First off, I’ve been battling a couple of virus & spyware infected computers since last Saturday so I apologize for slacking on the blog posts this week. I plan to get the videos rolling again very soon, and the computer problems appear to be behind me now. I’m debating if I want to relive the horrifying experience through this blog, but I’m a little raw at the moment so it’s probably not a good idea. Just know that Windows Defender, McAfee and Cyber Defender were all unable to detect and/or clean the parasites that got a hold of my machines so they won’t receive high marks. 🙁
Ok, onto some business musings I hope you’ll comment or share your take with me.
Sonic’s Onto Something
I went to Sonic earlier, and I’m becoming more of a fan of their organization each day. The TV ad campaign is great because their spots are funny, entertaining, and they get you to remember the product and restaurant because of the ad which is what a good ad is supposed to do, right? It’s more than that though–there seems to be a positive philosophy of treating the customer right at Sonic. At least that seems to be the case at the one near my home. It’s almost like “yeah, we’re different,” but it’s not in that creepy weird way like you see with a lot of people who take “different” so far overboard.
Another benefit Sonic has built into their product line that goes highly unnoticed more often than not–the ice they use in the drinks, you know that good crunchy ice, makes it to where you almost want them to load the thing down with ice so you can crunch on it long after the beverage is gone. Usually loading a drink with ice is bad at 99.9% of the fast food joints, but it’s not so bad at Sonic. This does two things: people will go out of their way for drinks with the “good ice,” and Sonic controls costs by being able to get away with loading up on ice versus product. My visit to Sonic was for a drink mainly because I was craving some of that “good ice” for some reason. Don’t get me wrong, the drinks aren’t the only good thing about Sonic–all of their fare is good, and serving breakfast all day is a great move on their part. Overall, they just do a lot of things right so it’s worth noticing.
Damn You Subway!
The other day, Saturday maybe, I was in the shower and caught myself humming “5 dollar, 5 dollar . . . 5 dollar foot longs.” It took me a second to realize I was humming a Subway “jingle” to myself, but it’s a groovy little tune. One of the girls at Jersey Mike’s, I’m no longer a Subway guy, cracked up when I mentioned the Subway karaoke rendition then she started singing it so it must not just be me.
Kudos to Subway or their ad agency for coming up with a good spot that doesn’t involve a guy who lost a gazillion pounds yet is still overweight or featuring a NASCAR driver that is fat, doesn’t know what turkey is, and can’t seem to work a razor. I still haven’t figured out how Tony Stewart landed a healthy food commercial–everybody knows he’s not watching his weight! Anyway.
Finally, the Reds Make a Good Move or Two
If you’re into baseball, you may be aware that the Cincinnati Reds finally called up Jay Bruce, their 21 year old outfield phenom. Why it took until May 27, 2008 is questionable, but it’s good to see the organization try to inject some life back into the team, and the fans have seemingly responded. There is a lot of buzz about the Reds because of the move, and Bruce starting off 4 for 6 with two doubles and two stolen bases hasn’t hurt the cause. The guy isn’t going to turn around the team’s season all by himself so let’s not get too carried away, but at least the organization is acting like they WANT to win for a change which is what most of us want to see versus the typical “lip service.” In professional sports, the most powerful marketing is a consistent winning team.
On top of the Bruce move, they got Corey Patterson to agree to a demotion to AAA which means his Mendoza Line batting average won’t be a temptation for Dusty Baker to toss into the lineup at the lead-off position anymore. Corey, you’re not going back up anytime soon so welcome to Louisville.
While this has little to do with business, it does have some marketing tie ins because the Reds are trying to market Jay Bruce as the future centerpiece of the franchise.
Your Turn
Have you noticed anything good or bad from a marketing perspective lately? If so, share it below in the comment section.