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HotelTonight Launches App that Helps Find Hotel Deals in Major Cities

Need a great deal on a hotel room tonight?  There’s an app for that. HotelTonight helps consumers search hotels with immediately available rooms while saving up to 70 percent on their bill. Available for iOS (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad) and Android, this free app allows users to browse quality hotel profiles and book a same-day hotel stay until 2 a.m. 

In a market saturated with companies offering travel deals, HotelTonight managed the almost impossible – it became the most downloaded app in its category in just one month. HotelTonight founder and CEO Sam Shank told Marketing Sherpa his secret:  "The strategy is to make sure everybody has an incredible experience using the application." 

As a start-up with a limited budget for an advertising and marketing blitz, HotelTonight focused on creating word-of-mouth buzz by offering great deals and stellar customer service. This old-fashioned approach to marketing helped HotelTonight skyrocket to the top of the app download charts.

Improvements to the app are coming fast: HotelTonight recently launched their newly-included Las Vegas hotel deals at Caesar’s Palace, Trump International Hotel, The Palms, and the Hard Rock Hotel. 

“No city in the world is more spontaneous than Vegas, and our hotel partners are working in creative ways to remind people of this,” said Shank. “We look forward to inspiring many Friday night Vegas road trips with deals this great."

Will HotelTonight’s success allow them to ramp up marketing efforts with new introductions and leverage partnerships to grow awareness? Only time will tell.

Velveeta Cheesy Skillets Forge New Ideas in Quick and Easy Dinners

Velveeta and its parent company, Kraft, have earned a reputation for introducing products that provide families with convenience and ease in the kitchen. Building on Velveeta’s popular quick and easy meals, the new Velveeta Cheesy Skillets are creating a buzz. The difference between the new introduction and Velveeta’s past dinner products is that moms and dads can whip up a “real” non-microwaved meal for the family in no time. Kraft is targeting busy moms during back to school season, when hectic schedules necessitate quick and easy meals.

In the commercial, a suburban mom is abruptly greeted by a man dressed as a 19^th century blacksmith holding an iron skillet and a box of Velveeta Cheesy Skillets as she attempts to leave the house to pick up dinner. The spokesman guides her hands while she prepares the meal in a way that is reminiscent of the famous pottery scene in the movie Ghost, all the while speaking in an olde English accent.  Another Commercial portrays a mom attempting to prepare a meal in the microwave as the 19^th century blacksmith appears yet again and stops her. He proclaims, “Reject these cold technology contraptions.  Would you want the shoes of your horse forged in a microwave? Your Stove: Use it!”

Velveeta promoted Cheesy Skillets via their Facebook page where visitors could take a poll on which of the four flavors is their favorite, while reading up on a product description of each.

Along with television ads, Facebook, and YouTube, Velveeta is also activating one of the most effective tools in promoting a new product: word of mouth. Through promotions that encourage hosting a Velveeta Cheesy Skillets House Party, the brand is hoping to promote trial and create a buzz by asking people to upload their house party photos to the Facebook page.

With the school year in full swing, it will be interesting to see if Velveeta’s new launch and ad campaign are persuasive enough to take market share away from competitors like Hamburger Helper and make it to family dinner tables.

Pepperidge Farm Launches Bread that Smiles Back

 

For more than a decade, children have enjoyed the famous Goldfish crackers from Pepperidge Farm (smiling Goldfish crackers were launched by Schneider Associates many years ago.) Now, Pepperidge Farm is leveraging their smiling Goldfish equity by launching Goldfish Sandwich Bread- the bread that smiles back.

The bread comes in three varieties: Soft White, Soft 100% Whole Wheat, and Soft Honey Whole Wheat. All three contain no high fructose corn syrup and boast 3 grams of fiber per serving for only 120 calories. Not to mention, the bread is completely crust-free, ensuring that the pickiest eaters will have no reason to dislike it.

“We are excited to offer kids and the young at heart a fun and healthful new way to enjoy their favorite sandwiches,” Maureen Linder, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Fresh and Frozen Bakery at Pepperidge Farm said in a press release from the company.

To celebrate the launch, Pepperidge Farms conducted a national survey to unveil the hidden troubles of making lunches. In “The Shape of Sandwiches” survey, they found that parents often find making lunches difficult and even frustrating. Nine out of 10 moms revealed that their children find their sandwiches more appealing if the bread is cut into fun and creative shapes and sizes, and are more likely to eat them. 50% of mothers participating in the survey revealed that their children have requested triangular sandwiches while 23% revealed that their children have wanted their food in shapes of faces. Pepperidge farm created a product based on a unique consumer insight, fitting into the recent trend of Customer Calibration™ that we have been seeing.

Aside from the survey, Pepperidge Farms also participated in Evo ’11, a three-day social media conference for women in Park City, Utah, to showcase their new bread. They provided lunch for the conference on Friday, July 8^th, where the new sandwich bread was a featured product. A photo op included a scenic picnic backdrop and a blow-up replica of the Goldfish mascot, Finn. Participant pictures were all uploaded onto the official Pepperidge Farms Facebook page.

So far, the reviews for Goldfish Sandwich Bread have been positive, which is no surprise considering the brand developed the product based on consumer insights. Is it the best thing since sliced bread? Could be.

The Triple Double Oreo: Delicious Indulgence and Nostalgic Delight

 
As if the Double Stuf Oreos are not tasty enough, in August, Nabisco launched what may be their most indulgent Oreo ever – the Triple Double. With one layer of original crème stuffing and one layer of chocolate stuffing sandwiched between three cookie wafers, the Triple Double delivers deliciousness with 100 calories and 4.5 grams of fat per cookie.

A creative new entrant to the Oreo family, the Triple Double seems to have the appropriate qualities of a popular consumer trend that is currently taking the U.S. by storm: Multi-layered foods have been the center of some other recent launches, like Taco Bell’s Triple Steak Burrito and Trident Layers Gum. The 2011 Sweet and Snacks Expo also reported that candy with dual layers and multiple-flavor profiles in one bite were two of the top candy trends this year. Food that is designed in multiples may not appeal to the health conscious, but instead may attract those looking for a small indulgence with 100 calories (two other trends from last year, which we saw in the annual Most Memorable New Product Launch Survey).

To support the Triple Double launch, Nabisco called on the “Double Stuf Racing League,” a dream team comprised of celebrity athletes Shaquille O’Neal, Eli Manning, Venus Williams and Apolo Ohno. In 2008, the DSRL took part in TV advertisements for the Double Stuf Oreo, where they competed to achieve the fastest Oreo-eating time. Now, the DSRL Team is returning for the Triple Double. Fans can expect more twist-and-lick racing as TV ads air this month, with the challenging twist offering up the slogan: “Are You Game?”

"Now that I am retired I can spend more time perfecting my twist, lick and dunk skills, and with an added layer of creme and a third cookie, it's clear that I am going to need the practice," said O'Neal.

As part of an online campaign, Oreo has also launched a series of games via their company website. Participating fans will have the chance to win a trip to attend a sports event and have a meet-and-greet with one of the DSRL team members.

The use of famous athletes may help to counter negative perceptions of a fatty indulgence like the Triple Double, or it may simply coincide with the recent competitive eating interest generated by food-challenge reality shows, like Man vs. Food. Will the Triple Double be a slam-dunk for Nabisco? Only time will tell.

Downy Launches New Unstopables: In-Wash Scent Boosters

Downy is giving consumers a boost to the senses with its new Downy Unstopables that deliver a fresh-out-of-the-laundry smell all day. When these scented beads are added to the wash, they dissolve and leave clothes with a long-lasting fresh scent, which Downy claims can last up to twelve weeks (perfect for students). Although Downy Unstopables make your clothes smell fresh, they still must be used with detergent and fabric softener, and so the product represents a new addition to one’s laundry care regimen.  

Downy launched the new Unstopables with a commercial targeted toward moms. Comedian and actress Amy Sedaris is featured and provides a quick, quirky tutorial on how to use the new scented beads.  The character played by Sedaris is a retro chic housewife claiming to be a “laundry expert.” Downy also posted the new commercial on their YouTube channel, Facebook page and official website.

Supporting the ad campaign, Downy has been conducting a sampling promotion where consumers can sign up for on the Facebook page and receive one of 2 million free samples.. After signup, consumers are entered into a drawing for a $1,000 gift card toward all Downy products. 

It’s undeniable that everyone loves the fresh-out-of-the laundry smell, but at a time when lots of consumers are cutting chemicals and scents out of their lives, it will be interesting to see how the product fares with its intended audience. Will the new Downy entrant be an Unstopable success?  

Spotify Aims to be Music to the Ears of U.S. Users

 
The music industry has changed dramatically over the past decade, and it’s about to undergo another cosmic shift with the arrival of Spotify in the U.S. Originally based in Europe, Spotify launched earlier this month and already boasts more than 1.5 million subscribers.

Spotify is a music streaming service that allows users to access a seemingly endless music library and play songs on their computers, phones or home audio systems. Currently, Spotify offers three tiers of service: a free, limited monthly streaming membership (by invitation only), and two pay plans that offer an ad-free listening experience and offline usability.  

To build an American market Spotify partnered with Klout, the online reputation service, to offer influential social media users a chance to try Spotify for free. Demand for invitations was so strong that the Klout website briefly crashed, an indication that there is a strong interest in this music streaming service. 

  Spotify also partnered with major brands such as Coca-Cola, Chevrolet and Motorola. Coca-Cola distributed invites to the service through Coca-Cola’s Facebook and Twitter pages. In return, Coca-Cola is allowed to use Spotify as an advertising platform to target users based on their profiles or interests. Motorola announced that it was the exclusive mobile device and tablet launch partner for Spotify, will offer customers “coveted early access” to the service through its marketing campaigns.

Even the record companies are behind Spotify. Universal Music Group (UMG), a major national record label, announced the release of a playlist service called Digster that is completely integrated with the Spotify platform. Other record companies are expected to follow suit, preferring to monetize consumer music consumption that previously may have been diverted to pirated material.  

There are several other music streaming services available in the U.S., like Pandora and Grooveshark. But what sets Spotify apart is a user base in the millions, a track record of success in Europe, and a business model that should continue to generate profit.

Spotify promises to finally break any tension still separating music lovers and record companies by integrating its service across the three major, modern platforms: online, mobile, and social media.

A Healthy Shade of Green: The Avocado Trend

Where health-conscious eaters used to steer away from this fruit (yes – avocado is a fruit, not a vegetable), it seems that Americans now can’t get enough of them.  In the past year, domestic avocado sales skyrocketed to 1.3 billion pounds - a 16% increase, according to the Hass Avocado Board. This is partially due to the more than 75 new products made with avocado have been introduced over the past five years. Grocery store products, restaurant menus and chain markets have all jumped on the trend. Whether it’s a side of guacamole, a topping on your sandwich, or the center of a vegetarian entrée – avocados are now a low cost, healthy and tasty indulgence. 

With 85% of its calories coming from fat, it’s no wonder the avocado was nicknamed the “butter-fruit.” In recent years, researchers have put the high-fat myth to rest, uncovering an important difference between the fat content of avocados (monounsaturated fats), and the fat content of, say, a bag of potato chips. Avocados boost your metabolism, offer more than 20 different nutrients, help fight cancer and osteoporosis, and improve heart health, memory, weight-loss and anti-aging.

Using this new evidence, The California Avocado Commission (CAC) organized a marketing campaign that included a combination of radio spots, outdoor and online banner ads, trade commissions, print ads, point-of-sale support and coupon programs, resulting in 33 million consumer impressions.

A follow-up survey revealed that the primary motivation to purchase avocados came as a result of its versatility as an ingredient and use in conjunction with other foods. From here, CAC modified their campaign to include promotions that focused on educating the consumer on how to use and prepare avocados at home. 
Avocado products were co-promoted with related ingredients like chips, lime and salads – for example, CAC teamed up with ReadyPac Salad to co-promote avocados and fresh cut salads, via radio spots and coupons. Adhering to the consumer trend of authenticity, they also began to coordinate promotions with domestic avocado growers around peak harvest periods.  

These awareness campaigns successfully established public interest in avocados and its newly discovered health advantages. Results demonstrated a significant increase in consumers’ understanding of the health benefits of eating avocados.

Subway’s Avocado Sandwich

Earlier this year, Subway jumped on the avocado band wagon, nudging other fast food chains to follow suit and include the vitamin- and mineral-packed fruit on their menus. To promote the launch of its avocado spread, Subway created an ad campaign featuring Olympic athletes Michael Phelps and Apolo Ohno, juggling avocados. Subway also launched a “Grab the Green” campaign, promoting avocados alongside the summer flick, The Green Lantern. 

Their social media campaign included a Subway Avocado and Green Lantern promotion party, hosted on Twitter. For one hour, The Clever Girls Collective discussed the health benefits of avocados, as well as the Green Lantern movie, and Twitter followers’ superpower wish lists.

The avocado option was initially a limited-time offer, but after seeing all-time sales records during its first week, franchises may decide to keep avocados as a permanent topping. 

Around the same time that Subway released its avocado spread, Frito-Lay launched three different flavors of dip seasonings, including “Freshly Made Guacamole,” a seasoning mix added to fresh avocados, catered to those who need a quick and easy recipe to wow their guests. 

It’s rare that a fruit or vegetable ingredient takes the food industry by storm, but the amazing avocado has done just that, supported by a strong awareness campaign and a healthy eating trend.

Mountain Dew’s “Back by Popular Dewmand” Resurrects 3 Favorite Dew Flavors

Mountain Dew has earned a reputation for interacting with consumers to create new products. As one of the brands that is at the forefront of a new trend that Schneider Associates is calling Customer Calibration,™ Mountain Dew has actively involved consumers in all stages of new product development and marketing. First launched in late 2007, the DEWmocracy campaign allowed consumers to help create new Mountain Dew flavors, which resulted in the production of Voltage® in 2008 and the newest craze, White Out®, in 2010.

In 2011, Mountain Dew took a new route in DEWmocracy and developed another way to incorporate consumers into their production decisions – “Back by Popular Dewmand.” In an interview with Ad Age, Zach Harris, the senior marketing manager of Mountain Dew, explained, “In 2011, we consistently heard from our consumers, ‘But what about our favorite flavors that are no longer in the market?’ Instead of creating more new products from scratch, like we’ve done with Dewmocracy 1 and 2, we decided to celebrate our fans and portfolio by bringing back their favorite flavors.” The flavors were chosen by fans for fans and are back on the market as limited edition products during the summer of 2011.

“Back by Popular Dewmand” was designed to let fans reach out to other fans. Mountain Dew used Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and partnered with other media outlets like Adult Swim, College Humor, and Gizmodo to advertise the campaign. Mountain Dew also asked their passionate advocates, or “Dew All-Stars,” to lobby for their individual favorites. Some fans created their own Facebook pages to rally friends and acquaintances to support specific flavors, while others produced viral videos to inform the World Wide Web. In the campaign’s press release, Brett O’Brien, senior director of marketing at Mountain Dew, discussed the company’s intention of encouraging participation from the masses. “Back by Popular Dewmand was created to celebrate our incredible fans by rewarding them with the return of some of their favorite Dew flavors,” said O’Brien. “There is no fan like a Mountain Dew fan – Dew fans are always engaged.” 

On May 16, 2011, Mountain Dew re-launched the three top-voted favorite drinks: Mountain Dew Pitch Black®, Mountain Dew Supernova® and Mountain Dew Typhoon®. Mountain Dew revealed that the diet version of Mountain Dew Supernova® will remain as a permanent addition in their lineup of diet drinks, so Dew lovers won’t lose the strawberry-flavored soda again. Mountain Dew is also featuring the “Dew All-Stars” in their print and web campaigns featuring fans and the resurrected flavors. It remains to be seen whether Mountain Dew’s fan engagement in flavor creation and marketing will result in strong sales, but it’s certainly an excellent case study in Customer Calibration™ where consumers help design both the product and marketing experience.

New Balance Goes Minimalist With Minimus Launch

New Balance is toeing the line on the minimalist running craze with its Spring 2011 release of its Minimus – a product that fits the trend but is steeped in consumer insights and research.

The New Balance Minimus, or NB Minimus for short, represents the company’s first venture into minimalist shoes, a rapidly growing market for the hardcore running community.

“NB Minimus is a barefoot-inspired line of shoes created specifically for runners seeking a truly minimalist experience,” said Katherine Petrecca, the manager for the new line. “We view these shoes very much as tools that encourage better running form, and help strengthen the legs and feet. As important, a great minimal shoe should deliver increased ground feel and control, which is what makes them so much fun to use.”

You don’t have to be a competitive runner to use a Minimus shoe, either. New Balance created three different shoes for different uses: Minimus Road, Minimus Trail and Minimus Wellness. The first two are self-explanatory while the Minimus Wellness is intended as a shoe that doesn’t have to be used just for exercise.

This isn’t the first line of shoes to hit the minimalist market. The Merrell Barefoot shoes, the Vibram Five Fingers and the Mizuno Universe Wave 3 racing flats all have a healthy following among runners. However, what sets the NB Minimus apart from its competitors is its reliance on incorporating feedback from real minimalist running enthusiasts into their designs.

A video on their website shows Team New Balance ultra-marathoner Anton Krupicka describing how he had begun cutting the soles off of his running shoes in frustration because he could not find a shoe with a small enough drop, and the other minimalist shoes available weren’t protective enough. This led to an “aha!” moment for New Balance’s designers: Send prototypes to real runners and encourage them to make modifications to the shoes and send them back. The result? A minimalist shoe made by runners, for runners.

The minimalist movement is all about providing the most natural running experience, and that means using a shoe that feels like it’s barely there. Its growth is thanks in large part to the research done by Dr. Daniel Lieberman at Harvard University, which found that the most experienced (read: best) runners avoid landing on their heels to minimize impact and maximize energy and endurance. It is also based on the ideas in Christopher McDougall’s book Born to Run.

The NB Minimus design is ultralight (under 8.5 ounces) and incredibly low to the ground with just a 4 mm drop from the heel to the forefoot.

New Balance took all of the research and information they had gathered in developing the Minimus and created educational launch events which promised “There’s a better way to run. Learn to train more efficiently, to keep you on the road, to run longer, faster, and more comfortably than ever before.” These events were designed to advocate for minimalist running, teach proper form and to dispel some of the myths around the minimalist movement.

By integrating customers into the development of their product, and positioning themselves as an expert in the minimalist running category, New Balance has definitely created and launched a line of products designed to go the distance.

Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Cereal Launch Targets Males, Uses QR Codes to Spur Engagement

After years of success in the UK, Kellogg’s rolled out their Crunchy Nut Cereal in the U.S. in late January. Kellogg’s is targeting a young male adult audience by sending the message that cereal isn’t just for breakfast. The campaign slogan, “It’s morning somewhere,” a play off it’s 5:00 somewhere, is an unusual approach for a product category traditionally aimed at either kids or health-conscious adults. 

The official launch was hosted at a 24-hour event, centered on a six-story tall cuckoo clock, which aimed to make the Guinness Book of World Records. Every hour of the day-long launch, the gigantic clock would chime, and actor Brad Norman would emerge, offering comedic performances dressed as a character from a location where it was currently morning. Celebrity entertainer Nick Cannon kicked off the event at Hollywood and Highlander Center in Los Angeles, energizing the crowd with a countdown to the first chime.

                         

 Live video streams of the performances were available on the Crunchy Nut Facebook page, keeping fans in the loop. Additionally, there were opportunities to sample the cereal and interact with Brad Norman.
 
Keeping in mind the rising trend of brand engagement via mobile, Kellogg’s partnered with Augme Technologies, one of the leading services in the interactive media market. Augme launched a program that offered QR codes and SMS keywords printed on the backs of the cereal boxes.  The codes recognize the user’s location and local time, and use this information to direct them to a mobile page offering one of 13 different videos of morning in a foreign location. By scanning at different times of the day, consumers experience different videos, all reinforcing the message, “It’s morning somewhere.”

The QR campaign was targeted specifically to single males between the ages of 18 and 35, who were mostly college students. The goal was to use the QR code to intrigue this market, who are computer literate and enjoy electronic games.

The mobile campaign drove more than 40,000 QR scans and 60,000 texts during its promotional period, resulting in 38,000 videos played and 50,000 page views. It seems surprising that QR scans would outnumber keyword texts, but the effectiveness of QR scans makes sense in realm of cereal promotions – where consumers used to spend time reading the backs of cereal boxes, now they can now use a simple barcode as they leisurely eat their breakfast.

If you would like help planning your next launch, contact us at launch@schneiderpr.com or on Twitter @SchneiderPR.