NEWS

Overcomplicated marketing

How about the new ad that promotes lime Pepsi and Doritos "Burn"? It's hard enough to remember one brand, why not promote two? Wait. One of the brands is a line extension, and generally speaking, line extensions don't last too long on the shelves as it is. Wait, there's more. The other brand is a double line extension. Pepsi - Max - Ceasefire Lime??

So, lets put all this into perspective. At the same time, the ad is promoting 2 brands, of which are both an adjunct to their main brand. What does Pepsi stand for? Cola, not Cola with Lime. What does Doritos stand for? A corn chip, this time a hot one. So do I buy a lime flavoured cola to go with my Hot Dorito? What do I remember first? Pepsi? Pepsi Max? Pepsi Max Ceasefire Lime? Doritos? Doritos Burn? As it is, we live in an over communicated society, how can we possibly remeber any of this? That's why, as a small business marketing consultant based in Sydney, creating a simple and memorable message that has some longevity is critical. Don't overcomplicate the message to your cleints.

Do the senior marketers behind this concept honestly believe the two brands can stay alive in the long term? How can the 2 brands be sustainable on their own with such brand confusion? The only fire taking place will be in the boardroom when one or both of the products get ditched from the shelves.