Marketing Home Products

I remember a few years back, diamond distributor De Beers had a billboard which read, “Your kitchen can wait.” The point being, buy diamonds now… invest in your kitchen later. The kitchen was – and arguably still is – the benchmark by which we measure major purchases.

Most of us know the most expensive rooms of the home are often the kitchen and the bathroom. You’ve probably even wrestled with it yourself: Do we take a vacation, or do we remodel the kitchen? Which should we put off until later – a new car or the kitchen? And understandably so, as a remodel for the home’s most frequently used room can be quite pricey.

Advertisers have taken this approach as well. Take, for example, Bud Light’s commercial portraying a kitchen “remodel.” Of course, this takes a humorous and exaggerated approach, but it’s important to note the room in question.

We’ve put the kitchen on a pedestal. So shouldn’t significant research, innovation, helpful information, and marketing dollars go toward keeping it there?

As companies like Microsoft keep finding more uses for technology that can track movement and facial expressions, prices for the technology are steadily declining. For advertisers, this means a new tool is at their disposal.

What’s really interesting about this technology is how it has encouraged advertisers to think outside the box in order to have a bigger impact. Over the years, advertisements have become more ‘interactive.’ Typically, this has meant banner ads disguised as games, as well as a few more elaborate approaches. But with new technology that can track movement and gestures, companies can set up large electronic platforms for users to design a kitchen with the wave of an arm or customize the style of windows simply by gesturing to do so. The novelty alone attracts attention, but what really shows promise is letting users exercise creativity, imagining their dream home with an intuitive piece of software. Systems like these have existed for several years, and many companies have implemented them into their websites to serve as a preview with which customers can play. Still, nothing compares to having a giant electronic display in the mall or at a remodeling convention that can feature your products and capture people’s attention at the same time.

Aside from the more creative angles to advertising that this technology presents, traditional aspects of marketing will benefit greatly as advertisers are able to show people ads that are more likely to be relevant to them as individuals as well as to determine how various demographics respond to different ad campaigns. This functionality also derives from the camera embedded in the display, which can approximate age and determine gender. Furthermore, measuring the level of public interest skyrockets, as this software can track passersby as they raise an eyebrow, spend a few seconds looking at the screen or even roll their eyes in disapproval.

These new metrics, which were previously only available while researching focus groups or performing other studies, are becoming much more accessible to advertisers. With more data, advertisers can offer consumers more relevant ads and quickly restructure campaigns based on responses. This new shift toward smarter advertising will undoubtedly have a big impact on ad agencies, corporations, and consumers. Only time will tell exactly how this technology will evolve into a part of our everyday life, but at the rate it’s going, we’re in store for a lot of new and exciting things.

Photo courtesy WSJ.com

It’s what they work hard for all year long. And Super Bowl Sunday is their time to shine. No, not the football players…  advertising execs! With well over 100 million viewers, advertisers intend to strut their best stuff on the biggest television advertising day of the year.

Brands such as Budweiser, Go Daddy, Coca-Cola and E*Trade typically top the “best of” charts, and arguably generate the most commercial buzz year over year. This year, Go Daddy, GM and Lipton seem to be making the most interest, at least pre-game. Not so shockingly, Go Daddy will likely run a commercial starring scantily clad women such as racing star Danica Patrick and fitness guru Jillian Michaels. GM will get the most coverage with eight commercial spots pre, during and post-show, as well as its convertible prize to the game’s MVP. Celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Eminem, Kim Kardashian and Ozzy Osbourne are rumored to make cameos in select commercials as well.

When these spots go for anywhere between one and three million dollars, and an estimated audience of 106 million-plus, we’re sure to see at least a few gems this coming Sunday.

Which ads are you looking forward to? What are some of your favorites from years past?