Jun

8

Cool uses of tech in recent advertising

Filed Under Advertising, Marketing, Mobile, Social Media, Technology | Comments

I wanted to highlight some of the advertising efforts that have gotten attention recently because of their creative use of technology. Video games, bands, major brands, and ad agencies themselves are all coming up with new ways to get attention online while typically leveraging the most popular social networks.

I placed the following examples into 4 categories: Social Media, Mobile, Interactive, and one honorable mention under Augmented Reality. Click on each example to check it out.

Social Media

The Protoype Experience

Prototype is a new game coming out (from Activision) on XBOX 360, PS3, and Windows. Sign in using your Facebook account, wait for it to load, and sit back and enjoy the game preview that’s customized with some of your Facebook data. It’s being described as the coolest use of Facebook Connect so far.

TRVSDJAM Mixtape

Simply connect using your Twitter account, post the auto-generated message with the #trvsdjam hashtag, and you get to download the new mixtape free of charge. Coldplay also recently released a free live album, but instead of a tweet, they just wanted your email address. What’s important to notice is how quickly good deals (especially free) have begun to spread now. Before it was mainly through forums, email, and instant messages, but now social networks are increasingly becoming the way most people share deals online.

It shouldn’t surprise you that this resulted in tons of links on Twitter and the hashtag #trvsdjam showing up in the trending topics for several hours. This also reminded me of another recent effort when Crank tried to take over your Facebook status. Advertisers have to be careful with this approach. Unless there is enough value in it for the consumer, the backlash against a campaign being considered spam can be brutal with the online crowd.

BooneOakley YouTube Home Page

Although this example is not advertising a product or service, it’s a genius way of an agency being creative with their own online home. Plenty has been said about this already but it’s a must see if you have not come across it yet. This is my new favorite agency website at the moment with a close second being Wexley School for Girls.

Quicksilver’s The Spot

I think they got this idea from the Honda Insight Let It Shine video on Vimeo, but that’s not important. This Quicksilver video got my attention (for long enough) to see that it ends with a skateboard being thrown at the screen. The shattering glass effect then shakes the browser window a few times which I had never seen before. I’ll take a shaking browser window over an auto-maximizing one any day.

Old Navy Supermodelquins

These Old Navy Twitter accounts might have been setup a while ago but I found out about them only after recently attending the Crispin Porter + Bogusky Digital Peepshow here in NY. Instead of just creating a general Old Navy Twitter account to push out deals and news, CP+B decided to take a different approach and created several accounts for the fictional store mannequins that are also featured in the latest TV ads. During the presentation, they mentioned Alex Bogusky does most of the tweeting for these accounts himself which I thought was very interesting :) I’m now following all of them, it’s like a comedic drama that takes place in my Twitter stream.

So lots of creative stuff being done with Twitter and Facebook. I don’t think that will slow down anytime soon since these are the two social networks where people spend the most amount of time right now. The introduction of Facebook Connect and Twitter OAuth has made it possible for digital agencies and brand marketers to create experiences like these instead of just the usual fan page or brand account.

Mobile

Digital iPhone controlled Ads

Although this idea is not something completely new, it’s the first I’ve seen with the iPhone. I don’t think many people will take the time to engage with these ads unless there is something in it for them (coupon, exclusive preview of product, etc). The linked article mentions “digital outdoor” but the ideal location for these types of ads will be indoor shopping malls. CBS has partnered with Westfield Shopping Centers so you should start to see these pop up soon at your local shopping mall.

One example of something similar to this was done as part of a campaign for NikeID in Times Square as Richard Ting, Executive Creative Director at R/GA pointed out to me. It also shouldn’t be long before more events and conferences create these types of setups allow people to play games or interact with live product demos.

Nissan Cube Accessorizer

Nissan created this iPhone app which lets you customize and build your own Nissan Cube. Essentially the same thing you could do online but now on your iPhone. What the app is missing is a way to share your customized Cube with friends or through Facebook once it’s customized. There isn’t even a way to save your car to bring in to a local dealer and order the exact configuration. Unfortunately, no matter how I customized it, I still couldn’t get it to even look somewhat decent. iTunes direct link is here.

Gillette uArt

I wouldn’t consider this a cool app but I wanted to mention it anyway. I downloaded the new Gillette iPhone app uArt because I thought it would be fun to see what I’d look like with different beards. I tried it out and within seconds found the app was a huge disappointment. A decent idea but the execution is terrible.

But I give Gillette credit for the recent How to Shave Your Groin video they put on YouTube that is already approaching close to a million views. Gillette is clearly putting some money toward unconventional marketing methods online and in mobile, but they need to work on the mobile part.

Overall, I had a lot of trouble finding good examples of branded iPhone apps, even with 50,000 in the store now. I do like the fact that more apps are starting to include Facebook/Twitter sharing options. The AP Mobile News app recently added this to their latest release so I can now use Facebook Connect and my Twitter account to share articles in less than 3 seconds.

Interactive

GTI Project

Although this VW site isn’t targeted toward the U.S. market, I still enjoyed this simple game because I am a car enthusiast and I’m always interested in anything VW/Audi related (I currently drive a Honda but have owned a VW & Audi). There is a leaderboard so if you’re competitive, it could suck you in until your time gets better and better.

There are probably a ton of other cool interactive sites that were just released, but this is just one that I recently came across after seeing a link to it on Twitter.

Augmented Reality

USPS Virtual Box Simulator

This was created by AKQA for their client, the United States Postal Service. It’s being described as one of the first practical uses of this technology. The first example using this technology that I came across was GE’s SmartGrid not too long ago which I thought was pretty amazing. I’m looking forward to seeing what else this can be used for like this video I found on YouTube.

Update: I came across a great blog post with 10 more great examples of augmented reality being used in recent campaigns.

Coming Soon

At the Digital Peepshow, Crispin Porter + Bogusky gave attendees a preview of a Facebook app they have been developing for their client Coke Zero. They partnered with the University of Illinois to license face recognition technology to create an app called the Facebook Profiler. The Facebook Profiler will analyze your photos and then find your look-alikes on Facebook (to promote Coke Zero tasting just like regular Coke). Keep an eye out for the app over the next couple of months and expect it to get as much attention as the Whopper Sacrifice app they released not too long ago.

Any other creative campaigns that I missed? Connect with me on Twitter @jsmakr or comment below.

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May

3

How Palm is strengthening their mobile brand online

Filed Under Branding, Customer Service, Engagement, Marketing, Mobile, Social Media | Comments

Palm is getting ready to launch what will most likely be their best-selling handheld device ever, the Pre. There have been several attempts from most major handset manufacturers to catch up with the iPhone over the past couple of years but none have really lived up to the hype including the BlackBerry Storm and Google’s G1. Early demos and press of the Pre (which is rumored to launch May/June) have generally been great and there seems to be a lot of people that think it will be a huge success.

What I’d like to summarize as best as I can in this post is what Palm is doing online to engage with potential early adopters and long-time loyal Palm fans (which there are many of). I believe Palm could be considered a Prom King Brand, which advertising consultant Alan Wolk describes as a brand that people don’t mind “conversing” with. I think that alone has simply been the biggest factor in helping Palm successfully grow an online following.

Here are 7 things I noticed they are doing very well:

1. The Official Palm Blog

The blog looks to be managed by Palm’s Director of Online Communications, Jon Zilber and Palm’s PR agency, Edelman. It is updated a couple times a week, just enough to keep people coming back and interested. There are great discussions going on beneath most entries where Palm fans voice their opinions and seek answers to Pre questions (which usually get answered).

In Rohit Bhargava’s latest book, Personality Not Included, he refers to a great example of a Moleskine blog that was started by one passionate Moleskine customer, or what he calls an “accidental spokesperson” (pg. 59). Moleskine didn’t realize it would make sense for them to have a blog until one was started. The blog owner was later hired to officially continue his efforts for the brand. It’s obvious that a blog makes sense for Palm, especially since there are already several “unofficial” blogs out there that are doing very well. This official blog gives them better control over the information and rumors that are released about their own products.

The only thing I would suggest is for Palm to make it easier for visitors to share the content via Digg, Twitter, and Delicious.

2. Facebook Fan Page

The fan page is currently approaching 7,500 fans which is a solid start but still way behind BlackBerry which has 135,000 fans. The newsfeed is regularly updated with links to developing Palm news (even on other sites) and other online media. The Discussion board is very active and is used frequently to have featured Palm employees answer fan questions (where the accompanying blog entry directs you). Comments and Likes are common on most newsfeed items which makes it obvious the fans love the constant updates.

3. @Palm Twitter Profile

The Twitter profile appears to be for many purposes. The profile bio sums it up nicely, “Stay connected with Palm and learn about news, products, tips and tricks, deals and more.” Addressing customer support issues is another way they are using Twitter. What caught my attention was how well they are using their blog, Facebook, and Twitter together to host conversations and spread new content.

When asked about who handles the account, the reply was:

I think that will change after the Pre launches and the account grows along with Twitter.

4. Pre YouTube Channel

No need to go anywhere else, these videos straight from Sprint and Palm offer plenty of in-depth demonstrations of how the Pre will function and improve your mobile life. Apple did something similar for the iPhone but did it directly on Apple.com. Posting the videos on YouTube allows them to spread easily online by allowing people to embed them wherever they want. YouTube videos also tend to rank very high in Google search results.

5. Pre-Launch Pre Buzz

It’s becoming more common to see a brand highlight and try to aggregate all the buzz going on online in one location. Skittles drew a lot of attention to their site recently when they redesigned their homepage to link to Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and Facebook. If you head over to the Pre homepage on Sprint’s website, they are doing something similar but keeping it all on one page. I think this site also aligns nicely with their recent What’s Happening advertising campaign that got a lot of attention.

6. Become a Real Reviewer

The Real Reviewers program is a great way to give back to the online community by creating an opportunity for die hard fans to get their hands on a free Pre for 6 months. This type of transparent focus group can be great if the company really believes they are about to deliver an amazing product. Put it in the hands of some of your brand’s biggest fans and let them do what they do best.

This immediately reminded me of another similar project that was launched recently by Ford called the Fiesta Movement. Ford partnered with Ogilvy to identify 100 “agents” that get their very own Ford Fiesta for 6 months before anyone else in the U.S. These selected agents are already starting to create and share their experiences with the car on Twitter, YouTube, and their blogs. All this new content is being aggregated on the newly created Fiesta Movement website.

Just like Ford carefully chose their agents, Palm is looking for select applicants that are completely wired online (like me!) and heavily rely on their mobile phones for constant connectivity to their social networks. This post called Do Something Small on the Brains on Fire blog reminds marketers that really good things can come from putting a lot of time and effort into working with a small group of loyal customers instead of always trying to reach as many people as possible at once.

7. Notify Me Pre Alerts

SMS/Email alerts are still a great way to reach out to potential customers who are willing to opt-in to your brand and get the first updates about a new product or service. This method of engagement starts online and extends to email, text, or even live phone outreach if it makes sense.

Because Palm is a reputable company that I have known for many years, I trust that they will not use my personal info for any other purpose besides what I signed up for.

Final Thoughts

Palm had a rough couple of years, but with the Pre it certainly looks like they are about to strengthen their position as one of the major players in the smartphone market. Growing their online community and leveraging it to constantly improve upon their products will only help the company overall.

A couple of questions come to mind: How will they react to any negative feedback and press once the Pre is launched and how will they make sure their other products don’t fall off the grid?

Connect with me on Twitter @jsmakr and while you are here, check out 6 ways to provide customer support and feedback online.

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Nov

9

Thoughts on Ogilvy-isms

Filed Under Advertising, Books, Marketing | Comments

I just finished reading Confessions of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy. I bought the book earlier this year after having read Then We Set His Hair on Fire by Phil Dusenberry, another advertising executive from BBDO which I also wrote about.

Here are a few important Ogilvy-isms (concepts, tactics, or techniques) of his that caught my attention.

Never write an advertisement which you wouldn’t want your own family to read. (pg. 127)

Plain and simple, who likes to be lied to or mislead? Too many marketers and advertisers assume that their target market is not smart or internet savvy. The online resources available now for people to check the facts are massive. With large blogs like the Consumerist and millions of searchable, smaller personal blogs; nothing gets by anymore. False advertising attempts will be blogged and micro-blogged about while the more traditional word-of-mouth also takes effect at the same time. Then, the story will most likely be picked up by other major publications and media outlets.

If it doesn’t sell without sound, it is useless. (pg. 160)

Whoever decided it was a good idea to automatically increase the volume of commercials should know that it was a horrible idea. Because of this annoyance, I find myself muting the TV once a commercial break hits. I have already started to notice the same trend with online streaming shows. There may be no statistic for this, but I am pretty sure an ad viewer is probably 99% less likely to purchase whatever is being advertised if they find it annoying. Anyway, that’s not the point here when Ogilvy says sell without sound. What I think he means is keep the word count low, don’t sound too aggressive, and back up the sound with memorable images. That way if sound is taken out of the equation at least the images will stick.

Big ideas are usually simple ideas. (pg. 195)

I couldn’t agree more, especially when it comes to the mobile channel. In the rapidly growing world of mobile marketing, too many companies are trying to dive into it with elaborate, but often messy approaches. It’s very easy to start off with a simple idea then add on too many other factors which you might convince yourself are essential. They may be essential, but once you give anybody too many options, it starts to get too confusing and overwhelming which is a major turn-off.

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Jul

9

Insights from an advertising legend

Filed Under Advertising, Books, Marketing | Comments

In Chapter 4 of Phil Dusenberry’s book Then We Set His Hair on Fire, he lists twenty-four questions to help his readers think about how insightful they have been in the past and why those insights were successful. Answering all these questions should give you what he calls your “insight resume”. Three of the questions that stood out to me were numbers 9, 10, & 15. Here are the questions followed by his answers and some of my thoughts:

9. How would you characterize your ideas?

I’ve always been passionate about ideas that were simple and easy to understand because they were true. People could see the ideas and then see themselves.

This is always great advice in general when it comes to analyzing any business problem or idea. Entrepreneurs are commonly advised to think about whether they can see themselves using their product or service and also to reach out to family and friends during the initial research phase to see if they clearly understand their plans. Simple is almost always better.

10. What is your creative signature?

Advertising that speaks to the heart as well as the head. In a world of parity products and services, advertising that packs an emotional wallop definitely gives you a big edge.

His answer is specific to advertising and marketing. That emotional wallop, as he puts it, is very rarely missing from any great advertising or marketing campaign. If you are not in the advertising industry though, think about past achievements in your career and the general reasons behind why you were successful.

15. What criteria do you employ to judge the merits of an insight or idea?

I first look at it with my gut. How does it feel? Am I excited? Am I bored? Am I delighted? Once past that, I look at it on a business level. And determine whether it’s on strategy, whether it meets the essential objectives. And more important, whether it has the potential to lead to a great piece of advertising.

It’s important to note the order in which he first analyzes how he feels about the insight then moves on to the business details. Why waste time dwelling on an insight that your not excited about?

I would recommend this book to anyone in business or entrepreneurship, especially with a role involved in advertising or marketing. He goes over several examples of some of the most successful advertising campaigns he helped create and produce during his time leading the BBDO agency. Creativity and regular insights are essential in any profession and the advice above is only part of why he was so successful in advertising.

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Mar

19

Godin’s quick tips on Marketing

Filed Under Books, Marketing | Comments

I recently finished reading Small is the New Big by Seth Godin, which is basically a collection of his best blog posts and short writings all in one book. This is not your typical business book because it does not focus on one topic, but instead is filled with many short business ideas. This should be the first post of many about this book because I plan to write about several of my favorite passages.

To begin, I want to highlight a few marketing tips he lists on page 184. I want to point out just a few of my favorite tips from his list and briefly explain why I think they are important for effective marketing. Seth Godin doesn’t claim to know everything about marketing, but he certainly likes sharing his ideas with all his readers for them to interpret on their own.

Products that are remarkable inspire conversation.

This is certainly not a great new idea, but I think many marketers need to be reminded of this every now and then to refocus their efforts. Sure, a product may still be very successful and not be truly remarkable, but why stop there. Why not try and think of a way to further better the product to make it remarkable. That may be out of the hands of marketing and more in the hands of product development, but why don’t the marketers use the information they have available to come up with the ideas needed to make the right change? I think this statement is especially true with technology and web development in particular. Just follow a launch of a truly remarkable website and you will see how fast news spreads about a new site that has great potential to succeed.

Marketing is the way your people answer the phone, the typesetting on your bills, and your returns policy.

I am a strong believer in attention to detail and this statement provides 3 great examples of just how important every little detail can be when it comes to marketing a company. Marketing professionals may not think that consumers notice these little details about the business, but they do. I can vouch for that because I am always making a note of every interaction I have with a company that I am dealing with. Everyone does it, but some people pay closer attention to the details when making their final purchasing decisions.

What people want is the extra, emotional bonus they get when they buy something they love.

If you offer a product or service which you think people are attached to emotionally, then your have already done many things right. The moment consumers start adding their emotions into their buying decisions, the easier it will be to keep them as a customer and loyal to your brand for many years. At this point, it is important for the marketer to recognize exactly what it is that is causing this emotional bonus and make sure that it is not lost or even strengthened in all their new marketing efforts.

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