Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Hamilton Spectator editorial


As appeared in the Hamilton Spectator, Monday April 30, 2007


Flick Off slogan should catch on with the young.

Flick off. Congrats to a brilliant marketing campaign!
They know their target market and how to reach them. - teens and 20-somethings.

The slogan would appeal to the mindset of this target group while annoying others outside the group. An effective brand does that.

A good branding campaign must be willing to create controversy and make enemies.

An effective brand focuses on selling the message to the target group. That is the only measure that counts.

The combination of Flick Off and Richard Branson is bold and controversial. It seems like the right combination to persuade the teens and 20-somethings to flick off the lights.

This campaign is not for: the boomers who are already socially and environmentally conscious, and their parents who still remember the lessons of the war and depression.

So if those groups don’t like the slogan it doesn’t matter because they are already flicking off.

Powerful lessons for business marketers in this campaign. If only they could be so bold.

George Torok
Marketing specialist
Burlington, ON

For more of George Torok in the news media click here.
For more on the Flick Off marketing campaign click here.

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