Some Advertisers search for the ‘creative’ in everything. Elongate and lengthen an element of the brand and its message and then play with that.
It can be great entertainment and it may build a sensational story that consumers love but how effective and simple is it?
An example of this is ‘humour.’ It does work well but there other genres of entertainment that could work just as effectively if not more than humour and all its brothers and sisters i.e. Sarcasm..
Most times advertisers are always looking for the ‘funny’ in the brand or the 'creative' in the message that they have to ‘think outside the square’ when they should be ‘thinking like their perfect consumer’ Most times advertisers are playing off their ideas and concepts against each other. Most times the results don’t matter because the idea is so great. This often loses the audience and in turn they often just don’t get it.
I cannot count how many times I have witnessed perfect target audiences watch an advertisement in all its forms and heard them say I don’t get it?, what does that have to do with ‘brand’? or ‘that is just silly!" (Not in those words.)
Advertising and art are too very different things. If you have a great idea, be disciplined and save it for a short film festival, a public installation, a canvas, a book or website.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
They are getting good
Serial genius photographer Sartorlist http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/, Pulled this together over 14 months...it connects people, inspires people, sells products and stamps the brands authority on the product category...what more could you want?
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
You will forget this
Ask anyone around the room you are in right now what the chemical symbol for Calcium is? or what does pi r squared mean? There will be a few confused looks followed by a smile, because they know that at one time or another they were presented with the answers to these questions.
The thing about effective learning is to ignite a thirst for the information. Information that you can relate to during a time of need for that information and then remind yourself of its relativity in the future- turning it into knowledge
Ask for a story before you try and teach someone something.
The thing about effective learning is to ignite a thirst for the information. Information that you can relate to during a time of need for that information and then remind yourself of its relativity in the future- turning it into knowledge
Ask for a story before you try and teach someone something.
just to reiterate
Brands are loving it, but is the audience reciprocating?
Are they networking or observing? Either way it is a form of Sociology. Furthermore it’s an adoption of modern technology to observe, participate and interact in a purely man made environment.The ‘status updates’ and ‘tweets’ (to name a couple) that we read about are no longer relevant by the time we read them. Moods change, thoughts expire in just over a few seconds and people are now onto the next topic- But we need take part because everyone else is taking part.
We are actually very emotionally involved in our day to day online social networking and therefore the advertising surrounding it has little relevance to us.It’s the high speed online emotional evolution and what does this mean for brands?
It means be relevant, be as relevant as you possibly can-Encourage your Marketing to meet with the minds, not with the eyes
Are they networking or observing? Either way it is a form of Sociology. Furthermore it’s an adoption of modern technology to observe, participate and interact in a purely man made environment.The ‘status updates’ and ‘tweets’ (to name a couple) that we read about are no longer relevant by the time we read them. Moods change, thoughts expire in just over a few seconds and people are now onto the next topic- But we need take part because everyone else is taking part.
We are actually very emotionally involved in our day to day online social networking and therefore the advertising surrounding it has little relevance to us.It’s the high speed online emotional evolution and what does this mean for brands?
It means be relevant, be as relevant as you possibly can-Encourage your Marketing to meet with the minds, not with the eyes
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Are you the leader or the one with all the potential to lead?
I witnessed a gentleman roll out of a Ferrari showroom with his brand new black supercar yesterday. The ‘prancing horse’ was reflecting light from all angles. It was a 599 for the record. Not the point.
He pulled out, the engine burbling and immediately got stuck behind an 1976 Datsun travelling at 35mph . There were cars parked on the left for kilometres and there was no opportunity to pass for a while. Frustrating, I would imagine.
At the time, I said to my brother “would you rather be in the Datsun at the front travelling comfortable at 30mph with no one holding you back and you dictating the speed of all the cars that follow or in the Ferrari stuck behind the Datsun?”
It’s not about speed; it’s about potential or ‘propensity’ we thought. The speed is not relevant as that is dictated by the whatever is travelling in front of you, The potential is what is important and in this case the Ferrari is not utilising its full potential no matter how much fun, comfortable and exciting it would be to be sitting in the driver seat.
The true leaders will want to be in the Datsun, the ones with all the potential (who may or may not reach it-it is up to them!) will want to be in the Ferrari.
He pulled out, the engine burbling and immediately got stuck behind an 1976 Datsun travelling at 35mph . There were cars parked on the left for kilometres and there was no opportunity to pass for a while. Frustrating, I would imagine.
At the time, I said to my brother “would you rather be in the Datsun at the front travelling comfortable at 30mph with no one holding you back and you dictating the speed of all the cars that follow or in the Ferrari stuck behind the Datsun?”
It’s not about speed; it’s about potential or ‘propensity’ we thought. The speed is not relevant as that is dictated by the whatever is travelling in front of you, The potential is what is important and in this case the Ferrari is not utilising its full potential no matter how much fun, comfortable and exciting it would be to be sitting in the driver seat.
The true leaders will want to be in the Datsun, the ones with all the potential (who may or may not reach it-it is up to them!) will want to be in the Ferrari.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Learning from Lavoisier
In the late 18th century Antoine Lavoisier discovered through his numerous experiments that when matter changes its state say from a gas to a liquid and back again, there is no ‘weight’ or volume that is lost or gained it in fact remains exactly the same.
The other week I was chatting to a company that was launching their new website. It was a great website, it looked good, seemed to have worthwhile functionality and was easy to navigate through and find what you are looking for. This, conversely was the biggest problem- exactly what was it that their clients where looking for?
This particular company was looking to support the launch of the new site with a second burst of strategy aimed to increase firstly, awareness and secondly visitations to their new site.
I asked them if they had undertaken some research to ascertain what their clients would like to see on their new website. The response was, in short, that they were cutting costs and pushed for time so it was developed in-house with their marketing team. (Whom, by the way, have never bought or had any experience with this company’s products and therefore other than working for the company would never visit the site in question.)
Interesting…As this ‘cutting costs’ exercise only shifted the costs from the commencement of the project to the launch of the project and then furthermore to a second burst as the first burst was not as effective as they had hoped.
Just like Antoine Lavoisier’s discovery, this company was experiencing the marketing and business equivalent of ‘conservation of mass.’ Dollars they attempted to gain in the early stages of the project were in turn lost in the latter stages of the project or put another way, as the project progressed through its stages so too did the dollars- Overall, the total website investment remained unchanged whether the dollars where spent on R&D or a launch campaign (to support the lack of R&D)
The other week I was chatting to a company that was launching their new website. It was a great website, it looked good, seemed to have worthwhile functionality and was easy to navigate through and find what you are looking for. This, conversely was the biggest problem- exactly what was it that their clients where looking for?
This particular company was looking to support the launch of the new site with a second burst of strategy aimed to increase firstly, awareness and secondly visitations to their new site.
I asked them if they had undertaken some research to ascertain what their clients would like to see on their new website. The response was, in short, that they were cutting costs and pushed for time so it was developed in-house with their marketing team. (Whom, by the way, have never bought or had any experience with this company’s products and therefore other than working for the company would never visit the site in question.)
Interesting…As this ‘cutting costs’ exercise only shifted the costs from the commencement of the project to the launch of the project and then furthermore to a second burst as the first burst was not as effective as they had hoped.
Just like Antoine Lavoisier’s discovery, this company was experiencing the marketing and business equivalent of ‘conservation of mass.’ Dollars they attempted to gain in the early stages of the project were in turn lost in the latter stages of the project or put another way, as the project progressed through its stages so too did the dollars- Overall, the total website investment remained unchanged whether the dollars where spent on R&D or a launch campaign (to support the lack of R&D)
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Is The Christian Church moving forward?
I recently read that The Christian church is launching its biggest ever Australian marketing campaign. I was enthralled by this news and I decided to do some similar research- not on the campaign itself, which by the way will be incorporating many traditional and new advertising mediums- virals and social media and the like. I wanted to know about The Christian Church and its products, offerings and how they deliver these to a modern community* (their targeted market).
Apparently, the campaign is aimed at the ‘believers’ that do not practice and the ‘non believers’ who obviously do not practice. The part that I found most interesting was the fact that there was limited research and development done into the products and moreover how these products are delivered (logistics). This is where I see the majority of the marketing focus needing to hover- in R&D. There is no real problem with the awareness of The Christian Church, the health is strong and the affiliation with the brand is relatively positive in my opinion.
To employ a campaign to create awareness and promote a presence in the community without consideration of the product and offerings and the way it is delivered is seemingly a waste of time and money. The reason why a conversation fades to an echo is because the products have not been aligned with the audience.
A local shopping complex just finished renovations to align its proposition with the demands of the shopper. It was indicated through R&D that although the demand to shop is still alive as ever, this particular shopping complex failed to meet these demands and therefore its weekly attendance figures were merely a shadow of its former self. 5 years on, developments, renovations and accusations completed , the half million dollar marketing campaign is just about to launch. True story!
One of Australia’s biggest icons have also realised this fact and as a reflection just sold out of the second run of their new 4 cylinder range of cars. Sticking with the automotive theme, a German performance car manufacture has also realised this and starting production of a new ‘clutchless’ manual transmission and as a reflection of this they are experiencing a substantial increase in sales. There are many stories like it and even more with a contrary disposition. The products need to be aligned with the audience.
The moral of the story, it’s a fantastic development to target your audience with new and innovative mediums. To understand the channels that need to be infiltrated to influence the conversation but without offering the right product and service- one that the meets the needs and demands of the audience, it will only fall on deaf ears.
*“We have developed the campaign to promote a presence in the community in which all Australians will consider faith in Jesus as an option, especially in the difficult times we are facing at present,” said Daniel Willis, Bible Society CEO and co-founder.
N.B. This is a post about the marketing campaign not the Christian Faith or Religion in any way. Additionally, I know we are talking about Religion here and there are 2000 years of history and tradition behind it, but we are also talking about moving forward in a modern world and if its not considered it will only be a memory, whether it be in 100 years or 10,000 years. It will struggle to stay in the presence of the modern community.
Apparently, the campaign is aimed at the ‘believers’ that do not practice and the ‘non believers’ who obviously do not practice. The part that I found most interesting was the fact that there was limited research and development done into the products and moreover how these products are delivered (logistics). This is where I see the majority of the marketing focus needing to hover- in R&D. There is no real problem with the awareness of The Christian Church, the health is strong and the affiliation with the brand is relatively positive in my opinion.
To employ a campaign to create awareness and promote a presence in the community without consideration of the product and offerings and the way it is delivered is seemingly a waste of time and money. The reason why a conversation fades to an echo is because the products have not been aligned with the audience.
A local shopping complex just finished renovations to align its proposition with the demands of the shopper. It was indicated through R&D that although the demand to shop is still alive as ever, this particular shopping complex failed to meet these demands and therefore its weekly attendance figures were merely a shadow of its former self. 5 years on, developments, renovations and accusations completed , the half million dollar marketing campaign is just about to launch. True story!
One of Australia’s biggest icons have also realised this fact and as a reflection just sold out of the second run of their new 4 cylinder range of cars. Sticking with the automotive theme, a German performance car manufacture has also realised this and starting production of a new ‘clutchless’ manual transmission and as a reflection of this they are experiencing a substantial increase in sales. There are many stories like it and even more with a contrary disposition. The products need to be aligned with the audience.
The moral of the story, it’s a fantastic development to target your audience with new and innovative mediums. To understand the channels that need to be infiltrated to influence the conversation but without offering the right product and service- one that the meets the needs and demands of the audience, it will only fall on deaf ears.
*“We have developed the campaign to promote a presence in the community in which all Australians will consider faith in Jesus as an option, especially in the difficult times we are facing at present,” said Daniel Willis, Bible Society CEO and co-founder.
N.B. This is a post about the marketing campaign not the Christian Faith or Religion in any way. Additionally, I know we are talking about Religion here and there are 2000 years of history and tradition behind it, but we are also talking about moving forward in a modern world and if its not considered it will only be a memory, whether it be in 100 years or 10,000 years. It will struggle to stay in the presence of the modern community.
Monday, August 17, 2009
To spend or not to spend
Marketers are faced with an interesting forecast; they have slimmer budgets because of any number of reasons but mainly due to the turn of the economy and the apprehension it has created. In saying that, some have larger budgets if they are the special few that were outstanding with their strategies and managed to defy odds, increase profits and gain market share.
This is exactly why marketers are faced with an interesting forecast-They are up against unfair, unsure and unpredictable circumstances.
The focus for marketers today is understanding the overall health of their market and their position. A good way to consider this is not how healthy your brand is but how good your immunity and tolerance is.
A brand must be fit and healthy to grow. It is only then that marketers can start considering where to spend.
This is exactly why marketers are faced with an interesting forecast-They are up against unfair, unsure and unpredictable circumstances.
The focus for marketers today is understanding the overall health of their market and their position. A good way to consider this is not how healthy your brand is but how good your immunity and tolerance is.
A brand must be fit and healthy to grow. It is only then that marketers can start considering where to spend.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The unwritten rules
Every country* has unwritten laws/rules.
Of course they have all the generic laws/rules, the usual ones where some will drastically differ and some will be very similar to most other countries*. The majority of rules however are unwritten. You won’t find them in a book, on a wall or etched on a grand stone somewhere. They only exist in the minds of those that inhabit, interact and experience that country*.
The country* operates day to day on these unwritten and rarely spoken rules.
When you visit a country* other than your own you will have a memorable experience. For better or for worse you will be intrigued about how the country* operates and you will talk about it with all the people that care to listen.
In the future these unwritten laws/rules will formulate your memories. It will be your predominant memory of that country* and your experiences with it.
*Country, countries = brand(s)
Now you may re-read if you can find the time.
Of course they have all the generic laws/rules, the usual ones where some will drastically differ and some will be very similar to most other countries*. The majority of rules however are unwritten. You won’t find them in a book, on a wall or etched on a grand stone somewhere. They only exist in the minds of those that inhabit, interact and experience that country*.
The country* operates day to day on these unwritten and rarely spoken rules.
When you visit a country* other than your own you will have a memorable experience. For better or for worse you will be intrigued about how the country* operates and you will talk about it with all the people that care to listen.
In the future these unwritten laws/rules will formulate your memories. It will be your predominant memory of that country* and your experiences with it.
*Country, countries = brand(s)
Now you may re-read if you can find the time.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Media, Marketing and 'The illusion'
Everyone searches for the truth. I remember thinking when I was a bit younger that I can’t wait for the day when everything makes complete sense. When I was a little bit older I realised that maybe I didn’t want that day to come at all because the truth in its rawness and conception is boring.
Brands have an interesting time developing this theme in their communication. Portraying the truth in their message, a promotion of honesty and transparency is not an easy task. At the best of times the truth about your brand is probably not a great proposition, nor will it help sales or grow market share. In fact, it most likely could do the opposite.
Enter the creative minds and begin ‘the illusion’ and you already have half a chance at throwing your consumers off their search for the truth.
The Simpsons are the most successful brand at achieving this illusion. We know Homer is not the best father; he actually isn’t a father at all. He is a figment of a couple of genius gentleman’s imagination from the U.S. Nonetheless our involvement and association with Homer and this brand is as real as ever. It is as real as ever because the brand is consistently and faultlessly appealing to the elements we know as truth in our lives.
To a certain degree, what we know is true are the many elements within the creations, the plethora of A grade celebrities, current social and political issues, and important figureheads of our time and yet another Rock & Roll band is making an appearance in the show. Coldplay are set to appear in The Simpsons for the 20th Anniversary edition. Ironic, considering their most famous and popular song is ‘Yellow.’
Now I’m a little older again I am starting to realise that the day may never arrive when everything makes complete sense. More often than not the truth is in our association with something- With a brand, a product, even a TV series about a yellow family. The illusion: The space between the truth and our interpretation, and this will have to suffice.
Brands have an interesting time developing this theme in their communication. Portraying the truth in their message, a promotion of honesty and transparency is not an easy task. At the best of times the truth about your brand is probably not a great proposition, nor will it help sales or grow market share. In fact, it most likely could do the opposite.
Enter the creative minds and begin ‘the illusion’ and you already have half a chance at throwing your consumers off their search for the truth.
The Simpsons are the most successful brand at achieving this illusion. We know Homer is not the best father; he actually isn’t a father at all. He is a figment of a couple of genius gentleman’s imagination from the U.S. Nonetheless our involvement and association with Homer and this brand is as real as ever. It is as real as ever because the brand is consistently and faultlessly appealing to the elements we know as truth in our lives.
To a certain degree, what we know is true are the many elements within the creations, the plethora of A grade celebrities, current social and political issues, and important figureheads of our time and yet another Rock & Roll band is making an appearance in the show. Coldplay are set to appear in The Simpsons for the 20th Anniversary edition. Ironic, considering their most famous and popular song is ‘Yellow.’
Now I’m a little older again I am starting to realise that the day may never arrive when everything makes complete sense. More often than not the truth is in our association with something- With a brand, a product, even a TV series about a yellow family. The illusion: The space between the truth and our interpretation, and this will have to suffice.
Monday, July 27, 2009
The Risk and the Reward
As the world evolves so too does the universe of marketing. The stories, propositions and messages always remain very similar and as the saying goes, “it’s almost impossible to have an original thought.”
What you can do is have an original execution.
This is where exploring the potential and opportunity for online and digital marketing for your brand gets exciting. It gets exciting for two reasons; the ‘risk’ and the ‘reward.’
The risk is always something to consider. This consideration is exciting, there is always the possibility that taking your brand online may not turn out exactly as planned. Brands have been considering it for a while now. Your consumers are being exposed to it more and more and increasingly it is becoming the most dominating and highly influential mediums available-Online is in line with the future.
If you are trying to sell your house and you want the most you can possible get for it, you need to expose the sale to as many potential buyers as possible. You know exactly where this is going; you know that a little 2x3m board on your front fence or a photo and a brief description in a brochure isn’t enough to achieve the results you want.
This is because of the rewards. If online marketing is executed correctly your brand will reap in the benefits of an extended market, increased traffic, ease of interaction and purchase process and capabilities to share content all the while knowing what your consumers are doing all the time.
The rewards are well worth considering. It’s now time to understand your consumers in TRUE relation to your market and this isn’t the same market you analysed last year.
What you can do is have an original execution.
This is where exploring the potential and opportunity for online and digital marketing for your brand gets exciting. It gets exciting for two reasons; the ‘risk’ and the ‘reward.’
The risk is always something to consider. This consideration is exciting, there is always the possibility that taking your brand online may not turn out exactly as planned. Brands have been considering it for a while now. Your consumers are being exposed to it more and more and increasingly it is becoming the most dominating and highly influential mediums available-Online is in line with the future.
If you are trying to sell your house and you want the most you can possible get for it, you need to expose the sale to as many potential buyers as possible. You know exactly where this is going; you know that a little 2x3m board on your front fence or a photo and a brief description in a brochure isn’t enough to achieve the results you want.
This is because of the rewards. If online marketing is executed correctly your brand will reap in the benefits of an extended market, increased traffic, ease of interaction and purchase process and capabilities to share content all the while knowing what your consumers are doing all the time.
The rewards are well worth considering. It’s now time to understand your consumers in TRUE relation to your market and this isn’t the same market you analysed last year.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
A small thought for big returns
Here is a thought, imagine we had the ability to attend our own funerals. Imagine yourself in the front row, listening to your friends, family and work colleagues talk and tell stories about your life.
What would you want to hear?
Are you doing everything you can to ensure these wonderful stories are told?
What would you want to hear?
Are you doing everything you can to ensure these wonderful stories are told?
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Don’t look for a job, create a job.
There are many people out there looking for work, they tweak their CV's, learn how to talk themselves up in a unique yet humble way and then go through the interview process, and what a tedious process that is.
One question I always ask someone that is making applications for certain jobs in a certain industry category is: “What have you done over the last 12 months that aligns your interests and passions with your future employment?” Funnily enough, this is not a question you will get asked often in an interview.
More often than not the response to this question is something on the lines of, well I have been applying for jobs, researching companies and deciding where I would like to work. They might mention that they are just about to finish or have just completed University. Hopefully, they may mention they are reading a book or two.
This is clearly missing the point. It isn’t about where you want to work, a small percentage is related to what other companies are out there in the category and it sure as hell is not about the jobs that are available in that industry (something like 67% of jobs are not advertised.)
It is however, about your devotion, passion and interest FOR the Industry. Let me draw on the great Franck Muller as an example.
This gentleman was born in Switzerland in 1958. From a very early age, he developed and nurtured a growing interest for all things mechanical. From an early age he was disassembling all the machines in his house to study how they worked. As a teenager he collected antique astrological instruments. He then joined the Geneva School of Watchmaking, graduated with flying colours and then chose a very difficult path to follow but he had enough devotion, passion and interest to create his own watchmaking company and a very successful one at that- Franck Muller. (It’s fair to say that Franck Muller has gone on to sensational influence the global watchmaking industry.)
So now, consider my before mentioned question: “What have you done over the last 12 months that aligns your interests and passions with your future employment?” Franck Muller could name a few, so many that he could launch his own company. If some of the applicants out there had half the ingredients someone like Franck had then sky is the limit.
You will create your own job through your devotion, passion, and interest FOR the industry. An occupation should be your devotion, interest and passion remunerated.
One question I always ask someone that is making applications for certain jobs in a certain industry category is: “What have you done over the last 12 months that aligns your interests and passions with your future employment?” Funnily enough, this is not a question you will get asked often in an interview.
More often than not the response to this question is something on the lines of, well I have been applying for jobs, researching companies and deciding where I would like to work. They might mention that they are just about to finish or have just completed University. Hopefully, they may mention they are reading a book or two.
This is clearly missing the point. It isn’t about where you want to work, a small percentage is related to what other companies are out there in the category and it sure as hell is not about the jobs that are available in that industry (something like 67% of jobs are not advertised.)
It is however, about your devotion, passion and interest FOR the Industry. Let me draw on the great Franck Muller as an example.
This gentleman was born in Switzerland in 1958. From a very early age, he developed and nurtured a growing interest for all things mechanical. From an early age he was disassembling all the machines in his house to study how they worked. As a teenager he collected antique astrological instruments. He then joined the Geneva School of Watchmaking, graduated with flying colours and then chose a very difficult path to follow but he had enough devotion, passion and interest to create his own watchmaking company and a very successful one at that- Franck Muller. (It’s fair to say that Franck Muller has gone on to sensational influence the global watchmaking industry.)
So now, consider my before mentioned question: “What have you done over the last 12 months that aligns your interests and passions with your future employment?” Franck Muller could name a few, so many that he could launch his own company. If some of the applicants out there had half the ingredients someone like Franck had then sky is the limit.
You will create your own job through your devotion, passion, and interest FOR the industry. An occupation should be your devotion, interest and passion remunerated.
A simple and effective process
Excite – Engage- Activate
Print it out, Learn the process and implement it. It’s the most simple and effective way to achieve your desired outcome (You might even create a following)
Print it out, Learn the process and implement it. It’s the most simple and effective way to achieve your desired outcome (You might even create a following)
Friday, July 17, 2009
Learn from the 'Sharpies'
For the minority of the time- Marketing is a very interesting world. It houses some great individual thinkers. Thinkers that think outside the square, thinkers that think within the square and some that create a phenomenal movement.
Over the last decade I have been admiring the development and progression of ‘Sharpie.’ The minds behind this 40 year old brand are very good. I have admired their successful attempts to align their products with a relatively untouched and impressionable market. It may seem simple how they have gone about achieving their brand dominance but just like most things, simple only after you have learnt how to do it first.
There is too many subtleties too mention about their ingenious and infections marketing campaigns. It has multiple touch points both emotionally and physically, spans multiple platforms and incorporates a host of medias. It is impressive to say the least.
I recommend researching the Sandford owned brand beyond their TVC’s with David Beckham.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
There is no place for 'fear' in your workplace.
One way to ensure you get the worst out of your employees is to instil them with fear: Make them fearful of their future within the company, continually make them double check their actions and cross examine their activity. Make them feel lucky that they have a job and continually mention ‘that it’s tough out there.’
‘Fear’ is the easiest, oldest and most detrimental way to manage people. It cramps the productivity of your employees and your company.
Captain Cook was a remarkable leader. From the day ‘The Endeavour’ sailed out of Port Plymouth, his job was to manage the ‘fear’. Why? Because the day that ‘fear’ slipped into the hearts and minds of his crew was the day the discovery changed course and ultimately ended.
The day your partner says to you that you are lucky to be with them is the day your relationship ends-Whether you realise it then or in the very near future.
Employees are not lucky that they have a job and businesses are not doing favours by keeping people on the payroll. If companies ever start to believe and deliver this message to their employees, they are managing and working with ‘fear’ and ultimately changing the direction of the company for the worse- Whether companies realise it now or in the very near future.
It’s in the best interests of a Company to instil confidence and hope within their employees, to continually remind them that although it’s tough out there, their efforts are not going unnoticed and that they are appreciated. The benefits will come in the near future if they keep making the most of their opportunities.
Employment is not doing someone a favour. It is giving someone an ‘opportunity’ and their job is to make the most of it.
‘Fear’ is the easiest, oldest and most detrimental way to manage people. It cramps the productivity of your employees and your company.
Captain Cook was a remarkable leader. From the day ‘The Endeavour’ sailed out of Port Plymouth, his job was to manage the ‘fear’. Why? Because the day that ‘fear’ slipped into the hearts and minds of his crew was the day the discovery changed course and ultimately ended.
The day your partner says to you that you are lucky to be with them is the day your relationship ends-Whether you realise it then or in the very near future.
Employees are not lucky that they have a job and businesses are not doing favours by keeping people on the payroll. If companies ever start to believe and deliver this message to their employees, they are managing and working with ‘fear’ and ultimately changing the direction of the company for the worse- Whether companies realise it now or in the very near future.
It’s in the best interests of a Company to instil confidence and hope within their employees, to continually remind them that although it’s tough out there, their efforts are not going unnoticed and that they are appreciated. The benefits will come in the near future if they keep making the most of their opportunities.
Employment is not doing someone a favour. It is giving someone an ‘opportunity’ and their job is to make the most of it.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Social media rises as the need to interact online increases.
There is no doubt that the rise of online social networking and in turn the broadening online social mediascape is because of the increasing desire to know what everyone else is doing. We all want to know what everyone else is up to, where they have been, who they are in a relationship with and what are their thoughts and we want to do it regularly. It’s an emotionally fuelled pastime.
We almost need to be part of it to validate ourselves and find out what is going on in everyone else’s world. We feel the need to peruse through profiles, pages and posts and take part in what can be at times refereed to as Comparative Voyeurism. It’s what’s making social media grow and evolve into the almost infinite mediascape it is right now.
Brands are loving it, but is the audience reciprocating?
Are they networking or observing? Either way it is a form of Sociology. Furthermore it’s an adoption of modern technology to observe, participate and interact in a purely man made environment.
The ‘status updates’ and ‘tweets’ (to name a couple) that we read about are no longer relevant by the time we read them. Moods change, thoughts expire in just over a few seconds and people are now onto the next topic- But we need take part because everyone else is taking part. We are actually very emotionally involved in our day to day online social networking and therefore the advertising surrounding it has little relevance to us.
It’s the high speed online emotional evolution and what does this mean for brands?
It means be relevant, be as relevant as you possibly can-Encourage your Marketing to meet with the minds, not with the eyes
We almost need to be part of it to validate ourselves and find out what is going on in everyone else’s world. We feel the need to peruse through profiles, pages and posts and take part in what can be at times refereed to as Comparative Voyeurism. It’s what’s making social media grow and evolve into the almost infinite mediascape it is right now.
Brands are loving it, but is the audience reciprocating?
Are they networking or observing? Either way it is a form of Sociology. Furthermore it’s an adoption of modern technology to observe, participate and interact in a purely man made environment.
The ‘status updates’ and ‘tweets’ (to name a couple) that we read about are no longer relevant by the time we read them. Moods change, thoughts expire in just over a few seconds and people are now onto the next topic- But we need take part because everyone else is taking part. We are actually very emotionally involved in our day to day online social networking and therefore the advertising surrounding it has little relevance to us.
It’s the high speed online emotional evolution and what does this mean for brands?
It means be relevant, be as relevant as you possibly can-Encourage your Marketing to meet with the minds, not with the eyes
Social Media in full swing on traditional media's
I was listening to the radio the other night and the hosts were saying how Twitter have announced that celebrities need to be accepted and validated by Twitter to launch their Twitter profile if you are celebrity. This is to stop imposter celebrity accounts been set up.
I turned the radio off and checked this out on my friends Iphone. It turns out to be true.
I was watching TV the other day and the host was talking about how he had a Facebook Fan page dedicated to him. You would feel pretty good about yourself if you had a fan page dedicated to you or your brand wouldn’t you?
I turned the TV off and went to go check out if Mr Cicada had a fan page. Go on, check if your brand has one.
It’s quite interesting how when I’m watching TV and listening to the Radio (traditional media's) online social media is still in full swing. Radio and TV are a free media that is covered by the selling of ‘space’ in the form of advertisements. From an advertising perscpective 'online' is a very dangerous competitor so much so that its ironically getting a helping hand from the traditional media's by plugging it so frequently. -Keep your friends close and your enemies closer I suppose.
p.s. I hope the brands that were advertising on these stations were also running a social media campaign as well or they just got seriously stung.
I turned the radio off and checked this out on my friends Iphone. It turns out to be true.
I was watching TV the other day and the host was talking about how he had a Facebook Fan page dedicated to him. You would feel pretty good about yourself if you had a fan page dedicated to you or your brand wouldn’t you?
I turned the TV off and went to go check out if Mr Cicada had a fan page. Go on, check if your brand has one.
It’s quite interesting how when I’m watching TV and listening to the Radio (traditional media's) online social media is still in full swing. Radio and TV are a free media that is covered by the selling of ‘space’ in the form of advertisements. From an advertising perscpective 'online' is a very dangerous competitor so much so that its ironically getting a helping hand from the traditional media's by plugging it so frequently. -Keep your friends close and your enemies closer I suppose.
p.s. I hope the brands that were advertising on these stations were also running a social media campaign as well or they just got seriously stung.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Excuse me, but how do you assess the health of your brand?
I was asked at an informal meeting last week just how can the health of our brand be assessed? Great question, I was glad they were interested in such climates as these.
This is something that I always ask a brand or business and more often than not they reply with conversation about products, P&L, tracking, share, activity and overheads etc. Not bad, but they are all looking at their brand from the inside out. I suggest looking from the outside in.
A great way to consider the health assessment of your brand is not so much how healthy it is, but how strong is its immunity and tolerance? Brands are often seen as living, breathing and functioning organisms so let’s assess them accordingly. Just like the health of humans, where it’s not about your strengths but more about how strong your weaknesses are. The humans that are continually getting sick are the ones that have a low tolerance and weak immune system. Therefore the ‘healthiest’ ones are the ones with the greatest tolerance.
Brands are exactly the same!
Brands are getting sick and losing market share, some are falling all together because they have low tolerance especially in a volatile market. This can be because of any number of things but quite often it’s because the brand didn’t focus on strengthening their weaknesses.
This is something that I always ask a brand or business and more often than not they reply with conversation about products, P&L, tracking, share, activity and overheads etc. Not bad, but they are all looking at their brand from the inside out. I suggest looking from the outside in.
A great way to consider the health assessment of your brand is not so much how healthy it is, but how strong is its immunity and tolerance? Brands are often seen as living, breathing and functioning organisms so let’s assess them accordingly. Just like the health of humans, where it’s not about your strengths but more about how strong your weaknesses are. The humans that are continually getting sick are the ones that have a low tolerance and weak immune system. Therefore the ‘healthiest’ ones are the ones with the greatest tolerance.
Brands are exactly the same!
Brands are getting sick and losing market share, some are falling all together because they have low tolerance especially in a volatile market. This can be because of any number of things but quite often it’s because the brand didn’t focus on strengthening their weaknesses.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Think like your perfect consumer
Prescript: Oliviero Toscani is worth ‘googling’ if you don’t know of him already.
Some Advertisers search for the ‘creative’ in everything. Elongate and lengthen an element of the brand and its message and then play with that.
It can be great entertainment and it may build a sensational story that consumers love but how effective and simple is it?
An example of this is ‘humour.’ It does work well but there other genres of entertainment that could work just as effectively if not more than humour and all its brothers and sisters i.e. Sarcasm..
Most times advertisers are always looking for the ‘funny’ in the brand or the 'creative' in the message that they have to ‘think outside the square’ when they should be ‘thinking like their perfect consumer’ Most times advertisers are playing off their ideas and concepts against each other. Most times the results don’t matter because the idea is so great. This often loses the audience and in turn they often just don’t get it.
I cannot count how many times I have witnessed perfect target audiences watch an advertisement in all its forms and heard them say I don’t get it?, what does that have to do with ‘brand’? or ‘that is just silly!" (Not in those words.)
Advertising and art are too very different things. If you have a great idea, be disciplined and save it for a short film festival, a public installation, a canvas, a book or website.
Some Advertisers search for the ‘creative’ in everything. Elongate and lengthen an element of the brand and its message and then play with that.
It can be great entertainment and it may build a sensational story that consumers love but how effective and simple is it?
An example of this is ‘humour.’ It does work well but there other genres of entertainment that could work just as effectively if not more than humour and all its brothers and sisters i.e. Sarcasm..
Most times advertisers are always looking for the ‘funny’ in the brand or the 'creative' in the message that they have to ‘think outside the square’ when they should be ‘thinking like their perfect consumer’ Most times advertisers are playing off their ideas and concepts against each other. Most times the results don’t matter because the idea is so great. This often loses the audience and in turn they often just don’t get it.
I cannot count how many times I have witnessed perfect target audiences watch an advertisement in all its forms and heard them say I don’t get it?, what does that have to do with ‘brand’? or ‘that is just silly!" (Not in those words.)
Advertising and art are too very different things. If you have a great idea, be disciplined and save it for a short film festival, a public installation, a canvas, a book or website.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
How to change the world around you…
In the late 1990’s there was a gentleman named Christopher who lived on a street off a little street that had no name. Everyday, he would walk down his street, then through the little street with no name to get to work.
It annoyed him how this street had no name. He researched the street directory, he asked shop owners, spoke with locals and approached the council. The street was known as ‘the street with no name.’ The council was not willing to do anything and no one seemed to care.
After much thought over many months he spoke with a friend of his that worked in sheet metal. He asked him to make a sign that looked quite similar to that of others in the area. He then proceeded to thump the newly made sign with a hammer and mullet until it was unrecognisable.
Christopher then went to the local council and said that this battered sign had fallen off the wall of the corner shop, he gave the location and mentioned that the sign once read ‘Christopher’s little St’ and that it should be remade and reinstalled.
It was four days later when the new authentic “Christopher’s little street’ was reinstalled and it was on this day that Christopher then contacted the street directory company to alert them of the fact that he was in ‘Christopher’s little St’ and it did not seem to be in the directory. He was told that occasionally this happened and that a surveyor will venture down to the location to gather details for the next edition of the directory.
This is all history now and it’s documented in every edition of the street directory.
It annoyed him how this street had no name. He researched the street directory, he asked shop owners, spoke with locals and approached the council. The street was known as ‘the street with no name.’ The council was not willing to do anything and no one seemed to care.
After much thought over many months he spoke with a friend of his that worked in sheet metal. He asked him to make a sign that looked quite similar to that of others in the area. He then proceeded to thump the newly made sign with a hammer and mullet until it was unrecognisable.
Christopher then went to the local council and said that this battered sign had fallen off the wall of the corner shop, he gave the location and mentioned that the sign once read ‘Christopher’s little St’ and that it should be remade and reinstalled.
It was four days later when the new authentic “Christopher’s little street’ was reinstalled and it was on this day that Christopher then contacted the street directory company to alert them of the fact that he was in ‘Christopher’s little St’ and it did not seem to be in the directory. He was told that occasionally this happened and that a surveyor will venture down to the location to gather details for the next edition of the directory.
This is all history now and it’s documented in every edition of the street directory.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Complexity through simplicity
The mobile phone was a huge development, but the first mobile phones where very large and would usually sit in your car while you were mobile. It certainly could not be put in your pocket but at least you could be contacted if you weren’t at your office. It’s fair to say one communication process could last a few days.
Computers changed everything. Funnily enough though, at their onset they were only seriously adopted in the late eighties and early nineties. There was still a cloud of mystery surrounding them well into the mid nineties and companies were not sure if this was the way business was going. They needed more convincing. Well, it was always going this way and this was only the beginning.
When the World Wide Web came around it really shook things up, businesses where either in or out. Some businesses where at the forefront of this movement others just had their head in the sand and thought the storm would pass. (Coincidently some companies are still around others no longer exist)
How could business be opened and closed online? Surely this could not be done via the internet.
We have almost done a complete revolution, the web has been reinvented and conversely the way you do business has changed forever. The way your consumers interact with your brand is like nothing we have ever seen before. With the rise of a new networked economy, social media and a multitude of communication platforms available to touch your consumers. Your consumers know just as much about your brand as you do.
Funnily enough, there is a similar ‘mood’ surrounding this movement as there was when the internet first came around. Businesses are either in or they are out. Adopt or put your head in the sand and wait for the storm to pass- It’s not going to pass, it’s only getting heavier.
Think about the progression of mobile phones to computers, the internet, hotmail, messenger chat, SMS and then MMS, blogs, forums and second life, then the rise of Myspace (bands, too many to mention built their empire on Myspace alone) the development and the cross adoption of Facebook and now the almighty and mysterious Twitter.
It’s all complexity through simplicity. The way we communicate is complex. We are getting more complex because the conversation has changed and is forever changing- This also means we are searching for a simple method, a simple execution.
Your consumers are talking about you right now through these modern channels, if you don’t answer the phone, they are checking you out online, and then will read and write blogs about you, see if you have a Facebook group and if your active on Twitter.
You have two choices; join them or watch them interact with your competitors.
Computers changed everything. Funnily enough though, at their onset they were only seriously adopted in the late eighties and early nineties. There was still a cloud of mystery surrounding them well into the mid nineties and companies were not sure if this was the way business was going. They needed more convincing. Well, it was always going this way and this was only the beginning.
When the World Wide Web came around it really shook things up, businesses where either in or out. Some businesses where at the forefront of this movement others just had their head in the sand and thought the storm would pass. (Coincidently some companies are still around others no longer exist)
How could business be opened and closed online? Surely this could not be done via the internet.
We have almost done a complete revolution, the web has been reinvented and conversely the way you do business has changed forever. The way your consumers interact with your brand is like nothing we have ever seen before. With the rise of a new networked economy, social media and a multitude of communication platforms available to touch your consumers. Your consumers know just as much about your brand as you do.
Funnily enough, there is a similar ‘mood’ surrounding this movement as there was when the internet first came around. Businesses are either in or they are out. Adopt or put your head in the sand and wait for the storm to pass- It’s not going to pass, it’s only getting heavier.
Think about the progression of mobile phones to computers, the internet, hotmail, messenger chat, SMS and then MMS, blogs, forums and second life, then the rise of Myspace (bands, too many to mention built their empire on Myspace alone) the development and the cross adoption of Facebook and now the almighty and mysterious Twitter.
It’s all complexity through simplicity. The way we communicate is complex. We are getting more complex because the conversation has changed and is forever changing- This also means we are searching for a simple method, a simple execution.
Your consumers are talking about you right now through these modern channels, if you don’t answer the phone, they are checking you out online, and then will read and write blogs about you, see if you have a Facebook group and if your active on Twitter.
You have two choices; join them or watch them interact with your competitors.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Simple is the new genius.
Marketing, first and foremost is an ‘Understanding.’
Seeking to understand your brand, listen to your audience and put a stethoscope to your market is in essence at the core of what marketing is about. From here you can create Art or you can employ Science. Either way it requires an understanding of your brand in your market.
Some products/services need the art of marketing and some need the science of marketing. They all need ‘understanding’ through listening. These days listening has never been so important and with the unstoppable growth of social media and the world wide web marketers should all have their ears to the keyboard.
So rather then attempting to be creatively ingenious and firing your message way over your audiences head- stop to ‘understand’ your audience, brand and your market. Eliminating the want to be so out there creative or analytically anal about measurement and theories is what’s making a successful marketer today.
Listen before you speak.
Simple is the new genius.
Seeking to understand your brand, listen to your audience and put a stethoscope to your market is in essence at the core of what marketing is about. From here you can create Art or you can employ Science. Either way it requires an understanding of your brand in your market.
Some products/services need the art of marketing and some need the science of marketing. They all need ‘understanding’ through listening. These days listening has never been so important and with the unstoppable growth of social media and the world wide web marketers should all have their ears to the keyboard.
So rather then attempting to be creatively ingenious and firing your message way over your audiences head- stop to ‘understand’ your audience, brand and your market. Eliminating the want to be so out there creative or analytically anal about measurement and theories is what’s making a successful marketer today.
Listen before you speak.
Simple is the new genius.
Thinking about it...
I was reminded the other week by my Mother, that when I was a lot younger I had explained to her that I always felt as if I was watching myself live. My Mother triggered memories of me playing sport, when I was at school and my reasonably small stint at university and how I always felt as if I were on the sidelines, in the lecture theatre and classrooms sitting along side myself. Odd, I know but that is just the way I went about my life, as an acute observer of not only others, but myself as well.
I find the small things the most interesting about people that have left amazing legacies. Let’s face it, it is all about our legacy and how we leave it. Yes, living in the moment is very important, but trying to make this moment and the sequences of moments the follow, live forever in the hearts and minds of people around you is by far more important- Hence, it’s all about your Legacy.
I love the idea of a small and unknown gentleman working in a patent office (without promotion until he mastered the machines) in Switzerland in the very early 1900’s. How, he still had the tenacity to consider some of the biggest thoughts that had ever occurred to man. How, although his few applications for a teaching position were refused and he failed entrance examines, he went on to change the world.
I love the idea of the hardest working and most exhibited artist in the early 1900’s wasn’t even accepted as a great artist in his own country until he was nearly half a century old. By then he had already changed the art world. I love the irony of how ‘The Scream’ is his most famous work.
I could go on…
I remember a very successful lady once said when I asked her what she often thinks about on a day to day basis.
“I envisage I am someone that I hold in very high regard and I am watching myself. I then make up a conversation this person would have about me and I listen very carefully” she said.
I liked this idea, it made me feel like she was always trying to impress herself, grow the concept and push the boundaries of her own reality.
Deep, but it is interesting to consider our own cognitive science, how our own thought processes can be our secret disadvantage or advantage.
I find the small things the most interesting about people that have left amazing legacies. Let’s face it, it is all about our legacy and how we leave it. Yes, living in the moment is very important, but trying to make this moment and the sequences of moments the follow, live forever in the hearts and minds of people around you is by far more important- Hence, it’s all about your Legacy.
I love the idea of a small and unknown gentleman working in a patent office (without promotion until he mastered the machines) in Switzerland in the very early 1900’s. How, he still had the tenacity to consider some of the biggest thoughts that had ever occurred to man. How, although his few applications for a teaching position were refused and he failed entrance examines, he went on to change the world.
I love the idea of the hardest working and most exhibited artist in the early 1900’s wasn’t even accepted as a great artist in his own country until he was nearly half a century old. By then he had already changed the art world. I love the irony of how ‘The Scream’ is his most famous work.
I could go on…
I remember a very successful lady once said when I asked her what she often thinks about on a day to day basis.
“I envisage I am someone that I hold in very high regard and I am watching myself. I then make up a conversation this person would have about me and I listen very carefully” she said.
I liked this idea, it made me feel like she was always trying to impress herself, grow the concept and push the boundaries of her own reality.
Deep, but it is interesting to consider our own cognitive science, how our own thought processes can be our secret disadvantage or advantage.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Work on achievement not activity.
"I’m so busy." "I can't believe its Friday tomorrow and half the year has already gone."
People are constantly getting stuck, they get stuck doing what they are doing. They get busy getting busy. Living turns into existing, existing to surviving and then you live from pay cycle to pay cycle and monitor your activity in between.
The better you get, the easier things should get. This makes sense doesn’t it?
This is the case for all companies too, not just humans- We learn, we commit and we should acquire.
Eating is nowhere near as hard as when I first attempted it many decades ago and I no longer fall off my bike in the rare case I go for a ride.
The interesting thing is more often than not it’s the complete opposite. The better we get, the busier we get. This is because we continually focus on activity and forget about achievement. Achievement in the broader scheme of things is guiding you towards accomplishment.
How many people can look back to the last few months (let alone the last few years) and feel a great sense of accomplishment?
The irony of all this is we think that activity is what gets results- most companies believe this as well and will have some form of measuring your activity in your workplace. Fact is that activity will cost a company money and achievement will make a company money.
Work on achievement not activity.
Activity gets you stuck. Achievement sets you free.
People are constantly getting stuck, they get stuck doing what they are doing. They get busy getting busy. Living turns into existing, existing to surviving and then you live from pay cycle to pay cycle and monitor your activity in between.
The better you get, the easier things should get. This makes sense doesn’t it?
This is the case for all companies too, not just humans- We learn, we commit and we should acquire.
Eating is nowhere near as hard as when I first attempted it many decades ago and I no longer fall off my bike in the rare case I go for a ride.
The interesting thing is more often than not it’s the complete opposite. The better we get, the busier we get. This is because we continually focus on activity and forget about achievement. Achievement in the broader scheme of things is guiding you towards accomplishment.
How many people can look back to the last few months (let alone the last few years) and feel a great sense of accomplishment?
The irony of all this is we think that activity is what gets results- most companies believe this as well and will have some form of measuring your activity in your workplace. Fact is that activity will cost a company money and achievement will make a company money.
Work on achievement not activity.
Activity gets you stuck. Achievement sets you free.
Monday, June 29, 2009
BRÜNO, IS THAT YOU?
Bruno rolled up to his Australian Movie Premiere in Sydney in a hot pink Hummer limousine and stepped out onto the red carpet wearing bright green lycra and cow boy boots. He was surrounded by good looking girls. The girls started covering themselves with red paint and unravelled signs that said something about ‘Nando’s uncovers chicks with Peri Peri’
Who is Peri Peri? and why does he/she get to uncover the hot chicks?
Bruno didn’t roll up to the Sydney premier of his movie in a hummer, he had a horse and he didn’t wear lycra and cow boy boots, he borrowed Brad Pitts costume from Troy…and there was no paint… I mean sauce.
This was all an attempt at the perfect guerrilla marketing stunt. Not a bad attempt at all. It had all the elements that could make it a very infectious news-worthy story- semi creative, semi daring, humorous and entertaining. The coming of Bruno, before Bruno- I love it. I just wish the news loved it…
My only criticism is less brand presence- The audience will work out what all the fuss was about, let them connect the dots and keep them guessing.
Guessing = search for answers = research = discovering= networking = conversation about your brand.
I love guerrilla marketing and I really liked this attempt. The difference between a failed marketing stunt and a successful one, besides the creative of course is the back end- work on working and integrating the media, not the audience.
Client: Nando’s
Agency: The Sphere Agency (Australia)
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkJPDHQ9djo
Who is Peri Peri? and why does he/she get to uncover the hot chicks?
Bruno didn’t roll up to the Sydney premier of his movie in a hummer, he had a horse and he didn’t wear lycra and cow boy boots, he borrowed Brad Pitts costume from Troy…and there was no paint… I mean sauce.
This was all an attempt at the perfect guerrilla marketing stunt. Not a bad attempt at all. It had all the elements that could make it a very infectious news-worthy story- semi creative, semi daring, humorous and entertaining. The coming of Bruno, before Bruno- I love it. I just wish the news loved it…
My only criticism is less brand presence- The audience will work out what all the fuss was about, let them connect the dots and keep them guessing.
Guessing = search for answers = research = discovering= networking = conversation about your brand.
I love guerrilla marketing and I really liked this attempt. The difference between a failed marketing stunt and a successful one, besides the creative of course is the back end- work on working and integrating the media, not the audience.
Client: Nando’s
Agency: The Sphere Agency (Australia)
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkJPDHQ9djo
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Some good reading and seriously good lessons
The Mckinsey Quaterly asks Brad Bird from Pixar: what does stimulating the creativity of animators have in common with developing new product ideas or technology breakthroughs? Apparently, a lot.
check out the interview here: http://www.mckinsey.it/storage/first/uploadfile/attach/140140/file/inle08.pdf
Interestingly, Brad Bird has left Pixar to work in Live Action on 1906 (which is another story for another day) and Steve Jobs is no longer the CEO, but sits on the board of directors.
check out the interview here: http://www.mckinsey.it/storage/first/uploadfile/attach/140140/file/inle08.pdf
Interestingly, Brad Bird has left Pixar to work in Live Action on 1906 (which is another story for another day) and Steve Jobs is no longer the CEO, but sits on the board of directors.
Supermarkets have to become more super
Supermarkets will become a lot more ‘super’ in the next decade. Rightly so, they can’t just give in to their fast emerging competition- online. Internet retailers are attracting more unique visitations and selling more products than ever before. Do the research on how Woolworths are tracking compared to Amazon.
Supermarkets and retailers will always survive, in what capacity I am really not too sure. I think a few of the big guys will hang around and withstand the online storm a while longer, but I think it’s a case of, for how long?
Consumers are becoming more forward thinking; their modern networked lives are very automated, regimented and planned. Therefore they are purchasing accordingly and taking advantage of online shopping. Where you can take as long as you like, compare all products in the category, make an informed purchase decision, pay immediately and then instruct where you want the goods delivered all the while sitting in your comfy chair with your unfinished work document still open on your desktop. Make sense?
So just how do the supermarkets and retails compete? Technology- think online, in store. Think about how you can generate revenue when your sales are dropping and online figures are sky rocketing. Think about:
- Loyalty smart cards- Triggering a whole new shopping experience that remembers your past purchases, brand favourites and alerts you of promotions of the day.
- Eye ball tracking- Cameras that detect the gender of a consumer and digital adverts change accordingly.
- Intelligent Trolleys- equipped with GPS, navigation style on board screen and infrared scanning also linked to adverts that are aisle specific. This is also to cater for a proposed 'personalised shopping' experience- The more you shop the cheaper the items.
- Self replenishing shelves
- Smart phone compatible products.
- Self check out.
So stay tuned for the next developments in high street shopping. The day is not far away when we can enter a shop, scan our smart card, pick up a trolley or basket, use our smart phones to research promotions and specials, load our basket then push it through an infrared beam which totals the sum of all products and then commence a self check out. Hang on…isn’t that what I can do online right now?
A Kodak Moment in a few days
Well, for those of you who have been following the "Megan Fox snubs boy" story you will be glad to know that there are even further developments and to no surprise, a big brand has got involved.
For the rest of the world that has at least heard about it you will be entertainment about what Kodak have propositioned the online community.
All those marketers out there will be staying close to this one, or at least they should be- do yourself a favour and google it.
It seems a Kodak moment is only days away and a pure genius marketing attempt to align a brand with a 'celebrity of the moment' for next to nothing is unfolding as I type.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Cold Hearted Dollars
A good friend was moving into his new house, I offered to help him so he could finish the job in good time and we could head down the coast for a few nights- this never happened.
Most people I know, for the better parts of their employment make reasonable amounts of money in positions where they are required to void themselves of emotion.
It is fair to say that the high earning positions in the business world require limited emotion when in work mode- a very calculated and measured mode. They make the decisions based on in depth analyses, statistics, facts and forecasts etc- emotion very rarely plays a part.
The majority of people assume a similar disposition with their day to day occupations. This is a good thing…until people start spending their hard earned cold hearted dollars.
Money should be used with the same attitude that it was acquired- calculated and measured.
So often people make purchases, investments and take on liabilities with an emotional mindset. So often people spend their money on things that they do not need and over time these things will only gather dust.
This is the role of the great marketer/advertiser- To play the consumer off against their needs and wants.
The great consumer earns and spends money with similar mindsets to avoid a life of dusting but we all know this already, don’t we?
My friend certainly does now after taking 3 long days to move his dust covered belongings 2km down the road.
Most people I know, for the better parts of their employment make reasonable amounts of money in positions where they are required to void themselves of emotion.
It is fair to say that the high earning positions in the business world require limited emotion when in work mode- a very calculated and measured mode. They make the decisions based on in depth analyses, statistics, facts and forecasts etc- emotion very rarely plays a part.
The majority of people assume a similar disposition with their day to day occupations. This is a good thing…until people start spending their hard earned cold hearted dollars.
Money should be used with the same attitude that it was acquired- calculated and measured.
So often people make purchases, investments and take on liabilities with an emotional mindset. So often people spend their money on things that they do not need and over time these things will only gather dust.
This is the role of the great marketer/advertiser- To play the consumer off against their needs and wants.
The great consumer earns and spends money with similar mindsets to avoid a life of dusting but we all know this already, don’t we?
My friend certainly does now after taking 3 long days to move his dust covered belongings 2km down the road.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The Formula- Making your brand go 'chk chk' BOOM!
If an online viral campaign’s success could (which it can’t) be boiled down to a formula it would be:
A very short creative story (which creatively involves your brand) + loveable/hateable personality + entertaining/engaging/user friendly content vehicle = online viral campaign success.
If you really want to create a super successful viral then ensure your content can evolve and continue to capture your audience time and time again.
A great example of this, although not involving a brand or proposition but an inaccurate account of a crime was- The infamous ‘Chk Chk Boom’ story from Australia.
The community went crazy by watching and distributing the video amongst their peers and within 24 hours it had well over 2 million hits worldwide. The mainstream media followed, the story was in almost every newspaper on newstands and interviews with the girl at the centre of it (personality) on TV screens accross the country.
So here we have a short creative story, a loveable or hateable (debateable) personality and sensationally entertaining content. Added to this, the content was evolving-. Everyone wanted to know about the ‘Chk Chk Boom’ girl and her story.
What unfolded was outstanding. The media played on the story for a good week and it was finally established that Miss Chk Chk Boom had in fact created the story herself and didn’t actually witness any ‘Chk-Chk boom’ at all.
Nonetheless- the formula was correct and it saturated the media for just over a week.
A current guerrilla marketing and viral campaign well worth checking out is:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=p797QYActtU
http://www.tictacmicha.com/
A very short creative story (which creatively involves your brand) + loveable/hateable personality + entertaining/engaging/user friendly content vehicle = online viral campaign success.
If you really want to create a super successful viral then ensure your content can evolve and continue to capture your audience time and time again.
A great example of this, although not involving a brand or proposition but an inaccurate account of a crime was- The infamous ‘Chk Chk Boom’ story from Australia.
The community went crazy by watching and distributing the video amongst their peers and within 24 hours it had well over 2 million hits worldwide. The mainstream media followed, the story was in almost every newspaper on newstands and interviews with the girl at the centre of it (personality) on TV screens accross the country.
So here we have a short creative story, a loveable or hateable (debateable) personality and sensationally entertaining content. Added to this, the content was evolving-. Everyone wanted to know about the ‘Chk Chk Boom’ girl and her story.
What unfolded was outstanding. The media played on the story for a good week and it was finally established that Miss Chk Chk Boom had in fact created the story herself and didn’t actually witness any ‘Chk-Chk boom’ at all.
Nonetheless- the formula was correct and it saturated the media for just over a week.
A current guerrilla marketing and viral campaign well worth checking out is:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=p797QYActtU
http://www.tictacmicha.com/
Good news travels fast- bad news is travelling a hell of a lot faster.
In this modern networked world, where the majority of us are living online and communicating with friends and complete strangers through various social utilities, hubs, forums and websites- Bad news is travelling at a rapid rate.
If you’re a celebrity or a somewhat famous brand, watch out!. If you don’t want to be a celebrity or a world renowned brand then watch out too!.
Megan Fox allegedly snubbed a young boy that was attempting to pass her a rose as a sign of his undying love for her body… I mean work. Hours later, photos circulated the web of Megan looking amazing as she stepped out at the launch of ‘Transformers’ and there were some photos of the little boy looking rejected in the background too.
That was all it needed for the online voice to turn negative. So negative in fact that Megan has come out and released a video of her apologising to the ‘sweet boy’.
"There were, like, 80 million people everywhere. It's dark, all I see are flashes. Everyone's yelling different things... and I didn't know that was happening," Megan said in her video.
Megan was right, there was “like, 80 million people everywhere.” They just were not all at the movie launch…they were sitting at home in front of their computers, reading, watching, blogging, emailing, twittering, facebooking, youtubing and networking about Megan..
Good news travels fast -Bad news is travelling a hell of a lot faster these days.
To see the video apology:
http://www.usmagazine.com/news/video-megan-fox-apologizes-for-snubbing-boy-fan-2009226
If you’re a celebrity or a somewhat famous brand, watch out!. If you don’t want to be a celebrity or a world renowned brand then watch out too!.
Megan Fox allegedly snubbed a young boy that was attempting to pass her a rose as a sign of his undying love for her body… I mean work. Hours later, photos circulated the web of Megan looking amazing as she stepped out at the launch of ‘Transformers’ and there were some photos of the little boy looking rejected in the background too.
That was all it needed for the online voice to turn negative. So negative in fact that Megan has come out and released a video of her apologising to the ‘sweet boy’.
"There were, like, 80 million people everywhere. It's dark, all I see are flashes. Everyone's yelling different things... and I didn't know that was happening," Megan said in her video.
Megan was right, there was “like, 80 million people everywhere.” They just were not all at the movie launch…they were sitting at home in front of their computers, reading, watching, blogging, emailing, twittering, facebooking, youtubing and networking about Megan..
Good news travels fast -Bad news is travelling a hell of a lot faster these days.
To see the video apology:
http://www.usmagazine.com/news/video-megan-fox-apologizes-for-snubbing-boy-fan-2009226
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Dr Media
My friend was feeling very ordinary the other day. She complained of feeling a little run down and a bit flat.
“Maybe I should go to the doctor?’ she said after 2 days.
“…and see someone that read text books composed by someone else whom they probably have never met and more than likely graduated more than a decade ago?’
She laughed and proceeded to make an appointment anyway.
3 hours later and $90 out of pocket my friend called me.
‘The doc thinks I could have Swine flu’
Isn’t it interesting that after more than 10 years studying and absorbing a wealth of information and practicing medicine for 5 years, this Doc was more influenced by what was circulating in the media at present than the last 15 years of her life.
My friend’s test results came back; she is ok and just burning the candle at both ends.
I was relieved because we had Mexican tacos for dinner the other week.
“Maybe I should go to the doctor?’ she said after 2 days.
“…and see someone that read text books composed by someone else whom they probably have never met and more than likely graduated more than a decade ago?’
She laughed and proceeded to make an appointment anyway.
3 hours later and $90 out of pocket my friend called me.
‘The doc thinks I could have Swine flu’
Isn’t it interesting that after more than 10 years studying and absorbing a wealth of information and practicing medicine for 5 years, this Doc was more influenced by what was circulating in the media at present than the last 15 years of her life.
My friend’s test results came back; she is ok and just burning the candle at both ends.
I was relieved because we had Mexican tacos for dinner the other week.
FIGHT FOR KISSES
Wilkinson Sword Razor Blades (owned by Energizer holdings) have launched a very entertaining TVC advertisment in France linked with online marketing.
The TVC scores very highly for creatively thinking outside the square and bonus points for their campaign execution. 'Fight for kisses' has a very engaging story line brought to life with just above average 3d animation. The TVC was heavily supported by Digital marketing- the campaign created by French Agency JWT Paris became an instant viral overnight and attracted huge traffic to their microsite.
http://www.ffk-wilkinson.com/
Advertising Agency: JWT Paris, FranceArt Director : Xavier BeauregardCopywriter : Vincent PedrocchiDirector : AkamaProduction : Wanda
The TVC scores very highly for creatively thinking outside the square and bonus points for their campaign execution. 'Fight for kisses' has a very engaging story line brought to life with just above average 3d animation. The TVC was heavily supported by Digital marketing- the campaign created by French Agency JWT Paris became an instant viral overnight and attracted huge traffic to their microsite.
http://www.ffk-wilkinson.com/
Advertising Agency: JWT Paris, FranceArt Director : Xavier BeauregardCopywriter : Vincent PedrocchiDirector : AkamaProduction : Wanda
The Creative Movement
If Pablo Picasso lived in today’s society he would be prosecuted by media. At any one time Pablo had 20 female girls (mostly under the age of 18) on the go. He would paint them, have sex with them and never allow them back into his studio. His thousands of sculptures, paintings, collages, drawings and mixed media’s would struggle to fetch over 1000k inclusively. Now we look back and call that the behaviour of a flawed genius-
If William Shakespeare lived today he would be writing plays, love sonnets and poems about how Jacky was in love with Phil until Phil invited Jacky to a house party and she got triple-teamed by the wingman, waterboy and the coach while Phil filmed on his Iphone and sent it to all his team mates for their enjoyment.. It would be a love story always destined for failure, full of beautiful turn of prose and skanky MMS. It could even be called ‘Mid Summer nights dream- until Jacky realised she could make money from telling the media her Nightmare”
If Claude Monet lived today he would be painting stunning landscapes of Coca Cola bottles and cans, slightly discoloured floating in every single one of our polluted and drying up lakes, rivers, waterways and ponds around the world. He would also paint landmarks, landscapes, and seascapes with a beautiful plume of pollution hovering in the distance.
And food for thought...
If humans got wiped out, say by the Swine flu and literally all human beings became extinct. It would be another few hundred thousand years before another life form became intelligent enough to dominate all the other life forms.It would be at this point that they will learn how to understand our languages and derive meaning from their findings. Harry Potter would be found (JK Rowling would be Mathew, Mark Luke and John all wrapped in one ) and a new religion would evolve and unfortunately wars would break out against Starwarism
If William Shakespeare lived today he would be writing plays, love sonnets and poems about how Jacky was in love with Phil until Phil invited Jacky to a house party and she got triple-teamed by the wingman, waterboy and the coach while Phil filmed on his Iphone and sent it to all his team mates for their enjoyment.. It would be a love story always destined for failure, full of beautiful turn of prose and skanky MMS. It could even be called ‘Mid Summer nights dream- until Jacky realised she could make money from telling the media her Nightmare”
If Claude Monet lived today he would be painting stunning landscapes of Coca Cola bottles and cans, slightly discoloured floating in every single one of our polluted and drying up lakes, rivers, waterways and ponds around the world. He would also paint landmarks, landscapes, and seascapes with a beautiful plume of pollution hovering in the distance.
And food for thought...
If humans got wiped out, say by the Swine flu and literally all human beings became extinct. It would be another few hundred thousand years before another life form became intelligent enough to dominate all the other life forms.It would be at this point that they will learn how to understand our languages and derive meaning from their findings. Harry Potter would be found (JK Rowling would be Mathew, Mark Luke and John all wrapped in one ) and a new religion would evolve and unfortunately wars would break out against Starwarism
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