Alex Woodruff Biz Buzz

The classic PEST model is often adapted to include new aspects of the marketing environment such as Environmental or Demographic not separated out in the old theory. Here’s a nice example of a German company spotting a demographic or social trend and using it to arouse interest. It’s from a series of posters describing what [...]

The winning confectionery concept from the MBA course was very much packaging based, showing that new product development doesn’t always have to be about special premium value inventions and snazzy ingredients. The Champions Cup is targetted at the medium price segment and allows you to mix and match your own selections of chocolates. Convenience, variety [...]

Word play about a serious issue Well well. We’ve had much debate in marketing courses about the theory of grabbing attention as a non-profit organisation (NPO) and how best to spend your precious money (see here and here). And then this study comes along… Basically this goes against the grain of all the things in [...]

This example of creative branding gets a strong thumbs-up from me, as a copywriter, especially as it crosses the language barrier and works ideally in German. To get it, you need to know golf. So if you not an aficionado of the hole-orientated sport, you might need to know that the “green fees” are what [...]

Thumbs up to this nifty campaign devised by German ad agency Scholz & Friends. According to my MBA sources (thanks Esther), it’s already scooped prizes, but I would like to add my praise for a) finding a new and eye-catching medium and b) using this medium to push the message so effectively. Life’s too short [...]

Just right for you, mishes. Inspired by a pleasant pint with the last MBA course (to mark the midway point of their degree, what the German students call a ‘Bergfest’), but also to mark St Patrick’s which is coming up on Monday, I thought I’d share a worrying example of copywriting skills from the emerald [...]

Condoms? Mini-CDs? Or… The websites I’ve visited in the States criticise this product for not looking like what it is, for trying to be “too cool” and setting up all the wrong signals for what is basically just the latest type of chewing gum. I’m not one to judge it, neither being American nor at [...]

Thanks again to an MBA for this example of a beer brand getting into the carnival spirit, thus riding on current events to attract interest. He tells me he saw the poster on business – OK, I’ll believe him, as I like the play on words (to non-speakers of German, “alaaf” is what revellers cry [...]

My thanks go Ferdinand from a previous MBA course for the contents of this bottle, which went down like amber nectar. Thanks too for this example of a product endorsement à la Allemagne. They do like their stamps of approval. And what better for a beer than a stamp stating “Golden Prize winner”…

In non-profit markets, marketeers have to really push the message quickly. When it’s a political message, they have to do it powerfully too (given that many people are bored by politics, especially under the current grand coalition). So hats off to the Green Party/Bündnis 90 alliance for going where no others would dare to… this [...]