Brandacity

Flickr Test

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:11:00 +0000

http://www.robcottingham.ca/cartoon/archive/dont-make-me-come-in-there/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RobCottinghamCartoons+%28Noise+to+Signal%29

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:40:00 +0000

http://www.robcottingham.ca/cartoon/archive/dont-make-me-come-in-there/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RobCottinghamCartoons+%28Noise+to+Signal%29

Product placement in The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:19:00 +0000

Product placement in The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

In an ironic twist, brands pay for product placements in a movie that demonizes product placements.

tags: brand integrations product placements 2011 movie

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Powerful Insight on Brand Journalism and Chrysler from Bob Garfield

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:49:00 +0000

Powerful Insight on Brand Journalism and Chrysler from Bob Garfield

In this post from Bob Garfield, we see two errors in social media usage: one is from a brand and another from an employee. Chrysler fired an employee who tweeted this: "I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to fucking drive." Despite a stated commitment to social media, Chrysler's action suggests it isn't committed to real dialogue or to the spontaneity of social media conversations. The employee made a mistake too - by not taking the added care to ensure that what he posted was what he wanted associated with his own digital footprint. As the saying goes, two wrongs don't make a right.

tags: Garfield AdAge Chrysler Twitter motorcity Detroit campaign
- Just as SXSW was getting underway, Chrysler had cut ties to a social-media contractor after one of its employees hit send on the following tweet: "I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to fucking drive."
- The junior employee behind the message, 28-year-old Scott Bartosiewicz, explained that he had meant to send it from his personal account, but clicked the wrong box on his Twitter deck. Perhaps that is why Chrysler, instead of stoning him to death, merely fired him.
- "The company has invested greatly, not only financially, but philosophically ... in supporting Detroit and the U.S. auto industry," Chrysler spokesman Ed Garsten told the Associated Press, "and we simply couldn't tolerate any messaging -- whether or not there was an obscenity -- that was denigrating to Detroit."
- Yeah, what an apostate that Bartosiewicz is. In a city wracked with unemployment, crime, poverty, corruption, racism and intractable urban decay, discussion of driving habits is a blasphemy that takes it too far. And an ad campaign that uses rapper Eminem to personify the city's raw grit could not possibly make room for a witty molecule of road rage.
  
  That's why, whether in Austin or Motown, "Brand Journalism" is such an awful misnomer. I find it ironic that marketers are charged with conducting conversations and no one knows how to tell the fucking truth.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

The End of an Era: No More CP&B and the King

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:30:00 +0000

The End of an Era: No More CP&B and the King

In this post, AdFreak presents Crispin's 15 best campaigns for Burger King. Enjoy the memories as you travel down seven years of Burger King's best advertising.

tags: CP&B BK Burger King advertising video examples campaigns adfreak adweek

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

How to create fascinating SlideShare presentations: Tips from Sally Hogshead

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 20:08:00 +0000

How to create fascinating SlideShare presentations: Tips from Sally Hogshead

Sally knows presentations. And you can too once you follow her 6 steps for creating effective presentations.
Students who use these tips in preparing their next class presentation will qualify for a gold star award.
tags: presentations howto Hogshead slideshare PPT
- 1. Start with a strong core concept. As with any presentation, it all starts with the idea. (Duh.) To translate into a great SlideShare, your concept must be robust enough to merit 15 or 20 pages of description, yet simple enough to be contained within a succinct, one-minute-ish presentation.
- 2. Spend extra time to find un-lame visuals. Reject the stock photography clichés. Refuse to give in to the hackneyed metaphors. (Yeah, this means no more stock photos of men holding briefcases running across a finish line). Find images that not only feel fresh and vibrant, but also strategically accentuate your point.
- 3. Don’t always use images that are “see-say.” Your images shouldn' literally re-state your point, but rather, add depth and meaning. For instance, when talking about a “fork in the road” …don’t actually show a photo of a fork in the road. To do this, don’t simply search on the stock site for a literal interpretation of your concept, or the site will be more than happy to serve up more lame puns like “fork in the road.” Rather than using search keywords “fork in the road,” get a little more conceptual, and search for words such as “decisions” or “choices” or “complexity.”
- 4. Take a moment to craft your typography. You don’t have to go crazy with mad design skills, but don’t just cut and paste your unformatted text from a Word doc. Take a moment to check line breaks and basic placement on the page. Since your SlideShare won’t have music or spoken words, your text bears greater responsibility of visually communicating the tone and emotion of your idea.
- 5. Establish a pattern, then disrupt it. I like to establish a consistent visual pattern in the first few pages of a SlideShare, then add energy and surprise by breaking the pattern.
- . Almost done! Now wrap it up with a call to action. At the end of your SlideShare, your viewer should want to learn more. (After all, you’ve just fascinated them!) Let them know what action you intend them to take, followed by a page of your contact info. I ended this SlideShare with a tempting, but not in-your-face, call to action:
  
  Whether you realize it or not, you’re already using these seven triggers. The question is, are you using the right triggers, in the right way, to get your desired result? This book will show you.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Don't Fear Creativity; Embrace It; Elizabeth Gilbert Inspires

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:38:00 +0000

In this TED presentation, Elizabeth Gilbert speaks openly about the creative process and approaches to creativity. She also acknowledges the FEAR of creating - and of not creating. We all face this fear, some more often than others. We can't let fear stop us from creating.

Listen and watch as Elizabeth Gilbert inspires us to move into our own creative spaces.

Fail: Poor Question and Response Designs in Marketing Research

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:51:00 +0000

Students - we've been talking about question design and response options in class recently. Granted, much can go wrong as we try to develop the perfect question and response categories. But here we have an example from Alison (at the human element.co.uk) that really shows how wrong things can go. I repost below from her blog with her analysis of what's gone wrong.

"And this is where my brain exploded" Posted by Alison MacLeod on Feb 18, 2011 in Rants, Usability | View Comments

"Half-way through a serious-minded survey on Internet use by a terribly reputable research provider, I reach this question. Reproduced here in its entirety.

Which one of the following statements best describes how you use the internet to express opinions or share information with other people? Please select one only.

Quick, at the back, HOW MANY problems can you spot with this question? …

1. Asking two questions in one

2. Giving twenty-five options

3. Many of the options don’t relate to the questions (how can ‘listening to a podcast’ be classified as ‘sharing’ or ‘expressing an opinion’??)

4. Let’s just say that this reveals a very peculiar mental model of internet use

5. Twenty-five options.

The memory load is just astounding – you have to hold 2 questions and 25 options in your mind. I had forgotten the first couple by the time I got to the middle. What’s more, it’s not that my memory is failing. My utter lack of recall is supported by science. "

Students - this one would make us laugh if we weren't crying, but take heed - question development is serious!

tags: research question design mr

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

What went wrong with ads shown during the Oscars?

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:41:00 +0000

MediaPost Publications JCPenney's Oscar Ads Bomb, Per Ace Metrix 03/02/2011

Research from Ace Metrix suggests that ads showing during the Oscars broadcast were disappointing on many levels.
Despite the big ad buy, brands overall didn't use the opportunity to engage consumers beyond the 30 second commercial. Ace Metrix scored commercials on persuasion, watchability, desire, relevance, and likeability. The scores suggest that agencies and brands should do more testing prior to producing and broadcasting commercials.
tags: ace metrix advertising research advertising likeability oscars 2011
- The JCP ads failed for a number of reasons, Ace Metrix's Daboll tells Marketing Daily. Ace Metrix scores ads across a number of criteria to come up with the total Ace Score, and these ads did poorly across almost every one, especially in "persuasion," "watchability," "desire," "relevance," and "likeability."
  
  Specifically, on average, their "desire scores" (meaning that the ad made consumers want the product), were 80 points below the norm for all ads in the Ace Metrix database (a good barometer for a national program). "This was despite the fact that a couple of the JCP ads scored above norm in 'change,' indicating that the ads caused people to change their view on JCP," he says.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Is your brand lost on Facebook?

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:08:00 +0000

Comments on How Brands Are Getting Lost on Facebook | DigitalNext: A Blog on Emerging Media and Technology - Advertising Age

Because most users view Top News rather than Recent News in their newsfeeds, brand messages are less visible. This is because Top News shows the news feed of those with whom each user interacts with most frequently. If you like a brand but don't continue to interact with the brand's page, the brand messages won't show up in your news feed.

This is good for Facebook users who want to see the most relevant updates in their feeds. But its bad for brands who are trying to engage people in a dialogue. At least it is a limitation until the dialogue is there.

Facebook's answer for brands - sponsored stories. Reactions? How will you feel about seeing paid ad placements in your news feed?

tags: sponsored posts facebook newsfeed algorithm 2011 adage smm
- As you might have heard, Facebook recently announced the launch of sponsored stories, a new ad product that will allow marketers to insert certain user updates into paid advertisements.
  
  This is yet another blurring of the line between paid and earned media. But its another signal that because brands are stumbling in their quest to be heard on the world's most popular social network
- Facebook actually attempted to correct this with the recent rollout of the "Top News" vs. "Recent News" system. "Top News" features the news and updates from your friends that Facebook's secret Edgerank algorithm thinks you will be most interested in. And since it is the default view of a user's Facebook page, a brand's presence within a user's "Top News" is as good as gold
- "Recent News," on the other hand, is fast becoming the spam folder of Facebook. This is where you will find an overflow of updates from "friends" with whom you rarely interact or whose news simply isn't that popular. More and more, this is where branded updates are appearing.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

How Do I Get People to Like My Brand on Facebook?

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:46:00 +0000

How Do I Get People to Like My Brand on Facebook? | Special: Digital Marketing Guide - Advertising Age

Ad Age's Digital Marketing Guide dispenses advice on getting people to like a brand on Facebook. But even if people like the brand, are they really fans? What makes a Facebook brand fan treat that brand as a lovemark?

tags: AdAge 2011 like Facebook howto
- But the number of people who like a brand doesn't directly translate to the number of impressions that a brand makes with its posts. And, of course, not all likes are created equal.
- Some brands have been able to grow their Facebook pages virally without the use of paid ad placement leading users to their pages, but they're the exception rather than the rule. Coca-Cola, the brand whose page boasts more likes than any other on the platform, didn't earn all 22-million-plus of its fans without a little prodding -- and it is one of the most iconic brands there is. "Most people aren't actively looking for brands on Facebook," Mr. Ringrose said. "You would never go, 'Hmm, I wonder what Skittles is doing?' Or "What's that weird organic coffee brand up to?' It's more about putting it under users' noses. 'Do you like this brand?' 'Yes, I do.'"
  
  A common misstep marketers make is not properly leveraging Facebook's ad-targeting tools to achieve a more efficient media buy, Mr. Ringrose said.
  
  Michael Lazerow, CEO of the software and services firm Buddy Media, which works to help some of the biggest brands, such as Target, grow and manage their Facebook pages, said the ultimate approach to building a following is a more holistic approach that lies at the intersection of paid media and earned reach.
- This differs by brand (as do the habits of users who follow them) but Roger Katz, CEO of the social-media firm Friend2Friend, said giving your fans genuine reasons to engage with your content and pass it along to their own friends is the holy grail of social-media success.
  
  "When a brand has a fan, they are one step away from all of that fan's friends. That next step is an incredible opportunity, but it's also a challenge." He said when it comes to getting your fans to help spread your content, it has to be because your fans genuinely want to spread the word -- and usually that isn't because you shouted at them, spammed them or gave them a coupon. "People like experiences, and when they have them, they talk about them and share them. Getting users to propagate their own messages to their friends about your brand is where the magic is," he said
- Most experts agree that while the number of likes associated with a page is a clear and easy way to measure its influence, it is not the most-telling number. In fact, when you consider the number of impressions your posts are actually getting (once you factor in how may of those fans have hidden brand page updates on their feeds or might miss your post in the clutter) the number of impressions you're actually achieving is much closer to half of how many fans you have. Mr. Ringrose even estimates that the unique impression rate on a post can average as low as 20%.
  
  And then there's the all-important question of engagement. "If you have a million likes on your page, and only 10 people are actually engaging, we don't call that a successful page," Mr. Lazerow said. "It all depends on what each brand wants to do. There's nothing wrong with wanting a large fan base, but what are your goals?"

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Why do you play?

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 20:58:00 +0000

Why do you play?

Are you a gamer? If so, you might fit into one of these types - achievers, explorers, socializers, or killers. With social games increasing in popularity, I wonder - are social gamers also socializers? or are achievers, explorers, and killers also represented among the population of social gamers?

tags: game-based marketing game motives advergaming social games smm

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Who Should Own Pitched Ideas? Sears Seeks to Own Ad-Pitch Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 20:57:00 +0000

Who Should Own Pitched Ideas? Sears Seeks to Own Ad-Pitch Ideas

Who should own ideas? The creator or the source of funding? The funding often times wins, but in news of Sears' agency review, the company is going a step farther - requiring that ideas pitched during the review belong to Sears (even if the agency doesn't get the business). Agency competitors have pulled out, unwilling to sacrifice the investment they would make in the review without a client relationship. Is this the start of a new trend?

tags: advertising review agency pitch ideas ownership Sears
- Who would turn down the opportunity to work on an iconic retail brand that spent nearly $500 million last year and ranked No. 22 among all U.S. megabrands in 2009? How about Omnicom Group's DDB Worldwide and TBWA Worldwide; Interpublic Group of Cos.' Deutsch; and Publicis Groupe's Leo Burnett Worldwide, all of which are snubbing Sears, Roebuck & Co.
- The reason is simple: Sears is demanding that participants relinquish ownership of materials and ideas they present during the review -- even if they don't win the business. That demand is so unpalatable that agencies are opting out -- and Sears stands to lose out, unless an enterprising agency can convince it to waive the requirement specifically for them.
- In some reviews, agencies have been compensated with a nominal amount of cash -- say, $25,000 or $50,000 -- but even that is hard for shops to stomach, as it can cost multiples of that to prepare for a review.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Question design - FAIL (Alison's exploding brain)

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Research students,

As we approach questionnaire design and measurement in class, please read this post from Alison MacLeod. Alison, thank you for sharing!

And this is where my brain exploded | Alison MacLeod | The Human Element

One Million Heineken Hugs

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:31:00 +0000

Heineken knows engagement. After Facebook fans delivered 1 million likes to the brand, Heineken showed its mutual affection with in-person hugs. Social done right doesn't replace the personal relationship, but enhances the relationship.

Six ads that changed the way we think

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:05:00 +0000

Six ads that changed the way we think

From BBC News, an insightful piece on the power of advertising as a cultural change agent. Advertisers have always sought to influence and persuade - no more so than at this time of year. But since the advent of mass communications, there has been only a handful of ads that monumentally changed the way people think about a product.

tags: advertising perceptions classic assignment

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Boutiques.com - Google Backs Social Fashion

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:47:00 +0000

Boutiques.com - Google Backs Social Fashion - Annotated

Dear Goog, I can't thank you enough for helping my dream of owning my own dress boutique to become a reality. What I once thought would only happen when I could afford to fund what I see as a hobby can now be a reality. And I might get customers too since your technology helps buyers to find me.

tags: Google fashion social search social shopping
- The site aims to build awareness for new styles and fashions of up-and-coming designers, as well as those who are already established. There's also a crowdsourcing element. Consumers are invited to sign up and create their own boutiques, and allow others to follow their sense of fashion and style.
- Click on the "Your Boutique" tab and the site runs through a variety of snapshots of clothing, asking the consumer to click on their style. At the end of the process, Boutiques.com gives the consumer a label. For example, a "BOHO" may identify with bohemian fashion from decades past, but Google suggests the look is anything but dated. Vintage prints paired with contemporary silhouettes are the keys to everyday ensembles. The site calls BOHOs a mix master of feminine details, inspired by eclectic accessories. Not just a trend, the Boho signature style expresses a carefree indie spirit.
- Google allows site visitors to create an account to save and share fashion items placed in "love" and "hate" categories. A built-in preview function helps consumers see similar items or purchase the product. And the prices are all over the map. In the shoe category, for example, consumers can choose from Valentino's lace masterpieces or Christian Louboutin's red-heeled works of art to a more casual and affordable Ralph Lauren.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

A Letter to Land's End

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 21:56:00 +0000

Dear Land's End,

Tomorrow I will fly home from Zagreb, Croatia. I've just packed my bag (one of yours) and I was telling my husband the story of this bag. He said I should tell you. :)

I have a Land's End Lighthouse Wheeled Carryon (22" I believe - the largest allowed as a carry on) circa 1996. I bought this bag DURING a trip just after I finished my PhD program. I had gone to visit a friend in New York, and while on the trip, thought - I should really allow myself a decent piece of luggage. From her home, I ordered my bag, had it delivered to HER, and used it in my return travel.

Since that time, this bag has gone everywhere I've gone. It's been to Asia (many times), Australia, most of Europe (many many times), South America, Canada, Iceland, Micronesia, and zigzagged multiple times around the US. I don't wrack up miles like those "road warriors" but I take a few trips every year. Always with this bag. For approaching 15 years now. My bag is beginning to show its age, but it's still my favorite. That same friend actually bought me a NEW bag (not one of yours) for my 40th birthday because she thought I needed something a bit fresher looking. I used it once - and went back to MY bag.

I don't know what you warranty these bags for in terms of miles flown (though I do know all of your products have the lifetime warranty), but I did a quick guestimate and I'd say this bag will hit 350,000 miles flown by the time I get home tomorrow night.

One day I'll upgrade to a new one just like it - but for now - I couldn't be more pleased. Thank you!
Tracy
-

Social Media Evolves, And So Must The Conversation Prism - Version 3.0

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:27:00 +0000

Social Media Evolves, And So Must The Conversation Prism - Version 3.0
Solis and JESS3 are at it again! Problem is - it's too big to be readable on screen...

tags: smm prism infographic Solis JESS3 conversation prism applications tools

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Making Promises You Can't Keep

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:08:00 +0000

Making Promises You Can't Keep
In this post from Robyn Freye, agencies are called out - and clients beware. Whether promises on who will be on the account team to th digital prowess of the agency, clients need to ask the right questions to get the information they need. My favorite false promise is "we can do this quick, cheap, and well." It should be "we can do this quick, cheap, or well - choose two." Those three just can't survive together.

tags: agencies ECUAdvertising iMedia Freye

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Gearing up for ad:tech

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 10:54:00 +0000

Over the last few weeks, I've been working with speakers for the Social Media Marketing Master session for ad:tech New York. We have an amazing line up of presentations including global social media research insights from Firefly, advice on understanding influence impressions from Josh Bernoff, and social media case studies from Benjamin Moore, Witeck-Combs Communications, and Siemens.

I'll be previewing the session over the coming weeks over on the ad:tech blog. You'll also hear from the other ad:tech Marketing Masters about their sessions as well.

Interested in going? All the details are here.

Is this the mark of really mainstream social gaming?

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 20:29:00 +0000

Is this the mark of really mainstream social gaming?
Mattel announced that it will release a version of Pictionary for Facebook. That's right - Pictionary for Facebook. No longer do you need to find 3 others willing to play - you've got your entire Friend network at your beck and draw.

tags: smm social games gaming games Facebook Mattel Pictionary chp7

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

French Connection: Move over f-commerce, the YouTique (YouTube boutique) is here | Social Commerce Today

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 19:56:00 +0000

French Connection: Move over f-commerce, the YouTique (YouTube boutique) is here | Social Commerce Today - Annotated
YouTube takes aim at f-commerce

tags: smm social commerce French Connection f-commerce YouTubeBoutique
- With other brands jumping on the f-commerce bandwagon, French Connection (UK) has just gone live with a social shopping channel on YouTube – the Net’s third most popular website that is also the search engine of choice for Gen Y. YouTique is a ‘YouTube boutique’ showcasing French Connection gear and offering personal shopping advice (somewhat kooky – see below) that links seamlessly through to French Connection’s e-commerce site via YouTube’s annotation tool repurposed as a buy button.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

If A Tweet Falls In The Forest… | BrandSavant

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:59:00 +0000

If A Tweet Falls In The Forest… | BrandSavant - Annotated
In traditional media we measure the audience. We have OTS estimates, exposure estimates, and we track attitudes toward the content and behavioral response related to the exposures. Social media are media too but our assessments of audience and audience reactions are severely lacking. It's time for media research to include social media.

tags: smm research BrandSavant media OTS
- Sysomos today released
  a study of over a billion tweets that detailed the following:
  
  71% of twitter messages fail to produce a reaction (reply or retweet)
  
  85% of Twitter “conversations” are only one level deep
  
  92% of retweets happen within an hour of the initial tweet – in other words,
  if it isn’t retweeted within the first hour, a tweet will likely go unretweeted
  (I feel a burning shame at even writing this non-word word).
- Judging the platform, however, by how few (or many) individuals
  respond/react to tweets would be like “measuring” the engagement of the New York
  Times by how many people write letters to the Editor – or worse, judging the
  circulation of the Times by this measure.
- This study gives you some new things to know, and I believe them. Here is
  what you don’t know about Twitter:
  
  How many people had the “opportunity to see” a given tweet?
  
  How many people actually saw a given tweet?
  
  How many people saw a given tweet and could recall its message?
  
  How many people recalled a message, and told a friend offline about it?
  
  How many people saw a message and took some kind of offline action in
  response?

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Let There Be Advertising Week - 'WADV interview'

noreply@blogger.com (Brandacity) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:25:00 +0000

Let There Be Advertising Week - 'WADV interview'

Are you ready for Advertising Week? The festivities begin in just a few days. Can't be there? No worries. Our friends at Ad Week will be podcasting the interviews and sessions right here.

tags: advertising ECUAdvertising 2010 AdWeek podcasts

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.