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