Has Office Depot found a way to turn "elf yourself" into lemonade?

There's an old saying - when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. 

In 2006, Office Max launched their "elf yourself" holiday campaign.  As I noted at the time, while engagement with the dancing elves was high, most people who forwarded the email could not name the company that sponsored it.  Worse yet, the company reported a decline of $7 million in sales while the promotion was running.  So it was a good example of how high engagement can be meaningless when it comes to generating sales.

But the promotion exceeded engagement goals with 36 million visits in 5 weeks, so Office Max turned the promotion into a yearly event.  Not surprisingly they also continued to see revenue declines.  A merger with Office Depot has not helped, so this October they announced a pivot, and a deal with CompuCom that will move them from a traditional business products retailer to a business services company.

So imagine my surprise when I saw that they were continuing the Elf Yourself promotion. To what end?  Will it increase sales?  Or will it just be another toy for people to play with?

It appears that Office Max believes the latter, so they are attempting to monetize the app.   The new mobile version allows people to elf themselves by adding faces of 5 friends, who will then dance together to a variety of tunes.  But, only one song is free.  The rest require an in-app payment of 99 cents for each song, there are a total of 19, so that's $6.

With over 1billion customized elves since the campaign began they might be on to something. (Martin, 2017)

So what do you think?  Have you elfed yourself in the past?  Did you buy stuff from Office Max/Office Depot after you did?  Will you elf yourself this year?  Will you pay for additional songs?  How much money are you spending on online apps?  What types of apps are you buying?  And most importantly, will you buy something from Office Depot this holiday season?

http://news.officedepot.com/press-release/corporatefinancial-news/office-depot-takes-first-step-strategic-transformation-become-

Martin, C. (2017, November 23)  ElfYourself Back For The Holidays, Now With Augmented Reality.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved November 29, 2017, from

https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/310627/elfyourself-back-for-the-holidays-now-with-augmen.html

Would you like some mascara with your coffee?

In an attempt to capitalize on their foot traffic, 7-Eleven is rolling out an exclusive line of cosmetics called Simply Me Beauty.  

Cosmetics are a $46 billion industry so it makes sense that they want a piece of it. 

But what will consumers think?   

The company notes that consumers often buy makeup products on impulse.  And that private labels and exclusive lines are growing faster than traditional brands. (Brookman, 2017)

Jet.com is of course another company jumping on the private label band wagon with their Uniquely J for Millennials.  They are counting on bright packaging, BPA-free plastic and product names like "Badass Espresso" to win over their hearts and minds.  And of course it doesn't hurt that the WalMart name is nowhere near the products, except maybe when they arrive. (Vena, 2017)

So, based on what we have learned this term about consumer behavior, what do you think?  Why do you think private label products are on a roll?  What kinds of items do you buy on impulse?  How will consumer perceptions of 7-Eleven impact the likelihood of people buying cosmetics there?  What about Uniquely J?  How important is packaging in decision-making?  Has it influenced your purchases?

Brookman, F. (2017, November 21)  7-Eleven Hopes Women Want Cosmetics With Their Coffee.  wwd.com.  Retrieved November 22, 2017, from

http://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/color-cosmetics/7-eleven-hopes-women-want-cosmetics-11054772/

Vena, D. (2017, October 23)  Jet.com Launches Uniquely J to Target Millennials.  fool.com.  Retrieved November 22, 2017, from

https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/10/23/jetcom-launches-uniquely-j-to-target-millennials.aspx

Will Absolut's second act be as successful as their debut was?

Absolut Vodka was launched in NYC in 1979 and became a huge part of the American culture -  embracing artists like Andy Warhol along the way.  

Their iconic print campaign was actually outsourced to the media it ran in.  When companies came to discuss how many pages their magazine should receive in the coming year they arrived with creative ideas in hand.  As a result the campaign remained fresh and interesting for years. 

I even remember a cousin telling me that at his university it was cool to collect the ads and display them on your dorm room walls.  Can you imagine that?  A pre-Internet viral campaign!

Sales surged from 10,000 cases in 1980 to nearly 5 million by 2000. (Gianatasio, 2015)

But nothing lasts forever and somewhere along the way Absolut lost their cool.  So, I was fascinated to read that they are now actively trying to retrieve it. 

They have chosen to begin by reintroducing themselves to NYC with a neighborhood tailored Out-of-Home campaign, meant to speak to New Yorkers.  This billboard near the High Line certainly succeeds.  

Billboards have also gone up in Hell's Kitchen, the Lower East Side, Chelsea and Midtown East.  Additional campaign elements will roll out later this year. (Monllos, 2017)

So what do you think?  Is the timing right for a come back?  Why or why not?  Is NYC the right place to do it?  What generation are they trying to reach?  How does their approach demonstrate that?  Do you think they will be able to connect emotionally with their target?  How?  Can they become cool again?

Gianatasio, D. (2015, September 28) How Blending Art and Commerce Drove Absolut Vodka's Legendary Campaigns.  adweek.com.  Retrieved November 15, 2017, from

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/how-blending-art-and-commerce-drove-absolut-vodka-s-legendary-campaigns-167143

Monllos, K. (2017, November 13)  Absolut Reintroduces Itself to New Yorkers With Out-of-Home Work Tailored to the Neighborhood.  adweek.com.  Retrieved November 15, 2017, from

http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/absolut-reintroduces-itself-to-new-yorkers-with-out-of-home-work-tailored-to-the-neighborhood/