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Starbucks and Microsoft Outlook Mix Work and Play with New e-Gift Cards

By on July 22, 2016 in Marketing

Starbucks Marketing

Starbucks and Microsoft Outlook have joined forces to make the first email check of the day a little more exciting. Users can start sending Starbucks gift cards over email to friends, family, coworkers and clients using Outlook 2013 and 2016. Now, rather than traveling to a store to purchase a gift card to give, the giving can happen in a matter of minutes with a single email. This type of marketing could change the way gift cards are given and expand the platforms on which brands can be advertised.

According to Microsoft’s website, Outlook wants to use this new feature to emphasize the importance of personal relationships in business. “Outlook now makes it easier for you to have that personal connection by enabling you to meet your customers, business partners or study group at your favorite Starbucks location,” says Microsoft’s website.

This e-gift card feature is possible because of a free add-in that Outlook now offers.  As part of Starbucks’ plan to expand digitally, users can download the add-in and not only send gift cards over email, but also attach gift cards to future emails and schedule meetings at a nearby Starbucks. For a short time, these e-gift cards give back, too! Starbucks is offering $5 gift cards to Outlook users who send Starbucks gift cards of $5 or more.

Both Microsoft Outlook and Starbucks stand to benefit from this partnership. Last quarter, nearly 12 million Starbucks users were a part of the rewards program, and about 25 percent of transactions happened over the Starbucks app. Starbucks now has a new digital platform to expand their sales on, and the option to schedule meetings at a nearby Starbucks with the add-in will further direct traffic to the store.

Likewise, Outlook has started allowing add-ins to help the program run smoother, with useful functions like filtering spam and connecting to other services.  This Starbucks add-in could be the first of many as other companies follow the trend and market their product digitally over email servers like Outlook.

For more information about the Starbucks and Outlook partnership, read the full article here: http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/06/20/instant-analysis-starbucks-partners-with-microsoft.aspx

Budweiser Taps into American Patriotism with New Branding

By on May 17, 2016 in Campaigns, Marketing

PPR_Blog_Bud

The countdown to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio has officially begun and with just under 3 months until the opening ceremony brands big and small have the opportunity to take advantage of one of the most watched sporting event in the world. Budweiser is doing just that with the introduction of their new beer cans and bottles they have aptly renamed “America.”

According to NPR, summer is the best selling season for beer with about one-third of all U.S. sales happening between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Combine the busy beer season with the 2016 Summer Olympics and Presidential Election and this summer is primed for what Budweiser Vice President Ricardo Marques says will be “the most patriotic summer that this generation has ever seen.”

In addition to the new name, the beer the cans will also feature phrases from the Pledge of Allegiance and lyrics from “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful.” The summer cans and bottles will hit the shelves on Memorial Day and will run through the November election; a seven month period in which every Budweiser sold in the U.S. will read “America.” Marques addressed the name change saying “Budweiser has always strived to embody America in a bottle, and we’re honored to salute this great nation where our beer has been passionately brewed for the past 140 years.”

To go along with the new look, Budweiser is introducing the “America is in Your Hands” campaign. This summer long campaign will focus on “reminding people from sea to shining sea to embrace the optimism upon which the country was first built.” The new cans and bottles will be featured in a national TV spot that is set to premier June 1.

The rebranding of Budweiser’s cans and bottles hopes to capture the patriotism of U.S. consumers. With the 2016 Summer Olympics, Presidential Election and the Copa America Centenario, U.S. patriotism will be running high, and Budweiser hopes this new branding will attract even more U.S. consumers. Despite the mild backlash by many after the announcement of the name change, Budweiser is taking advantage of a unique opportunity this summer and only time will tell if the campaign will strike success.

For more about this topic check out NPR’s full article here: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/05/10/477499942/budweiser-will-call-itself-america-for-a-limited-time

Apple Wins Over Customers with Humor

By on April 21, 2016 in Advertising, Campaigns, Feel Good

PPR_Blog_AppleMusic

With iPhones, MacBooks, Apple Music and the newest Apple Watch, it seems that there’s nothing that Apple doesn’t offer customers these days. Through well thought out advertising campaigns and continuous customer support, Apple has been able to maintain a respectable brand image and keep customers coming back for more.

After a recent controversy between Apple and the U.S. government, Apple needed a strategic PR plan to draw customer’s attention away from the conflict and bring the focus back to the products. With a new string of advertisements highlighting various Apple products and their many features, the company was able to do exactly that.

According to Marketing Magazine, “[Apple] has been many things for many people, but there’s one trick it hasn’t tried in some time. Being funny.” The most recent advertisements released by Apple feature two very different celebrities: superstar singer and songwriter Taylor Swift and Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster. Both of these spots have been a favorite among the public, each racking up millions of views and thousands of shares shortly after being released.

These ads seem to be paying off quite well for Apple. The Swift ad, which featured the popstar running on the treadmill while rapping to Drake and Future’s single “Jumpman,” under a playlist called “#GYMFLOW,” boosted Apple Music into the spotlight of streaming music. “Jumpman” experienced a 431% increase in sales globally thanks to the campaign and the playlist featured in the ad, #GYMFLOW, has increased by 325%, making it the fifth highest streamed playlist on Apple Music.

After experiencing millions of views and shares, it’s apparent Apple has struck advertising gold.  Marketing Magazine says that all these views combined with the positive press the ads have received, more or less ensures that that there are more jokes to come from Apple in the near future.

For more info, check out the Marketing Magazine article here: http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/1390080/apple-finds-its-funny-side-again-seals-the-kiss

Companies Look to YouTube Stars to Promote Products

By on March 18, 2016 in Marketing

PPR_YouTube

Companies are ditching Hollywood A-Listers and turning toward a different kind of celebrity to promote their brand to the public. YouTube video bloggers, also known as “vloggers” have become some of the most influential marketers over the past few years. Since YouTube was introduced in 2005, the site has helped bring about a new wave of celebrities. Seemingly ordinary people just like the rest of us, many of these stars reach celebrity status overnight and gain a loyal flock of followers who listen to their every word.

Twenty year old Australian YouTube vlogger, Troye Sivan, has built quite the loyal following of subscribers during his time on the site. What started as him talking to his camera three years ago has turned into a full time job for the young star. With close to 5 million subscribers on YouTube alone, his videos get an average of a million views each and his channel has been viewed by over 240 million people.

Like many popular YouTubers, Sivan often promotes products through his videos, one of those companies being Audible.com. Sivan flawlessly incorporates the company into his videos in an unforced manner and also gives viewers the opportunity to get discounted products with personalized codes. The company is so seamlessly marketed into the video that some may not even realize there is any kind of promotion going on. YouTube stars talk about the products they are promoting with enthusiasm and excitement, which often leads viewers to believe they are genuinely invested in these brands.

According to The New York Times, YouTube influencers are a sought after breed. “When you enlist an influencer to market your product, you get an audience that is very well disposed to that influencer’s opinions because they are fans,” says Paul Verna, a media analyst for the research firm eMarketer in New York. These YouTube stars’ opinions are so valued that they are often more influential than big name celebrities.

Using YouTube stars to promote products is an innovative technique to not only increase brand awareness but boost product sales overall. By using YouTube vloggers, companies are able to reach a more refined audience that may be more interested in their product than the rest of the world. Using smaller celebrities to promote products also instills a level of trust in the viewer that this person is actually invested in this product. Using YouTubers to promote products might be exactly what a brand needs to get in the limelight.

For more info check out the full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/25/business/smallbusiness/getting-youtube-stars-to-sell-your-product.html?_r=0

Google Tops List of Best Companies to Work For

By on March 11, 2016 in Public Relations

GooglePR

Google continues to dominate the list of Best 100 Companies to Work For as it was again ranked number one on the 2016 list put out by Fortune. Since being founded in 1998, Google has made the list for ten consecutive years, seven of which they have ranked in the top spot.

According to Tech Times, “Fortune identifies and ranks the companies on the list through a partnership with the Great Places to Work Institute, which conducts the most extensive survey among employees in the United States.” The survey is sent to a random sampling of employees from each company and asks a variety of questions ranging from management and job satisfaction to benefits and internal communication.

Google’s staggering numbers are impressive year after year and have proved to be hard to beat. Sparking the imagination of talented and highly compensated workers and adding an endless number of employee perks to an already astonishing array of freebies is exactly what puts Google at the top of the list each year. Some of the perks offered to employees include enhanced health care coverage, three organic meals a day with unlimited coffee and tea, free personal fitness classes, college tuition reimbursement up to $12,000, unlimited paid sick days as well as close to 30 paid off days for vacation and holidays.

With perks like this it’s no wonder Google employees praise the company. According to an employee survey 97% say there is a great working atmosphere, 95% say management is honest and ethical in business practices and 98% say they take pride in working for the company.

Google assures that each employee feels valued and enjoys coming into work every day which is a key factor in keeping a smooth running business that is loved by both the workers and the public. Word of perks and treatment of employees at Google is widely known by the public and is a main reason why so many people idolize the company. The way a business treats their employees directly influences how the public perceives them and Google is acing the test with their stellar work atmosphere and employee perks. Companies looking to increase brand awareness and generate a loyal customer following should take note, Google is doing everything right and is one of the top players in the game!

For more info check out Tech Times full article here: http://www.techtimes.com/articles/138568/20160304/google-alphabet-tops-fortunes-list-of-100-best-companies-to-work-for-in-the-us.htm

Always Releases New #LikeAGirl Commercial Challenging Gender Stereotypes

By on March 4, 2016 in Advertising, Feel Good

Emoji

Procter & Gamble’s Always brand aims to support girls as they make their transition from puberty to young adults. With their latest #LikeAGirl campaign, the company is redefining confidence by turning the negative phrase “like a girl” into a term of empowerment throughout a series of commercials that have been released over the past year. The first ad in this campaign featured a social experiment that asked people to do things ‘like a girl’ and found that adults took this to mean ‘silly’ or ‘not good enough’, while young girls did them the best they could. The latest commercial for this campaign used research as the basis for the video and found that 67% of girls say that female emojis imply that girls are limited in what they can do and 75% said they want emojis to be more progressive, portraying female police officers and athletes.

According to Mashable, the new video brought together a diverse cross-section of girls and young women, 11 to 18 years old, and asked them “do emojis represent them?” and then captured their authentic spontaneous reactions when scanning the available emoji choices. The video follows the baffled faces of young girls as they scroll through their phone, many realizing for the first time that few women are represented and the girl category is limited to the color pink. “There’s no girl-professional emojis, unless you count being a bride a profession,” notes one of the girls in the commercial.

Executives at Always have approached the Unicode Consortium about expanding the available emojis to more accurately tell stories about how girls live today. Unicode president Mark Davis responded in an email saying, “the Consortium has been working on full representation of gender in emojis. We appreciate the efforts that Always is taking to collect feedback and input into the process for new emoji characters.”

Mashable also highlighted how this campaign is helping to reinvent the Always brand. “At more than 30 years old, it was considered a Mom brand and needed a refresh.” In order to appeal to the next generation of users, Always used young women as the focus of their new campaign. By casting a positive light on the traditionally insulting “like a girl” saying, the first commercial of the campaign made waves immediately. Over 75% of young women had a positive reaction to the phrase, “like a girl,” after seeing the video, when only 19% felt that way before, according to P&G research.” Since the release of the first video, Always has continued putting out advertisements focused on instilling confidence in young girls.

“This generation, they’re not just looking for a p­roduct,” said Michele Baeten, global associate brand director for P&G’s Always. “They’re buying into the values of a brand.” After losing relevance with young women, the release of this campaign was exactly what the brand needed in order to show the public that they are invested in addressing important social issues and dedicated to helping young women be their most confident self.

For more information on the #LikeAGirl campaign, check out Mashable’s full article: http://mashable.com/2016/03/02/girls-emoji-like-a-girl/ – OF7fQQ0nYqqG

Chipotle Wins Back Customers with Safety Regulations and Free Burritos

By on February 19, 2016 in Public Relations

ChipotlePR

Chipotle Mexican Grill has proven to be one of the hottest fast food chains in the country thanks to their fresh ingredients and reasonable prices. However, the popular food chain has had a rough time this past year, and is officially on the road to winning back customers nationwide. After several reported outbreaks of E. coli, salmonella and norovirus at locations across the country, the negative press started scaring customers away and the company experienced a drop in sales and stocks.

Instead of attempting to cover up the mistakes made, Chipotle publicized the issues and informed the public on how they are going about fixing them. Chipotle temporarily closed over 2,000 locations for a day while they dedicated time to informing employees on the new food safety regulations put in place to ensure no future outbreaks occur.

According to Fortune, by closing its locations in the name of food safety, Chipotle is proving to the public exactly how seriously it is taking the recent outbreaks. Suddenly the buzz around Chipotle shifted from E. coli and salmonella to food safety and ethically grown food, not a coincidence, but a well thought out PR plan. The company even live tweeted its meeting to keep the public updated on all the issues being discussed.

New regulations include a $10 million program that will help local food suppliers adhere to its new safety guidelines as well as DNA testing before ingredients are shipped to restaurants. The company is even offering fully paid sick days to employees in order to ensure further contamination doesn’t occur.

If that’s not enough to win back customers, during its temporary closure, Chipotle offered a free burrito to any patron who texted “rain check,” to Chipotle.

According to Public Relations Specialist, Tyler Barnett, “by combining damage control tactics, positive press, and driving traffic to its locations, Chipotle is well on its way to resurrecting the customer loyalty and trust that was lost, while also attracting some new business in the process.”

To learn more read the full Fortune article here:http://fortune.com/2016/02/10/chipotle-temporarily-closing-pr/

Top Themes Seen in Super Bowl 50 Commercials

By on February 12, 2016 in Advertising

commercial

Many watch it for the game, others for the halftime show, while some of us like to sit back and enjoy the entertaining commercials. It’s the annual American tradition: the Super Bowl. The New Yorker ranked this year’s best and worst commercials. At an average of roughly $5 million dollars for thirty seconds of air time, the stakes are high for Super Bowl commercials to be funny, memorable and ultimately, to sell a product. This year’s batch of commercials featured some distinct trends, including the use of celebrities, dogs and Public Service Announcements.

Celebrities

Many commercials this year capitalized on the use of celebrities. Bud Light featured comedians Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen in a political satire commercial. The two are unlikely presidential candidates, with Schumer’s good-natured provocative humor and Rogen being Canadian. In the commercial, the two united the nation with something “everyone agrees on”—Bud Light. By poking fun at the divided political climate and using comedians that are extremely unlikely to become president, Bud Light connects to all its viewers and brings them together over beer.

Dogs

No matter how cliché, it seems everyone has a love for all things cute and cuddly. This year, Dorito’s made a hilarious use of dogs trying to get into a grocery store to buy Dorito’s chips. After being chased out by grocery store security, the dogs dress in human-like outfits to buy their coveted chips. The paradox of dogs in human attire is easily a source of laughter for everyone, making the commercial enjoyable and memorable.

PSAs

The NFL aired dramatic public service announcements during the Super Bowl to raise awareness and promote a change in behavior against domestic violence and sexual assault. This commercial featured a simple text conversation between two friends with a reference to one girl’s boyfriend in passing indicating that she was potentially in danger. The NFL has recently been criticized for being too lenient on charges of violence against women among their players. Last year, eight NFL players were arrested for violence against women, and five were arrested the year before. Half of these players still play for the NFL, demonstrating leniency. By creating a PSA against domestic violence and sexual assault, the NFL is combating controversies by publicly standing against violence against women.

Aside from the entertainment value of the Super Bowl commercials, the end goal is to increase sales for products or to raise awareness through PSAs. The viewers—all of us—decide the success of the commercials by how we react to them and this year’s overall response was positive.

Read the New Yorker’s full article on the Super Bowl commercials here: http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/super-bowl-ads-the-best-and-worst-of-2016

The White House has Snapchat

By on January 14, 2016 in Random Ramblings, Snapchat, Social Media

White House

President Obama is already the most tech savvy president and has yet again added another social app to his resume, Snapchat. The White House official account went live January 11 with its first snap.

Snapchat

According to TechCrunch, The White House launched their account before Obama’s State of the Union address to give users a behind-the-scene look at the preparation leading up to the event. This included additional footage and camera angles. The account followed White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest through his rounds in the West Wing.

The White House is making the State of the Union address accessible and relatable to a younger generation. The speech has been available through YouTube for a couple years and this year it was available on Amazon for on-demand streaming.

The White House is no stranger to embracing social media, having already established a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Vine and Instagram.

“There are over 100 million daily active Snapchat users, and over 60 percent of American smartphone users between the ages of 13 and 34 use the platform,” said White House’s director of product management Josh Miller. “In light of the number of Americans who use the service to consume news and share with their friends, the White House is joining Snapchat to engage this broad cross-section of the population in new and creative ways.”

While once known best as the “disappearing” messaging service, Snapchat has since developed a social platform for sharing content in a more authentic way. Snapchat’s Stories features is becoming one of the app’s go-to-draws, in which users will see all of the posts by the White House. These short-form, mobile-friendly media collections have grown over time to attract millions of users. Live Stores, for example, are capable of drawing in an audience of 20 million in 24 hours.

As for the new White House Snapchat account, the launch is a continuation of the company’s efforts at “meeting people where they are” – that is, on the social media platforms they use, said Miller.

For those who just want to see the president doing goofy things, that may not be coming just yet. But it won’t be all serious posts. The account has already been full of Sunny and Bo, the President’s dogs, lounging around on the lawn.

Check out the full article here: http://techcrunch.com/2016/01/11/the-white-house-joins-snapchat/.

Paramount Public Relation’s Client Highlights of 2015

By on December 31, 2015 in Feel Good, Holidays

Paramount-Pubic-Relations-Chicago

It’s been an exciting and busy year here at Paramount PR, our clients have been doing some fascinating things. From launching a new social deals website to celebrating the 50th anniversary of a childhood favorite, here are a few highlights from 2015:

  1. Bacon Lovers Get a Delicious Healthier Alternative: Schmacon, “Beef’s Answer to Bacon,” made its national retail debut this year and can now be found in stores across the U.S. Schmacon is an all-natural, smoked, uniquely seasoned, crispy whole muscle beef product that has less calories, fat and sodium than pork bacon. Bacon and meat lovers can replace bacon with Schmacon during breakfast, lunch or dinner.
  2. Cutting-Edge Launch: Ultimaker, a leading 3D printer manufacturer, launched two new printers at CES Las Vegas 2015. The two cutting-edge desktop printers, the Ultimaker2 Go and Ultimaker2 Extended, offer users unique features for a variety of projects. The Ultimaker2 Go is a compact, lightweight printer perfect for beginners. The Ultimaker2 Extended has the capacity to print larger designs in one print without losing the accuracy and speed of its counterparts. The new printers raised the bar for imagination within the 3D printing community.
  3. College Game Day Ready: XYIENCE, the original great tasting, zero calorie energy beverage partnered with ESPN College Game Day’s Samantha Ponder. Samantha Ponder participated in a digital press conference sponsored by XYIENCE and also starred in a variety of funny commercials.
  4. Company Launch: iConsumer, a coupons and cashback website and app, launched this year. In addition to saving customers money while online shopping, iConsumer rewards users by giving back shares of stock in iConsumer. iConsumer partners with over 1,700 stores to give shoppers access to items they shop for on a daily basis.
  5. Giving Back While Texting: GIV Mobile continues to appeal to consumers with their affordable no-contract plans starting at $20/month for unlimited talk and text. This consumer conscious no-contact service plan donates 8% of each customer’s monthly plan amount to up to three charities of the customer’s choice.
  6. Snag Deals up to 90% off from Amazon: Snagshout, a new social deals website, launched this year to provide a unique shopping experience to consumers by offering deep discounts on a wide range of retail products for purchase, use and review. The site connects shoppers looking for deals with merchants looking to gain traction with new items on Amazon.
  7. A Classic Turns 50: Since the 1960s the Lava Lamp has been a household classic and staple. This year Lava Lamp celebrated its 50th birthday by releasing two new collections. The 50th Anniversary collection adds gold with the classic lava colors, while the Beatle’s inspired line offers a funky twist to the original.
  8. Inventive Cocktails and Tasty Treats: Bungalow 23, culinary cocktail mixers, and Wagshal’s Fermín Spanish Raw Ibérico Chorizo topped the list as some of the most inventive and revolutionary products at the National Restaurant Association Show earlier this year. These prestigious Food and Beverage Innovations award–winning products are hand-crafted with full flavor in mind.
  9. Road to Financial Wellness: Phroogal, a financial education service that empowers Millennials to make better informed financial decisions, traveled across the country this June to 30 cities in 30 days to get people to actively discuss their relationship with money. Phroogal inspires people to learn and utilize resources and tools that empower communities to make better financial decision.

We can’t wait to see what 2016 has in store for us. Happy New Year! 🙂

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