Brand Stalking: The Top 5

Posted by Unknown at 10:11 PM
Oh, yes. These are the brands I frequently stalk because of their marketing insanity (in a good way), their personable approach to retail and customer relations, and their magic tools and tactics that come across so effortless and non-evasive. These are the brands that I patron simply because of their clever marketing strategy. 

Yes, I'm a victim...but when done so well, the least I could do is buy a bar of soap here or there or travel a few extra miles to fill up my gas tank. Ah, the things we do for love...

1. Dove-  Aside from the fact that I'm kind of addicted to Glee, and have seen the Dove Glee for All commercial too many times to remember- Dove just has this way of giving me a virtual hug and letting me know that it's okay to be girly, cheesy and full of compassion. Yes, Dove knows what a woman wants.

A woman wants to reminisce, and feel good about spending hours pampering herself (you know how we inherently have that guilt trip thing goin' on). Women want to reflect about the moments in our lives that were beyond blissful. So when women are at that 9 to 5, that they loathe with a passion...and probably daydream about quitting- Dove appears in their Facebook or Twitter streams and asks:






Kinda took you down memory lane huh?

2. Southwest Airlines - I often refer my Medley lovelies to their blog to do a little stalking of their own. Simply put...they get it. 









They're social media imaginations are constantly stirring up new concepts and ways to provide better customer service. Now I must admit- my web experience with SWA is much more pleasant than my real world experience. But when I find myself becoming slightly frustrated on a 4 hour flight, with hardly any room to breathe, and a flight attendant who disappeared 3 hours ago - I just take mental notes and look forward to all of my concerns being resolved via @Southwestair on Twitter;).


3. Quicktrip - Imagine a gas station with hot dogs, taquitos, over 10 slushy flavors, superb customer service, and clean restrooms....sounds too good to be true, heh? Or sounds like a lot going on at a gas station? 










The folks over at Quiktrip have successfully managed to turn a place that's typically associated with repulsive restrooms, barely edible snacks, and a depressing reliance on gas into an exclusive, friendly, neighborhood store...and they're growing...big time.

4. RockSTARtravelers - They've only been on twitter for about a month now (after much coercing from me)- but have jumped right in and are now one of my favorite tweeps to stalk. They don't discriminate when it comes to airlines or hotels, and they are simply on the web to share knowledge and information. It's incredibly refreshing, and my guess is that it will lead to great things for this city-hoppin' duo.









5. Time Magazine - I'm an accidental subscriber turned lifetime subscriber...long story, different post. Like most publications, Time has managed to successfully cross-promote their digital and print efforts with a seemingly smooth and effortless approach.









But where Time wins me over is in the content. Journalism is key here...and they remind me that some media outlets don't think they can just sell us "fluff," pieces, or mediocre reporting. I stalk Time...big time, and would like to specifically thank Joe Klein for his brilliance.

Stalk-worthy to you? I'd love to hear what brands you stalk simply because of their marketing brilliance...