Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Marketing Innoculation

So Threshers and Stormhoek are at it again (no I will not link to it, but I suspect you can find it easily enough) - you can read my previous views here and here.

Having just spent 6 weeks trying to rid my body of an infection, I don't have the energy to fight a marketing "viral" campaign too, but I think that the consumer "body" will be better able to resist it this time around - although I may be wrong.

My own view is that resistance is low at Christmas, but that at the moment the word of mouth element will be sufficiently dilute for it not to take control. It would be amazing if it did, but there are probably enough deal junkies and gapingvoid 'disciples' to spread the word. However, how many times can Hugh do this before he ruins his own credibility and that of the brands he works on?

Let's wait and see. I suspect the answer will be inconclusive, with a rise in sales to justify the action but not nearly the same impact, vindicating the opponents.

2 comments:

Andrew said...

Wouldn't describe myself as a disciple but I'm happy to spread the word and so have blogged about it. Not I don't think it will be as successful as the last time for the reasons you mention.

At least this time they didnt hide it behind a false 'friends only' concept.

I find these viral things quite fun (well the last Thresher one was) and if everyone wins - decent discount for the punters, more money for Threshers, exposure for the wine bloggers etc I can't see why you are quite so negative. (yep, have read your last post). Maybe something a little more original would have been better - but perhaps there isn't anything?

Robert McIntosh said...

Thanks Andrew.

Yes I am being quite negative (probably not helped by always posting around midnight).

I totally agree that getting a viral campaign to work is an astonishing achievement and one I love to watch. I also wish Thresher and Stormhoek, and Hugh, lots of good cuddly, positive things (love, man!).

The main reason I don't like it though is that it just supports and feeds all that crass "yah! give me my discount! cheap wine, hoorah!" nonsense which then makes it all the much harder to market decent wines. If it works again, even if not as much as last time, what incentive does Thresher have to support other more interesting marketing activities for other wines? They'll just say, "now it is your turn, Mr Producer, to fund the next 40% discount campaign".