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12 January 2005
Giving in tandem with the feelings you want to arouse
There are 2 advertisements in the press today that caught the eye; a Nokia
72-series advertisement and a CTC (travel agency) 15th Anniversary
Advertisement. The former an epitome of style in advertisement with it’s
distinctly red and lifestyle layout, while the latter the traditional
informative black and white advertisement with an overload of words and
information.
But we are not going to delve into the quality of the advertisement. Instead, we want to talk about the marketing gifts that were featured in the advertisements.
The Nokia advertisement proclaimed that any purchase of the phones in this
series will entitle the buyer to a "Nokia Distinctly Bold Style Pack", which
comprised of "2 stylishly designed phone straps, 1 key chain and a booklet
of discounts for great fashion buys ranging from G-Star to Kenzo and beauty
treats from Mahogany to Shu Uemura". In a thumbnail image next to the
paragraph, one can see the free items packed nicely in a stylish black gift
box. The whole offering smacks of style. The gifts chosen and packaged
reinforced the distinctive feel of class in owning this series of Nokia
phones. The marketing gifts, the stylish phones, and the distinctive
advertisement combine seamlessly to evoke this feeling of "owning style"
amongst its potential buyers.
The CTC advertisement on the other hand, offered "a CTC Commemorative Gold
Coin, a Cyberhome DVD player, Delifrance Gift Vouchers, Olio Beverage
Voucher, Total Wellness Vouchers, Starhub special offers and Safra
Membership Rewards", with a generous dosage of "2000 pieces only" or
"Limited to one voucher per customer" kind of phrases. The whole
advertisement evoked a kind of "what kind of travel agency is this?" kind of
feeling. How does this diversity of gifts connect with the message of the
advertisement? Not much thought seems to have been given to giving gift
items that can be associated to their branding.
When I choose a phone, I choose it for its functionality and for the
positive emotions that it evokes in me. Similarly, when I choose a travel
agency, I will choose one that is reliable and convenient, one that creates
positive emotions in me. It is not so much about some "gold coin" that will
swing my choice to go with this agency. Companies should give more thought
to this marketing gesture of giving. Earn a brand by planning for it.
Marketing gift items have the potential to do a lot more for your company’s
offering and branding.
Ian Choo, 12 January 2005
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January 2005
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