Posse v8 2 winter 2015

Page 1

WHEN ASKED TO SPEAK ABOUT MARKETING, I OFTEN TELL THE AUDIENCE HOW CRUCIAL IT IS TO KNOW YOUR TARGET MARKET. THEN I TRY TO PROVE I UNDERSTAND IT MYSELF IN THE REMAINDER OF THE SPEECH. IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU CERTAINLY MEET SEVERAL IMPORTANT CRITERION ON A LIST OF FACTORS PARAMOUNT TO OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY. As consumers, all of us receive mes-

this a dead-end moment for the creators

loyalties run deep. Ask a fan of NASCAR

sages designed to appeal to our senses

of the show. The feeling was the writers

whose father always bought Chevrolets

and thus, our ability to purchase prod-

had run out of good ideas.

if their family roots for a driver on the cir-

cuit who drives a Ford. Never.

ucts, services or experiences. Those mes-

Sure enough, the shark episode was

sages come to us from morning through

considered the beginning of the end for

Sometimes, as consumers, our favor-

night, packed in a multitude of packages.

Happy Days. Did the end come because

ite brands have a hiccup or two. ONE OF

Perhaps the most powerful package is television. TV has changed a lot in

of the “shark” episode or despite it?

THE THINGS I BELIEVE SETS OUR

Regardless, when some marketers see a

FAN BASE APART FROM MANY IS

the last 40 years.

last desperate attempt of a company or a

LOYALTY TO THE BRAND. You won’t

The marketing profession decided a few years ago to coin a phrase. This phrase

person to garner business by any means, it

find our OSU apparel in the trash can after

is described as “jumping the shark.”

a few losses. We tend to take a long view.

I’m not sure we have any shark jumping on TV today, but we have some weird programming. We have a show called Naked and

Success is often measured in terms of marathons and not sprints. A few things you have

The phrase, “jumping the shark” is

Afraid. Two people who don’t know each

eventually you will lose a few and because

derived from the 1970s hit show Happy

other are stripped naked and dropped

of that, you can’t tie your life’s mean-

Days. The long-running situation comedy

in some desolate location to survive on

ing to a game. :)

idea for a show. How about “WE ARE

Thousands of fans. Speed. A powerful car

can be found in many marketing books across the country. “JUMPING THE SHARK.”

had good writers and was able to keep a critical, consistent cast of actors around

their own for 21 days. Really? I have an

in California, the script called for him to

AFRAID BECAUSE YOU ARE NAKED.” Bring back Laverne and Shirley … OR SOMETHING. These shock and awe shows are designed for advertisers to sell you and me more items. That’s where the idea of BRAND LOYALTY comes into view. All of us buy certain

jump over a shark held in an underwater

things because they have been

tank on a pair of water skis. He did and

to us and us to them, for years. Perhaps

long enough to be wildly popular for a long time and for decades in syndication. During one of the final years of the show, an episode was set in Hollywood.

As The Fonz tried to prove himself “cool”

82

“loyal”

was just as cool in California as he was

it’s a brand of boots or jeans, golf balls

back home in Milwaukee. As marketers

or makeup, chips or cola. It also trans-

look back on the episode, they consider

lates into larger-ticket items, and these

to realize about sports and keeping score:

I’d like to give that NASCAR thing a try. with lots of brilliant, bright colors. I WOULD LIKE ONE IN A BRIGHT SHADE OF

… ORANGE.

GO POKES!

KYLE WRAY VICE PRESIDENT ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT & MARKETING WINTER 2014


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