Google Voice Pre-launch; Forbes Seems “Google-Confused”

090803 NewsweekDespite the fact that Newsweek boldly claimed that the recession was over, it’s really not: On July 31st, Verizon Wireless reported a 21% decline in profits, which, as we all know by now, means massive lay-offs. In this case, 8,000 more employees, the largest lay-off since the GM debacle.  And just to keep things on the up-and-up, Verizon has already cut 8,000 jobs in 2009. It’s my guess that Verizon employees are thinking that the recession lives on…

So, not only must we disseminate information gathered from online sources, it would seem that we must do the same for magazines, newspapers, and TV newscasts; nothing can be taken at face-value.

Which brings me to Forbes and their haphazardly scattered reporting on Google. In the past 10 days, Forbes has printed stories ranging from Google being on top of the SEO game, to comparing Google to newspapers, printing a story titled, “Why Google Won’t Last Forever.” Forbes either does not understand Google’s business plan, or they’re simply pounding out headlines to gain readers. In a single week, they reported the Google demise story and a separate story on how Google Wave and Android will revolutionize telecommunications, e-mail, chat, blogging, archiving and file uploading.

voice-logoBy now, most people have heard of Google Voice, although relatively few know what this new offering will provide. Luckily, I signed up to test Voice, and just received my “approved” email, so I’m not certain what it does either…but I’m eager to find out. Google Voice, formerly known as GrandCentral, was a company that Google acquired in 2007 for just over $50 Million. Despite the nearly two-year wait, the bugs have supposedly been put to rest and the service is ready for beta testing. Below is Google’s video explanation of Google Voice.

Google Voice has a singular main idea: “one phone number for all your phones, for life.” This single phone number will, in essence, combine all your phone numbers, including cellular, office, home, vacation home, etc. To use the service correctly, the phone number provided by Google Voice will be your main phone number. Depending on the party calling, Google Voice will route the call to the appropriate telephone, or even ring all of the phones simultaneously. Thus, calls coming from family members can be set up to ring your mobile and home phone; business calls, depending on how easily you want to be found, can ring both your office and your cellular (or your office, cell, home and vacation number). If your Google Voice number receives a text message, it automatically routes to your cell phone.

Google has also enhanced the original service by adding a transcription service which transfers all of your voice mails into text which users can then append, adding notes or tags for future searching. Voice will also include a friend setting, which routes calls from designated people straight to voicemail, home phone, cell phone, etc. Users can access Google Voice via computer or telephone, and the system tracks all received calls, missed calls, text messages, placed calls, and will even record phone calls. Although not “live” at this time, Google Voice and Gmail will be fully integrated in the future, providing a single source point for all personal and business communications. As an added benefit, if you happen to receive a text message while on your computer, you can simply use the Google Voice interface on your computer to respond.

Google Voice includes a teleconferencing feature for calls of up to 6 people, plus the ability to record the teleconference. International calls can be made at about the same rate that Skype currently offers.

As for costs, with the exception of International calling, the service is very affordable: It’s free.

With Android, Wave, and Voice all nearing release stage, it would seem that Google’s position is where it’s always been…in front of the competition.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Brand Project Manager, blogger and aspiring writer. To contact Jeff, leave a comment or find him on LinkedIn or Twitter.


Cellufun: First Ever Mobile PSA

CellufunLogoAs technological capabilities expand, so do ideas…or vice versa. In either case, we seem to witness ideas that break the “traditional mold” on a regular basis. Cellufun, a mobile social gaming community, is launching the first Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign over a mobile, or cellular, network. It is an idea that breaks conceptual boundaries.

Known as “The World’s Mobile Playground, Cellufun is teaming with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and will feature in-game advertising as well as user-donation opportunities to the two charities via their mobile phone.

Cellufun is a virtual world where people are able to meet, play games, and shop…all via cellular phone. Available on any phone with a data plan, consumers are able to access Cellufun globally. Cellufun partners with diverse mobile operators and media companies to deliver entertainment and mobile marketing solutions.

Cellufun mobile clients will be able to purchase Superman Tags for their online avatars; profits from the tags will go to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

“We think this is a fantastic opportunity to extend our presence into the mobile space,” said Peter T. Wilderotter, president and CEO of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. “This is a unique chance to be part of a robust online community where people can show their support for our real-world efforts by purchasing an item in their favorite virtual world.”

There are currently 7 million-plus users of Cellufun, spending an average 7 hours per month connecting with friends, playing games, and shopping for virtual products. On average an active user will be on Cellufun nearly 7 hours each month, which equates to more than 220 million monthly impressions.

ASPCA_logoThe ASPCA ads will be featured in “pet games and activities,” with a company-estimated value of $10,000 per month in free advertising.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Cellufun for this unique campaign” said Jo Sullivan, Executive Vice President of External Affairs for the ASPCA. “By bringing the ASPCA straight to the mobile devices of millions of users, we will be able to dramatically increase awareness of our mission and the vital work we do every day to save animals’ lives.”

Cellu-la

By introducing the world’s first mobile PSA campaign, Cellufun hopes to raise awareness and secure donations from its users for worthwhile charitable endeavors. With a large user base, the company hopes to help non-profits reach a wider audience by bringing them into the mobile medium.

“Cellufun’s social games—such as Mobile Pet Online and Cellufun Farming—provide not only entertainment, but the perfect venue for raising social awareness by partnering with leading charities and non-profits,” said Neil Edwards, chief executive officer of Cellufun.

The company plans to expand the first-ever mobile PSA campaign to include other charities in the near future.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Brand Project Manager, writer and blogger can be reached by leaving a comment or on Twitter and LinkedIn.


Brands and Products So Smelly They’re Priceless

smelly-armpitsApproximately 80% of a corporate, or brand, identity is defined by either sight or sound. Yet, out of the five senses, these are but two. Although debatable, smell may be our most powerful sense (others argue that it’s sight). Without smell, our sense of taste is diminished because smell and taste combine to define flavor. Smell is invaluable for detecting danger such as a fire, or easing into a state of calm such as aromatherapy.

The sense of smell is so powerful that memories long-past are instantly recalled when a particular odor is encountered.

“A certain smell can invoke the memory of a particularly good time or remind us of a time when we were at our worst. Smells help make up our everyday lives. The wearing of body fragrances is just one of the ways that people present themselves to the world.”

noseDue to its ability to affect us, marketers and advertisers can strategically use a particular scent to build (or reinforce) a company, brand, or product image in the consumer’s mind.

Singapore Airlines, an early-adopter of Scent Marketing, incorporated a single smell into its branding efforts to aid in forming positive consumer associations with the brand. Martin Lindstrom, author of Brand Sense, attributes the addition of this scent to the airline’s marketing arsenal as the defining difference that led Singapore Airlines to rank as one of the “most important brands.” The airline has garnered a 5-Star Rating, won “Passenger’s Choice Airline,” “Airline of the Year” in 2007, Travel & Leisure’s “Best Airline” award in 2008, and the “Top Customer Satisfaction” honors in 2009.

Rolls-Royce-Phantom_Coupe_2009_800x600_wallpaper_01The sense of smell is already so ingrained with certain brands that when that scent is unwittingly altered, consumers take notice. Rolls-Royce consumers, who invest anywhere between $100,000 and $500,000 per car, lost their love for the Rolls-Royce brand in the 1990s, claiming that the newer models did not meet the high-quality found in legacy models. This surprised the automaker; it had not made any significant changes to production methods other than upgrades in safety and technology. Technically, the new cars should have been better than the older models. The automaker invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in research and, in the end, determined that the differentiating factor was scent. Rolls-Royce then took one of its elite models, a 1965 Silver Cloud, and analyzed the Rolls-Royce smell. The researchers determined that over 800 elements combined to form the fragrance. They duplicated this branded aroma and incorporated it into every new car built from that point forward, indicating the luxury carmaker’s dedication to its brand:

“Today, our brand means more than engineering excellence. It is a standard of quality across all our activities. Our brand guides our actions and behaviors and the way we present ourselves to the world…”

Many other companies also use Scent Marketing. GM, for instance, began adding scent to the leather of its Cadillacs in 2003 (ironically, Cadillac just announced it would be launching a fragrance line to celebrate its 100th birthday with GM… certainly it isn’t using taxpayer bail-out dollars). Sony and Samsung have already instituted scents for their company stores. Also, luxury hotels are investigating various fragrances that will create an emotional connection with their guests.

Lindstrom, in a widely distributed research paper, highlighted that “… 99 percent of all brand communication today is focused on two senses: what we hear and see. In sharp contrast, 75 percent of our emotions are generated by what we in fact smell”.

Although Scent Marketing is not quite accepted as the norm for marketing practices due to the difficulty of measuring ROI, it is beginning to gain respect for its ability to evoke deep feelings between companies and their consumers.

scentmktinstuteThe Scent Marketing Institute provides both companies and individuals “an independent resource for understanding and leveraging the power of scent applications in business and public environments.” The Institute offers everything from newsletters and suggestions for Scent Marketing programs to benchmarking standards and ROI measurement programs.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Brand Project Manager, blogger and aspiring writer. To contact Jeff, leave a comment or find him on www.linkedin.com or www.twitter.com.


Athletic Art Shows – Nike Teams With INSA for Art Show (GALLERY)

(TrendHunter.com) INSA has teamed up with Nike Sportswear to create this exhibition titled “Looking For Love.” INSA is very well known for female-inspired themes in its artwork.

Some pieces had classic INSA trademark topics…

Heineken Cassettestick

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Os cassetes estão de volta, só que em forma de USB-stick. A Heineken, muito ligada à música, dá essas fitas para todos que comprarem embalagens que contém 6 latinhas de cerveja, na Holanda. As cassetes vêm com cinco músicas diferentes, que vão do Pop ao Rock dos anos 80 (por isso as cassetes).

As pessoas também podem fazer o download gratuito de três faixas exclusivas no site. Banners espalhados por portais de música complementam a promoção, dando a oportunidade de ouvir mais músicas oitentistas.

Nova Pepsi chega ao Brasil

O Brasil é um dos primeiros países que recebe a novidade, apresentada no final de 2008 nos Estados Unidos. O novo conceito, baseado em uma energia mais positiva, foi trabalhado pela agência americana Arnell Group, renomada agência internacional de design, subsidiária do grupo Omnicom.

Assim, com visual limpo, a Pepsi transformou a onda branca de seu globo em um sorriso, que transmite a energia do jovem ou daqueles que possuem o “espírito jovem”.

Recebi agora, aqui em casa, uma latinha nova. Ao mesmo tempo que ela é modernosa, ela também remete a algo mais retrô. Gostei muito, apesar de não ser tão fã da bebida. Enfim, veja no topo deste post o filme que apresentou a nova identidade visual da marca, e também uma imagem da nova lata.

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Branded Content: Toyota Prius e Good Magazine

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Tenho comentado bastante sobre colaborações inovadoras. Essas colaborações se estendem além de uma parceria harmoniosa entre duas ou mais marcas. Elas, as colaborações, também vão além com marcas e veículos de comunicação que, se bem trabalhadas, são instantaneamente batizadas de branded content, um tema que eu tenho bastante interesse.

Na semana passada, a Toyota apresentou mais um projeto inovador em parceria com Good Magazine, uma revista gringa que é uma espécie de Super Interessante, toda voltada pra galerinha cool. A parceria resultou em uma grande intervenção e patrocínio da montadora japonesa, que busca divulgar o seu carro Prius em toda plataforma da revista (online e offline). Um encarte no miolo da revista, contextualizado em torno da questão da sustentabilidade, um dos temais de mais abordados pela revista, é apenas uma das intervenções. Na realidade, toda sessão editorial de ecologia e sustentabilidade da revista será, daqui pra frente, patrocinada pelo Prius, da Toyota.

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E não para por aí. Encaixaram um hotsite todo colorido e interativo com dicas sobre o meio ambiente e o envolvimento do homem com o universo green, dentro do portal da Good Magazine, que, por sinal, conta com outros banners também divulgando o automóvel. Uma colaboração e tanto ($$$), onde ambos sairão ganhando: marca e veículo.

:: Via @PSFK

Sharpie Confessions: A Life-Long Obsession

LOGOOk, ok. The world now knows about my secret Sharpie obsession, or at least all the customers and employees at my local Staples. There it was, a behemoth of Sharpie infatuation, a display with every color you could imagine – teal, sky blue, navy AND in various tips of fine, medium, broad. Could it be? Or was just a mirage?

Ever since my first days of creating art, the Sharpie has been my best friend and we have created some good times and great ideas together. Now my wildest dreams have come true with all the colors of the rainbow to choose from. Sharpie’s new product line and communications tell me one thing: it must be listening to its audience. With a website full of ideas, tutorials, contests, and opportunities for the fellow Sharpie-obsessed, it is deepening loyalty within consumers.

What can we learn from this? Taking our brands and tapping into the true connection they have with their target is key to communication and innovation. Sharpie could have pushed the brand’s connection with meetings, boardrooms, and diagrams, but instead chose to tap into the root emotion – the love to create. Bravo Sharpie!

Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) who has been in the communications industry for over 8 years, specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development. Join her at http://twitter.com/germllc or her firm’s website at http://germonline.com.


You’re Not on Twitter Yet?

twitterIt’s out there and everyone’s talking about it. It’s been proven to give companies an edge on competition and the ability to form a bond with customers. So why aren’t you involved in social media yet?

As a freelancer in social media, I’ve noticed that there are numerous corporations that are still not involved with Twitter, Facebook, or anything on the Internet beyond a website and an email. This is, in essence, what it would be like when everyone started to advertise on the television when it was first invented and a company simply ignored it and kept to the “old school” ways of handing out fliers to people. Although it is important to respect the more traditional ways of advertising, you must also incorporate the new to properly promote and advertise your company and brand (my fellow Beneath the Brand blogger Jon Leung agrees – check out his post Marketers’ Dilemma: Facebook or Twitter).

The best thing about social media – it’s easy and free. At the moment, I recommend starting with Twitter because, as I’m sure you’ve heard, it’s becoming more and more similar to the dot com boom (i.e. don’t be the last one to figure it out).

Look at Twitter this way: imagine all your customers coming together on a daily basis and talking about topics that pertain to you and your company, thereby spreading even more information about your company and gaining more recognition and consumers.

Let me use a company as an example that I am currently involved with: Dolphin Blue, Inc. Dolphin Blue helps businesses go green through its office supplies. If you thinking of promotion from a networking standpoint, the first thing you would do is to find a group that matches your interests, in this case, any green groups that deals with the ecosystem or world health. You would then attend the group sessions, meet people who have those same interests, and start conversations with them about your company. Twitter is exactly like this, only on a much larger scale.

After creating a Twitter account, log on to www.search.twitter.com and search (#green) for people talking about green issues. “Follow” them, re-tweet things they’ve tweeted that you agree with and *poof,* people will start following you, re-tweeting things you’ve posted, and, most importantly, become aware of your services. And thus, networking and building your business starts on a national level. The more people you meet, the more people who talk about you and your company.

Within four hours of Dolphin Blue publishing its Twitter account, it had six mentions and 26 followers! On day two, those numbers grew to 14 mentions and 93 followers. Imagine how many more people it’ll reach within the next week, month or year.

I think Griffin Farley of 22squared said it best. “Don’t plan for the ones you reach, plan for the ones they reach.” It’s all about who you know, right?

Megan Green is a freelance propagation planner who has had her work published on PR News Wire, as well as many other outlets. Contact her on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or at megankategreen@gmail.com.


Losing Money to Keep Relationships

partnerI am going to use an example involving polar bears to start out this conversation on agency/client relationships. It may seem like non-converging subjects, but it will come around.

I like polar bears. I don’t want to own one or anything, and I’m not part of the PETA-Elite, but as bears go, they seem like simple animals to me… and I like simple. For example, we have documented evidence that polar bears attack and kill humans. My simple advice? Steer clear of polar bears, even the ones at the the zoo.

PolarBearAttackYet, polar bears are an endangered species. Thus, there are organizations fighting for their survival. Noah Wyle, an actor from the TV show ER, is the World Wildlife Foundation’s spokesperson for the “Save the Polar Bear” campaign. The advertising spot began in December 2008.

Unfortunately, every time I see the commercial, I say to myself, “I can’t believe they’re asking for money at a time when people are losing their homes.”

Yes, it pisses me off. Polar Bears won’t be receiving a check from Jeff Louis very soon. The vital point is that I have now formed a negative brand association with the WWF subconsciously, even though it has done nothing wrong.

I also wonder why the responsible agency hasn’t had the foresight to mention the possible negative aspects of asking for money in our current economic climate. Even if the spots are free of charge (PSAs), is the WWF willing to risk its brand for the sake of a single message? The polar bear’s won’t be extinct tomorrow… why not hold off a bit until things improve?

This is the point where client/agency relationships are defined. Is your agency a true partner, or is it simply a paid service provider?

Think about the differences for a second:

  • A partner has a vested interest in the relationship — its success stems from the success of those it serves
  • A service provider conducts business by taking orders and providing service — its success is based on $$
  • A partner would rather keep a relationship than commissions from a TV spot
  • A service provider is interested in the bottom line; there are other fish in the sea
  • A partner would say, “The economic climate has changed. I think we should reevaluate.”
  • A service provider would never voice that thought

True partnerships are forged by a mutual commitment to honest, often merciless assessment of what is best for the brand and the business, even if it means losing a few dollars along the way.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Brand Project Manager, Writer & Blogger. Unlike the other bloggers/writers for Talent Zoo, Jeff Louis is both cute and nice. Contact him on Twitter @jlo0312. Just kidding about the nice part.


Cheeky Packaging Designs – Brooklyn Fare’s Branding Puts the Fun in Functional (GALLERY)

(TrendHunter.com) I love the cheeky packaging Mucca Design created for gourmet store Brooklyn Fare. After all, who wouldn’t love to-go coffee cups that proclaim, “It’s a small, not a tall,” and “It’s a medium, not a grande”?…

“Nova” GM pode incluir logo verde (UPDATE)

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A “nova” General Motors que emerge da falência, até a próxima semana deve apresentar um novo logotipo – mudando a cor de seu fundo para verde ao invés do azul atual.

A informação circula na internet depois de um artigo postado ontem no site da Associated Press.

Com um verdadeiro planejamento de branding, a marca pretende evocar uma essência mais ecológica, centrada na eficiência do combustível, mas sem perder a sua histórica solidez e representatividade.

Ao que tudo indica, a “nova” GM deve seguir o exemplo da Toyota que, ao compreender a megatendência do “indivíduo consciente” e preocupado com o meio-ambiente, foi a pioneira no lançamento do automóvel híbrido nos Estados Unidos. E sendo a pioneira foi percebida como a “original”. Hoje em dia, quase todas as montadoras fabricam automóveis híbridos, de diversos modelos, só que não são percebidas como “inovadoras” e “revolucionárias”. Neste exato presente em que a General Motors recria sua imagem, ela deverá se concentrar em estabelecer novas ofertas. Uma delas é a fabricação de carros menores e mais baratos. Com essas mudançãs, a GM pretende mostrar que é apta a fazer decisões rápidas e consistentes.

Alguns estudos e pesquisas também estão sendo realizados para que a mudança da identidade visual e “moral” da montadora seja, de fato, positiva. Isso se significa que ainda pode demorar um tempo para que as novidades sejam colocadas em prática.

::UPDATE::

Ontem a noite, em uma entrevista feita pela Agência EFE, o presidente da GM, Fritz Henderson, disse que apesar do que foi divulgado e espalhado pela imprensa, o logo corporativo da marca continuará sendo azul e não verde, como se tinha especulado.

:: Fonte AP, MSNBC e Yahoo! Finanças

“Nova” GM pode incluir logo verde

newgm.jpg

A “nova” General Motors que emerge da falência, até a próxima semana deve apresentar um novo logotipo – mudando a cor de seu fundo para verde ao invés do azul atual.

A informação circula na internet depois de um artigo postado ontem no site da Associated Press.

Com um verdadeiro planejamento de branding, a marca pretende evocar uma essência mais ecológica, centrada na eficiência do combustível, mas sem perder a sua histórica solidez e representatividade.

Ao que tudo indica, a “nova” GM deve seguir o exemplo da Toyota que, ao compreender a megatendência do “indivíduo consciente” e preocupado com o meio-ambiente, foi a pioneira no lançamento do automóvel híbrido nos Estados Unidos. E sendo a pioneira foi percebida como a “original”. Hoje em dia, quase todas as montadoras fabricam automóveis híbridos, de diversos modelos, só que não são percebidas como “inovadoras” e “revolucionárias”. Neste exato presente em que a General Motors recria sua imagem, ela deverá se concentrar em estabelecer novas ofertas. Uma delas é a fabricação de carros menores e mais baratos. Com essas mudançãs, a GM pretende mostrar que é apta em fazer decisões rápidas e consistentes.

Alguns estudos e pesquisas também estão sendo realizados para que a mudança da identidade visual e “moral” da montadora seja, de fato, positiva. Isso se significa que ainda pode demorar um tempo para que as novidades sejam colocadas em prática.

:: Fonte AP e MSNBC

Stickercards: Simple Change May Change Biz Card Industry

guy K faceAs most know, I’ve been writing about innovation in the face of adversity; our industry’s changing, the economy’s sucking the breath out of  good companies, and, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the bubble won’t break until at least 2013. That’s four years of this. Tired of the bad news, we thought that we would task this highly creative industry to either show us your stuff, or keep your mouth shut. Talking the talk is easy. Prove to us, and the industry, that you’ve got the creative mojo and win some free publicity.

It doesn’t have to be “ads” or “campaigns.” It could be your business model, an engaging strategy, how you changed the way you purchase media, social media tactics, recession-proof tactics, or even a small, “Hmm, I wonder…” question that turn into a creative leap. Something like what Guy Kawasaki, owner of Alltop, just engineered.

Alltop gives its clients, prospects, vendors, and friends both business cards and business stickers. However, Guy admits that while he freely gives out cards, he’s reluctant to hand out stickers to promote the brands because they could be used to deface property; plus, he did not want to “burden” others with his branding efforts. And there is always the chance an Alltop sticker might end up plastered on the toilet of a rank rest stop on I-70. Can you say, “negative brand association?”

alltop-fullThen he had an “A-Ha” moment: could the business cards and business stickers be combined? He emailed one of his friends, who happened to own StickerGiant, to find out. He asked this friend, John Fischer, if a business card could be printed on the back of a sticker, and if anyone had done this before. John answered that, yes, it could be done but, no, it had never been requested. So, Guy requested his friend to check into it.

Writing on Open Forum, Guy describes his thought process:

“Psychologically, a stickercard is a powerful concept. By applying the teachings of Robert Cialdini, I hope that it engenders reciprocation and consistency. That is, since you’ve given someone a cool sticker, the person feels like they should reciprocate by sticking it somewhere visible. (Did you donate money to Hare Krishna because one of its followers gave you a flower?) Then, once the stickercard is stuck, the person is more committed to the company, product, or service. That stickercard on laptop is a declaration to the world that they like the what it stands for. To be consistent, they must stick to their positive opinion of your company, product, or service.

picture-2The process, or how the idea comes alive, doesn’t have to be a masterpiece. It’s the idea that matters, and whether or not it works.  At any moment, Guy Kawasaki could have stopped and said, “This is stupid.” Instead, he followed through. His tweet tonight stated that the stickercards was his best idea ever.

His best idea ever… and he’s had a lot of ideas. To take it a step further, the first thing he did with his new “invention” was share to it, which speaks highly of his character. He sent out the tweet and a link. StickerGiant made a video. And the stickercards went from idea to product in a week. Be warned though, StickerGiant charges $500 for 500 cards. At least Guy has character.

If your company has something that makes “the cut,”  send it my way. Until that time, leave a comment… it will raise your social media score.

Jeff Louis: A Strategic Media Planner and Brand Project Manager for both B2B and B2C accounts, he is fascinated by past participles, brands, and innovation. Please contact him on Twtter or LinkedIn.


X-ray Business Cards – 10 Clever Ways to Help You Stand Out in a Recession (GALLERY)

(TrendHunter.com) In a world a freelancers (yup the recession sure did increase their number…), business cards have become a great tool for self promotion. As one of the first impressions on possible future clients, your…

A rebeldia positiva da Converse

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Rebeldia, originalidade e autenticidade são os três valores que a Converse quer transmitir aos jovens, principal target da marca de calçados que no ano passado celebrou seu centenário. A campanha deste ano, que está rolando na Espanha, centrada em diversos modelos de calçados de skate e basquete, prioriza o marketing de guerrilha, eventos e ações pouco convencionais.

Centenas de calçados da Converse foram pendurados em cabos elétricos de Madri e Barcelona, uma prática muito habitual em algumas capitais do mundo e que se conhece como ‘Shoefitti‘. Essa iniciativa serve para mostrar ao público os diversos modelos dos calçados de uma maneira rebelde e original.

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Indo mais além, a marca grafitou com uma tinta especial (de fácil remoção) desenhos dos novos modelos da marca, em alguns pavimentos de ruas, avenidas e espaços públicos próprios para a prática esportiva.

A internet e as mídias sociais também foram utilizadas para “chamar” o maior número de casais a participarem de corridas com os pés presos por cadarços. As hilariantes corridas foram realizadas em parques públicos da Espanha.

Assista um vídeo que está circulando na internet e que introduz a nova campanha da Converse:

A forte personalidade da marca faz com que a Converse potencialize a sua conexão com o público mais jovem.
Ela é sem dúvida uma marca que carrega um posicionamento invejável.

:: Dica do Emil Sahyoun via PRMarketing

Nintendo | Britain’s Best Brain

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Do console para a televisão. A Nintendo chegou a um acordo com a emissora Channel 5, do Reino Unido, para a estréia do Britain’s Best Brain, um programa de televisão que vai entreter os espectadores com competições, bem como promover a sua enorme gama de jogos para “raciocinar”, informou o The Guardian e algumas celebridades, como Nicole Kidman (garota propaganda da Nintendo).

Este é o primeiro caso que um anunciante cria um programa de televisão no Reino Unido, ao estilo Branded Content. A transmissão da atração será em outubro e a produtora responsável para colocar o programa de pé é a Group M Entertainment (propriedade da WPP).

Os participantes irão disputar várias provas diferentes, mas cada uma com um foco em alguma função cerebral: coordenação, memória ou matemática. E as habilidades dos participantes deverá ser mostrada através de jogos da marca, tanto no Nintendo DS quanto no Nintendo Wii.

O restaurante de uma agência de propaganda

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Muito se fala nas formas de como estreitar o relacionamento com os clientes. No nosso mercado de marketing e publicidade as sugestões são intermináveis. Só que tem uma agência de propaganda espanhola, chamada Dommo, que saiu na frente e criou um novo espaço inusitado para receber seus clientes e prospects. Abandonou as tradicionais salas de reuniões “frias” de sua sede, e decidiu abrir um restaurante com o nome de Dommo Kitchen, em endereço próprio e uma identidade visual única. O restaurante tem apenas uma mesa, que não só serve para se sentar em volta e discutir as questões de trabalho, mas também para que os executivos da agência e do cliente possam preparar seus quitutes.

O restaurante é popularmente conhecido como “El 1º restaurante del mundo sólo para anunciantes” e regularmente convida chefs de cozinha famosos para preparar comidas especiais também para clientes especiais.

Em maio deste ano, a Dommo foi indicada a agência número 1 em excelência de serviços prestados para os clientes, em pesquisa realizada pelo Grupo Consultores da Espanha.

:: Via Brand Life

The Friendship Model: Brandon Murphy at 22squared Gives the Down and Dirty

22squaredAdvertising and marketing have taken new directions with the recent integration of social media and consumer advocacy. Agencies have been forced to rethink their ideas and strategies to reach their consumers. One such agency, 22squared, has done just that with the help of its SVP Director of Brand Marketing, Brandon Murphy.

I had the opportunity to catch Mr. Murphy on the phone this past Friday and ask him about the company’s model, The Friendship Model: How to Build Brand Advocacy in a Consumer-Driven World.

“I think that basically it’s an approach for brands to build advocacy. When we first introduced this thing, it was mostly an internal thing, and actually still is. In essence it was an internal way to focus the agency on what marketing was about today, what a person does to make and maintain a friendship, earn enough respect, and I guess enough attractiveness for a consumer to advocate for them like a friend would advocate for a friend,” Murphy said.

Murphy says one of the hardest questions companies face when creating campaigns is the question, “How do we build advocacy?”

“A lot of times it comes down to not what you say but what you do,” he said. “How can we get the customer to interact with us. Your next customer could turn into your next 10 customers. It’s a pretty simple idea.”

Griffin Farley, senior brand planner from 22squared, has a great saying for this: “Don’t plan for the ones you reach, plan for the ones they reach.”

How can this model help an entire agency? I listed those questions and responses below:

Megan Green: For people now looking for work in progressive ad agencies, why is it important for them to know about advocacy, social media and word of mouth?

Brandon Murphy: The simple reason is because that is how brands are growing now. Brands aren’t growing by increased awareness, they are growing with people talking about them…that’s how people are choosing products and what brand to use.

MG: Media Planners are specialists at reach and frequency. Are those still important skills to know when advocacy is the end goal?

BM: I think there is always going to be a critical mass of people you have to reach to keep your brand afloat. You look at our agency, it’s not like we don’t do media plans, it’s just that we’ve changed how we do our media plans and how we engage the customer. For media planners, the one thing is that it is no longer about buying space and just calculating reach or frequency, it’s about getting opportunities for the customer to talk.  Media planning has gotten to get more strategic and inventive to get messages to customers.

MG: When you brief Creative Teams, does the Friendship Model help them get to a better creative deliverable?

BM: The Friendship Model does a few things. First, it gives a sense of direction in work and strategy. We always still do the right things in understanding a customer and how a brand can fit into a customer’s life. The key thing is to think entirely around a problem and all different ways to solve it. Sometimes it’s something really cool or something simple. We’ve looked back and told a client, “it’s not a TV campaign you need, but it’s an associate campaign,” like we told Buffalo Wild Wings and Lincoln Financial. Second, [the model is] something else that makes them work better, it forces you to figure out what the brand’s purpose is. If a brand has a purpose beyond just selling something, as a customer you’re more likely to invest in it.

MG: Has the Friendship Model helped your New Business Team win accounts or peak interest among search consultants? What feedback do you hear from them?

BM: Well the good thing about the Friendship Model is that it really does help filter out clients that are right for you and clients that aren’t right for you. The client typically hates it [the model] or loves it. It’s a nice screener for us and prospective clients. It really puts ourselves out there and we’re really passionate about building advocacy.  Also, search consultants really like it. Search consultants are tasked with bringing agencies that bring in business. With this model we can focus on the things that bring in sales. We can tell them how much they can expect to increase sales given an increase in advocacy or reach of other people. That’s really been super attractive to some consultants.

MG: Does the Friendship Model help Account Service strengthen the relationship with the clients? Do clients value the philosophy?

BM: In two ways. One, it’s kind of a gut check for us. The way we act and the people in our agency – it creates a pretty high road for us to walk in terms of being passionate and doing the right thing. You know, it’s interesting if you think about the relationship between friends, it’s not all nicey-nicey and how can I serve you. It’s real. It gives us a nice path to travel on how we build relationships with clients. Two, it most importantly gives our clients something to circle into. Clients always have business goals, but doing it through a filter of building relationships and advocacy gives the client a way to lead that they hadn’t had before. Most of the Friendship Model is based on what we currently do for our clients. It feeds the development on how to win over customers and act differently than other brands, like Publix Super Markets, Inc.

MG: Finally, as Director of Brand Planning, what skills do you look for when you hire Account Planners that want to work for 22squared?

BM: Planners have to be insatiably curious and really, really good at writing and getting ideas across to people. Those two things are core building blocks for planners. Something else we look at is planners who are always able to take a different look at things than most people. Whenever I hire a planner, I make sure they are not only smart, but smart strategically and creatively. Our planners are much more active in participating in the creative. We look for planners that understand how to engage a customer and not just about bringing a message but about where we engage, how we engage, and the content and value of the brand. Planners are provocateurs by nature. At least we want them to be. We want them to cause people to look at things differently. They need to be the glue that holds people together.

Want more information on The Friendship Model and what it means? Check out this video that 22squared put together, “I Love Blank”, or Brandon’s white papers.

Megan Green is an advertising and marketing professional published on PR News Wire, as well as many other outlets. She specializes in social media and is currently looking for a full-time advertising position. Contact her on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or at megankategreen@gmail.com.


Branding Conversation: Go Ahead and Butt In

Getting in the middle of a conversation that’s already going on, versus creating a conversation and asking consumers to come in is the key to effective advertising.

Doing the latter is as silly as the following conversation:

Person 1: Hey, did you hear about Michael Jackson?

Person 2: Yeah, I loved him. I already miss him!

Brand: Hey, you over there! Did you know most of insecticides have nerve poison that causes a cockroach to have muscular spasms that make it flip on its back? Without muscular coordination the cockroach cannot right itself and eventually dies in its upside down-position. Wanna buy some bug spray?

Irrelevant.

But take interactive shop Deca (Digital Entertainment Corp. of America) for example, which inked a sponsorship deal with Target for its Momversation show (above). This content is uniquely relevant to the target audience that the brand fits comfortably into. Plus, it utilizes bloggers that already have influence within market.

Now that’s relevant!

What conversation can your brand butt into today?

Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) in this industry for 8+ years, specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding, and brand development. Join her @twitter or her firm Germ, LLC.