Soymilk and Deodorant

Remember Dove's Campaign For Real Beauty? The advertising campaign was centered around real women telling their stories of why they loved Dove products and so on and so forth.

This campaign was thought to be successful because women would rather be sold to by someone they see as their peer, rather than a faceless entitiy whose only goal is to separate them from their cash.

Following on this advertising bandwagon is Silk Soymilk. According to the Adweek article,
Take a sip forward" TV and print ads, from Berlin Cameron, New York, feature real women telling their stories about the first time they tried Silk and how it helps them take small steps towards a healthier lifestyle. The women chosen for the spots are not super health nuts, said Griffin Creech, co-creative director at Berlin Cameron. "It's honest. They are regular people who are clearly excited about the brand. They are saying, 'Why don't you give it a shot?'"

Pretty good idea, I think. Let's find out if it's actually successful.

Like free magazines?

Me too!

Here are two links for you.

Want a free subscription to Newsweek? All you have to do is join a website (that's reputable) and then write a review on your favorite breakfast foods.

Not a Newsweek person? How about Car and Driver? Same deal, but this time you have to tell them about your car.

Simple enough, eh?

It's no secret that I love the Ellen DeGeneres show. I'm also a big fan of her constant giveaways and contests. They do wonders for her image.

Here's a cool one. According to the site:

You've Gotta Have Faith!

George Michael is going on his first tour in 17 years, and not only does he want you to see him, he wants you to see him for free! He's giving away 2 tickets for each of these cities so enter to win and make sure you choose the city closest to you.

That's right, kids, you too can see George Michael for free!

And I know all the games you play because I play them too

(click on the image to enter)

I Want All That's Coming to Me.

So, yes, I'm stuck in 1999 and I enjoy LiveJournal.

There.

I'm not ashamed.

We've been buddies since I had braces. It's hard to let go of a friendship like that.

Besides, dearest ElJay has provided me with my favorite outlet of Free Stuff.

There. That's my secret. That's how I found the coffeemaker that I sold on Amazon for $60 bucks. That's where I got my subscriptions to TV Guide and Nylon. And that community is why I have one of those new Neutrogena Wavers. Companies routinely give away their products for free as a way to increase trialability and promote awareness of new products.

Free Stuff. also has a link to a site with a nice catalog of free stuff that appears pretty legit, called Thunder Fap. Unfortunate name, yes?

Have fun, guys!

Money Money Money . . . MONNNEEEYYY

Everyone has at one time or another received one of those stupid e-mails or pop-ups promising you a free product, gift card, or check if you completed one of their surveys.

And by now, we all know that they're fake and you will never, ever receive something in return.

Well, if you didn't, you did now.

Anyway, there are a few reputable websites that pay for surveys or offer products in return. Of all these sites, PineCone Research is my favorite.

According to the PineCone Research website:

"PineCone Research is at the forefront of "online research", today's sophisticated and leading-edge approach to gathering consumer opinions. Consumer input is vital to the development of new and improved products.

Traditional survey methods, although effective, can be inconvenient and time consuming. Online research helps solve this dilemma. With online research, you can answer surveys from the comfort and convenience of your own PC and at a time that is convenient for you."

So, what happens is companies hire PineCone Research to survey large groups of people for them. Sometimes, they send new products, not yet on the market, for users to test and report back with their opinions and criticism.

Cool right? Well, it gets better.

As anyone who has tried to get a large group of people to fill out a survey accurately knows, it's really, really hard. Not many people want to bother with it or will fill in with fake answers. To combat this, PineCone Research pays $3 per survey you complete. I, personally, have racked up almost $40 in a couple months. I've also received two products to test out. However, due to PineCone's confidentiality agreement, I am forbidden to speak about them! Sorry guys.

The other bad thing is you cannot sign up for the panels, you have to track down one of the ever-moving banner ads and join that way. There are groups on the internet devoted to pointing out where they lie. Currently, my sources say that this LINK works. Good luck with it, if it does! I promise it's worth it!

Ellen again!

The Ellen DeGeneres show has another cool promotion going on right now.

During one of her shows the other day, she gave away a cruise on the new "Celebrity Solstice" from Celebrity Cruises. She then directed the viewing audience to her website to enter to win a cruise of their own. Being the excited person I am, I quickly scampered to her website and found the entry page.

According to the website:

You can win a cruise for two on the extraordinary, new, state of the art, "Celebrity Solstice" from Celebrity Cruises. Celebrity Solstice is ushering in a new era of style, accommodations, and of course, indulgence. It's the first cruise ship with a half-acre Lawn Club with real grass, 10 incredible restaurants, and a glassblowing show and studio! That's right, you could win a 7-night cruise during the inaugural season of Celebrity Solstice.

Promotions like these are good for both companies; Ellen's show is shown as being fun for giving a cruise away and the cruise line is given extra publicity.

And real grass . . . really?!

(click on the photo to enter)

Online Advertising: The Final Frontier

Okay, post number two where I stray from the original topic of this blog. But hey, it's not like anyone reads it anyway! hah.

Online advertising isn't just for young people anymore.

For the launch of their new drink called Tava, Pepsi has decided to advertise solely through its own website, banner ads, promotions, and "offbeat stunts like sampling events at popular shops and the delivery of free samples to the employees of prominent companies like Google and MTV."

According to the NYT article by Stuart Elliot;

That would not be an unusual introduction if Tava were intended for the younger consumers who have grown up in a digital world. But the product, which is fruit-flavored and caffeine-free, is being aimed primarily at men and women ages 35 to 49.

“There used to be an assumption this target was not online,” said Frank Cooper, vice president for flavored carbonated soft drinks at Pepsi-Cola North America in Purchase, N.Y. “But there’s a group in that category that’s ‘reborn digital.’ They’ve lived through the change and learned to adapt to it.”

“This consumer spends significant time online, although what they do may differ from the younger consumer,” Mr. Cooper said. “They’re not I.M.-ing their friends; they’re looking at e-mail or looking up information about travel, music, food.”

I think it's great that advertisers are finally taking notice that almost everyone is online and that traditional advertising is not as essential. With the development of TiV0 and the availability of DVRs, people are able to skip through their commercials, rendering TV advertising much less successful . . . there is no longer the "captive audience."

Way to go, Pepsi! But your Tava sounds disgusting.

Dear Drink Companies,

Please stop producing these "fruit flavored drinks" which have no benefit to the drinker and are worse for you than water and a zillion times more expensive. How about 100% juice? What happened to that, people?!?

Thaaaankks,

Chelsea

Oh well . . . You win some, you lose some.