Word of Mouth Guarantee

In a move to generate interest for the word of mouth medium, BzzAgent is offering a guarantee that their campaigns will outperform traditional media by 20%. The catch is that an advertiser must spend at least $300,000 on a campaign with BzzAgent using word of mouth and other media. An independent third part vendor will be involved with the measurement to help support the offer.

One of the challenges related to social media and tactics like word of mouth is measurement and what is considered success. It’s difficult to measure conversation and more so to translate that conversation into sales. It seems that BzzAgent is willing to take the challenge to it’s clients and put their money where their mouth is.

Are you confident enough in your business and brand that you’re willing to offer a $300,000 guarantee?

This horrible blog is only available for a limited time

Joss Whedon, writer/director for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly and Serenity, is turning the Internet on its ear with the his latest creation: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blogs. This short movie is being broken up into three acts and is set to be released a few days apart starting today. The three acts will be made available through Sunday, July 20th, and then, it will disappear as free content and be made available as a download for a fee or as a DVD.

The first Act has just hit the World Wide Web and it looks terrific. The film features Neil Patrick Harris as a demented evil doctor who might take over the world if he wasn’t so incompetent.

It’s a fun view and shows how the Internet has evolved from an ancillary communication tool to a viable media outlet. As more clients are wondering how to reach out to consumers in a relevant and memorable way, Whedon is taking a lead in creating something very different. I only hope this is the beginning of some very horrible Web pages.

Technorati Tags: Joss Whedon, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blogs, Neil Patrick Harris

IBM Drives the Bandwagon

Since 2005, when podcasting really started to take off, IBM has been driving this bandwagon with internal podcasts for its employees. IBM has recognized the importance of taking care of its employees so the employees take care of IBM (internal marketing to its employees). And IBM’s podcasts have nothing to do with the launch of a new product either. Its podcasts cover issues such as working mothers and interviews with the IBM executives so employees can get to know their fearless leaders. More importantly than the fearless leaders, the podcasts feature other employees, like the scientists, talking about normal life like driving, shopping, and banking. Taking it a step further, IBM has managed to cut operating costs, like its outrageous telephone bill, by utilizing the pocast to hold its weekly conference calls to update employees, who normally attended by phone, on “business matters.” Don’t think that the “powers that be” are the only ones who produce and introduce these podcasts either. IBM actually encourages its employees to create, upload and share their own podcasts with fellow employees. The result - over 700 podcasts and over 1 million downloads since the podcast launched in 2005.

Kristie Lorette is a freelance copywriter and marketing consultant who specializes in the financial services, mortgage, real estate, event planning and non-profit industries. Kristie holds a BS in marketing, BS in multinational business and an MBA. You can learn more about Kristie and her expertise by visiting her website www.studiokwriting.com.

It’s All About Email!

According to a recent article in AdWeek, email is now the most popular form of direct response marketing, based on a new survey of U.S. corporations done by Direct Partners.  The survey was sent to 30,000 companies with 2007 revenues exceeding $100 million.

The overall results of the study show that email is used primarily by 35% of companies compared to 25% that use traditional direct mail and 21% that use packages, statement stuffers or other free standing inserts.

What do you think the reasoning for this is?  Low cost? Quick response? What other reasons?

Another important note from the study was that half of the respondents that completed the survey said they handle their direct response marketing internally. What do you think benefits are of handling internally over externally?

Also among the findings:

– 68%  market to their prospect database

– 82% market to their customer database

– 57% said their direct response budget would remain the same this year

– 47% said that less than 10 percent of their marketing budget went to direct response media

–50% of the respondents handle their direct response marketing internally

–56% spent less than $1 million on direct response media in the past year

What do you think of these statistics?

How does your organization handle email in regard to using it as a direct mail tactic?

Source: AdWeek

Screen Saver Advertising?

The new Toyota Hilux’s brand promise is “Unbreakable” and they are supposedly targeting “the” new generation of consumers.

In attempt to reach these consumers and encourage these new consumers to visit the showroom and arrange a test drive, they developed a screensaver using the motion sensor built into the latest generation of laptops, to deliver a truly interactive experience and demonstrate the “unbreakability” of the 2008 Hilux, according to Ads of the World.

They then distributed this to a database of potential Hilux buyers, and encouraged them to forward it on. From the screen saver, users could click through and arrange a test drive at their local dealership.

What do you think of this advertising via screen saver?

Well, Toyota thinks it worked! There was an increase of 60% in some cases in Hilux enquiries reported by dealerships which of course resulted in an increase in actual test drives.

According to the articles, informal dealer feedback described the campaign as “compelling”, “entertaining”, “very engaging” and “really helps to reinforce that a Hilux is unbreakable.”

So, what do you think? Will we see more screen saver advertising in the future? Does this campaign work with the Toyota target market?

Source: Ads of the World

Actions speak louder than words.

According to a recent Newsday article, a group of bored teenage boys ages 14-18 stayed out at all hours of the night committing violent crimes for fun. They robbed and beat a man, carjacked a BMW and drove around smashing other vehicles with a bat, crowbar and broomstick. When they were finally arrested, these teens blamed the video game Grand Theft Auto IV for their actions.

At first glance, you might feel sorry for these kids. These young, innocent teens are trying to find their way through a harsh and unforgiving world. What’s more, their ethics are manipulated and corrupted by media and entertainment companies as well as peer pressure. (Stephen Attard, 18, police mug shot)

But then you have to wonder, what kind of parents permit their kids to roam the streets at all hours of the night? Who’s providing them with a moral compass that guides them as to what’s right and wrong? And since when are characters in ESRB Mature rated video game considered role models?

Parents and the media are now quick to point the finger at Rockstar Games for influencing these young impressionable minds. There’s no doubt that video games can be great training devices to learn a new skill. But blaming video games or movies for encouraging immature minds to commit crimes is ridiculous. These entertainment properties offer a variety of views on life. If these kids believed that Grand Theft Auto IV presented a world where crime pays, then they weren’t paying close attention.

Technorati Tags: Grand Theft Auto IV, Stephen Attard, Rockstar Games

The World of World of WarCraft

For all you MMORPG players, the new expansion pack is here! For those of you who don’t know what MMORP is, nevermind…

The gang over at American Copywriter are good for interesting content and a solid laugh every now and again. This video on the World of the World of WarCraft is a hysterical spoof on the ever growing online video game by Blizzard. What makes it so funny is that it’s so true. I think when your brand is the butt of jokes and is spoofed by the Onion you have truly arrived! 

The Secret Location

Is your web site a true representation of your company? Does your brand resonate throughout the user experience on your site? The Secret Location is an integrated media company that carries the message of their experiential marketing roots into the experience on their site. If you’ve got the time, I encourage you to take a step into the looking glass and search for the secret location…

Heineken Is My Co-(Branding)-Pilot

I’ve got to be honest.  I’m a fan of co-branding.  Maybe it’s the idea that two brands can come together to help each other strengthen their respective brands. The thought of a harmonious relationship is attractive in a society and world filled with a “me first” attitude.  Generally, it really only makes sense if there is a win-win situation.  (Although, some companies/brands out there may only care if they “win”, even if it means the other brand will “lose.” That all depends on one’s morals and I’m not touching that topic…yet.)

The newest co-branding project that has caught my attention is the Heineken BeerTender by Krups.  “BeerTender: The Ultimate At Home Draught Beer Experience. It’s not often you use ‘beer’ and ’stunning’ in the same sentence. But then again, you’ve probably never experienced BeerTender.  It’s a testament to our deep appreciation beer — and our desire to bestow upon you The Perfect Draught Beer.”  (http://beertender.usa.heineken.com/home.php) 

The BeerTender appears to be targeted towards those who are serious about their beer and take pride in the art of the beer experience.  It would not surprise me if Heineken also has hopes of attracting less-than-connoisseur beer drinkers who are wooed by technology.  Or maybe college age kids (of legal age of course!).

The domestic beer market has been in a bit of a funk and companies are doing what they can to boost sales and market share.  Look at Miller and Anheuser-Busch. They recently created and are marketing camouflage beer cans.  (Once again, that’s for another blog entry.)  This is Heineken’s big shot at “innovation” in the beer market.  Will others follow suit and introduce some sort of product that makes the beer presentation and pouring process more fun than popping a bottle cap and pouring it into a mug…or perhaps a plastic red cup for you college kids?

Since Heineken is the only beer manufacturer with this new beer pouring technology, one has only one choice for a BeerTender refill: the Heineken DraughtKeg.  This ought to help boost Heineken’s beer sales, yet, it is all trivial as to how much because it is dependent on the sales of the BeerTender.  (FYI- a DraughtKeg is equivalent to a little more than a 12-pack of 12 oz bottles — 13 1/3 bottles to be exact.)  One can’t help but wonder if other beer manufactures will dodge creating their own versions of the BeerTender and produce mini-beer kegs similar to the Heineken DraughtKeg?  If beer manufacturers are smart they’ll keep a close eye on the sales of the BeerTender.  Why create and manufacture a mini-beer keg to be used in the BeerTender if the BeerTender isn’t moving any volume? Wait it out but be ready beer manufacturers.

Heineken really couldn’t have teamed up with a better brand than Krups.  Anyone who has been in the market for kitchen appliances, such as a coffee machine, has most likely come across Krups.  While there’s nothing sexy about the Krups brand logo, it is a well-established brand with a nice range of product offerings with sleek designs and reliable performance that can look visually appealing in almost any kitchen.

Krups came up with the technology yet Heineken is the spotlight brand associated with the BeerTender.  That leads me to believe that even if the Heineken BeerTender is a complete failure, the Krups brand image shouldn’t be weakened.  On the other side, if the BeerTender becomes the next iconic cultural technology gadget, the Krups brand probably won’t strengthen a whole lot either.  Come to think of it the same could be said about the Heineken brand.

Adios,

Michael

To learn more about the Heineken BeerTender, visit the BeerTender website.

Technorati Tags: BeerTender, co-branding, draught beer, Heineken, Krups

Tweet2Win

Social media has taken the marketing world by storm with sites like Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, etc. An old faithful friend of marketing is a contest. Online contests are a great way to gather information from the people who are visiting your website. From one of my Twitter Followers, I learned about a contest yesterday that has these two worlds colliding. If you Twitter, then you can enter this contest to win a variety of prizes, which are drawn on a weekly basis. In order to be entered for the drawings, you have to Twitter about the contest. For an added chance to win, you can blog about the contest.

This is the perfect example of how marketing is not a one time mailing or creation of a brochure. Marketing is a process that requires multiple steps and the use of multiple mediums. In this case the use of a contest (marketing 101), Twitter (social media), and blogging (social media).

Bravo Tweet2Win!

For more information on the contest, visit www.Tweet2Win.com

BMW’s Skin

BMW is again proving it is an innovative brand that pushes the limits of what a car company can be. They’ve put out the following video that highlights GINA, a new development concept that uses a “skin” technology for the exterior of vehicles that could open the door for new designs and adaptive construction for vehicles.

The material may never see the light of day from a production standpoint but they use video and good storytelling to continue to reinforce their position as an innovative brand and industry leader.

Technorati Tags: Beneath the Brand,Jamey Shiels,BMW,GINA,Innovation,Automobile Industry

The Billboard is Watching You

Technology developed after 9/11 is finding its way into the advertising world. Small cameras were developed for placement at security checkpoints to scan faces and collect the information and compare against most wanted databases. The quality of the images didn’t quite cut it for identification purposes so a new application has now been discovered. These video cameras are finding new life in outdoor advertising. They are being used to capture the faces of people who turn to pay attention to the advertisement.

The idea is that the information will be used to better target audiences based on information collected. As marketers are trying to gather as much information on their audiences as possible, this is an interesting new approach that is trying to work with an old medium.

It’s an interesting idea but it’s also a little creepy. It makes me think of the one hit wonder from Rockwell, “I always feel like, somebody’s watching me…”

Compliments of endgaget.

What’s Your Social Media Flavor

Lee Lefever of CommonCraft has put together another excellent video to explain something that can be complicated and confusing. Below is an excellent video that explains social media in a context that I can totally understand…ice cream.

I appreciate how they show the value to the individual as well as the company. The use of social media by brands doesn’t need to be complex and overwhelming. Give people the tools and the opportunity and they will interact with you and their brand if they are motivated to do so.

CommonCrafts product is explanation. They use video and paper to make complex ideas easy to understand. The paperworks format sets a visual stage that supports the simple explanation. You’re not distracted by special effects and fancy transitions. You can focus your attention on what they’re trying to explain.

For those curious about social media or looking for a way to explain it to your brand friends, enjoy the show and check out more from CommonCraft.

Technorati Tags: Beneath the Brand,Jamey Shiels,Lee Lefever,CommonCraft,Social Media,Branding

Samsung Illusions

Here’s a cool video that Samsung has put together that features optical illusions. It’s interesting to see how the eyes can play tricks on you but I’m not exactly sure how this helps sell phones. After seeing the other elements, the way they highlight the phone is the least effective optical illusion of them all and detracts from the presentation. I’m not sure what the selling proposition is here or what it has to do with the phone other than pretty buttons/images on the base.

What do you think? Cool video and what’s up with the phone or give me that phone?

Where’s the Remote?

Always searching the couch cushions and end tables for your remote?

Never fear!

This remote control holding pillow has put your searching days to an end!

These hand-made hemp and organic cotton pillows have a separate pocket set aside for your remote, so you are sure top never misplace it again! The pillows are made in Michigan by Mary and Shelly Klein, come in black and white and are priced at $116.

Source: Uncommon Goods

Who’s Texting Who?

Who doesn’t love text messaging?

What a great way to get a quick message across, the perfect way to avoid voicemail and email and a great way to get a speedy response!

Even marketers have begun using text messages to accomplish all of these things! To promote reality TV show Big Brother 2008 in Australia, their advertising agency created a unique bluetooth SMS campaign that really caught people off guard. The ads used the “Big Brother is watching” slogan, which is the spirit of the show.

According to Trendhunter, the campaign installed Blue-tooth transmitters in over 20 bus shelters around town and the transmitters automatically sent two anonymous messages to any bluetooth enabled phones in the area.

The first message was tailored specifically for the local location, with something along the lines of “Im watching u. Ur at the (customized current location)”.

The second message is received 30-40 seconds later with the reveal, reading “Big Brother is back. 7PM weeknights on TEN”.

What do you think about receiving text messages from marketers? What do you think about the “stalker like” approach of this particular text message marketing?

Source: Trendhunter

Are all toys going virtual?

Will all toys soon have a digital component?

Lego seems to think so!

Can you believe that kids spend over 5 billion hours playing with Legos each year? This number could triple or even increase 10 fold with the launch of a new massive multiplayer online game called Lego Universe.

The idea of these virtual worlds of toys is not a new idea, however they are becoming more and more popular and Lego is following right in step.

You buy the traditional toy, the Barbie, the Legos, the stuffed animal Webkinz, and register the code it comes with online. This registration allows you to enter into an online world where kids play with a virtual version of their real life toy and interact with other kids around the world.

Lego Universe, will have characters who can buy Lego bricks and other tools for building. However, whereas in games like WebKinz the virtual characters have to earn their money through virtual jobs, the Lego characters “earn” their currency through time spent playing, Trendhunter describes.

Not revealing too much info on the details of the game, Brian Booker, the game’s designer says, “Aside from just playing games or trading and socializing, the story allows minifigs to team up—and that’s when the real adventuring begins. If the teams of little LEGO people are successful in their endeavors, they’ll uncover new zones where they can have new and different experiences…”

Lego Universe will also differ in the fact that rather than winning or beating an opponent, players build capital by spending time in the game. “The more a child plays, they collect more coins and more bricks. The more you play, the more you get to build things,” Hansen said.

Can you imagine what kind of addiction this will lead to?

Source: Trendhunter, Reuters

What are your thoughts on virtual toys? Does it encourage spending too much time online and not enough time outside? Are these toys educational?

Build Your Own Stuffed Toy Online with Xoddo

Xoddo claims to be the first “the first online ‘design it, build it, buy it’ stuffed toy in history. I don’t really like these weird little toys. You can customize the toy however you want, as long as it’s bright stupid looking. I’m not a kid and maybe I’m biased against bad design, but there are some good things about Xoddo. The name is not one of them. They have a specific target. Kids! They create an online experience, although they could have spent a little more time making it come to life. They have two starting prices. The toys start at $18 which is affordable, but all the little critters are shaped the same. I’m running out of nice things to say. I really like the concept. It reminds me of an online Build-A-Bear with little printout stuffed toys instead of the soft animals I’m use to seeing. However, It appears that Xoddo might have rushed into the market to capitalize on a growing market. Their positioning is more of a company statement than something that offers a real benefit. This brand can and probably will do alright, but there’s seems to be something missing. A story maybe?

All Aboard the Digital Express

I did a bit of research this semester on the whole concept of digital for my master’s thesis and I’d like to share some insights with you. I am prepared to be 100% wrong here, but I’d like to give my honest opinion. There are countless experts and bloggers with opinions on the digital future and what it means for you. Even industry publications such as Adage or BusinessWeek are talking about the digital change that will come in the not so distant future. The Advertising industry in particular has a sour tone in its messaging, maybe in part to Google becoming one of the biggest players overnight. The big holding companies have been making power moves to enhance their digital offering over the past two years. The digital “haves” are enjoying the sunshine, while the “have-not” folks are out in the rain. I see the digital divide in the communications industry as a problem of perception that is made worse by our very own media. David Kenny, chairman of Digitas was quoted saying “It is only a matter of time until nearly all advertisements around the world are digital.”

This sort of language creates a sense of urgency that manifests itself as digital anxiety or even aversion in some cases. After reading several articles I couldn’t help but feel like I was falling behind. And I try to keep up to date on digital technology. Then I realized that it is not about falling behind or getting ahead. It’s about being comfortable with technology and I am very comfortable. I read the articles with an objective perspective and saw how dangerous words can be. The quote above, by David Kenny is ambiguous at best. A matter of time could be 2 seconds or two decades. And most advertisements are already digital in some form or another. They are created using digital cameras, edited in Photoshop, laid out in InDesign, and many are seen on digital cable. This is all happening without mention of online technology. We are already in the digital age, so get comfortable enough to be confident about digital and don’t buy into the hype. The only way to miss this train is to jump off because we are already on it.

FYI, Mr. Kenny has 1.3 billion reasons to believe his statement. That’s how much Publicis paid for Digitas in late 2006, which sparked the beginning of a digital buying spree by competitors.

SixApart Rolls Out New ‘Services’ and ‘Advertising’ Divisions

SixApart, the company that brought you the Movable Type and Typepad blog platforms recently expanded its suite of services to include design, development and advertising.

SixApart just purchased NYC-based social media design agency Apperceptive to handle custom design and development for major brands and the most influential bloggers. They have also created an advertising network to serve bloggers who use their platform. “On April 21, we launched an innovative advertising program that gives bloggers another way to optimize their blog efforts and make more money,” said SixApart in a email sent yesterday.

SixApart’s reason for expanding its services are based on the needs of its user-community… “As your needs and ambitions for your blogs have expanded, you’ve asked us for even more services to help achieve your goals, building on the great TypePad support that you already love. Since Six Apart is a company by bloggers for bloggers, our mission is to help you achieve blogging success, however you define it.”

SixApart was one of the early entrants into blog platform development and still one of the most influential, despite the attention gained by competitor WordPress.