NationStates Jolt Archive

Over the last few months I have noticed a strange phenomena on British TV. It seems to consist of hopelessly amateurish attempts at advertising various products by different companies. Always at the end they mention 'brandpower' - does anyone know what it is all about, is it some kind of attempt to reduce the sales of these products?

Oh God, those things. I still don't quite understand them.

http://www.brandpower.com/uk/

http://www.brandpower.com/uk/

But what is in it for the 'leading brands' in being associated with adverts so shit that they remind me of those old cinema adverts where they would describe a friendly local curry house with the name obviously dubbed over?

But what is in it for the 'leading brands' in being associated with adverts so shit that they remind me of those old cinema adverts where they would describe a friendly local curry house with the name obviously dubbed over?

It's like time share, you get a fancier house if you're only there for two weeks. It's buying into a larger package so they get greater penetration for less money. Ads are 90% (made up statistic) just putting the name in your head--you don't necessarily buy Raisin Bran because a giant scoop wielding sun tells you to, but because when you walk by it in the store and see that maniacal sun your remember it. Packaging like Brandpower isn't so much about pre-meditated decisions (though no doubt there are a few who actually follow it for that) but for that recognition factor. "I need X...I seem to remember that symbol for some reason, I'll go with that." Keep in mind that if you have 5 million 'impressions' if it only works 10% of the time, that's still a lot of sales. Someone who actually studies marketing could insert the real numbers in there.

It's like time share, you get a fancier house if you're only there for two weeks. It's buying into a larger package so they get greater penetration for less money. Ads are 90% (made up statistic) just putting the name in your head--you don't necessarily buy Raisin Bran because a giant scoop wielding sun tells you to, but because when you walk by it in the store and see that maniacal sun your remember it. Packaging like Brandpower isn't so much about pre-meditated decisions (though no doubt there are a few who actually follow it for that) but for that recognition factor. "I need X...I seem to remember that symbol for some reason, I'll go with that." Keep in mind that if you have 5 million 'impressions' if it only works 10% of the time, that's still a lot of sales. Someone who actually studies marketing could insert the real numbers in there.

I am not convinced it is as simple as that. If they showed an advert featuring fat ugly naked porn star Ron Jeremy stirring a bowl of breakfast cereal with his cock while repeatedly shouting 'Kellogs' - it probably would fix the brand name in my head though I would be filled with a sense of revulsion everytime I saw a box of cornflakes.

I am not convinced it is as simple as that. If they showed an advert featuring fat ugly naked porn star Ron Jeremy stirring a bowl of breakfast cereal with his cock while repeatedly shouting 'Kellogs' - it probably would fix the brand name in my head though I would be filled with a sense of revulsion everytime I saw a box of cornflakes.

There are extremes, yes. I wasn't about to include a masters class in marketing in a single forum post, I can't even get the numbers right in the overview I gave.

It's buying into a larger package so they get greater penetration for less money.

I'm sorry, but I'm in a very sick state of mind today. Mind if I sig this?

I just hate Time Life Bible videos, bracelets, necklaces, coins, dollars, metal dollars, tapes, cd's, bands, etc...

I'm sorry, but I'm in a very sick state of mind today. Mind if I sig this?

Sadly, that took me a second...worse things have been done.

Everything about those Brandpower ads annoys me.

I am not convinced it is as simple as that. If they showed an advert featuring fat ugly naked porn star Ron Jeremy stirring a bowl of breakfast cereal with his cock while repeatedly shouting 'Kellogs' - it probably would fix the brand name in my head though I would be filled with a sense of revulsion everytime I saw a box of cornflakes.

Speak for yourself :)

Brandpower is on US TV, too. I have no idea who or what they are.

They remind me of a broadcast version of a local stores circular or a ValuPak. Do you get those in the UK? The circulars are these massive printed things, almost like newspapers, but full of nothing but ads and coupons for local businesses, and ValuPaks are big fat envelopes full of coupons for local stores. I hate them. They are nothing but garbage that I have to recycle, but I think they are considered a public service, so there is no way to stop getting them in my mail.

Maybe Brandpower is a lower cost way of advertising common products -- I notice they tend to concentrate on "supermarket" products. I hope they eventually replace the circulars and Paks.

I am not convinced it is as simple as that. If they showed an advert featuring fat ugly naked porn star Ron Jeremy stirring a bowl of breakfast cereal with his cock while repeatedly shouting 'Kellogs' - it probably would fix the brand name in my head though I would be filled with a sense of revulsion everytime I saw a box of cornflakes.
Actually, it is that simple, more or less. There have been studies done that indicate that even an irritating ad can boost sales just by fixing the brand name or image into the mind. This is especially effective for low-end products that we all buy but don't necessarily want to spend a lot of time thinking about -- like cereal or breathmints. The implantation into memory tends to become subliminal as we have more important things to think about. We will eventually forget the annoying ad, or forget what it was an ad for, but the impact of the ads will keep Brand "Pr0n" closer to the surface of our memory, even if we don't always automatically connect it with Ron Jeremy's hairy dick.

However, I don't think the Brandpower ads are irritating, so much as "raw." There have been other studies done that for certain kinds of products, that low-end, rough, unpolished, no-talent manner of presentation goes over better with consumers than a slicker ad does.

Over the last few months I have noticed a strange phenomena on British TV. It seems to consist of hopelessly amateurish attempts at advertising various products by different companies. Always at the end they mention 'brandpower' - does anyone know what it is all about, is it some kind of attempt to reduce the sales of these products?

Never seen it, but then I haven't had access to a tv for 4 weeks.

Over the last few months I have noticed a strange phenomena on British TV. It seems to consist of hopelessly amateurish attempts at advertising various products by different companies. Always at the end they mention 'brandpower' - does anyone know what it is all about, is it some kind of attempt to reduce the sales of these products?

They have that in Canada too. The slogan is "Brandpower, helping you buy better" and it's always some lady standing in front of a wall of whatever item she's advertising.

They have that in Canada too. The slogan is "Brandpower, helping you buy better" and it's always some lady standing in front of a wall of whatever item she's advertising.
Yep, that's them. They're everywhere. They must be space aliens.

Yep, that's them. They're everywhere. They must be space aliens.
Those ads make me happy I don't have a TV.

...well, I have a TV, but no cable and no channels at all as a result.

There are two levels of marketing. The very crap one that makes you sure you weren't fooled.

Then the secret one, which totally fools you.

Brandpower - whatever it is - is obviously the first type.

There are two levels of marketing. The very crap one that makes you sure you weren't fooled.

Then the secret one, which totally fools you.

Brandpower - whatever it is - is obviously the first type.
What makes you think it's not the second type?

What makes you think it's not the second type?

Too obvious.

Of course none of this is all or nothing. Some people will actually be encouraged.

But the second type of sooper sekrit marketing doesn't ever happen on an obvious level. Ever.

You have to stop sometimes and arrest all your preconceived notions about the world to see how it operates. (Though from chatting to you I'd guess already that you are the kind of person who does that already).

Why, for example, can only the best candy be made domestically, yet on the other hand we offshore all our pharmaceutical production? And we can't build a car, yet we manufacture the best aircraft?

These are the assumptions that are somehow slid into our brains. Shadow marketing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0aLUDVQ-CA

You're only just getting them now? We've had that annoyingly doe-eyed presenter standing in front of shelves full of crap for at least 3 years here.

We've had them for a few years or so, I have yet to measure any improvement in the quality of my buying subsequent to their alleged assistance in this area.

Actually, it is that simple, more or less...

Well if Kellogs steal my idea I am going to sue.

My next question is: how do we make them stop?

There be a wee button on th' front of your telly that tells th' wee men inside it whether or not to draw the pictures - and if ye press it, they go for a cuppa and a smoko and ye will na hae t' see th' brand power lady nae more! Truly th' technology, it be truly wond'rous.

I haven't watched television since ... last July, it'd have to be.



... episodes of The Daily Show on the Internet don't count. Hush.

Over the last few months I have noticed a strange phenomena on British TV. It seems to consist of hopelessly amateurish attempts at advertising various products by different companies. Always at the end they mention 'brandpower' - does anyone know what it is all about, is it some kind of attempt to reduce the sales of these products?

I think you will find that Brandpower is the company that these companies hire to advertise their products. They are just letting people know who is doing it, one to the consumer as it is meant to seem that it is helping them to get the best value products (helping you buy better) and to other companies to let them know they are around.

These ads really do annoy the hell out of me and not at all enjoyable to watch.

My next question is: how do we make them stop?

Nuclear war, and/or a genie?

Nuclear war, and/or a genie?

Nuclear Genie?

Too obvious.
Ah, so their methods work. :p

Of course none of this is all or nothing. Some people will actually be encouraged.

But the second type of sooper sekrit marketing doesn't ever happen on an obvious level. Ever.

You have to stop sometimes and arrest all your preconceived notions about the world to see how it operates. (Though from chatting to you I'd guess already that you are the kind of person who does that already).
Well, actually, I have a bit of a cheat, because I majored in advertising design in art school. I got the Sooper-Sekrit "I See What You Did There" How-To Manual with decoder ring. All the tricks stand out like neon signs to me. As a result, I am nearly immune to advertising, PR, propaganda, and various other kinds of leading-by-the-nose.

I did not go into that profession after school, but I do use the tricks in my artwork. Subliminal brain-bending is my specialty. But, yeah, I actually studied to be one of the Men Behind the Curtain, so there is no non-obvious advertising in my world.

Why, for example, can only the best candy be made domestically, yet on the other hand we offshore all our pharmaceutical production? And we can't build a car, yet we manufacture the best aircraft?

These are the assumptions that are somehow slid into our brains. Shadow marketing.
And planted successfully in people's hulu-ready brains even as they eat imported candy while driving foreign cars that were assembled in US plants.

Although I would not be caught dead using the shiney new hulu -- because of their snarky condescending ads -- I actually like those ads a lot, especially the first one, because they demonstrate -- or at least hope to demonstrate; time will tell -- that advertising is so effective that it can do what it does even when it tells us what it's doing.

"What are you going to do? Turn off your tv AND your computer? HA!"

I love that. :D There are so many levels of different kinds of truth in that line.

Well if Kellogs steal my idea I am going to sue.

My next question is: how do we make them stop?
Get another brain upgrade.

Or Nuclear Genie (see above).

http://www.comeclean.org.uk/content/genie.jpg

You have no idea how happy the existence of this picture made me.