A&E Markets Shows Through Games

Traditionally, cable television network A&E were known for showing artful drama movies and the series Biography. Recently they have added a list of reality-based shows that have helped them draw in a new, younger audience. With shows such as Criss Angel Mindfreak, Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels, The Two Coreys, and Parking Wars, A&E have also tapped into a new marketing venue, particularly with the latter two series. To briefly touch on the bases of these shows, Mindfreak centers on magician and illusionist Criss Angel, while Family Jewels chronicles the crazy and unexpected happenings in the life of KISS superstar Gene Simmons and his family. The Two Coreys follows former child actors Corey Haim and Corey Feldman as they struggle to maintain their once inseparable friendship. Parking Wars is a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the daily life of the Philadelphia Parking Authority as they “manage the chaos that is every driver’s greatest nightmare… parking!”

On their web site, A&E has launched interactive games to promote their shows. This is something they may have taken from their Gen Y targeted counterparts, VH1 and MTV. By engaging the online community, which is largely made up of members of Generation Y, A&E can capture the attention of this market segment in an effort to attract viewers. Corey vs. Corey (the game for The Two Coreys) is exactly what it sounds like – Corey Haim fighting Corey Feldman. Users can choose which Corey they want to play as, and by winning rounds in this fighting match they can add special skills like the Dirty Sock Slap or the Dreamt of Success Smackdown. The web site game for Parking Wars is called Parking Warrior and challenges users to maneuver through traffic to park in available spaces while avoiding the parking authorities and tow trucks.



In addition to the website games, two of A&E’s shows also have games and communities as Facebook applications, which further extends their reach into the target market for these shows. Corey vs. Corey has a Facebook app where friends can compare their scores and vote for their favorite of the two Coreys. Parking Wars has a Facebook app game, which differs from the web site version. Friends can park on each other’s streets to earn money and give out parking violation tickets to those parked illegally. The Parking Wars game has become especially competitive within the office here at MindComet, spawning playful rivalries among co-workers. Badges are also awarded for different achievements, such as moving your cars 25 times without being ticketed or being the last of 5 cars to park illegally on a street. Personally, I had not planned on watching the series, but since becoming involved in the Facebook game, I am more inclined.



Ultimately, these games are a scalable way for A&E to capture and maintain viewers in a venue other than the TV screen.

Moving the Target to Gen Y

Many historically conservative brands which have targeted Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are beginning to refocus their efforts toward Gen Y. This is a curious concept which begs the question, is the older audience disloyal and moving on? Or is it simply that as Gen Y is getting older, brands are realizing what a large opportunity is available? Additionally, aiming at Gen Y widens the gamut of advertising channels. Gen Y can be targeted through avenues which older generations cannot, such as social media.

Southwest Airline, P&G’s Herbal Essences, and politicians are among the many who have refocused their efforts.

Southwest, an airline which has traditionally targeted business travelers through low price and customer service, recently announced they will be sponsoring the Midnight Gaming Championship (MGC) 2008. This sponsorship of the video gaming season is targeted at gamers aged 16 to 25 who will be tomorrow’s business travelers. “The ‘Southwest Airlines Ultimate Gamer’ promotion and MGC sponsorship speak to young adults and gaming enthusiasts--a demographic far removed from the traditional frequent business traveler that Southwest typically targets with low airfares and timely plane departures and arrivals,” states a MediaPost Publications article. This “Ultimate Gamer” promotion is a sweepstakes in which two grand-prize winners will each receive two roundtrip tickets on Southwest to Las Vegas, tickets to the Video Game Awards, a Sony PlayStation 3, a Microsoft Xbox and a Nintendo Wii. Southwest is making an obvious long-term attempt to capture this audience early, which may show no short-term payoff.

Herbal Essences, an almost 40 year old brand, was in a “long-term decline” when P&G acquired it in 2001. P&G’s marketing team found that the target audience for Herbal Essences was too broad. A BusinessWeek article states, “By 2006, [Chairman and CEO A.G.] Lafley and P&G's beauty business chief, Susan Arnold, knew something had to be done with the tired brand. ‘We had three choices,’ Lafley says. ‘Abandon it, divest it, or frankly, reinvent it and resuscitate it.’” They chose the latter. In finding that no competitors were targeting Gen Y specifically nor meeting their specific needs, Herbal Essences decided to prioritize their efforts on this generation. Through not only redesigning packaging with youthful designs and curved bottles which fit together, but also renaming the specific products (different lines renamed “color me happy”, “body envy” and “totally twisted” - as opposed to bland titles for color treated, volumizing, and curl booster), Herbal Essences was able to drive up sales by targeting Gen Y.

Barack Obama’s campaign has notoriously been targeting the younger voters. By using social media venues, Obama has been able to reach out to his young supporters in a way that other candidates have not embraced, giving him an advantage in this demographic. Strategically targeting Gen Y through Facebook, where he has over 1 million supporters, and Twitter, where he has over 43,000 followers, gives this audience an insight into his campaign in a way that is more appealing to them. He also posts photos from his campaign trail to Flickr, and has just over 5,500 followers there. Additionally, MTV has now decided to accept political ads, but only from candidates and party committees, not from third parties. In the past, even as recent as primaries earlier this year, MTV had refused political advertising, even throughout its Rock the Vote and Choose or Lose voting promotions. MTV Networks is encouraging the youth vote, which gives the candidates even more access to reach Gen Y.

Understanding the marketing opportunities available to reach Gen Y will be an important tactic for brands in the near future. However, it will also be important that these aging brands not abandon nor alienate the earlier generations who may still be loyal consumers.

Streamlined Branding for Gen Y

Highly media savvy, Generation Y may be the generation most conscious of being marketed to. As a result, they constantly scrutinize ads and branding with which they are continuously bombarded. A San Francisco research firm conducted a survey of 100 “trendsetter panelists” in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami to better understand what brand communications Gen Yers receive best. An article by Kevin Ransom, “Reign of the Plain: Survey Finds Gen Ys Prefer Brand Simple”, shares the results of the survey which state the Gen Y trendsetters are drawn to brands which approach them in a "straightforward and stripped-down way, use plain packaging, and avoid excess." Another article by Sarah Perez entitled “Why Gen Y is Going to Change the Web” says that these digital natives are also more concerned about their friends’ opinions than about ads. She quotes retail analyst James R. Palczynski who said Gen Y responds less to traditional ads and more to “humor, irony, and the unvarnished truth."

You will notice that the top 15 brands listed from the survey results not only offer clean, simple ideas in their design and packaging, but also in their no-frills attitude which bleeds through to their products. “Reign of the Plain” notes that these highly respected brands offer consumers a convenience which may be related to Gen Y’s responsiveness to environmental concerns. This article concludes saying, “The bottom line ... is that any company that is inconvenient or confusing, or that used over-designed imagery, is seen as out of touch and too ‘corporate.’”

The 15 Most Trusted brands determined by the trendsetters in the survey were:

1. Apple
2. Trader Joe's
3. Jet Blue
4. In-N-Out Burger
5. Ben & Jerry's
6. Whole Foods
7. Adidas
8. American Apparel
9. Target
10. H & M clothing stores
11. Levi's
12. Volkswagen
13. Converse
14. Vitamin Water
15. Red Stripe beer
    

“Brands that succeed in the future will be those that open a dialog with their customers, admit their mistakes, and essentially become more transparent,” says Perez. For the most part, these characteristics are representative of the brands above. These 15 brands not only use stripped-down marketing and plain packaging, but many also use humor or are known for their non-bureaucratic corporate cultures.

Is it possible that the adversity to excess displayed by Gen Y could be related to their shrinking attention spans? It is repeatedly studied and reported that younger generations have shorter attentions spans, allegedly as a result of heightened media bombardment and constant exercise of mental fast-twitch muscles through video games. Or perhaps the desire for straightforward information is simply a sign of Gen Y’s tendency to be information and text scanners, as seen in web reading studies. It could be that this generation is simply adapting to the increasing amount of information immediately available at their fingertips. Bottom line: if you’re targeting Gen Y, get straight to the point.

Jones Soda Reaches Out To Generation Y

With Generation Y coming of age, having to find new ways to adjust to the ever-changing demands of my very individualistic generation. Jones Soda, a small Soda company out Seattle, Washington, has continuously embraced Generation Y. They have reached out to their target audience and encouraged them to get involved with the brand. By using photos that people have submitted on their label, they have not only identified themselves with their consumers, but also created an air of excitement around their product.

I know that I look forward to picking up a bottle of Jones Soda to see what crazy photo will be on the front, and I know I’m not alone. Jones has once again out done themselves by allowing consumers the opportunity to have customized bottles made. For thirty dollars you can go on their website upload a photo, and pick out which of the twenty-two flavors you would like your photo to appear on. Then, in about a week’s time you will receive a six-pack of Jones in your mailbox. It’s an absolutely amazing idea! I know that it’s just the type of thing that my generation will cling to… personalized soda bottles (kinda makes you like a celebrity). As a generation, we are constantly looking for the next thing to make us feel important and special, and Jones Soda has set out to deliver what we want.
From a marketing standpoint what Jones Soda is doing with their customizable sodas is a strong and realistic way to reach out to Generation Y. Individuality is something that has been ingrained into the heads of my generation. Our parents fostered a deep-rooted sense of individuality unseen in past generations. It is because of this need to feel special that my generation embraces brands that appear to accept them as individuals. By selling to the individualistic side of Generation Y, Jones Soda has secured it’s self as one of the popular refreshments of Generation Y.

The Evolution of "Live" Entertainment

The days of traditional marketing are fading away in the music industry, especially in this age of the digital music era. However, DeepRockDrive.com has come up with new and innovative ways to market music. DeepRockDrive.com seems to continue where Myspace has left off, I've always felt that Myspace was a great place to hear all genres of music, from legendary songs to brand new hits. However, I've felt that Myspace has never given users many options when it comes to online video viewing of fan’s favorite musicians and artists. Well, DeepRock does an exceptional job of marketing musicians and artists in a unique and interactive way.

It blends the excitement of live shows with the interactivity of online video games. They state that they've created the most popular destination on the Internet for interactive live performances. At a DeepRock concert, you just don't watch. You also support the artists you love by participating with them "live" in real time. You get the chance to tell the artists how you feel about their performances, while also voting with other fans on which songs get played. Another cool feature of the site is that you can pick which camera angle through which you want to view the show. These interactive features give fans the rare opportunity to interact with musicians and give input on what they want.


Traditionally, music has been promoted several ways including through radio and word-of-mouth. However, word-of-mouth is a strong and successful method in marketing music to my generation. From personal experience, I've learned and grown to love many musicians through word-of-mouth from close friends. DeepRock does a great job at using the word-of-mouth method to ensure their site is heavily promoted. Their site offers users the option of creating a digiposter to spread the word to others. The digiposter can be e-mailed to friends or posted on various sites such as Facebook. Once you join DeepRock, you can also petition to determine who will perform live. When the number of requests hits 1,000 votes, DeepRock calls the artist to try to book a show. Personally, I feel their method of marketing and promotion will help their website be successful especially among those in my generation. It’s a fresh and different way to promote new and upcoming musicians or even well-known musicians. It gives fans the rare opportunity to interact with musicians, while giving input on what they want. This will help bring fans continually to the site excited to hear and see more.


The idea of virtually giving fans free tickets to a concert with no tickets, no lines and no hassle, but best of all, from the comfort of your own home is brilliant. As an avid music fan, I truly like the idea. I recently fell upon the website through music forums, however it immediately caught my interest. At first glance, it may seem like your typical video-sharing and viewing music site. But, DeepRock isn't a typical video site, but rather it is evolving what "live" entertainment truly means.

So grab a seat and experience DeepRockDrive.com yourself!