The Stories behind the Big Brands

Neatorama tells the stories behind some of our country's biggest brands. I really enjoyed reading them! Check out the top 10 food brands, car brands, Hollywood Studio logos, and tech logos.

Morton Salt

Betty Crocker

Paramount Studios

Ford Motor Company

Canon

Even Carnival Cruise Lines is going Interactive

Want a pet fish but don't want to have to deal with the maintenance of feeding the fish or cleaning out the tank? Just find one of Carnival Cruise Lines interactive fish tanks and you can create your own digital fish!



Carnival saw an opportunity to utilize empty store windows to their advantage. When pedestrians walk by the window, sea life move in response to their movements. Using your cell phone, you create a fish, and even come back to feed and interact with your fish later!

Currently the interactive aquariums are in Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and Washington D.C.

Don't Cut the Budget, Just Change It!

Often times during tough financial times, companies feel like they should cut some unnecessary spending. And more often than not, the marketing department is the first area to get budget cuts. Various studies over the years, however - like the ones featured on the Financial Times website, prove that marketing is beneficial and even crucial, in times of recession.




According to one study featured on Financial Times, Kellogg's maintained its marketing spending during the 1930s depression, while Post did not. Kellogg then dominated the dry cereal market for the next half-century. As shown in a McKinsey & Company report, the companies who increased their spending in a recession were the only ones whose profits rose substantially when the economy recovered.

The companies that kept their marketing budget in tact, or increase them, were able to keep their voice heard, thus allowing consumers to stay familiar with their brand. And by keeping or increasing their marketing budget, these companies were able to increase market share and profitability over time, ultimately making their companies stronger players than the companies that decreased or eliminated their marketing spending.

When brands battle...

Wow, this Mac vs. PC thing is getting interesting!

As brilliant as the Apple commercials are...I think Microsoft did an excellent job responding back with their ad, "I'm a PC."



I think this was the much better route to go, marketing wise, than the ones with Gates and Seinfeld.

I saw another Apple commercial that just came out that took a direct jab at Microsoft for spending a said $300 million on their advertising rather than using money to fix the actual problem - VISTA. Here are the following two jabbing Apple ads:






And then I see this - a more low-key Microsoft ad made entirely from PCers.




If you are a PCer, you can upload your own "I'm a PC" video here and possibly be on TV!

What would truly be ironic is if the "I'm a PC" ads were created on a Mac. According to this article, they are.

To be fair, I know several people that have and use VISTA and have absolutely no problems with it. They love it!

Dramatic Cuts in your marketing budget call for creative ways to keep your brand in the minds of your consumers and partners. – Incorporate Social Networking Sites into your marketing TODAY!

I am always amazed at marketers cutting their budgets in times of economic doubt. I am a true entrepreneur at heart and am intrigued by the ideas that come out of us during hard times and history has shown us that the brands that continue their marketing are the ones that survive. Social networking sites today is a God sent tool for brands. There is no better or more cost effective way to interact with your customers than through a social networking site. After all they play a vital role in the brand-building process and there are so many to choose from; like MySpace, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Somewhat like dating – you should look before you leap, before getting involved with a social networking site. Please do your homework and get to understand the type of people your brand will be spending time with. Listen to what they are talking about, what are their interests and determine if your brand brings any value or is relevant to them.

Be smart about choosing who to hang out with. Just as we tell our kids that their friends say a lot about who they are. Figure out your brands objective before becoming friends with others in an environment that may not do justice for your brand. I was intrigued by the Mazda Design Challenge and how Mazda launched their branding initiatives of its 2018 MAZDA3 on Facebook. Mazda asked Facebook members to post concepts for the 2018 Mazda3 and Mallory McMorrow was named the winner of the Mazda Design Challenge. Mazda launched this branding initiative after they realized that their target audience was hanging out on Facebook. Facebook members submitted hundreds of designs and voted on the design features they’d be interested in. Mazda was able to interact one on one with existing and potential customers, getting immediate feedback and insight into what their customers expect of them and want from them. Mazda obviously put a lot of thought into this initiative and didn’t just reproduce an existing ad or video for Facebook. The brand strategy was true to Mazda’s business objective and they developed a new way to reach and interact with new and existing customers.

Ad Age's 2008 Marketer of the Year

There are six candidates.

Do these surprise you? Maybe so, maybe not. See why the staffers at Ad Age chose these six finalists.