Recently, Walmart has announced its own version of a reality TV show called “Get on the Shelf.” This new program is run by @Walmartlabs’ social media and ecommerce division. So exactly how does the “Get on the Shelf” program work? Walmart has welcomed all companies to submit a submission video online about why their product or products should be sold at Walmart. Fellow shoppers can go to walmart.com and vote for the products they like the most. The 3 products that receive the most votes will be sold on walmart.com, and the product that comes in first place will also be featured on the homepage of Walmart’s website.


However, there’s a twist. Along with their product idea, companies must also submit a video in which they must sing about their product or products. The “Get on the Shelf” program is set to begin the day that the latest season of American Idol premiers, which a spokesperson for the company says is a “coincidence.” Although not done purposely, the premiere of American Idol may help Walmart’s competition. If Walmart uses smart advertising and marketing techniques and is able to get people to associate the two shows with one another, people will remember to vote for “Get on the Shelf” as they are dialing in their votes for American Idol. The contest may also draw shoppers to Walmart.com and into Walmart stores. After voting week in and week out for a product, a customer is going to want to try it, and since they have seen the product on Walmart’s reality TV show, they are likely to go to Walmart to purchase it.


The competitors on the “Get on the Shelf” program are allowed to get voters anyway they like, and Chris Bolte, the Vice President of @WalmartLabs, says that this is part of the competition. Walmart will be watching how the top competitors get their votes, whether it’s through advertisement, social media, or word of mouth. Walmart may pick up some valuable marketing techniques that may ultimately help to get customers in the door in the future.


So how will “Get on the Shelf” impact the Walmart brand? The “Get on the Shelf” program is innovative. Never before has a brand like Walmart asked customers what they want to see in stores and online. This competition will lead customers to see the Walmart brand as a brand that listens to customers and puts customers first. A competition like this may place it above competitors like Target, who have not yet reached out and asked customers what they would like to see in stores. Consumers are drawn to companies where they feel valued, and the Walmart brand is using the “Get on the Shelf” program to show customers how highly they value them. Many other brands like Walmart, may also start to make an effort to reach out to customers in order to enhance their brand. By playing a more active role in choosing what products a store sells, customers are likely to get exactly what they want, making them satisfied and much more likely to return.


Contributed by Keena Classen

In the upcoming round of the NFL playoffs, four teams will face off for a chance to play in the Super Bowl. But if it were a contest of brand strategy, which two teams would most deserve to compete on February 6th?

Names:
In the renaming of the New England Patriots in 1971 (originally the Boston Patriots), the Pats went from representing exclusively Massachusetts to encompassing New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut – a move that helped expand the brand’s fan base. The name ‘Patriots’ reflects back on the foundation of our country, when we valiantly defended our rights in a struggle for independence. By tying themselves to a national sentiment, the Patriots have a name that evokes emotion – fierce pride and loyalty – which can be felt from the entire nation. The name provides an avenue for traditions like The End Zone Militia (firing guns after a New England touchdown). The kind of traditions that develop loyalty and passion.

The Baltimore Ravens are named after the famous poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe, who spent his last few years in Baltimore. Personally, the poem doesn’t exactly bring to mind the ruggedness that a football game should carry. And ironically, Poe’s biography mentions the fact that he considered himself a “Bostonian”, not a Baltimore native. Nevertheless, a raven is not an animal to be messed with.

Logos:
The Patriot’s Logo is strong, simple and patriotic. It is recognizable and speaks to the dominance of their team by using bold colors and sharp lines. Using the colors of the American flag reinforces the national prominence of the team and reflects their strength and determination.

The Raven’s logo represents winning characteristics – bold and strong. While the logo may clearly be a raven, it lacks any personal or human connection. Alex Barrett, a writer for The Bleacher Report ranked the logo 26th in the NFL – “Despite the great purple / gold color scheme, we have a casual looking bird with a beak way too big and cheeks that look like they’re storing nuts for the winter.”

Winner:
With a stronger logo and a name that evokes pride and loyalty, the New England Patriots get my vote for the AFC Champions of branding.

Names:
The New York Giants, named after the baseball team formerly located in the Big Apple before their move to San Francisco in 1957, have one of the more abstract names in the NFL. While the name may have meant something to the baseball team, for the football team it is simply a hand-me-down. It may be seen as intimidating, but the name ‘Giants’ does not evoke any meaningful emotions on its own.

The 49ers, in a similar way to the Patriots, have history on their side. Their name brings to mind the glory days of the California gold rush, when there was nothing but hope of riches and a pioneer spirit. Again, this is something fans can reflect upon, which helps create a stronger connection to the team. However, the historical reference is not an obvious one, and without an understanding of the background you might wonder about the strange name.

Logos:
It’s difficult to illustrate an actual ‘giant’ in a logo, so New York leverages its initials in the design. But the lowercase letters and simplified design seem to contradict the message in the name. While “Giants” implies strength, intimidation and stature, the logo makes the team feel small and unassuming. Barrett argues that the team should have stuck with their old logo, “I didn’t much care for the logo from 1999 that looked exactly the same, but just spelled out ‘GIANTS,’ but looking back I think it was just a bit better.”

As with The Giants, making a logo for a name like 49ers is a challenge. To me, this logo doesn’t say “intimidating football team” – it could be a logo for anything. Barrett, however, finds merit in its simplicity, “I have always been a fan of the burgundy and gold color scheme. It is plain, yes; but it is also classy and one of the only good ‘oval’ logos left.”

Winner:
It was a close one, but the 49ers win by a margin for the historical significance of their name and for the bold simplicity of their logo.

Patriots vs. 49ers?
As far as the 2012 Super Bowl of branding goes, I have to go with the Patriots. I think the history behind their name and the boldness of their logo are unstoppable.

Did I mention that I’m a Pats fan?

Contributed by Christy O’Keefe

As many of you may have heard, Hostess, the maker of Twinkies, Ho Hos, Wonderbread, and many other food products we all know and love, has filed for bankruptcy. Hostess, who also filed for bankruptcy in 2009, has been fighting $860 million in debt. But do not run out to your local grocery store and stock up on all your Hostess favorites yet, Hostess has assured customers that they will continue the production of all of their delicious products.

So where does the future lie for the Hostess brand? Although filing for bankruptcy may be upsetting to the millions of Twinkies, Sno Ball, and Ding Dong fans, it is likely that it will not hurt the Hostess brand. As Maureen Farrell from CNN points out, today the internet allows people to buy anything they want and people want products made by iconic American brands, Hostess being one of them. Companies recognize this demand, and are eager for the opportunity to buy brands such as Hostess. They see an opportunity for growth and hope to revitalize iconic brands with the development of new consumer products. Companies such as The Sharper Image and Polaroid have both been revived by buyers who have expanded the brand to new areas to bring in more money.

I feel that filing for bankruptcy may be a blessing in disguise for the Hostess brand, as it may lead to much overdue change within the brand. Hostess, which was started in 1925, does not seem like it has changed much since. With society’s needs and wants constantly changing, a brand must also change to fit these new demands. Although Twinkies, Ho Hos, and Sno Balls have brought great success for the brand, I think new products or new additions to existing products are needed to draw customers. The Hostess brand is strong and the American people know what the brand stands for, but with new products being put on the market every day the Hostess brand has a lot of competition. Today the new, innovative products are the “must haves” and are usually the products that are craved by consumers. If Hostess can mix things up and give old products a new twist, it may once again produce “must have” treats.

Contributed by Keena Classen

How are branding and politics related? Does a political candidate as an individual constitute a brand? Should maintaining a candidate’s brand be at the forefront of campaign strategy? There are mixed reviews from experts in the industry, but in today’s political climate it’s impossible to ignore the importance of a candidate’s logo, slogan and brand identity.

“…getting a politician elected might be the ultimate marketing/branding challenge.” M.B. Moore, Infopop Corporation

Based on the efforts of potential 2012 presidential candidates, it is obvious that branding has become a part of political campaigning, and an important one at that. Political campaigns have all the ingredients necessary to create a brand – every campaign has a name, most have a logo and one would hope that all have a message behind which voters should want to stand. The Obama 2008 campaign may be one of the more successful examples of political branding. Using repetition and simplicity, the iconic logo of the campaign, “really changed the way in which design can be used effectively for a candidate,” says Debbie Millman, president of the design division at Sterling Brands. “He had a really powerful message–that ‘change’ message–and he repeated it over and over and over again. The consistency of that identity was even stronger than the identity itself. He owned the idea of change.”



While Obama’s campaign seems to represent the gold standard of branding strategy, the Republican candidates of the 2012 election fall short of branding success despite their efforts. According to experts in the graphic design industry, “Nobody (in the race for the Republican nomination) is taking the branding seriously,” Millman said in an article published in AdWeek in November. The logos behind the leading candidates lack the inspiring confidence of Obama’s rising sun.

AdWeek ran a piece recently asking creatives to critique the current political logos:



“The ‘R’ is really awkward. It looks like it wants to fall over, without that leg to stand on.” –Karl Gude, graphics editor-in-residence at Michigan State University



“Ron Paul’s identity system rivals Verizon’s for the winner of the busiest logo award. It also looks like a slasher took to the letter ‘A.’” – Debbie Millman, president of the design division at Sterling Brands



“A nice reinterpretation of the Hilton logo. Did they provide him with a swag donation for his campaign?” –DM


“His branding and website look like a banking identity. Is it intentional?” – DM


“It’s sort of nothing. It just looks like a big pill that you take.” – Scott Stowell, founder of the design shop Open


“I’m seeing ‘Rick Sant,’ and then ‘Rum’ on the right. Unless you know Rick Santorum, you wouldn’t know that’s an ‘O.’ You think his name is Rick Sant and he’s into rum.” – KG

In addition to logos, the verbal behind a candidate’s brand is a core part of their campaign success. Mitt Romney has branded himself as the anti-Obama candidate. While this message has gotten him wins in both Iowa and New Hampshire, what happens in November will be the true test of whether this identity proves successful enough to persuade voters to oust a sitting president.

Ron Paul, although not the likely winner of the GOP nomination, provides an interesting case of brand identity. As one of the oldest candidates to ever pursue the presidential office, his message and brand appeal to younger voters for their unorthodox nature and outside-party alignment, proving that with the right message a brand can appeal to unexpected markets.

Contributed by: Christy O’Keefe