Burns Workspace

Facebook vs. Google: What does the future of online advertising and search look like?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:27:00-0400

And the battle rages. An interesting article published last week by Wired magazine explains the growing fight between Google and Facebook over the future of online brand advertising and information dissemination.

Google has been the go-to site for information over the last several years. But now, there's social media and the more personalized, network-oriented Facebook. And the question -- where will people turn to get their information? To Google's algorithms or their network of colleagues, peers, and family?

What do you think? Will Facebook's extensive database of user information attract a larger advertising audience and the bigger brand campaigns that Google has been hoping for? Or will Google continue to rake in the money while Facebook struggles to turn a profit?

A promotion that makes you want to sing

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:59:00-0400

"Doe, a deer, a female deer..." yes, you know how it goes. But what does it have to do with marketing?

Well, recently, a Belgian television program needed to drum up some interest in upcoming auditions for a production of "The Sound of Music." So, they created this entertaining stunt in the Central Station of Antwerp. Four minutes. Two-hundred dancers. And only two rehearsals. Check out the finished product.

Certified greenwashing

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:09:00-0400

Next time you purchase an "all natural," "organic," or "green" item, you may want to think twice about what you're really buying. According to research by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, 98-percent of products that advertise their "greenness" are bending the truth.

And a growing trend is to imply third-party endorsements -- whether they're real or not. Adopting fake labels is now the newest sin of greenwashing. And cosmetics, cleaning products, toys, and baby products are the top offenders in this area.

For an eye-opening look at greenwashing -- and a sampling of the legitimate eco-labels available -- download Greenwashing Report 2009.

I want to watch something good.

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:40:00-0400

How many times have we aimlessly flipped through channels or wandered the aisles of Blockbuster with one simple request -- I just want to watch something good. Based on the numerous differences in behavior and taste that vary from individual to individual, this request is not always simple to fulfill.

Netflix generates Movies You'll Love. TiVo allows you to record and watch your favorite shows. But what if we had viewing options delivered instantaneously based on our individual preferences and present feelings?

The Personal Content Channel, delivered by beeTV, provides the next level of personalized viewing and new opportunities for paid promotion and personalized ads. Along with delivering this new television viewing option, the beeSTBox, beeMobile, and beeWeb also gather marketing data. Instead of a frustrating night of nothing good on, viewers can sit back and relax until the content they likes finds them.

What does this mean for marketers?

More than delivering the adorable white Cesar puppy that TLC's Say Yes to the Dress viewers can't help but want to watch, marketers can interest and even delight viewers with more certainty than ever before.

Personalized content viewing can go wherever viewers go, reaching happier viewers who are likely to have received the answer to their request -- "I just want to watch something good."

Goes great with the bacon explosion.

Fri, 29 May 2009 15:15:00-0400

We'd love to savor a slice of bacon explosion with a delicious Bakon Chocolate Martini. Alas, Bakon -- the premium bacon flavored vodka -- is only available in the Pacific Northwest.

Help us bring some to Colorado, if you wouldn't mind. If you happen to be in the liquor distribution business in Colorado, or know someone who is, can you please e-mail the Bakon sales department to help us achieve bacon nirvana? Much obliged.

Time for some rapid-fire thinking

Fri, 22 May 2009 14:46:00-0400

Here's some random stuff to ponder over the long Memorial Day weekend...

1. Mac has landed a genius haymaker against PC. This tremendous, LOL spot might be more effective than anything all those PC shoppers are saying.

2. Being normal doesn't pay. FirstBank is generating a ton of attention with their atypical approach to bank marketing. We love this campaign -- even before we found out that FirstBank has expanded their small business assistance to include services like advertising and web site development. They call it the DotFree small-business package. Really, really smart.

3. Values go both ways. When Starbucks recently launched a new campaign highlighting how good deeds make better coffee, they opened themselves to possible claims of hypocrisy. The web site StopStarbucks.com is cashing in, featuring a video that is getting a ton of views according to Unruly Media's Viral Video Chart.

4. Some PC users in our office disagree with the effectiveness of the Mac ad we lauded above. Apparently, they don't mind the crashes, virus, and wastes of time. ;)

Is our money too boring?

Mon, 18 May 2009 17:46:00-0400

Sometimes the best way to add new life is through a rebrand. Is this the answer for our economy? Could the U.S. Dollar stand to be redesigned? Yes, our paper money has undergone facelifts through the years, but it hasn't been significantly changed since the 1930s. Check out the suggested new looks for our Greenbacks submitted to the Dollar ReDe$ign Project.

Give pigs a chance

Fri, 01 May 2009 18:04:00-0400

What's the world coming to? Do we really need a spokespig to defend the pork industry after the worldwide outbreak of Swine Flu? One PR expert seems to think so, and even went so far as to suggest the right sow for the job. None other than Miss Piggy. (We might need to mention this expert represented oinkers, Gov. Blagojevich and Sgt. Drew Peterson.)

Of course, Miss Piggy isn't the only beloved member of the swine family. What about Pumba, Hamm, or even Piglet? Are they not worthy of lending their voices to repair the reputation of the pig?

Let's all take a minute to remember that despite all the recent bad press, some pigs are even loveable.

A new way to peep results

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:18:00-0400

If you're a marketer, you're undoubtedly trying to monetize your social media efforts. Everyone is. However, the jury is still out on how to measure the effectiveness of marketing on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, et. al. Marketing experts even suggest that the ROI on social media is good only because the "I" is so small.

Could it be that we're measuring the wrong things? Social media is a social experience. Perhaps using marketing to interrupt that experience and ask people to buy our stuff just isn't a reasonable expectation. What if we accelerate the social experience rather than interrupting it? If we create a popular culture around a brand or product -- or play into one that already exists -- we can likely profit from giving customers a reason to participate with a brand. Increased sales will necessarily follow.

Like Peeps®. Manufacturer Just Born has practically given control of their Peeps brand to their customers -- with incredible results.

" Annual Peep diorama contests are tremendously popular.

" Social media sites are helping customers extend the Peep experience.

" And the phenomenon grows more and more every spring.

Peeps even plans to launch a new line of Peeps flavored lip balms -- quite a coup for an inexpensive marshmallow candy that lacks a big marketing budget. Could their success be the result of enabling a popular culture? Of creating an authentic idea that customers can embrace? We think so.

Especially because we've already seen what happens when a brand name shuns the social experience.

Give 'em what they want - individualized media

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:52:00-0400

A battle is raging in consumer living rooms thanks to frequent additions in consumer screen options. Xbox complicated the mix by offering Netflix Watch Instantly, which enables consumers to stream TV shows and movies through their gaming console.

More than 100 ad campaigns will be featured on Xbox LIVE in the 2009 fiscal year ending June 30. Ads that won't be muted or skipped over. This offering opens up a new audience to marketers -- one that is likely to increase.

Consumer demand for individualized media has grown with the Internet, TiVo, Hulu, and now Xbox LIVE. As consumers take media into their own hands, marketing platform opportunities will continue to expand. That means marketers will have the chance to create content that consumers will choose to participate in, such as the "Play and Win" promotion on Xbox LIVE sponsored by Honda.

And when something interests them, consumers are willing to actively participate. Consider how AMC reaped the benefits of this phenomenon when they finally embraced the fans who created Twitter accounts for characters of Mad Men.

As individualized media is welcomed, consumers may actually embrace marketing that is personally relevant. And that bodes well for marketing.

A glimpse into our office

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:59:00-0400

Here's a rare opportunity to see the inner workings of our web development team. We hope you enjoy this special introduction to watch our processes in action, and see results in the making.*

(*this isn't really us, but it'd be great if it was.)

AARP gains insight from younger generations

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:06:00-0400

Getting old is inevitable. That's a fact. But what each generation cares about as they age differs greatly. AARP -- the organization that offers products, advocacy, publications, and much more to people 50 years and older -- knows how to keep up with the changing times.

In 2007, the organization challenged people between 18 and 30 to create videos that showed what they expected their lives to be like at age 50. And AARP conducted the entire contest on YouTube. Winners were announced in February 2008.

While the contest has been over for a year now, the videos are making their rounds virally. Take for instance the second place finisher -- with more than 4 million views -- it long surpassed the grand prize video and recently landed in my inbox.

The video is clever, well-written, and definitely worth sharing. And it made me learn more about an organization I wouldn't have given a second thought to -- at least for another couple of decades.

Tropicana's identity crisis

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:23:00-0400

A rebrand is much more than a logo change. Thank you, Tropicana, for this friendly reminder. The new carton design introduced in January will soon be discontinued after numerous loyal Tropicana consumers complained.

When I first discovered the new packaging, my heart sunk in disappointment. "It's not that big of a deal," I tried to convince myself, but the image of juice in a glass immediately evoked memories of half-heartedly drinking Sunny Delight as a child.

Sunny D was a modern solution upon introduction. Is it not surprising that the "modern" rebrand of Tropicana was met with such utter disappointment?

[More]

We can't help it.

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:02:00-0400

This ad just makes us laugh -- a welcome diversion given the sour news we all keep hearing all the time.

Rough week for celebrity spokespeople

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:52:00-0400

By now everyone has heard that America's golden boy, Michael Phelps, has tarnished his image by getting photographed with a bong. The misstep proved costly as Kellogg's dropped the swimmer from future endorsements.

But Phelps isn't alone. Wrigley's jumped off the Chris Brown bandwagon after the singer's recent arrest for domestic violence. "Got Milk" quickly followed suit and pulled their ads featuring the singer.

And what do you suppose will happen now that Alex Rodriguez has admitted to using steroids? He's estimated to earn millions through contracts with the likes of Nike, Pepsi, and Guitar Hero (also staring Phelps). But do these companies want to associate themselves with a cheater?

Advertising history is plagued with bad memories of the celebrity endorsement gone wrong -- need we remind you of the O.J. Simpson and Hertz partnership? Are celebrity endorsements really worth the risk? What do you think?