Launch PR

Nike Celebrates its "100 Most Innovative Accomplishments"

Most brands dream of this fate: after years of successful new product launches and accolades that position the brand as one of “The World’s Most Innovative Companies,” Nike has launched a gallery of its “Nike 706: 100 most innovative accomplishments” eight days before the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing.

Housed in Bejing’s trendy 798 Arts District, the exhibition showed off its most iconic shoes including Michael Johnson’s gold track shoes. As Cool Hunting’s Tim Yu reports, the shoes were showcased in stacked boxes modeled after Nike’s  classic shoe box design and visitors were given an iPod Touch loaded with audio explanations of each pair of shoes featured. Nike 706 will remain in the 798 Arts District for a month.

When Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight got their start selling their first order of shoes out of Knight’s Plymouth Valiant and using Bowerman’s wife’s waffle iron and Carolyn Davidson’s swoosh logo to launch Nike, little did either know that they were launching a cultural icon.

However, Nike’s products have clearly inspired enough global fandom, that the notion of showing its products off as innovative art-like pieces in an exhibition during the Olympics doesn’t seem like superficial hyperbole, it seems completely appropriate.

DDB’s Joe Cronin once described the Letterman Show to me as a frame for great companies and great marketing. Celebrities come on the show and spend an hour promoting their films and new product lines. Happily, we watch the show and thoroughly enjoy what could logically be described as an hour-long advertisement. Great brands and marketing have the same effect. We proudly display their logos on our handbags or their latest ad on our blog and we would happily attend an exhibition to reminisce about their past product launches. We see these brands and marketing efforts as an acceptable form of fashion, culture and entertainment.

Images from Cool Hunting

Bloggers Push PR Teams to Rethink the Traditional Press Lounge

Recently, I enjoyed reading a post J.D. Lasica wrote for PBS’s MediaShift Idea Lab blog (one of my new favorite feeds in my RSS reader) in which he described his experience as a journalist covering the Web 2.0 Expo, an important annual conference and trade show featuring the best in tech and the latest new product and service launches hitting the Web.

At the Expo, there were two press rooms reserved: one for traditional media and one for bloggers and other citizen journalists. The distinction between both rooms was readily apparent. As J.D. described, “Enter the press lounge and it's akin to stepping into a public library…Stacks of brochureware and press releases line the room. A coffee stand is set to one side. This, apparently, is the preferred habitat of the professional journalist.”

 

The press room reserved for bloggers and online media was completely different. Called “Blogtropulus” by attendees, J.D. said it “brims with energy and buzz.” In addition to information relevant to the Expo, citizen journalists in Blogtropulus were treated to massages, virtual bowling on a Wii, video step-up for interviews, music and drinks branded with sponsors’ logos.

As J.D. described, “In Blogtropulus, the emphasis is on conversation and socializing.” He rounded up his experience saying, “As I prepare to leave, another former traditional journalist is talking to a friend about the Old Media press room. ‘It’s like a wake in there,’ he said. ‘Talk about night and day.’”

It made me wonder why online and offline journalists were offered totally different experiences as they covered the Expo. What’s happening on the Web should push all communications teams to make every point of contact with the media and consumers more interactive and engaging.

Nokia recently achieved this by hosting an impressive press briefing this April at the CTIA Wireless Show 180 feet above Nevada on a platform aptly called the “Nokia Internet Café in the Sky.”

Reporters, bloggers and trade show attendees that visited the Nokia booth at CTIA could register to visit the Café and try out its highly anticipated N810 phone. The unique nature of this press briefing was an apt demonstration of a product that “allows consumers to access the Internet in unexpected places—such as high above the Nevada desert.”

The N810 phone successfully reignited pre-launch buzz that had been circulating for about a year when insiderstipped off top tech blog Engadget about its launch and allowed both traditional and non-traditional media to interact with the new product in a memorable setting.

New Community Launch:Nickelodeon Takes Initiative in Environmental Education for Kids

This Earth Day, Nickelodeon, along with parent company Viacom, launched a new “pro-social” environmental campaign, The Big Green Help, modeled after its original pro-social campaign The Big Help.  The network hopes it will educate children on environmental causes, promote daily energy saving and earth friendly activities, and provide new online games to increase awareness about environmental issues.  In carrying out the campaign, Nickelodeon has partnered with many organizations such as, The LeBron James Family Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources and Defense Council, NFL, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Girl Scouts of the USA.

In support of Earth Day and the new campaign, the most popular children’s network dedicated all commercial air time to promoting green causes and sending positive messages about the importance of protecting our environment.  As reported by Brandweek, Nickelodeon plans to devote 10% of on air time to “eco-friendly” messages, in the days following the launch. 

To provide a multi-faceted campaign and reach the tech savvy kids, Nickelodeon has launched an online community, TheBigGreenHelp.com, where users can learn more about the environment, play games, and share their thoughts and videos with others.  Nickelodeon is also providing information about this new endeavor on its homepage, Nick.com and online community Nicktropolis. To further accompany the launch, Nickelodeon held an event at Wal-Mart stores where 1 million promotional Sponge Bob Square Pants wildflower seed cards were distributed.

According to its press release, The Big Green Help will continue to promote green causes all year round across all platforms, in an attempt to educate children about climate change and ways they can help at home, school of within their communities.  Brandweek reported that Nickelodeon is spending $30 million a year on this campaign.

"Our research shows that kids believe they can lead the way in addressing positive change for the environment, and The Big Green Help empowers them to work individually and collectively to do that," said Marva Smalls, Nickelodeon's Executive Vice President of Public Affairs. 

In my opinion, it’s great that Nickelodeon is taking the initiative to educate children about environmental causes.  Creating an online community is an especially good idea considering the millennial generation has grown up with the internet and gaming.  Since children are the future of the world, it is important for them to recycle and help stop issues like global warming.

AGENCY NEWS: Schneider Associates named to list of fastest growing private companies for second consecutive year

Schneider Associates (SA) is excited to again be honored as one of the region’s fastest growing private companies for the Boston Business Journal’s second annual Pacesetters awards. SA ranked 40 on this year’s list, up from 45 last year, and has achieved 110 percent growth over the past three years.

 SA and the rest of the Pacesetters companies are being honored today at the  Boston Business Journal’s Pacesetters Awards breakfast at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. President and Creative Director Joan Schneider and other executives will share their ideas on what made them successful and what they hope to achieve going forward.

It’s been an exciting year for SA and we’ve been delighted to share it with all of you through Launch PR. Here’s to continued success!

NEW COMPANY LAUNCH: babyGap Home

Launch Date: April 2008

The newest member of the Gap family, babyGap Home is due in mid-April. Mothers can now rely on the Gap for much more than t-shirts and pajamas. babyGap Home offers nearly everything new mothers need for their small children. In addition to their own products and designs, babyGap Home also partnered with more than 40 well-known children’s brands, including Scholastic, BabyBjorn, HABA, JellyCat, Maclaren, Maxi-Cosi, Little Twig and Crocodile Creek.

These alliances allow babyGap Home to be the perfect one-stop-shop for mothers. Although babyGap Home products are currently available online, stores will be opening alongside select babyGap stores in California, Illinois, New York and Texas. .

Relying heavily on online blogger outreach for their communications efforts, it will be interesting to see what kinds of profits this new venture brings to both the babyGap Home and its partners. As it now stands,  babyGap Home is “a premium collection of our favorite bedding, strollers, car seats, toys and more” that has yet to expand its product offerings and which focuses most of its marketing efforts, quite logically, on mothers,” said Pamela B. Wallack, president of babyGap and GapKids.

“Today’s mom stays on top of the latest trends – she wants her baby to be current and stylish. She also expects safe, high quality products at affordable prices,”according to Wallack. . “babyGap Home brings all of these things together in one well-edited collection. Our goal is to be a trusted editor, providing moms with everything they need and want in an aesthetic and sensibility that’s unique only to babyGap.”

Gap Inc. appears to be taking an innovative new approach with babyGap Home.  It steers away from the Gap’s traditional apparel model and includes other brands that complement the b abyGap’s unique offerings.  Gap is looking to try new things as it has continued to experience lagging sales in the last few years.  It will be interesting to see if Gap’s blog-intensive marketing will win over the moms.

So far, mommy and daddy bloggers seem to think highly of the initiative. Blogs such as lilsugar.com, lizjaredstanley.com, daddytypes.com, momlogic.com and cookiemag.com have told their readers they are looking forward to the launch of the brand.

Once Again P&G Does It Right!

How many times have you heard your boss or client define the success of your public relations strategy as landing a placement on Oprah? What about "creating a more emotional connection to the brand or company?"

On a recent episode of Oprah, P&G’s Pampers brand accomplished both, thanks to its One Pack=One Vaccine UNICEF cause campaign and Salma Hayek.

Salma was signed on by the diaper giant to help them promote the program which aims to eradicate tetanus, a disease caused by deadly bacteria that enters the body through open wounds.

According to the show’s Web site, tetanus is often transmitted as a result of unsanitary conditions during childbirth and infects both mother and child in developing countries. The infection rages through the body like a powerful poison, leading to a swift, painful death in almost every case. These deaths can be prevented with a vaccine that costs just 5 cents per shot.

Each time someone purchases a pack of specially marked diapers, Pampers will donate one vaccination shot to UNICEF to fight tetanus in 12 countries.

Pampers donated 1,000 vaccines for each member of today's Oprah Show audience—
300,000 vaccines. And in honor of Oprah, the brand is also donating one million additional vaccines—for a total of 1.3 million vaccines!

Not all brands and companies have this kind of power and budget, but all should have the same “soul.” So next time you hear “I want to be on Oprah” or “We need a stronger connection to our consumers,” ask yourself, your boss or your client to look inside. What does the brand stand for? What do our consumers believe in? How can we make a difference? You may not get on Oprah, but you’ll give your consumers a reason to believe in your brand

NEW PRODUCT POST: Kentucky Grilled Chicken

In an attempt to attract health conscious consumers back to their restaurants Louisville based KFC, a subsidiary of Yum Brands, is launching its new product, Kentucky Grilled Chicken The new grilled product is served on the bone and contains far less calories, fat and sodium than KFC Original Recipe. The new grilled chicken is being tested in six cities with a national rollout planned for early next year.

“This is a transformation for our brand,” said Doug Hasselo, KFC’s chief food innovation officer. The brand hopes to build its core dinner business and strengthen lunch and snack segments.  If grilled chicken is successful it could boost KFC’s U.S. performance, which has declined in the last year.

The company says prices for grilled and fried chicken are comparable and insist that despite the marketing push for Kentucky Grilled Chicken the brand is not backing away from its famous fried chicken and have new fried items planned this summer. 

Larry Miller, a restaurant analyst with RBC Capital Markets, said KFC faces a possible “speed bump” in winning over health conscious consumers. The brand has lagged behind its competitors when it comes to offering healthier menu items. For example, Wendy’s offers a low-fat, strawberry-flavored yogurt cup with granola on its menu, Burger King offers the BK VEGGIE® Burger and McDonald’s menu offers Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfaits, their Premium Salads topped with grilled chicken and a snack size Fruit and Walnut salad.

Jayne Hurley, senior nutritionist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest said that although some KFC’s offer salads she would like to see the restaurant offer healthier alternatives for their standard side dishes which include, macaroni and cheeses and mashed potatoes with gravy.

This is not the brands first test with non-fried chicken. In 1990 KFC introduced its rotisserie-style chicken which ultimately failed due to equipment problems and long cook time.

The brand acknowledges the challenge ahead. “With Kentucky Fried Chicken being part of your name, trying to get people to understand that you have these non-fried options available now – it’s not an uphill battle but it’s certainly something we have to work on and make sure we communicate well,” said Hasselo.

The new Kentucky Grilled Chicken will be supported by TV ads in test markets which include Indianapolis, Colorado Springs, San Diego, Oklahoma City, Jacksonville, Florida and Austin, Texas. The iconic chicken bucket will also get a redesign to promote both fried and grilled chicken.

Will consumers see KFC as a healthy alternative? Or has the brand waited too long to add healthier options?

B2B New Product Post: MacuChek Offers Proactive Approach for Fighting Leading Cause of Blindness

Our friends and Worldcom partners, Hermanoff & Associates, work with MacuChek, a medical technology company based in West Bloomfield, MI. MacuChek has recently pioneered a device that is the first available to eye care professionals to assess a person’s risk of developing the leading cause of legal blindness, macular degeneration which affects approximately 30 million worldwide.

The MacuScope™ is the first commercially available, scientifically validated instrument that accurately measures macular protective pigment density, assesses a patient’s risk of developing macular degeneration decades before symptoms begin. With increasing lifespan and an aging population, the number of people affected by the disease is expected to double in the next 20 to 30 years, so this device will prove to be increasingly useful to the medical world.

Following a painless, non-invasive and brief examination, the MacuScope™, is able to quantify macular protective pigment density changes (MPPD) in the macula and then categorizes patients as either high-risk or low-risk for developing macular degeneration.

The MacuScope™ has already allowed for some fascinating success stories. “There was a recent case in Ireland where the MacuScopeTM was used in assessing and treating a patient who was told he would be blind within a year,” said Dr. David Segel, president and CEO of MacuChek. “Through the proper combination of MacuScopeTM screenings and corresponding dosage of ocular supplements, LMZ3 – known as MacuShield in Europe -- he has been able to regain his sight and begin driving again within six months.”

Besides Europe, The MacuScope™ is currently being used in 21 states throughout our country, Canada and will soon be available to Asian countries as well.

The New Pontiac G8 Holds Contest to Name Sport Utility Truck

Pontiac debuted its nameless G8 sport utility truck at the New York International Auto Show.  This powerful truck and sports car hybrid has 391 horsepower, can haul over 1,300 pounds and tow a 3,500-pound trailer.  According to AskPatty.com, the truck can be used for work and play, but as the Pontiac Web site describes, “This bad boy doesn’t have a name.”  For the first time, Pontiac is asking consumers to name the vehicle.  After submitting a suggestion for the vehicle’s name, participants will be entered into a drawing and have the chance to win the 2010 G8 when it launches in late 2009.

Pontiac hopes the contest will engage consumers with the product before it even launches in dealerships nationwide. Craig Bierley, Pontiac’s marketing director explains on Ask Patty saying, "As an important part of the G8 family, we know that 'sport truck' doesn't fully describe the vehicle's ability to blur the lines between sports car and truck…  Because its fans will surely be as unique as the vehicle itself, we're giving them a voice in selecting a name that reflects its appeal."

To coincide with the name contest, Pontiac’s 2009 G8 models are an official sponsor of the March Madness Final Four basketball tournament on CBS.

The annual New York International Auto Show took place from March 21st through the 30th, and marked the last of the international car shows featuring new 2008 and 2009 models.  The show drew over a million visitors, who gawked at the 1,000 + models shown on the floor, and about 12 brand new models launched specifically at the New York
show.

NEW SERVICE POST: Final Four on Facebook

In a return to its collegiate roots, Facebook teamed up with CBS Sports to be one of many exclusive online providers of NCAA March Madness On Demand. Full games, game highlights, “buzzer beaters” and bonus content can be watched on Facebook with the simple installment of CBS Sports’s third-party Official Tournament Bracket Application.

Along with the On Demand service, the application allows you to make tournament picks on a fully interactive bracket, monitor team standings, scoreboards and “trash talk” on the designated discussion wall. You can also create your own bracket pools (even John McCain participated after your friends all accept and add the application.

Unfortunately, some fans and users have spoken out against the multitude of technical errors and spam the application has caused on Facebook.

CBS has also stepped up its online efforts to promote this year’s Final Four with streaming content on YouTube, AOL Video and links on approximately 200 external sites, resulting in a reported 122% viewer gain by the network.

What website are you following March Madness on this year?