What was Pepsi thinking?

Coke is number one. I think that is established. Pepsi? It wants to be number one but what is it trying to do by changing it's logo for the nth time? It seems like Pepsi doesn't know what branding is. Perhaps Pepsi thinks that by coming up with a "cool" logo that it could muster enough following. Perhaps it could be a way to maintain their number two status. If this is what Pepsi is doing then they're doing a good job.

To me, Pepsi is a good brand and it always has the chance to become number one. I think their Pepsi Max rocks. It's what I look for than buying their "Light" drinks or even Coke Light or Coke's Zero brand. I don't know why they didn't continue riding on that success formula. Basing from what I saw in the cafeteria's cooler, it does seem like a picture of confused individuals not knowing what should be done with their brand.

Pepsi forgot that building a brand starts from trust and by changing their logo, it tells me that they are confused and that cannot translate to trust.

Posted via email from Everything Customers

Signs of life

One of the biggest inventions introduced in the country is the waterless urinal systems that you see in almost all the malls in the metro. Imagine peeing and needing no water to drain out fluid wastes from our body and leaving no funky smell from the basins at all. I think this invention helped our country a big deal when it came to water conservation in the face of this El Niño phenomenon. The only question I have is how are malls disposing these water waste?

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Mabuhay

What the?! Masculine wash?

Do men really need to have a special wash? Apparently, somebody thought of it for those who are conscious about their smell. This came as a shocker because never in my imagination that we would need one. Even the purpose is skewed: Women have feminine wash to clean their privates to avoid getting infectious diseases but for men? What is it good for? Only one conclusion came about - vanity.

I browsed the web about this product and shoppers found them in female feminine wash section. Even shop attendants seem confused where to put this product.

What I'm looking for is a competitor to the pricey Axe Deo-cologne or an alternative to Rexona for men and not some useless wash. Soap is enough!

Posted via email from Everything Customers

Trashed around

If you wonder why Filipinos love to litter - it's because trash cans are scarce. You hardly see them in malls and you'll be thankful to find one, if ever you do. I wonder what the priorities are of mall managements in the country but it seems odd to say that we're going "green" and "environmentally friendly" when you can't provide the basic necessities of consumers.

If we're out to make more clean-conscious citizens, I think we should put more efforts making these bins available to mall hoppers.

Something's fishy: It's odd that consumers don't throw trash inside malls - you wonder what made that culture in the minds of shoppers. That may be a good thing but perhaps they're resigned to the fact, they can't find one when they go to malls. If shoppers keep trash inside malls, you now wonder again why they can't bring that culture outside the streets.  Any thoughts?

Posted via email from Everything Customers

ABS CBN using Jesus for their commercial purposes?

ABSCBN, the largest broadcast network station in the Philippines, recently launched "Parol ni Bro" or Bro's Christmas Lantern. The promo retails Christmas Lanterns, which should help raise funds for their charity, Sagip Kapamilya (a program which provides relief to Philippine communities affected by natural disasters). However, the veiled promo refers to the names of Jesus, who is called "Bro" in their primetime hit series, "May Bukas pa." (There's still (hope) tomorrow).

I know what they intend to do here but, as a Marketing person myself, I find this promo hypocritical and very dark for many reasons. People may not notice it immediately but as soon as you read their press release material on their website, you will immediately agree with me.

First, their press release details the promo and all their other network activities but is short of one essential factor - explain or show cause what is Sagip Kapamilya all about. Is Sagip Kapamilya that important? Show it. Second, how ignorant ABSCBN is to claim that the lantern they sell is about Jesus (Bro) when Jesus is all about the message of hope, truth, and salvation. Their reason for promoting the lantern is full of fluff and vague. Their PR says, "The light of Christ, symbolized by the Parol, will give warmth that heals all wounds and provide light that brings back hope. The light is passed on to us and, in turn, we kindle the heart of one another. So, we become one in picking up the pieces, rebuilding and moving on."

Huh? Light of Christ? Passed on to us? Kindle the heart? Picking up the pieces? Please. What light of Christ are we talking about? What does that light mean? Why not expound it since they already mention the lantern's symbolism. What light that would heal all wounds and provide light that brings back hope? Huh? It's vague.

So what is "Parol ni Bro" all about? It's about commercialism - dark commercialism and nothing more. It's even sadder that now, they use Jesus for their commercial gain. I abhor advertisers who play people's emotions to the lowest ebb of sensibilities. I dare say that, because of this, ABSCBN is bordering on portraying Jesus as an alternative character to Santa Claus? If ABSCBN wants to raise funds for their charity program, why can't it promote it on its own merit?

Jesus is not for sale people! Please take that campaign down and give us, the Filipinos, more respect and credit we deserve. The intention may be good but the execution and motive of the campaign is wrong.

Poor illustration to promote credit card scheme

What's wrong with this picture? What's wrong with this flyer?

A lot.

The flyer blares, "Pay next year!" Wow. Sounds like a great deal. But the problem is not the deal, it's the way it was being communicated to its cardholders.

Credit cards are not money. It's a loan that you will have to pay back in interest.

What makes me sad is the depiction of BDO's flyer - using Christmas to illustrate the "fun side" of borrowing money. Check out the bunch of receipts piling up to form a cute Christmas tree. To me, this promo is plainly saying that you will be in debt - deep debt. Is that any way of starting your new year?

I cannot believe that my bank, Banco de Oro, came out with this poor illustration promoting their scheme. I do not know who the genius behind this flyer is and I am sure sad why people approved this illustration.

The banks will not help you become responsible savers as this illustration shows. It's cultivating the wrong culture. They don't care if you're deep in debt for as long as their benchmarks are reached.

Why can't they use images that promote care and responsibility? Why not show a picture of a family man using BDO credit cards to pay for a family's medical bills? Or why not show a businessman buying computers to supplement his internet cafe business? Why can't we show something more positive and progressive? Wouldn't this be the most proper way of promoting, "Pay next year!"?

The Philippine Ad Congress just finished its conference. We MUST IMPROVE our communications for the benefit of our patrons.

Colorum FX Huli!

Sorry for singling you out buddy but you should stop this if you don't want to get caught.

The video you see here is just one of those vehicles that just will not follow the law.

It's unfair for other public vehicles who ply the routes and pay taxes and other fees to just get the franchise they need to run their businesses. It's not an excuse not to follow the law.

Shot on ADB Avenue, October 31, 5:09 PM.