There is no question Detroit has an image problem. Journalists visit our city to write fluff pieces on Detroit’s hidden gems, like the Motown Museum and the Heidelberg project, but no story has resonated louder than the collapse of the automotive industry. Although the automotive industry and city of Detroit are separate, there are few remaining American cities built on a single industry the way Detroit is with cars.

We think Chrysler was smart to recognize its image problem, admit to it and try to create a campaign to fix it. We use the word “try” because while the campaign spurred conversations and garnered media attention, the core message about Chrysler was missed. The message we felt resonated the strongest was that Detroit was a city that while currently down and out could still create great things if given the opportunity.

Chrysler’s marketing team was smart to co-brand with the rebuilding of Detroit, an issue close to the hearts of many, especially Detroit natives like us. We loved how the “Imported from Detroit” spot [aired first during the Super Bowl in 2011] built up from muted colors and slower music to the bright lights of the Fox Theater and the fast rhythm of Detroit native Eminem’s hit song, “Lose Yourself.” It reminded us that if he could rise to success from down-and-out Detroit, so could Chrysler and so could our city. In the end though, the ad seemed more focused on repairing Detroit’s economy and less on the Chrysler brand itself.

While the ad may have missed the mark in terms of putting the bull’s eye on Chrysler (Did you realize the ad was spotlighting the new Chrysler 200?), there is no doubt it was good for the American automotive industry. The ad reminded people that buying American supports our friends, family and neighbors, and it is an important step in fixing the national economy. We loved the ad for what it was trying to do for Detroit, but could the same message resonate with the entire country? We feel the answer is no.

We feel Chrysler created an even larger disconnect between its brand and message earlier this month with its Super Bowl 2012 spot “It’s Halftime in America” starring Clint Eastwood. Unlike with Detroit, America is too large to co-brand with, and in a time when people are increasingly more optimistic about the state of the economy, the ad was a sad reminder that we are not quite there. The Chrysler brand again took a back seat to a larger message, which focused on comparing the entire nation to a floundering Detroit economy. Where the “Imported from Detroit” ad was uplifting and inspiring, the “It’s Halftime in America” ad was depressing and mistaken by many as having a political undertone.

We love Chrysler’s Detroit-focused campaign because the commercials make us nostalgic and a bit homesick. They offer the world a glimpse of the Detroit spirit we love, but as consumers, the campaign has yet to convince us that we should buy a Chrysler.

There is another thing these TV events once had in common–the huge amount of advertising revenue. This year’s Super Bowl drew around $250 million in advertising revenue, while last year’s Spring Festival Gala raised more than $100 million in advertising revenue. However, the executive producers of CCTV announced they had decided not to have commercials or any kind of ads during this year’s four-hour live program for the first time in 30 years. So a big question is why CCTV gave up such a big marketing platform. Why are they going ad-free?

Unlike the Super Bowl, the Chinese Spring Festival is more of a cultural ritual. What people want is getting together with family and waiting for the Lunar New Year to come (the Spring Festival Gala is on Lunar New Year’s Eve). In the past decade, audiences have complained about the increasing number of advertisements during the Spring Festival Gala because they felt the holiday was being commercialized. According to a national poll of all the suggestions to CCTV, “Cancelling the inserted advertisement” was ranked number one on the list. So CCTV listened to its audience.

John’s Position

This move is right because it makes consumers more satisfied. Also CCTV is a state-owned TV station, and the costs of gala are paid with CCTV funds and not advertising revenue, so cutting advertising does not affect the ability to produce the show. The show’s goal should be to maintain itself as a fantastic part of the Chinese New Year experience and to make people feel satisfied.

Media engagement and personal experiences can make ads more effective. However, in this context, the opposite is true. People are highly engaged with the Spring Festival Gala, but they have already said they don’t like the interruption from the ads. Even if there were still ads, would the high level of audience engagement lead to a positive impression? Probably not. According to the poll, the audiences are annoyed. They probably feel that the ad has intruded on the experience with the Spring Festival Gala and accordingly may have a negative reaction to the ads and the marketers for interrupting their family time. CCTV’s cancellation of ads may just save marketers a lot of money and their reputation. It makes marketers invest this money into some more efficient and effective marketing channels.

Image courtesy of Framing the World

Q: What did you do while you were there?
A: The whole social media campaign for this program was riding on whether the public would want to follow this person and if they would find them compelling. Basically, is this person going to be likeable or relatable where someone would want to hear this person’s perspective? Before I started, the museum had outlined their goal in terms of my social media presence. I was to produce at least four Facebook posts, four tweets and one blog post per day, as well as 3-4 videos per week that I shot and edited. It was a challenge to find the balance of doing the activities [such as getting behind-the-scenes of various exhibits and meeting with school groups] and then writing about them in a way that people would relate.

People would ask what the point was of the program. My take on it was that people come to the museum for a day, and they try to see and do as much as they possibly can, but there is so much to take in, you can’t possibly do it all. For many, a singular experience at the MSI can change their perspective on science, learning and museums in general. So I thought, what could a person do with 30 days? If one visit could change someone or stick with them throughout their life, how much would someone change if they dedicated an entire month to learning, experiencing, pushing all the buttons, talking with the people who put together the exhibits and meeting with scientists? I wanted to be able to give the public that chance by allowing them to experience it vicariously through me.

Q: Overall, how do you think you benefitted from the experience?
A: It absolutely was beneficial in terms of reinforcing my faith in my writing and communication skills by getting the additional practice. I think a lot of the foundational areas that IMC touched on related to what I was doing at the museum. Michelle [Weinberger] likes to joke that I got this opportunity because of IMC and because Medill was really generous in terms of picking it up and putting it on the website, but in the end it wasn’t a popular vote that chose the winner. Ultimately, the MSI chose based on who they thought the public would respond well to.

Q: The “Month at the Museum” program has been a highly successful marketing campaign for the MSI. Why you think it resonated so well?
A: My theory—which informed my approach when I was there—is that people like behind the scenes. My goal was to be a conduit for people to feel as though they were experiencing the things I was doing with me. The idea of a normal person being plucked from their normal life and being put in this weird situation, I think, is very appealing.

Q: Now that it’s over, do you ever get recognized?
A: [Laughs] Rarely. The first time I got recognized was when the doorman in my old building said, “Did I see you on the news?” But mostly, it’s just somebody who’s like, “You look familiar.” But then it’s awkward because it always turns out that I just look like their cousin or someone.

Images courtesy of the Museum of Science and Industry

The Best
These top ads ran away with the votes, and each spot was separated by only one vote. The top three ads have nearly 17 million YouTube views combined on their official pages, suggesting they are as popular as they were well-executed.

M&M’s “Just My Shell”

Chrysler “Halftime in America”

Volkswagen “The Dog Strikes Back”

The Worst
The voting for the worst ads was not as clear-cut. More ads fell to the bottom than rose to the top. More than 20 ads received at least one vote for worst ad. In no particular order, here are our choices for worst ads of Super Bowl XLVI.

Pepsi “King’s Court”

Hulu Plus “Hulubratory”

Go Daddy
Because Go Daddy has opted to only post their ads on their personal site instead of YouTube, we have chosen to not include a video link in our post.

Tax Act “Free to Pee”

Scope: All about how marketers frame the world and their goals.

1. Accept marketing is about ideas, not channels: In the Talent Q survey respondents revealed the most “overhyped” skill is digital and social media, but respondents also indicated a top factor impacting the future was ever-increasing media options, including digital. The conflicting responses show that skills like digital and social media should not be viewed in isolation, but viewed as an element of a greater idea and/or strategy.

2. Put the audience first: The companies that are most successful in marketing and communications have a real understanding of the wants and needs of each their audiences—their external customer AND their internal employee audience.

Strategy: How marketers get to their desired goals.

3. Find the right balance of breadth vs. depth: Companies have varying needs for breadth versus depth for talent and the key is to find the right balance. Both attributes are equally valuable and must be determined at a company-level.

4. Embrace that big ideas can come from anywhere: Marketers must strive to find the right balance between old and new talent. A case study on the talent behind the Allstate “Mayhem” campaign by Leo Burnett revealed that a good idea can come from anywhere. The original campaign idea came a young, fresh creative mind and was elevated from “good to great” with the help of more knowledgeable, experienced marketers.

5. Own your “value-add”: The marketing landscape is evolving and the demand for talent is shifting from a generalist to a specialist model. As this shift occurs, it will be ever-more important for individuals to understand their strengths, focus on them, and leverage them to collaboratively build more effective communication programs.

Style: The tactics marketers use to get to desired goals.

6. Be passionate (enthusiastic and committed): 30 percent of companies state passion is an important attribute for an ideal hire. Passion is deemed important because people with this attribute push themselves harder and hold themselves to a higher standard.

7. Be nimble and resourceful: Problem-solving, resourcefulness (80 percent of respondents) and nimbleness (76 percent of respondents) were identified as important attributes in identifying talent today.

8. Communicate well, persuade effectively, and tell a story: Successful campaigns hinge on the marketer’s ability to effectively tell a story. As a result, 32.5 percent of companies state “ability to communicate well” is an important attribute for an ideal hire.

9. Be curious, creative and collaborative: The combination of curiosity, creativity and collaboration are essential attributes in creating winning marketing teams.

Did you miss the IMC Talent Q? Check out the webcast from the event.

The brainchild of Medill’s Integrated Marketing Communications graduate program, the IMC Talent Q will feature IMC graduate students and industry professionals sharing the latest research and insights on successful talent cultivation.

Keynoting the event is Dana Anderson, senior vice president of marketing, strategy and communications at Kraft Foods, who will undoubtedly inspire attendees to toss aside conventional thinking and take what she calls “leaps,” an idea that aligns with the new risk-taking philosophy being embraced by Kraft.

In addition to the findings that Medill IMC students will share from their research on the traits of effective marketing communications professionals, a panel of  industry leaders will lead a discussion on effective talent cultivation. Panelists include Fred Cook (president & CEO of GolinHarris), Jill Perkins (senior consultant at Towers Watson), Melanie Steinbach (managing director at Russell Reynolds Associates), Sherman Wright (co-founder and managing partner of CommonGround Marketing) and Dan Jessup (head of people strategy at Groupon).

The event couldn’t be more timely. According to Marty Kohr, adjunct lecturer and Medill IMC Talent Q advisor, the magnitude and velocity of change in the marketplace have never been greater, nor has the need to better understand the talents and skills of the people who drive effective marketing communications.

And who better to learn from than the event’s A-list group of speakers. “I have been inspired by the individual accomplishments and collective wisdom of the panelists,” said panel moderator and Assistant Professor Dan Gruber. “I look forward to a lively, engaging and enlightening panel.”

Kohr agrees and congratulates the Medill IMC students for taking on this quest. “The students benefited from the journey and their efforts will help fellow students better prepare for the future as well. The same is true for our alums, our faculty and our corporate partners. We know identifying, developing and retaining top talent is a critical issue for all successful managers,” he said.

Visit the IMC Talent Q website to learn more and to register for free. Can’t attend the event? It will be live streamed and archived on the IMC Talent Q website.

Have a question for one of the panelists? Include it in the comments or tweet it with the hashtag #IMCTalentQ and we’ll ask it during the Q&A session.

Follow IMC Talent Q on Twitter: @IMCTalentQ, @danielagruber, @MartyKohrNU, @fredcook, @danjessup

So let’s talk shopper marketing and digital marketing for a bit.

Target: Target recently took its online business in-house. Prior to the site’s relaunch, Target.com had been powered for 10 years by Amazon, and in 2010, Target reported 10 percent growth online and 2 percent growth offline. Part of its strategy to take control of its e-commerce platform is to focus on differentiation and delivering a better guest experience for its customers online.

What’s interesting about this? As more people purchase online and reduce trips to the store, there’s more pressure on CPG companies and retailers to provide a flawless online experience and figure out how to upsell customers. I can’t even tell you how many times I have walked into a Target store looking for a few specific items but walked out with a basket full of unplanned purchases. Target, along with stores like Whole Foods and IKEA, do an outstanding job of providing a unique experience for shoppers in the store. Now, the challenge will be to replicate that experience online.

Walgreens: In August Chicago was the first market to be offered Walgreens’ WebPickUp service. This online ordering program gives consumers the option to purchase items through its website and then pick them up in-store. Walgreens reported that in the last two years its online traffic has increased by 50 percent.

A few weeks ago I decided to give it a try after I was sent a direct mail piece with a coupon for $20 off my order online, but I can’t say it was a great experience. It took me longer to find the products I needed online than it would have taken me in the store. It will be interesting to see how consumers respond and if this service is something people will value.

Amazon: Amazon is to e-commerce as Google is to search as P&G is to shopper marketing. Amazon leads the pack in e-commerce with a 47 percent e-tailer household penetration. It’s proof that consumers are willing to forgo the shopping trip for convenience and the often lower prices that can be found online. In 2010 Amazon had 40 percent growth online with sales at $4.1 billion, and it continues to expand its offerings by acquiring e-commerce sites, including Diapers.com, Soap.com, BeautyBar.com, Wag.com, and YoYo.com.

Best Buy: Recently Best Buy announced plans to decrease the footprint of its stores and focus more on its online business. In a way, it really doesn’t have a choice. Consumers have shown that while they might prefer to walk into a Best Buy store and interact with its products, they’re also walking out the door and then getting online to actually make their purchases. This practice, also known as “freeriding,” puts retailers like Best Buy in a sticky situation since consumers are researching and buying electronics online more so than any other category to date.

My prediction: The convergence of shopper and digital marketing will play a major role in the development of effective marketing campaigns to consumers. Marketers will be challenged to create a consistent online and offline experience for their brands while social media marketing will play a more tactical role and be part of a larger overall strategy to connect with consumers online.

Do you agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments!

Dr. Chang-Gyu Hwang is the former CEO of Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd. and the current National Chief Technology Officer and Head of the Office of Strategic R&D Planning in Korea. A true visionary in the digital technology and research field, Dr. Hwang was in charge of developing the world’s first 256Mb DRAM and was named one of “25 Stars of Asia” by BusinessWeek.

This Tuesday, November 8, Dr. Hwang will speak to a group of Medill IMC and Kellogg graduate students at Northwestern University. In anticipation of the event, Dr. Hwang was kind enough to give us insight into the future of digital technology.

You speak of information technology “big bangs,” including the spread of networked PC technology and mobile technology more recently. What do you expect the next IT big bang will be? How do you think it will change the way we communicate and interact? How will we as marketers be able to leverage these technology advances to serve our customers?

Dr. Hwang: There are three macro trends for us to anticipate with the next IT big bang. First digital devices are more and more interconnected and furthermore, non-digital objects will be seamlessly connecting with each other. And future technologies will respond without external stimulus and will be something that looks familiar, even though we have never actually seen it. One of the current devices reflecting these three trends is the smart phone, but this is just a beginning. In the next IT Big Bang we will experience a dramatic change in the quality of life, going beyond just convenience and efficiency. More advanced IT technology will become more intimately connected to our daily lives and will touch and inspire human’s nature, manage our health, and enable a greater consciousness of our environment. I believe these points will be a key leverage for the marketing process.

Some of our classmates visited Seoul this summer and were blown away by the cutting-edge communication technology that they encountered. As national chief technology officer for Korea, what types of R&D projects are you working on that we as marketers would be interested in?

Dr. Hwang: I, as national CTO, am focusing on twin strategies for development of R&D in Korea. One is “market pull”-based R&D and the other “open innovation.” In “market pull” – based R&D, customers’ potential needs are always top priority. It is totally different from “technology push” –based R&D. The center of technology is a human being. At the same time, “open innovation” is a very important issue for Korea. Nobody can do everything by themselves. We are willing to collaborate with others and, in fact, many world-leading companies have a strong interest in the Korean market. Why? Because Korea is a very attractive test market for many reasons. If you want to know the reasons, please join my speech. You, as marketers, can hear many valuable points from my presentation.

We appreciate your support for Medill’s integrated marketing communications graduate program. What does IMC mean to you? How do you see IMC fitting into the marketing world?

Dr. Hwang: I believe integrated marketing communications is a process for managing customer relationships in many aspects. As I already mentioned, the touching of human nature is a key of future technology. From the marketing point of view, it has been moving from mass media to more specialized media, which are centered on specific target audiences and from a manufacturer-dominated market to a consumer-controlled market. I believe these phenomena will prevail through the whole process of marketing. It means the importance of IMC is getting bigger and bigger.

Students, faculty and alumni are welcome to attend the event. To reserve your seat, please RSVP here. 

Event details:

Website optimization is very similar; it’s using the same resources to squeeze the most out of the investment in the site. Be it through altering landing pages, registration forms, or calls to action, site optimization can increase conversions like Albert Pujols hits homeruns.

This simple recipe makes it possible for even time-strapped marketers to focus on their site to drive conversions, whatever the end goal may be. Many companies have seen tremendous increases in revenue through site optimization.

Ingredients

• A website
• Somebody who knows how to install code on pages  (possibly your friendly IT guy)
• Google Website Optimizer or any other web analytics or optimizer program

Mix the ingredients in the bowl until smooth, and do the following:

1. First, think about your goal. Is it to get customers to sign up for a newsletter? Complete a purchase? Then consider ways that may help or hinder customers from achieving that goal.
2. Start small. Test differences in color, placement of your corporate logo, and position of text boxes. Keep a control page, and observe which configuration is most successful in getting customers to complete the goal.
3. Go bigger. Create different landing pages, and test different elements. Fiddle with sign-up or check-out information. Are you asking your customers for too much information, such as your neighbor’s mom’s boyfriend’s dog’s date of birth? Does it prevent potential customers from completing the conversion?  Experiment with elements that might impact or influence your consumers. Sometimes, those elements are not necessarily intuitive. As this HubSpot webinar points out, the words “register” and “submit” can connote very different things in the subconscious minds of consumers.
4. Always test, test, test. Never settle. Your company’s website is one of its most important assets. Don’t leave it on the stove without proper attention; after all, a burnt pot is really hard to clean. On the other hand, there’s nothing as tasty as a perfectly baked cake. But it takes the right temperature and a lot of love to make it that way.