pimp my ring

Apparently, the wedding industry companies are trying to hound in the idea of making sure every couple feels like their wedding is the most unique and stands out. This insights are what separates them from competitors. Especially for the millennials. They are exceeding the notion that luxury is all and entering a state a mind where it's all about personal style. Every believes their love story is unique and one-of-a-kind. One company that took it to that level was Gottlieb & Son's. They paired up with local independent jewelry stores for a campaign that would help gain revenue for smaller jewelry stores. There taglines was, "Every Romance Has a Story. Wear Yours." They came out with a print ad  of a ring with a diamond Eiffel Tower in the center. Right underneath, printed was a true love story which tied together the significance of the Paris landmark. Again, their insight for millennials was that they do not want to see themselves as buying what is already offered, they want something different. Customization is in great demand, and companies in the wedding industry should look at their campaign and make sure your product truly speaks to your ideal market.

I personally like tradition, it's what I've always grown up and been thought. But the rich are always trying to make a statement and what better way with a ring that tells your story.

brides go crazy

Planning a wedding can be hard, there are many things that can be tedious. Especially wedding announcements. Gartner Studios came out with this commercial to describe the traditional "bride-zilla" in a different manner. Their insight is that brides go crazy over the little thing, including wedding invitations. Gartner's solution is their service of prints.

Their message isn't to insult mentally-ill patients, it's simply saying that planning a wedding can be a mental challenge and not to let small details, like invitations, throw you over the edge. The youtube video has a lot of controversy about the depiction of an asylum, however I don't think it was there invention to poke fun at those cases, but just laugh at the silliness of brides.  

1 groom, 9 brides

I come from a large Hispanic family, so when I stumbled upon this ad, I read it and giggled at the truth of it.

 

It simply says “When you get married, you get married to everyone” and on the bottom it says the brand name Renault Logan and “Prepare for all you see.” The ad was created by Publicis Bogata. It targets a specific culture and demographic, Hispanics. It grabs the reader’s attention because it’s funny and reveals a very insightful truth about Hispanic culture of family togetherness. The print ad was run in Columbia. I think this ad could be run in magazine and billboards in the United States at well if this car was sold in the United States, however it isn’t. The insight is on point though. 

just a few more pounds

Slim Fast has the solution to fix a major concern in every bride’s mind. How can I lose those few pounds for look fantastic in my weddings dress? Well they sure nailed the cake topper on the head with this print ad.

 

Slim Fast discovered their target market were woman who wanted to lose “those few” pounds before a special event. And what is more important to a woman then her weddings day…exactly nothing. They used the insight of fearing not being able to fix into your dress in this hilarious print ad campaign. 

Find Yours

Well done Expedia, I don’t remember the first time I saw this commercial, it might have been when I was home for Thanksgiving break a few weeks ago. The commercial shows an older man getting ready to go to his daughter’s wedding. He talks about how proud they have always been of her but were shocked to realize she would never marry a man, but a woman instead. The emotional commercial created by Expedia, depicts the preparation this man makes in getting ready to accept her daughter’s decision.  The commercial ends with the tag line Find You Understanding.

With the rise of same-sex marriages, more and more companies are beginning to uncover an insight of the market. Expedia discovered for example that parents have a hard time understanding a same-sex relationship. They used emotions and a great story to share those feelings with the audience. With Expedia, understanding can be found.

Not ganna like, I teared up a little watching this. 

The new kids on the beach

Are destination weddings starting to be forgotten?

The answer is… ABSOLUTLY NOT!

So, what’s the billion dollar industry to do when they think they have reached the peak?

Companies such as MarryCaribbean.com have decided to look overseas at a new market that could be their greatest potential. Jacqueline Johnson, CEO of MarryCaribbean.com, believes the answer is China. “We felt thiswas the right time to take our expansion strategy to the next level and believethe market in China is ideal for us.” The company has created a public relations campaign targeting strictly wealth Chinese couples. The campaign is using social networking sites such as blogs to influence these couples to travel the West Indies for the paradise wedding. Chinese bloggers will use social networking sites to post pictures, articles, post and links to lure Chinese couples to book their weddings in the Caribbean’s. China is set to become the world’s largest outbound and inbound travel market for tourists. Johnson says China’s “economy is strong and it is strategically located for future expansion.” It’s important to note that the target isn’t just Chinese couples, but wealthy ones.

Their webpage has a whole side devoted to them and if you click on the large icon that says “Marry Caribbean Goes to China,” you will be redirected to page and information in Chinese. I think it was cleaver for the company to expand and cater to another ethnicity. They understood their targets were becoming wealthier and wealthier and China harbors a large population of wealthy class couples eagerly awaiting a dream destination wedding to get away to. Using Chinese bloggers to spearhead the campaign is effective because consumers can connect with the bloggers and value can be added to the MarryCaribbean brand.  

Volkswagen + wedding = comedy (obviously)

It didn't surprise me that when I started to look at companies that had incorporated weddings, I found this Volkswagen commercial.

I think it a little ironic because, I would think they would be trying to target women, but no. They are targeting men and by having the theme be wedding related, they are claiming how important this event is that the man cannot miss it. The video depicts a woman preparing for her wedding and then shows a man in the VW Jetta, looking at his watch, while he races to make it to the wedding in time. When he finally arrives, it shows that the man racing wasn't the groom, but a man probably in love with the bride. I think the ad targets men who understand the message of being on time and how a important an event, such as a wedding, can be.

I think this commercial parallels the message of "fasten your seatbelt", because you never know how surprising life can be.

Luxury marketers finding the right channel

I've mentioned the importance of social media and the convenience it brings for some brands and consumers. But what about those luxury brands that appeal to luxury consumers that are stifflers for traditional marketing. Luckily, some brands have noticed that print ads for expensive products will always appeal and target their ideal customers because they can maintain a "high-end" image. Those that have come to value the traditional marketing of print ads; Cartier, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, and Harry Winston, are along those brands. These brands have cashed out some of their marketing funds to include print ads in not only Hearst's Town and Country October issue, but their fall/winter issue as well.

Matt Egan, strategy director of Siegel + Gale in New York, believes "Town & Country is a great vehicle for reaching classically-minded, truly affluent customers." He says their readership includes exactly the types of people that have emerged from the recession and are ready to splurge on expensive accessories, including those for weddings.

Cartier Ad:

 Oscar de la Renta Ad:

Luxury items claim to have a sort of love affair with print ads because they create that ideal dream positive with a glossy print ad. This channel truly creates brand value and integrity that consumers will come to realize.

"Chase" after your perfect wedding

Everyone knows the wedding industry is HUGE! It's a billion dollar one as well. And you bet your bottom dollar that top companies will use similar marketing tactics to target market their products to those that are most impacted by wedding, women. Those smart companies that do a great job appealing to women using the emotional side created by weddings and still making sure their product is in their forefront. There are many examples, like the Fancy Fest campaign, that use this tactic. One company I found was Chase Blueprint credit card. Chase understood the need of a women who is preparing for her wedding. Weddings alone as expensive and as more and more younger couples are tying the knot, they are more inclined to make their own purchases. Chase promotes the idea that you shouldn't let the lack of having a great credit card, discourage you from purchasing your dream wedding dress and being able to pay it in a reasonable time period. It present a solid solution to a problem (spending too much and not being able to pay your account off).

I wonder what other companies have jumped into including this emotional appeal to their ads?

Fancy Feast campaign targets wedding industry

During the summer of 2011, Fancy Fest cat food launched the "Storybook Wedding" marketing campaign. It featured three commercials that can be found on youtube and a campaign surrounding a love story of a couple. Fancy Fest understood that their target buyer was not their final consumer. Fancy Fest used the campaign to show how important relationships are through devotion. They keyed on the insight that those woman that have cats and buy cat food value relationships and would most likely be touched by a series of videos featuring a wedding, from the engagement to the "I do's." The campaign also turned to Facebook to share these relationships with everyone. Many feel the campaign was successful because it was digitally innovated and Fancy Fest really created a true story that their customers could relate to and would follow. 

Target says it's okay to be yourself

I don't know what it is about Target but they always seem to so a great job at grabbing my attention through their ads. Especially their Christmas ones (hilarious!). The one ad that recently caught my attention however, was their new one for their wedding registry. It depicts two gay men holding hands and standing very close to each other. supporting gay marriage is a great way for Target to open up to another market and support gay rights. I'm very curious if more of these advertisements will appear on their nation-wide campaign.