To many's disappointment, superheroes weren't exactly on RIM's list to be the face of its latest advertising crusade. Simply dubbed "Be Bold," the ad campaign focuses boldly on the famed BlackBerry Messenger, as well as the productivity aspects found in the 9900. Research in Motion is also taking a swing at its competitors with expressions like "I'm about action, not distraction" and "we need tools, not toys." At this point, the Canadian manufacturer will take what it can get, thus it shouldn't come as a surprise that it's showing off what some consider its best traits. Wondering what all the fuss is about? Head on past the break to take a quick 30-second glimpse and see if it's enough to get you over to the Bold side.Continue reading RIM launches BlackBerry 'Be Bold' ad campaign, superheroes nowhere to be seen (video)
RIM launches BlackBerry 'Be Bold' ad campaign, superheroes nowhere to be seen (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It's a common human trait that, when faced with a series of calamities, the brain will retreat into a fantasy world in which everything is the exact opposite of reality. Could this be the inspiration for RIM's four new cartoon characters, which the company hopes will spread its "Be Bold" marketing message? The pattern certainly seems to fit. From left to right: there's GoGo Girl, who "saves the day with a brilliant strategy" (translation: we don't have a strategy). Then comes Justin Steele, who's "always ready to stick up for his friends" (translation: we don't have friends). Trudy Foreal "isn't afraid to call it as she sees it" (translation: our shareholders are complaining). Finally, the adventurous Max Stone is "able to jump out of a plane" (translation: we're going to crash).
The necessity of having a clear and cohesive mobile marketing strategy has never been greater. Companies that do not have a mobile marketing strategy now are light years behind the curve in the face of booming smartphone adoption and changing consumer behavior. Research firm Forrester took a look at some of the biggest and best mobile marketing companies to see how they stack up and what benefits they can add for companies.
Considering how 2011 progressed for Netflix, it's not entirely surprising to hear some changes are in store at the top when it comes to marketing and communications. The video rental giant announced that its Chief Marketing Officer of the last dozen years, Leslie Kilgore, will be taking a position on its board as a "non-executive director", replaced in the interim by Jessie Becker as it conducts an external search for a permanent replacement. Also shifting positions is Jonathan Friedland who will be the new Chief Communications officer, and both Becker and Friedland will report directly to CEO Reed Hastings. Netflix's relationships with its customers were definitely damaged by last year's price hike and the shocking Qwikster spinoff announcement / unannouncement that followed, with a slate of original content on the way and some changes in store for its content licensing, we'll see if it can get the magic back in 2012 -- we're not so sure that the latest round of ads featuring beavers and hamsters (one's embedded after the break) are the way.
No word on whether it goes to eleven.
Intel's betting the farm on Ultrabook PCs with its biggest-budget advertising campaign since 2003. April will see the start of a massive advertising campaign designed to convey the benefits of thin and light notebooks to the masses. Kevin Sellers, Santa Clara's head of advertising was boasting ahead of Tuesday's Intel press conference where we're expecting plenty of juicy revelations about the company's Medfield smartphone platform. We'd say "keep your eyes peeled" for the adverts, but given how deeply ingrained the Intel bunnies are on our subconscious, we'll just wait for the PR onslaught to begin.
According to a brief report that just went live at Reuters, Sprint is "merging its sales and marketing operations for its business and consumer operations in a streamlining that includes the departure of four top executives." Reportedly, that news was delivered by none other than CEO Dan Hesse himself, who has been in the news a fair amount since 2012 began. Reportedly, the carrier is aiming to "gain efficiencies" in a market where hordes of customers snap up services as individuals, but actually use services tied to "employer-related contractual discounts." Hesse's exact words? "As the wireless market has evolved, the lines between consumers and businesses have blurred." Evidently, they've blurred enough to oust four unnamed bigwigs, too.
It had to happen at some point, right? Adobe and Apple -- two names in a similar field -- would inevitably end up hiring someone that worked at the other firm in a past life, and unsurprisingly, the world is up in arms about an acquisition that would go unreported if not for the past drama between the two outfits. As the story goes, Todd Teresi (formerly of Adobe) has been hired to be the new chief of Apple's iAd mobile advertising division, but since the hire hasn't been officially confirmed, it's all based on "sources familiar with the matter." Interestingly, Bloomberg BusinessWeek asserts that the iAd team has been "cutting prices to keep customers from jumping ship to rivals, including Google," noting that the dominance seen in the tablet market isn't exactly translating on the advertising side. Something tells us Apple's got a few bills to lose while experimenting, though.
Love 'em or hate 'em, there's no question that tablets aren't capable of handling the same rigors (with the same efficiency levels) as a full-on laptop, and Intel's using that very point to promote the Ultrabook category as a whole. Given that we're just days away from seeing what's apt to be a flood of these things at CES, Intel's new Ultrabook portal (and linked "Ultra Excited For Ultrabooks" preview paper) is priming the masses for what to expect. In the note, Intel Technical Marketing Engineer Shirley Chen notes the following:
We've seen odd and law-swerving vending machines before, but none as meanspirited as Kraft's collaboration with Intel that only gives pudding samples to adults. The unimaginatively titled iSample denies the youthful its sweet nectar by taking a facial scan and determining dessert deservedness based on biometric data, like how far apart your facial features are. Part experiment, part publicity stunt, Intel is trying out technologies that could recommend products based on age. The company also claims it may retrofit the technology into existing machines to let companies study who's buying its products; Kraft is clearly in it just to deny children some pudding. To see if you have spent enough time at the fountain of youth, head down to Chicago's Shedd Aquarium or New York's South Street Seaport, and take your place in the line of parents ordering one for their progeny. Check the promo video after the break to see the machine wiping disappointment all over the kids' little faces.
