Favorite Marketing Moments of 2010

Favorite Marketing Moments of 2010
December 26, 2010

I love year-end lists ... can't get enough of them. The week between Christmas and New Year's Eve is meant specifically for reviewing year-end lists, at least in my book! So I thought I'd compile a list of of my own: 2010 Favorite Marketing Moments.

On all my social media outlets, including my website, I asked people for what they thought were their favorite marketing moments of 2010. So I simply compiled them here, and put them in rank order. Thanks so much everyone!

10 - Publix: the holiday advertising for this grocery retailer is an annual favorite. Seasonal advertising in general tends to hit the mark emotionally, and Publix is an expert at it. It's not just the soup that gets stirred.

9 - Real Housewives: Bravo has reinvented the soap opera, and these "real women" (cast mates) have taken personal branding to a whole new level with book deals, speaking engagements, new products, and even hit music. The question remains ... can money buy you class?

8- Kotex: talk about REAL, finally someone in the feminine hygiene category spoke to women about what periods really are like. No more awkward moments sitting next to your mom.

7 - Mad Men: not only a pop culture hit, but also a master at product placements, marketing partnerships, and customized advertising for its brands. We all got mad about Mad Men.

6 - Black Friday and Cyber Monday: certainly big shopping days and absolutely becoming annual traditions both online and off, at all hours of the day and night. But the deals this year were off the charts, and kept going right through to Christmas day. Both days broke records, and probably credit cards too.

5 - There's An App For That: 2010 became the year of the app, for brands and for products and services ... but not just for the iPhone. In came the Android, giving Apple a run for its money and pc users a sigh of relief.

4 - Old Spice: arguably the most profiled, measured, discussed, and now likely to be copied social media campaign to date. The magic was in the integration from tv advertising to facebook to website to twitter ... and in the results.

3 - Online Publishing: I would say that Kindle kicked us into gear, then came the iPad, and now Nook. E-readers took over this year both for books and for magazine publishing. Are people reading more? Not sure, but the magazines have become so much more engaging with dynamic content and it sure is easier to carry around books. I even get a kick out of the little ads that appear in between content ... for now!

2 - Brands in Crisis: we saw quite a few brands come off their pedestal this year. Royal Caribbean, Tiger Woods, bp, Johnson & Johnson ... let's hope we learned that honesty and transparency will keep consumers loyal.

1 - Oprah: the queen comes in first place, at least from my perspective. Her farewell season and favorite things has kicked a marketing machine into gear for her new network. While we certainly heard a lot from Ms. Oprah in 2010, I have a feeling that 2011 will be her OWN. Starting January 1st.

Happy Holidays to all - and to all good marketing. Jim.

Jim Joseph

President of Lippe Taylor Brand Communications

Author of "The Experience Effect"

jimjosephexp.com