October-Design

Pepsi has decided not to run its advertising in the 2010 Super Bowl. The decision was made because it feels it can not effectively convey it’s marketing effort in a :30 second spot, at $3M a pop (pun intended). This is another example of the unintended consequence of fragmented markets, fragmented consumers and fragmented offers.

Once it was simple. You sold one product, had limited marketing outlets and there was little choice for consumers. That was the “golden age” of the Sales Era -1950’s and 1960’s. How a few short decades and technology have completely turned that model upside down.

I like Pepsi’s decision, no matter how risky. Advertisers need to talk to their consumers the way those consumers want to be spoken to and in a way they want to hear it. Another way to say this is – put away the blunt instrument (TV) and pick up the razor sharp, surgical suture, it’s operating time.

In a company press release, Pepsi says it wants to reach it’s consumer through “Cause Related Marketing” and the Internet. “Every Pepsi Refreshes the World” is the tag they’ve chosen and Pepsi intends to stay engaged with their consumer through social and web media. Obviously, measuring the success of social, viral, stealth and cause marketing is mostly a leap of faith without ever finding the bottom. But no matter, the methods are proven and top line sales will always be the guiding light. Whether you pull an “86% share” (industry jargon- out of 114M TV households (U.S.), an estimated 99M will be tuned in to the Super Bowl) or measured by a high BlogPulse.

I started off with unintended consequence and end with causation. Pepsi diversified its original offer from the young pharmacist at his North Carolina drug store offering a refreshing drink now to the multi-billion dollar conglomerate it is today. The effect of which is one venue will never be enough too fully engage with it’s fragmented consumer. Enter the new age of micro marketing.
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