Online+Ad+Critique

=Online Advertising Critique=

By: Daniel Nguyen (995551040)


 * Pick two instances of an existing online advertising/marketing campaign and critique their design and approach.**

=Ad #1: Samsung Galaxy Nexus=

In the ongoing war of superphones, manufacturers of Apple, Android and Blackberry devices are constantly releasing new advertisements aimed at getting their consumers obsessed with their products. After a sluggish start, in November of 2011, Samsung released its new flagship superphone: the Galaxy Nexus. The first device to be powered by Google's Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich, the Galaxy Nexus is the third device to bear the name of Nexus, succeeding HTC's Nexus One and Samsung's Nexus S.

Being the flagship Android phone, Samsung needed to carefuly develop and pair the Galaxy Nexus with a marketing strategy that would truly showcase the Galaxy Nexus' full potential. Samsung needed to make its consumers truly fall in love with the Galaxy Nexus, just as the Apple iPhone has previously captivated its users.

The following is one of many video advertisements of the Galaxy Nexus on Youtube:

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 * //Who is their target audience?//**

The main audience group in which Samsung is targeting in this particular video are young adults who would like to facilitate, enhance their daily lives and are looking for ways to converge their daily lives with their social networks. Saumsung aims to shed the perception of itself as a large corporate by its consumer market, by creating a meaningful and lasting relationship with its consumers. Samsung is attempting to build consumer trust, by showcasing its products as the means to help its consumers and by placing an emphasis on consumer satisfaction.

//**What are they trying to advance?**//

Samsung is promoting its new Galaxy Nexus superphone, as well as Google's new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. To do so, Saumsung demonstrates some of Android 4.0's unique features and how easily they can be integrated into the user's daily lives.

The features that were promoted by Samsung in the video are:

1. Face unlock 2. Camera with panorama mode 3. Android Beam 4. Google+ with Hangouts

//**When did you see this campaign, and where? What techniques did they use?**//

As an owner of a Galaxy Nexus, I have done numerous Google searches on the Galaxy Nexus to discover things that I can do with the phone. Known for the integration of all its apps, Google has determined that, based on my search habits on Google Search, I have an interest in the Galaxy Nexus. With that said, every time I search for videos on Youtube, advertisement videos related to the Galaxy Nexus are displayed in the search results under "Promoted Videos".



This technique utilizes contextual advertisements to deliver Samsung's marketing messages to the user by determining and displaying personalized advertisements based on the user's interests. The data acquired to determine these advertisements are gathered from Google's other applications, and are shared via software integration.

In regards to the video itself, the video is designed to demonstrate the main features of Android 4.0, such as Android Beam, face recognition, Google apps integration, and how easily and smoothly the phone can be integrated into a person's daily life. It aims to showcase the Galaxy Nexus' moto of "Simple. Beautiful. Beyond Smart." by emphasizing on features that are unique to Android, and how it promotes simplicity into its consumer's lives.

//**Do you believe they were effective? Why/why not?**//

The influence of Samsung and Google's advertisement model depends on the user they are targeting. The content and material of the video advertisement linked above can really be appreciated by a potential Android consumer, as it clearly demonstrates the benefits of the Galaxy Nexus and Google Android 4.0.

However, for the user who already owns a Galaxy Nexus, these advertisements do not serve any other purpose, as it is very unlikely that the user will purchase a second Galaxy Nexus device. Instead, advertisements aimed at cross-selling accessories that enhance the Galaxy Nexus or other Samsung products would be more effective in retaining customer loyalty and convince the user to continue purchasing Samsung products.

=Ad #2: 2010 Bauer Pro Camp Hardest Shot Competition=

Bauer Performance Sports Ltd. is one of the leading hockey equipment manufacturers in the world. In 2010, to promote its line of elite hockey sticks, Bauer held a Bauer Pro Camp, pitting the best active players in the National Hockey League in several skill events. Of the many events at the camp, one of the events was the hardest shot competition, to decide which player had the fastest slap shot.

The following is a Youtube video of the competition:

media type="youtube" key="v2BxPBqcuhU?version=3" height="315" width="560"

//**Who is their target audience?**//

The video promotion was designed to target hockey players (from amateur to professional, and youth to senior), as well as hockey fanatics.

Specifically, this video was designed to attract Youtube viewers looking for hockey videos, to showcase NHL players performing in a hardest shot competition.

//**What are they trying to advance?**//

By gathering the best NHL hockey players of 2010, Bauer attempted to convey to the viewers that the best players of the NHL are all using Bauer hockey sticks due to its reliability.

//**When did you see this campaign, and where?**//

I began watching hockey in 2010, and at the time I was searching for hockey videos on Youtube featuring Toronto Maple Leafs players. After traveling from videos to videos, I came across this video, which featured two Maple Leafs players (Phil Kessel and Luke Schenn) as well as some favourites (such as Steven Stamkos).

//**What techniques did they use?**//

Bauer released a series of Youtube videos of events that were undertaken by NHL players during its Pro Camp.

The content of this particular video is that of a hardest shot competition pitting the best NHL players of 2010, however Bauer utilized subliminal advertising to promote its line of hockey equipments. The video is 3 minutes in length, which is much longer than a typical video advertisement for a product.

By "wrapping" the video with its logo at the beginning and end of the video, Bauer subliminally attempts to increase the user's preference of Bauer equipment over its competitors.



Bauer also leveraged off of the popularity of NHL players to convey its promotion, providing the viewers with the perception that Bauer equipments are highly reliable since the viewer's favourite players are using them. Bauer efficiently leveraged off of celebrity branding to promote its products.

//**Do you believe they were effective? Why/why not?**//

Though the video was effective in subliminally increasing the viewer's preference of Bauer equipment over its competitors utilizing celebrity branding, the problem is that the video can only be accessed by actively searching for hockey videos on Youtube. Bauer's decision to disguise this promotion as a video displaying the abilities of NHL players has caused for a lengthy video, which cannot be showcased in other mediums such as television advertising, or infomercials. The efficiency of this specific video advertisement is thus restricted to Youtube.

=Works Cited=

2010 Bauer Pro Camp Hardest Shot Competition [Video]. (2011). Retrieved 31 January 31, 2012. 

Galaxy Nexus and Google+ Hangouts: Social MC's [Video]. (2011). Retrieved 31 January 31, 2012. 

Krause, Kevin. "Latest Marketing Campaign All about Getting Consumers Obsessed with Samsung." Android Phone. PHAndroid. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. . 