It’s about the coffee, not the couches claims the current “Dunkin’ Beat Starbucks“ advertising campaign that employs the classic blind taste test format. This tactic’s most famous incarnation would likely be the Pepsi/Coke challenge from the mid 80′s. But what might Dunkin stand to gain from such an effort?

Dunkin’ Donuts is willingly inserting itself into a java duel with Starbucks in an effort to gain ground on a formidable competitor, and at least generate some awareness along the way.

I don’t mind the bold approach. I think it’s a logical action for Dunkin’ to attempt without assuming too much risk, although some branding and marketing experts would warn against such tactics. Laura Ries’ recent post comes to mind. I agree with Rie’s opinion that Dunkin’s campaign may be too little too late (btw, she also offers sound advice not to tinker with your brand in this present economy). My interest here, though, is specifically Dunkin’s straight-forward assertion, and how it might succeed in creating some momentum the company could possibly build upon.

Perception-wise and otherwise, I believe, Dunkin’ is #2 alongside Starbucks at the beginning of this campaign and my guess is they expect to still be there at its end.

Speaking of perception, there’s also the whole “Dunkin’ servers blue collar folks while Starbucks caters to white collar professionals” thing to  consider. I get that Dunkin’ has the well-priced drinks and donuts for regular Joes, while Starbucks has beverages and select pastries sold at a premium, plus the aesthetic atmosphere and various trinkets that may appeal most to those with more discretionary income. In fact, I frequent both establishments. Starbucks is  where I’m heading if my plans include the laptop or catching up on some reading. Dunkin’ Donuts has equally good products that I call upon during my more fast-paced business and family moments such as mid-day meetings, after Church on Sunday, or running in while en route to activities with family and friends. This is how the two brands grab me.

Returning to the taste test campaign, here’s a few thoughts on what could be brewing:

• It’s a good time to throw a punch. While Starbucks has announced various store reductions throughout the year, Dunkin’ in turn has been talking expansion. A direct challenge to Starbucks has some applicability here, even if considered a David & Goliath pairing.
• Positive controversy. I don’t expect this campaign will move mountains for Dunkin’ yet it has merit as an eye-opening way to generate some coffee buzz. A few social media tools also directly or indirectly tie with the campaign to give it some legs. A Dunkin’ Twitter account and YouTube channel are among them. Not bad. (Starbucks meanwhile has its own success with its My Starbucks Idea community.)
• Taking the Avis approach. Others have proven that it’s ok, admirable, and profitable to be number two. And while Dunkin’ clearly isn’t calling themselves #2 in this latest campaign, its residual effects may still bring attention and strength to this position.

It’s still about eyeballs to some degree, but now more than ever it’s very much about having conversations. Kudos to Dunkin’ for encouraging this one.

The “Socializing Industry Analyst Relations” article I wrote for PRSA Tactics published online today. It also appears in the December print edition which mails to PRSA members and Tactics subscribers.

The piece reviews suggestions for applying social media specifically within the analyst relations (AR) discipline. These can also be broadly considered by all professional communicators.

My thanks to Carter Lusher of SageCircle and Scott Nelson of Gartner for making time to interview and be quoted. Each had good insight to share. More so than space allowed – which is often the case when I have opportunities for interesting conversations like these. I’m hanging on to my notes and their numbers for a potential sequel down the road!

Thanks also go out to John Elsasser, Randi Mason, and the PRSA Tactics/Strategist staff at the Public Relations Society of America for having me contribute to our profession’s body of knowledge. Ok, that may sound a bit formal, but I like how it rings. And in normal speak, I’m having fun writing.

I encourage visitors to check out the article at: http://www.prsa.org/supportfiles/news/viewNews.cfm?pNewsID=842347715

See you next week.

You wouldn’t want to upset your mother would you? How about thousands of moms in one sitting? That’s what Johnson & Johnson’s Motrin marketers did with their weekend. Motrin posted a video advertisement on its Web site targeting “baby wearing moms” that made some unpopular references and comparisons, to put it nicely. By Saturday, marketing melee had erupted in the form of a critical mass of angry mommy bloggers. True to form with most Internet marketing faux pas, the proliferation of angry comments went unnoticed by Motrin for several hours. A New York Times article notes that Motrin and its agency, TAXI, didn’t know this was occurring.

By this morning, of course, this instant classic case study has been well covered by many moms, bloggers, and social media analysts. Here’s my bit for the collection.

The Good

As a brief reprieve for Motrin, I think we can assume the brand and its agency had normal marketing intentions here – target moms who may seek relief for aches and pains experienced during the course of their busy days. It is reasonable to expect marketers for an over-the-counter drug – and many products and services for that matter – to view moms as an attractive addressable audience. They’re the ones who keep life glued together after all. Posting a video on the Motrin Web site (since taken down; YouTube video below) also seems like a generally sound move. Forrester’s Social Technographics suggest – and just about anyone under the sun will tell you – that Internet video is hot these days.

The Bad

From what I absorbed yesterday between football games, Motrin basically just dropped the ball during elementary campaign play running. Bad writing via ill-chosen words, the wrong happy-go-lucky tone in their commentary and, more specifically, poor planning and execution. All that was needed to avoid today’s headache was some good coaching and clock management. Unfortunately, a desire for graphic blandishment (i.e. the fast-paced text in the ad) and cool copy, without enough review and editing, appears to have contributed to the backlash.

The Ugly

Life 101: don’t piss off moms. Although Motrin may have intended to sincerely connect with moms, it fumbled big time with phrases like: “wearing your baby seems to be in fashion; in theory it’s a great idea; it’s supposedly a real bonding experience; these ‘things’ put a ton of strain on your back; it’s a good kind of pain – it’s for my kid; it totally makes me look like an official mom; and, if I look tired and crazy you know why.”

Ugh, these don’t work. How do you miss that in reviews and evals? And even though the attempt to connect with moms in a creative way may have had some good intentions buried within, perception is reality. Fuming mad moms on blogs, Twitter, and elsewhere have spoken.

Regarding recovery, this can be a learning experience for Motrin and online marketers in general. Motrin can recover by admitting their miscues and even addressing this topic gently in the future when it no doubt comes up in case study context. In fact, the healing has started. McNeil Consumer Healthcare’s VP of Marketing, responsible for the Motrin brand, sent a letter yesterday, November 16^th, to select bloggers. (Here it is as posted on Amy Gates’ blog.) This time around the message seems well crafted, carefully reviewed, and sincere with Kathy Widmer relating that she herself is a mother of three.

Back To Good

… and here’s where it all can end. More observation is plentiful if you want it. Google “Motrin” or use Twitter Search to find #motrinmoms. Some of my favorite to-the-point analysis of Motrin’s Moment, by the way, comes from Pistachio’s blog.

Anyway, it’s Monday and time to return to normal. For my wife and kids at least, that means learning shapes and colors, chopping up turkey dogs into itty bitty pieces, activities with the mom’s group, wiping runny noses, and those sorts of things. There’s real work and child rearing to be done. (Thanks to my wife and all Moms for helping keep our lives in gear. Have a good one!)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mztymu72l7c]

I’m a big music fan and Dr Pepper is my soft drink of choice, so the Dr Pepper / Guns N’ Roses debacle is too hard to resist even though others have covered it well. I particularly like Keith Zimmerman’s take on The 1to1 Blog. My perspective focuses on how this stunt has the potential to either achieve critical mass or become just another lost opportunity.

In March, Dr Pepper for one reason or another declared that if the long-delayed Guns N’ Roses Chinese Democracy album saw the light of day in 2008, it would treat every American to a free bottle of Dr Pepper. (Hear the title track.)

At first, this appeared to be a joke, and possibly a jab at Guns N’ Roses. The good Dr was publicly suggesting that since the band had been recording Democracy for fourteen years (its last release was 93′s covers album, The Spaghetti Incident?), the odds of finishing this year were nil. Was this just random blabbering, the seedlings of an intended advertising campaign, or even a publicity stunt constructed by both camps?

The elements of this story have been sporadic since March. The band posted a trite statement thanking Dr Pepper for its out-of-the blue support, then the story went flat until Guns N’ Roses announced October 22nd that it indeed would release Democracy this year – on November 23rd with Best Buy handling exclusive retail distribution.

Unless an integrated campaign with mult- and social media elements is awaiting the album’s release date, it looks like Dr Pepper just mouthed off and is now suddenly faced with the reality of fulfilling its promise.

The Dr Pepper Snapple Group in late October announced meager details regarding its freebie redemption process. Basically, on November 23rd, for 24 hours only, Americans can visit www.drpepper.com and register for a coupon they won’t receive until weeks later to then redeem for their free soda.

Opportunities At Hand

At minimum there’s a sizeable lead generation opportunity awaiting Dr Pepper later this month. I can’t help but think there are opportunities about to be wasted here. A look at Dr Pepper’s Web site reveals no mention of the Democracy album pledge. MySpace appears to be the only mention of community and social media – a sound choice for a beverage brand given the millions of members and demographics. And there, a few Democracy mentions can be found. The band also mentions Dr Pepper on its own community. (Math is the understandable challenge. Serving up hundreds of millions of free sodas? That’s likely the dodge here.)

Imagine what community feedback could do for Dr Pepper. Hundreds of ideas would pour in if requested. Perhaps Axl and company could appear in a release-day commercial for Dr Pepper; or maybe they will. A press conference would provide photo opps galore. I assume the one here is, well, doctored up.

Following the social media thought process, Dr Pepper could consider what Pepsi did just last week to help promote its new image, sending a case of soda with its new logo and other materials to 25 blog and digital media influentials including Peter Shankman and Chris Brogan. Here’s a brand that demonstrates “getting it,” and a willingness to accept some growing pains along the way.

Me, I’d cast Axl in a remake of the famous late 70′s Dr Pepper TV commercial. I believe Barry Manilow penned the lyrics. There’s a musical crossroads for ya!

There’s certainly a behind the scenes story here with more details. Hopefully it will be revealed to us later this month. I’d love to hear more about what brought this dare about in the first place, and who all was responsible. A quick Google search shows that the Dr Pepper advertising account was up for review not long ago. Maybe this has something to do with it.

Guns N’ Roses, I believe, will put their best effort forth to regain former glory and add new fans. Their long recording absence suggests this focus is best. Meanwhile, it looks like the rest of the soda pop rock story may fizzle.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQPN3UKQM-U]

Australian rock band AC/DC released “Black Ice” in the U.S. today, its 15th studio album. I find that the band’s choice of Wal-Mart (and Sam’s Club) as exclusive retail store outlet for the album sends a subtle yet interesting corporate message. Mainly that – like it or not – Wal-Mart has the influence and buying power to provide just about anything its customers may ever want. Never mind automotive, optical, and grocer service extensions. How about exclusively delivering some of the music industry’s most successful acts?

This isn’t the first time Wal-Mart has been an exclusive distribution channel for music. Garth Brooks kicked off the whole concept, offering “The Limited Series” boxed set of his recent albums and outtakes during the 2005 holiday season. Earlier this summer, Journey released its “Revelation” album through Wal-Mart, moving a steady 100,000 units its first week. Last November, the Eagles issued “Long Road Out Of Eden,” its first studio album in more than 25 years – “Eden” is the most popular of any Wal-Mart exclusive to date with over 5.5 million copies sold.

Numbers like these are earning Wal-Mart recognition within the battered major-label music industry. With iTunes and digital music broadly taking their toll on the CD format, musicians shouldn’t need more than one look at Wal-Mart’s geographic and demographic coverage to recognize it as the holy grail of physical distribution channels. Approximately a third of Americans shop at Wal-Mart, according to Wikipedia.

By representing only well established acts with proven multi-platinum album sales, Wal-Mart better controls and aligns itself for success in music distribution while creating new offers to attract customers.

“Black Ice,” as an $11.88 door buster stands to bring a lot of existing and perhaps a few new Wal-Mart customers into stores for some extra shopping while reasonably reaching a majority of U.S. AC/DC fans.

For Wal-Mart then, it’s a matter of good corporate behavior, message delivery, and of course the public’s perception. Are these music deals reinforcing monolithic market domination or are they simply a nice extention of the company’s price and quality value balance?

The former concerns me.  I don’t necessarily want one retailer fulfilling all my goods and services needs. Feels limiting and big brother-ish. Although, for its part, Wal-Mart does consistently leverage its power to offer a broad array of affordable options to its customers. Hard to argue with that, and compelling in these current economic times. If the company genuinely desires to aid customers in this fashion and take an appropriate level of credit for it, I’m good. The music deals just intrigue me. I don’t think Sam Walton envisioned this in 1962 while running his little five-and-dime. He’d probably be impressed with his company’s diversification these days though.

By the way, it’s nice to have a new AC/DC album after an eight year absence. Fun-loving, three-chord rock with lots of innuendo always seems to find a place, even at Wal-Mart.

Here’s the first video for “Rock ‘N Roll Train.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX2xbqWtyJU]

Today my article “Birds On A Wire: PR In The Twitterverse” was published in Tactics, a Public Relations Society of America publication. The article is online and also appears in the October print edition mailed to PRSA members and subscribers.

My thanks to John Elsasser, Tactics Editor In Chief, for the opportunity to write this piece, and the following friends and social media experts who appear in the article: Paul Greenberg, Scott Nelson, Brent Leary, Laura Fitton and Aly Saxe.

My sidebar article “Social media skills – They got’em, and You can get’em!” also references some social media and communications experts that many people follow on Twitter including Chris Brogan, Charlene Li, Robert Scoble, Steve Rubel, and Brandon Zeuner – my personal pick-to-click regarding someone you should be following on Twitter.

Also, special thanks to Chris Brogan for introducing me to Laura Fitton. As he suggested, Laura contributed a great amount of insight – more than I could include in the piece.

Finally, thanks to a couple of my local Arizona faves, Aly Saxe and Brandon Zeuner. Aly provided some examples of practical PR applications for Twitter in the article, and Brandon has been a social media influencer ever since I started using Twitter and learning immensely from it.

Link to the article and sidebar: http://www.prsa.org/supportfiles/news/viewNews.cfm?pNewsID=842347614