Pampers has always been a well recognized brand. When I had my child I was drawn to Pampers for a number of reasons. First, I received a wonderful “free” package from Pampers at my Doctor’s office while pregnant. It had coupons for pampers, a copy to a parenting magazine, and a few travel size Johnson & Johnson product (baby lotion and baby shampoo). When the baby finally came along, I wanted to use Pampers. I soon discovered each box of Pampers had a special sticker with a code on it. You were encouraged to go online and enter your code to earn points. Once you earned enough points you could redeem them for toys and other items. Once you visited the website, you soon discovered the online community. You could sign-up for their newsletter, get parenting information on relevant topics. In addition, you can join their online blog, in the "village" and discussion various parenting topics and issues with other parents.
Pampers is really focused on the brand has been very strategic in its online thinking. They are able to better understand their customer, through the information received online. This information can help them target their users and understand their individual needs. Pampers is building relationships with it there customers online. They offer opportunities for customers to join the online community by enticing customers with free gifts and coupons, so that they are able to migrate online. Once online, they can click to receive coupons, or get the free newsletters. This is all part of the “brand stickiness.”

I just read a great article called Riese: as not seen on TV, by Marsha Lederman from the Globe and Mail. Riese is a Vancouver based science fiction series that is only available online. According to Lederman, the series was launched using YouTube and Koldcast. Prior to the launch a big marketing campaign was launched at Comic-Con to generate interest.

It is interesting to note that producers used a variety of marketing tools. They created Web content to promote the characters, utilized Facebook and Twitter to get the word out. According to Lederman, this was all in an attempt for producers to go “viral.”

Producers hope that using a variety of platforms will increase revenues; online sales of promotional materials (T-shirt and mug), alternate reality game, as well as developing an iPhone app. Lederman states that the producers spend about $50,000 per episode.

I guess when you think about the costs associated with a television series, including broadcasting, $50,000 seems like a good investment. I just watched the trailer on YouTube and it was good and had 139,233 views and 5 star rating. Viral Marketing and viral advertising are fast becoming mainstream. The hope is that the buzz generates lots of interest utilizing social networking, word-of-mouth and various online marketing techniques. With the increased traffic on YouTube and the additional online marketing campaigns, this may prove to be a good recipe for success.

Check out the full story using the source link below.

Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/as-not-seen-on-tv/article1356071/

I was pointed to a blog on tvoParents.com today about online advertising to children. The blog post was written by Matthew J and was called “Child’s Play.” The post discusses how advertisers are marketing to kids early as young as 2 ½. It is really difficult as children at that age can’t really tell the difference between reality and fantasy. The article then goes on to talk about how a lot of online sites blend branded images with content with games and pictures, in an attempt to create brand loyalty. Kids go online and participate in games and surveys and are exposed to products that are cleverly and prominently placed. The article is a good read; check it out using the source link below.

Of course there are a few other things to take into consideration. Marketers also aim to collect information about users so that they can create customer profiles. If they understand the wants and needs of the users they can customize their ads and offer products that appeal to their users. It is inevitable that kids will go online, especially in today’s world. Parents have to be aware of what their child is doing online, and be present to offer guidance. Parents must teach their child from an early age how to discern what is real from what is not online.

Source: http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/tvoparents/index.cfm?page_id=221&action=blog&subaction=viewpost&blog_id=322&post_id=11298