@Netflix vs. @Blockbuster

All the ad folks here at BG have been assigned a book report to present starting this week. On Thursday I will present my report on a book called "Twitterville: How Businesses Can Thrive in the new Global Neighborhoods" by Shel Israel, and in honor of that, I've decided to do a comparison of two Twitter accounts: Netflix and Blockbuster.

A combination of Twitterville and a C-Net News article titled "Netflix soars as Blockbuster plans bankruptcy" inspired me to take a glance at both of their Twitter accounts. After reading Twitterville, I have become very curious about the correlation between the current success of a company and the content/quality of their tweets and overall presence on Twitter. I am beginning to understand that it's no coincidence that Southwest Airlines and JetBlue are the current superstars of air travel and they have the best Twitter accounts in the industry. In most industries, the companies with the best Twitter accounts are the ones who are successful right now because it means they are understanding the modern landscape of technology and social media while engaging with their customers on a more personal level than ever before. 

These corporate giants that used to seem so far removed from individual customers can now personally interact through Twitter and it's changing the way people see these large companies. The question is- is this personal interaction changing the way customers see companies for the better? For Netflix, it's a yes. For Blockbuster, it's a serious no. Let's look at @Netflix and @Blockbuster and see if the interaction they have with their customers is indicative of their current situations:

Tweets from @Netflix cover a wide variety of topics that cover all things entertainment that engage followers and prompt a response. Almost every tweet ends in a question that asks followers to tell them their favorite movie, show, performance, song, thoughts, etc. Tweets are about box office results, current events (Fashion Week, VMAs, Emmys, film festivals), movie castings, and announcements. @Netflix rarely tweets about the actual company business of Netflix and instead chooses to focus on asserting itself as an authority for entertainment and movie industry news.

It is also clear that @Netflix has a true understanding of the Twitter community: they respond to personal tweets and add an engaging question to make it applicable to all their followers, they retweet, use hashtags and brilliantly incorporate current events and celebrity tweets. Examples:

• Toronto Int’l Film Festival buzz: The Town, Black Swan, 127 Hours & Never Let Me Go. Which are you most excited to see? #TIFF
  
• #dontarguejustacceptit: __________ is the greatest movie ever made.
  
• Sept. 1st - the first day of school at Hogwarts for Harry Potter & Friends! What house would you be sorted into?
  
• What film makes you want to pack your bags @TravelChannel? For us, it’s The Motorcycle Diaries.

Tweets from @Blockbuster are much simpler to explain- 99% of tweets are customer service responses to problems or complaints about service/availability. Although it is good to see Blockbuster trying to individually assist customers over Twitter, it makes it seem as if Blockbuster only has problems. Examples:

• @LivingontheBlock: Sorry for the delay. I talked with a buyer who said we're working with the studio to get Dexter and other titles in ASAP.
  
• @Pharrel1: Please make sure you're reporting them in your Queue so we can pull them for inspection.
  
• @indiestace: Yeah, it's very long wait due to the high demand. I don't have a date yet, sorry.
  

I think the Twitter accounts are indicative of the two companies as a whole- Netflix is modern and has a true understanding of what their customers are looking for in a movie rental service as well as the experience they are looking for from a company. Blockbuster has shown that they are unable to adapt to the current industry and aren't doing a great job impressing the few customers they have left. Because of this, Netflix is on its way up while Blockbuster is headed for bankruptcy.

The way a company interacts with customers and the overall tone and message of their Twitter account can really impact the way people view the company. Netflix is positive, informative, and entertaining, while Blockbuster only further highlights the misfortunes and difficulties their company is currently facing. The bottom line is that while Twitter can be used to enhance customer service, it is not a platform for addressing problems and apologizing; it is a tool to engage positively and personally with customers while keeping them informed and entertained. Netflix understands that, Blockbuster does not. Nice knowin' ya Blockbuster.

Things I am hating right now...

Two months ago while driving on the 5-North en route to Los Angeles, I noticed that there are an unusual number of billboards for "Lap Band Weight Loss" or "1-800-Get-Thin". They caught my attention just by their overwhelming quantity but also because the billboards are painfully tacky and tasteless. I spend most weekends in LA and it seemed like on each trip I noticed and more and more of these terrible billboards. They had taken over the freeways and cities and struck a nerve in me that made me angry every time I saw them. Here is the worst part- THEY HAVE MADE THEIR WAY TO SAN DIEGO. My beloved city is now littered with these awful things and I pass three of them in my 20-minute drive to work. I hate them. 

Here were some of my thoughts and questions:

1. "Holy crap, this must have cost a fortune... how can a medical procedure afford to advertise like this? Most major hospitals can't afford to advertise this ferociously, how is this Lap-Band Procedure making enough to spend this much?" (Things I've learned at BG: Good placements cost good money.)

2. "Goodness these billboards are ugly... if this group can spend so much on billboards, couldn't they spare a few dollars to make a billboard that isn't so basic, tacky, and unappealing?" (Things I've learned at BG: It is always worth it to make sure ads look outstanding.)

3. "There's no way this is legit... very few people can even qualify for a gastric-band procedure so it must be a scam if they can afford to advertise this much to everyone."

That third thought is what motivated me to do some research on this product and company (Things I've learned at BG: research is the key to everything). Here is a brief summary of my findings:

The Weight Loss Centers is a part of a medical group in Beverly Hills called Top Surgeons that is owned by a pair of brother doctors that were featured on Dr. 90201 a few years back. Only nowadays, both of them are no longer doctors because their California medical licenses have been revoked: one for lying about attending UC Irvine (because he was expelled from UCI for stealing exam papers) and the other for negligent practices for unsafe liposuction procedures. The LA Times revealed that a majority of the people involved in this "Lap-Band Miracle" are former doctors with revoked licenses.

The billboards claim that insurance will cover the procedure when, in reality, most insurances only cover gastric-band surgeries for individuals that qualify as morbidly obese on the BMI scale. For anyone who is not covered by insurance, the Top Surgeons company offers a Care Credit Card to put the bill for the procedure on... with an incredibly high interest rate. The company has been scamming people by charging them outrageous fees even if they don't go through with a procedure; there have been a tremendous volume of lawsuits against the company for fraudulent billing, breach of contract, and violating the state consumer protection law. Violating state consumer protection laws is when a business fails to tell you relevant information or misleads you in any way about their rates, return, or warranty.

I feel satisfied in discovering that I was right in all of my assumptions about these billboards- most importantly that this business is a scam. As satisfying as that is, it makes me hate these billboards even more. Not only is it luring desperate people into an serious medical procedure while scamming them out of money, it is this kind of garbage that gives advertising a bad name. So many advertisers like Bailey Gardiner create beautiful, effective and tasteful ads for good clients and it's infuriating to see companies like this use advertising to deceive people. I hope people start realizing how shady this Lap-Band Surgery is and how disreputable Top Surgeons group is so that they can go out of business and I never have to see their awful advertising ever again.

Carrots turning into junk-food...

Okay, maybe that title is a bit misleading- carrots are still going to be as healthy, crunchy, and delicious as ever... but the bag they come in is getting a makeover. A junk-food makeover.

Baby carrot companies are joining forces and planning to let Crispin, Porter + Bogusky spend $25 million of their hard-earned carrot money to repackage and rebrand baby carrots for the masses. The USA Today article provided these campaign plans:

•Packaged in Doritos-like bags. Three different designs are planned.

•Sold out of cool school vending machines. Tests are underway in Cincinnati and Syracuse, N.Y.

•Sporting slogans like this on billboards and packs: "The original orange doodles."

•Touting seasonal tie-ins. Coming this Halloween: scarrots.

•Offering a phone app powered by the sound of folks munching carrots in real time.

•Airing TV spots that tout baby carrots as extreme, futuristic and even, yes, sexy.

The idea is that packaging baby carrots like their junk-food competitors will make kids think carrots are as cool and delicious as other bagged snacks and will taste just as good. Or that seeing a bag of carrots in a vending machine of junk food will eventually make people equate carrots with a fun treat instead of a healthy vegetable.

I am so entertained by this. My first thought is "what is this world coming to when we have to disguise health food with junk food packaging to trick people into eating it" but that is an issue that really cannot be tackled in one blog post. What can be addressed though is how fabulous it is (for everyone in advertising business) that now even individual vegetables require a $25 million campaign to make people eat them. Not just brands, not just products- even an individual vegetable that has been on this planet forever requires advertising services.

It's going to be really interesting to see what CP+B comes up with to pump up the country's interest in carrots and even more interesting to see if other vegetable industries follow suit and roll out big campaigns. It seems like in today's eco-friendly, organic-food climate, this could be surprisingly successful and do really good things for America's veggie industries and our country's waistlines. It may seem a little bit crazy to those of us who have grown up with Cheetos as junk food and carrots as health food, but if we begin seeing both these things as equally cool and equally tasty, maybe this could be the start of a healthier lifestyle for all of us?

Things I am liking right now...

I had so much fun making a numbered list in my last post that I am going to do another one... Today it's going to be a short list of things I really like that have caught my attention recently:

1. I like that today is the first day of my extended internship and my volunteer days are over. I like that very very much. Thanks BG for keeping me around.

2. The Last Exorcism on ChatRoulette:

I have never used ChatRoulette but I am definitely aware of the site (mostly because of the reputation it has built as a constant parade of genitalia). Lionsgate's new movie The Last Exorcism is coming out soon and they've been doing some interesting things with promoting it but this one is definitely my favorite-- they have a pretty girl on ChatRoulette who looks like she's about to start unbuttoning her shirt for the skeezy guys she's connected with. There's two different videos- in one her eyes roll into the back of her head and she attacks the camera, and in the other her neck completely snaps sideways. Both are incredibly creepy and then TheLastExorcism.com flashes on the ChatRoulette screen. They have posted the reactions of the guys on the other side of the chat and they are absolutely hilarious.

There are a lot of companies using these kinds of sites in inefficient or boring ways (Fancy Feast was one of the first) and it's so great to see a cool idea that gets great reactions and publicity. I'm sure this means that other companies will start creative stunts on ChatRoulette that will soon get old, but props to Lionsgate for having one of the first really cool ones.

3. Piperlime's new "Let's Get Dressed" Campaign:

Recently, GAP-brand Piperlime has come under fire for it's "Let's get dressed" campaign that focuses on motivating people (particularly women) to get dressed nicely when they go out in public. Their print campaign has taglines like "Say no to sweat pants," "Hang up the hoodies," and "Step away from the sneakers" while their Facebook page offers advice like "Let's put Saturday-night effort into Sunday afternoon." Some followers of their Facebook page got all offended by the "snotty" and "bitchy-girl status posts" and removed the site from their favorites.

I love this idea and I don't think it's catty or rude at all- let's just all agree to not go to the store in our pajamas or our unflattering workout clothes. I'm all for comfortable and casual but I do not need to stand behind a girl in line wearing spandex pants with a cut-off shirt cut so much i can see 85% of her sports bra. Some things just don't belong out in the world for others to see. As someone trying to make the transition from college campus to working world, I like having a little reminder that how you present yourself is important whenever you're out and about.

4. I recently stumbled across PhotoshopDisasters.com, which I'm sure is not new to a lot of people but I just recently discovered the joys it has to offer. As a self-taught Photoshopper, I really like seeing common mistakes to learn from and also just to laugh at. They have everything from awkward body angles to missing limbs and everything in between... it's incredible to see how easy it is for professionals to mess up photo-editing and it makes me have even more respect for the flawless work that comes from BG's creative team.

Ten-ish reasons why YOU want to be an intern at BG...

Since this is the last few days of my official internship at BG, I am substituting the traditional goodbye post with some excellent reasons why interning at BG is an exciting adventure that you wouldn't want to miss out on:

1. YOU GET TO PUT TOGETHER

EXTRAVAGANT GIFTS FOR CLIENTS.

This is a little package I got to hunt down and assemble one day: a stuffed wiener dog and a wooden hand with decorative mini-beverages as a collar. You would not believe the look I received when I asked an employee at Babies'R'Us if "they carried wiener dogs and wooden hands"... it was like she wasn't sure whether to laugh or call the police.

2. YOU GET TO RIDE THIS BADASS BUTTERFLY BIKE (PURSE NOT INCLUDED).

As an intern at Bailey Gardiner, this beauty will be your primary mode of transportation. It is stunning and it handles like a dream. You are sure to get some serious attention when you ride this bike around town for your errands.

3. YOU GET TO GO TO THE DEL MAR HORSE RACES.

BG has a lot of really cool San Diego clients and a great perk of having cool clients is getting to do cool things. BG Day at the Races is a really good time that you will definitely enjoy.

4. YOU GET TO WATCH ROSCOE SUNBATHE.

Jennifer's dog Roscoe joins us for work every Tuesday  and his favorite past time is working on his tan in the window. He is like a supermodel and this is the reason he is BG's official mascot.

5. YOU GET TO DRIVE AROUND WITH A GIANT GRAPE VINE IN YOUR FRONT SEAT. 

There are days when someone at the office will need a grape vine and it is your job to track one down and bring it to the office. When you return, it will be your job to cut the creatures out of it and decorate it.

6. YOU GET TO HANG OUT IN RECORDING STUDIOS.

When BG records radio commercials you will get to go and hang out at recording studio. Not only will you learn a lot about how a radio commercial comes together, but you'll get to feel pretty cool and tell all your friends.

7. YOU GET TO CREATE THE OFFICE BABY BETTING POOL WHEN THERE'S AN EXPECTING BG'ER.

When there's a baby on the way at BG, you will get to create the chart and take down the bets for what kind of baby that baby will be.

8. PEOPLE HERE DRESS REALLY FANCY.

People here at BG take fashion really seriously- checkered pants and seersucker suits are pretty typical. And when BG'ers dress extra fancy, you will get to take their photo.

9. YOU GET TO GO BOWLING.

I hope you are good at bowling because past BG interns (I'm obviously talking about myself) have really set the bar high for intern performances at BG Bowling. Bring your A-game.

10. YOU GET TO PHOTOGRAPH THE REFRIGERATOR.

You will find that the BG fridge has a lot of wisdom to share and it will be your job to take its picture on a weekly basis and share that wisdom with the world.

AND LASTLY... 

SOMETIMES THERE ARE GORILLAS IN THE OFFICE.

There have been times when a gorilla gets loose in the office and that always makes for a fun day.

This post may have quickly turned into a photo scrapbook of crazy things I've encountered during my time here at Bailey Gardiner, but it really does show how much fun every day is in the office. Not only will you do some really interesting

 things, you will also gain experience in so many different aspects of advertising. You will become a master of research on many different topics and you will get to see how things come together within an agency to make great work. There is no better place to learn the business of advertising and work with some really fantastic people. You would be a fool to want to intern anywhere else. 

Levi's aren't just for dads anymore?

Levi's has never been on the top of my list of "cute jeans I would like to wear" because I've always considered them to be pants for dads. In fact, I have always thought of Levi's as a jean brand for older men and women who wear their pants too high. I know they advertise their jeans as sexy and cool but I have never considered them to be either of those things. 

But I've recently taken notice in Levi's because of their Go Forth campaign commercials-- they're artsy and funky and seem like an attempt to catch the attention of the young-adult hipster crowd. Not that they necessarily appeal to me, but I acknowledge the effort they're putting in to connect with a younger and cooler audience. This was the jump-start to my reconsideration of the Levi's Brand.

Levi's has just launched a new women's line of jeans called Curve ID- and I must say I have found a new appreciation and am beginning to form a new opinion on Levi's as a brand. The Curve ID line uses the tagline "All asses were not created equal" and has three different fits of jeans for three different body types- Slight Curve, Demi Curve, and Bold Curve:

I like this idea as is- I always love clothing brands that recognize the real shapes of women and make clothes that celebrate that- but this Levi's line is especially awesome because of the amount of research that went into creating this line. Levi's (with their agency Wieden+Kennedy) did 60,000 body scans of women and conducted a global survey that they used when creating the three fits for three different body types (that make up 80 percent of women's shapes). The results of the survey are also very interesting to me because I consider myself one of the many girls that dedicates an entire weekend to finding one pair of comfortable jeans:

• 54% of women try on at least 10 pairs of jeans to find one pair they would buy
  
• 87% of women wish they could find jeans that fit better than ones in their closets
  
• 67% of women believe that jeans are designed for women with "ideal" figures
  
• Only 28% of women believe that jeans are designed to fit their body types
  

Not only is Levi's doing a cool thing for society by acknowledging the diverse body shapes of women, but it's a really smart way to interest women in Levi's. I don't know many females my age who would say Levi's is their favorite jean brand, but combining a cool campaign with jeans that look good and actually fit could be the recipe for success with younger women. I'm impressed to the point that I would consider trying a pair on and even if I didn't buy them, at least Levi's has done a good job of changing my perceptions about their brand.

Coke. GIANT COKE....

Since I gave Coke a bit of a hard time in my blog about Pepsi's stunt in Argentina during the World Cup, I have decided to dedicate this blog to the cool things that Coke has been up to in Argentina:

Argentina and other Latin American countries celebrate "Dia del Amigos" (Friend's Day) every year on July 20th and this year Coke joined in on the fun with a giant Coke vending machine. The machine was twice the size of a normal machine and dispensed two Cokes for the price of one- the catch being that one person had to lift their friend up to be able to reach the money and buttons. There was only one machine and it was placed in a sold-out movie theater in Buenos Aires and it sold ten times the amount of bottles that a normal machine does.

Let me get this out of the way-- why is Argentina getting all this great advertising?! How about some American brains start thinking of entertaining and innovative stunts for brands? And I also think it's fantastic that these Latin American countries celebrate Friend's Day to this extent; what a wonderful thing to dedicate an entire day to. It has become so popular in recent years that almost all restaurants are booked days in advance and the mobile network in Argentina temporarily crashed from all of the communication between people on Friend's Day.

Okay, now that I've gotten that out... I love when companies incorporate their brand or product into an event, holiday or occasion. It can be done so well and it's a free partnership that already has its own great publicity. The ultimate success in a stunt like this is that not only did it delight people and draw attention, it upped sales! A lot of companies sink a lot of money into getting their brand out there without seeing their investment pay off in an immediate way (or perhaps at all), and this is a great way to be able to instantly measure success. 

I think Coke hit a home-run with this on a very unique holiday, I just wish they would have done this in more than one location. The lone jumbo vending machine was such a hit, it's a shame they didn't think to roll out vending machines all across Argentina (or all across Latin America even). They had a great idea and they should have run with it... and I'll definitely be paying attention to Dia del Amigos next year to see if Coke can top this one.