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Reality: Old Spice sales are down since ad campaign began

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Re: Reality: Old Spice sales are down since ad campaign began

#11
post #4
post #2

Isn't it way too early to tell what the effects of the campaign are? I for one had never heard of Old Spice before, still haven't actually seen their product (not so prevalent here), but I do look out for it when I go to buy deodarant, since I want to try it out.

Last time I "tried" Old Spice I got a rash. They make crappy deodorant. It's okay if you're used to it but if you switch prepare for the worst. For some reason I've found this to be more common with Old Spice rather than any other deodorant brand.

I've gotten a rash from just about every deodorant on the market after half a container or so. The only ones I trust are the simple white cake ones. And they usually say 'dermatologist tested' since they require a gimmick to be sold.

I wish we could go back to when nobody wore the stuff.

Re: Reality: Old Spice sales are down since ad campaign began

#12
post #6

Forbes contradicts this ( http://tinyurl.com/2exqhg7 ). Here's the quote... And, perhaps, persuasive. Total sales for Old Spice body wash at supermarkets, drugstores and mass market retailers excluding Wal-Mart were up 16.7% in the 52-week period ending June 13, according to SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based market research firm. So the yahoo article is singling out the one sub-brand of body wash in the Old Spice Ma…

This makes more sense to me. It would be very surprising if what I think one of the most engaging ad campaigns in recent memory had a NEGATIVE impact on sales.

Re: Reality: Old Spice sales are down since ad campaign began

#13
post #12
post #6

Forbes contradicts this ( http://tinyurl.com/2exqhg7 ). Here's the quote... And, perhaps, persuasive. Total sales for Old Spice body wash at supermarkets, drugstores and mass market retailers excluding Wal-Mart were up 16.7% in the 52-week period ending June 13, according to SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based market research firm. So the yahoo article is singling out the one sub-brand of body wash in the Old Spice Ma…

This makes more sense to me. It would be very surprising if what I think one of the most engaging ad campaigns in recent memory had a NEGATIVE impact on sales.

Not saying it happened here, but one way this could happen is if the ad campaign alienated a large segment of the brand's existing consumer base.

Re: Reality: Old Spice sales are down since ad campaign began

#14
post #11
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last time I "tried" Old Spice I got a rash. They make crappy deodorant. It's okay if you're used to it but if you switch prepare for the worst. For some reason I've found this to be more common with Old Spice rather than any other deodorant brand.

I've gotten a rash from just about every deodorant on the market after half a container or so. The only ones I trust are the simple white cake ones. And they usually say 'dermatologist tested' since they require a gimmick to be sold. I wish we could go back to when nobody wore the stuff.

> I wish we could go back to when nobody wore the stuff.

Have you ever been on a crowded train?

Re: Reality: Old Spice sales are down since ad campaign began

#15
post #6

Forbes contradicts this ( http://tinyurl.com/2exqhg7 ). Here's the quote... And, perhaps, persuasive. Total sales for Old Spice body wash at supermarkets, drugstores and mass market retailers excluding Wal-Mart were up 16.7% in the 52-week period ending June 13, according to SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based market research firm. So the yahoo article is singling out the one sub-brand of body wash in the Old Spice Ma…

When did they start running the ads? That increase could have been at the beginning of that year-long period.

Re: Reality: Old Spice sales are down since ad campaign began

#16
post #6

Forbes contradicts this ( http://tinyurl.com/2exqhg7 ). Here's the quote... And, perhaps, persuasive. Total sales for Old Spice body wash at supermarkets, drugstores and mass market retailers excluding Wal-Mart were up 16.7% in the 52-week period ending June 13, according to SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based market research firm. So the yahoo article is singling out the one sub-brand of body wash in the Old Spice Ma…

I love the Old Spice Guy and I never picked up on a specific product he was pitching, just the brand itself.

On the other hand, in Terry Crews' commercials for Old Spice Odor Blocker (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tI4CbCniBI for instance), they're funny commercials but they're for a specific product - Odor Blocker Body Wash - and they make a specific claim - block B.O. for 1 hours. I loved the commercials so I tried it out, and it worked as claimed so it's now the one I buy every time. It was the most positive advertising experience I've had in as long as I can remember.

Re: Reality: Old Spice sales are down since ad campaign began

#17
post #11
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last time I "tried" Old Spice I got a rash. They make crappy deodorant. It's okay if you're used to it but if you switch prepare for the worst. For some reason I've found this to be more common with Old Spice rather than any other deodorant brand.

I've gotten a rash from just about every deodorant on the market after half a container or so. The only ones I trust are the simple white cake ones. And they usually say 'dermatologist tested' since they require a gimmick to be sold. I wish we could go back to when nobody wore the stuff.

There are plenty of places in the world where your dream could become a reality.

Re: Reality: Old Spice sales are down since ad campaign began

#18
post #8
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last time I "tried" Old Spice I got a rash. They make crappy deodorant. It's okay if you're used to it but if you switch prepare for the worst. For some reason I've found this to be more common with Old Spice rather than any other deodorant brand.

What do you mean with "tried"? What did you actually do with it?

Tried as in used it once and then threw it away because I got a rash. I sometimes get it when I don't have deodorant and am in a new location and the convenience store only carries Old Spice for some reason and I'm in too much of a rush to care.

Re: Reality: Old Spice sales are down since ad campaign began

#19
post #6

Forbes contradicts this ( http://tinyurl.com/2exqhg7 ). Here's the quote... And, perhaps, persuasive. Total sales for Old Spice body wash at supermarkets, drugstores and mass market retailers excluding Wal-Mart were up 16.7% in the 52-week period ending June 13, according to SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based market research firm. So the yahoo article is singling out the one sub-brand of body wash in the Old Spice Ma…

Came here to point out the same facts.

Score another one for the awesome, new media who can't be bothered to fact-check or research for even 5 minutes.

edit: Mod me down if you wish, but the sales statistics quoted were for a period BEFORE the damn commercials even started running. A simple 5 minute check would have caught that.

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