Big Brand Makeovers Visualized

I really enjoyed a piece on WalletPop which takes us through a number of popular brands who have recently revamped their image. This kind of change often causes a controversy and in extreme situations, we've even seen brands being forced to revert back to their old look (as with the Tropicana uproar).

With the internet and outlets like blogs and Twitter becoming so widely used, the power is in the hands of the people. Remember my post about how Discover Card's campaign struck me as insincere? After I wrote that I noticed in my analytics report a flood of views from an ad agency that just happens to represent Discover. Anyone notice how the new commercials address this consumer skepticism? I'm not saying, but I'm just saying. Embrace the power.

Social Media Takes on Late Night Hunger

I read an interesting article in the LA Times about a taco truck (wish these were popular in Atlanta!) that has developed a frenzied Twitter following. The article is rather long and a bit cumbersome, but the gist is this: 

Kogi is a unique taco truck that serves up korean-inspired $2 tacos, making it stand out among other street vendors that thrive in the LA area. Here's the catch - being that the business is run out of a truck, you'd be hard pressed to track it down on your own. That's where Twitter comes in. The Kogi crew has developed quite a following - over 3,500 at the time of this post - of hungry folks who get realtime updates on the truck's next location. A general schedule is posted on their website, but with Twitter, they can alert everyone if there's a sudden change in plans, or even if they are running late (with lines of up to 800 taco-lovers, it can take a while to feed everyone, and LA traffic is a nightmare!). 

Point being, in just a few months this team of family and friends have turned an idea in to a booming business, all by using cheap and free social media techniques. They've gained a hearty fan base and created a community phenomenon that feels truly authentic - a rare commodity these days. I think their success is an inspiring look at the new world of marketing.