Why I Hate the Superbowl Ads You Love

I know this will upset my friend Gini Dietrich because she likes being entertained. And I once had an exchange with Rob Schwartz of TWBA/ChiatDay whom this post would irk greatly. Rob said it is all about chatter. Getting people to talk about your brand all year.

I don't agree. If you are going to pay that kind of jack to reach that many people it should do one of two things. First is show me something new so I get interested in learning more or buying it. Second is show me something that exists and show me I should buy it.

For a new brand with limited exposure this falls into the 'new' category. Like Living Social who wanted people to know they exist. For a national or global brand that everyone knows already why are you creating an ad to tell me you exist?

I came down hard on last years ads:

VW Force....cute. funny. Didn't sell me a car. Waste of money. It showed me I can start my new Jetta from inside the house. Great but what if the car is ugly and a piece of crap? Oh and Buick showed me I can start their car from another city remotely with a smart phone one month later.

Chrysler Detroit ad? Great for Detroit because shows they are tough and gruitty minus M&M (I hate whiny lyrics which he tends to write. What is tough and gritty about whiny lyrics?). But Chrysler? Did it change my view of the worst Quality in the US? No.

Pepsi? WTF assault by soda cans. That does not make me want to buy Pepsi and I LOVE PEPSI! Make me thirsty for Pepsi vs cower behind my couch.

They need to hire Vinny Warren to save the brand before it is too late. I like entertainment and comedy but think of the product. What are you selling me and yes you have to sell.

VW Jetta? Gas Mileage. Safety. Quality. Looks and styling. Performance. Gadgets. Score: D minus. You barely showed the car. You showed me one gadget. Oh boy.

Chrysler? The same. Plus show me you are different now. Change my view on your cars. Score: F I was left with no change of view for your cars or your brand.

Pepsi? Great taste. Refreshing. Lifestyle. Score: D minus. Do you really need to mimic a dumb cheap beer commercial to sell soda?

Tomorrow I will discuss some of the previews and my thoughts.

Mobile Monday - What is Mobile Good For?

On Friday I presented the Un-Mobile Edition discussing the limitations of mobile now that I have had to use it for work while I sit like a rotting egg on a hot summer pavement for Square Trade to even update me on my warranty (I don't think I am going with them next time I get a computer and will gladly pay a premium for quicker support).


Now that I got that dig in....


What do I use Mobile for?


I read a ton of news and there is some great APPs from many news sources that are free:


Huffington Post, McClatchy, NY Daily News (for my NY Sports coverage), Bloomberg (but that black background and white text can be painful), Washington Post, BBC News, ESPN Score Center (also has great sports news), and New Scientist all are great.


As a dig to all the Social media wonks Bloomberg and BBC do not have social sharing functions which is something I find interesting because these media outlets are not making money on ads for the most part. I mean they serve them but they are never relevant (will discuss next post). You would think they would want you linking stories on their website so that it will drive traffic there where ads are more premium (though still mostly unrelevent!).


I use Soundcloud and Double Twist for music and now this has replaced my IPod. Soundcloud excels for Electronica and quite a few bands allow you to stream their music. If you prefer underground music like I do there is tons of stuff including a lot you can download for free. Even the Foo Fighters jumped on board releasing their last album on the platform.


I don't really shop. When my laptop went down I decided to use Amazon to look for a replacement. Web shopping sucks. It is very time consuming because you have to shop page by agonizing page, vs say going to a store and seeing everything at once. Mobile is even more painful. So while I am totally bullish on Amazon's Price Checker App for when I am in a store, shopping is not going Mobile for me in it's current format.


Research/Resources. Movie Times/Listings. Trivia needs (ever get into a dumb argument over something with a friend?) IMDB and Wikipedia. Finding a restaurant and calling them (Yelp! is pretty good). Sports Scores.


Social Media I use Hootsuite for my @SkyPulseMedia and running a client's Twitter program. And I use the Google Plus App which is pretty slick.


I take a lot of photos and often email them to friends or upload to Twitter or G+ depending on the content. Personal stuff I share via email (and text) more general stuff I will share with my networks. I never used Facebook mobile in fear they will know my cell number and sell it to marketers.


I don't do much web surfing because the screen is too small and I hate zooming in and out. But I have been reading some blogs and even used Livefyre when it is working on them for commenting. I do not watch much video. But find myself doing more of this. Ironically the YouTube App is struggling on my Android. If anything that should never occur considering they are Google Products. But although more and more video is watched on Mobile devices, we all know we prefer big screens to small for this.


Other APPs I use:


Google Goggles for QR Codes, Flash Light (indispensable), Evernote for Tasks and Reminders, the Calendar which is connected with my Gmail account, Gmail, GPS (Google Navigation is awesome), Google Earth/Sky, and Voice Search (Google get's it right 90% of the time), Calculator, and lastly Cardio Trainer which is an awesome program for running, hiking, biking.


Lastly yes I make phone calls and SMS Text. In fact most of my mobile communication is private vs public/social. I am sure the same is for you as well.


As you can see I use my Android Phone for a lot of tasks and uses. This does not mean it is easy for a Brand or Marketer to reach me. But they can and next post will discuss some ways  to do so.


How do you use your Mobile Device?

Mobile Friday - the Un-Mobile Edition

Sorry about the black out here. No this was not SOPA related even though we are against SOPA and PIPA.


This was computer related. The laptop died. It was warrantied through Square Trade. Which btw if you can go 2-3 weeks without your computer they are a good deal, but I have buyers remorse since using my computer for business it is critical to my livelihood. Sometimes those expensive repair shops can be worth it!


Secondly been using Mac's from my partner and family. And I am not a convert. I long for Windows everyday and I am not a Microsoft guy. I don't even use any of their software besides Windows!


So since I have a mobile marketing focus here, but not mobile technology I decided to see how much I can do on my phone for work. And guess what? Not much.


Screen is too small for web work. My Droid 2 has a nice sized screen but most web sites are not mobile formatted. And that Apple commercial showing the easy zoom in zoom out? Biggest crock of shit ever. I DON'T WANT TO ZOOM IN OR OUT! 


What about productivity APPs? I have some but I am not a tech whiz who has integrated my work with my mobile. Really don't want too. I like a big screen and happy with my Laptop for work. 


I do use a Calendar for appointments and meetings. I use Evernote for notes and my To Do list.


Skype Mobile kind of sucks. I tried adding a third party to a call and it failed.


Facebook was a big failure. I run a client's page and couldn't through the Mobile Web nor the Facebook APP.


I don't have my work email on my Droid. Already pay way too much for phone, sms, and data. Adding another $20 for that with Verizon and I am approaching a car payment per month.


Blog reading and Livefyre commenting worked pretty well. I participate in many communities and was able to keep up.


I use Opera Web Browser. Pretty happy with it overall. But some websites with lots of bells and whistles appeared messed up. Though very easy to share links.


Hootsuite for my professional and client tweeting is excellent.


Biggest failure? I wanted to blog. I like to add photos or other content. Very hard on a phone to surf the web for a media item then add it to a blog post. Never mind how unwieldy it is on the mobile web.


Verdict? Mobile will never replace a Laptop for work. Tablet's have potential though I like a keyboard. If voice recognition allows me to speak vs type then maybe I can make the switch. And that could be the solution for mobile one day as well.


Monday I will post what I think mobile is great for and the areas of shortcomings with a consumer use focus.