Curiosities and anecdotes about marketing

More than 100 years ago modern marketing began to take its first steps. In that time, culture, companies, commerce, society as a whole, have changed radically. And with them, so has the same marketing.

The marketing strategies developed by companies such as Coca Cola, Nike, Apple or, to give a closer example, El Corte Inglés, are part of our way of perceiving the world. Who more who less knows aspects related to the advertising campaigns of these companies, has hummed their songs or knows how to identify their logo.

What may not be so well known are some anecdotes that have also determined the evolution of the discipline in the last century. Many draw attention for their uniqueness.

COCA COLA IS THE SECOND MOST KNOWN WORD IN THE WORLD



We all know countless anecdotes associated with the brand of soft drinks. His advertising campaigns with Santa Claus in the first half of the 20th century determined how the good-natured image of the character has reached today.

And what to say about the famous soda bottle. It is so iconic, so clearly identified with the product, that the bottle itself is registered as a trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office.

But if for some reason we can affirm without fear of being wrong that Coca Cola is the great historical reference of marketing, it is because it is rare, very rare, that someone, anywhere in the world, does not know what we are talking about when we name it. Not surprisingly, according to a study by Superbrands, the world's leading branding consultancy, Coca Cola is the second most well-known word in the world. It is only surpassed by another Anglophone term: “Ok”.

THE FIRST TV SPOT COST 9 DOLLARS

 


Of course, we are talking about another time and another audience. In recent years, 5.6 million dollars have been paid for 30 seconds of a commercial at halftime of the Super Bowl. The difference from the $9 the Bulova watch company paid for the first ad, in 1941, is thus significant.

The repercussion of one and the other, of course, is also very different. Bulova ran the ad before a baseball game, and the reach reached 4,000 televisions. A Super Bowl halftime ad has the ability to reach hundreds of millions of people.

MORE THAN 50% OF THE CLICKS ON BANNERS ARE ACCIDENTAL



They are one of the most controversial elements in web browsing, especially for users. How many times has it happened to us that we wanted to enter a certain content and ended up clicking on a banner by mistake.

For this same reason, it is also a marketing element that arouses certain suspicions. A study by the advertising company Solve Media identified that more than 50% of clicks on banners are made by mistake. If we add to this that many studies question its effectiveness, especially due to its low conversion rate, it is normal for controversial elements to arise in digital marketing.

A SIMPLE STONE BECAME THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CHRISTMAS GIFT OF 1975



When there is talent, the best ideas start almost by chance. This is exactly what happened in the 1970s with Gary Dahl, an advertising executive in the US. Gary had met a group of friends and was chatting animatedly about pets.

Everyone who had one complained about the expense, the work, and the emotional problems involved in caring for them. Gary quipped: the best pet would be a stone. There was no feeding or walking or worrying when she was sick.

On the way home, the light bulb went on. He was going to create a pet stone. So, neither short nor lazy, he bought different types of stones in a construction store and glued some cute bulging eyes on them. Later, he designed some simple cardboard boxes that would be his “home”. Of course, he with holes in said box so that the pets could breathe. In addition, he created an instruction manual full of jokes in which he indicated how these pets learned to stay still, roll and even attack.

Creativity and a sense of humor are some of the best marketing tools. Gary put all his talents as a marketing expert to use and began to spread the word about stone pets. It was a success. They became one of the most popular gifts of Christmas 1975. In just a few months, Gary sold more than 1.5 million rock pets.

WALT DISNEY WAS FIRED FROM AN AGENCY FOR NOT HAVING TALENT



Walt Disney was one of the great creators of the 20th century. Not only for the conception of a fantastic and immortal universe, but also for the ability he had to turn his company and his characters into essential figures in contemporary culture. And it is that his marketing strategies made Walt Disney a company with a universal dimension.

Well, that undeniable creative talent was not always recognized by his superiors. He had one of his first jobs at an advertising agency. They must not have fully understood his creativity and just a week after starting work, Walt Disney was fired from him. The argument: that he had no talent.

CLOCKS ALWAYS GIVE THE SAME TIME IN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS



You may not have noticed, but the next time you see an ad for an analog watch or watch with hands, take a look at the time it says. Most likely it will be, one minute up, one minute down, 10:10 a.m. This is also a marketing strategy.

The reason is very simple, also very effective. On the one hand, by placing one hand on the upper right and another on the left, the brand of the item can be clearly seen, which is usually located in the center of the sphere.

The other reason is that, with the hands open, the watch will be drawing a smile. If the hands were at the bottom, at first glance it would give the feeling of being sad. And who wants to wear a sad watch on their wrist?

SALVADOR DALÍ CREATED THE CHUPA CHUPS LOGO



So how do you read it? One of the most famous Spanish brands owes a part of its image to one of the best known Spanish artists. It all started from the ambition of the creator of the innovative caramel, Enric Bernat.

After a market study in the 50s, which showed that the majority of candy consumers were children and that a very large percentage stained their hands when consuming them, Bernat invented the emblematic Chupa Chups. As easy and as difficult as putting a plastic stick in a round candy.

The success, with the undeniable help of magnificent advertising promotion, was immediate and in the 60s Chupa Chups were consumed by millions throughout Spain. But Bernat was ambitious and wanted his idea to spread internationally. And one of the most internationally recognized Spanish personalities was Salvador Dalí. So, go for him that was. We are in the year 1969.

Bernat met with Dalí in Figueres, the artist's hometown, and brought up the idea: he wanted the Chupa Chups logo to come out of his hands. Dalí asked for a considerable amount of money. Bernard accepted. Dalí got down to work.

The talented artist drew a yellow-orange daisy on which he superimposed the Chupa Chups name in red. Likewise, he recommended putting the logo on top of the candy to make it more clearly visible. It seems that it took him no more than an hour to design the logo. More than enough.

In the seventies, Chupa Chups experienced a successful internationalization process that turned the brand into one of the most recognized Spanish companies outside our country. Part of the success is due to its recognizable logo.
 
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