Oldest Living Digital Marketer Tells All

Digital marketing's 4 biggest disappointments

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:20:00 +0000

Oh boy, does the digital buzz machine ache for a metaphorical magic pill -- some blockhead simple "cure" for many of the marketing challenges facing brands. When new things come along, the buzz about their potential effects on the marketing body sometimes gets blown out of proportion.

Our industry appears to have its own form of digital bipolar disorder. ("DBD" for the TV campaign every new disease needs -- cue the contemporary sound track and vignettes of deliriously happy people raising their arms to the sky.) People in our industry looooove new things. And then, about six months later, we often despise those same things. In many cases, it's not the platforms and technologies that are at fault -- it is the collective DBD and the unrealistic expectations it creates and then dashes.

What's caused this epidemic of DBD? It seems driven by a desire in some to "take care of" digital -- deploy something simple and understandable to make this wonderfully, horribly dynamic environment more manageable. We want to bring structure to something that feels formless.

Just because the latest digital "thing" is transforming communications doesn't mean it is a panacea for brand challenges. This article looks at four digital "things" that instantly captivated many, only to lose their luster just as quickly when it became evident that they were not magic pills. It also points to a short list of considerations to make the next time everyone is calling something "white hot." I've deliberately picked four fundamentally sound concepts and platforms to demonstrate how it is misplaced marketer expectations that are the problem here -- not the technologies themselves.

Daily deals

Everybody's favorite whipping boyThe hype for daily deals was out of control. I remember reading a pundit's blog in December 2010 that predicted that a majority(!) of marketing dollars would eventually be spent offering these 50 percent (or more) discounts on products and services.

What caused the super hype? I think two issues were at play here:

Digital loves "disruption." We love things that bring down the venerable walls of Jericho. We love the idea of a new company shattering time-honored approaches. The notion fuels the collective sense that we are witnessing marketing solution history. But here's the rub: A promotional tactic can't live up to that sort of expectation.

Radical misunderstanding of marketer needs. Many in the tech culture don't really get marketing. The goal of marketing is to charge full price for something -- not almost give it away at 75 percent off. By contrast, a common model in tech is to give away services, thereby creating different revenue streams driven by scale. There's nothing wrong with either way of thinking, but the second often doesn't jibe well with marketer KPIs. Some marketing investment is focused on trial and demand generation -- things that daily deals are good at encouraging. But more money is spent with the goal of driving margin through differentiation.

If I may ascend the soapbox for a second, let me state emphatically that most marketers are notlooking for 29 new ways to distribute coupons. We'd rather have a digital platform that enables us never to need coupons.

Daily deals are an absolutely valid tactic for a host of other purposes. But when the math of a program requires a 50 percent or greater discount -- and then takes a big cut of the revenue that is collected -- one cannot expect marketers to pour most of their resources in. Daily deals can be a really smart tactic -- or a really dumb one.

Branded widgets

Portable corporate goodness

In 2007, widgets were all the rage. Thousands of companies wanted either a desktop widget, a Facebook widget, or a MySpace widget.

The conventional wisdom was that these deep and portable brand experiences would incite such excitement in consumers that they'd want to carry our precious messages "wherever they live online." Platform-specific widgets quickly gave way to platform agnostic units that appeared to further shed the shackles that had trapped our brands for lo these many years. Hooray! Plus, the good ones had incredible interactivity -- in an era in which all banners could give us were 1-2-3 animations.

Six months later, if you mentioned a widget, you saw a cascade of faces doing what Joey Tribbiani called "smell the fart" acting.

What went wrong?

Once again, there was nothing wrong with the thing, per se. Widgets were and are useful little things when designed well. But there were a couple problems there:

Our expectations were whackadoodle. A client once asked me if $275,000 was enough to get 20 million installs of its widget.

Generally brands don't make good content. Making so-so games or videos isn't enough. Your beer's virtual bottle cap spinner "game" (with foamy animation Easter eggs!) doesn't make the consumer cut.

We forgot the marketing. Most brands spent the majority of their budget on the widget, and almost nothing on publicizing it. Kevin Costner in a cornfield.

Facebook changed how it handled widgets. It consigned them to the back burner.

Of course, actually useful widgets live on in tens of billions of installs, and lots of companies are making a good living by selling the data they collect. But a DBD-fueled brand panacea they were not.

Branded mobile apps

Opportunity calling? Apps can be astounding. Brand apps often aren't. There are some great exceptions -- not the least of which is P&G's eminently useful "Sit or Squat."

Or Volvo's driving game. Or Kraft's "Big Fork Little Fork."

But apps are only going to be successful to the extent that they meet an actual need. A FedEx app that lets me see if my packages have been delivered? Nifty! A shopping app built around a store finder for universally distributed bathroom tissue? Not so much.

Another issue with the early branded apps was the development cost. Apps took significant time and resources to build. Further, in order to get massive scale, apps needed to be ported to several major platforms -- iOS, Android, etc. That cost real money. And every successive generation of those same apps needed to be ported across platforms again. At least in those days, interoperability was a pipedream.

A number of startups are working to simplify the process with toolsets that let you develop once and deploy across all of the major platforms. Further, they enable the assembly of assets in minutes instead of weeks. These advancements won't make your content better, but they will enable you to spend some marketing money on publicizing a good app.

What's great about the app space is that there's sort of a second generation of brand apps in development now -- ones focused on meeting real needs. Because apps will likely be a major component in the delivery of digital content for years to come, it's great to see that the brand community is trying again with better content and more realistic expectations. In this case, it appears that we fought our desire to discard the toddler with the tub water.

First-generation retargeting

An old classicRetargeting has been around for awhile, and it usually delivers highly cost-effective results, especially for direct marketers. For those not familiar, a really basic definition of retargeting is as follows: A third party in your employ cookies your site visitors who don't convert and follows them around the web with targeted banners designed to drive revisit and response. The cost per metrics are usually amazing. Cool stuff.

But for most brands, the traffic to the website is relatively small when compared to the total potential audience for a product or service. Which means that the total amount of money and results one can expect from this sort of retargeting is rather limited. If only a relatively small percentage of the target visit your site, only that limited population can be retargeted.

The industry was abuzz with the miracle of retargeting for a time. Then it got a bad rap -- not worth the bother because of the scale problem.

Over the past couple of years, "retargeting" has evolved into a broader bucket -- the foundation for targeted marketing efforts that reach beyond your site visitors. There are several methodologies by which companies are helping to expand the scale of "retargeting-style" performance metrics:

Prospect targeting: This approach, pioneered by m6d, uses your site visitors as the foundation to identify "behave-alikes" that share their media behaviors. The highly developed set of algorithms used by m6d start with your retargeting pool to identify and map large numbers of "behave-alikes." It then enables you to target this big pool through exchange-based media. These aren't "look-alikes" -- they are "do-alikes." The idea is that such "do-alikes" will exhibit similar brand propensities and drive great metrics at scale.

Search retargeting: Companies like Magnetic and Chango collect data on a consumer's search queries related to a product or category. Since search is a great gauge of purchase intent, brands are getting great results across a much broader audience than site visitors

Look-alike targeting: This model leverages the information we can discern about your site visitors and finds others that reflect those same characteristics. Many media companies offer these services, and they are also available for DIY exchange-based buying through DSPs and trading desks.

Social sharing targeting: A different approach, identified most closely with RadiumOne, uses huge numbers of social sharing data points to develop profiles of likely intenders, and then expands the prospect pool by identifying other people with similar behaviors. It's based upon the concept that social intent and the implicit graph offers the greatest potential audience for a brand's marketing message.

Of course, there's nothing at all wrong with classic retargeting. It's just that most brands need to find ways to deliver greater scale. But the answer to the scale shortfall isn't to poo-poo the concept; it is to build upon it. Brands can achieve scale with a combination of classic retargeting and other efforts that similarly attract high-likelihood-of-intent consumers. The tide is turning, and now retargeting is generally viewed sensibly positively.

The treatment for DBD

So how do we inoculate ourselves against DBD? Through sensible and rational thinking. I think there are five things to remember the next time we hear about the latest and greatest thing.

Start with a strategy
So many of the mistakes brands make into diving into new platforms could be avoided if we first ensured that they were consistent with your brand's digital strategy.

Ask yourself whether its creators seem to "get" marketing
Not to put too fine a point on it, but many tech companies and startups simply don't. Since our goal is to create value, we need to ensure that the tasks the tool seems to address do just that.

Approach new platforms and ideas with sensibility, not the herd mentality
We are in digital because we love new stuff. But let's keep the breathlessness to a minimum.

Ensure that the expectations of a new thing reflect its potential versatility
Marketing and brand needs are highly complex. While it would be great if a few simple solutions could solve our problems, we need to test the hype before we buy in hook, line, and sinker.

Do the math -- and test
The selection of a marketing tactic is a business decision best made with a cool head and open eyes. It needs to meet the same criteria as something long established.

Let's keep the excitement level sensible and avoid DBD. Side effects of this approach are significant and include better decision making and higher ROI.

Ten Super Bowl Wins and Fails From 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:31:00 +0000

Teaser: Déjà vu all over again. Let’s take a trip into the past by checking out the Wins and Fails of last year’s Super Bowl ad-off.

Ain’t nuttin’ like the Superbowl.

It’s the loudest shout of old media – the opportunity to connect with more than half the nation in an afternoon with a message more or less guaranteed to be watched, discussed and scrutinized. Plus, if your ad is really really good or, like, a total piece of poo, there’s always the chance you’ll be featured on the front page of newspapers coast to coast.

But it’s a lot more than that. It’s also a brilliant beacon within new media. People talk about experiences. And the Super Bowl is something we all experience. What an opportunity for a savvy (and well heeled) brand to drive thousands of friends and follows in one short afternoon. To mesmerize bloggers from coast to coast, and to motivate their typing and embedding fingers.

It’s the perfect media storm. And if your ad actually makes the product compelling, it’s the opportunity to sell loads of stuff lickety-split.

But whatever. Let’s all relive some of the Wins and Fails from last year’s Super Bowl!

WIN: Chrysler “Imported from Detroit”

It took Fiat management to teach us ‘Murikans how to “do” patriotism right. Not that there was ever a shortage of flag wavin’ in our spots – I am told that visitors to this great land get the willies from our ads. But it took Chrysler’s new Eyetalian management to craft a patriotic message that connects with the side in all of us that hopes for a future in which not every single American must take a job wearing a headset. And saying “How can I give you excellent service?” while simultaneously training his replacement in Bangalore.

This wasn’t just gratuitous flag waving. The ad screamed strength and power and democratic ideals. And, yes, quality, from a mark that sorely needed to stand for SOMETHING. The choice of Eminem was genius – a “brand” inexorably connected with Detroit and a gritty, authentic appeal even broader than his MP3 penetration. Plus he’s cute.

Proof of the Win:

· Tremendous increase in Chrysler 200 sales versus the Sebring it replaced (Allpar)

· Tens of millions of ad views on YT and other sites (YT)

· 4X increase in Chrysler Google searches (Google Trends)

WIN: Bud Light Dog Sitting

This slice of family friendly physical comedy was the highest rated ad in the USA Today AD Meter study (along with a Dorito’s ad,) and not without good reason. The beauty of the Super Bowl is its mass appeal. And dogs playing poker is always good for a yuk whether you’re 21 or 91. Just ask the people that sell velvet pictures! No objectification of women, no insider cultural references. It’s dogs. Doing funny things. All connected to the product.

When you do dogs playing butlers, you aren’t gonna win a Cannes Lion. But you WILL sell a lot of beer. Which is actually the point.

Proof of the Win:

· Highest rated by consumers (USA Today)

· Millions of online views (YT, Y! Video, Google Video)

WIN: VW L’il Vader

No red car. No talk of zero to sixty. Nor, I venture to say, is the woman a MILF, though perhaps she’s a MYLF – to each their own. But I digress. We were talking about which of the gimme car ad things aren’t in this baby. Oh, here’s a biggie. The VO about “zero point nine percent financing” followed by the whisper “for highly qualified buyers” – it’s decidedly MIA.

But what VW understood is that emotional storytelling trumps “speeds and feeds” in 2012. That the target would make a visceral connection with this evil l’il toddler. That connection carried the brand into tens of millions of social discussions and consumer decision sets. And hey, it’s fun, and exciting, and memorable -- three equities not then connected to the “people’s car.”

VW needed to restore a place on our radar. A three year old did it for them.

Proof it’s a win:

· Almost 10 million views and 49,000 likes BEFORE the Super Bowl, when it was “leaked” by VW (SEW)

· Winner of the coveted University of South Carolina “Cocky Award”

· Best Passat sales in six years in 2011 (VW Vortex)

WIN: Snickers Logging

I have adored this campaign since it relaunched Betty White’s career. But the challenge of something so acutely funny as Betty playing football is how to extend it. This great message combines the legendary whininess of Richard Lewis with the crabby obnoxiousness of Roseanne Barr in a one two punch.

The product message comes through loud and clear, and a big ole log hits Roseanne right in the gut, which would seem to have both fantasy and real world appeal.

Proof it’s a win:

· Millions of online views (YT, Y! Video, and Google Video)

· 1.9 million references and features (Google)

· Manual comment analysis reveals that consumer reaction is almost always positive

WIN: Dorito’s Crash the Super Bowl

Dorito’s is always ahead of the pack digitally, but especially in social. Their Super Bowl strategy was and is to turn to budding videographers like you and me (and small studios just getting their start) to capture the desire and crunch.

It’s a win in several ways. First, the ads, such as the one above, are very good. Second, their “Crash the Super Bowl” website showcases dozens of entries, which more or less guarantees that millions of people will waste whole minutes watching when they should be generating their weekly TPR reports. Third, the contest itself creates tremendous buzz in social media among both lay people and the opinion leading “creative class.” And that to no production costs and you got yourself a fat end-of-year marketer bonus!

Proof it’s a win:

5,600 submissions and 28 Million YT page views (ThoughtPick)

Strong traffic every year to the Crashthesuperbowl.com web site. (Quantcast)

Consistently high rankings in the USA Today SuperBowl Ad Meter (USA Today)

WINS: PETA and Go Daddy

Tits are not an idea. But each of these brands uses them to drive awareness year after year. PETA never actually makes the “big game” because they produce ads DESIGNED to be rejected by Network Clearance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFlHDlYs4c4 is just an example. Because of its content, it can’t be embedded.

Go Daddy put itself on the map with buxom models driving awareness for what is almost by definition a commodity product. The problem with T ’n A as an awareness building device is that it’s hard to keep busting through the clutter year after year. How do you follow up DD-riven awareness burst? DDD? GGG? Surely there is some point at which larger ceases to be appealing to a general audience.

So whaddaya do? Call Joan Rivers! Who was proud of her ad and said it had important meaning: "The message for young girls is, marry rich while you've got it. If you want to look like me, you want a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch and extensive surgery for dinner."

Proof that it’s a win (PETA)

· Doubled web traffic (Quantcast)

· One million+ online mentions/discussions (Google)

Proof it’s a win (Go Daddy)

· Huge popularity of tandem social media campaign in which Joan tweeted, “Yes, yes, it is my body.”

· Millions of social mentions on Twitter and Facebook, in addition to hundreds of blog features

FAIL: Stella Artois: Underground Club

I like the quirky campaign for Stella Artois and its depictions of idealized European lifestyles. The stories are at once entertaining physical comedies and carefully constructed tableau underscoring the irresistible appeal of the beer. LOL. Tableau indeed.

Pretentious? Moi?

Then we come to this spot. It’s not a bad ad, but I question the placement. Perhaps it’s because I love the brand and want to see it place ads before art house movies, or at the very least dramas starring Angelina Jolie.

And I’ve been in American marketing long enough to know that women in Packer’s sweatshirts eating Rotelle Velveeta dip like their men smelling of Old Spice and Pert Plus, not Galousies and Camembert Cheese. Super Bowl is the time to show ads starring a shiny faced Brett Favre (making sure, of course, to omit any of those photos of his winky.) It’s NOT the time for messaging starring a funky looking Adrien Brody.

Signs it’s a fail:

<20,000 YT views

Very low level of US social buzz

FAIL: Hyundai Elantra Kaleidoscope

Hey, nothing I can say can detract from the tremendous success of this brand year after year. Hyundai marketing clearly rocks. But this Elantra ad tries really hard to be noteworthy, yet with limited success.

One of the common denominators of successful Big Game ads is storytelling. There’s no story here. Rather, Hyundai served up a visual feast that is interesting to watch but doesn’t leave the viewer with “it.” It being the message. The positioning is powerful as an idea, but this ad, and running it in the Super Bowl, seem to be poor ways of communicating it.

And why are women’s legs spinning at me?

Signs it’s a fail:

<100K YT views (YT, Y! Video, Google Video)

Almost no social media “buzz” (Technorati)

FAIL: Home Away Government Agency

The most memorable bit in the ad is the (test) baby’s head being crushed against a Plexiglas wall. Virtually all of the social discussion on this ad is about that instant of film.

Based upon my admittedly cursory examination of the comments, it appears that men – young men in particular – found it hilarious. Older folks and especially women seem generally horrified. This campaign was a lightning rod of emotion. Strong visceral reactions are, of course, great for socializing a message. But what is the brand benefit of this discussion? Do couples sit at kitchen tables browse the web together and say, “Hey, Home Away! They are the ones that crushed a baby’s skull against a wall! Let’s rent from them!”

Hey, maybe they sold bazillions of rentals. I don’t actually know. The fail here is with Network Standards and Practices. You approved an ad of a baby’s head being crushed? I for one would rather see PETA’s women fellating broccoli than this.

Signs it’s a fail:

High number of negative comments about the ad (various sources)

No link between the discussion and the actual service (various sources)

9 campaigns that won with humor

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:37:00 +0000

Humor is one of the hardest things to do well in digital advertising. These nine efforts of 2011 succeeded in a whole range of ways. Take a few minutes and give them a look. It will be good for you to laugh. You see, laughing builds up endorphin levels that help us deal with the stressful situations in our hectic workdays. Better stock up now, you're going to need them today. Because in 10 minutes, you'll be getting a call about how all your click tags are redirecting to the wrong site. Just kidding.

Axe: Clean Your Balls

No brand stands more erect than Axe when it comes to consistently thrusting itself inside. Our popular culture, I mean. This is a brave brand -- as brave as a Trojan -- with a ménage à trois formula including pretty woman, double entendre, and impeccable comedic timing. Millions stalked this video on YouTube, Yahoo, AOL, and more. "Clean Your Balls" is just another notch on the headboard for this hot playa. But don't expect this campaign concept to last long. Axe's MO is to come and go, scoring new themes, formats, and executional styles while always leaving us wanting more. Let's all hope this brand's edgy character never gets put to bed.

Office Max with JibJab: Elf Yourself 2011

It's simple, customizable, G-rated fun. Every year the action gets better and the tools even easier to use. The Elf Yourself concept is a new Christmas tradition everyone looks forward to. And it makes Office Max come to mind right when people begin to get their holiday shop on. My favorite part of this effort is...no edge or snark required. This is something everyone can enjoy.
(http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/)

TomTom: Bert and Ernie

Driving gadget sales with something other than tech talk -- that's the road TomTom took with this viral campaign. When you're facing a traffic jam of devices and competitors, sometimes it makes sense to change lanes and leave all the performance factoids behind. The new Bert and Ernie voices for TomTom devices put a little fun in the shotgun seat -- at a time when work commutes are getting longer, and people need a little chuckle. Say Chuck + Ull. Chuckle.

Audi: Slider

Every day, ads appear in new places. Airline trays. Urinal cakes. Golf balls. Golf cups. Just when you think there is nothing left to use for marketing, along comes a stroke of brilliance. Make the slider into a race car. Who could resist unlocking the Audi magazine delivered in tablet editions of leading magazines! OK, this is more fill-you-with-smiles versus yucks, but it's just too brilliant not to highlight!

Lanvin: Dancing

The democratization of...well...everything, is perhaps the biggest trend of the last decade. It seems even to be affecting the couture fashion business, if this Lanvin video is any indication. The genius of it is that the clothes continue to be defined by a design elite, but the approachable execution makes the brand more contemporary and relevant. Sort of...exclusively inclusive. Either that or that last sentence was a complete pile of crap. Either way, it's fun to watch models that lack rhythm.

The last Testament of God: The Tweet of God

Verily I say unto thee -- scratch that. Verily He says unto thee. To support the release of the book "The Last Testament: A Memoir by God," Yahweh and his able acolyte David Javerbaum provide bits of sage wisdom that are at once biblical and hilariously un-PC. Writing a very funny book is one thing, but offering up a stream of consistently funny tweets every day...for weeks...shows a tremendous commitment to Twitter and its power to drive buyers. It's a darned popular Twitter account. Of course, the slogan "Follow God. Or be smited." may have something to do with that.
(https://twitter.com/#!/TheTweetOfGod)

Jimmy Kimmel: Hottie Bodies Humpilates

Millions seek out Jimmy Kimmel's promotional parodies the instant they hit the web. It's a brilliant strategy, because it captures the essence of what makes the show different in a very crowded late night talk show market. And because celebrities need to be good sports to be on the show anyway, Jimmy makes the most of their good nature in these excellent uber viral promos.

Jameson's: Jameson's1790.com

This complex and engaging brand experience asks the user to identify the thief of a barrel of Jameson's. What makes 'er inneresting is that the thief is one of your friends, and the game asks you to determine which one by revealing clues based on their Facebook activity . These clues are seamlessly embedded in high quality videos starring eccentric Oirish folk. In addition to the concept and the watchability, the experience also incorporates great little dexterity games. When you identify the crook, the experience goes viral on your Facebook page and that of your criminal friend.
(http://www.jameson1790.com/)

Toddlers and Tiaras: Miss Ultimate Sexy Nevada

Reality TV's biggest train wreck was beautifully spoofed in this parody featuring Tom Hanks and his daughter. Was it an official Toddlers marketing effort? Dunno. But clearly they garnered a lot of cooperation from the pageant circuit for this send up, and I am certain it got more than a million extra people to park their middle-aged rumps on the couch for the season premiere. There are so many superb lines in this masterpiece of tight writing, physical comedy, and spot-on timing. I think the best is when Tom tells his daughter "Don't be a hooch."

9 digital campaigns to learn from

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:22:00 +0000

Behold some of the best that digital marketers created in the last year. Some are integrated multi-execution efforts, others are simply powerful one-offs. But all of them signal the beginning of a new era of creativity that includes platform and format as part of the effort to move the needle.

Ford did a nice job "relevantizing" Ford Focus's appeal to younger drivers with the "Doug" puppet campaign. In addition to videos like this, the presence in social media was funny, tight, and popular. Ford's digital marketing manager, Scott Kelly, says he acts as a liaison of decency between Doug and the public, as well as letting us interject some vehicle features in a natural way. Results are good. Mashable reports 36,000 Facebook fans and some 1.7 million video views, strong conversions to sale, and a brand image that markedly improved among target buyers. Not bad for a puppet!

Google: The web is what you make of it

There are so many things to like about the new campaign for Chrome, which encompasses traditional, online, mobile, and social. This particular "viral" execution has so many things going for it. It is how you do celebrity in an era of consumer participation. The effort shows how Chrome empowers such amazing experiences that wouldn't have been at all possible even a few years ago. And it puts Google squarely at the center of the best of what digital has to offer. Yeah, yeah, Google does TV now. But it's Googly, and in the process, takes ownership of the things people love about our new media era.

McDonalds: Pong

The great thing about "I'm lovin' it" is that it is a concept that can encompass so many fun things. That breadth is great for a brand that needs to be about a lot more than the best fries ever! This MickeyD's campaign from Sweden featured an enormous billboard on which two passersby could play Pong. If you successfully played it for 30 seconds, you were sent a mobile coupon for free McDonald's food. I admit that I have no transactional results to show you here to confirm its immediate business impact. But as a means of generating buzz and cementing the company's fun and hip credentials with young people of all ages, this effort was "magnifik." In my view, mega brands need to create special experiences like this to create lasting consumer impact in an era of media fragmentation and change.

Paramount's Twitter sneak peek

It's often tough to tie sales to social, but this interesting campaign for the Paramount theatrical release of "Super 8" drove $1 million in theater tickets and strong buzz for a modest budget title. The program offered a combination of official announcements and what they call a "Promoted Trend" to flag pre-release showings. The effort contributed to opening weekend box office sales that were higher than expected.

Audi's A8 Klout campaign

The luxury market is incredibly crowded these days, so I liked Audi's use of influencers as a means of generating bottom up buzz. Just one of the tactics was the Klout perks offering to encourage people to test drive the car and discuss it with their networks. The effort generated loads of tweets and great reach for people-originated endorsements of the Audi standard of luxury.

BK's Channel 111

When BK changed agencies, it signaled a philosophical shift from lifestyle messaging to product front-and-center. What better way to do that than placing it smack dab in the middle of DirectTV's channel 111. By staring at the Whopper for long periods of time, you could earn coupons for free sandwiches. But if you looked away, you might miss a demand that you press a button on your remote. Miss an order, start over. What makes this such a great interactive digital campaign is how it put interactivity at the center of a TV focused campaign -- a media rarely known for its participatory side. The buzz from this effort was awesome, and I would imagine that all that time staring created internal dissonance in many a cynical viewer. I call it Flamebroglio -- I want to deny my personal susceptibility to advertising. But look at those perfect grill marks!

Barbie takes Ken back

Years ago, the world was stunned when Barbie dumped Ken for some Australian McConaughey clone named Blaine. I'm guessing it was an effort to make her a little more trendy in a world of loose Bratz. But things soured with the Aussie (I'm guessing too much beer was part of the problem.) In 2011, Barbie saw her error thanks to a massive publicity campaign asking America if she should take Ken back. My favorite piece was this little video showing Ken finding Barbie using the powerful algorithms of Match.com. But there were loads of components to this effort. Tens of millions of impressions, several million Facebook fans, lots of votes, and for the first time, millions became part of the brand and actually cared about America's favorite anatomically incorrect doll. This sort of voting isn't new, but the massive multi-dimensional nature of the digitally centered effort made it feel fresh.

Brand Harry Potter and Pottermore

The HP books created a literary sensation that the world arguably hasn't seen since Twain and Dickens serialized their stories in newspapers. But J.K. Rowling told us that the saga is over. How do you keep the excitement and revenue coming from a completed franchise? Why with Pottermore, of course, a groundbreaking interactive environment in which fans of all ages can read new content and participate in the stories. And while they are there, buy unique electronic content and the first ebook editions. Will it work? I think so, but what really matters is that it offers a really remarkable new model for the book business that leverages the static stories in uniquely participatory ways. This, while continuing to sell stuff.

JC Penney personalized QR codes

I was really taken by this innovative use of QR codes as a means of delivering personal audio messages on holiday gifts purchased from JCP. Buy the item at Penney's, get a personal QR code card, record your message, and make your gift recipient smile! What a brilliant way of making goods purchased at Penney's -- which are often precisely the same goods that you could purchase somewhere else -- and make them uniquely valuable. What a great way to get people to shop Penney's first, and buy the item where they first find it. QR codes are often used by consumers to find lower prices online. In this case, Penney's has flipped the model on its head and in the process, driven incremental sales!

Mr. Manners Answers Questions From Buyers and Sellers

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:33:00 +0000

Dear Mr. Manners,

I get more than two dozen calls per week from media sellers, and more than 50 emails. Must I answer every one?

-Inundated in Irvine

Dear Inundated,

Perfect manners would require a response for every message. But Mr. Manners is a realist, and instead suggests that your obligation is to respond to any message from someone who respects you enough to be communicating with you personally.

You do NOT have the responsibility to respond to any message that:

1) Is delivered as an HTML newsletter or similar.

2) Was clearly spammed to dozens or hundreds of people, without regard to information that they might reasonably obtain before contacting you. For example, your role, title, or responsibilities.

3) Does not include a Dear…. salutation.

4) Does not provide a capsule explanation of why you should be in touch with this person. For example, information on how their offering fits your brand(s).

You do have a responsibility to respond in a reasonable timeframe to a message from:

1) Someone with which you have or have had a business relationship.

2) Someone you have RFPed.

3) Someone you told to check back with you later, and who has followed the time suggestion you outlined.

4) Someone you have asked for a favor, or you have met with.

5) Someone who has clearly made an effort to do research on your company and role, and who explains how that information has led them to believe that they have a solution appropriate for your business.

The depth and timing of your response relate to the amount of relationship you already have with that person, coupled with the amount of effort they made prior to contacting you. Existing partners, especially those who “go the extra mile” deserve a response within 24 hours, even if it is to tell them that a more thorough response will be forthcoming. Past or minor partners deserve a response within 72 hours. Companies you have RFPed deserve an explanation of why you didn’t purchase from them within a week.

In these instances, manners guide both good behavior and help protect and enhance your career. Sellers know and remember who makes an effort to respond to their messages. And a bad reputation will limit your career later.

Dear Mr. Manners,

Lately certain vendors have been going around my agency and reaching out directly to the client. How can I stop them while demonstrating good manners?

-Worried on Wacker

Dear Worried,

Mr. Manners believes that we must first answer the question WHY they are going client direct. It’s not a problem per se. If direct conversations between vendors and your clients endanger your relationship, then you have problems much larger than aggressive vendors.

The second question you need to ask is whether your interest in closing these information paths is actually in your interests and those of the client. Ultimately, agencies need more and better ideas from sellers, and engaging strong vendors in three way dialogue along with the client often makes for better effectiveness. If you’re trying to lock away your clients from information avenues, you’ll probably find that you aren’t in charge of the door before long.

In my experience there are four common “client direct” scenarios:

1) Your client specifically requests that you prevent vendors from contacting them. Here you should communicate that request to vendors so that they know that they must work through you. When the client is contacted directly, ask them to forward messages to your team so you can set things right.

2) A vendor you work with is asked for information by the client. Here your goal should be to become part of the conversation, as it may reveal client goals or needs with which you are unaware. You should not discourage the information sharing, but should ensure that you and your team are part of the dialogue. It is well within good manners, however, to scold a vendor for communicating with your client without making you aware first. And finally, you need to ask yourself WHY the client went vendor direct instead of talking to you, because it may signal an issue in your relationship.

3) A vendor that you work with sees an opportunity to get more business by going client direct. In effect to circumvent the agency or to drive client demands for greater partnership. Relatively few companies will try this, mostly companies that have huge market share or importance such that you cannot “punish” their bad mannered behavior. In these instances, ask yourself:

a. Does the vendor have a point? Would the client benefit from their suggestions? If so, work with the vendor to address the opportunities through the agency channel.

b. Is it just a power grab? I suggest you confront these vendors directly, and work in concert with the client to ensure that their bad behavior is recognized as counterproductive.

4) A vendor you don’t buy from goes client direct to try and force their way into your buy. Most of the time, your client will rebuff the effort outright. If they instead ask you why you aren’t working with a vendor, simply explain your rationale and in most cases that will end the problem. The quality of that rationale will in turn encourage them to rebuff such efforts in the future.

Ultimately you aren’t in control of vendors, even those you work with. But if your client relationships are strong, efforts to engage clients directly won’t be a problem. In fact, communication between clients and sellers may well lead to productive dialogue and a better informed, more digital-savvy client.

So, breathe. Either have confidence in your strong relationships with your clients, or work to address the relationships. Further, by treating sellers fairly and with respect, you benefit from their expertise and drastically reduce bad mannered behavior.

Dear Mr. Manners,

My team worked hard on an RFP response, and the agency never got back to us on why we didn’t win. How can I respond while still demonstrating good manners?

-Mad on Madison

Dear Mad,

Not providing you feedback for an RFP response is the height of bad manners, particularly if you were asked to respond on crash timing or spent a great deal of time and effort creating a customized solution. Buyers who don’t provide feedback usually fall into one of two buckets:

1) Shotgun planners that RFD a huge list of sites because they have failed to pre-screen possible vendors to a subset that have a reasonable chance of winning.

2) Selfish planners that simply “can’t be bothered.”

In either case, I suggest you politely but firmly contact the most senior member of the team and point out the need for feedback. If they don’t respond to your request, I suggest you refrain from responding in the future to RFP requests from that person or team. If they ask you why you didn’t respond, tell them that you can’t invest the time and effort without understanding what might drive the buyer to make a purchase. This is a polite way of demonstrating the importance of well mannered behavior on their part. While not responding may feel like a difficult decision, the reality is that you have better things to do that shoot in the dark. Focus instead on finding real opportunities.

One more thing. If your RFP response was a piece of crap, sending it was bad manners. The recipient is therefore under no obligation to demonstrate good manners in their dealings with you.

Dear Mr. Manners,

A rep has offered me a very high value gift. Is it good manners to take it?

-Tempted in Texas

Dear Tempted,

You are confusing manners and ethics. In my view, accepting high value gifts is unethical because it implies or seals a quid pro quo. Any personal gift that makes you feel obligated to buy is clearly unethical. Further, acceptance of it may run counter to your company policies, and may even be against the law.

Which raises the question of what is “high value”? Many companies have set a policy on a dollar figure, and it is not my place to question those figures. Where no such policy exists, you need to make a decision that reflects your values and the law.

Some people see no problem with accepting a gift from a vendor that will be bought anyway, but in my view this is AT LEAST as unethical. You are paid to make business decisions based upon the best interests of your client. We don’t live in, nor should we encourage a “soft economy.” And the cost of that gift is ultimately “baked in” to the buy, so your acceptance of it is ultimately theft from your client.

Further, acceptance of such gifts sullies your reputation – something that no amount of good manners can resurrect.

Manners govern how you turn down such a gift. Do so politely, but ensure you make clear your reason for doing so.

Got a question for Mr. Manners? Post it in the comments area, and he will respond.

11 Digital Ideas From 2011 Worth a 2nd Look

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:19:00 +0000

There aren’t enough good digitally centered ideas. Here’s a little collection of the best ideas we saw in 2011 – ideas that demonstrate how great thinking and ideas come alive when married to the power of digital.

1. JCPenney makes something the same…different.

When you sell many of the same goods available in other stores, it can be hard to differentiate your offerings. Add to that the danger of people comparison shopping with their cell phones, and you have a major need in search of a solution. Here’s their great idea:

2. L’Oreal demonstrates dramatic proof that their makeup is a great cover up

Anybody can show a pretty model with flawless skin. But what does that really prove? Here’s the way you proof makeup efficacy.

3. Olla gives young men a good reason to wear ‘em

We all know, intellectually, what are the paternity consequences of not using a condom. Here’s a way to bring that to life for young men who sometimes don’t think with their heads.

4. Macy’s screams Black Friday

It’s not easy to stand out amid the din of Black Friday ads. While at its core a TV ad, this hilarious message featuring the Bieb got millions of views online – and impact that far exceeded the size of the buy.

5. T-Mobile stands out…in Christmas red!

The flash mobs that TMobile periodically uses to touch the hearts of millions continued in 2011 with this Christmas message – this time from a mall in Chicagoland. I want the soloist’s albums, dammit. Who is she?

6. Nokia’s reconnects with advanced technology

Nokia’s hit some hard times in Mobile, especially in smart phones. This amazing sound and light show, literally ON the London skyline, helped the brand stand out and show off. And in the process, reach millions via online video.

7. Coke makes happiness strike in the Philippines

Watch, cry, and see why Coke’s the world’s brand.

8. And delivers happiness to Brazil!

Can you imagine actually being there?

9. Nike gets past the lockout

What a brilliant way to connect with fans even when your endorsers are sidelined. What a great way to demonstrate your connection and heart for a sport!

Hotlinks for 12/20/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:47:00 +0000

Apple wins suit against HTC

ATT withdraws T-Mobile acquisition plan

Novartis chooses Starcom for their media business

Kindle Fire becoming important ad vehicle

droga5 spoofs McGarry Bowen - funny

Appsavvy raises $7.1MM

Spending on branded content to rise

Hotlinks for 12/16/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:16:00 +0000

Mercedes CMO becomes CEO

TV Dollars pouring into digital video

WPP creates boutique agency for Lincoln brand

Zynga IPO 100MM @$10 per

Rumor: Smaller iPad coming in 2012

Greater scrutiny of photoshopping in ads

Harsh analysis of RIM's future plans

10 tech startups that wowed us

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:00:00 +0000

The market is stuffed with fascinating digital marketing startups doing everything you can think of, and a bunch of things you couldn't even think of. In this midst are a collection of outfits focused on solving your digital marketing problems. Find your problem below and check out the company focused on solving it.

How can I do more mobile advertising without all the creative hassle? With Celtra you can build amazing mobile rich media units lickety-split. Celtra's platform enables creative teams to make ads that do exactly what you want them to, but without the cost and complexity of finding mobile dev experts or versioning for all the various platforms. The platform easily integrates video and other rich formats with the stuff that makes mobile so effective -- location, time of day, multiple types of interactivity, and long-term engagement. Ads can run in-app and on the mobile web across top ad networks, premium publishers, and DSPs. A built-in analytics package gives you a broad range of stats across your entire campaign to prove performance and drive more effective optimization.

How can I get my marketing material translated quickly and efficiently? Cloudwords offers a first-of-its-kind technology platform and community of carefully vetted translators to get you up and in market quickly and efficiently. Brands post a project and receive proposals from translators in the community. You can check out their work, read and post ratings, and choose a vendor that fits the bill for you. Built-in project management capabilities make it easy to collaborate, track, and warehouse the localized content. Vetted translators, competitive bidding, and no more files with names like WebsiteCopy-German-Version27-FinalFinalFinal.doc.

How do I become part of passionate consumer conversations online? Amplify Social combines social, mobile, and online display in order to create high reach, high engagement brand interactions. Its core offering thus far is the Virtual Fan Network, which places brand messages within the context of sports discussions wherever they occur in digital media. Sports are unique in both the reach and depth of consumer interest that they inspire. The network offers its sports team and player clients a platform through which they can connect with their fans across digital media. Product marketing messages are integrated into and carried along with these highly portable discussions, providing the scale as well as the association benefits of working with sports brands.

How can I encourage more positive social recommendations for my brand? Zuberance offers a platform that empowers brand fans to more easily rate, comment, and distribute their praise across the web. Zuberance starts with your CRM or other database, and then asks your passionate enthusiasts to tell their stories, make comments, or provide service ratings. From there, Zuberance gives the brand fans the opportunity to place their comments in one or more high-traffic review environments. Zuberance doesn't pay people for positive comments, so they preserve brand credibility as they help your fans spread the word and be an organic part of your brand marketing team.

How can I make my site direct buys more powerful and efficient? Legolas bills itself as the first audience futures marketplace, using a unique media sales platform to help brands and agencies buy audiences in advance from publishers they like and trust. Most brands buy some inventory site direct to capitalize on great audiences and custom solutions. But for pub direct, you generally had to choose ROS or context. Many brands want the premium association without the waste inherent in ROS or context. Use Legolas to set audience characteristics, frequency, budget, flighting, and a ceiling media price with platform guidance. Legolas estimates the available reach within the marketplace, and the buyer then pushes the specs to publishers. After publisher bidding, Legolas suggests the optimal plan that the buyer can adjust. Brands buy or manage through the platform without meetings, faxing, and unnecessary back and forth. Additionally, you can plan budgets, make adjustments, and review measurement.

How do I get more business from local search listings? Yext makes a local business's listings stand out by adding additional pieces of information so that consumers notice one listing over others and are more likely to convert. Using Yext, the business can manage multiple listing presences from a single venue, and even monitor online reputation across social media with email text alerts. With Yext, a business listing can be supplemented with a "verified" logo, offer promotions, an additional URL, photos, and business hours, and get tracking and reporting across social sites. Additionally, Yext optimizes listings for mobile search.

How do I drive better results from my e-commerce site? EyePredict is a company that uses predictive attention software based on neuroscience to dynamically arrange items on your pages for maximum results. Whole industries have been created to help physical stores plan layout and display assortment. In the digital front, great strides are being made. The EyePredict solution generates thousands of possible layouts and then selects the one that will maximize results. In contrast to eye tracking evaluations, which have limited scalability and require expert interpretation, EyePredict optimizes layouts automatically and delivers them seamlessly to the consumer while the page loads.

How can I get a great referral program for my brand up and running quickly and easily?
Everyone knows referral programs work, but most of us grimace at the amount of work they can take to implement and track. Extole promises to turn frowns upside-down. One service offering lets you custom brand your program and easily deliver rewards that encourage customers to tell your story to their friends. Extole delivers your message in Facebook, Twitter, email, and on blogs. It manages fulfillment by delivering the rewards of your choice -- custom gift cards, PayPal payments, or branded service credits. Extole also offers services to enable turnkey sweepstakes to grow your fanbase.

How do I get real experiential brand impact in social media? Social advertising not only needs to be compelling but it also needs to fit seamlessly into the flow of the game or any social activity. Why? Because you want your ad to be more than a speed bump on the way to "my farm." MediaBrix simplifies the creation, buying, measurement, and refinement of campaigns in social environments across a footprint of more than 500 million users globally -- almost 200 million in the U.S. Through the MediaBrix platform, marketers can target an audience, outsource creative development, book a campaign across multiple social venues, receive ongoing creative optimization, view consolidated reports, and gather actionable insights. The MediaBrix Social Flex solution is fully integrated into social experiences and offers compelling, sharable, high-impact experiences designed to create brand advocacy.

How can I simplify the process of planning, placing, and optimizing social network advertising? Adaptly offers an integrated platform for the purchase of social media advertising across communities like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and StumbleUpon. Instead of using multiple self-service platforms, you use the Adapt.ly offering to make all your purchases across the platforms and ad formats. What's more, reporting is in real time, and in an integrated interface. No more staring at incongruous graphs and charts wondering what they mean. Optional auto optimization helps improve the effectiveness of your campaigns and extend those learnings across multiple communities.

Brand Social Grows Up

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:02:00 +0000

Lately there have been a lot of articles pointing to growing brand interest in social media measurement. Like all marketing activity, social is now being more thoroughly scrutinized to determine if it is making a significant business impact.

What is perhaps getting short shrift in that coverage is the massive shift taking place in HOW companies engage in social – where they are active, what they are doing, and how they are representing themselves in these critical environments. Which is definitely a good thing.

In my view, there have been three more or less distinct eras in brand social:

Social 1.0 – Primarily characterized by social media listening, analytics, and customer relations management. The common denominator was RESPONSE – processes through which companies could address issues and opportunities that customers made them aware of.

Social 2.0 – In this phase, companies sought through social to cost effectively reach consumers using social platforms with highly controlled messages. In essence, treating social as a media vehicle like Print or Radio. The theme here was BROADCASTING in different venues.

Social 3.0- This important new phase has brands proactively interacting with consumers, whether through becoming part of conversations or delivering messages designed to drive consumer input and evangelism. The theme here is PARTICIPATION.

In this third phase, the very nature of how a company is presenting itself has begun to change. Part of this is driven by the rise of Twitter as an important social outlet. Since Twitter is ultimately about content and news rather than “static messaging” and offers, brands have had to adapt their voices and stream of commentary to be more human, interesting, and surprising.

Whether on Twitter or in the new Facebook news streams, brand information needs to be at least as interesting as what our friends and colleagues are speaking about. Capturing and maintaining consumer interest requires a greater focus on the consumer and thinking about what THEY want, not what we think they want or “what they don’t know they want yet.”

In my view, the final difference between this social era and the earlier phases is that brands now seem to be more comfortable sharing control of messages with users, even though they are more likely to deviate from whatever is the core brand message. To put their own personal spin on why a brand is great or valuable or worth our time.

Accompanying this is a change in the way ad campaigns “work” – a sort of blending between the classic one message/one format/one tagline approach that has always characterized online and the one-off-centric approach that has, for better or for worse, typified digital. Greater variation is essential to capturing and holding consumer attention, and nowhere is this more true than social.

The very nature and character of brand social is changing. And with it a recognition that social is not “media” so much as a marketing approach.

Hotlinks for 12/14/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:16:00 +0000

Michelob launches Arnold Palmer spiked line extension

Outbrain lands $35Mil

Michael Sneed new Mktg/PR head at J&J

AVON searching for new CEO

AOL gives 150 bonuses

More fallout for Lowe's

SAY Media acquires ReadWriteWeb

eM: SOcial to grow globally

FCC takes action against loud ads

12 totally incorrect predictions for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 04:58:00 +0000

1. Courtney Stodden will…sign a $7.8 million dollar contract with The Talbots.

2. Sheldon and Amy will…conceive during October Sweeps.

3. HBO Real Sex will…live up to its name.

4. Adrien Brody will…choose The Dry Look.

5. The Occupy Movement will…sign corporate sponsors.

6. Nikki Minaj will… endorse Mitt Romney for President.

7. iPhone 5 won’t… sell well.

8. Fox will… focus on “hard news”.

9. Fabio will… play Mr. Darcy.

10. Calista Gingrich will…get a perm.

11. Kim Kardashian will… tour the country advocating for girls’ self esteem.

12. Posh will…do an infomercial for “natural look” makeup.

Hot Links for 12/13/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:39:00 +0000

Chibe chooses McGarry, Translation for Bud Light

Unilever launches $6B global review
Another reorg for AOL

Ogilvy wins Philips

6MM Kindles Fires sold in 2011?

Lowe's attacked for pulling ads from All American Muslim

Looks like Verizon is trying to buy Netflix

Biggest tech flops of 2011

Hot Links for 12/12/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:26:00 +0000

Check out AdWeek's Agencies of the Year!

Entertaining and thought provoking: Biggest social blunders of '11

PlaceIQ nabs $4.2M, moves to the Big Apple

Check out the mayhem at Apple store opener at GCS

Read about Comcast's big ass VC fund

Zynga owns top 5 slots on FB in run up to IPO

ATT, TMobile ask for delay to reassess options

Cool! Google Street View now a first person shooter!

eM: TV, Mobile Vid viewership up

A collection of Jonah Mowry responses

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:11:00 +0000

I first saw Jonah's video this afternoon, and have since been struck by how many people replied to his video with their own flash card vids. I thought I'd share some of them here. Can't seem to stop searching for them.

I suppose I had the usual amount of crap thrown at me as a kid. Nothing like these folks have been through. But I've certainly had times when I felt alone, lonely really, with a world coming at me from all directions. But I cannot imagine the pain that kids go through who are attacked so.

What is it in people that makes so many so able to hate? Is it a feeling that by hurting others, somehow their own status stays unthreatened? Does it make someone feel stronger to attack others who have been singled out for whatever reason?

I feel fortunate to live in a world where the people below were so moved as to send him video messages of support. I hope that it makes Jonah and the many other kids who share his pain feel less alone. That other kids -- and adults -- who are so horribly ostracized can see in these homemade videos some of the promise of how the world can and will get better for them.

That there are more good people and relationships than bad ones in their futures.

Apparently Jonah's life has taken a positive turn. That as a result of this effort, his school and the kids surrounding him have largely apologized, and are treating him better. That's magnificent. For some inexplicable reason, this seems to disappoint some people, who think he was lying about his pain. Ignoring the fact that he has so many scars from cutting himself to numb the pain.

I for one am very glad that Jonah did SOMETHING, and that that something helped improve his situation. Unfortunately, far too many kids don't see an improvement in their situation fast enough to prevent them from taking their own lives. These are kids. With "presents" so painful that they can no longer cope.

I am so happy that these wonderful videos made a difference in his life, and hope that they can make a difference in the lives of people who haven't yet found their voices.

Watch them. Watch them all.

Jonah's story seems to be ending well. For far too many kids, their stories end in wooden boxes and urns.

Jonah Mowry - Watch His AntiBullying Vid and then Friend Him at the link below

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:31:00 +0000

Friend Jonah here.

Hot links for 12/8/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:43:00 +0000

Living Social gets $170M

Volvo restructures agency relationships

Goodby, Sprint divorcing
Check out TC's profile of Tripl

Waze partners with local tv stations

IBM snaps up more cloud

Lands End - searching for new agency as it plans to heavy up

Heineken inks major FB partnership

Nielsen, Tremor partner to bring TV metrics online

Report: Big FB reorg

Schmidt says Android ahead of iOS

Today's Hot Links! 12/7/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:08:00 +0000

CSF brings flash sales to media!

Phenomenal Cyberweek results!

Mattel hunts for new games agency

JCP buys 17% of MSL - v. interesting

Mustafah back for Old Spice Christmas effort

Macy's mulling break with MSL given JCP mov e

Crowley teases about future of 4Square

Martini Media shakes (not stirs) $13Mil in new investment

No more tabs for Dell...for now

Today's Industry Links - 12/6/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:46:00 +0000

Report: Apple had its best month ever in November

eBook collusion investigation in the EU

The battle of the wallets: GOOG versus the carriers

First Youtube channels debut

Is there a big restructure in the works at Razorfish?

Study sez only 5% of US uses location based tools like 4Square

New PR shop for JCP

Rebrand/redesign for StumbleUpon

People of Walmart the music video? Yowza!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:43:00 +0000

Gigantic flashmob viral video from Mumbai

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:32:00 +0000

Today's Top Tech and Ad News - 12022011

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:19:00 +0000

BI picks the 10 worst ads of 2011. There are some real stinkers here

Twitter tests self serve

AdAge on the phenom of Cable nevers

Mary Kay beefing up social and mobile

Ugly Groupon snafu in the UK leaves Britkids rideless

Youtube revamp rumoreed

Google's latest move in the battle with Amazon

Pincus pitches Zynga IPO to investors

Interview with Marketing guy at Carrier IQ

Two new hot tablets coming to Verizon

Drunk RIM execs force pilot to turn around on the way to Beijing

Condom company sends FB msgs from your unborn kids.

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:08:00 +0000

Get this! The babies tell you NOT to conceive them!

Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm Ads Have Changed For the Better

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:59:00 +0000

When I started in the ad biz in 1987, the largest account at our agency was State Farm. For like…forever, State Farm had worked with what is now DDB Chicago to leverage its agents as a point of difference.

“Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” (Fun fact: Barry Manilow wrote the jingle!)

I didn’t work on State Farm. People down the hall did. But it was such a big account that we were all aware of what they were doing. Theirs was the ultimate “old school” approach. Of course, only hindsight allows me to call it “old school”. It was, at the time, “school,” because we’re talking 25 years ago.

(Cue sound effect of my tennis-balled walker sliding across linoleum. Squeeeeeeak!)

State Farm spent loads o’ cash on this effort. Which in addition to being developed by just one agency, had just one tagline. And one message. And one ad format. And one jingle.

It was an all-English campaign back then, and while the company was rather progressive (no pun intended) in terms of the number of African American agents it featured, the ads were in all other ways the very definition of cookie cutter. I am not saying it was “safe”vertising, but rumor has it that each ad came with a heaping tablespoon of Duke’s Original Mayonnaise.

The ads themselves were less about getting people to switch to State Farm than to convince the 50% or so of America that already had State Farm to stick with it. The ads focused on the agents, those “neighbors” that were available whenever you were in trouble.

They were like tiny whispers from your Mee-Maw. “Choose security.” “Keep making the riskfree choice.” “The quality choice.” That’s what you did in those days of yore. Found a message and spent like a sailor on leave to keep it in people’s consciousness.

How times have changed.

Today they have separate efforts for Hispanic, African American, and Asian targets. And there are several “Anglo” campaigns. The Millennial trial/switching focused campaign uses the tagline as a sort of abracadabra, It’s gotten significant buzz, and they turn what could be a “minus” (I have to call an agent) into a “plus” (I’m a VIP entitled to deal with a real person.)

The campaigns for the rest of us deliver a strong message about value – that good pricing can come WITH great service. Additionally, they do engaging digital marketing that’s as strong as anything in the category. This quirky vid is an example:

I experience several of these campaigns every day. The youth stuff when I get my Sheldon Cooper on via TBS, the mainstreams on sports, a radio campaign on discounts during drive time, and the Hispanic campaign on Univision soccer.

Despite this executional variety, or perhaps BECAUSE of it, these marketing streams cume up to a much stronger brand.

Last week during the Harbaughpalooza game, I saw a vignette ad set to the Cheers theme. Cheers – that venerable 80s show that defined real friendship. By airing this one-off execution as part of its multifaceted marketing effort, State Farm better connected to the vivid idea of being there when you need them.

In the ads of olden times, the State Farm agent sat at his or her small town knotty pine paneled office and spoke to camera. Now a State Farm office looks like a tech start-up. Back then the agent delivered the paraphrased value prop in words. Now many of the ads don’t even need V/O because the pictures are good enough to do the work.

State Farm is also breaking another old school rule – they acknowledge the existence of competitors despite being number one. Why? Because it would be patently absurd to pretend that we had never seen the morose caveman or the uberperky Flo. Today’s consumer values “real and genuine” over “leader branding.”

Of course this change at State Farm is connected to the rise of GEICO and Progressive – sales growth driven by their aggressive marketing efforts. Indeed, GEICO’s model probably helped State Farm be comfortable with all this message variety.

Competition does bear tasty fruit.

But in these times – of media fragmentation, multiculturalism, greater need for value, and stronger consumer “control” – State Farm’s approach appears to be a great example of “what works” today. I for one am glad that they were able to come so far – to recognize that “rules change” and adapt it to their unique brand.

I like Progressive’s Flo. And the Gecko. But using the Cheers song? That was mighty nifty. If it took breaking the old rules to make it happen, I am thrilled that the old advertising conventions lie shattered on the floor in Bloomington, IL.

(BTW I have absolutely nothing to do with State Farm ads. I just thought the example was strong.)

Today's links: 12/01/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Nichols) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:55:00 +0000

22% gain in online ad revenue

Why FTC wants to keep TMobile alive: it's a disruptive force

eMarketer: MCommerce growing like a weed

Some interesting lessons from a social snafu at Virgin America

Walmart's Shopycat brings gift finding and customization to FB

How college recruiters are leveraging G+

Nook now a $220M business for BN