Marketing Monday: Print ad simplicity, Print ad confusion

This week, I'm calling out two print ads, one for its simplicity and one for the confusion (deceit?) that it conveys.

First, the good:

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This ad from Modern Dog Magazine speaks for itself, does a great job of communicating features and benefits, and throws in a little humor too.


Now, the bad:

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This ad is typically of the types of information provided by many Canadian retailers. Even though the metric system has been in place in Canada since the 1970s, this retailer uses three different systems of measurement for the same class of products. Don't know if they're deliberately making it confusing or if they're just lazy. Is it just me, or is it difficult to compare the value you get with each of these products?

Toy Tuesday: This is What's Up, Doc!

Of all the brands I have encountered in the world of toys and licensing, Looney Tunes was one of the most rewarding, successful, and fun projects to work on. The New York Times reported last week that "Warner Bros. is embarking on a five-alarm rescue effort for Looney Tunes", the franchise often called one of the studio's crown jewels.

When I was a Senior Product Manager at Tyco Toys, we held the master toy license for Looney Tunes, and I was responsible for coordinating all the efforts across the program for all the different brand teams at Tyco who were developing and marketing Looney Tunes toys. It was both interesting and challenging to align boys, girls, games, activities, and mini vehicles in an organization where brand teams were accustomed to working independently.

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The Looney Tunes brand itself was challenging to market as toys. It doesn't have a clear focus toward either boys and girls, and while the characters have always been well known and well loved, they're not necessarily kids' favorites. Competing against other brands with humor components like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Spongebob Squarepants is a big challenge.

Despite these challenges, Tyco was able to achieve some success due to a well integrated retail and marketing program as well as a great working relationship with the people at Warner Bros. Consumer Products, from whom I learned what it is to be a demanding yet fair licensor.

The New York Times article implies that Looney Tunes is in trouble today, with worldwide sales of licensed products at "only" $1 billion. With new TV programming on the way, I sincerely hope that the entertaining and irreverent Looney Tunes brand regains the notoriety it deserves.

Looney Tunes toys by Tyco

Travel Thursday: Ten Days in a Carry On

While I've never successfully taken a ten day trip with carry on luggage, I sure would like to be able to do it. Today's New York Times has an article and slideshow that tells you exactly how to make it work. Still not sure that I could do it if I needed winter wear or a suit, but it's worth a try.

Marketing Monday: The Process

Came across this very funny video about the process of designing a stop sign that will mean a lot to ad agencies and designers. Not sure who created it, but it's clearly done by someone here in Toronto. Enjoy!

Toy Tuesday: Sophie la Girafe

Seems that everyone I know with an infant has a "Sophie la Girafe" toy. While I never learned about the toy from all my work in the toy business, I did learn something new today -- Sophie has been around for almost 50 years and was born in France.

Toysrus.ca sells Sophie for $21.99, and despite the toy's notoriety, it receives mixed reviews from parents.

Learn more about Sophie here.

Travel Thursday: Do You Really Have to Check Luggage?

Gadling, a travel blog, has a good article this week outlining six reasons not to check luggage:

1. Security has made checking bags a major hassle
2. The price of checking a bag
3. You can't trust the airlines (or the baggage handlers, the TSA, fellow passengers or the airport staff)
4. Retrieving your bags takes too long
5. The great unknown of where your bag goes
6. Why check when you don't have to?

In related news, The Toronto Star had an article yesterday morning about a cat missing because its cage was dropped by a Westjet baggage handler at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, validating my long standing decision never to take my dog on a plane.

Fortunately, things worked out for the cat and its owner, with The Star reporting last night that the cat was found, "a little greasy, a little dirty and a little worse for wear, but otherwise safe and sound."

Toy Tuesday: Chief Amusement Officers

MediaPost New's Marketing Daily website has an article today about Mattel's and Hasbro's Q1 performance. While the article isn't particularly interesting, the opening line is outstanding: "It looks like parents all over the world are relaxing back into their role as chief amusement officers".

With the proliferation of positions with titles like Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Technology Officer, etc., I love the "Chief Amusement Officer" title that accurately reflects the role of parents in their kids' lives.