectives of the campaign? To sell more? To inform customers about a new product feature? Were the objectives attainable and measurable, or were they time-specific? 
  3. Describe the target market that was the focus of the advertisement.
  4. What action does the advertisement want the audience to take? If action is taken, how will the audience member benefit from using the product? 
  5. Describe the value proposition of the product or service being offered in each advertisement. What are the specific reasons (product features and benefits) that would drive customers to purchase the product or service being sold in each advertisement?

1. “We Can Do It,” 1942

The first newsprint advertisement I want to explore is a popular and well-known one that has resurfaced countless times since it was first produced during World War II. I’m referring to the “We Can Do It! Rosie the Riveter” poster. I’m not sure if this counts as a newsprint advertisement, as it’s a poster, but it is iconic and something I’ve always been attracted to. Here is a link to the famous war-time poster below:

https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669753

The poster, produced by Westinghouse during World War II, was part of a national campaign in the United States. There was a labor shortage in jobs that men traditionally filled due to the war. The campaign aimed to recruit women into the workforce (value proposition) to fill vacant jobs during a time when women were traditionally running households or limited to the types of jobs that were “acceptable.” The jobs that needed to be filled were in the defense industries, civilian service, and the armed forces. These campaigns were very encouraging, especially for women who had never had a job, to join up and contribute their part during the war (Library of Congress, 2024).

The poster depicts Rosie the Riveter all done up with a full face of makeup, wearing what appears to be a mechanic’s or flight uniform, with her hair pulled up in a red polka-dot scarf while flexing her arm muscles. Her face, while glamorous, looks focused and fierce. She looks strong and ready to take the world on. Looking at the poster makes me feel motivated and reminds me that we can all do jobs and take on new tasks, regardless of who traditionally does them. The yellow and blue background makes her pop and stand out. It almost reminds me of Mr. Clean for some reason. Later, tools, lunch boxes, and different war work uniforms were incorporated into revised images. 

The image has continued to resurface over time, representing women’s rights. Rosie the Riveter has been identified as Naomi Parker, who was working in a machine shop at a Naval Air Station in Alameda, California when her photo was snapped by a photographer sent to a photo agency and later became the face of the campaign. She even had heels on with her jumpsuit, working at an industrial machine. Naomi wasn’t officially recognized until 2016 and passed at 96 on January 20, 2018 (Pruit, 2023).

2. “Brad Is Single,” Norwegian Airlines- 2017

The second newsprint advertisement I’ve picked is modern and won a Cleo award in 2017. Norwegian Airlines took advantage of the very public split up of “Brangelina,” Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. In this advertisement, in big white letters on a bright red background, there is an announcement that “Brad is single,” and one-way tickets to fly to Los Angeles start at $169 British pounds, including taxes. I find this to be hilarious, and it makes me laugh. The advertisement can be seen below here: 

https://clios.com/awards/winner/print/norwegian-airline/brad-is-single-21503

The value proposition is a cheap flight to Los Angeles. Go travel, see the stars of Hollywood, and maybe even bump into the freshly single Brad Pitt! I mean, it’s not Las Vegas, but anything can happen, right? 

I could not find specific advertising budgets for Norwegian Airlines, but I did find the 2017 financial data that they released. According to Norwegian Airline Reports (2018), they experienced a net loss of 22.7 million British pounds due to increased fuel prices, wet lease, and passenger care. Total revenue was 2.8 billion British pounds, a 19% increase, with 33 million passengers that chose to fly with them in 2017, an 18% increase.

3. “Late Breakfast,” Burger King- 2024

The third advertisement I’ve chosen is “Late Breakfast” from Burger King. This print advertisement is a 2024 Clio Award winner and depicts two women sitting on a bus stop bench. One is older and dressed conservatively. The other is younger and dressed in a clubbing outfit with heels, sparkly black pants, and a sparkly black spaghetti strap top revealing two tattooed arms. The woman dressed in the clubbing outfit appears to be hungover or still drunk, eating a breakfast sandwich. The older woman looks kind of annoyed and disgusted to be awake so early, or maybe she is annoyed by the drunk/hung-over clubbing woman. There is a Burger King Bag between them both, but only club woman is eating. Below them, it says, “The most important meal of the night. Breakfast Menu. From 6 AM to 10:30 AM.” 

I think it would have been cleverer to have them both eating or even sharing a meal. I get what they’re saying about the most important meal of the night, as the younger woman clearly hasn’t gone to bed due to party time. Maybe the older woman could have been looking at her watch, and above it in a bubble, “6 AM” could have been displayed. 

The value proposition is the breakfast menu and the hours breakfast is served at Burger King. The advertisement doesn’t really make me want to go to Burger King, and it makes me kind of cringe. I would say the target market for this would be folks who like to be out late doing whatever or folks who wake up early and want to grab a bite to eat on the go.

The most recent data I could find regarding money spent on advertising and profits goes up to the year 2022. According to Faria (2024), Burger King spent $497 million dollars in the United States during 2022. According to the Statista Research Department (2024), Burger King made $1.89 billion dollars worldwide. 

 4. “Fight Against Alzheimer’s Association,” 2024 

The fourth advertisement I’ve chosen is about raising awareness about Alzheimer’s disease among people. This advertisement is a 2024 Clio Silver Award winner and has a powerful message.  Here is a link to the advertisement below here:

https://clios.com/awards/winner/print/fight-against-alzheimer-s-association-a-l-m-a-/second-523236

There is a background of all black with a small piece of light shining through against a wall. It could be an alleyway, a street, or someone’s home. There is lots of room for interpretation. In the light is an elderly woman dressed up with a large red handbag looking off into the distance against the wall. In the upper right-hand corner of the ad, it says, “One second, they know where they are. The next, they don’t. Six out of ten Alzheimer’s patients can get lost.” 

This advertisement made me feel sad as I lost my own grandmother to Alzheimer’s, but I am also happy about the fact that it raises awareness regarding the disease. I think it is important to understand and recognize the symptoms of a patient with Alzheimer’s because those folks need help getting to where they belong. I remember one day that my grandmother’s neighbor called my dad and told him she was wandering the streets and didn’t know where her house was. The home she had lived at for over 40 years. We lived hours away but were able to get in contact with folks to help her get home. I imagine one day I could have it, or anyone for that matter, and I hope someone could see that and help me return to where I belong. 

The value proposition of this advertisement is to raise awareness regarding Alzheimer’s and bring attention to the memory loss that so often occurs. 

5. McDonald’s “Big Mac,” 1969

I’ve chosen to analyze an old McDonald’s ad from 1969 that is featured in The Times-Tribute. The advertisement is introducing the new McDonald’s Big Mac, with “100% of the proceeds from sales on Feb. 1st and 2nd going to the Korisher fund for Bobby and Bill” at McDonald’s of Scranton. The link for the advertisement can be found below here:

https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/blogs/food_for_thought/big-mac-ad-1969/html_6303489a-d034-5637-bea6-21f60535410c.html

There is a photograph of the new Big Mac being marketed as “A meal disguised as a sandwich.”  I guess a burger is a sandwich, but I’ve never heard anyone refer to it, so I find it interesting that they’re not referring to it as a burger. The description of the Big Mac reads as follows: This is McDonald’s new Big Mac Sandwich. It’s two patties of pure, lean beef. Cheddar-blend melty cheese. Crisp, fresh lettuce. Slices of tangy pickle. And drenched in McDonald’s own special gourmet sauce. All on a club-style sesame seed bun. Now bring us a bigger than average appetite. We’re ready. McDonald’s is your kind of place.

I’m not sure what the definition of lean was in 1969, but I find the advertisement interesting! It’s almost as if the Big Mac is healthy! The “cheddar-blend melty cheese” made me laugh because this must be referring to American cheese, like a Kraft single or something. Marketing the “sandwich” as a meal was smart because it is big enough to be a meal. Honestly, I don’t like Big Macs, but the advertisement is very enticing! 

The value proposition is introducing the new Big Mac, which is “a meal disguised as a sandwich.” The target market would be folks who have a big appetite!  I would guess teenagers and adults, as I don’t know many children who slam Big Macs down. The advertisement is so old that I am unsure of the cost of advertising or how much revenue the advertisement generated. 

References

Archives, T.-T. (2023, May 1). Big Mac AD 1969. Tribune. https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/blogs/food_for_thought/big-mac-ad-1969/html_6303489a-d034-5637-bea6-21f60535410c.html

Burger King – Late breakfast. Clios. (n.d.-a). https://clios.com/awards/winner/print/burger-king/late-breakfast-510515 

Faria, J. (2023, September 6). Burger King: Ad spend in the U.S. 2022. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/306694/ad-spend-burger-king-usa/ 

Fight against alzheimer’s association (A.L.M.A.) – Second. Clios. (n.d.-b). https://clios.com/awards/winner/print/fight-against-alzheimer-s-association-a-l-m-a-/second-523236

Lahm, R., Lockwood, F. (2022). ENT 610 Entrepreneurial Creation. Master of Entrepreneurship Degree Program: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns” Analysis. https://www.canvas.com

Norwegian airline – Brad is single. Clios. (n.d.-c). https://clios.com/awards/winner/print/norwegian-airline/brad-is-single-21503 

Norwegian reports 2017 full year results influenced by global expansion, fleet renewal and extraordinary costs. Mynewsdesk. (n.d.). https://media.uk.norwegian.com/pressreleases/norwegian-reports-2017-full-year-results-influenced-by-global-expansion-fleet-renewal-and-extraordinary-costs-2417623

Pruit, S. (2023, September 19). Uncovering the secret identity of Rosie the Riveter. History.com. https://www.history.com/news/rosie-the-riveter-inspiration# 

Statista Research Department. (2023, September 18). Burger King’s revenue 2022. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/266462/burger-king-revenue/ 

We can do it! Rosie the Riveter. The Library of Congress. (n.d.). https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669753/ 

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The Professional Student: “Situation Analysis” Subway Sandwiches SWOT

Hello, and welcome back! Graduate Students at WCU in the Innovative Leadership and Entrepreneurship master’s program were challenged this week with using the SWOT analysis framework to analyze a company of their choosing. Since I previously chose Subway Sandwiches as a subject for my advertisement blog posts, I decided to continue with them.

I fondly remember eating Subway sandwiches when I was younger in the early 2000s. As a freshly graduated from high school “adult” newly enlisted in the Army, Subway was always my go-to option. You couldn’t beat the $5 footlong promotions, and I was on the budget of an Army Private. Money was not plentiful, but I made it work. Chicken teriyaki on Italian herbs and cheese bread with olives, green peppers, onions, and spinach toasted with pepper jack cheese was my favorite Subway sandwich during that time, and I would probably order it now if I still ate at Subway. 

Please enjoy my presentation on Subway. Below the video, you’ll find a complete reference list with clickable links. 

References

Hillel, A. (2023, July 27). “fake tuna” lawsuit against subway dropped by plaintiffs. Courthouse News Service. https://www.courthousenews.com/fake-tuna-lawsuit-against-subway-dropped-by-plaintiffs/ 

IBISWorld – Industry Report: Sandwich & Sub Restaurants in the US. IBISWorld Industry Reports. (2024a, February). https://www.ibisworld.com/ 

IBISWorld – US Company Benchmarking Report: Subway- Company Overview. IBISWorld Industry Reports. (2024b, February). https://www.ibisworld.com/ 

Jurevicius, O. (2024, March 19). Subway SWOT analysis 2023 – SM insight. Strategic Management Insight. https://strategicmanagementinsight.com/swot-analyses/subway-swot-analysis/ 

Kunst, A. (2024, February 21). Subway Brand Awareness, Usage, Popularity, Loyalty, and Buzz Amoung Restaurant Chain Customers in the United States. statista. https://www-statista-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/forecasts/1335810/subway-restaurant-chains-brand-profile-in-the-united-states 

McCarthy, K. (2023, August 25). Subway bought by Roark Capital, parent company of Jimmy John’s and other restaurant franchises. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Food/subway-bought-roark-capital-parent-company-jimmy-johns/story?id=102561166 

Mion, L. (2023, May 2). Subway closed more than 500 US stores in 2022: Report. Fox Business. https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/subway-closed-more-than-500-us-stores-2022-report# 

Reed, B. (2020, October 1). Subway bread is not bread, Irish court rules. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/01/irish-court-rules-subway-bread-is-not-bread 

Statista Research Department. (2023a, November 2). Leading chain restaurants by sales US 2022. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/298191/sales-of-the-leading-chain-restaurants-in-the-us/ 

Statista Research Department. (2023b, November 10). Number of subway restaurants by country worldwide 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/469379/number-of-subway-restaurants-worldwide/ 

Statista Research Department. (2024, March 4). Subway revenue US 2022. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/464277/subway-us-sales/ 

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The Professional Student: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns” Television Advertisement Analysis

This week, graduate students in the Innovative Leadership and Entrepreneurship program at WCU were challenged to analyze five different television advertisements using the same criteria from last week’s blog post regarding radio advertisements. In case you missed my blog posting last week, I’ll repost the criteria below for your convenience. 

The deliverables for the assignment analysis are composed into 5 different sections listed in the following order (Lahm & Lockwood, 2022):

  1. Describe the advertisement by product/service, company, brand, etc., and the focus. What was the appeal or technique that was used to evoke an emotional response? Include a link to the ad selected.
  2. What were the objectives of the campaign? To sell more? To inform customers about a new product feature? Were the objectives attainable and measurable, or were they time-specific? 
  3. Describe the target market that was the focus of the advertisement.
  4. What action does the advertisement want the audience to take? If action is taken, how will the audience member benefit from using the product? 
  5. Describe the value proposition of the product or service being offered in each advertisement. What are the specific reasons (product features and benefits) that would drive customers to purchase the product or service being sold in each advertisement? 

I really enjoyed this assignment as I got to take a trip down memory lane, remembering some of the more pleasant aspects of childhood, like the holidays and enjoying treats. I hope you’ll enjoy these commercials as much as I did! 

Snickers candy bar commercial, 2010 

Two icons joined together and formed one when Snickers recruited Betty White to film a commercial! Snickers is an iconic American candy bar owned and produced by Mars, Inc.

Betty White is and forever will be an American Icon. From Golden Girls to later hits like The Proposal, which was filmed just a year before this commercial. What’s not to love about an innocent-looking, cheery, and lovable grandmother figure with a bit of a naughty comedic side? Snickers has always made memorable commercials, and this one is no exception. 

The scene starts out on a football field with many young men playing tackle football on a muddy field. You see them all running around, and then suddenly, Betty White appears in a pantsuit, playing right along with them. One player goes to throw the ball at Betty, who then gets tackled. Betty lands in a mud puddle with mud all over her face and outfit, and she has this guy on top of her. After Betty gets up, one of her teammates refers to her as Mike and asks, “What’s your deal?” Betty responds, “Oh come on, man, you’ve been ridding me all day!” The teammate chimes in, “Mike, you’re playing like Betty White out there!” Betty comes back at him with a quick-witted response, “That’s not what your girlfriend says!” At this point, all the players are like, “OOOOOOOOOO,” and another lady comes up to Betty with a Snickers bar. Betty takes a bite, and the woman asks, “Better?” At this point, Betty transforms back into Mike, who responds, “Better!” The commercial ends with the tagline, “You’re not you when you’re hungry. Snickers satisfies.”

The objective of this campaign is to sell Snickers bars, particularly to have a few stashed around or with you on the go in case hunger should strike as “you’re not you when you’re hungry. Snickers satisfies (value proposition).” The commercial made me laugh at the thought of a grandmother figure playing tackle football, and it was even funnier with the quick-witted like of “That’s not what your girlfriend says!” Snickers is a classic candy bar, and there is nothing new to offer or change about it. It’s good just the way it is, and it is one of my favorite candy bars aside from a Payday. 

According to the Statista Research Department (2012), Snickers came in third, holding 5.5% of the U.S. candy bar market share in 2011 and 6% in 2012, followed by M&Ms in 2nd place, and Reese’s in 1st place. According to Faria (2023), Mars, Inc. spent $630.2 million in 2010 and $652.2 million in 2012. There was no data for 2011. I could not find specific sales revenue information for the year 2010. Mars, Inc. is a family-owned private company, but what I did learn is that as of 2022, 147,000 people were employed by Mars, with an estimated sales revenue of $47.3 billion (Wunsch, 2024). They are the top global confectioner in the world, with a diverse portfolio that owns 16 separate companies, including drinks, pet food, gum, and healthcare corporations (Wunsch, 2024).

Apple Super Bowl Commercial, 1984

I chose this commercial because I was curious to see why this ad is the most famous commercial of all time, as it only aired one time during the 1984 Super Bowl game.

The purpose of this advertisement was for Apple to introduce their Macintosh computer. The advertisement is long, coming in at a minute. It starts out in what appears to be a futuristic setting with people all dressed the same, marching into a room with glimpses of a woman in orange shorts and a tank top running with a sledgehammer. There is background music playing, talking about “pure ideology.” The people are marching into an auditorium, all looking the same, all dressed the same, listening to the propaganda about ideology being spewed by the figure on the screen. It’s serving A Handmaid’s Tale and giving out Nazi vibes in the depicted militaristic manner of everyone looking the same and marching to listen to their “great leader.” As the scene progresses, this woman with the sledgehammer keeps running closer and closer to the screen. Everyone sitting down appears to be in a trance, looking at the screen. At one point, ever so faintly, you can hear, “We are white people.” The woman begins swinging the sledgehammer around and around while she is twirling in a circle. At the same time, armed guards outfitted in riot gear start charging towards her. Right as the man on screen says, “We shall prevail,” she launches the sledgehammer at the screen, punching a big hole in it. A huge explosion occurs from the screen, and everyone sitting down looks in awe as if they’re coming out of their hypnotic state. Words pop up on the screen, and an announcer starts speaking, “On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce the Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like “1984.” This is obviously a nod to George Orwell’s book 1984. The screen goes blank, and the famous rainbow Apple logo appears on the screen. 

The advertisement is eerie and creepy, and overall, it gives you a bad feeling until the end when hope is presented: the Apple Macintosh, the answer to disrupt the present and future to prevent Orwell’s 1984 from becoming a reality and be different (value proposition). The goal of this ad is to sell and introduce the Macintosh by announcing when it will be available for sale. Who is the target market? I would guess working middle to upper class folks as the computer was over $2,000 in 1984, which is a cost still considered high today. To give you a better picture, adjusted for inflation, $2,000 in 1984 is the equivalent to $6,000 today. It also strikes people with a bit of fear, forcing a deeper thought process to occur. Don’t be the same. Don’t be like everyone else. Don’t do what the person next to you is doing. Don’t do what your neighbor is doing. Be different and buy something different to disrupt the present and the future. 

According to Hintz (2014), Apple’s 1984 Super Bowl commercial reportedly cost half a million dollars to produce. According to Zuzarte (2024), Apple sold $155 million worth of Macintosh computers in the first 3 months following the Super Bowl ad.

M&Ms do exist commercial, 1996

I want to visit a favorite commercial of mine from when I was a child. This is a classic commercial, and I have many fond memories of stuffing my face with M&M’s during the holiday season. Mars, Inc. also owns M&M’s. As a veteran, I appreciate the origin of M&M’s, as they were developed in 1941 exclusively for U.S. service members deployed overseas during World War II. 

The commercial starts out with the red and yellow M&M’s walking out to the Christmas tree at night with a bowl of green and red M&M’s while a classic and well-known song, the Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy by Tchaikovsky from The Nutcracker, plays in the background. The yellow M&M asks the red one if he thinks Santa will enjoy the green and red M&M’s. The red one says, “I have no idea,” and suddenly screams as they encounter Santa putting presents around the tree. The M&M yells, “He does exist!” Santa, looking back at the M&M’s in awe, says, “They do exist!” This is a hilarious moment of irony. Both the red M&M and Santa faint, and the words “Happy Holidays” appear on the screen, followed by “Always Fun” and the yellow M&M asking Santa if he is okay,

I like the feeling of this commercial as it is a little mysterious, with Tchaikovsky playing in the background. I love The Nutcracker, and I saw it many times while growing up during school field trips. This commercial is hilarious for adults if you understand the irony of three fictional characters meeting each other at the same time and mesmerizing for children who have thoughts of Santa coming down the chimney with presents. The commercial suggests putting out red and green holiday-colored M&Ms instead of traditional milk and cookies for Santa. However, with the use of “Happy Holidays” instead of something like “Merry Christmas,” the commercial is inviting people who might have different religious beliefs and backgrounds (target market) who don’t celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense to also enjoy the red and green candies (value proposition). M&M’s are inclusive with their word usage even though they depict a traditional Santa with a Christmas tree. 

As previously stated, Mars, Inc. is a privately family-owned corporation and is the top global confectionary producer. 

Share a Coke commercial, 2018 

When I think of Coca-Cola, I think of America. Coke is a part of American culture and history, as is McDonald’s and other well-known food brands. Like the previous commercial, I have many fond memories of different Coca-Cola advertisements. Some of my favorites growing up were the Coca-Cola polar bear commercials. Coke was so smart with their Share a Coke campaign, as you could buy drinks with your name on them, friends, family members, and so on, gifting them a Coke in a gesture of kindness, love, and friendship.

Coca-Cola is a publicly traded company owned by thousands of shareholders. The largest shareholder of Coca-Cola is Warren Buffet through his company Berkshire Hathaway. 

The advertisement starts out with two men on a train, one younger and one older, with foreign background music playing. There is one bottle of coke on the table, and it belongs to the older gentleman. The younger man tries to grab the bottle, and the older man slaps his hand away and slowly starts turning the bottle of coke around towards the young man. The bottle has the words “Friend” written on it. The young man looks at the bottle intensely and grabs his phone to text the older man. Once again, the young man goes to grab the bottle, but his hand is slapped away. The older man picks up his phone and reads the message, “Friend request accepted.” The older man smiles, and the young man takes the bottle of coke, twists off the top, and begins chugging it. He takes the bottle from his mouth and smiles, and the camera cuts to the bottle of Coke with the word “Friend” front and center. The words “Share a Coke with” appear next to the bottle, and the word “friend” changes to “Dad, Bro, Dude, etc.” Both the men start laughing and chatting with each other, and the words “Taste The Feeling” appear on the screen. 

I like this advertisement for several reasons. It shows how two strangers can be brought together with the clever use of the word “friend” combined with a technological era where more socializing happens online than in person, depicted by the “friends request accepted” text message. The advertisement also displays how Coca-Cola, an American Brand, can bring anyone together, regardless of what language they speak or where they’re at (value proposition). It can be assumed that these two know each other since the young man has the older man’s cell phone number. Presumably, it’s his father or grandfather, but it isn’t explicitly obvious, so that’s up to interpretation. The ending is particularly clever: “Taste The Feeling.” It’s impossible to taste a feeling, but the feeling of making a friend and sharing laughs with each other is a good feeling, which is what it feels like to drink a Coke; good. The target market could be anyoe, as the cost of a bottle of Coke is inexpensive to share as a gift.

According to Ridder (2018) sales revenue for Coca-Cola in 2018 was $34.3 billion and has since increased to $45.7 billion in 2023. According to Ridder (2023) Coca-Cola spent $4.1 billion on advertising in 2018, and that number hasn’t changed much over the years, coming in at $4.32 billion in 2022. 

De Beers A Diamond is Forever commercial, 1996

For my final television advertisement analysis, I wanted to dive back into my childhood with another classic, a De Beers diamond commercial. Known as the “world’s largest diamond company,” De Beers is owned 85% by Anglo American, a British company, and 15% by the Government of the Republic of Botswana. 

The song that everyone knows because of the famous De Beers commercials is Palladio (1st Movement) by Karl Jenkins, the Smith Quartet, London Philharmonic Orchestra. The commercial starts out with Palladio playing and a couple holding hands, walking in the park, being viewed through the mesh pattern of a fence in all black and white. A narration begins, “The last time we were here was when I proposed 10 years ago. It seems like only yesterday. Now, the camera turns to a wall, projecting the shadows of the man and woman; it quickly cuts to the eyes of the man, and then, back to the wall, you can see him placing a ring on her shadow hand. The ring is not a shadow, so you can clearly see it in the advertisement. The narration starts again, “I told you then how much I loved you, and nothing has changed.” All the while, the glistening diamond ring sparkles intensely in the background. The camera cuts to the woman’s eyes, which look filled with love and joy, and back to the shadow figure of them giving each other a passionate and intense French kiss. On the screen, the words “The Diamond Anniversary Band. On your 10th, show her you’d marry her all over again” appear, followed by, “A diamond is forever. De Beers.”

This advertisement makes you feel passion and love for the special someone in your life. The over-exaggeration of the diamond sparkle makes the ring appear almond-magical. It is aimed at long-term couples who are celebrating their 10th anniversary, encouraging men (target market) to purchase the diamond anniversary band to “show their love they’d marry them all over again (value proposition).” 

According to Behrmann (1996), De Beers for the first half of the year are up by 8% from a year earlier, coming in at $2.75 Billion for diamond sales. An article by Bergenstock and Maskulka (2001) suggests that De Beers spends $200 million annually on advertising. 

References 

Behrmann, N. (1996, June 20). The Wall Street Journal – Breaking News, business, Financial & … De Beers Diamond Sales Hit A Record in the First Half . https://www.wsj.com/ 

Bergenstock, D. J., & Maskulka, J. M. (2001, May). The De Beers Story: Are Diamonds Forever?. GALE ACADEMIC ONEFILE. https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA75645899&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=00076813&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7Ee46b7721&aty=open-web-entry

Faria, J. (2023, December 19). Mars: AD spend in the U.S. 2019. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/463074/mars-ad-spend-usa/ 

Hintz, E. (2021, April 1). Remembering Apple’s “1984” Super Bowl Ad. Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. https://invention.si.edu/remembering-apple-s-1984-super-bowl-ad

Lahm, R., Lockwood, F. (2022). ENT 610 Entrepreneurial Creation. Master of Entrepreneurship Degree Program: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns” Analysis.https://www.canvas.com

Ridder, M. (2024, March 18). Coca-Cola Sales figures 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/264423/revenue-and-financial-results-of-coca-cola/

Ridder, M., & 26, S. (2023, September 26). Coca-Cola Co.: Advertising Budget 2022. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/286526/coca-cola-advertising-spending-worldwide/

Statista Research Department. (2012, September 20). The Statistics Portal. Statista. https://www.statista.com/ 

Wunsch, N.-G. (2024, February 19). Top confectionery companies by net sales 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/252097/net-sales-of-the-leading-10-confectionery-companies-worldwide/

YouTube. (2010, June 26). Apple 1984 Super Bowl Commercial introducing Macintosh computer (HD). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=62&v=2zfqw8nhUwA&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fthesparkhouse.com%2F&source_ve_path=MzY4NDIsMjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo

YouTube. (2013, June 26). 1996 De Beers a diamond is forever commercial. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iigEiW8abJk&t=5s 

YouTube. (2016, December 27). M&M’s – they do exist! (1996). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hMAHqp9FNw 

YouTube. (2018, April 12). Coca-Cola’s new “share a coke” ad 2018. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xCqmYbXH9w&t=34s 

YouTube. (2021, October 22). Betty White Snickers AD (2010). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5syJjBQ_k6o 

Zuzarte, R. M. (2024, February 15). 40 years later: Lessons from Apple’s 1984 as we reflect on the celebrity-driven ads of Super Bowl 2024. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/40-years-later-lessons-from-apples-1984-we-reflect-ads-zuzarte-imhoc

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The Professional Student: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns” Radio Advertisement Analysis

Progressing forward into the second week of the second course in my master’s program, students were challenged to examine 5 radio advertisements of our choosing and provide an in-depth analysis. Admittedly, I haven’t listened to traditional radio in over 14 years, so I enjoyed looking up different radio advertisements and even found some to be quite shocking

Before streaming became a thing, my main music source was listening to downloaded music on an old-school iPod, which was commercial-free. Those things are built like bricks and are virtually indestructible! I still own one, which is brand new in the box, should the time arise again for its trustworthy use. Now, I primarily stream all music on Spotify, but started out listening to Pandora when it was first released. 

The deliverables for the assignment analysis are composed into 5 different sections listed in the following order (Lahm & Lockwood, 2022):

  1. Describe the advertisement by product/service, company, brand, etc., and the focus. What was the appeal or technique that was used to evoke an emotional response? Include a link to the ad selected.
  2. What were the objectives of the campaign? To sell more? To inform customers about a new product feature? Were the objectives attainable and measurable, or were they time-specific? 
  3. Describe the target market that was the focus of the advertisement.
  4. What action does the advertisement want the audience to take? If action is taken, how will the audience member benefit from using the product? 
  5. Describe the value proposition of the product or service being offered in each advertisement. What are the specific reasons (product features and benefits) would drive customers to purchase the product or service being sold in each advertisement? 

In selecting my radio advertisements, I wanted to include a mix that I was familiar with and a mix that I was unfamiliar with. Growing up as a kid and teenager in the 1990s and early 2000s, listening to the radio was a main source of entertainment while I got ready for school. Before iTunes became a thing, there was a progression from radio to MP3 files that were downloadable either by using Napster or LimeWire. I’m pretty sure it was considered pirating music, but as a teenager, I didn’t really care. I just wanted to download songs, make playlists, and burn my own CDs. 

Radio Advertisement 1: hair pomade by Old Spice, which won a 2019 Radio Mercury award. Here is a link to the advertisement. https://aef.com/ad-campaigns/old-spice-pomade-radio/

The advertisement starts out with people, both men and women, calling into a radio show to request a “song” Pomade by Old Spice. The women are requesting songs for their boyfriends. A radio announcer gladly obliges, and a jingle comes on about Old Spice Pomade. The jingle explains, “You put it in your hair, not your other hair, but your head of hair. Your gorgeous head of hair. Pomade, such handsome, great hair!” Background singers are chiming in with “pomade” after every line in the jingle. 

The jingle is catchy, and there is some quick-witted humor involved with the line, “You put it in your hair, not your other hair, but your head of hair.” Let us leave it to the imagination to figure out what “other hair” could be referring to. There is also flattery involved, as those who use Old Spice pomade will have gorgeous and handsome hair. Growing up, Old Spice was a brand I thought of for my father, or grandfather, but not a young man. Their advertising has shifted greatly over the years to target younger men, which can kind of be reflected in this radio advertisement, as all of the callers sound like young adults. 

The objective of the advertisement is to inform customers of the product and sell hair pomade to men. The action is to purchase Old Spice hair pomade, which will benefit you by allowing you to achieve gorgeous and handsome hair by using the product. The value proposition is having gorgeous and handsome hair that impresses others or significant others. Old Spice hair pomade comes in multiple scents at a reasonable price. Regarding the success of the advertisement, I’m going to do a little more digging. Old Spice is owned by Proctor & Gamble, and according to Petruzzi (2024), net sales in the United States jumped from $28.6 billion to $31.3 billion from 2019-20, and have continued to increase over the past 3 years. According to Faria (2023), Proctor & Gamble spent $4.28 billion on advertising in 2019 and $4.72 billion in 2020. 

Radio Advertisement 2: O’Reilly Auto Parts. I chose this advertisement because of how catchy it is and how easily it gets stuck in my head. I often hear other people singing or humming the jingle out in public. Here is a link to the jingle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5McPlaK9awQ

O’Reilly Auto Parts is an auto parts store, and according to the advertisement, they offer “professional parts people who recommend the best products for your car.” The advertisement goes on to highlight some current sales happening when this radio advertisement was run in 2022. The emotion that was invoked is pleasant, as the jingle has always been catchy and upbeat. Listening to it, I felt good and like I could trust the employees and products offered at O’Reilly. 

The specific objective of this advertisement was to highlight and sell Peak antifreeze and engine coolant that was on sale with a mail-in rebate. There was no specific timeline in the advertisement, but since a sale was being advertised with a mail-in rebate, those are generally limited to a specific time frame. The target market for this advertisement would be people who drive and maintain their own cars and who might be looking to save a dollar, or a few dollars, with a sale and mail-in rebate. The advertisement encourages people to come on into O’Reilly Auto Parts to talk to professional parts people and get the best products for their cars. Talking to professional parts people who recommend the best products for cars is also the value proposition. The features and benefits of purchasing this coolant are that it is on sale with a rebate and gets maximum system cooling performance for 10 years or 300,000 miles with the Peak brand of long-life antifreeze and coolant. 

According to Placek (2024) O’Reilly Auto Part’s revenue was $14.41 billion in 2022 and $15.81 billion in 2023. According to O’Reilly Auto Part’s corporate website, there are 6,095 stores in 48 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and 62 stores are in Mexico. According to their advertising profile, they spent less than $100 million dollars last year on advertisements. 

Radio Advertisement 3: Bud Light, real men of genius. Budweiser is owned by Anheuser-Busch. This advertisement is 15 years old, but I chose Bud Light because I can always recall their commercials, and they always seem to have great success. I am not a beer or alcohol drinker, but Budweiser is memorable nonetheless. Here is a link to the advertisement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2-eqLrcyiA

The product that is being advertised is Bud Light to Mr. Camouflage Suit Maker, who has amazing skills of deception and can trick a deer into thinking they’re shrubs or a tree out for a walk as they perfect squiggly black lines of blogs and larger blogs all in spectacular shades of green. Bud Light is using flatty towards hunters and pumping up their egos’, as they’re “so smart” and deserving of a beer. 

Clearly, this advertisement refers to and targets men who are deer hunters, or hunters in general, who often wear camouflage clothing to blend into the background unnoticed by their prey. These hunters who “blend in and stand out” deserve a Bud Light for all their crafty camouflage work, as Bud Light can easily be accessorized with camouflage. It’s funny how the beer is being sold as an accessory first and not a beverage, which seems to be the value proposition, as Bud Light could be accessorized with camouflage in a camouflage beer koozie. 

According to Faria (2023) Anheuser-Busch spent $1.47 billion on advertising in 2009 and $1.36 billion in 2010 in the United States. Worldwide, sales revenue was $36.75 billion in 2009 and $36.27 billion in 2010 (Conway, 2024). I could not find specific sales for the United States, but it is interesting to see the correlation between sales worldwide and the amount spent on advertising in the United States for 2010, as they both decreased. 

Radio Advertisement 4: Subway, 2007 Radio Mercury award winner. Here is a link to the advertisement, and I am going to point out that this is pretty shocking as it involves a lot of fat shaming. http://www.radiomercuryawards.org/spotdetail.cfm?id=15

The advertisement starts out with a couple ordering food at a generic fast-food restaurant. The names of the meals are “double chins,” “badonka dunks,” “love handles,” and “thunder thighs,” to name a few. It ends by describing the “California fit menu options” with raisins, low-fat milk, and apple slices, a tasty alternative to burgers and fries. 

The emotions used are trying to guilt people using a shock factor (choice of words) into being healthier because they might have thunder thighs, double chins, a badonka donk booty, and so on, basically fat shamming people as if having an imperfect body is such a bad thing. The name of the menu is “California-Fit,” which makes me think of Hollywood and the ridiculously strict standards that celebrities are held to regarding physical appearances. The advertisement encourages people to go to Subway and try new, healthier alternatives to burgers and fries, such as raisins, low-fat milk, and apple slices. The target market appears to be people who might be feeling out of shape or insecure about their body types and who are looking to “get healthier” and will benefit from achieving their health goals by eating California-fit menu items. 

This advertisement is from 2007, and I could not find any sales data from that year. The earliest sales data I found available began in 2015 at $11.5 billion dollars and has been decreasing over the years to $10.37 billion in 2022. Subway experienced a boom in the early 2000s with the success of Jared Fogle’s weight loss, who then became the Subway spokesperson from 2000-2015 until an FBI investigation led him to become a convicted sex offender for child sex tourism and possessing child sex pornography (Do Couto, 2023). Subway ingredients have also come under fire over the years in the United States and in European countries. 

Radio Advertisement : Ragu pasta sauce, a 2013 Radio Mercury award winner. I consider this advertisement to be a bit controversial, as there are a lot of political undertones that could be seen as poking fun at liberals or democrats. Mind you, Barrack Obama was the President of the United States at the time. http://www.radiomercuryawards.org/spotdetail.cfm?id=1445

The advertisement starts out with a child complaining to their mother about a sibling playing with toys. Mom lets the child know that “we share” in this house, and a song begins. The song sings, “You gotta share all your stuff according to mommy, who knew you were being raised by a socialist commie. Because Ragu is growin up tough. Because Ragu, she’s been through enough.”

The next version of this song starts out with a teacher taking attendance in class, calling out a child’s name, “Moon Topaz Henderson.” The song starts to play, “Her name is creative, and her parents are to blame. Now she has to go through life with a stupid effin name! Because Ragu, growing up is tough. Ragu, she’s been through enough.” 

The next version of this song starts out with a father shopping for shoes for his son. The father asks his son how the shoes fit, and the son replies that they’re too big. Dad says you just gotta grow into them. The song starts, “You wear a size 7, but he pulls a 10 off the shelf. You have to walk around like a hobo and look like an elf! Because Ragu, growing up is tough. Ragu, he’s been though enough.”

The tagline used at the end of all three: “A long day of childhood calls for America’s favorite pasta sauce.” 

The product being offered is Ragu pasta sauce, which is targeted at parents. The parents should buy Ragu pasta sauce and make their kids dinner after a tough day, as growing up is rough. The emotions that are invoked here are mixed because the lyrics are outrageous and politically charged followed by a catchy jingle. My jaw dropped on several occasions. Is it effective? Yes! Is it effective in a positive way? Absolutely not. The value proposition is that parents can make an easy meal their kids will enjoy and eat with America’s favorite pasta sauce. 

According to Wunsch (2014), Ragu was ranked in the United States behind Prego at $246.6 billion in sales revenue in 2013. Prego had $390.4 billion. I could not find any statistics on how much money Ragu spent on advertising in 2013. 

References

Company overview. Corporate Information General Info. (n.d.). https://corporate.oreillyauto.com/corporate-information-general-info#:~:text=More%20Info-,Locations,and%2062%20stores%20in%20Mexico. 

Conway, J. (2024, March 11). Anheuser-Busch inbev revenue 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/269112/revenue-of-anheuser-busch-inbev-worldwide/ 

Do Couto, S. (2023, March 7). Jared Fogle Documentary: How the child predator was brought down – national. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/9533658/jared-from-subway-fogle-catching-a-monster-documentary/ 

Faria, J. (2023a, September 6). Procter & Gamble: AD Spend in the U.S. 2022. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/191998/ad-spending-of-procter-and-gamble-in-the-us/ 

Faria, J. (2023b, December 19). Anheuser-Busch InBev: AD spend in the U.S. 2019. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/192158/us-ad-spending-of-anheuser-busch-inbev/ 

Lahm, R., Lockwood, F. (2022). ENT 610 Entrepreneurial Creation. Master of Entrepreneurship Degree Program: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns” Analysis. https://www.canvas.com

MediaRadar 252 West 37th Street New York, NY 10018 855-723-2788. (n.d.). O’Reilly Auto Parts. MediaRadar. https://advertisers.mediaradar.com/oreilly-auto-parts-advertising-profile#:~:text=They%20spent%20under%20%24100%20million,in%20the%20past%20twelve%20months. 

Mercury awards break the rules. Radio. (2007). http://www.radiomercuryawards.org/spotdetail.cfm?id=15 

Mercury awards break the rules. Radio. (2013). http://www.radiomercuryawards.org/spotdetail.cfm?id=1445 

Old spice – pomade radio. ANA Educational Foundation. (2019). https://aef.com/ad-campaigns/old-spice-pomade-radio/ 

Petruzzi, D. (2024, February 15). Net sales of Procter & Gamble in the U.S. 2014-2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/244117/net-sales-of-procter-und-gamble-in-the-us/ 

Placek, M. (2024, March 21). Revenue of O’Reilly Automotive. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/381143/sales-of-oreilly-automotive/ 

The Statistics Portal. Statista. (n.d.). https://www.statista.com/ 

Wunsch, N.-G. (2014, April 1). Leading 10 spaghetti/Italian sauce brands sales of the U.S. 2013. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/189709/top-spaghetti-sauce-brands-in-the-united-states/ 

YouTube. (2009, March 19). Mr. Camouflage Suit Maker. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2-eqLrcyiA 

YouTube. (2022, November 9). O’Reilly Auto Parts New Radio Commercial (2022). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5McPlaK9awQ 

Categories
Innovation Uncategorized

Innovation: A Modern Problem

Many people have ideas, but not all ideas are good. Those who can act on their ideas, capture and deliver value, and generate a profit for a new or improved framework, process, product, or service can be considered innovative.

What is innovative leadership? Innovative leadership can be described in several ways, but to break it down plainly, it is the ability to lead and drive the innovation process within an organization. Ideas are managed beyond the research and development departments through the practice of entrepreneurship, corporate entrepreneurship, or intrapreneurship.

The innovation process is a proven process broken down into five steps that can be found in different sources (Desouza, 2017).

Step 1: Idea Generation and Mobilization

Step 2: Advocating and Screening

Step 3: Idea Experimentation

Step 4: Idea Commercialization

Step 5: Diffusion and Implementation

According to The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (n.d.), “Of the estimated 4.9 million for-profit companies with at least one employee, 25% introduced an innovation during 2017-19. Eleven percent introduced one or more product innovations, and 22% introduced one or more business process innovations (para. 1).” If only 25% of for-profit organizations are innovating, 3.67 million are not.

Organizations that innovate, invest in innovation, and innovate during a crisis outperform their peers by 10% and outperform the market upward of 30% while recovering from a crisis (Furstenthal et al., 2021).

If organizations that innovate generate more revenue than those that do not, why are so many for-profit organizations failing at innovation? Innovation, like any business process, is a science that starts with a strong innovation strategy, but the problem goes beyond planning from top-level executives and management. It is the top-level executives and management.

Traditionally, organizations are structured with a top-down hierarchy. Still, innovation requires ideas from everyone, including front-line employees, who are often dismissed by management even though they interact with customers the most. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, so maybe it’s time for them to ditch tradition, open their ears, and reverse organizational structure through a bottoms-up approach.

The problem goes beyond management and organizational structure. I could keep going but want to save something for my next post. In the comments, let me know why you think organizations fail to innovate. Thanks for reading, and I hope I’ve sparked your interest and curiosity to explore this topic further.

References

Desouza, K. C. (2017). Intrapreneurship: Managing ideas within your organization. University of Toronto Press Rotman-UTP Publishing. 

Furstenthal, L., Hirt, M., & Roth, E. (2021, March 18). Innovation: Your launchpad out of the COVID-19 crisis. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/innovation-your-launchpad-out-of-the-covid-19-crisis

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. (n.d.). Innovation data from the 2020 Annual business survey | NSF – national … ncses.nsf.gov. https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf23310