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Consumer Reports Moto Quiz

MBB helps Consumer Reports put auto reliability “to the test.”
Consumer Reports | news | social media
You might be wondering what an ad agency could possibly know about car reliability. Actually, a lot, thanks to our friends at Consumer Reports.

About this time every year, CR publishes a reliability study, in which they survey drivers to find out which car brands, makes and models they consider the most - or least – reliable. MBB got to wondering if we could leverage that content via social media and create greater interaction and more sharing.

What we came up with was a Facebook-based Moto Quiz, where people could test their auto IQ by picking which cars they thought ranked most reliable in CR’s study.

The Moto Quiz lives on CR’s Facebook page, so sharing the quiz with friends is easy. A leaderboard keeps track of top scores and offers viewers a chance to compete with friends.

It’s actually just one of the many ways we’ve been helping CR refresh their brand image and chip away the old perception that Consumer Report is “my dad’s magazine.” By making CR “more fun” to interact with, we’re exposing their core value to a younger audience and adding new relevancy to CR’s content.

By the way, the quiz is still up and running, so if you think you’ve got the car smarts to tell a peach from a lemon, head on over to CR’s Facebook page.

Check it out here. 1 2
ivory soap

Proctor & Gamble, with the help of Weiden & Kennedy, has launched…
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Proctor & Gamble has launched a new packaging, advertising and social media around one of America's oldest and most classic brands, Ivory Soap. This is another great example of brand renovation - taking what already exists and is fundamentally true about a brand, and renewing it to be more appealing in today's world. With existing equity in the brand, renovation is often more cost efficient and effective in building sales. As soaps have become more specialized and targeted to specific audiences and genders, Ivory has posed the following question in its advertising, "At what point does soap stop being soap?" Good point! But of course the big question here is...does Ivory Soap still float?
YMCA of Greater Kansas City

It’s fun to work with the… Y-M-C-A!!!
interactive | news | YMCA of Kansas City
With new systemwide brand standards rolling out nationally, YMCAs all over the country are retooling their marketing materials. As a result, we’ve been helping YMCA of Greater Kansas City redesign a variety of elements to be in compliance with the new standards.

The largest of those projects was a complete redesign of their website. With 19 different locations in several Kansas City area communities - each offering different classes and services… it was kind of a monster. YMCA asked us to help reel it in and improve both the look and feel and the user experience.

We also helped redesign their email templates to bring them into compliance with the new brand standards and match the new website design.

If you visit their website, be sure to check out their classes, too. They’ve got some great ways to stay in shape this fall and winter.

Check it out here. 1 2 3


Planes, Trains, Automobiles…and Shan
news
Ever have a bad day of travel? Our Creative Director Shan Neely has had a few...but the latest may top them all. After wrapping up a client meeting on the east coast Wednesday afternoon, Shan was to fly to Peoria for a client presentation Thursday morning. He just had to make a quick stop in Detroit to change planes...so he thought.

Once he boarded the plane in Detroit, Shan buckled up and waited for take-off...for three hours...on the tarmac. Then the flight got canceled. Oh, and the airline lost his bag.

The ticket rep rebooked him on a flight that would arrive in Peoria seven hours after his presentation, so Shan decided to rent a car and drive through the night. Having never met a stranger in his life, Shan found a couple other guys who needed to be in Peoria in the morning, as well.

Wearing the clothes on his back, and with a couple new friends, Shan hit the road at 11 p.m. and drove through the night. He arrived in Peoria with enough time to shower and head out to the client presentation...wearing shorts...to the CEO of OSF HealthCare.

All in all, the presentation went well. Many thanks to Shan for his unwavering commitment to our clients. He’s one helluva guy and we’re lucky to have him at MBB/hippo. Shan - we’ll find a way to show our appreciation when you get home...just as soon as your name is called from the standby fly list at the Peoria airport.

Oh and the bag? It will be waiting for him in Peoria when he returns in a few days...
Honest Tea

Is It Time for a Brand Makeover?
news
I just read a good article in the Washington Post titled "Business finds they can't grow without branding." That struck me as a very obvious, "duh, no kidding" title, but then it got me thinking. We all talk about the changing marketing landscape and how things are evolving so quickly, but are we really slowing down long enough to honestly determine if our branding is still relevant?

I like the tagline change for Honest Tea. As the article states, they changed the line from "Be Real. Be Honest." to "Nature Got it Right. We Put It in a Bottle." The old tagline feels forced and more old school - we're just going to tell you who we are and pound it into you. The new line sounds more like a conversation which certainly fits better in today's social media world. This is just one example, but I like the change and I like the fact the brand seems nimble enough to stay relevant with the times.

So, if you haven't done so already, take the time to ask yourself if your brand is staying authentic with consumers. Are you old school? Or, are you a brand people want to have a conversation with? A small makeover may be all that's needed. Or, you may find you need a more complete renovation. Either way, stay current and your customers will stay current with you.