A new name but why?

Transit shelter, Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC

CBS Decaux has changed its name in Canada. and in the United States CBS Outdoor has changed also changed its name. Both firms are now Outfront Media.

A name change is always risky. What do you hope to accomplish? Will the customer know who you are?

In the case of Outfront Media the change was part of a process of separating the firm from its former parent, CBS. (Outfront is also converting into a REIT, real estate investment trust, but that is another matter altogether.

I think that this name change makes sense. A clear signal to those both inside and outside the company that the firm has severed its link with the past. But as this is a B2B firm, did the management really think that the general public would know or care that the advertising space was going to be invoiced by a new firm?

Well yesterday was a total frenzy in Canadian stores, but how did it start?

eMail from DeSerres, November 28, 2014

eMail from WestJet, November 27, 2014

eMail from Kelowna Cycle, November 27, 2014

Black Friday, the Friday after US Thanksgiving, is an orgy of consumerism. Depending what source you rely on, Black Friday has been around in the United States since the 1960s or 1970s.

In Canada, however, it is a relatively new phenomenon. The first Black Friday event by Canadian retailers occurred in 2008 or 2009. The high value of the Canadian dollar was prompting consumers in cities such as Toronto and Vancouver to make the trek across the border to snap up great deals at US retailers. In an effort to keep the dollars at home, some Canadian retailers began their own Black Friday sales.

Now, Black Friday has emerged a key day for North American retailers and in Canada almost all of the retail chains have jumped on board. I did pick up a two pairs of pants and some socks on Thursday (The sales started early at some retailers) but stayed at home and avoided the madness on Friday.

While Canadian and now UK retailers have adopted Black Friday, it will be interesting to see if US retailers will eventually adopt the Boxing Day tradition and start their after-Christmas sales earlier.

Of course the unanswered, and possibly unanswerable question is do the Black Friday sales actually increase retailer profitability? Or are retailers just doing it because all of the other retailers are doing it?

It's almost done, but my mustache is still pretty unconvincing

Movember sign, Bowen Island, BC

Although the term "Movember" has been around since 1999, the connection with prostate cancer didn't start until 2004.

This year the advertising signs were pretty creative, especially since this was a municipal election year in British Columbia. I also liked the conversion of the Bowen Island's name in this sign strung over the main road leading from the ferry.

Movember sign, Bowen Island, BC

I've participated in Movember for the past few years, but my attempts at growing facial hair are never very convincing. I have length but no density. So a full beard is completely out of the question.

But prostate cancer is lurking out there in my future, my paternal grandfather had it but still living into his early 90s. So, I do what I can for the cause.

Easy to make, hard to deal with

Keurig 2.0 truck outside London Drugs, Vancouver, BC

Keurig has a problem. Well a couple of problems. In  September 2012, some of the key patents on the original K-cup design expired. So, for now the market is a bit more open for firms who want to make "pods" to fit the Keurig machines. (At least until the Keurig 2.0 machine with its pod-sensing technology gets broad acceptance, but that is another story. Keurig uses DRM to foil competitors)

The other problem is garbage. In Canada the Keurig pods are not compostable or recyclable. While coffee grounds are 100% compostable, the #7 plastic that Keurig chooses to use to make its pods is not recyclable. The problem lies in the combination of the compostable coffee grounds and the materials used to make the pods.

So for the dubious pleasure of making a very expensive cup of coffee, Keurig users are creating millions of kilograms of non-recyclable waste every year. (In 2013, Keurig produced 8.3 billion pods.)

I wonder when firms like Keurig will be held to account for the environmental impact of their products. As about 20% of coffee drinkers drink coffee brewed using pods of one sort or another, I wonder when consumers will overcome their attraction to an easy cup of coffee that comes with serious environmental problems?

Someone in Prince George has a new website (Well almost)

Prince George Cycling Club website
(Source: http://pgcyclingclub.ca/about/)

I've been doing a bit of research about Prince George recently. This was all triggered by the Move Up Prince George campaign that is running on the SkyTrain and buses in Vancouver.

As a keen cyclist I decided to find out what resources were available in Prince George. Three bikes shops selling well-respected brands and a cycling club. That looked promising. I went to the cycling club's website and saw an old friend, "Lorem ipsum dolor".

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Praesent vestibulum molestie lacus. Aenean nonummy hendrerit mauris. Phasellus porta. Fusce suscipit varius mi. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Nulla dui. Fusce feugiat malesuada odio. Morbi nunc odio, gravida at, cursus nec, luctus a, lorem. Maecenas tristique orci ac sem. Duis ultricies pharetra magna. Donec accumsan malesuada orci. Donec sit amet eros."

This is the "placeholder" text that is used in most publishing programmes to help designers set up the pages.

So, the club is updating the website, but it is still a work in progress. I look forward to seeing the finished version.

It's that time of year again

Transit shelter advertisement, Vancouver, BC

Thursday, November 27, is US Thanksgiving. This means that Friday marks the traditional start of the US Christmas shopping season. But some retailers started the Christmas season just after Halloween.

And with Christmas shopping comes credit card bills.

Interac is again trying to encourage consumers to pay for their Christmas shopping via Interac rather than credit card. A bit self-serving, but I can't say that I disagree with the sentiment.

Metro Vancouver is also encouraging people to buy gifts that won't end up in the dump. ("Create memories, not garbage")

Create memories, not garbage, Broadway and Cambie SkyTrain station, Vancouver, BC

This campaign has also been going on for a few years. It it not really surprising. The amount of slightly aged, but still 100% usable, electronics that ends up at the recycling depot just after Christmas is remarkable.

I'm sure we'll see both campaigns continue for years to come. I just wonder what happens to all of the old posters when the campaigns are finished? It would be just too ironic if they ended up in the dump.

Another transit advertisement past its "sell by" date

Canada Line SkyTrain, Vancouver, BC (November 22, 2014)

I think that this may be the case of the more you look for something, the more you find it. I keep seeing transit advertisements that are still up long after the event has finished.

In this case the advertisement is only a few weeks out of date, not quite as bad as the advertisement for the "Holiday Gift Fair" that was still up in April.

Bus advertisement for Holiday Gift Fair, Vancouver BC (Still up on April 9, 2007)

But this sort of thing should be more of a concern for both advertisers and the firms selling the ad space. I wonder what it will take to fix this problem?

Apart from the climate, and the culture, and the shopping, and the international flavour; Prince George is not really a hard sell for Vancouverites

Transit advertisement for MoveUpPrinceGeorge, SkyTrain station, Vancouver

Recently Prince George, BC began an advertising campaign to attract residents. Most of the advertisements are on transit, with SkyTrain ads featuring prominently.

The theme of the ads is that life is so much better in Prince George. The commute is shorter, your paycheck goes further, and probably most important for Vancouverites, housing is relatively affordable.

Transit advertisement for MoveUpPrinceGeorge, SkyTrain train, Vancouver

MoveUpPrinceGeorge.ca Website

Given that the average price of a detached house on the west-side in Vancouver is over $2 million, the $260,00 average price for a home in Prince George must look tempting.

Of course the climate, much colder winters than Vancouver and over 200 centimeters of snow per year, would just be one of the shocks for Vancouver transplants.

The campaign makes a good case for Prince George. I wonder how much success it will have in attracting residents?

An offer too good to refuse?

Advertisement chalked on the sidewalk, Cambie Street and 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC

I was out for a walk with my daughter last weekend and saw this chalked on the sidewalk in Vancouver.

So, is this for real? Does the organization really exist?

OurCommunityMusic.org website

OurCommunityMusic.org website (Detail)

Well, it seems to, and the offer looks pretty attractive. This sort of introductory pricing is a common way to attract new customers. The not uncommon results is that people sign up for 30 days, like what they get, and then sign up for the full year only to lose interest. But they have made the financial commitment and the service provider has their money.

The finances of many gyms often depend on people who pay in advance, but never use the facilities.

So, if I had the time, and I was keen to improve my meager guitar skills, I would be tempted by this offer. And if, after 30 days I was happy with the results, I would consider the full year deal.

Just another of the million details in retail

Shopping carts at Safeway, West Vancouver, BC

The wheeled shopping cart, or shopping trolley if you are from the UK, has been around since the 1930s. Allowing customer to pick up more items than they could carry in a single basket offered benefits for both the shopper and the retailer.

One of the key feature of the shopping cart, the swinging rear panel that allows the carts to "nest" and thus take up less space in the store and the parking lot, is a great feature and was the subject of a minor patent battle in the 1940s.

But the nesting feature only work is the carts are configured similarly. If the carts are different sizes and shapes, and will not nest, then the benefit is lost and the stacked carts will not stack properly.

That is what is happening here. There are three different designs of carts and when customers attempt to return the carts to the chute the carts do not stack properly. Thus the carts take up too much space and are difficult to pull apart.

Not a huge deal, but just one of the little details that make a retail shopping experience less enjoyable.

But what if the Whitecaps' players and fans need diesel for their vehicles?

Sticker on the door of a Chevron Station, 16th Avenue and Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC

Petty, pedantic, and irrelevant. But apart from that how did you like the blog post?

Yet another example of a detail that seems to have been ignored by the powers that be in marketing. I know that gasoline has the greatest share of the automotive fuel market. In Europe over 50% of passenger vehicles are diesel, while it is under 5% in North America.

Why ignore the diesel vehicle owners and drivers? I guess that "Official Automotive Fuel Station of Vancouver Whitecaps FC" is a bit more awkward, and if are covering 90+% of the drivers that is a pretty comprehensive.

What do I need to get back into the terminal?

Sign on the walkway to the waiting rooms, Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal, West Vancouver, BC

Sign in the parking area, Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal, West Vancouver, BC

What do I need for re-entry, the "Receipt" or the "Ticket receipt"? Or are they the same thing? And if they are the same thing, why does BC Ferries call the required piece of paper by two different names?

Just one more thing to drive the customers crazy.

Someone has not read the Elections Act

Election signs covered with garbage bags, West Vancouver, BC

The elections act in British Columbia forbids any political signs within 100 metres of a polling station on election day. (That is 100 metres as the crow flies.)

"Notice of Election Offence", West Vancouver, BC

On Sunday morning, the day after the British Columbia municipal elections, I saw these black plastic garbage bags with notices attached near a school in West Vancouver. The school has been used as a polling station for the municipal election, and thus these signs were in breach of the act on election day.

So, the three candidates had their signs covered up for election day. While I din't disagree with the law, I think that it might be preferable to cover up the signs with something that lets people know that Saturday was election day and that a polling station was nearby.

Given the miserable turnout for most elections, anything to encourage voting is desirable.

How does this happen?

Q-tips display at The Real Canadian Superstore, Vancouver, BC

I found this empty display a few weeks ago at a branch of The Real Canadian Superstore in Vancouver. Seeing the completely empty shelf made me wonder who this sort of this could happen.

• Were sales just so overwhelming that the store ran out of stock?
• Was the display put on the rack, and then stock didn't arrive?

I don't think of the Q-tip as highly popular impulse item, so I find this sort of mass display a bit puzzling to start with.

Regardless of the reason for the empty displays, the bare rack does not speak to a high standard of visual merchandising.

A very pointed attack that proved to be ineffective

Anti-Vision Vancouver Advertisement, November 2014

Anti-Vision Vancouver Advertisement, November 2014

Anti-Vision Vancouver Advertisement, November 2014

These are three of a series of a dozen advertisements slamming Vision Vancouver. I saw the first two on a bus shelter on the morning of November 15, 2014. (Municipal election day in British Columbia)

While these advertisements are certainly to the point, and rather slanted, they are also dancing on the line of legality. (Double Vision does not appear on Elections BC`s list of `third party sponsors`, http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/lecfa/Registered-Third-Party-Sponsors-Organizations-LEGE-2014-11-15.pdf)

But ultimately the advertisements did not push enough voters away from Vision Vancouver. The party elected the mayor and six of the ten members of council.

So, while the points raised might have been valid, I think the rather angry tone might in fact have pushed voters towards Vision Vancouver rather than away.

Is this the key benefit for using the firm?

Always Available Moving truck, Vancouver, BC

It may be a bit simplistic, but availability is probably a useful trait for a mover. Being careful is another.

It makes me wonder if this sort of name and branding actually has an affect on consumer preference. I see the plain white truck, with no evidence of a moving company affiliation, and wonder just how reliable the firm might be. And without any evidence, and no experience I might just pass this firm by and pick the one that I've actually heard of.

The experience might not be any better, but how much of a chance am I willing to take with an unknown firm whose claim to fame is availability. Perhaps availability is related to a lack of repeat business?

Advertise and sell out, or don't advertise and sell out anyway

Hoarding poster for Alexander Wang/H&M on Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC

I won't even know why H&M even thought that advertising this collection was necessary. There were lineups put side the H&M store on Granville Street in Vancouver starting the day before the collection launched. And overnight, in the pouring rain, the line grew until the doors opened on the morning of Thursday, November 6th.

Lots of items, completely sold out in the stores, were available on eBay for three to four times the regular retail price. This bustier, priced at $34.95 CDN in the stores, is available on eBay for up to $149.00 US.

Alexander Wang bustier for H&M
(Source: http://www.hm.com/ca/wangxhm#women/article-25)

But, in reality, the whole point of advertising this collection is not necessarily to sell the collection, that will happen anyway. The fashion fanatics will line up in the rain and buy everything in sight. The advertising campaign creates more excitement and buzz for the brand and the store. And anything that gets the public to visit the store is a good thing.

You don't normally find ice at 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

I shot this short video of a Coca-Cols vending machine at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal.

I know that I'm being a rather pedantic fellow, but water freezes into ice at 32 degrees, not 40 degrees.

Is this false advertising by Coca-Cola? Most people would probably not agree with me, but 40 degrees is pretty far off freezing. I'd say that Coke is failing here.

What does this firm do?

Chung Chun truck, West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC

Text on the side of Chung Chun truck, West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC

I saw this truck in downtown Vancouver. I had no idea what the firm did although the Toll Free number did give a hint, "towel".

Well, the firms does a lot more than just towels. According to the firm's website, the offerings include;

• Linens & Blankets
• Bedspreads & Comforters
• Duvets& Duvet Covers
• Pillowshams, Bedskirts & Bed Accents
• Pillows & Pillow Cases
• Mattress Pads and Pillow Protectors
• Towels
• Table Linens
• Laundry Bags, Hampers
• Uniforms
• Cleaning Supplies

But why doesn't the side of the truck give a bit more detail about the services that the firm offers. It is not as if any of those products are likely to be in high demand among thieves.

To just assume that your potential customers have heard of you and know what you have to offer is a bit unrealistic.

I hope they are not using the same software to run the navigation system

Video screen at Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal, West Vancouver, BC

Video screen at Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal, West Vancouver, BC (Detail)

I saw this screen while I waited for the ferry at Horseshoe Bay. I am never surprised by these sorts of computer glitches, and indeed there are many articles devoted to the dreaded "blue screen of death" and its origin and history.

So, while seeing these screens is quite common, it is disconcerting to see them at an organization that is in the transportation business. And the fact that the IT Service Desk has no idea that this "system error" has occurred is also a bit of a worry.

Hope it is fixed by the next time I'm on the ferry.

Is this all you need to do to sell to women?

Under Armour signs on SportChek store, West Broadway, Vancouver, BC

"Pink it and shrink it" is one of the common complaints about sports brands that try to enter the women's market. The "pink and shrink" phenomenon has been observed in both clothing and also hardgoods such as bicycles.

Under Armour is making concerted effort to enter the women's market and compete with the likes of lululemon. In fact the women's wear division of Under Armour is based in New York City, rather than the company's headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland.

So why does the brand use these huge swathes of pink its promotion of women's wear?

The tee shirt on the right is part of a breast cancer campaign that Under Armour is supporting.

Check Yourself Breast Cancer Tee Shirt
(Source: https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/pip-check-yourself-ssc/pid1248564)

So, while "Pink it and shrink it" is often a justified criticism of brands that are trying to move into the women's market, in this case the pink is good fit for the brand and its attempt to connect with women.

Who is the world's best-known detective?

Vancouver Public Library advertisement, Main and Commercial SkyTrain station, Vancouver, BC

Sherlock Holmes is probably the most filmed detective ever. With the current Cumberbatch, Downy, and Miller versions of Homes in circulation, it is not surprising that a pipe is featured in the advertisement. (Holmes was known to smoke a pipe while keeping his tobacco in a Persian slipper.)

But Sherlock Holmes is not the only pipe smoking detective.  Morse's first boss, Detective Inspector Thursday, smokes a pipe, along with Commissaire Maigret.

But for many people Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous creation will be the one that springs to mind. And so the pipe and phrase, "Super Sleuth" will evoke Sherlock Holmes for most SkyTrain riders.

A brand very much out of place

Women's Tee Shirt at Walmart, North Vancouver, BC

Has The Clash become this mainstream?

Joe Strummer must be spinning at high speed in his grave. For a band as overtly political as The Clash to find their image to be licensed for sale in Walmart is a huge surprise.

This album., London Calling, was one of the great albums of the 1970s. The design is an homage, some might say a direct copy, of the first Elvis Presley album.

Elvis Presley's Debut Album
(Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/Elvispresleydebutalbum.jpeg)

Sharp and overtly political, London Calling followed on the themes in the earlier albums by The Clash.

So, how does this image end up in Walmart? I'm at a loss to understand how this happened or how it will be received by the People of Walmart.

Chemical versus digital

Advertisement for Kodak Ektar film, National Geographic September 1989

Originally introducing in 1989, Ektar film was known for its fine grain. The problem was this film was introduced 14 years after Steven Sasson, a Kodak engineer, invented the  digital camera.

In retrospect it is not surprising that film lost the battle with the digital camera. While advances in film chemistry were slow and incremental, the resolution of the digital camera grew rapidly, only constrained by Moore's Law.

The original digital camera had a resolution of only 0.01 megapixels, and today the cameras in smartphones offer 1000 times resolution.

Kodak lost the race in the digital camera business because the management were reluctant to kill the cash cow that film represented.

The lesson that should be learned from this is that even though you may not be willing to compete with yourself, it does not mean that others won't take the opportunity.

Great event! Too bad it's over.

Advertisement for the Vancouver International Film Festival, Renfrew SkyTrain Station, Vancouver, BC (Photograph taken October 18, 2014)

This is getting really old. Every time I take public transit, which has been quite frequently as it seems to have been raining non-stop for the past month, I see an advertisement for an event that is over. In this case it was a poster for the the Vancouver International Film Festival. A festival that closed over a week before I took the photo.

Now I don't have anything against the film festival, and I quite like the eye image that was used on the poster, but the more often I see out-of-date advertisements on the SkyTrain the lower I think the demand is for this advertising space. If they could sell the space to another advertiser this advertisement would have been taken down.

The contracts for the space at SkyTrain stations are generally four weeks in duration. In that case the festival should have booked a four-week window that ended just after the festival finished. There are ways to avoid filling the stations with expired advertising. Let's see them put into action.

Turning your back on your history

Label on Eddie Bauer "Down Alternative Comforter"

In 1936, Eddie Bauer (Yes, he was a real person.) was granted a patent for the Skyliner jacket. This was the first commercially available down jacket in North America.

Eddie Bauer Skyliner Jacket
(Source: http://www.eddiebauer.com/product/1936-skyliner-model-jacket/10112022/_/A-ebSku_0015379100000050__10112022_catalog10002_en__US)

This was a pretty revolutionary garment. Light and warm and a real boon to outdoors people. Eddie Bauer went on to pioneer a number of innovations in down clothing, manufacturing flying suits for the US Air Force and clothing for Alaskan oil workers and outfitting the 1963 US Mount Everest expedition.

So I can't understand why Eddie Bauer is abandoning all of that heritage and selling a "Down Alternative" with the famous goose logo on the label. If the polyester filling has any value or special features why not talk about that?

The right advertisement in the wrong place

Advertisement at Horseshoe Bay bus shelter, West Vancouver, BC

Advertisement at Horseshoe Bay bus shelter, West Vancouver, BC (Detail)

Advertisement at Horseshoe Bay bus shelter, West Vancouver, BC (Detail)

Metro Vancouver is the Metro Vancouver is in the midst of a concerted effort to reduce the amount of food that end up the in garbage. Both Burnaby and West Vancouver are part of the Metro Vancouver area and are involved in the effort to reduce the amount of food in the garbage stream.

Well, that is all well and good, but why is a City of Burnaby advertisement running in West Vancouver? Just another example of misplaced transit advertising.

Is this well targeted advertising?

Febreze ad on The Economic Time website, India

Detail of Febreze ad on the website of The Economic Times, India

CIBC ad on The Economic Times website, India

I was on the website of The Economic Times recently. There was a story about an innovative IKEA billboard. (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/brand-equity/why-you-cant-ignore-this-ikea-billboard/articleshow/43233938.cms)

I noticed the Febreze advertisement at the top of the page and the CIBC ad on the side. Both would seem to be a pretty good fit with an expat Indian consumer.