Think See Do Differently

Only Children Can See This Important Message

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:30:00 +0000

This standout work shows you can be smarter and targeted in traditional formats in an age of digital engagement.

"ANAR Foundation manages in Spain the european unique phone number 116 111, to attend children and teenagers under a risk situation. On this telephone number, only for minors, they can find the help they need in a totally anonymous and confidential way. But, how can we get our message to a child abuse victim, even when they are accompanied by an adult their aggressor?"

This standout work shows you can be smarter and targeted in traditional formats in an age of digital engagement. I can't help but think Grey uncovered a powerful insight that told them that the people who need help most (children) could also help themselves if they were informed. Following that assumption, did they see the opportunity for advertising to become more relevant, even functional, by digging for a meaningful behavior change (self-informing)?

The Future of Purpose-Driven Brands

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 01:49:00 +0000

In the March 4 Advertising Age, Rance Crain takes aim at purpose-driven ads, speculating that the approach of some marketers like P&G and Pepsico have not seen a sales lift by doing purpose-driven marketing, and therefore, marketers should dump it. Crain suggests that selling has become too “tacky” and that being purpose-driven seems to assuage the guilt of marketers. He also outright suggests that the approach elevates craft over the sales department.

Now, having worked on P&G, Unilever and Pepsico brands in the past, and been subject to their brand keys, brand agency leadership models and so forth, I can objectively tell you that these marketers have never given up, not once, on the simple fact that they exist to sell products and that all of their energies should be focused on that. However, these companies are doing what they always do best--and that is to follow the consumer. Being purpose-driven is a good response to changing times because no chief marketing officer worth his or her salt knows they can lead the consumer purely by selling. We've seen the statistics--consumers (and employees) want to buy and be loyal to companies that care about their well-being. They want brands that don't ravage the earth's resources. They want to recommend and advocate for brands that properly position shopping and consuming as having consequences.

What Crain fails to do is to acknowledge that purpose-driven marketing is one spoke of a larger business movement that begins in the supply chain and extends far beyond point of sale into a company's over-all behavior in the marketplace--all with the aim of adding value. Look at it this way, if corporations are people under the law--then they better start behaving like good neighbors if they want to be a recognized member of a community. The shared value approach developed recently by academics has influenced Nestle to the point that they literally re-wrote their mission and are investing in the communities that produce their product’s ingredients. On the agency side, there has been a new crop of shops focusing on brands and social change, including a well-known PR firm has launched a global practice focusing on the field. And at my firm, for nearly 30 years we've helped brands tap into their power to improve lives. So we’ve witnessed firsthand the tremendous benefit brands receive when they create real change.

Ask an advertising executive if they want to work on brands that inspire them and make a palpable difference. And you're not likely to hear back, 'nah--I just want to sell stuff.' The industry itself has woken up to the fact that advertising can play a bigger role in the lives of consumers beyond shopping. The 4A’s recently announced a contest to "advertise" the industry after research lead them to the insight that most consumers believe advertising has the ability, even opportunity, to change the world for the better. At the SXSW Interactive festival this year, no fewer than a dozen panels were focused on the intersection between social good, technology and branding, with the support of top brands, innovative start-ups and marketers looking for new techniques like the ones my panel presented on about how branded documentary and social storytelling affect change.

Crain's view will seem fair if you haven't seen the impact of a campaign that moves people to make wiser decisions about their health (the Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids), or the lives improved by more conscious capitalism (1% for the Planet). It’s a view that proposes brands exist to do one thing, and one thing only, sell. We need more of the top marketers and voices of this movement to speak up and demonstrate that companies create value to consumers, companies and communities are not trendy, they are catching up with a consumer who is already demanding the best behavior of brands.

Joel's SXSWi Picks!

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:49:00 +0000

SAT March 9

1130am
Introducing the Giving Graph

Hilton Austin Downtown, Room 616AB

1230pm

Make Me Care: Digital Storytelling to Affect Change

Austin Convention Center, Room 5ABC

330pm

Al Gore on The Future

Austin Convention Center , Exhibit Hall 5

SUN March 11

GoodXGlobal (11am to 630pm, Austin City Hall)

On Sunday, March 10, 2013, GoodxGlobal will host a first-ever day of events at SXSW Interactive dedicated to the local and global power of technology for social good. Hosted at Austin’s City Hall, the inaugural GoodxGlobal will convene local and international nonprofits, social entrepreneurs and startups for a day of programming, while also supporting expanded representation from Africa and other developing regions.

Presented by the World Food Program USA, Social Good Summit Austin, United Nations Foundation and global non-profit tech company Ushahidi, GoodxGlobal will explore how both domestically and internationally, digitally and physically, innovations in technology are transforming the face of communication, funding and ultimately, the human condition. The event is made possible by partners Edelman and Constant Contact, with additional support from sponsors Water For People, EffectiveUI, ONE Campaign, DAI, GOOD, Lifeway Foods and Partnership for a New American Economy.

ALSO...

11am

Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business

Austin Convention Center, Ballroom D

1230pm

Cory Booker: The New Media Politician

Long Center, Dell Hall

1230pm

Behavior Change as Value Proposition

Austin Convention Center, Ballroom A

330pm

Big Data Democracy: The Rise of Analytics

Wanderlust

5pm

How to Make the Internet Care

Austin Convention Center, Room 5ABC

MON March 12

930am

Death by Demographics: Killing Off Your Ad Budgets

Austin Convention Center, Room 12AB

11am

Measuring Social Change & Media: Beyond BS (workshop, requires RSVP)

AT&T Conference Center, Classroom 204

330pm

A Conversation with Steve Case

Austin Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 5

5pm

Sparking Social Change with Content Integration

Austin Convention Center, Room 12AB

SXSWi - Do it like a local

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:01:00 +0000

For the 2nd time, Flow Nonfiction drops DO IT LIKE A LOCAL, a killer guide to SXSWi 2013, this time with special guest Top Chef Paul Qui!

Measure Twice, Cut Once

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 22:58:00 +0000

In an era of big data, its easy to lose sight of goals when you can measure everything. What data is more important? Which data drove the decision/purchase/vote? What was the value of the contribution? Were we effective?

Addressing these questions is more important than ever because its easier to falsely correlate success with other movements in the broad amount of data we can collect. And yet, we all know that clients are spending the least amount of their resources to measure. And we know that agencies are willing to get away with letting them. In fact, we don't want to know most times. Even folks doing long-term behavior change are guilty of this--saving lives is a great metric, but if you can't say how and why so someone else can replicate it or improve upon your strategy later, you're doing yourself a disservice.

I like organizations that get serious with the numbers, that resist the urge to sweep them under the rug, postpone the meeting or pass the buck until they get audited. New York's The Robin Hood Foundation has taken a ruthless, ultra-transparent approach to measuring effectiveness called "Relentless Monetization." Their aim is to spend philanthropic money (donations) wisely--that means correlating every red cent to a measurable impact. And not sloppy metrics like "job saved" or "schools built." Nope, they put a price on success.

In a contrarian manner, The Robin Hood Foundation uses counterfactuals--that is they estimate how much good they could do without the help of the donations. In this way they are able to make more effective grants. A counterfactual thought occurs when a person modifies a factual antecedent and then assesses the consequences of that mutation. A person may imagine how an outcome could have turned out differently, if the antecedents that led to that event were different.

Michael Weinstein Counterfactuals Video from Robin Hood on Vimeo.

The Future of Planning is Behavior Change

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 20:21:00 +0000

So I'll let you in on a little known, but publicly available secret. The government wants you to change your behavior. Behavioral economists have heavily influenced the recent Presidential election in the US and even the UK's new government. But what behaviors? Well, there's voting, quitting smoking, paying your taxes, saving, and a myriad other host of societal issues that the government wants to nudge its citizens to do on a daily basis, primarily through policy and program design. Turning to guidance of behavioral scientists like Dick Thaler, James Fowler, Dan Ariely, and Todd Rogers, governments are re-examining how to use the power of our social connections as well as our own predicatably irrational behavior to influence us. No, there's no sinister agenda here, its basic economics. We don't save enough, we eat poorly, we buy things way beyond our means. Human beings are wonderfully, messily, inconsistent, poor decision-makers, and that's costing us and the government, a lot of dosh. So the search has been on to set a new policy-making path for government, one where they take a more liberal paternalism approach to our well-being.

This has enormous implications of course, for the field of communications and marketing. As a planner I've spent most of my career searching for elusive insights to inform storytelling to persuade people to buy things. Most recently, I've shifted my intent to focus on persuading people to do things for the common good--that is, I've added a social mission to my work. But I find that the old ways of doing my job just don't apply. I don't want to sell malaria nets. I don't want to sell you on the horrors of childhood obesity. I don't want to perusade you to vote. I want to change your behavior, for the long-term.

Now, I've preached again and again to my students at NYU and junior planners, "it's just advertising, we're not doctors or lawyers or cops out there saving the world, so don't take it so seriously." But when you start talking behavior change, well, that's a whole other ballgame. Suddenly we have to seriously consider the messages we're making, the ethics, and the outcomes. I'm not alone in thinking that planning as an advertising discipline, is going to have to find a new basis in reality. Gareth Kay and Mark Earles are thinking the same thing. Its partly because the pseudoscience of advertising isn't working anymore, and its also because we've gone so far down the rabbithole, that there is no other more desirable outcome for communications but behavior change. You can only fix the "low-calorie" or "stain-resistant" or "finer fit" dilemmas of product advertising for so long before you become more concerned with the lives of the consumer than the profit margin of "extra-light" or "lightly-toasted" stuff. To put it simply, shifting from persuading people to changing their behavior is inevitable. And we're not alone. Companies and brands have done the math. Our western bad habits are making us bad investments. That's why the concept of "shared value" is so valuable to Nestle, and "performance with purpose" is getting Indra Nooyi's butt kicked on Wall Street. The truly visionary companies realize they have to change the behaviors of their markets and suppliers for the better, or those markets won't be around to sell to in the future. Its no longer us vs. them, but us AND them, that figure in their long-term profit projections.

While I can't say that this approach is right for every brand, agency or planner, here's the thing. I'd encourage you to put aside your Malcolm Gladwell for a moment and start reading the real work of practicing psychologists and behavioral economists right now. These fellows go deep, to the academic level, and they research, they test, and they learn, they also peer-review. No bit of thinking is guaranteed or fool-proof, but if you say your an expert at communications, you better damn well know how people behave and why. If you need proof that this is where planning is heading, go online and watch Rory Sutherland (ex-IPA chair, Vice Chair at Ogilvy). He'll give you a crash course if you stick with him long enough, and he'll lead you down the rabbithole to the great thinkers in this new area and endgame for communications. It may be years before we figure out how to use this stuff in our daily work, but it will take lots of planners at different types of agencies figuring it out, and sharing. So in that same spirit, here are some resources to get you started. Yeah, I know its a lot of reading, but if you're a planner that ain't no thing.

Nudge
The Victory Lab (and any writings by Sasha Issenberg)
Mindspace
Connected
Judgement and Uncertainty
Predictably Irrational
The Paradox of Choice
Gut Feelings
Herd
I'll Have What She's Having
The Art of Choosing
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

And I've created an Account Planning Playlist here with hundreds of hours of video on the state of planning and the concepts behind behavioral economics and behavior change for you to browse.

I would be curious to see how CRM planners will feel about these concepts, after all, who better understands the application of the science of choice to advertising?

Social Proof Or Something Else?

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:52:00 +0000

Underpinning the powerful concept of Positive Deviance (a behavior change tactic), is "social proof," which works on the premise that when someone just like me does something, I’m more likely to try it myself. However, this video also demonstrates that social learning "cascades" quickly from a few early adopters to hordes of new dancers. Its like a trend curve come to life here (an example from a previous post). Why the cascade? Well, there's less perceived risk if everyone's doing it right? And the risk here is the risk of looking stupid, which clearly the very first dancer appears to be when he's dancing by his lonesome. But consider this, has the risk really been mitigated just because more people are doing it? Instead of one person looking stupid, its now lots of people looking stupid. But something changed, right? Something else has taken place when the cascade commenced and suddenly more and more people joining up changes the acceptability of the stupid action. The aberrant behavior becomes a new norm. Voila.

So what's my point? If you want to be stupid or brilliant or change the rules, find a few other people around you who are stupid too, and invite them in, the rest will follow quickly. You can't change the rules on your own, but you can do it with just a few fast followers. Conversely, negative behavior norms only need a few fast followers too before it cascades, so there's something to be said about the heuristic, "nipping bad behavior in the bud."

The Astronaut Meme in Advertising

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:49:00 +0000

In further proof that the behavioral economists and uber-planners like Mark Earls have it right, people are irrational, great copiers and rather unoriginal, witness the Astronaut meme circulating thought the collective unconscious of the advertising industry at the moment. There are no less than 3 major campaigns in the market that promise to send you to space, either literally or figuratively, from Toyota, Red Bull and Axe (Unilever).

But is there anything wrong with copying? Hell no. Its perfectly reasonable to spot a good thing and copy it. I do find it funny however. Lets look at when this meme has emerged. It comes when Obama has basically defunded and deprioritized space exploration in America, taken it private and dashing the hopes of young engineers in America. I mean lets face it, if you were a young girl, bright in engineering who had just finished space camp, would you rather be an Astronaut for NASA or an Astronaut for IBM? The meme also comes when American confidence in government, and major institutions of all kinds is at an all time low (see this poll). And it comes at time when technology has become commoditised, lowering the barrier on what's possible by the individual, not the government or collective.

The surprise of Felix Baumgartner's sponsored jump into space came as a pleasant surprise...Oh yes, I could go into space if I wanted to, or if I had enough sponsors. How capitalistic. The Toyota campaign however, seemed to talk to a spirit of self-reliance--and the practicality of choosing a RAV-4 when well, everything else in your life is going to pot. It's a "smart" wish at a time when we wish the world was more inspiring, predictable, safe, fun, well...just "more" of what's better than now (which is just a bit depressing). And the Axe ad campaign is the most escapist of all the fantasies. Axe will train you, then drop your butt off in space, presumably making you more attractive to women, a hero. Brilliant, if the world is beating you down and you can't get a date, here's a brand that can help.

One can't help imagine what the meme would look like if it were in the hands of a Chinese ad agency, or maybe an Iranian one? In fact, we have such an example, because surely China and Iran are doing just about everything for propaganda's sake these days. Iran just "lofted" a monkey into space as a prelude to their first human-manned space flight. Its incredible, its as if they're saying, we're civilized too, we can do it, just you watch. If you're an Iranian, its safe to say you're about as depressed as an American at the state of things, and so why not, space flight is a good fantasy to have as well.

What's absolutely interesting though about the meme and its circulation around the globe is the way it is entering our consciousness and playing out, revealing more about our lack and apathies, than our true hopes and dreams. Astronauts in ads or propaganda doesn't really sell the optimistic future anymore, rather it throws a blanket over reality, and perhaps that is where our marketing efforts should concentrate, not on bailouts or weather ballons, not on Sharon's EKG or Clinton's chances at running, but on the small, everyday good things that we can do in our lives, things that are already going well or getting better, that could use some copying, some meme-ing so they too could spread about the world and maybe show up in an ad or two. Surely ad execs can find some good real behaviors worth copying? It strikes me as simple, the planner and the creatives, didn't really work hard enough to answer the brief. They looked to the base qualities of their brands and the base instincts of their audience, and phoned it in. Well, maybe they 're as depressed as the rest of us.

Remarkable Times Remarkable Work

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 01:14:00 +0000

The last few days have been remarkable. We saw the second inauguration of an African American to the Presidency of the United States, the 50th anniversary of the "I Have a Dream" speech, and the 40th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. I'm quite proud to be living in these times, and working at an agency that has played a role in celebrating these important movements. Here's the trailer for a new campaign celebrating the 40th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade for Naral Pro-Choice America aimed at empowering and recruiting a new generation of women to the cause. Its remarkable work by 40 great photographers capturing the faces and voices of a new generation.

For the full film and experience, go to Choice Out Loud.

Wardrobe Malfunctions and Obliquity

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 18:03:00 +0000

The other day I had a very important meeting with several CEOs who were tackling a major social issue together. I was going to share research that could really spur them into action. I went to bed early the night before, got up early, ate well, reviewed the presentation again. I was early to the meeting, and I wore my best suit. Just a few minutes before I was going to enter the meeting, I decided to hit the restroom...I wanted no distractions during the crucial presentation. Again, this was important meeting. Wouldn't you know, but as I zipped-up my fly, the zipper got stuck.

Ok I said to myself, I did eat pretty well during the holidays, but this is a friggin Paul Smith suit, the zipper should work. I didn't panic, I tried to jiggle the zipper. It broke.

Ok I said to myself, the zipper's broke, but its not that bad, I just have to pop it back in. I didn't panic, I tried to pop it back in but I didn't know how to do that.

Ok I said, I can fix this...I'll just calmly go out to the lobby, and ask for a safety pin. Which I did, and that's when the administrative assistant said the CEOs were ready for me. I didn't panic, I asked for the safety pin, retreated to an office figuring I had about 30 sec. to clip my pants. I laughed, "this is kind of like a bad movie, a funny bad movie." The safety pin was just to damn small, and "hmmm, why are my hands shaking?"

That's when I started to panic. I asked for and received a very large safety pin, which I clipped on, and looking down, realized that I looked ridiculous. I had made the problem worse because the silver pin might as well have been a neon sign pointing at my crotch. I started running through scenarios....
1) I could leave, just bail, there was enough coverage that I would not be missed, I wasn't CRUCIAL to the meeting.
2) I could go in without the safety pin, but how was I going to go around and shake hands with my fly wide open?
3) I could....

Just then my scenario planning was interrupted by the admin staff who suggested I try one of their loaner suit jackets on. If it was big enough, I could close the jacket and it would cover my crotch. Hallelujah it seemed I would be saved!

Ok I said, I'll try the jacket. Even though it ruined my finely English-tailored image, I was willing to compromise here. And now I was definitely late. The jacket was too small and didn't do the job. Now I really panicked. That was it, scenario 2, 3, and 4 were off the table and I was just going to bail. I sighed with disappointment. The very reason I moved to DC and took this job was to make a difference. I've presented to CEOs plenty of times before, but never on an important social issue. I tried to console myself with the fact that there would be other opportunities.

And then my pity party was interrupted once again by the admin staff with a suggestion. "Why don't you take your jacket off and hold it in front of your pants as you enter the room, and then just sit down quickly."

The simplicity of the solution was astonishing. I felt like as if a Zen master had rapped me over the head to achieve a moment of clarity. I thanked the admins profusely and entered the meeting all smiles. The meeting went well and I left later with no one the wiser except my colleagues and the staff.

As I sat listening to the CEOs debate strategy, I couldn't help but analyze my wardrobe malfunction. Certainly the episode had something to teach me. I realized that while I was bravely trying NOT to panic, to stay calm and rational, it was my own perceived rationality that was nearly my undoing. I kept trying to attack the problem directly even though I was unprepared to solve it. Let's see how.

1) I wasn't a tailor, and 2) I didn't have the resources, but I blindly kept trying to solve the problem on my own. 3) I didn't really ask for help, when I did, I asked for the solution that I thought was right--the over-sized safety pin--and I was wrong.

It turns out that the best solution came when I gave up control over the situation and let others in to collaborate. Also, solving the problem required "going around", or taking an indirect route. And finally, it required native knowledge.

The admins in just two recommendations solved the problem. First the coat, then my jacket should be used to cover my wardrobe malfunction. In fact they came up with an even more elegant solution. When I picked up my folio, they suggested I just use that and keep my coat on for the meeting.They completely bypassed trying to fix the zipper itself. This is an excellent example of obliquity. Economist John Jay expresses obliquity as the principle that complex goals are best achieved indirectly.

"Obliquity is necessary because we live in an world of uncertainty and complexity; the problems we encounter aren’t always clear – and we often can’t pinpoint what our goals are anyway; circumstances change; people change – and are infuriatingly hard to predict; and direct approaches are often arrogant and unimaginative."

I arrogantly assumed I could solve the problem without the help of the admin staff--who surely must have come up against wardrobe malfunctions in the past. Whatsmore, the staff knew the layout of the boardroom and thus knew that I could enter relatively easily, with a very short trip to my chair to lower the risk of my inadvertently exposing myself. But I will never forget the turning point in my own behavior that gave me the confidence to go ahead with their plan. The admin said to me, "Joel, leaving may be the smart thing to do, but you'll really regret later that you didn't just go in now." The admin realized that I couldn't see the big picture, that the wardrobe malfunction was actually a rather minor thing, and easily solved. In my various attempts and failures, I was behaving predictably irrational and thus on the verge of depriving myself of a very valuable opportunity.

So, what are the lessons here that strategists and planners can take away from my wardrobe malfunctions?

First, if you are in the business of problem-solving, get help, its very unlikely that you're the expert, and sometimes you only have to look around to realize you're surrounded by experts with native knowledge based on prior experience.

Two, the best solution maybe an indirect one, where you attack the problem by NOT taking it head-on, but instead shaping your solution around the context of the problem instead of the functional mechanics of the problem.

Three, problem solving requires an objective outsider's POV on occasion. Rationality is subjective and while you may think you are providing a well-considered solution, you may in fact be behaving quite irrationally and need a reset (my zen moment). And that this is likely to come from someone else observing your challenge. This is a simple forest-for-the trees approach.

Incidentally, I did admit to being rather embarrassed about the whole thing, but not until AFTER the proper solution presented itself. Another indication that I was behaving irrationally--I wouldn't humble myself to ask for help. I believe this was because I was going into a room full of CEOs. What if it had been people with less status, say a room full of mechanics or the very admins who helped me? I think I was influenced by who I was going to see to a degree that I thought I would display the confidence of a CEO in solving the problem. You know, this happens when you prepare yourself to impress someone. You adopt what you perceive is their attitude and behavior a little. And therein lay my downfall, because no good self-respecting CEO would do what I did. They would survey the landscape, examine several routes before acting to avoid making the situation worse, ask for or command help immediately, and preferably from an "insider" with native knowledge. Or at least I LIKE to think that's how a CEO would behave.

For more on the principle of obliquity, see below:

Brave Ads Focus on Change

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 23:06:00 +0000

Since I joined GMMB I've become a believer in using communications to support behavior change. If you look at the most-awarded campaigns of the past few years, you'll notice that we (the industry) now believe the best work should no longer fixate on creating brand preference as an output, but tangible action as an outcome instead. Think Tapwater Project and Fuel Band.

So, of the ten nominated TED Ads Worth Spreading the ones that stand out to me as the most brave are the ones that lead to real change. Sure, I admire transparency (part of the remit), but those that simply focus on polishing the brand, clever films like Three Little Pigs, don't hold a candle to campaigns like Make the Politicians Work from URA.RU (a Russian newspaper). In effect, the campaign intervened again and again to get the attention of the local government, using shame as the trigger. And they didn't rest on a one-time change, they enabled the citizens of their city to break the social norm to keep the change going. No easy feat.

Here's Make the Politicians Work.

I'm also impressed with the Save the Troy Library campaign. Good bit of reverse psychology used here to GET OUT THE VOTE.

JWT: 100 Things to Watch in 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 22:37:00 +0000

JWT: 100 Things to Watch in 2013 from JWTIntelligence

5 Years of Purpose via Edelman

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 18:22:00 +0000

by EdelmanPR.Browse more infographics.

Branded Doc - The Rationale

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:01:00 +0000

Last year at SXSW I sat down with the Flow Nonfiction team (client) and shared with them my thoughts on why branded documentary might just be cause marketing's best marketing tool. The results--a nifty short film also featuring P&G's Sara Montante and DeVries PR CEO Stephanie Smirnov among others--that provides an insider's look into the genre and the benefit it can bring to your brand.

PEOPLE ARE GOOD, SANDY'S A B*TCH

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:40:00 +0000

Heart breaking but inspiring film put together by filmmaker Joe Carter (VAN RIDES) while he worked for P&G brand Duracell and clean water non-profit Waves for Water covering relief work in NY who were affected by Hurricane Sandy. Its unclear if its a Duracell-branded film, but it hardly matters. Duracell brought its Duracell Power Forward Fleet where it was needed most, sharing more than 125,000 batteries, recharging more than 1,000 cell phones and helping more than 10,000 families recover through-out the aftermath.

-PEOPLE ARE GOOD- from Joe Carter on Vimeo.

Waves for Water has coordinated a full-fledged Hurricane Relief Initiative in response to Super Storm Sandy that has absolutely decimated the North Eastern seaboard, ocusing primarily on the surf-based coastal communities in Jersey and NY to start. We look at W4W effort specifically as a vessel for the surf community to funnel their support through, specifically addressing the families and businesses of the surf communities that were wiped out. According to their website, they've raised half a million dollars already.

Its Time

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:04:00 +0000

The Only Vote that Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 01:28:00 +0000

Starting a Movement? Be the First Follower

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 22:32:00 +0000

Millennial Trains Project Sets Off

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 22:05:00 +0000

Stoked to share with you an exciting new initiative that embodies the pioneering spirit of the western expansion, the earthy satisfaction of a college road trip, and the zen of a spirit-walk. Created by Pat Dowd, inspirational young person, the Millennial Trains Project is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit that's gearing up to run a series of transcontinental train journeys across the United States. "On board each of these trains will be emerging pioneers of the Millennial generation who are eager to disrupt the status quo and co-create new ways of doing things."

Millennial Trains Project from Meg Kelly on Vimeo.

MTP’s mission is to champion the Millennial Generation’s especially enterprising and civic-minded spirit and thereby lay the groundwork for sustained economic progress nationwide. MTP aims to run its first journey from Los Angeles to Washington, DC in early 2013. Subsequent journeys will travel from New York to San Francisco, and Portland to Boston, stopping to host events and lead site visits in ten cities along each route. At the end of 2013, MTP will convene a summit at which all those who have participated in one of the project’s transcontinental journeys will draw on insights gained from their shared experience to generate priorities for sustained commitment and action by Millennials nationwide. The goal of this summit will be to collectively generate, articulate, and broadcast an inclusive and compelling vision for strengthening our nation’s welfare and competitiveness.

The Millennial Trains Project from Nick Troiano on Vimeo.

*disclosure - MTP is a GMMB client and though I didn't work on this, my dome is featured somewhere in the first film ; )

Wise Words From My Former Boss

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:50:00 +0000

FIND SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVE.

Cause and Entertainment Join for 1-Day DC Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:22:00 +0000

It takes a savvy marketer to navigate promoting a Cause without selling out, jeopardizing their non-profit status, or exposing their community to greenwashing. It takes a long-term strategic plan, a willingness to explore all kinds of media opportunities while gauging their effectiveness, and protecting your membership or consumer above all. Most of all, it takes experience. These days you can attend the Cause Marketing Forum, or the Brand Sustainability Conference to network and find great examples of successful cause marketing and purpose-driven brand campaigns, but its rare to find events that bring together causes and the entertainment industry. Sure there are experts you can consult, I like Cause and Effect Agency, but its a small and highly competitive marketplace--no one is giving up the secret formula to leveraging entertainment and celebrity that easy. Enter Good Scout, a new-ish social good consultancy that's willing to help pull back the veil.

Cause Placement 2012 is created and produced by Good Scout, in association with Different Drummer, an audience and fan mobilization agency for global entertainment content. Through case studies and real life stories, attendees to the October 11th, one-day conference in Washington, DC, will learn how to implement cause marketing and placement into their professions from entertainment and brand executives. Featured speakers include leaders from: United Talent Agency, Sony, Lifetime, and USA Networks, along with representatives from select non-profits including The United Nations Foundation, The Tony Awards, The Broadway League, Hollywood Health & Society, Malaria No More, International Rescue Committee, and The National Fatherhood Initiative.

"Through a series of in-depth presentations by industry leaders from the world of entertainment and philanthropy, Cause Placement 2012 will provide an unparalleled and an in-depth look at how organizations can embed messaging and marketing into various channels of entertainment including: movies, television, celebrity activation, publishing, music and gaming," reads the release. In addition, Cause Placement moments and case studies will be made available throughout the day presented by The Ad Council, so you'll have materials and ideas to bring back to your organizations.

For my blog readers who are especially interested in this subject, Cause Placement is offering up a special discount on registration. Enter the code DRUMMER during registration for a $100 discount. If you're in DC, it should be a done deal for you because this caliber-level of speakers doesn't speak in this market everyday. If you're on the East Coast, this discount ought to cover your Amtrak ticket, so, I hope to see you there. Since lunch is on our own--email me ahead of time or just grab me--and it'll be on me. See, I just made your expenses even cheaper!

Comedy for Obama

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 14:00:00 +0000

***NSFW***So, when is it OK to laugh when so many people are suffering under the current economic conditions? Perhaps when things are looking-up and the GOP wants to squash progress. Perhaps when the GOP wants 47% of American "victims" to shut-up and make the rich even richer. Perhaps when....OK, you get the point. Its always a good time to laugh. Comedy unites us and remains one of the most effective storytelling tool for marketers, whether its selling deodorant or getting a President elected.

The Jewish Council for Education and Research returns to the Presidential Elections in 2012 with an attention-grabbing PSA featuring actor Samuel L. Jackson (infamous for his reading of "Go the F#CK to Sleep" fairytale, in Seussian rhyming to encourage a less than empathetic family to get out the vote.

JCER is now stranger to taking it straight to the people with comedy. This summer, another provocative and adult-oriented ad featured comedian Sarah Silverman with an "indecent proposal" to "scissor" (a sexual position) Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson who committed $100 million to defeat President Barack Obama.

"The Jewish Council for Education & Research (JCER), a federal Super PAC, was created to develop and disseminate information to voters in the United States around issues of concern to the Jewish community. JCER is motivated by a deep love for the Jewish community and by a desire to ensure that Jews have access to accurate information as they engage in the electoral process. But civic engagement doesn’t have to be a painful experience. JCER uses humor, viral video, celebrity, and social media to break through the election year clutter and reach millions of voters."

Brand with Purpose: Saucony

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:13:00 +0000

First, let me admit something. I'm not a runner. In fact, I hate running. Sure, I know to millions of people, running brings joy and release, but ever since I sustained a knee injury as a young wrestler in junior high, running brings me nothing but pain and misery. But I just may have to reconsider. Enter Saucony's new running app, Run4Good. Runners will not only be able to keep track of their usual stats, including pace, time, calories burned, and run and route history, but they will also be able to make contributions for each step they make to fight childhood obesity.

"Funds generated by the app, which claims to be the first to take aim at childhood obesity, are to be donated to the American Diabetes Association the first month, with other health organizations receiving donations in the future, including those nominated by app users. And runners get something too, earning discounts on Saucony products when mileage goals are attained," according to MediaPost.

More than Nike +, the Saucony Run4Good app taps into the new zeitgeist and corporate behavior of imbuing their products with Purpose. There's a deep insight here--that running renews the mind, body and soul--and for the soul part--we're talking civic participation. Running is already a source of millions of dollars given to charity annually. 5 and 10K runs used to create engagement and advocacy for numerous charities tackling hunger, cancer, and poverty. Saucony could have created a Run4Good shoe with proceeds donated to the ADA, but by connecting with an existing behavior, they lower the barrier for giving while raising awareness, and fulfilling an unmet need of the runner.

And this app is no fly-by-night bit of marketing. Since 2006, the Run For Good Foundation (arm of Saucony) has given more than half a million dollars to nearly 60 organizations nationwide, all to promote running as part of a healthy, active lifestyle for kids.The foundation has relationships with Let's Move, and PE4Life. While its not uncommon for consumer products companies to have charitable foundations--few take their social mission to into their marketing. This process, which I call Shared Value strategy, ensures that the company, consumer, and society at large will see value from the engagement--and not just in reputation, but in the value that each stakeholder needs. No doubt Run4Good, if launched as part of a grassroots movement to engage runners succeeds, will drive a small segment of runners to reconsider Nike and Reebok for Saucony.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:54:00 +0000

Autonomy. Mastery. Purpose. There ya' go!

Joel's Picks for Adverising Week DC #ADWKDC

noreply@blogger.com (Joel Johnson) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:48:00 +0000

Since my recent move to DC--I'm keen to learn about the Mid-Atlantic agency scene. Where is the market going? Who are the visionary agencies and marketers? What conversations are happening in relation to the wider industry here?

Fortunately, I've landed just in time for Advertising Week DC, the annual event hosted by the DC Ad Club. The DC-area has some pretty impressive businesses that are no slouches to transforming advertising, after all, this is the birthplace of AOL. Audi, Capital One, Honest Tea, the US Govt all are fostering innovation which is transforming the agency market here. As a veteran brand strategist and do-gooder, I'm interested in the kind of social marketing that drives real and lasting change, but there are lessons in many of the planned talks and workshops. Here are my picks:

DAY ONE
Building Bridges: Nonprofit Marketing and the Corporations That Care

How Audi Uses Storytelling to Start the Conversation that Builds a Brand

DAY TWO
Building an Honest Brand (featuring TEO Seth Goldman)

Welcome to the Revolution

DAY THREE
Welcome to the Advertising Revolution: Screening of the Naked Brand