Super Bowl Commercials Take on Social Media

Almost everybody loves the Super Bowl. If they don't actually care about the game, they look forward to parties, good food, and the commercials. I think most people will agree with me that last year was a disappointing time for Super Bowl commercials. With the Super Bowl less than a week away, I decided to see what companies had signed for ad time this year. Wix was a very popular website that came up in my search, but what was even more interesting was that they released their ad on Facebook live and YouTube. Wix is now the first brand to release an ad on a social media channel. The ad that they released was a sneak peak of a series of ads leading up to the Super Bowl, in which two have already been released. It stars Jason Statham and Gal Gadot. To summarize the ad, a chef, referred to as Chef Felix, is making his website on Wix while a fight breaks out in his diner. Chef Felix walks out to see his restaurant completely destroyed and the girl asks for her meal to-go, giving Chef Felix the epiphany of a food truck where all his meals will be to-go. If you would like to watch it, I attached the link below. 

In addition to releasing their ad on Facebook Live and YouTube, Wix created a contest with a chance to win up to $50,000 dollars on game day, and an additional $10,000 throughout the week leading up to the game. The only rules to enter the contest are to change your profile picture to a picture of Chef Felix and submit your profile.

In my opinion, I think it was a great idea for Wix to release their ad through social media. They were essentially getting a head start on other super bowl commercials. Through Facebook and YouTube, they were also reaching an audience who does everything digitally. Another great feature was that they turned their message into a series of commercials. By creating several commercials, it creates an anticipation factor, rather than spoiling their secret. After seeing the two commercials they have released so far, it has built a story, and I will be on the look out for their conclusion on Sunday Night.

Sources:
http://www.superbowlcommercials.co/latest-updates/all-the-2017-super-bowl-li-commercials/
http://www.wix.com/disruptiveworld/all-like-felix

Convenience Collides with Commodities

"No Traffic. No Lines. No Doubt." 

This is Amazon's motto for their new addition, Prime Pantry. Just when you think Amazon already provides the best opportunities and services for their customers, they introduce a new element to set the bar higher. This new service allows prime members to shop for groceries and other essentials without setting foot in a store. There are probably some hesitations with ordering perishable items online and receiving them in the mail, but the decisions we make on a daily basis are highly driven by one very important factor: convenience. In my opinion, this factor alone allowed Amazon to have a winning advantage before they fully launched Prime Pantry. I cannot think of anything more convenient than buying your entire shopping list from one location with just a click of a button. For those who are skeptical of the use Prime Pantry to buy foods, they can still use it for other household commodities.

How does it work? 

When you ad an item to your cart, this automatically starts the "Prime Pantry Box." Members can fill their boxes with as few, or as many items as they desire, up to a forty five pound limit. Amazon tracks your checkout process to show you how many items you have in your box and how much room you have left to fill. There is a flat rate shipping fee of $5.99, but if you select five items from a "Prime" list, then shipping is free. If you are satisfied with the service and items you received, you can utilize the "Easy Reorder" section to quickly buy the same items you loved the last time. 

 For shoppers who are big on couponing, they should not be dissuaded from trying Prime Pantry. Amazon offers a wide selection of coupons directly through Prime Pantry. They are organized by category, and will be applied to individual items at checkout. Prime Pantry can be accessed on any mobile device, as well. Essentially, you can use your box as a shopping list, and gradually add items to your box as you think of them. 

A friend of mine recently bought items from Prime Pantry, and she thoroughly enjoyed her experience. Unfortunately, I have not used it yet, but after hearing my friend talk about it, and reading more information about the process, I plan on trying this instead of my next shopping trip to Walmart. Understandably, Prime Pantry is not ideal for items needed immediately, but this opportunity is gold for the items you may need in the near future, or items you want to accumulate and save. Buying groceries from home is much more appealing to me, rather than spending extra time driving to the store, finding the items, checking out, and driving back home. While some people enjoy the brick and mortar shopping experience and may not trust the online alternative, it still goes without saying that people are constantly on the hunt for more convenient opportunities, and our fast past world of mobile and digital privileges have opened up an endless supply of convenient alternatives. 

If you have ever used Prime Pantry, I would love to hear feedback on your experience! 

How Pinterest Has Redefined Shopping

Pinterest has undergone major changes to their site, including a radical new shopping experience. Over a year ago, Pinterest added “buyable pins,” which allows users to purchase certain items without leaving the site.  These pins are distinguishable by the blue prices underneath the item. If necessary, you can select the quantity, color, and size of the item and add it directly to your Pinterest cart. Pinterest partnered with online companies such as Bigcommerce and Shopify to serve as the middleman between buyers and sellers. If convenience alone was not enough to make this feature appealing, merchants receive their entire revenue, and Pinterest supposedly does not collect a cent from sales. 

Prior to this groundbreaking change, Pinterest was a site limited to discovery. Some pins were available for purchase, but you were directed to the host website for further action. This bold move towards ecommerce was a smart move for Pinterest. If they ever had a threat of losing their audience, they reversed this fate by giving viewers the option to purchase some of their favorite pins. Instead of just finding clothes or shoes and pinning them to remember for your next shopping trip, you can purchase it without ever leaving your home, or your Pinterest page. 

Their ingenuity does not stop at buyable pins. Pinterest has also created an alternative to pins that are not available for purchase, called “visual search.” Users can utilize this tool through the small magnifying glass in the corner of pins, and it places a small dot on individual items within the picture. By clicking on the dots, it automatically expands the search to allow viewers to discover similar items that might be available for purchase. 

The remodeled site and addition of buyable pins has opened up a world of possibilities for merchants and viewers to buy and sell the items they have discovered.