Brand Recognition

If there’s one company that EVERYONE recognizes by its logo, I would say the Golden Arches are the most notorious.  McDonald’s has done a very good job of building brand recognition since its inception.  So much so that people of all ages, from all over the world, recognize its logo.  In recent years, brand loyalty and image have become a different story altogether but a visit to McDonald’s website shows they are trying to repair that image. 

McDonald’s website now features healthier options, at least in contrast to it’s world famous Big Mac.  I noticed the website makes an effort to explain nutritional information and gives hints on staying healthy.  From a strongly anti-fastfood point of view, their efforts seem a bit laughable but at least they are making an effort.

Since brand recognition is McDonald’s strong point, I took notice of their logo use while I was browsing their website.  The golden arches are predominant on every page, however their use of the logo did not seem unusually different than other companies use of the logo.  Their branding secret appears to lie in longevity.  The fact that they continue to advertise based on nostalgia and good family time plays on that nostalgia and adds tremendously to brand recognition.

Ad Sense

As the sole user of my home computer, I was curious to see what ad server’s had gleaned about my likes and dislikes based on my internet browsing history.  To find out, I visited www.jeep.com.  I clicked through the pages as if I were actually interested in making a buying decision or at least gleaning information.  During the time I was on the Jeep website, I did not see one ad on the page.  I found this to be curious because most websites have sponsors and some type of ads running off to the side. 

Disappointed in my research so far, I clicked off of Jeeps website to Google and searched typed “jeep” in the search engine. Having already entered my zip code in the Jeep website, I would expect any “smart” ad server would have run ads for local jeep dealers.  There were several ads for discount jeep dealers but nothing local, which I found a little disappointing. 

Tide

My visit to the Tide webpage began with a survey.  Tide wants to know more about me as a customer!  Oh, wait… they are data mining.  The survey took a few minutes to load but I wanted to take it because I was curious about the question content.  What information are they looking for?

The general feel of the site is cute and offers happy promises of stain removal.  What they don’t tell you is that their products are not suitable for people with even mildly sensitive skin. 

Still waiting for the survey to load so I begin to surf the site.  Genius!  The survey doesn’t load until they have seen what I am showing interest in on the website! 

As always, the most useful information for me on this site is customer product reviews.  This is probably the most attractive feature for me personally even though I know there is a possibility these reviews have been edited to show a product more favorably than was originally intended.  The idea of truth in advertising is what appeals to me about this type of “information.”

Twins Revenue Model

My impression of the Minnesota Twins website was less than favorable.  I have a relatively fast internet connection (10mbps) but the site was extremely latent and content heavy.  I have been on the website for a few minutes now and content is still loading… very frustrating from an internet browsing point of view.  I do want to know how the Twins did during their last game, so I am still on the page, hopefully that I will see the score soon. 

I notice that the site is funded by sponsorships, advertising and ecommerce.  A Twins jersey is catching my eye at the moment.  There are also ads for joining the US Army and from AT&T, enticing potential consumers with the Blackberry Torch.  I would say marketers on this site are using a very general predictive model to determine what ads will appeal to the majority of visitors to this website.

Target Marketing

Taking a look at the marketing ideas being used on the Target website, my first impression was that Target tries very hard to present value to the consumer.  The banner across the top of the page links directly to the Clearance section of the website, announcing to potential consumers that they can save 70% off the normal price by clicking that link.  I have never walked in to a physical location and observed the sale items front and center.  They are usually hidden away at the back of the store with the hopes that consumers will buy things at full retail price.  This tactic could keep bargain hunting consumers returning to the website to make purchases rather than visiting the brick and mortar locations.

Target has also streamlined the shopping cart process so that it only involves two clicks to go from viewing an item to having it in your cart ready for checkout.  This marketing concept makes it simple for the consumer to make a purchase and should increase the conversion rate for those hesitant to make an online purchase.