2007 is coming to a close and was a busy and exciting time for me. I’ve joined two very exciting teams. Fullhouse Interactive is where I hang my hat for a day job. Beneath the Brand is where I get to express my thoughts on marketing trends as I see it. I’m looking forward to 2008 as I grow in each of these ventures as well as pursuing additional discussions as I continue to explore the digital experience on my personal blog walk on.
The future will prove to be a constantly changing landscape. Marketing is changing dramatically as consumers are given…
I’m working through my RSS feeds and have come across several lists that highlight key things from 2007 as well as lists looking ahead for 2008. It’s interesting to see how the different perspectives influence the items on the list of each individual. It would be very interesting to see a mash-up of lists and see what pops out as the top ten for 2007 as well as the top ten looking forward for 2008.
One of the forward looking lists that tweaked my interest was put together by Idris Mootee over at Innovation Playground. He’s a very insightful writer and I’ve learned…
Jan Chipchace, a Nokia researcher gave a Ted Talk about mobile phones and society. He examined how these phones are used in developing countries. People adapt to technology and technology adapts to people. That’s just one of the points I took away from this talk. Watch the video here, but also visit the Ted site and read the discussion about this talk.
Mobile advertising is one of those things that many marketers think they should be doing. Since mobile penetration is at 80% in the U.S., it’s logical to think that there’s money to be made. If you could reach a fraction of mobile phone users you’d be doing alright. The problem is that mobile devices are first fragmented by device, then by carrier and signal type and finally by use. We haven’t even gotten into demographics yet. There are hundreds of phone models available. Some don’t even have texting capability. Some have GPS, satellite radio, television, Windows and all kinds of…
I don’t like MSFT’s new operating system Vista. Frankly, I don’t think I’ve met many people who do. I’m happy with XP. (But, then again, I said the same thing about Windows 98 back in the day. Those who ended up purchasing computers with the Millenium edition (also known as ‘ME’) can sympathize.
Anyway, the blue monster, as cartoonist/blogger Hugh McLeod refers to Microsoft, has taken to none other than YouTube to try and convince people of Vista’s worth. It ain’t workin’. Somebody should have told them to turn comments off. Why? Because relatively few are flattering.
Comments such as “down with? vista!” and…
Will the trend toward advertising on the Internet continue in 2008? You betcha, especially if budgets tighten. Why? It’s the “channel’s inherent measurability,” says a MediaPost article.
You know the old adage, “Half my advertising is wasted, I just don’t know which half.” Enter web advertising and that notion flies out the window. The beauty of a 360 degree trackable medium is that you can know from start to finish just how a campaign performs. With the need to target advertising to reduce waste, the Internet is a marketer’s dream. Has been for a long time and will continue to be…
L’Oreal has created a campaign called “The Harry Situation”for a new product line. By watching the video clips you can see the blatant product plugs that are part of the approach. The campaign tools make fun of the traditional advertising approach through its use of a web site, blog and a variety of video clips. In it’s attempt to target 18 - 34 year old males, the video clips revolve around a Three’s Company-esque television show with sexual innuendo and short clothing.
I know what they’re trying to do but I’m not sure it works. They want to create content that will…
L’Oréal and their digital agency, Avenue A/Razorfish have created a campaign that spoofs product placement on television sitcoms. The campaign includes a blog that talks about a great show that’s not going to air. The show, “The Harry Situation” is part Three’s company, part American Pie. Viral clips of the show are available on the show’s site. You can also read news about the show’s sponsor, Garnier Fructis Bold It. The show entices the curious by promising nudity and explicit sexual situations. It is already generating some buzz. It’s an interesting campaign. I’m not the target audience but it is worth passing…
I recently wrote about preparing your brand before you go social. Here’s a good case to illustrate some of the discussed topics. Microsoft created a new Youtube channel on December 21st to promote Live and Vista. Their videos illustrate the good things about Vista and Live. They don’t say anything negative, which is fine. This does not create a balanced conversation. If Microsoft is ready to be social, they have to accept comments good and bad. As you may already know, some people dislike anything Microsoft does. Microsoft left the comments section open, so people are free to leave all kinds of…
Seth Godin is a marketing guru, there’s no question about that. And now, he’s achieved a new level of recognition; his own action figure. You can get your very own Seth Godin action figure today! When you think of your own personal brand, do you consider yourself worthy of having your own action hero? Have you taken the time to invest in registering your name as a domain name? Do you have a blog ? Have you done a Google search of your name to see the results? Have you produced any online content that can impact the search results for you name.
From a personal…
Wii want to play. Apparently lots of people do. The Wii is impossible to find. Frankly, I was annoyed at Nintendo for not finding a way to increase production to meet demand. The game of cat a mouse required to obtain one is ridiculous. My annoyance was also fueled by being one of the outsiders who had not had the chance to experience the revolutionary gameplay
My wife was able to track down the elusive toy and now I finally understand the Wii experience.
From a marketing standpoint, the message matches the experience. In the commercials the Wii promotes a family engagement…
I received an early Christmas gift this year. It consisted of a premium plus membership to Marketing Profs, one of the signature resources for marketing information, especially as it pertains to the Internet.
Whether it’s the Daily Fix blog, the Know-How Exchange forums, or the many wonderful online seminars like the one upcoming with Seth Godin, Marketing Profs is it for me. I’m like a kid in a candy store there. I can never get enough.
As part of the holiday season, I was partaking in the annual trip to visit family. My travels took me around Chicago on 294, the tollroad that moves millions of cars each year. I quickly noticed the amazing number of billboards. One after the other advertising a variety of wares and services. The sheer number of boards led me to consider the role and future of the billboard in the overall marketing effort.
I understand the value in a complete campaign that utilizes all communication components; but, I’m beginning to question the future of the billboard as an effective means of communication. I no longer see the value of billboards as a brand…
Marketers’ biggest regret for 2007 is a lack of understanding of just who their customers are, so says NextLevelSMG’s first brand strategy survey of marketing execs. Their top resolution for 08? To make sure that lack of understanding doesn’t turn into their biggest regret again at the end of next year.
In my view, the key is all about building trust-worthy relationships with customers. That’s one reason I’ve been such a champion of blogging over the years. I see that singular approach as central to any customer relationship management and retention strategy.
My wife has a seven year old grandson whom we spent a considerable amount of time with over the holidays. In jest, I asked him if he got a cell phone from Santa for Christmas. His reply: “No. Actually (he says ‘acutally’ a lot), I’m getting that next year.”
“An eight year old with a mobile device,” I mused to myself. Actually, it’s not that uncommon.
Nielsen Mobile recently announced some findings of an in-depth study, “Kids on the Go: Mobile Usage by U.S. Teens and Tweens,” on the mobile media and cross media behavior of U.S. “tweens” (ages 8-12).
The study found that…
I came across a great branding resource while doing some research, Rebrand.com.
“ReBrand™ is the global source for case studies and programs on effective brand transformations: the repositioning, revitalizing, and redesign of existing brand assets to meet strategic goals. View showcased examples from around the world.”
They offer a variety of case studies and articles on rebranding and repositioning. If you want to see who’s doing right and wrong check it out. It’s well worth the bookmark.
Court TV is going through it’s second rebranding effort in eight years. The first change was a simple logo change. They removed a fingerprint and added a DNA test band to the logo. This time it’s different. Court TV is changing their name and their positioning. They are no longer a courtroom drama channel. They are an engaging reality TV network. Court TV is not the same company is was a few years ago. The audience is different, ratings are up, and the ownership structure has changed. They truly are a new brand. Begining January 1st 2008, Court TV will become…
Apple is teaming up with 20th Century Fox to deliver movies over iTunes. The stage is set for broadband rentals for the masses. Blockbuster made headlines with Jackass 2.5 in an effort to promote their broadband entertainment. Netflix is already doing the same. Tivo has a similar feature. The difference between Apple and these other companies (except Tivo) is the hardware. Apple introduced Apple TV alongside the iPhone. People aren’t buzzing about Apple TV because they don’t really get it. The infrastructure is in place, but the concept is still not clear to consumers.
I’m a big fan of the TED conference. Since I stumbled across the TED | Talks web site, I’ve watched several amazing individuals deliver their thoughts on a variety of topics including culture, technology and education.
One of my favorite TED Talks is by Sir Ken Robinson. His presentation is called : Do schools kill creativity? His thesis is that we are educating individuals out of their creative capacities. He quotes Picasso as saying, "All children are born artists. The problem is to remain an artist as we grow up."
There are times that I wish I were more of creative…
In today’s over-commercialized Christmas season, Christmas specials are a dime a dozen. You end up with a mash-up of artists and entertainment that becomes more about the show then the message. Christmas is becoming ever more commercial and driven by sales and profits than it’s message of peace, joy and grace.
Considering it’s Christmas Eve, here’s a piece that should help usher in the Christmas spirit. For some reason it reminds me of how Christmas should be. It’s a meet-up that probably never should have worked, but it did. Of all the artists who paired up, Bing Crosby and David…
