2012 Biggest Marketing Moments

There's no doubt that this was a big year in marketing:  we saw consumers take control, we witnessed a big jump in stunts, and we saw social media take on deeper and deeper engagement.

Since it's the end of the year, I thought it would be fun to do a year-end countdown of what I consider to be the biggest marketing moments of the year.  From 10 to 1, it's definitely been the year of the brand.

10 - Pinterest Interest:  2012 was the year of new social media sensation, Pinterest.

9 - The Olympics Best in Show:  we can't talk about marketing this year without talking about The Olympics.

8 - Fifty Shades of Grey:  the book sensation became a brand.

7 - Kraft Mac & Cheese and The Old Birds:  the ultimate in giving consumers control ... of social media.

6 - The NYPD Brand:  a tourist pic gave a big boost to the brand that is the NYPD.

5 - Bodyform Responds:  the UK women's brand gives quite the response to a Facebook post.

4 - The JCP Experience:  the brand had a year of ups and downs, that's for sure, as much of their new business model played out in social media.

3 - Revitalizing Brand UK:  the country gets a branding make over, and I even witnessed some of it myself this year.

2 - The Fiscal Cliff:  as we approached the end of the year, our favorite politicians and media personalities actually branded our government's inefficiency.

1 - The New Political Advertisement:  An election year is always a big marketing year ... but this year we saw a lot of the drama go online.

So that's my take on this year's biggest marketing moments, what are yours?  What's your experience?  Jim.

Jim Joseph
President, Cohn & Wolfe NA
Author, The Experience Effect series
Marketing Professor, NYU