We 6/14 - Ooops It's Wednesday | Apple's Branding Lesson | Doritos And Papa John's Make A Baby

It's Wednesday June 14 2023. Let's nerd out.

The ad nerds podcast delivers ad industry news weekdays we are the go to source for people who spend money on advertising, covering Big brands, small businesses and the latest marketing trends. It's been Spanky Moskowitz, the show's host, and then nearly 40 year veteran of the ad industry. I've made ads for Budweiser m&ms, Frito. Lay the NFL and NBA, I've created over 100,000 ads generating hundreds of billions in client revenue. If you're in or interested in the world of advertising and want to stay up to date with the latest news, the ad nerds podcast is the perfect place to start.

Feeling a little rusty back in the saddle for the first time in a week in the world of branding. Apple stands out as a towering beacon of success, a testament to the power of aligning brand promise with product experience. You see Apple didn't just top the list of the world's most valuable brands by chance or through huge advertising budgets. Instead, it carved its own path to the top by letting its products, the iPhone, the iPad, the Mac, the Mac Pro, the MacBook, right, those products do the talking for the brand. But they aren't just gadgets. They are literally the ambassadors of the Apple brand. And they represent the fusion of groundbreaking Tech and a sleek user experience that's become synonymous with Apple. So one of the key drivers of Apple success is trust. Yes, trust. I know, it sounds super simple, but it is the currency that's hard to earn and even harder to keep. Apple isn't just about producing shiny new devices, though. They are about building an ecosystem where hundreds of millions of consumers willingly spend hard earned money on that brand. And the trust stems from the consistency of positive experiences Apple provides across its incredibly diverse range of products and services, yes, services, not just products. And the result is a deep and lasting relationship with consumers like me, that fuels loyalty, high conversion rates, and a strong tendency to stick with Apple, even when there are other options out there. So how does Apple maintain this consumer trust while continuously innovating? Well, let's pull back the curtain take a look behind the scenes. The tech giant isn't organized like your typical corporation with separate business units, and each has its own p&l. Instead, Apple operates under a single p&l where leaders are cross functionally collaborative. They're knowledgeable about the details of each product, each division. It's it's all kind of a unified gelled unit. And the result is a functional organization that promotes a company wide understanding and allows decision makers to have a deep grip on the numerous aspects of everything they do. Now, yes, it's an unconventional approach, which might seem risky to some people. But it's one of the key factors that allows and has allowed Apple consistently to stay an innovative company that is ahead of the curve in a very rapidly changing tech landscape.

Okay, on the heels of the Apple Store, you might be wondering, okay, so how do I accomplish this? Yes, you're not gonna have a market cap of in the trillions. But how do you accomplish this? And what they've done in the tech space with your business? And that's what I'd be wondering as well. So well, Apple is a really unique example of corporate success. There are several key elements to its business model and strategy that you can emulate in your business. Now, remember, though, Apple strategies may not work for every business. So it's important to adapt those practices to your specific context, the size of your business, or the size of your industry and the goals you have. So let's start hitting them. Number one is innovation. Apple knows how to innovate and they're known for innovative products and services. So as a small business, you know, you could strive to create products or services that are not just different, but better. And this doesn't necessarily mean inventing entirely new products, but it could involve enhancing your existing ones or input Serving your customer service, or creating a more efficient way of doing something. Number two, and this is really my number one brand building. Apple has one of the strongest brands in the world. And they've built their brand on the back of quality products, a clear and consistent message, and a distinctive visual identity. For small businesses focusing on a strong brand and building a strong, recognizable brand can really help create loyalty and recognition. No matter what you do, what you make what you sell, it doesn't matter. Those are branding is key to that long term success. Next, number three, focus on your user experience. Apple products are historically known for their ease of use, intuitive interfaces, incredible design. Small businesses should also focus on delivering excellent customer service experiences. This could involve aspects like ensuring your products are easy and enjoyable to use. If you make a product delivering exceptional customer service, if you're a service business or designing a user friendly website, how many websites have you been to that just suck and they're not user friendly. Number four, a strong ecosystem. Apple in and of itself has created an ecosystem where all their products and services work seamlessly together, which encourage customers to stay with Apple and within the apple universe. Now, creating an ecosystem might be beyond the reach of many small business owners like yourself. But the principle of making your products and services work well together or complement each other is something that can totally be emulated. And finally, you need to adapt to market changes. Apple has literally managed to adapt its strategies over the decades since its founding. And what they did is every time there was a change, they adapted to it rather than be victimized by the change. So like as the smartphone market matured. Rather than relying on selling more iPhones each year, they shifted to making more money from existing users through services like app downloads, subscriptions.

Small businesses should also be willing to adapt their strategies based on changes in their markets. Right now, the mortgage industry is in an upheaval because of interest rates, right? You've got to adapt. How do you do things differently? You could, by the way, in your industry, build a loyalty program, a subscription model. I literally did this with one of my chiropractic clients that I consult with, we literally flipped his entire practice into a subscription model that is now sitting as a chiropractor in the 30 to $40,000. Mr. Our range, right? Can you imagine a chiropractor with $40,000 a month in monthly recurring revenue? Yes, that's doable. It's important to remember though there's, there's no one size fits all approach to success in this branding takes time. And building those components takes time. So it's a long game right? When I left the corporate world and started ad zombies, my goal wasn't to build a multimillion dollar advertising machine. It was to do the thing I love which is make great advertising and to call my own shots. I stay true to my vision for the most part, but when I veered off or got complacent or lazy, it impacted the business. And building a brand is a long term play. It's a marathon, not a sprint. And if you need help with your business marathon drop me a DM on social Okay, at Spanky. Moskowitz

Alright, listen up ad nerds we are taking a slice out of the advertising world where pizza and chips are cooking up something zesty picture this Papa John's yes the pizza giant led by their head to brand. Jacqueline Ruelle is playing a high stakes game of strategy and they're tapping into the Gen Z market. And they realize that Doritos the iconic crunch tastic chip is like a magnet for this audience. So what they do, they jumped in, and they whipped up a collab. It's an example of brilliant business matchmaking, with the two brands getting cozy to capture the Gen Z market. So I know you're thinking all right, pizza and chips and Gen Z. What's next right? Social media subcultures. That's what's next. The campaign strategy isn't just targeting anyone. They've aimed flavor packed pizza at various different subcultures with the help of some pretty famous faces like DJ Khaled. He does cool rants Papa dia, it's the best idea ever.

Yeah, we're talking the likes of Kris Jenner. DJ Khaled. Josh Hart. They're all joining the party and they all claim that the new Doritos infuse Papa dia was their brainchild. It's a game of who done it where the mystery is a delicious treat, and Everyone's a winner. But wait, there's more. Because the story isn't just about pizzas and celebrities. There's another layer streetstyle Papa John's has hinted at out of home activations keeping us on the edge of our seats, meaning they're doing out of home activations that engage customers, right billboards digital display, and they're left guessing at the details of who did it, who made it, how they happen. And you know, with Doritos on their side and social media buzzing, I have a feeling that this campaign is going to absolutely crush it this summer. So keep your eyes peeled and your pizza loving palates ready because it seems like Papa John's and Doritos are about to change the game spod cast All right, so I know what you're thinking, but I am not Doritos. And I am not Papa John's. I can't do what they're doing right? Wrong.

Your small business can definitely implement some of the aspects of what Papa John's and Doritos did without breaking the bank. The key here is to understand the customer, your customer, what they like and where they spend their time. First, collaborations don't always have to involve massive brands right? I've talked about this before. You don't have to be a Nike and an Apple Music You don't have to be Pepsi and bad bunny. You don't have to be a Papa John's and Doritos. A small business can find local partners that their customer bases appreciate or their customer base appreciates. Think about cross promoting with a neighboring business or a company that shares your target audience but isn't a direct competitor. So for example, a local coffee shop could team up with the nearby bakery and create a special coffee and pastry deal. The collab can create buzz without necessitating a huge financial in investment. You know, social media also is an absolute goldmine for small businesses. It's relatively inexpensive and a great way to reach potential customers on a local level. Making your presence known in the online space and communities is what matters to your audience. So if your customers are foodies, post mouthwatering photos on Instagram. If they're into DIY, share tips on Pinterest, invite your followers to share content that's related to your product or service creating a sense of community amplifying your reach. And finally, you really need to look at doing activations that make sense for your business. And so what that looks like is and I'm gonna go old school here, there are still bookstores around if you own a bookstore, you could host a book club or an author reading. If you're a restaurant owner, and there are 1000s of them. What about a cooking class or a tasting event or a wine pairing event? It doesn't have to be high cost. The key is to create experiences, memorable experiences that your customers will enjoy and remember, just like Papa John's and Doritos The aim here is to understand your customers create experiences they love and encourage them to share those experiences with others. And with a bit of creativity, a little bit of understanding of your target audience even you small business owners can pull this off I promise you.

Coming up McDonald's and Burger King go head to head in a burger battle. No, it's 2023 This is an all out AI war time. The two burger giants Burger King and McDonald's had been battling for market dominance forever. Let's dive into this fast food face off of gargantuan proportions and I'm not talking about your typical frame flame grilled Patty combat. Try saying that Fast Five times. This is about dueling billboards, and a battle of wits with AI chatbot chat GPT stuck right in the middle. Okay, picture this. Two competing billboards from McDonald's and Burger King. If you're watching this right now, on our YouTube channel, you can see the billboards and they are standing shoulder to shoulder each sporting chat CBTs take on their iconic offerings.

So when McDonald's asked chat GPT what is the most iconic burger in the world, the AI declared Big Mac as the most globally recognized burger. So McDonald's celebrated the win with a billboard. Not to be outdone, Burger King fired back with its own question to the same AI asking and which is the biggest. According to chat GPT, the Whopper took the crown for its size and hefty amount of ingredients. But what's an ad viewed without a little controversy, right? The catch here is that Burger King decided to place its ad next to McDonald's. A slick move by the became marketing team for sure. And what we have here is a classic case of using AI to fuel a bit of competitive fun, but it does raise the question is AI really the best judge of anything, even if it's about who's got a bigger burger or the most iconic one. So let's chew on that.

Hey, by the way, you can see the ad and the ad during section of the ad zombies website. And if you watch us on YouTube, it's youtube.com at ad nerds. Hey, if you liked the ad nerds podcast, please subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen. Give it a five star rating and a great review. I'd really appreciate it. Well that's the ad nerds podcast for Tuesday, June 14 2023. Spanky out thanks for listening. Have an amazing day.