The black and tan camouflage uniforms, designed by Under Armour, will have a Wounded Warrior logo patch. The jerseys worn by the Gamecocks and Terrapins will have words such as courage, loyalty and integrity on their backs.

More great publicity for Baltimore's Under Armour, which gets its cachet from selling "authentic" gear to real jocks. Quasi-military camo uniforms may seem even cooler and more authentic. And the Wounded Warrior Project is a great cause.

UPDATE: Thank you commenters for the correction. If Maryland and SC were really playing each other wearing the same jerseys, of course the refs would have an even more difficult time than usual.

Posted by Jay Hancock at 1:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Marketing
        

Businesses pander to politicians all the time, but usually behind the scenes. They donate campaign funds. They -- nudge nudge wink wink -- promise pols and staff jobs when they leave government. And so forth. Rarely do they back one side or another with public pronouncements. I remember how surprised I was to see an "O'Malley" sign on the lawn of the First Mariner Bank branch near where I live in the last gubernatorial election.

Even more rarely do they use partisanship as a marketing strategy. Whey hack off half your potential customers if you can avoid it? Some company called CREDO Mobile seems to trying it out. In my Inbox this morning, sent out by the Democratic machine:

Dear Jay,
Real healthcare reform is within reach this fall, but we're fighting tooth-and-nail against insurance lobbyists, Republicans, BlueDogs, FOX News, and Obamahaters marching in Washington. To win, we need the support of every ally we can find.
CREDO Mobile has been a great ally in this fight. Won't you consider making them your phone company?
Bob Fertik

And:

Is Your Phone Company Fighting for Real Healthcare Reform?

Unless you're with CREDO Mobile, the answer is probably "no." We're a different kind of company - one that's driven not by the bottom line, but by a belief. A belief that we can make the world a better place, including achieving the goal of health care for all Americans.

Memo to cell phone customers and everybody else: If you want health care reform, don't worry about CREDO. Call your congressman and senator.

Posted by Jay Hancock at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Marketing
        

Despite a small market and terrible national economy, Ravenomics look pretty healthy as the NFL season opens, reports Kevin Van Valkenburg in today's Sun. The team has sold out home games again for the 2009/2010 season. It's 7th from the bottom in market size but near the top in revenue. It has renewed leases on nearly all the luxury suites. It renewed 99 percent of its season tickets.

Part of the story surely is Baltimore's 60 years of pro football tradition, the dedication of the fans and the team's winning record. But the greatest fans in the universe can't compensate for the 16 percent unemployment rate in metro Detroit, where, as Van Valkenburg reports, Lions management anticipates empty seats and a TV blackout. Even a team touted to be division champions can't make up for the 10 percent unemployment of metro San Diego, where the Chargers face the same problem. And in Jacksonville, a tiny market, mediocre team and Florida's housing crash mean 17,000 season ticket holders didn't renew this year, KVV reports. A year ago unemployment was 6.4 percent in Jacksonville. Now it's 10.5 percent. The place has lost 6 percent of its jobs in the last two years.

By contrast the metro Baltimore economy, for all its challenges, is doing OK. Unemployment is 8 percent. The region has lost jobs at only half the rate of Jacksonville and a quarter the rate of Detroit. Combine that with the fact that Baltimore incomes on average are higher than those of many NFL towns, and you have the right environment for a full house and long concession lines. Unlike the Redskins, the Ravens don't sue season-ticket holders who find they can't pay for the seats, as the Washington Post's James Grimaldi recently reported. But it doesn't sound like they would even need to.

Posted by Jay Hancock at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Marketing
        

Some great comments over at Consuming Interests on the comments on health reform by Whole Foods boss John Mackey and the resulting boycott effort by people who objected. In a piece in the WSJ, Mackey wrote: "A careful reading of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution will not reveal any intrinsic right to health care, food or shelter. That's because there isn't any. This 'right' has never existed in America."

Many of Whole Foods' liberal customers are mad. But the other question is, what does the Whole Foods board think? Mackey probably just cost the company millions in sales and gave it big black eye among its core customers.

Unlike most boycotts, this one doesn't have to reach a mass market to be successful. Whole Foods sells to a niche demographic, and that demographic is precisely the one most likely to respond to the boycott. Whole Foods customers are politically aware, well-off and heavily wired, which means they're also easy for boycott organizers to reach.

This is after years of sock puppeting by Mackey on Yahoo message boards, pumping his own company and trashing rivals while pretending to be somebody else. A Consuming Interests commenter asks a good question:

How many times can this guy screw up? One day he's on yahoo boards pumping his stock and gloating over himself, then onto 'conservative capitalism'... no he's offended 14,000 customers. He's a lose cannon and why I would never invest. I like to store, but their mission is just too mixed.

UPDATE: Here's the headline from RetailWire: "Time for John Mackey to Resign."

UPDATE 2: Interesting discussion going on in comments. Yes, this is America, and the First Amendment hasn't been repealed. But how far should a CEO go in expressing honest but controversial comments when they might hurt the business? Most CEOs shut their traps -- to a fault. Mackey's outspokenness is refreshing. But by speaking out, has he violated his duty to shareholders?

Posted by Jay Hancock at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)
Categories: Marketing
        

Not yet, says Grant McCracken:

Splendid. At the very moment, marketing is finding new ways to talk about women (Dove, etc.), it's image of men is now predictable. It's not in fact offensive. Much of the "men as dogs, dolts, dopes" advertising can be funny. Men like this image of themselves. No, the problem is that it's verging on the tedious. The joke is wearing thin. Verily, it has jumped the shark.

Guys will go along with this sort of thing for a little while longer. We don't mind being portrayed as dogs, dolts and dopes. What we don't like it being seen as cliches. Call us stupid and obvious, but don't you dare suggest we have drifted off the cultural moment. (And what goes for men goes doubly for the ad agency that makes the ads men watch.)

Posted by Jay Hancock at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Marketing
        

Evian bottle water, owned by Danone of France, had a huge hit in 1998 with its synchronized swimming babies. Now it has brought the tykes back to the screen, clothed them in onesies (the swimmers were starkers) and scored another blockbuster, this time on youtube.

The agency, BETC Euro, is the same. The technology is the same. Why did Evian wait a decade to relaunch the babies? Maybe partly it's the American Idol strategy: If you don't run the content constantly, maybe people won't get sick of it. The English version is all over the Web. Here's the French version.

Posted by Jay Hancock at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Marketing
        

Since this blog has become the global authority on botched national junk-food giveaways, it has assigned staff to see if Doughnut Day (in which Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts have pledged to give a free sweet round greasy puntured piece of fried starch to every customer) is going OK.

So far no reports of free-fatty-food rights being violated, except maybe in Fresno. Yum Brands and KFC could learn a thing.

Posted by Jay Hancock at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Marketing
        

The Government Accountability Office spends 43 pages "analyzing" why the United States gets lousy global PR despite having spent billions on its image. Hint to the GAO: It's not the advertising. It's the policy.

Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the U.S. government has spent at least $10 billion on communication efforts designed to advance the strategic interests of the United States. However, foreign public opinion polling data shows that negative views towards the United States persist despite the collective efforts to counteract them by the State Department (State), Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Department of Defense (DOD), and other U.S. government agencies. Based on the significant role U.S. strategic communication and public diplomacy efforts can play in promoting U.S. national security objectives, such as countering ideological support for violent extremism, we highlighted these efforts as an urgent issue for the new administration and Congress. To assist Congress with its oversight agenda, we have enclosed a series of issue papers that discuss long-standing and emerging public diplomacy challenges identified by GAO and others.

UPDATE: Alex says, in comments: "giving Yugo the ad dollars of Chevrolet will not change things"

Posted by Jay Hancock at 8:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Marketing
        

Toyota Financial is offering a $1,000 rebate to recent grads of four-year and two-year colleges. Sounds great. No money down. Free roadside assistance for a year. Security-deposit waiver if you're leasing. Even if you graduated two years ago you still get the rebate. Good on all the non-hybrid models. Go for it! Except -- you knew this would happen -- read the fine print.

Show proof of present employment, or future employment with a start date within 120 days of your purchase contract date. TFS must deem your salary sufficient to cover living expenses and vehicle payments.

In this economy, that's a deal-killer. I know several people graduating from college. I know only one who will have a job.

UPDATE: To which wise commenter Pete adds the corollary:

But also a credit-saver. No sense in getting into a financial commitment you have no ability to live up to, and no sense taking on credit risks and bad debts. Calling it a deal-killer puts it in a negative light, as though we've learned nothing from the housing and financials meltdowns.

Posted by Jay Hancock at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Marketing
        

It sounds like now KFC might have to give out rain checks for its rain checks to get a free grilled chicken meal. As you recall KFC and Oprah publicized a massive giveaway of the new sandwich. Millions tried to print out the Web coupon, running into immediate problems. The coupon software wouldn't work. The substitute PDF coupon wasn't honored by the KFC. The KFC ran out of grilled chicken sandwiches etc. Within hours the company said it would no longer take the Web coupons but would exchange them for rain checks that could be mailed in for NEW coupons that would be honored. Now a commenter says:

I went to a KFC and they said they are giving rainchecks but they don't have any rainchecks left! How lame is that?! That's it - that was my final visit to KFC!

Posted by Jay Hancock at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Marketing
        

Piling on after the debacle over KFC's free chicken offer promoted on Oprah, El Pollo Loco (for Md. readers, a western chicken chain) disses KFC for not honoring the Oprah coupons on Mother's Day. From Nation's Restaurant News:

COSTA MESA, Calif. (May 7, 2009) Continuing to peck away at a rival brand’s grilled chicken promotion, El Pollo Loco on Thursday posted a viral video suggesting that KFC doesn’t honor mothers because a coupon for a free meal is not valid on Mother’s Day this Sunday.

Saying that El Pollo Loco “loves mothers and families,” the 418-unit chain on Mother’s Day will honor the KFC coupon offer of a free two-piece grilled chicken meal with sides, which was promoted Tuesday by television talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

The coupon was available for download on KFC’s website until midnight Wednesday and the giveaway reportedly prompted a run on chicken. KFC stores across the country reportedly had long lines and some ran short on supplies.

The KFC coupon is good through May 19 — excluding Mother’s Day, when El Pollo Loco hopes to pick up some of the 5,200-unit chain’s freebie-seeking customers.

Actually, the KFC coupon isn't good on Mother's Day or any other day. The chain got so swamped with requests that yesterday it stopped direct use of all the coupons. Now you have to go to the store, present your coupon, fill out a "rain check" form and wait for them to send you ANOTHER coupon in the mail.

Posted by Jay Hancock at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Marketing
        

UPDATE, THURSDAY NIGHT. So much for that little promotion. What a disaster. FROM KFC's WEB SITE:

We are so sorry, but due to the overwhelming response to our FREE Kentucky Grilled Chicken™ meal coupon, we can no longer redeem the free coupon at this time. But we will honor our commitment to giving you a free Kentucky Grilled Chicken meal.

Please visit a participating KFC restaurant for a rain check form. Complete the form, attach your original coupon , and give it to the KFC restaurant manager or postmark per the form’s instructions, by May 19, 2009, and we’ll send you a rain check for your free Kentucky Grilled Chicken meal at a later date, plus a free Pepsi with our compliments. Your participating KFC restaurant will provide you with the form you need.

Please note that the redemption periods of the rain checks will vary. All other terms and conditions of the original free Kentucky Grilled Chicken coupon will apply.

UPDATE, THURSDAY 4:45 PM. This just in from AP:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — KFC has learned not to underestimate the power of Oprah Winfrey.

A free grilled-chicken meal promotion touted by the talk show host has caused such a frenzy that some stores ran out and the Louisville-based chicken chain is asking customers to take a rain check for the new product.

KFC President Roger Eaton said Thursday the company will mail coupons to customers in stages so people can enjoy their meal in a more relaxed setting. It will throw in a free soft drink to sweeten the new deal.

UPDATE, THURSDAY AFTERNOON: Just put another call into KFC public relations, with questions about whether the "1234" pdf coupons are good, whether the coupons need to be printed in color, and how they're going to respond to people who had problems. Several commenters have said that the 1234 coupons have been rejected at some stores or that other stores rejected coupons that weren't printed in color. The PR folks are still hunkered down and figuring out what to do. They do seem to realize they have a publicity storm on their hands. "They've been in meetings since 8 this morning," said the woman who answered the phone.

Will report back if KFC responds with answers.

Louisville, we have a problem. A commenter says:

Unfortunately for those who worked on or near 42nd St., in NYC are not able to use the coupons. A KFC employee was literally screaming in front of the KFC stating, "NO MORE COUPONS" and turned people away. Thanks for nothing!!!!

And another:

I went to use my coupon today and there was a notice on the door stating that if your last 4 numbers in the bar code are 1234, the coupon is no good! Came home to try to print again and the site would not let me print another coupon.

Jay here. ALL the pdf versions of the coupons (see post below) have the 1234 UPC number. I have a call into KFC public relations about this and about whether they're going to be swamped by all the demand. Will report back when I hear.

UPDATE: More reports of KFC customers unable to redeem grilled chicken coupons. Metro New York customers do not seem to be having good KFC experiences today:

If the coupon doesn't print, consider it a blessing! the portchestoer NY store sort of honored a few before noon (2 wings, mash & no biscuit) and then told the remaining coupon holders (that were shunned into a separate line) that the chicken was gone. I eat atr this KFC regularly and was treated like a vagrant because I had a coupon; that they issued!

And:

well we went to kfc in brooklyn center off brooklyn blvd and they also said that if any of us had the same numbers they weren't going to take them.everyones coupons end with 1234'so we went to another one got served went back and talked with the 1st place.they were only serving one per car.

And:

I just came back from the North Lake KFC in Pasadena California, where the sign on the door read "We are not accepting internet coupons".

UPUPDATE: Scott in San Antonio says he & friends successfully redeemed PDF-based coupons. Since he says all coupons' barcodes were the same, I assume they all ended in 1234, which seems to be all you get from the PDF version.

I was able to print it no problem with FireFox. I also saved the PDF. Others who went to get it got the same coupon code. We all went to lunch together and joined the long line of other people waiting for their free chicken. We were politely served and while it took about 10 minutes for our food to be ready, we did get it and in no way felt slighted.

I guess I know what I will be eating for the next two weeks! :)

(BTW, this was in San Antonio)

AND MORE: A reported sit-in over grilled-chicken denials at a New York KFC.

Check out frustrations other customers are having on the Consuming Interests blog.

Posted by Jay Hancock at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (468)
Categories: Marketing
        

The coupon for KFC chicken prompts you to download some software before you print it out, which would be a minor obstacle to free chicken if the software worked. However people are reporting problems.

UPDATE: Here is a link to a PDF coupon that you can print without downloading the software required for the other method. It appears to be legitimate. For the KFC free grilled chicken meal coupon, click here.

Commenter Dawn sez:

I tried to print out the Oprah free KFC giveaway coupon and it want allow it to be print from my printer. I installed all of the software that the coupon assisted on me to do. Ran software, still will not print coupon.

Commenter Bob sez:

No amount of trying resulted in coupon being printed. Computer got hung up as well. Geez Louize ---what kind of promotion is this?

Commenter Jesi says:

I tried printing from several computers....It WONT print! So this is how they get away with such a promotion...No one can actually download the coupon. This is annoying

Commenter Henry:

O.K. What is going on? I tried to print out the coupon and it would not let me. A security system thing keep popping up and it won't let me get in nor, will it let me print the conpon. Could someone explain? Thank you.

Has anybody successfully downloaded coupons?

Posted by Jay Hancock at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (59)
Categories: Marketing
        

History is replete with examples of companies that offered giveaway or discount promotions only to have them become a bit too successful. The idea is to get publicity and drive traffic without hurting your bottom line too badly. But KFC's loss leader might just turn into a big loss.

The Oprah connection is generating huge publicity. "Kentucky fried chicken coupons" is No. 11 on Google trends this morning. It's also interesting that, amid KFC's campaign to "Unthink What You Thought About KFC," the company is promoting the meal that the Colonel has been serving for 50 years. You can dowload a coupon for a free two-piece chicken meal, sides and a biscuit until midnight eastern time today.

No matter the ultimate cost or volume, the true test will be whether the promotion sustainably pulls KFC out of the lagging ranks of fast food chains.

UPDATE: As pointed out by commenter Doc, it's KFC's new grilled chicken, not the traditional fried stuff. This would have been obvious to me had I closely read the coupon terms I posted below!

UPUPDATE: KFC is getting flooded with attempted coupon redemptions today as well as questions about how to print them. Some other posts:

Would-be KFC diners have trouble printing coupons
KFC customers report they can't redeem coupons
Coupons good till May 19th (The Sun's Consuming Interests blog)

* Terms: Free offer good for two pieces of Kentucky Grilled Chicken™ (manager's choice) and two individual sides and a biscuit at participating KFC restaurants located in the Unites States, while supplies last. Limit one offer per coupon, one coupon per person during offer period. Must be redeemed in person. Not good with any other offers. No photocopied, mechanically reproduced or altered coupon accepted. Coupon cannot be sold or traded. Valid only if downloaded from UnthinKFC.com. Applicable tax extra. Void where prohibited. By downloading coupon, you agree that KFC is not responsible for any technical problems or malfunctions of computer systems, servers or printers or lost or unavailable network connections. You are limited to 4 downloads of coupon. Coupon fraud is punishable by law.

Posted by Jay Hancock at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (90)
Categories: Marketing