Still the taste of a new generation?

Pepsi advertisement, Granville SkyTrain station, Vancouver, BC

Pepsi advertisement, Granville SkyTrain station, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

For years the marketers at Pepsi have positioned the brand as the choice of younger consumers. Your parents may drink Coke, but Pepsi is the brand for you.

This positioning has been maintained for years as is demonstrated by this Michael Jackson 1980s-era advertisement.

Pepsi advertisment
(Source: https://tjthesportsgeek.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/pepsimj.png)

While Coca-Cola put names on cans, Pepsi has now added emojis to its cans. And of course, if you have to ask what an emoji is, you're too old.

And that is pretty much the point of the whole "new generation" appeal.

Why should Canadians care about produce from California?

Poster for Strawberry Fields Chicken Salad, Wendy's, Vancouver, BC 

Poster for Strawberry Fields Chicken Salad, Wendy's, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

Wendy's is making a big deal out of the fact that the "Our strawberries are HAND-PICKED from fields in California and SLICED by hand in this restaurant."

Who cares if these strawberries from from California. It is not as if California strawberries are known for their high quality. They are cheap, the have a long shelf life, they survive transport, and that is about the limit of their appeal. (80% of strawberries sold in the US come from California.)

If you are looking for a strawberry that tastes good, rather than just looks good, a local one will always be the best choice. When Wendy's starts using local product I might consider this salad.

If you like driving, then this should be of interest (Even though I'm not really a driver.)

Six Scenic Rush exotic vehicles, West Vancouver, BC

Scenic Rush SUV, West Vancouver, BC

These are beautiful pieces of machinery. Even if you are not a car fan these vehicles stand out from the usual boring parade of metal and plastic that we see on the roads.

Scenic Rush website (source: http://www.scenicruush.com)

And for between $295 and $1295 you can take two to four of these vehicles out for a spin on the Sea to Sky Highway. Given that the cars are on many driver's wish lists, and the Sea to Sky is one of the most beautiful highways in the world, this seems like a great idea.

And does the public agree? I think the answer is a resounding yes.

Trip Advisor reviews for Scenic Rush Driving Adventures
(Source: http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g154943-d6898604-Reviews-Scenic_Rush_Driving_Experiences-Vancouver_British_Columbia.html)

118 reviews, as of June 27, 2015, and all of the reviewers rate the experience as excellent. No wonder that Trip Advisor is one of the key ways that customers find out about this business.

And is the business growing? In addition to the four cars picture on the firm's website; Nissan GT-R, Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, Audi R8 45.2 FSI Quattro, and Ferrari F430 Spider, the firm has added a Tesla and Corvette. The cars that everyone wants to drive? Unsurprisingly the Ferrari and Lamborghini are at the top of most people's list. The biggest surprises? The Nissan GT-R and the Tesla.

Top 10 in Canada, so why a flop elsewhere?

Coffee Crisp box, Shopper's Drug Mart, Vancouver, BC

Advertisement for Coffee Crisp McFlurry, McDonald's, Vancouver, B

Coffee Crisp is one of the most popular chocolate bars in Canada, at least according to this box that I saw on the shelf at a Shoppers Drug Mart location.

Despite the fact that Coffee Crisp is one of the most popular coffee bars among Canadians, attempts to introduce the bar to the US market have not succeeded. The most recent attempt resulted in Nestle selling Coffee Crisp in a number of US markets between 2006 and 2009.

Yes, despite the similarities between the US and Canadian markets, there are many Canadian products that unable to develop much of a presence in US markets.

US consumers seem almost as enamoured of coffee as Canadians. (Canada 1.009 cups per day per person, USA 0.931 cups per day per capita.) I wonder why they are not interested in a coffee-flavoured chocolate bar?

Catering to the local market

Sign at Cypress Park Market, West Vancouver, BC

Sign at Cypress Park Market, West Vancouver, BC (Detail)

West Vancouver, in fact Vancouver in general, is in the mist of a massive building and renovation boom. When I ride my bicycle along Marine Drive in West Vancouver it seems that every tenth house is either for sale, sold, undergoing renovations, brand new construction, or a vacant lot ready for some new architectural monstrosity.

So it is not surprising that the Cypress Market, the only retail store for about 10 kilometers along the road, is offering "Construction Workers Lunches". (Of course is should be "Construction Workers' Lunches", but that is just pedantic man striking again.)

This is a great piece of local marketing. Of course it would be enhanced by a flyer campaign hitting all of the construction sites to let people know about the lunches, and perhaps a pre-order and delivery service. But I hope that the construction workers take advantage of the service. Life for small retailers is hard enough as it is. I'm all for anything they can do to boost their business.

Is Shoppers Drug Mart taking over Loblaw?

Carnaby Sweet candies at The Real Canadian Superstore, Vancouver, BC

Carnaby Sweet candies at The Real Canadian Superstore, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

I thought that Shoppers Drug Mart had been purchased by Loblaw. I've seen President's Choice products on the shelf at Shoppers, but this is a first. Yesterday I was at a branch of The Real Canadian Superstore and saw lots of Carnaby Sweet candies on the shelf. This is a private label brand of Shoppers Drug Mart, so why is it on the shelf at The Real Canadian Superstore?

The quality of Carnaby Sweet is pretty ordinary, so my guess is that Loblaw is just using the Superstores to get rid of the remaining stock. Once the inventory is gone, I don't expect to see any repeat orders on the shelf.

Although the name, Carnaby Sweet, is quite clever.

Metric in Canada. Slowly slipping away?

Sign outside Greenworks store, Vancouver, BC

Change is bad. The first reaction that many people have to change is resistance. It's new, it's strange, I don't understand it. Although the metrification of Canada started in the early 1970s, since the mid 1980s the process has stalled, or even reversed. While many things are sold in metric sizes, milk for example, others are resolutely stuck in the world of  Imperial measurement. Virtually all building materials are measured and sold in Imperial units.

Food is labelled with both imperial and metric measurements, however most grocery store newspaper advertisements given bigger prominence to the prices per pound.

Will Canada ever fully complete the transition to metric? Probably not while the US is still wedded to Imperial measurements. According to Wikipedia, an increasingly reliable source, there are three countries that have not officially adopted metric measurement. The United States, Myanmar (Burma), and Liberia. The United States has been working towards limited adoption of metric measurement since the mid 1800s. But as about 75% of Canada's trade is with the US, in many industries the transition will never take place until the US changes over.

We see metric adopted in odd areas. Some automobile engine sizes are listed in litres, the biggest bottle of soft drink is commonly 2 litres, or even 3 litres, and since the 1970s cocaine across North America has been sold by the gram..

So, for the foreseeable future I think that we'll continue to see references to feet, pounds, and gallons on all sorts of signage aimed at the consumer.

Do we all want to be a little bit scared?

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park advertisement, Vancouver City Centre SkyTrain station, Vancouver, BC

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park advertisement, Vancouver City Centre SkyTrain station, Vancouver, BC

Many tourist destinations depend on business from people who want to be a little bit scared. Not "this bridge is about to collapse and we're all going to die" scared, but more "that's a really long way down" scared.

This is another business whose success is dependant on understanding what drives human behaviour. Theme parks, such as Playland at the PNE, have also used similar advertising focusing on fear.

2014 Playland advertising by Rethink
(Source: http://www.dailybri.com/2014/06/24/clever-print-ads-for-playland/)

2014 Playland advertising by Rethink 
(Source: http://www.dailybri.com/2014/06/24/clever-print-ads-for-playland/)

2014 Playland advertising by Rethink 
(Source: http://www.dailybri.com/2014/06/24/clever-print-ads-for-playland/)

Of course the question is how to manage the amount of fear. Like stress, a little bit does tend to focus the mind, but too much just paralyzes us.

For some people are these Playland advertisements are going too far. But would those people pay to go to Playland? Probably not.

We all should have seen this coming

Special edition "Frozen Frosted Cheerios", The Real Canadian Superstore, Vancouver, BC

Frosted Cheerios have been around before, so it should come as no surprise that General Mills and Disney would agree to a special movie tie-in version of the cereal.

Frozen has made over $1 billion at the box office, the biggest gross ever for an animated film. I just wonder what the limit of the movie tie-ins will be? At the moment the limits appear to be only Disney imagination and the ability of children to convince their parents to spend money. I would not bet on either of those changing any time soon.

Know your market, and build the right product for them

Photo in the window of the Bose store, Pacific Centre, Vancouver, BC

Many years ago headphones were used by people listening to lust at home who did not want to disturb the other people in the house, or announcers and other people who were using microphones. But since the invention of the Walkman, and more recently the MP3 player and smartphone, headphones have been used to listen to music while travelling around.

Now most headphone users are listening to audio from their smartphone. And it is interesting to see that the design of this pair of headphones from Bose recognizes that fact. On the cord there is a small green rectangle that appears to  be the level control and telephone controller. Headphones for home use would not have, or need, these controls.

It is interesting to see how much the proliferation of smartphones is affecting all sorts of consumer products. The smartphone has basically killed the freestanding MP3 player, and may do the same for the free-standing GPS as well.

The right advertisement in the right place

Yellow Pages advertisement, Granville SkyTrain station, Vancouver, BC

Yellow Pages advertisement, transit shelter, Vancouver, BC

Yellow Pages has rolled out a big campaign for its yp app. Like many directory services, the Yellow Pages has suffered at the hands of Google.

No longer do we need to have anything but a smartphone with a browser to search for any business or service that we might need. So how can a brand like Yellow Pages strike back?

The advertisements for the yp app are a great use of transit locations. Each advertisement is designed specifically for the location where it is placed. Overall, a great match of clever creative with a great media buy. The need is matched with the location and the nearby businesses.

Of course the question is will consumers see value in the yp app, or just continue to use Google as their default search tool?

Simple, clever, and effective

Stacking trays at NetCAD, Canadian Blood Services, Vancouver, BC

I love clever little inventions. These stacking trays are used to hold donations bags at the blood donation clinic. The donation bags can't be squashed.

These trays can be stacked two ways. When the colours match, like the top two trays, they sit down inside one another. In this configuration additional trays only add about an inch (2.5 cms) to the overall height of the stack. However, when the colours don't match, like the bottom two trays, the contents of the tray are given some breathing room.

Clever and well designed. This is the sort of simple solution that makes me wish I'd thought of it.

Who will win this battle?

President's Choice and Life Brand meal replacements, Shoppers Drug Mart, Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC

I guess that I should have seen this day coming. The purchase of Shoppers Drug Mart by Loblaw opened up hundreds of new outlets for the Loblaw private label products. While the Life name is a great fit for health-related products such as over the counter (OTC) drugs, vitamins, and similar products, the Shoppers Drug Mart house-brand foods were spectacularly ordinary in quality.

This is the first time I've seen President's Choice and Life Brand going head to head in the same category at a Shoppers Drug Mart store. The price is the same, but the President's Choice packaging has a bit more presence on the shelf.

I predict that in the health categories Life may survive as a brand, but President's Choice and No Name will take over in all of the food categories. What will happen in this category, somewhat of a crossroads between food and drugs, is a bit of a guess. I'd still put my money on President's Choice. Shoppers Drug Mart was purchased by Loblaw, and that tells me everything I need to know.

More pedantic than is good for me

Advertisement for The Globe and Mail, Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC

Advertisement for The Globe and Mail, Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

Loading in the batteries that way will destroy the electronic device. Yes, I know I'm being pedantic, but in every electronic device that I have the batteries are loaded facing in alternating directions.

I do like the idea, The Globe and Mail powers Canadian business. But if this is meant to evoke a battery pack this is not correct. I guess that the art director, or the client, thought it looked better this way. To me this says "Short-circuiting Canadian Business".

A missed opportunity to break through

Advertisement for Ultimate Dinosaurs, Commercial Broadway SkyTrain station, Vancouver, BC

Poster advertisement for Ultimate Dinosaurs, Commercial Broadway SkyTrain station, Vancouver, BC

The top advertisement is great. I love the way the head of the dinosaur breaks out of the frame. It is rife with menace.

On the other hand the poster at the bottom is a missed opportunity. The advertisement could have been so much more effective if the dinosaur's head broke through the edge of the frame.

I wonder what it would take to inject a bit more flexibility and creativity in the media installations?

Advertising; ubiquitous and sometimes useful

Video advertising screen and USB port in Black Top taxi cab, Vancouver, BC

Video advertising screen and USB port in Black Top taxi cab, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

I probably don't take taxi cabs often enough. If I did I would have noticed these devices installed in the headrest of the front seat.

The video screen shows a roll of news and ads, while the support has a sticker with an advertisement for Telus. The USB port on the left-hand side gives riders a convenient way to recharge their mobile devices while they are in the taxi.

What percentage of taxi users have mobile devices? Probably very close to 100. What is one of the most common complaints about today's mobile devices? Short battery life. So, this provides a very useful service to taxi users.

Telus has also done a similar same thing at Science World. There the device goes into a recharging station in a small locker. The lockers include cables with the appropriate plugs for most popular mobile telephones.

Tap in a Flash, but who will pay the bills?

Advertisement for Interac Flash, SkyTrain station, Vancouver, BC

Interac has entered the wireless age. Tap payment has been a feature of credit cards for a few years. Interac, the organization that manage the debit payment system in Canada, has begun an aggressive campaign to publicize its proximity payment system, Flash.

The main selling point seems to be the "Zero customer liability". The whole system is explained in an infographic on the organization's website.

(Source: http://www.interac.ca/images/Interac_infographic_ENG_FINAL_2.JPG)

All of the communication from Interac stresses the fact that there is "Zero customer liability". So who is taking the risk? Is it the retailers who accept Interac Flash? I've written to Interac to find out. I wonder if I'll get a response?

Frame 1, Sign 0

Sign outside Fatburger, West Broadway, Vancouver, BC

Sign outside Fatburger, West Broadway, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

Fatburger has its start in 1952 in California. Since then franchised location have sprung up all over the world.

All retailers have standards, and for franchises the standards are a critical part of their business plan.

So, if there are standards, how does something like this happen? The standards should include a standard size for sign frames to avoid cutting off the text.

Yes, I can figure out what sign says, but why make things harder for the consumer? Another essential detail that slipped past the marketing department.

Ironies stacked on ironies

"South Cali" tee-shirt at Topman, The Hudson's Bay, Vancouver, BC

Label on "South Cali" tee-shirt at Topman, The Hudson's Bay, Vancouver, BC

I presume that "South Cali" refers to Southern California. So, how do we have a shirt proclaiming one's love of "South Cali" from a UK-based brand, at a Canadian store. And to top it off the tee-shirt is made in Bangladesh.

Chronic irony, or just the way of the world?

A regular problem with out-of-home advertising

Billboard for Cirque du Soleil's Yarekai show (Photo taken May 30, 3015)

Detail of billboard for Cirque du Soleil's Yarekai show (Photo taken May 30, 3015)

I have been writing about this problem for years, and I'm sure that I'll write about this for years to come.

It is not as if the show is coming back any time soon. How does it help a brand if the advertisements stay up after the event is over?

We want the sales, but we don't want to pay for the sponsorship

FIFA Women's World Cup "Marketing Affiliates"
(Source: http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/organisation/partners/) 

SportChek advertisement (June 6, 2015)
(Source: http://http://www.theweathernetwork.com/) 

The FIFA Women's World Cup started today, Saturday June 6, 2015. Like most major sporting events, if brands want to use the name and logo of the event, they need to sign on as a sponsor.

But if you don't want to pay for sponsorship you can try a bit of guerilla marketing. And that is what SportChek is doing. There is no way that the text on this advertisement could refer to anything other that the Women's World Cup. But by not using the words "World", "Women's", "Football", or "Soccer" SportChek avoids having to pay FIFA, while the consumers will still make the association with the event.

SportChek wins and women's football loses.

McDonald's aims for esteemed company

McDonald's advertisement at Broadway City Hall SkyTrain station, Vancouver, BC

McDonald's advertisement at Broadway City Hall SkyTrain station, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

It is the 20th anniversary of something called the McFlurry. A combination of some very cold dairy-like material along with broken bit of cookies or candy.

And according to McDonald's this is a Canadian invention on par with the telephone, electric oven, and snowmobile. Or perhaps the McFlurry could just be a way to get rid of the boxes of cookies and candy that got broken when they fell off the loading dock. Or perhaps I'm just far too cynical for my own good.

Someone is not paying attention

Citizen Eco-Drive sign at Independant Goldsmith, City Square, Vancouver, BC

Citizen Eco-Drive sign at Independant Goldsmith, City Square, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

Citizen Eco-Drive sign at Independant Goldsmith, City Square, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

Canada is a bilingual country, but swathes of Eastern Canada, French is not really a common language in in Vancouver.

So, why does this jeweller in Vancouver have a French-only sign outside the store? It would seem that both Citizen and the retailer are not really paying attention.

It has been on display for a week. I wonder how much longer it will last?