Pepsi Lipton Brisk Case Solution

1. Should Brisk be advertised on primetime TV or with viral ads in the months following the Super Bowl ad? What are the benefits of each media? What are the costs?  

After the super bowl, it is suggested that Brook be advertised more on social media, compared to prime-time TV. This is because, through social media, brands and advertisers are appealed with the prospect of viral advertising- where they hope that with minimal promotional activity, the ad posted by the brand would spread quickly with increased instances of consumers sharing the posted ad with their friends and acquaintances. Social media also provides brands like Brisk with the advantage of receiving high unpaid exposure through establishing a presence, and positing promotional videos and material on social networking platforms like Facebook and YouTube – while only incurring the cost of production at large. Social media, therefore, allows brands not only cost-saving but also allows targeting of their videos to selected target audiences and consumer groups. Moreover, another advantage of social media includes generating high consumer engagement with the brand. However, social media marketing and advertising do not come free of risks. Brands advertising on social media are not always sure whether their posted content would become viral – indeed, only 3% of the videos posted on YouTube received more than 25,000 views. Therefore, it is difficult to predict whether videos posted would be largely shared and viewed or not. Moreover, another disadvantage of social media advertising includes negative publicity – whereby a brand can come under fire easily as the platform allows a two-way communication – giving power and voice to the consumers as well.

In comparison, TV advertising allows brands like Brisk to reach a wide number of audiences at a single time – allowing huge penetration. At the same time, TV advertising also allows brands like PepsiCo to garner support from bottlers, as well as successful retail execution. However, primetime TV spend of advertisement is costly as well as competitive. More importantly, consumers are increasingly becoming savvier to tune out of TV ads – where they avoid as much as 81% of the advertisements in one way or the other. 

2. How are the ways in which target consumers view ads in each media different? Which differences matter most to the protagonists? Can these consumer behaviors be factored into a single measure that helps the protagonists compare the benefits of each media? 

The case has highlighted that there is a particular difference in the ways target consumers view ads over different media – including TV and social media. Advertisements placed on TV are seen to be more intrusive. These advertisers have a push nature for their messages and largely focus on communicating the functional benefits of the products and stating product benefits. With limited time on TV channels, brands can fir on only so much in their communication and promotional messages. Moreover, since these ads are aired between entertainment shows which engross consumers, they are viewed with feelings of frustration and seen to be intrusive on consumers' entertainment time.

Social media, however, allows not only for content creation but also content syndication for brands. Being a two-way communication platform, social media allows brands to entertain consumers with their content. As a result, social media allows for higher consumer engagement, and brands can create a 'pull' factor in their content and Advertisements. With increased entertainment and engagement, brand placements amidst social media consumption do not irritate or frustrate consumers. Moreover, the messages go beyond the functional benefits only and work to create an emotional and psychological connection with the consumers to ensure not only higher engagement, but also higher loyalty. Moreover, social media advertisements are also welcomed more by consumers because they allowed interaction directly with the brand, as well as create room and space for conversations, and sharing ideas.