Posts Tagged ‘jersey shore’
Jersey Shore of Business: Is Your Brand Overexposed
Friday, January 21st, 2011
Yes, another blog post about business and t.v. I’m not an academic, poet or deep thinker. I work on the biz and I watch my stories. Over the last year, one of my favorites has been Jersey Shore. I know I’m not alone. I think the magic behind the JS is that all the participants in the show are relatable. In the first Season, they drove crappy cars to a C-class vacation resort. And they worked in a t-shirt shop to cover their living expenses. Never would this be confused as a high-class lifestyle. But growing up in Middle America, driving a Pontiac Grand Prix (or as my wife called it, the “Big Prix”) to the family lake cabin, I related. I was Jersey Shore.
Now, Season 3 is here and the Situation is driving a Bentley and not really taking the job at the t-shirt shop seriously. Snooki is playing up her characterizati0n — acting more and more outrageous and calling attention of the cameras. Worst of all, Vinny is getting girls. This is not the same group of people that I related to last year.
It got me thinking about companies. Every hugely successful company has a known brand. And in getting that brand exposed, they eventually overexpose it. Overexposure, in my opinion, is not easily calculable. Everyone loves the Fonz, until he water skis over a shark, and then they don’t. So when do you realize that your brand (or take on your brand is overexposed)? Here are my thoughts:
1. People hate your commercials: A great example is the GEICO ads with the “weeee” pig screaming in the back of a car. I honestly will never consider GEICO as an insurance provider as long as this commercial is in rotation.
2. You are known more for your Brand than your product: Microsoft would be a good example. You know the logo, the founder, and the word processor, but what about their mobile phones, Xbox product line, Halo or database technology?
3. People that don’t use your service have an opinion about it: Howard Stern, if his radio show could be considered a product or service, would be a good example of this. I’m a huge fan of his. Listen to him in the car and at work. Most of the time, it’s about in-fighting with his staff or a great celebrity interview. But everyone that doesn’t listen to him thinks its about scantily clad women discussing personal matters.
Any other thoughts on whether your brand is overexposed?
