Marketing News of the Week: TV Show News, Facebook, and More

This past week, there were news stories that reflected brand positioning, personal branding, social media, customer experience, advertising, and more.

Sam Waterstone's Departure from Law & Order
If you're a fan of this famous Dick Wolf TV dynasty, you know who epitomizes the law: Sam Waterstone's character, Manhattan District Attorney Jack McCoy. Since 1994, and in more than 400 episodes, his personal brand was consistency and honesty. The show's introductory sounds "dun-dun" just won't sound the same without Jack McCoy in the head office.

Jon Stewart Will Return to The Daily Show
Famous Comedian Jon Steward will return to The Daily Show each Monday night as guest host beginning after the Super Bowl. According to Howard Anglin of The Hub, "Stewart’s return starts with one big advantage over his whilom proteges: he can be funny. Another advantage is that he actually seems to care about normal Americans. His charity work, for example, is mostly in support of veterans and first responders. Finally, and most promising for anyone hoping for something more than a weekly court jester for the DNC, Stewart has a cranky independent streak that means he can sometimes surprise."

Facebook Celebrates 20th Anniversary
According to Euronews, "Facebook is now two decades old. And despite its slow descent into cultural irrelevance with younger generations, it remains the largest social network in the world. Today, Facebook counts over 3 billion active monthly users – a third of the world’s population. But Facebook’s age is starting to show, and like many people you may know, it’s veered way off course from its original goal – to bring people together (for free) and help friends keep in touch. Scroll through Facebook today and you’ll find less posts from your actual friends and more sponsored ads harassing you to purchase things you searched for once on the internet, fake news articles with thousands of comments from conspiracy theorists, and old family friends documenting every aspect of their lives in blurry photographs and cringey captions."

Customers Sour on Self-Checkout
Do you like self-checkout at stores? Do you use self-checkout? According to a new study by researchers at Drexler University published in the Journal of Business Research, "Regular checkout featuring a human cashier makes customers more loyal to a store and more likely to revisit in the future than self-checkout. The study comes as some companies remove self-checkout machines and others adjust their self-checkout operations. Customers feel more rewarded by a store and feel like they were treated more valuably when using regular checkout because it involves less effort and cashiers handle the scanning, bagging, and payment process, the researchers found. Regular checkout also makes people feel that they are receiving the service they are entitled to as customers, the study found."

In addition, a survey from hospitality product provider Tensator revealed that 33 percent of retail shoppers chose not to complete a purchase because of a bad experience with a self-service kiosk.

Consider how these negative experiences - where customers would like to pay and complete transactions - can affect a brand experience.

King Charles III Receives Cancer Diagnosis
According to a statement released on the Royal Family's website: "During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer. His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties. Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual. The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible. His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer."

It is surprising that cancer organizations around the world did not take this opportunity to promote cancer awareness, cancer screenings, etc.

Budweiser Clydesdales
And if you're eagerly looking forward to this weekend's Super Bowl in order to watch the very expensive ads, according to the premier magazine of the west, Cowboys and Indians, "Budweiser and the iconic Clydesdales are back with a timeless message of resilience, determination, and coming together over a beer. The spot is rooted in the scenes, storylines, and on-screen magic that shaped the brand’s legacy as one of the top advertisers of all time."

What other marketing news stood out to you?

What will be the marketing buzz next week, keeping in mind that everyone will be talking about the Super Bowl ads on Sunday and all next week. And don't forget to swing by #DebbieLaskeysBlog the day after the big game for my annual review of the ads!


Image Credits: Michael Dwyer/The AP (Facebook) and Anheuser-Busch.

To read about the history of the Budweiser Clydesdales:
https://www.anheuser-busch.com/about/clydesdale