New Star Trek movie: Boldly Going After New Demographics

I have to admit when I first saw the promotional posters for the new Star Trek movie (especially the black and white versions), the idea of a revamped Star Trek intrigued me. When you think of the thousands of television shows that have appeared over the past several decades, only a handful endure in American popular culture. Star Trek the brand went beyond the confines of its original medium into toys, books, movies, and even into brand extensions: Star Trek Next Generation, Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Star Trek Voyager, etc.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of its evolution is the expansion and shift in audience. The original 1960s series was broadcast in prime time for the masses, but soon after its cancellation its devotees were primarily socially awkward males. The stereotype of the "Trekkie" has been parodied endlessly over the years, but it appears they may have been ahead of the curve.

While its core audience remains intact, Star Trek has gradually gained wider acceptance among females, professionals, minorities, and the college educated, among others. This new movie, touting the fresh new faces on established characters, clearly seeks to appeal to young adults. On my single viewing of the film, I glanced around the theater and found the audience demographics varied widely. While anecdotal, this does support the most recent stats from the film industry. "Trekkers", as they're now called, may constitute a significant part of the Star Trek audience, but the brand's appeal continues to flourish.

Starting off with a Bing: Microsoft debuts its new search engine

I'm still in the process of comparing and contrasting the search experience between Google and Microsoft's latest foray into search engines: Bing. Google is a great example of a rock solid brand with an especially poor brand identity. The multicolored serif letters suggest the hand of a novice designer or worse, a relative or friend with no design training whatsoever. Still, it is Google that we think of when we need to find something online. If their success of their brand's popularity is due to their sophisticated technology and ease of use, than the fact that the name is short, simple, easy to remember, easy to spell, and audibly pleasant is why people remember and recognize it so easily. Microsoft has learned those same lessons with Bing. The name itself is a type of onomatopoeia, where the sound of the word resembles what it could represent. Bing's similarity to "ring" suggests a bell-like sound, perhaps an indicator of something completed (think kitchen timers, the end of software installations, the birth of an idea, etc.). The visual aspects of the logo (typography, color, composition, etc.) are more straightforward and intuitive than conceptual: friendly, fun, and approachable in an almost youthful way. The customization of the typography, including its mild distortion, is evidence of a professional's involvement. While not a groundbreaking mark by any means, it does seem to accomplish its strategic goals. Whether Bing can actually gain mindshare from Google has yet to be seen, but it's not a bad start.

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Swiffer TV ads: Mopping Up the Competition

I don't own one and I'm not the intended demographic, but I have to admit I love the Swiffer mop advertising. A woman is interrupted from using her Swiffer by the doorbell. She's greeted by a flower delivery guy who tells her the bouquet is from her old mop. The mop pops up from behind a bush in the background to the tune of "Baby Come Back", a song from the 1970s. She shakes her head in disbelief and closes the door. After the ad touts the Swiffer's benefits, she opens the door to a candygram.

The concept seems so simple, it's almost sophomoric. Maybe I'm sophomoric. But it works. The age of the woman is on the younger side of baby boom, but perhaps not out of reach of the song's retro appeal. In fact, the actors look refreshingly ordinary. Perhaps being deluged over the years with computer graphics imagery that sacrifice relevance and message have jaded me. The timing of the Swiffer ad could not have been better, as the country is in the midst of re-embracing simplicity and basic values. It is not the cheapest product in its category, but it does add value in a non-exorbitant way.

A strategically sound, well conceived, mop ad that's executed in a deceptively simple, humourous and compelling way? I'm floored, and I'm actualy thinking of getting one.

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New Tropicana Packaging: The Trouble with OJ

NPR had a short snippet this morning about consumer's apparent furor over the new Tropicana orange juice packaging. It seems that their audience prefers the existing designs, which visually centers around an orange with a straw emanating from it. The Pepsico company has responded by jettisoning the new and bringing back the old. Graphic design blogs have been skewering the new design from an aesthetic standpoint, but I wanted to examine it closer before passing judgment. In comparison of old vs new packaging, this may have been a packaging redesign, but not a rebranding design. There are aspects of the original that carry over into the next logical evolution. The white background maintains some brand equity and increases the chance of audience recognition rather than the starkness of a new color. It also continues Tropicana's packaging differentiation against competing brands, particularly the colorful collages and black labels of Minute Maid. Note that the new coloration overall is lighter, suggesting a sophisticated nudge toward a higher income audience. The orange cap may have may engineered improved pouring, but it seems rather gimmicky and competes against the other design elements. Yes, the new packaging looks a little generic, but not to the extent that some designers claim. The existing design is more garish but does an adequate job in product identification and competitive differentiation. Neither package is a masterpiece of design but there are other issues I find infinitely more interesting:

What percentage of Tropicana's audience rejected the new design and why didn't the company do immediate surveys to determine whether the size of that group was significant enough to backtrack? What are the demographics of these audiences and how are they different from existing Tropicana customers? What were the specific objections of theis audience and could more information be gleaned regarding the old packaging's brand equity? Did initial research and focus groups approve of the new design, and were there mistakes or misinterpretations in information gathering?

Tropicana may or may not have made a mistake to introduce new packaging, but before making another rash decision, it would seem prudent to gather as much information as possible, verify, and double check. Ultimately, the consumers will and should drive those decisions.

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