Archive for the ‘article’ Category

Toasting the Good Idea

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 - by Fernando Campos

Some great thoughts here. More than ever, we need to gain deeper insights into human behaviors as the media and market landscapes continue to evolve.

It sounds cliché, but the only avenue to those insights is to truly know your audience. And like Patrick Edson says, we have to move beyond the “80% knowledge” – the information everybody owns. That’s just not good enough. The “ability to decipher our consumers’ unarticulated needs and unconscious behaviors” is the key to understanding how to position your product. In other words, the elusive “20%”.

I’ve read a handful of related blog posts. Other ideas that stood out are that, despite the execution of the campaign, Coors Light has committed to this central idea for four plus years now and they’ve carried it out everywhere – advertising (Coors Light Love Train), product packaging (Cold Activated Bottle), and even serving itself (supercolddraft.com).

The lesson is that we need to recognize a good idea when we see one (easier said than done). And when we do, everyone involved must truly believe in it. It’s the only way you can inspire others to believe in it, too. Enough talk. I’m gonna go grab a cold one.

The reality of social media. (From the Onion, of all sources.)

Friday, June 26th, 2009 - by Colin Ayres

In a recent report, the Onion parodies social media. The story holds a mirror up to those of us on the “bleeding edge,” poking fun at our new toys and the increasing roles they play in our daily lives. It’s hilariously insulting (and a bit profane, so apologies in advance), but the “fake news” organization delivers a feasible depiction of modern-day networking.

Technology is revolutionizing the way we share and consume information. Just ask the people reading this post on their iPhone, while at the same time updating their Facebook page, tweeting about a great restaurant, and monitoring a bid on eBay.

We are interconnected with friends and associates like never before. And the marketing industry will have to evolve as a result, specifically the means in which we communicate with consumers. Some are ahead of the curve. Shaq is building personal brand equity on Twitter. ESPN anchors are reporting via their Facebook pages. And Dominos Pizza recently quashed an onslaught of bad PR using viral videos. That’s the reality. Now we have to deal with it.

Check out a real-life example of social media at work

Synchronized menstruation? You betcha!

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 - by Colin Ayres


Global Period Project

The Global Period Project (GPP) is a new gender experiment that subjects the “McClintock Effect” to the power of the web in an attempt to synchronize the menstrual periods of millions of women around the world. Why? Even the creators aren’t entirely sure.

At its core, the GPP is an unusual example of social media organizing people who before might not have been able to collaborate in such a manner. (A more mainstream case is Barack Obama’s presidential run, highlighted by an unprecedented display of interconnectivity between voters via MySpace, Twitter, and blogs.) Until now, only a small group of close female friends could have attempted such a study. Today, potentially millions of women can partake, increasing the experiment’s statistical validity, not to mention proving the reliability of the McClintock Effect beyond a shadow of a doubt.

It’s certainly quirky, possibly blush-worthy, and potentially momentous. As a woman, would you participate? As a man, what’s your take? We wonder at what point does a social media campaign become, um, too social?

See for yourself here
Read the blog here

Sex sells. And I’ve got the receipts to prove it.

Friday, June 19th, 2009 - by Colin Ayres

Remember when Cindy Crawford stepped out of a red Lamborghini at a remote roadside rest stop to buy (and subsequently chug) a Pepsi? That’s just one of the top 10 hottest, most memorable commercials ever to hit the airwaves, according to eight ad execs that collaborated to come up with the list.

It’s no secret that viewers are more likely to pay attention when [insert name of a beautiful person here] is interacting with a product. But, the line between provocative and sophomoric is a thin one. Which is why you won’t find a scantily clad woman washing a car while eating a juicy burger among the honorees. Rather than hitting viewers over the head with a sexual sledgehammer, the winners blend suggestive content and branding effortlessly. The panel got it right. These spots work because they subtly tease viewers. And, as a result, leave them clamoring to buy a case of Pepsi in the off chance that a parched supermodel might come-a-knockin’. Hey, it could happen.

See the top 10 hottest commercials ever at forbes.com

Time to Claim your Facebook Identity

Monday, June 1st, 2009 - by Chris Hunt

Bandwidth and most likely patience will be tested on Facebook this Friday evening. The world’s #1 social networking site will be allowing users to select vanity URLs starting Friday at 9 PM PST, and a mad dash to claim the most desirable usernames is expected.

MySpace has been using vanity URLs since their launch, as have Twitter and LinkedIn, and the change will certainly make swapping Facebook details easier. Another goal for Facebook might be ranking higher in organic search. Actual names will clearly rank higher than the list of numbers currently occupying individual Facebook pages. Maybe Facebook hopes to sneak ahead of other networks for name or company search results. And those who want to be most searchable should be first in line.

As someone with a very common first name to go with my equally common last name, I may have to be ready as the clock strikes midnight in New York. A future of having a year or birthday or favorite number tacked onto my user name for Facebook eternity doesn’t thrill me. I, along with countless others including the Facebook PR team, will be hoping the level of disappointment is low. Get ready for www.facebook.com/chrishunt729!

http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=90316352130

Reality bites (in advertising)

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009 - by Colin Ayres

There’s a new technology in town. Augmented Reality, or AR, allows consumers to interact with 3-D images, similar to holographs, using their computer’s web cam. A well-known early example of AR is the yellow lines sports networks use to mark the first down line during football games. Lately, however, a handful of marketers are experimenting with AR in their advertising efforts as a dynamic and intrusive element designed to enhance creative ideas. GE, Papa John’s, and the Postal Service are just a few of the brands experimenting with this up-and-coming technology.

See Augmented Reality in Action

Read More About It

Welcome

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009 - by MEA

We know 100 million blogs already exist. But, we thought maybe it’s not a bad idea to be number 100,000,001 as long as it’s a little different. Foolish? Maybe. Doing it anyway? Absolutely.

After polling some of our clients and partners to find out what intrigues them most about the idea industry, we launched Stir-Fry. Each month, we’ll send out a newsletter featuring provocative creative or an interesting marketing idea we think is worth talking about. And then we’ll post the “talk” in the hope that people will add their knowledge or throw in their proverbial two cents. We’ll also cover other marketing-related topics from time to time on the blog that share a compelling insight or even just inspire a chuckle from a short, but good read.

Bored already? Tell us. Stir-Fry will evolve based on your feedback. Thanks for stopping by.

by MEA