Under The Influence From Cbc Radio

This week, we explore the branding of diseases. Over the course of history, diseases have been named after people and countries with devastating effects. Names have stigmatized entire regions, decimated industries and have even caused diplomatic crises. A See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week it’s our annual Bookmarks episode, where we tell fascinating stories from our research that didn't make it into the regular season. We’ll talk about a book that maintains if you build a better mousetrap, the world will NOT beat a path to your do See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Some people call Under The Influence "UTI" for short. It’s not a good nickname. But some brand nicknames are positive and extremely valuable - like "Coke" and "Chevy." Others like “Whole Paycheck” don’t make Whole Foods happy. Join us this week as we expl See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Every episode of Under The Influence begins with an opening story. And after more than 300 episodes, we’ve told over 300 opening stories. This week, we look back at the ones that generated the most listener feedback - from a story about a one-armed martia See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

80-90% of new product launches fail. So to lower the risk, companies do trial runs. This week, we explore Test Markets - where companies launch new products in small towns to see if shoppers pay attention. We’ll tell the stories of successful product laun See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we explore how business can be won or lost with spontaneous off-hand remarks. Not all advertising business is conducted in a boardroom or in commercials. Sometimes somebody says something in an elevator, or in a speech or in a doorway that lead See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, it’s our annual Brand Envy episode, where I tell the stories behind some of the brands I admire. We’ll talk about a romance novel company that was started by a fur trader, an empire created by a cartoonist and a certain dairy product with its v See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we explore the world of Torture Tests. Torture test commercials are one of the advertising industry’s most powerful techniques - because when a product can survive a dramatic test, it can convince a lot of people to buy the product. Unless, tha See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we explore the world of Online Reviews. These days you can leave a review for anything - from a cup of coffee to your dentist. 90% of us read online reviews before buying a product - that’s why those reviews are so influential. Yet how do you t See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we explore the quiet world of ASMR marketing. ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It’s a new form of marketing that creates a calming feeling often accompanied by a tingling sensation. Marketers create that experience using so See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dum dum da dum. This week, we explore the lucrative world of Wedding Marketing. Weddings are big, big business. And as a result, the wedding industry is a big, big marketing category. From invitations and flowers to dresses and cakes, today's weddings are See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we explore how airports are now becoming brands. You may not know it, but airports compete against each other for business. That intense rivalry has led to the complete transformation of airports - they now have movie theatres, skating rinks, r See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we explore the surprising ideas companies use to attract new customers. Like “Finger Lickin’ Good” nail polish from KFC. Or NASCAR’s partnership with Harlequin romance novels. The search for new customers is endless. And the resulting marketing See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we explore why companies change valuable brand names when expanding to other countries. Sometimes the reason is a language issue. But other times, the reasons are far more interesting. For example, Mr. Clean is called Meister Proper in Germany See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we look at the phenomenon of Set Jetting. That’s when tourists flock to a city to see the sets and locations where their favourite TV shows and movies are filmed. Some towns have embraced set jetting as new-found tourism marketing. Other towns See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, it’s Part Two of our Album Covers As Marketing episode. In the 1980s, album covers shrunk down for the first time to accommodate CDs. And in the 2000s, the advent of iPods shrunk them again to the size of a postage stamp, forcing album artwork See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week on Under the Influence, we analyze Album Covers As Marketing. We’ll look at a world famous record cover that was almost ruined by a zipper, why flights at Heathrow Airport had to be grounded for one band’s cover art and which album jacket is con See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we look at the fascinating ways sports teams market themselves. We’ll unpack why one stadium replaced its ushers with librarians, why another encouraged fans to wear “awful" clothes and how a grammatical error put Toronto on the map. It all com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we analyze how small brands outsmart their giant counterparts. We’ll look at a snack food company with a cult-like following that outsells Frito-Lay in Baltimore. A tiny soda brand that obliterates Coca Cola in Scotland. And a bubble gum-flavou See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to the 2020 Under the Influence season. It's good to be back. To kick things off, we step into the highly competitive world of Television Marketing. Between Netflix, Amazon, Crave and more, the marketing of TV shows has become a rat-race. And in a See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.