There I was wandering around Sainsbury's looking for a bottle of white to complement my cod in cabbage and beer (much nicer than it sounds, I assure you) when a blue topped bottle caught my eye.
After all the hype in the blogosphere about those winemakers from Stormhoek and their blog, there was a distinctive bottle of Sauvignon Blanc actually in the real world, complete with a cartoon from Gaping Void. What's more it was reduced to under a fiver, so it could satisfy my wallet and my curiousity.
I opened the bottle and took a sniff inside. Fruity, fresh with aromas of lemon and gooseberry.
A swirl around the mouth. Hmm. Yes, it did have an original taste, but did it pass muster? Not really. To be honest, I prefer my wines with more depth of flavour and this one, while nice enough, was just too youthful, even for Sauvignon Blanc.
So after all the hype, it was a little disappointing. Did exactly what it said on the 'tin', but just not to my taste.
Maybe I'll try some of the other varieties, next time I'm walking the aisles.
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Thursday, January 19, 2006
McDeli belly
I was cold. It was raining. I had half an hour to kill and was hungry. Apart from pubs full to the brim with football fans waiting for kick off, the bright yellow 'M' of McDonald's shone out like a beacon amid the gloom.
The only problem is that without some Dutch courage I'm not a fan of their menu, particularly at this time of year when I'm looking to atone for the excesses of the festive period.
Now I've seen the new ads, visited their well produced rebuttal to 'Supersize Me' and heard about the new healthier menu, so decided to give them another chance.
There it was, tucked away on the right hand side, the Deli menu. Freshly baked baguettes, chicken breast and sweet chili sauce. Sounds good to me. With no chips and a drink of Tropicana orange juice, it had the makings of a decent meal.
I ordered my Deli baguette and was told I'd have to wait because none were ready. This could be that no one orders them or it could be that they are freshly prepared. I hoped for the latter and took my seat. Five minutes later my baguette arrived and I opened it curious to see what the new food revolution I'd heard so much about was made of.
Unfortunately, the chicken in question appeared to be one of those breaded chicken burgers that are on the traditional menu, but sliced in half. It was greasy and was complimented by added mayo and the sweet chili sauce. So near yet so far.
Perhaps I should have explored the menu more or perhaps it's not quite as healthy as it might be. Either way, strikes me as a missed opportunity to convert on the brand promise.
The only problem is that without some Dutch courage I'm not a fan of their menu, particularly at this time of year when I'm looking to atone for the excesses of the festive period.
Now I've seen the new ads, visited their well produced rebuttal to 'Supersize Me' and heard about the new healthier menu, so decided to give them another chance.
There it was, tucked away on the right hand side, the Deli menu. Freshly baked baguettes, chicken breast and sweet chili sauce. Sounds good to me. With no chips and a drink of Tropicana orange juice, it had the makings of a decent meal.
I ordered my Deli baguette and was told I'd have to wait because none were ready. This could be that no one orders them or it could be that they are freshly prepared. I hoped for the latter and took my seat. Five minutes later my baguette arrived and I opened it curious to see what the new food revolution I'd heard so much about was made of.
Unfortunately, the chicken in question appeared to be one of those breaded chicken burgers that are on the traditional menu, but sliced in half. It was greasy and was complimented by added mayo and the sweet chili sauce. So near yet so far.
Perhaps I should have explored the menu more or perhaps it's not quite as healthy as it might be. Either way, strikes me as a missed opportunity to convert on the brand promise.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Coldplaying a blinder
Coldplay have achieved the kind of success that breeds envy. With the launch of their new album, the amount of sour grapes in the UK media has hardly been surprising (international readers, how was it for you? Let me know in the comments section).
A fitting album title may have been 'Damned if you do, Damned if you don't' rather than the obscure chromosone reference of 'X&Y'. No wonder it took them nigh on two years to release the thing.
Perhaps the boys need a little praise to stem the flow of bad press.
As a subscriber to their 'In my Place' newsletter, I have been impressed of late with their understanding of how to operate in the digital age. Their website has been the epitome of talking directly with their fans and contains valuable lessons for those seeking to market on the internet:
Remember people like to buy, they don't like to be sold.
A fitting album title may have been 'Damned if you do, Damned if you don't' rather than the obscure chromosone reference of 'X&Y'. No wonder it took them nigh on two years to release the thing.
Perhaps the boys need a little praise to stem the flow of bad press.
As a subscriber to their 'In my Place' newsletter, I have been impressed of late with their understanding of how to operate in the digital age. Their website has been the epitome of talking directly with their fans and contains valuable lessons for those seeking to market on the internet:
- Early bird concert ticket deals for subscribers, so the fans get there before the e-bay touts
- Exclusive audio of the new single 'Speed of Sound'
- Exclusive video of 'Speed of Sound'
- Teasers for the album tracks
- Backstage concert footage
- 'What the band are listening to' featured on the 'Coldplayer'
Remember people like to buy, they don't like to be sold.
Friday, October 15, 2004
'There, he moved!' Viral marketing is no Dead Parrot
I was recently asked to comment on the health of viral marketing for a magazine interview. I'm including below some of the questions and answers:
Q: Are people becoming immune to viral marketing?
A: It’s certainly the case that this is an increasingly popular tactic for brands and it is harder to achieve cut-through than it used to be, but viral marketing is still relatively new and well short of the saturation levels of mainstream advertising.
Virals are often a popular form of office entertainment and as long as the quality of the creative is high there is always the potential to achieve high user numbers at a relatively cheap cost thanks to distribution potential of the Internet.
Q: What is the dividing line between mainstream and viral advertising?
A: It’s a good question, as increasingly traditional advertising and PR agencies get involved in virals as part of an integrated campaign. Reebok’s Terry Tate and the John West Salmon ads showed that mainstream advertising can be ‘viral’ in the sense of people passing what is essentially a TV-style advert to their peers, although this is not the norm.
Increasingly major brands are using this form of Internet communications for offshoots of existing campaigns that allow for riskier or pre-release adverts. However, creative is by no means limited to traditional video content, with many potential applications and opportunities to use the unique interactivity of the Internet, such as games, micro-sites and quizzes and it is here that it divides from mainstream advertising.
Q: Are people becoming immune to viral marketing?
A: It’s certainly the case that this is an increasingly popular tactic for brands and it is harder to achieve cut-through than it used to be, but viral marketing is still relatively new and well short of the saturation levels of mainstream advertising.
Virals are often a popular form of office entertainment and as long as the quality of the creative is high there is always the potential to achieve high user numbers at a relatively cheap cost thanks to distribution potential of the Internet.
Q: What is the dividing line between mainstream and viral advertising?
A: It’s a good question, as increasingly traditional advertising and PR agencies get involved in virals as part of an integrated campaign. Reebok’s Terry Tate and the John West Salmon ads showed that mainstream advertising can be ‘viral’ in the sense of people passing what is essentially a TV-style advert to their peers, although this is not the norm.
Increasingly major brands are using this form of Internet communications for offshoots of existing campaigns that allow for riskier or pre-release adverts. However, creative is by no means limited to traditional video content, with many potential applications and opportunities to use the unique interactivity of the Internet, such as games, micro-sites and quizzes and it is here that it divides from mainstream advertising.
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
E-bay PR team, I salute you (but you're weird)
This blog is a big fan of the E-bay publicity machine. Every week they churn out yet another weird E-bay item story providing a valuable service to hacks with deadlines looming and pubs to patronise.
This week they have surpassed themselves in the bizarre stakes with news that someone is selling Potpourri clams on the site and have helpfully including several verses all about it, including the instructive lines:
There is nothing so refreshing
As a house that smells like clams,
Except, perhaps fresh compost,
Or Prostate-gland Exams,
(it goes on and on from here in a similar clam-inspired vein)
As usual, this has been picked up by blogs everywhere (if you can't beat them, join them, I say) and no doubt will soon be adorning those difficult to fill spaces on page 11 on every print publication on earth.
E-bay, I defy you to trump this one next week.
This week they have surpassed themselves in the bizarre stakes with news that someone is selling Potpourri clams on the site and have helpfully including several verses all about it, including the instructive lines:
There is nothing so refreshing
As a house that smells like clams,
Except, perhaps fresh compost,
Or Prostate-gland Exams,
(it goes on and on from here in a similar clam-inspired vein)
As usual, this has been picked up by blogs everywhere (if you can't beat them, join them, I say) and no doubt will soon be adorning those difficult to fill spaces on page 11 on every print publication on earth.
E-bay, I defy you to trump this one next week.
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