The Power of Co-Branding and Limited-Edition Products

Above, a co-branded food product that just appeared today on supermarket shelves: Limited Edition Peeps Oreo cookies.

Peeps has its own loyal customer base (including 327k Facebook fans) and Oreo has its own loyal customer base (with 42 million-plus Facebook fans).

Combine two powerful brands, add the "buy now" incentive of a limited-edition product with a holiday connection, and you have an end-cap seasonal item that attracts attention from shoppers and the media.

And of course Oreo has created a hashtag for this limited-edition product, to fuel word of mouth: #OreOMG.

From Zipping and Zapping to Clicking

Thirty years ago, advertisers were bemoaning the increase in zipping and zapping as consumers time-shifted their viewing habits and skipped the commercials. That was in the old VCR era. It continued into the DVR era, with media firms trying to find ways to put commercials in front of viewers, like it or not.

In more recent years, commercials have become a popular part of major TV events like the Super Bowl. Time recently published a list of the most influential Super Bowl ads "of all time." (That list was published before the Patriots won against the Falcons in February.)

For comparison, take a look at Entertainment Weekly's 50 best commercials list published 20 years ago, in 1997.

Now streaming has changed advertising, viewing patterns, and consumer behavior, again. And in an era when there are more choices (broadcast and cable channels, streaming services, YouTube, etc.) than ever before, many commercials are so entertaining that consumers voluntarily click to watch them.

Here's a link to YouTube's advertising leaderboard for January, 2017. Among the top commercials viewed on YouTube were several scheduled to air during the Super Bowl. No zipping, no zapping, but a lot of clicking to preview these ads before they air on TV.

* abbreviations: DVR = digital video recorder, VCR = videocassette recorder. To see what these gadgets used to look like, click on the links to check out their entries on Wikipedia.

Renting Clothing Is Still in Fashion

Back in 2009, Rent the Runway was in the vanguard of the clothing rental business model, offering designer-branded, special-occasion fashions at a fraction of the purchase price, to be worn for a few days and returned. Since then, it has expanded to stores and stores-within-stores at Neiman-Marcus. And gained competitors. And it offers a wider range of products like fashion accessories.

The rental/subscription model is increasingly popular as consumers avoid buying and instead, enjoy wearing in-style clothing for a limited time (a few days or a month). Of course, startups are looking for niches and differentiation so they can fine-tune an effective positioning.

For instance, Le Tote offers clothing by monthly subscription, selected by personal stylists for your consideration. Just check the "tote" to see what's being recommended, then rent, wear, return, and repeat. No shopping, no laundry, hundreds of styles/brands to choose from, and no unworn styles sitting in the back of your closet with the tags still on.

Interestingly, fashion brands that do business with these and other rental startups gain access to feedback that helps them better satisfy their customers, rental or purchase. Le Tote notes what happens to garments that are rented and returned, re-rented and returned. What parts wear out, for instance. And tells the manufacturers so they can do better. Win-win-win (for manufacturer, rental service, and--of course--the next customers.

Other product categories are represented in the rental-subscription business model, too. More on that soon,

Print Ads on Super Bowl Sunday

Advertising is more than TV commercials and social media. Advertisers even use legacy media like print -- newspapers and magazines -- to reach audiences. Today, for example, is a day when football fans read the sports section in a local or national newspaper for more detail about the teams playing in the Super Bowl.

The entire back page of today's New York Times sports section has the lighthearted ad from Bud Light, shown at top. It sings the praises of "the official holiday of Friendship"--meaning the Super Bowl, but not named as such. A clever ode to sports being an opportunity for friendship and fun, positive brand associations that Bud (an official Super Bowl sponsor) wants to encourage.

The Bud Light website requires visitors to submit their birthdate to enter, as shown here. If you want to see the new Bud Light commercial and other A-B commercials being aired tonight, they're already online.

Inside the same New York Times sports section is a full-age ad from Gatorade, titled "An Open Letter to Athletes..." and singing the praises of serious athletes "pursuing your dreams, setting your goals and giving it all you've got...We are too."

Fans are speculating about which color Gatorade will be poured over the winning coach's head tonight in Houston. Or for interactive brand engagement, just go all Snapchat and dunk your selfie in the Gatorade color of your choice. Gatorade says last year's Snapchat dunk opportunity resulted in 165 million impressions.

Sure, Super Bowl commercials reach a huge audience, but print and other promotions also reach targeted audiences with specific messages that support brand image and personality.