Taco Bell's Sales Go LOCOS

Some of you may recall the bad rep Taco Bell received after a  lawsuit arose, accusing the Fast Food company of not having enough meat in their meat sauce to call it meat sauce (gross). This negative publicity had adverse effects on their sales numbers. As competitive as the fast food industry is, a company cannot afford losses if they hope to sit on the throne- or atop the golden arches.

After spending a year losing sales, Taco Bell knew it had to make some changes. Many of you have surely noticed Taco Bell's newest item, the Doritos Locos Taco. As for their marketing of the product, they started by selling it at limited locations for the first year. This spawned the creation of their current advertisement: Taco Bell Roadtrip. The taco has even gone viral, with a 12 tacos in under 15 minute challenge taking over the web. My personal opinion- worth a try (but probably late at night when you're under the influence of anything). The new product release was coupled with the release of their new tagline: "Live Mas" (Tanslation: Live More).

So how'd they do? They're Back in Black! According to reports, Yum, the parent company of Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut (and receives 60% of their revenue from Taco Bell) achieved 7% growth in sales for the first time in a year. Yum's CFO Rick Carucci even predicts growth in the high single to low double digit for upcoming sales figures.

What does this mean?

In the fast food industry, new products and aggressive marketing is a good way to increase sales. This is no secret, which is why Burger King- after selling 29% stake in its company to an investment entity- is completely revamping their look and menu. As for their marketing strategy, it's out with the King, in with the..... beautiful.

So no more of this:

 

And expect more of this:

Succeeding in the Business World

Summer time is around the corner and apart from all the sleeping, movie-watching, and beach trips there is one thing that is on everyone’s mind….summer internships.  Getting into the business world is tough and requires stacking up quality work experience, usually done during the “break” called summer.  We all hear about different ways to find good opportunities, go to workshops to work on resumes, and interview advice coming from literally everyone you meet.  But after passing through all those steps (congratulations!) the guidance goes away and you are on your own trying to figure out how to act friendly in a professionally acceptable way.   It’s important to impress your supervisors and be remembered at work, but how?

Have no fear; ‘Business Etiquette: 5 Rules That Matter Now’ gives basic advice on what to remember when thinking about how to act in the professional world.   These simple yet important rules can make the difference between you and your buddy co-worker on the next desk over, and can possibly land you a future upper level job just because of your socially acceptable performance.  Remembering every worker’s name and turning off cell phones (not just switching on vibrate) during meetings can have a huge impact on how people higher up perceive you and put frankly, how much they like you as an intern.  Check out the rest of the article for the other rules on how to impress this summer! So flash those pearly whites, whip out those firm hand-shakes and suit up for the summer time.        

A New Sports Trend: Rebranding

It’s happening all over the nation. From college to the pros, the names, logos, and mottos of the sports teams we all know and love are rapidly changing. This new trend of rebranding is the newest way in which marketers are trying to grab your attention.

Arizona State University and University of Maryland are just two of the many schools that’s have gone through a recent rebranding phase. ASU used a more subtle approach that did not reach national headlines but was still effective for its local market. Maryland, however, used more of a ‘loud’ approach and got national attention including tweets from athletes such as LeBron James (see link above).

Professional teams have also jumped on the rebranding train. Two notable Major League Baseball (MLB) teams that have rebranded for the current season are the Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins, and Toronto Blue Jays. All three of these teams have redesigned logos for this season to drum up interest and increase ticket/merchandise sales.  The Orioles have tried to add a modern feel one of their old logos while the Blue Jays are reverting back to their old logo after a ‘modern’ logo failed. The Miami Marlins, on the other hand, have stepped it up to a whole new level.

While many teams or schools just change the look of their uniforms or logos in an attempt to rebrand, the Marlins have gone the extra mile. Along with their new logo and uniforms, they have also changed their name from the Florida Marlins to the Miami Marlins. As if that were not enough, the team even had a new stadium built in Miami that is state-of-the-art and has been deemed by some as ‘the coolest ballpark ever.’

So while rebranding has become a trend that will continue in the foreseeable future, the results of current rebranding efforts have yet to be seen. What would you do if you were faced with the decision to rebrand or not? What do you think of the current rebranding efforts of the teams/schools mentioned in this post? Comment below and let us know!

Job Searching Made Easy- Top Marketing Companies of 2012

           The goal of college is to prepare you for the real world and ultimately a job. Searching for a job or internship is stressful and sometimes frustrating. But don’t worry, AdAge has just made your life easier! They’ve created a list of the best marketing companies to work for in 2012.  These companies are ranked based on their employee engagement, which is a measure of how much employees feel involved and committed to their work.  Here are the top three companies:

 

Allen & Gerritsen: This is the firm’s second year topping the list, so obviously this company must be doing things right. The company is moving its location to Boston, MA and plans on hiring 30 to 50 employees in the upcoming year. This unconventional, yet friendly firm provides welcome packages to all new employees (including t-shirts and chocolate) and hires internships through a “Celebrity Apprentice” style competition called Tech Apprentice. Employees even received a hand written card from their boss on their birthdays’.

  

MrYouth: This marketing agency, located in Manhattan, isn’t interested in reading your resume. Instead they use college programs, where students try to win over customers, to fill internships and later entry-level positions.  Their strength: a culture of people closely involved with and engaged in their work. 

Tris3ct: This rapidly growing firm has increased its workforce by 77% in the last three years. Digital, multicultural and IT roles have been added to help bring this firm to new heights. Tris3ct is located in Chicago and markets for well-known corporations such as Cottonelle, Kawasaki, U.S. Cellular and ConAgra Foods. Besides having a good natured, amiable culture, the firm can boast of other perks like their Cellphone-Reimbursement Program, annual profit-sharing, and free parking. 

You can also find firms based on you own criteria with AdAge’s job finder. Good luck and happy job searching!