Now that 2011 is here, we wanted to look back at 2010.  We had lots of great content written in 2010, but the following were the most popular posts written in 2010 here on wwwwY.  Thanks for reading and we look forward to having you back in 2011.

• 3D TV – I don’t care
• Playstation’s Strategy
• The iPad: An Apple Intermediary
• Facebook to Geo-Target?
• How to: Create a Social Media Policy for your Organization

What was your favorite post of 2010?

Mashable wrote an interesting piece today on the three keys to reaching millenials (Gen Yers) online.  Their three are:

We think that Mashable did a fairly good job on the article using a couple of good examples of companies successfully targeting millennial customers.  We also think that having fun as a company is another important way to better connect with Gen Yers online.

What other strategies do you think are important and effective in reaching Gen Y online?  Let us know in the comments.

Just wanted to give all you faithful wwwwY readers a heads up.  Todd recently wrote an interesting piece on they 4 keys to marketing to Generation Y (Gen Y) on the TL Marketing blog.  Head over there and let the TL Marketing gang know what you think of the post and their site.  More exciting content is coming soon here at wwwwY so keep checking back.

-wwwwY Staff

It isn’t every day that you come across a new traditional marketing technique.  Sure, there are variations and advancements, but trying something with a radically new goal doesn’t happen very often, especially by using traditional marketing avenues. It turns out those crazy kids on the Jersey Shore have inspired marketers to instigate the trial of a new marketing practice which hasn’t been tried much before, and to some wouldn’t be considered the nicest strategy.

Recently, Snookie has made a brand switch of sorts.  The Jersey Shore “star” who was known for her Coach bags has been seen carrying other brands as of late. Traditionally, one would think that the other brands would have given the “star” product so she could use it in public and spur shoppers to do the same. However, this case is different. It is rumored that handbag companies are giving Snookie gifts of other companies’ bags. Call it product anti-placement, celebrity brand sabotage, or celebrity un-relations; we have Snookie to thank for the new practice.

It’s obvious that although some individuals look up to the Jersey Shore castmember, and would follow her example, it is clear that high fashion wants nothing to do with her. Brands spend decades, and millions upon millions of dollars, to create the perfect set of brand values and to successfully target their ideal market. The last thing they want is one non-targeted individual destroying their hard work.

Generally, high fashion companies battle for years to stand out from their multitude of competitors and create a sophisticated and luxury brand. Unfortunately, sophistication and luxury aren’t words you would use to describe Snookie. It is obvious why these brands aren’t happy with her flaunting their brands. The fear is that Snookie will inspire others (not in their target markets) to adopt their brands. These new adopters will then dilute the brands and the values they have devoted so much time to developing, throwing away the decades of brand building they have engaged in.

Not only does sending Snookie your competitor’s bag take your brand out of her clutches, but it’s creating the same problem for your competitors.

People may feel bad for Snookie, but shouldn’t. First, she is consistently receiving thousands upon thousands of dollars of free stuff.  Celebrities go to specific events just to get free stuff.  Secondly, the companies aren’t doing this to personally attack Snookie, they’re doing it because her brand values and image don’t align with their companies’ brand values and images.  A good example of a good Jersey Shore celebrity/product alignment is “The Situation” and Devotion Vodka. If Snookie paired well with luxury fashion like “The Situation” does with Devotion Vodka, there would be no problem.

The question is: Should other companies engage in this new practice? It’s too early to tell. Will we be seeing Nike, Reebok and Under Armour start dishing out each others’ gear to Mel Gibson, Amy Winehouse, John Gosselin and Spencer Pratt? Who knows. But this is something that brands may start to consider. To have an opportunity to thwart brand dilution as it happens is a situation that marketers rarely get.

We’ve always heard two negatives don’t make a positive–well maybe in this situation it does. If you had control of a major brand, would you experiment in product anti-placement? Let me know in the comments.

Todd Liss lives in sunny (too sunny recently) San Diego and is the founder of TL Marketing.  He can be reached at Todd[at]toddliss[dot]com

Thanks to Mashable I came across this interesting portrayal of the current social media landscape made by xkcd.  If you think social media is just Facebook and Twitter, just take a look at wikipedia’s list of social networks; there are more networks than you can imagine.

Because there are so many different social media players who are trying to accomplish different things and target different people, it is interesting to see them presented in a visual manner as opposed to the list from above.  This map idea is perfect for showing the current “world” or “landscape” of social media (ok I’m done with the puns).  The aspect I really like about this graphic is how they broke everything down within the technological realm and made everything fit within each other where appropriate.

Here’s the biggest take-away from this representation.  It’s obvious that Facebook is the powerhouse in the current scenario, Twitter has some pull, and after that it becomes a mess.  Don’t overlook the other players when trying to increase awareness.  Sure Facebook and Twitter have the most users, but other smaller niche site might be better targeted to your target market.  The smaller niche sites also have less users, so therefore it will be easier to get the attention of your customers.

So when it comes to gaining awareness online, try and think outside the box.

Where do you and your business reside in the world of social media?  Does anyone have vacation homes in countries other than Facebook and Twitter?

Comic-Con has come and gone, but it has left a lasting impression on many that will only be forgotten by next year’s offerings.  Now, I realize Comic-Con was a while ago, but if you’ve ever been to the event you understand that it takes time to digest.  With all the stimulation, people, sneak peaks, celebrities and madness – it’s normal to take a while to fully understand what you just experienced

Plenty of Comic-Con coverage has already been through the internet life-cycle and conversation has moved on.  But, there is an aspect of Comic-Con that is always overlooked and I want to dive into it.  I want to look deeper into the marketing implications of the event.

Comic-Con is a spectacle in every sense of the word, it’s pure madness; it’s a perfect look at marketing in today’s fragmented world.

If I had to sum up the whole experience in one word it would be: stimulation.  Everyone brings their A-team, with their A material and puts on their A-game and then blows it all up on steroids.  With so many different vendors, studios and retailers it is a battle of the fittest.  This is where Comic-Con verifies some fundamental marketing theory.

Mass marketing vs niche marketing…

Comic-Con is the ultimate test of mass vs niche marketing.  On one end of the spectrum you see huge companies with huge budgets – like Sony, Marvel, WB, DC, AMC, Hasbro and many other major networks, studios and companys.  They all come with large scale booths, trying to stand out from everyone else.  They can do this because of their massive budgets and already high awareness.

As many major companies which were present, there were an equal amount on Indie comics, retailers and studios.  There were rows and rows of unknown artists, writers and productions which had their time in the spotlight at Comic-Con.  Granted they didn’t have the same crowds that the massive companies did, but that didn’t mean they weren’t busy.

This shows the perfect comparison between mass marketing and niche marketing.  Most everyone does well at Comic-Con, it’s everyones’ most successful show every year.  This shows that generally mass marketing and niche marketing are both successful.  Although, the mass marketing strategies make much more money at Comic-Con, it’s mostly because of the larger scale which they present everything on.

Which strategy is right for you – mass or niche?  The important things to keep in mind are: what your company is, what resources you have, and what target markets and opportunities you are presented with.  If you’re a major company like Marvel, or Sony and you can invest massive amounts money, time, and energy into projects and in return make huge sums of money, you can try and target the masses.  If you’re Paul, and you have a successful small comic book, and you don’t have the resources to market to the masses… you must find your niche.  When you do, as long as your product is strong you should be successful.

Comic-Con was the perfect comparison of mass vs niche marketing and how they both can work.  It also was the perfect illustration of what it took to be successful at both approaches and could be considered a case study on today’s two most popular marketing strategies.

Yesterday we landed in Sunny Orlando to shoot our next episode of “I am stylin” here at Celebration V which is the Star Wars Convention.  Keep checking back because next week I’ll have both Comic-Con and Celebration V updates with a look at the marketing implications.  It’s going to be an interesting write and I’m excited to finally get them done.  Thanks for reading and get ready for a good look and the two unique conventions this week.

Well, it’s been a crazy week.  I was working at Comic-Con International in San Diego all week for a client, and I think I am finally recovered.  A blog post is coming to summarize my experience and give you some insight into the crazy event.

Please head over to The Next Great Generation and read my latest article entitled “Alcohol Brands We (Gen Y) Loves“.  It’s an interesting look at our favorite alcohol brands and why we love them.  It is a good read for anyone who is interested in branding or Gen Y.

Make sure to check back in the next couple of days for my Comic-Con breakdown.

In time where so many commercials and campaigns fall flat, we thought it would be nice to post some good commercials that have stuck out to me recently. Do you like these spots? Let us know in the comments.

*Update: Here is a link to the BP Brand article.  Would love your feedback and input on it*

So exciting news!  Along with my new marketing company that I have started up, I have also become the author for a new column on The Next Great Generation where I give companies and brands advice on what they should do to better attract Gen Y based customers.  It is going to be known as something like “My Ideas for your Company”.  I’m pretty excited that they wanted me to write it.

I decided to give myself a slam dunk for my first piece (NOT) and decided to take on the easy brand situation which is BP.

If you have been living under a rock lately, you may have missed their devastating oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.  The leak has caused unknown levels of devastation to the Gulf, its beaches, fishing industries and citizens.  Analysts say that BP has already lost $1 billion in brand value.  So naturally, my first column is going to be what BP needs to do to not be the scum of the earth anymore.

Not an easy topic, but that’s why it’s going to be fun.  If you guys have any suggestions or strategies for BP or my article please leave them in the comments.  I’m always looking for input.  It should be up Tuesday of next week at TNGG – stay tuned.

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