Finding the right medium for your message

TikTok is surging forward with all kinds of novel products. It is quite possible that they, being Chinese-owned, are after our minds, wallets, conversation and community. Many of us spend a “session” with social media daily. It could be LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or others, but TikTok owns consumer savvy in a way that Consumer Reports could never match. Ask any woman about the drugstore-priced cosmetics vs. department store. Their “influencers” beat the pants off conventional online reviews that Amazon et al. have failed to authenticate.

We are fans of TikTok. Even so, getting TikTok off government employee devices is perhaps a good move, especially as the next election season shapes up. It is terminal to be on the wrong side of the ascendant political party.

A recent New Yorker cartoon from artist Amy Kurzweil depicts a movie theater marquee. Below the theater name: “NOW PLAYING on your phone.” Who has time for ads on a phone, anyway?

On the media-at-large front, we”™ve been listening to a lot of digital Bluetooth radio, even while driving. Occasionally, in the car, WCBS-AM, which still has a big listenership in this market, brings sharp focus to the news of the day. Podcasts and independent journalists on YouTube can also be relied on for reportage. Radio was a terrific medium before our phones brought streaming digital audio to us wherever we happen to be. Today, audiences are so pared-down, an audio-only media advertising buy needs a tremendous amount of homework done to (find and) reach the target demographic.

We liken radio/digital audio to a slice of Swiss cheese, vs. American. There are holes in the coverage. The frequency with which you hear particular ads on digital audio can be maddeningly repetitive as there are a dearth of advertisers. Keep in mind, the more an ad is viewed or heard, a parabolic curve ascends. After reaching its peak, it plummets. In essence, people come on board the more they encounter an ad, but too much repetition and they tune it out. Kars for Kids is a worthy illustration, though their jingle is hauntingly familiar. Which brings us to our case study du jour: Red Bull”™s dominance of Formula One racing (F1).

Motorsports aren”™t that big in the NY Metro area. Years ago, P&G was not selling enough Tide in the Southeast. Their solution was NASCAR. They brought the retail trade to their VIP booths at the tracks. Tremendous presence on shelf followed with sales and market share growth.

Philip Morris was kicked off TV with the ban on tobacco ads and could no longer run commercials. Part of their solution was to sponsor sporting events that would be televised. They audited how many times a Marlboro billboard would be seen at a baseball game and actually did better with the numbers, so much so, they discovered Indy Cars had the most brand mention [depiction] of any televised sports event.

Have you seen the Red Bull commercials? Remember Perrier”™s “Earth”™s First Soft Drink?” Squiggly New Yorker type character animations lent charm. Red Bull follows suit and mentions Red Bull gives you “wiings.” Typo might refer to their airplane steeplechases, which are outrageous viewing. Red Bull now owns F1! Dig this. In Formula One, the car engines were dominated by Ferrari and Mercedes. Red Bull was stuck with Hondas that weren”™t so great. Red Bull, at who knows what cost, developed their own proprietary engine and was kicking butt. That motor is brand equity! No other caffeine-spiked energy drink can top this investment or statement!

Given that a pack of cigarettes cost comparatively little to manufacture, it”™s easy to understand why Philip Morris could afford Indy Racing. The margins for Red Bull are probably just as stupendous. For Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper, they are.

Back to our scan of the event horizon, for Red Bull it is the strongest brand dynamic by far as our motorsports history proves. Having worked on sponsorship programs for several of the aforementioned, bring money to make this point. Nobody ever forgets a VIP sponsorship guest experience. P&G, not being a routine sports marketer debuted a new Charmin toilet paper via dozens of grouped porta potties in Midwestern markets a while back. That took a ton of infrastructure deals with public sector partners. No easy feat, and one that took easily a year to secure prior to execution. But who could forget their branding with such public lavatory bravado ”” a big thing in many municipalities these days.

If you”™re seeking an event, consider seeking a special sports sponsorship package. Start with securing VIP parking, have special credentials made, make sure the suite has menu choices for which you get the inside story. Consider a motorcoach pick-up and delivery so guests don”™t have to drive. Go easy on the swag, unless you can guarantee it is personalized to your outing. If that is the case, embroidery needs finessing through multiple proofs always. Silkscreening of T-shirts should always be multiple colors for richness, but demand to see a sample until the colors and registration are perfect. MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, and NCAA packages are very pricey, though, if suites are available. They often are. It”™s Circus Maximus, and your guests will feel like Roman senators, which is the zen of event contemplation.