Marketing a Destination

Why I selected:
Above are two pictures, one advertising the Canary Islands and the second the Tunisia. I chose these pictures because they are both advertisements found in Berlin as well as throughout Germany such as in Hamburg and Munich. This means they are targeting Germans, it is possible they are in other countries, but I only found them within the German country. I also chose it because I am a big fan of traveling to beaches. While visiting cities does give you a lot history, I prefer a beach vacation with sun, beach, and fun! Therefore, these advertisements truly called to me.

Analysis:
As you can see from the pictures above, when marketing a destination several things are usually included. Usually you find smiling happy people, sometimes couples, and sometimes families. As you can see from the Canary Islands advertisement we have both family (two brothers) and on the other side you have people relaxing. As you can see from the Tunisia advertisement you also have someone relaxing. According to Dr. Dominik Pietzcker from Media Consulta whose clients include marketing for Malta, another beach destination, these things are very important. Smiling, relaxing people on the beach over beautiful water in the sun. Now, I wonder if it really works.
The reason I included two pictures of destination marketing is to show the similarities. Are they really working? What differentiates the Canary Islands to Tunisia in these advertisements? In my opinion absolutely nothing, what would make me chose Tunisia over the Canary Islands or vice versa? There is nothing here that would make me chose one over the other. I can also recall seeing lots of Bahamas advertisements in the New York subway system. Their ad’s looked exactly the same way. The only thing these advertisements may do to differentiate themselves is to send you the website which may have more information regarding each location.
I am not saying these advertisements do not work at all. Please note that I would want to visit any of these locations since I am a beach person; however, I am saying they don’t differentiate themselves between the other beach destination advertisements that are throughout Germany. Their goal should be to drive consumers to their websites.

Key Points:
- Marketing a beach destination usually includes happy smiling relaxing people on the water.
- All beach destination advertisements I have seen look the same, so how do they differentiate themselves?
- Directing people to their website in order to provide further information should be their main goal.

Music, Culture and Design

Why I selected this video:
Budapest was one of the most amazing places I have ever been. We were lucky enough to stumble upon a wine festival that was featuring wines from all over the world, but specifically Hungary. Booths were set up in a park along one of the roads next to the Széchenyi baths that are famous in Budapest. During the festival various musicians and dancers would perform for the people visiting the festival. According to http://www.budapestsite.com/news/wine-festival-in-budapest-2/ if you like wines and cheese, it is the best, if you go this weekend to this festival. Here you can taste top wines of the best Hungarian winemakers. The true reason I chose this video is because this was a local’s event, not an event for tourists to visit. We were lucky enough to be accepted by the Hungarian people and privileged to view traditional music and dancing. They were so kind and welcoming.

Analysis
Music, nowadays, is very universal. While in Berlin and even Budapest, I heard songs that I have been hearing in the States for years and even more recent popular songs. So, this of course would be an example of globalization. Prior to technology it wasn’t simple to get music from different parts of the world to one another, but as technology has grown this has become a lot simpler. For example, Hip-Hop has become popular in several parts of the world such as Asia, Europe, and Australia. It is pretty well known that Hip-Hop came from The U.S.A, and I find it fascinating that countries have their own type of music. Perhaps I have a case of Social Identity Theory when I believe Country is the best type of music, but hey, like the theory states, I believe most of the stuff I like is the best.
In Budapest, I heard all sorts of music. This video is from the wine festival, but we also visited a beer festival (no judging please) that had completely different music. I am assuming that the organizers of the beer festival figured it was in a more touristy area and they should include musicians that play more Electronica type of music. Then another area in the city, there was a little garden where people were just sitting and drinking beer listening to a man playing a flute. One evening we went on a pub crawl and visited several bars throughout the area. This is when we heard pop culture music such as Hip-Hop, 80’s music, and of course Electronica. Electronica seems to be much more popular throughout Europe than it is in the States. At least more popular than it is in Miami and again the place I visit. It seems as though live music was a part of every event I attended in Budapest.
To bring this full circle, my point is that while globalization has spread different types of music all over the world, we were able to listen to traditional Hungarian music at the wine festival and see traditional Hungarian dancing. This also shows that while people will usually be open minded and listen to several types of music, a country will usually hold on to its roots and enjoy the music from its own country. Instead of bringing a cover band type of group to play at the festival they chose to go with traditional Hungarian music. Hopefully this is not something that globalization will ever change and a reason why people should always travel in order to truly experience different cultures, people and countries. I don’t think you can get a true feeling of a country and its culture through a virtual world. Traveling and experiencing it firsthand will always be the best way in my opinion.

Non-traditional Advertising Berlin/Amsterdam

Description
Above are two pictures, taken in two different parts of Europe. The second picture was taken in Amsterdam, while the first was taken in Berlin. As you can see, both are pictures of a paper towel with advertisements on them. The second one is an advert for the dispenser company called Ille. Irish Ille Paper Service was established in February 1999 with the sole intention of supplying ille paper products in Ireland using the same systems used by Ille Papier Service GmbH of Germany (http://www.illepaper.biz/aboutus.htm#Company History). The second one shows several ads placed on the actual paper towel just like the first one. The second picture was found in a bar in Amsterdam while the first was found at the sand bar in Berlin.

Why I selected it
My reason for selecting this non-traditional type of advertising is because I am looking forward to analyzing it. This is the first time I see advertising on a paper towel and I frequent several types and various bars. I find it fascinating that they are using this vehicle to promote companies.

Analysis
My gut reaction to this type of advertisement was WHY? Originally, it was Ille that used their own space in the bar bathrooms to advertise their company. Ok, not a big deal. They are BUYING ad space so they aren’t wasting that money. The only waste that is happening here is the ink and time to actually print the advert on the paper towel. Then I saw the second paper towel picture and thought this is such a waste of money. People in bars are usually drunk so either a. don’t wash their hands or b. wash and dry as quickly as possible in order to get back to the bar. Why waste the money to advertise on a paper towel that will end up in the trash.
Then I began to think about it a bit. I noticed it; perhaps several other people are noticing it. So I looked at what companies were advertising. In Amsterdam it was only the paper towel company that used this form of advertising, but in Germany it was a bike company. While bikes are popular in Germany is it effective to advertise on a paper towel? Well, while there are ways to measure if it is properly working, it would be difficult and cost a lot of money and I have already assumed that these companies are not spending a lot on their advertising so evaluation is probably not a priority.
Last, I began to think about companies that might benefit from being on a paper towel in a bar bathroom. Perhaps companies such as tampons or liquor would benefit from advertising on a bar paper towel. Again, it would be difficult to measure, but from my studies, I believe these latter companies would have more benefits than the bike company that is currently advertising. Anyone up for a research project?

Key Points
- Paper towel advertising a waste of money.
- Wrong advertisers currently advertising on the paper towels. Tampons and other bathroom necessities as well as liquor could perhaps benefit from this type of non-traditional advertising.
- Measuring the success of this type of advertising is possible, but too expensive for companies that are currently choosing to advertise on paper towels.

Images of Ethnic Minorities

Description

Above is a picture of five students smiling because they attend Universitat Leipzig. As you can see in the picture there are two people that are of a darker color. A very slight darker color I must add. These students, I am assuming, are supposed to represent the ethnic minorities in Berlin. What a shame!

Analysis

Complete and total shock is what I have come to feel about images of ethnic groups in Berlin. Since I received this assignment, I have been looking for advertisements that show a diverse group of cultures, colors, people, etc. I have been here for a week and a half and this is the only advertisement I have found. This comes to a complete shock to me as I figured there would be so many more. I always thought diversity came easily to people in Europe, but I have found that here in Berlin that is not the case.
No, I don’t believe that everyone in Berlin/Germany looks the same but I did believe there were your typical looking Germans. Blonde, blue eyes, sharp features, but I have come to realize that is not the case. Currently, our hostel is in a Turkish neighborhood which is where this ad was found. Does the Universitat Leipzig not want Turkish people in their schools or are the darker skinned people in the advertisement supposed to represent the Turkish population. One would figure that a university would want a diverse range of students, but this advertisement does not represent that ideal. What shocks me even more is that this is the first advertisement I find in Berlin with people who do not look like your cookie cutter image of a German I initially believed existed.
At FIU, a lot of time is spent in classes discussing how people want to be able to relate to advertisements. They want to see themselves in the ads in order to feel close to the product. Well, I truly do not believe the advertisements in Berlin are doing a good job of this concept. Ok, perhaps there really isn’t that much diversity in Germany as a whole, however, I know for a fact the Russian and Turkish cultures are visible in the Berlin market and I do not believe most of the adverts in Berlin are targeting them. There is no racial identity used in the ads. Even in the advertisement above most of the cultures in Germany could not see themselves in this advert.
Yes, one can argue that culture is shared values, traditions, norms, and customs; however, if you don’t have a diverse advertisement then I don’t believe people will relate to them. This ad has done the best job from what I have seen in Germany and yet it lacks real diversity. True ethnic groups are not portrayed. In this advertisement the creators had a chance to show true diversity and I believe they failed.

Branding Through Diverse Media

Description
The video of pictures shown above with a bit of a commercial are for the musical Dirty Dancing. You can see from the video that the marketing team has used several types of media vehicles to build awareness for the show. As shown in the adverts, the show is being shown in Potsdamer Platz.

Why selected
Musicals have always been a love of mine since I was a child and I have even had the privilege of seeing this particular musical in Boston. The second I stepped into Berlin, I noticed these ads and the fact that they are written in German. Almost immediately I inquired whether the actual musical was in German or English. As it turns out, in Germany they are in German. This absolutely fascinates me as I believe it must be difficult to change a musical in order to create it in the language of the country.

Analysis
Hierarchy of Effects will be used to analyze the Dirty Dancing advertisements and placements. Let’s begin with awareness. There is no doubt in mind that the awareness factor has been achieved and majority of Berlin residences are aware the show is playing here. From some quick interviews with a few IMK students, they were all aware that the show was in town. However, they did say that the advertisements did not hold their interest. While the diversity of the vehicles used made them aware, the interest factor of the advertisements did not. Two of the students said that Dirty Dancing the movie did not catch their interest; therefore, they do not want to see the musical. This is an example of a type of global brand beginning in one market and trying to expand to another. Perhaps Germans don’t really relate to the 1963 summer portrayed in the movie and musical. The music is mainly from America and was popular there. Why would the producers of Dirty Dancing believe it would take off in Germany? According to onlinetickets.com, there is no way to get 4 tickets near each other in the theatre, which shows me that there has been a desire created for Berliners to take action and purchase tickets. It would be interesting to find out if any shows are sold out and what the producer’s expectations were when bringing the show to Berlin in comparison to what the students at IMK believed. Perhaps they wanted to market to theatre goers which is why most of their advertisements were placed in the metro stations near the theatre area of Berlin. I did manage to find some advertisements placed outside of the theatre district via the gondola bike rides, commercials and airport spinning posters.
Minus the language being changed, the Dirty Dancing musical is a cookie cutter replica of what has been done in the states. Even the advertisements are the same, but in a different language. This is an example of McDonaldization because even when Starbucks became global, their language changed as well.

Summary – 3 key points
- Hierarchy of Effects - Awareness created, interest and desire not accomplished in IMK students, however, show is selling therefore some kind of action by Berliners has been found.
- Location of advertisements in metro kept primarily to theatre area with a few exceptions
- McDonaldization of the actual show and adverts minus the language.

Images of Sex and Beauty

Description
Above is a simple advertisement that includes Heidi Klum, a well known top model in both Germany and the U.S. The advertisement was found in Douglas, a store that sells perfumes and beauty supplies in the Alexa mall in Berlin. The simplicity of it is an example of how her beauty is easily used in Germany. Here is an American ad for the “Got Milk” campaign. The advert exploits the fact that Heidi is from Germany and creates an advertisement that plays into that factor.

Analysis
Heidi Klum is one of the most beautiful people on earth; of course that’s only my perspective. But seeing as though she is a top model for her beauty, I am slightly positive many Americans believe this as well, and Germans. It is for this reason that she is successful in her industry in both the U.S. and Germany. She is now seen in America as a fashion guru as well for her work on Project Runway. According to http://www.imdb.com/, Heidi Klum was born in a small city in Germany. Her modeling career began when she submitted photos to a German magazine for a competition and won. After success in Germany, she moved to the states in order to become a top model, gaining a contract for Victoria’s Secret.
This is a perfect example of globalization dating back to 1998. As previously mentioned in former blogs, I believe technology has played an important role in inducing globalization, however, I also believe the idea of migration contributes. Heidi could have lived happily and with wealth in Germany, but her moving to the states only increased her fame. She also became recognizable to more than one culture. She is in herself a brand that can be used to target diverse audiences.
As shown in the “Got Milk” ad above Heidi in a Dirndel is an example of how stereotypes are formed. While Berlin residences no longer wear these garments on a regular basis, Heidi in one of them gives America a stereotypical view of Germany. There is no need for her to be in this outfit for a milk commercial. I do understand that they are trying to portray someone with a cow which symbolizes milk, but I don’t believe it’s necessary to put her in a Dirndel. Does she want to be seen as a stereotypical German or someone who is global and worldly? Currently she is doing a good job of having a strong presence in both Germany and the U.S. and globalizing the idea of beauty as she is seen as beautiful in both countries.
Now, Heidi Klum is someone that definitely plays into the ethos category of persuasion in both the U.S. and in Germany. By asking around it is clear that she holds credibility by the students of IMK in Germany and most in America would say she is a credible source as well. But now I ask for what products. In the above pictures, she is already shown to be used in a Got Milk advert as well as a beauty line. Another example of her credibility would be in the Volkswagon commercials. See as VW is a German brand, again she is being used for her role as a German in the states. She is also used for Project Runway in the states, but as the host for America’s Next Top Model in Germany.
Heidi is a natural beauty in both the U.S. and in Germany. While I would normally believe that beauty would be seen differently in each country, she is a prime example of a universal beauty.

Expectations about cultural differences between Germany and US

Perhaps it’s because I have been traveling for approximately one month already that my expectations of Germany were pretty exact. I have learned that what I began expecting about certain cities usually wasn’t right. I then decided to drop any expectations I was hoping for and learned to expect to see more cultural similarities than differences.
This change in attitude began when I arrived in Barcelona. I had been to Spain before, however, the south of Spain near Jerez. The towns were so quaint and covered in what Americans would call Spanish culture. So when I arrived in Barcelona and it was a city that looked very similar to a place I have lived for seven years, New York City, I was highly disappointed. I wanted my friend who I had been traveling with to see the beautiful parts of Spain. This exact reaction occurred when we arrived in Athens as well. I was initially expecting little white homes with ruins in the background and instead saw huge buildings and technology everywhere.
Now I am asked what my expectations of Germany were and althought I am currently studying in Berlin, the first time I ever entered Germany was to visit a city a little farther south called Munich. As I said, I had learned not to expect much from cities, and again I was right about Munich. Munich was again another city, but what I didn’t expect were the amazing beer gardens throughout the city. They are gorgeous. I visited the touristy one, Hofbrauhaus. This is where my pictures come in. We were greeted by a man holding three huge beers, as seen in the second picture above. Then, while we were enjoying some beer, three children walked by in what they call Lederhosens. According to Wikipedia.com, Lederhosens were worn by boys at the age of 16. Nowadays, they are seen more as a boy scout uniform than actually clothing worn by teenagers.
This brings me to the differences in cultures between Germany and the U.S. My sincere thoughts are that technology has made the world such a small place that not many differences exist. On May 16th, 2008, web conferencing made it possible to have a court hearing from two different parts of the world, Slovakia and New York City (http://www.law.com/jsp/legaltechnology/pubArticleLT.jsp?id=1202421424472). This only continues to prove that the world is getting smaller and smaller. Because of this I feel cultural differences are shrinking. Since I have been in Germany, I have heard the same songs I would hear in Miami, seen the same clothing worn by both countries, and eaten the same foods. While migration also helps bring cultures together, I truly believe technology has decreased the gap even further.
Facebook is a great example of how someone in Germany can learn about the newest trends in the States and then use those in their country. For example, while traveling I have made several local friends and plan to stay in touch with them as time goes on. We will probably talk about foods, trends, experiences and I will find that they are very similar in both countries. The ability to sign on to the internet while in Germany keeps me in touch with the States and allows me to feel less homesick.
Yes, there are some differences in cultures, for example some kinds of music. While house music is popular in the states, it is significantly more popular in Germany. The “thing to do” on a Saturday night in Berlin is to head to a club and dance the night away to techno music pumping through the speakers. In the States this is a bit less common, but again can be found in both countries.
Therefore, as technology continues to shrink the size of our world I believe cultural differences will also continue to shrink. While you can never erase the history a country holds and for that I find to be a reason to travel, I believe we will continue to find people in other countries that look and sound just like one another.