The Daily Breakthrough

Friday Breakthrough: Tigers and Ketchup and Comebacks, Oh My!

2010-02-05T10:03:00.019-05:00

The Friday Breakthrough is Ottawa's weekly roundup of some of the Internet's best marketing and social media articles for a less-than-intense day at the office.

1) I have a new favourite commercial (and not surprisingly, it's a Super Bowl ad). How cute is that baby tiger? Simon Houpt of The Globe and Mail explains that Cars.com is one of many Super Bowl advertisers that are connecting their ads to social media (in this case, YouTube) to build anticipate and start a dialogue. For more on Super Bowl ads, check out this previous Daily Breakthrough post by our own Casey O'Brien: "My Most Memorable Super Bowl Commercials".

2) The Globe and Mail reports today that the ketchup geniuses over at Heinz have revolutionized the ketchup packet. 40 years after they were first invented, the packets have been redesigned so that it "has a base that's more like a cup for dipping and also a tear-off end for squeezing, plus it holds three times as much ketchup than a traditional packet", reports Sarah Skidmore. On behalf of all ketchup lovers out there, I say "hallelujah!"

3) I received an email from Club Monaco in my inbox this morning and experienced major flashbacks to grade 8. The email announced the return of their iconic crest - "back by popular demand!", available in select Canadian stores only.

They say that if you wait long enough, everything will come back in style. Back in the late 90's, every girl I knew had a Club Monaco sweatshirt with the big crest. If memory serves, mine was a dark navy blue hand-me-down from my older sister. I would hope that my fashion style has progressed since back then, but I've gotta say... the more I look at those comfy looking sweatshirts, the more nostalgic I feel. I may have to get one, just for kicks, but I promise I won't pair it with a scrunchie.

Who Does Wrangler Think They Are....Dolce and Gabbana?

2010-02-02T20:12:00.006-05:00

Wrangler Jeans recently revealed its new look for the 2010 Spring/Summer season. And it's red hot!

The campaign is titled "Red" and it builds on the "We Are Animals" concept that Wrangler Jeans introduced back in 2008.

The new ads feature scantily clad men and women covered in red dirt, who look like they’ve been shipwrecked on a deserted island.

It’s sexy, it's animalistic and it has me wondering...what is Wrangler thinking?

Knowing your target market and identifying their needs is the key to every business' success. Trying not to alienate your loyal customers is another. Companies who try to be too many thing to too many people, tend to give off the impression that they don't really know what business they're in.

The way I see it, this is exactly what Wrangler Jeans has done with "We Are Animals". They've completely gone against everything that the Wrangler Jeans name was built on. Wrangler is about comfort and value not image and sex appeal. Their jeans are meant for cowboys and All-American football players. Not models and indie singers!

Although this campaign is only running in the more fashion-forward Europe, I still believe that Wrangler Jeans should stick to their roots by focusing on durability, comfort, and value.

What's your opinion?

"The Death of Old Marketing"? Sorta... Not Really.

2010-01-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday, the Globe and Mail hosted an online Q&A session with Ryan Caligiuri, a marketing specialist from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Caligiuri is a proponent of "emotional marketing" and employing the following strategies:

Communicating powerfully with the goal of evoking emotion;

Building movements and engaging communities;

Creating products and services that are worth talking about;

Breaking current models and introducing solutions;

Storytelling.

Although his pitch in the Globe and Mail was entitled "The Death of Old Marketing", Caligiuri admits in the Q&A session that this phrase was an exaggeration to attract readers to the discussion. While he does argue for "new" approaches to marketing, he acknowledges that if traditional marketing means are working for you, you should stick with what you're doing.

In my opinion, the Q&A with Caligiuri didn't really live up to the hype. Case in point, here's a direct quote from the expert: "Marketing directors to new graduates are all stuck in 1960" (emphasis added). Another direct quote:

"The interesting thing with ‘new marketing’ is that it’s not new at all. It’s been around for many years. However, new is all in the mind of the CEO, CMO or new graduate who might be learning about these principles for the first time. And through hundreds of conversations with marketing professionals and business owners calling it ‘new’ is still very much appropriate. Now, they are not new, but how many organizations really follow strategies of finding those with similar biases and build a product and story for them?"

I found it disappointing that Caligiuri used such absolutes and unsubstantiated claims, because such inaccuracies weakened any legitimate arguments he may have had, such as the merits of emotional marketing. Give the session a read and let us know what you think!

Friday Breakthrough: Google Goggles and Wacky Bananas!

2010-01-22T11:19:00.008-05:00

The Friday Breakthrough is Ottawa's weekly roundup of some of the internet's best marketing and social media articles for a less-than-intense day at the office.

1) A picture is worth a thousand words! No need to type your Google search in anymore. Just take a picture!

Just point your mobile phone, take a picture, and Google will search for it! Wow!

Of course, if I'm already standing in front of the item, why would I need to search for it? I've already found it. Maybe you'll understand it better than me...watch the video.

2) Bill Gates joins Twitter! It was only a matter of time before the world's richest computer geek decided to step up and join in on the conversations taking place online.

Within 8 hours of joining the social media network, Gates had already made 100,000 new friends. That's impressive. Read the article: Bill Gates Surpasses 100,000 Twitter Followers in 8 Hours.

3) Are you looking for hours of banana-fun? Look no further than Chiquita Bananas' brilliant EatAChiquita.com. You can design your own Chiquita sticker face in classic blue and yellow and post it on the wall of the website. It's a fun way to kill an hour, but it's a great way to market the most famous bananas in the world!

Send in your favourite breakthroughs of the week, and maybe yours will appear in the Friday Breakthrough! Have a great weekend.

Logos Make the World Go 'Round

2010-01-19T10:42:00.004-05:00

The Olympic rings are one of the most recognized symbols in the world. So are the McDonald’s “Golden Arches”.

Given that McDonald’s is the Official Restaurant of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, prepare to be completely bombarded by these two images in less than one month's time.

The term logo refers to the graphic devise that companies and organizations use as part of their overall branding. By today’s standards, a company would seem naked without some sort of corresponding emblem. However, it wasn’t until 1960 that Chase Bank became the first company to utilize a truly abstract logo.

We see hundreds of instantly recognizable logos on a daily basis, such as the Nike swoosh, the Red Cross; the Ferrari prancing horse, and the Starbucks mermaid.

Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University, only charged the executives at Nike $35 for the now world famous “Swoosh” she created back in 1971. Rumour has it, she was compensated much more years later.

Although the success of the "Swoosh" can’t be easily duplicated, developing a solid and recognizable logo can do wonders for a company’s brand and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. If you were to ask the executives at MasterCard what their company logo is worth and I’m sure they would appropriately answer “Priceless”.

Here's a list of the Top 20 Most Famous Logos.

The Friday Breakthrough: Text to Help!

2010-01-15T09:18:00.005-05:00

The Friday Breakthrough is Ottawa's weekly roundup of some of the internet's best marketing and social media articles for a less-than-intense day at the office.

This week saw a lot of ups and downs throughout the world. On Tuesday evening in Haiti, a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated Port-au-Prince, leaving the country in ruins.

As horrific as it is, some good is starting to shine through. Since being established early Wednesday morning, the American Red Cross has initiated an instant messaging campaign to raise money for those in Haiti who need our help. The result has been overwhelming! People from all over have been texting for Haiti, whereby people have been donating money using their mobile phones.

"This instance [using texting to donate] is far more successful than any we've tried," said Gloria Huang, social-media specialist with the Red Cross. "We're definitely going to keep this in mind for the future." As of Thursday night, the American Red Cross has raised over $5-million through individual $10 text messages! Keep those texts coming in!

The American Red Cross is not the only organization helping out with the recovery efforts. Tiger Woods is planning to donate $3-million to the relief effort and sending a mobile hospital cargo plane to Haiti. That's some good P.R., Woods - you need it!

On the other hand, some bad P.R. is hitting UPS, the world's leading courier service. This is a perfect example of the power of social media, and how even incorrect information can spread like wildfire. Some time on Thursday morning, it was announced online that UPS would be providing customers with free shipping to Haiti on January 15, 2010. This news was heard throughout world on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

Unfortunately, for UPS, this was merely a rumor and the company has not such plan to provide any free service. So now, UPS must spend the remainder of today trying to shoot down any angry customers trying to get packages to Haiti. Yikes!

Social media rumors have become a reality that every organization should be aware of. Meaning, you need someone monitoring your online chatter to ensure your company is taking part in the massive social conversations, otherwise you may end up with a major mess on your hands - like UPS.

Have a great weekend! #Team Conan

My Most Memorable Super Bowl Commercials

2010-01-13T11:52:00.002-05:00

With only 25 days before Super Bowl XLIV, every sports fan can feel the anticipation mounting, and I’m definitely one of them. Although I don’t follow any team religiously, I am a huge Super Bowl fan! Ever since I was a kid, I enthusiastically tune in to watch what I believe is the greatest televised event of the year.

Why do I think it's the greatest televised event of the year?

Super Bowl commercials! Although I love the actual game and the half time show, I’m always eager to see what companies have decided to dish out millions of dollars to reach the Super Bowl audience.

With over 93 million viewers in the U.S. alone in 2009, advertising during Super Bowl is seen by some as one of the best ways to introduce a new product or company to the masses. Or re-introduce an old product to those who may have forgotten.

According to MSNBC, the majority of the 62 ad slots available this year have already been sold. Although, the rates have dropped, Super Bowl advertising is still the most expensive ad buy of the year.

Considering there will be over 1,860 seconds of advertising during the game on February 7, I’m very excited for some entertaining material. Allow me to share with you some of the Super Bowl commercials that I’ve enjoyed in the past.

The Friday Breakthrough: Technology Geeks Unite!

2010-01-08T10:47:00.006-05:00

The Friday Breakthrough is Ottawa's weekly roundup of some of the internet's best marketing and social media articles for a less-than-intense day at the office.

This week, the web has been inundated with a continuous flow of technology news coming in from the 2010 CES Conference in Las Vegas. Here at the Daily Breakthrough, we like to keep our news and opinions in the marketing and social media realm as much as we can. But, because of some of the exciting innovations being revealed in Las Vegas this week that are related to how people get their information, we couldn't resist showing you some of the excitement.

1) It's been one of Twitter's most trendy topics all week - the all-new Google Nexus One smart-phone. Said to be another "iPhone killer", which seems to be what everyone calls any new smart-phone, the Nexus One is expected to do big things in the American cell phone industry. Sorry Canada, we'll have to wait (as usual). Oh, and just to be clear, the picture to the left is not to scale.

2) Whether you're a tech geek or not, the Light Touch is definitely impressing those around the world with it's innovative approach to computer usability. Absolutely awesome! See for yourself:

3) Finally, although it may prove to be a major hazard for the general public, the Parrot is taking the always dynamic iPhone and turning it into a very fun toy. I can see how this thing is going to be a serious security risk some day.

What's your favourite gadget, innovation, or announcement from this year's CES Conference?

It's a Sad Day for Centretown

2010-01-07T14:42:00.009-05:00

A few years ago, I lived in Centretown in Ottawa. One of my favourite memories from that era was going to Hartman's Your Independent Grocer and perusing the fruits and vegetables section while appreciating (or not) the musical stylings of whatever piano player happened to be playing there that day. One particular musician had a penchant for playing 80's and 90's pop hits by the likes of Billy Idol and Ace of Bass. It was awesome.

That's right - you read correctly. If you're unfamiliar with Hartman's, you may find it quite odd to hear of a downtown grocery store with a piano available for use by members of the community. It is odd in this day and age. It doesn't fit with the glossy, cookie-cutter image of grocery stores that we are used to visiting. The closest thing you get to music at most grocery stores is muzak or, at best, inoffensive adult contemporary over the PA system. Hartman's was different. The old wooden piano and the few comfy chairs set nearby added definite character to the store.

Today, I came across a blog post on Ottawa blog Apartment613 that delivered some terrible news: the piano is gone! Apparently, Hartman's needed to make room for a new flower section. Facebook to the rescue (I hope)! There is a Facebook group devoted to the cause called "Bring Back the Hartman's Piano!!!" According to the group's wall, this issue is going to start getting some media attention, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out (no pun intended). I hope that due to the outrage of its patrons, Hartman's will find a way to reinstate the piano. I believe it's in their best interest as the piano was a special touch that differentiated it from its competitors and promoted a sense of community.

Top 10 Marketing Ideas of 2009

2009-12-22T11:41:00.037-05:00

What a year! To celebrate, here's another list of top achievements from 2009 for you to enjoy. As you know, The Daily Breakthrough is a collection of news, opinions, and ideas presented by the creative minds at Marketing Breakthroughs. This year, the team got together and brainstormed the most memorable marketing moments of 2009.

Every year millions of great marketing ideas are made. This is a list of our favourites. What do you think?

#10 - Samsung YouTube HD Camera Trick

Maybe you saw it, maybe you didn't. That was sort of the idea.

Earlier this year, Samsung developed a very clever way to get people talking about their product. They created a YouTube video to advertise the Samsung I8910 Camera Phone. It left viewers scratching their heads and thinking: "How'd they do that?"

The result saw millions of views, countless comments and video responses, and a set viral of videos that show just how creative Samsung is willing to be to get people's eyes on their products.

Watch the original:

Watch the SECRET:

#9 - Oprah Retires! (Sort of)

Just another piece of marketing/PR gold from the Queen of Media, Oprah Winfrey. After announcing her retirement two years in advance, Oprah took the Internet by storm, simply by being "Oprah".

November saw a drastic spike in Oprah-related news on Google, but why?

Her retirement announcement, although absurdly early, resulted in millions and millions of conversations taking place online and offline about her importance in our world. Oprah's very powerful team recognized the importance of this announcement and capitalized on it two years in advance.

Oprah's unbeatable foresight for garnering emotional publicity is why she's made our list.

#8 - Best Job in the World

Does social media, blogging, and online promotions work? They sure do! Tourism Queensland proved earlier this year that creative online marketing works, with a global contest titled, "The Best Job in the World".

The campaign sold itself: 6 months, $150,000 Australian dollars, free airfare, and you get to live on a beautiful tropical island near Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

More than 34,000 people from around the globe applied for the job by submitting a one-minute video describing why they would be the best choice. The contest garnered overwhelming international attention and put a lot of eyes on Tourism Queensland, and the Great Barrier Reef...mission accomplished.

#7 - The T-Mobile Dance

This is viral online marketing at its best! T-Mobile, one of the world's leading cell phone companies, with their "Life's for Sharing" slogan decided to make a seemingly spontaneous event in the Liverpool Street Station in England. The result, a very clever advertisement:

Not only did T-Mobile create a memorable moment for those in attendance, but they were able to garner over 16-million + views on YouTube. It's viral, it's clever, it's a perfect example of how smart people are marketing smart companies.

#6 - Paranormal Activity Scares People into Talking

In early October, Paramount Pictures embarked on a unique social media campaign to get the low-budget horror film, Paranormal Activity, released to the masses.

Using Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, to name only a few, the marketing geniuses opened conversations about the uniqueness of this low-budget film. These conversations resulted in millions of people becoming interested in seeing the film, thanks much in part to an eye-catching YouTube preview:

Paranormal Activity not only made it to wide release by generating online buzz, it grossed over $141-million dollars in theatres. Considering the scary thriller only cost $15,000 to make, Paranormal Activity is now considered to be the most profitable movie of all time.

#5 - Ashton Kutcher Reaches Out to Millions!

Why? Great question. Unfortunately, it's irrelevant, because Ashton Kutcher is a marketing genius!

2009 saw a major Hollywood celebrity orchestrating a massive, social media publicity campaign that was specifically designed to promote himself and Twitter - and it worked. Ashton Kutcher's goal was to be the first person, or organization, to reach 1,000,000 followers on the social media website, Twitter.
Why would this mean anything to anyone? Because it now means over a million people can now know every mundane element of Kutcher's life, instantly. Thus, keeping the entertainer's profile at the top of everyone's list... for now. Better yet, if Kutcher has a product to push, he has millions of people listening to him.

Ashton Kutcher recognized that being "first" meant being "best". And it's paying off.

#4 - Susan Boyle Dreamed a Dream in 2009

What makes Susan Boyle's story such a marketing triumph is how Simon Cowell and the team at "Britain's Got Talent" recognized how they could make a lonely lady from Scotland into an international superstar! All they had to do was tell the story and market it.

When the episode aired in April 2009, a YouTube video was posted at the same time to let the rest of the world hear Susan Boyle's beautiful rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream". The result was instant stardom...

In the weeks that followed, "Britain's Got Talent" and Susan Boyle were everywhere! The ratings soared and people fell in love with the lovable Boyle and her uniquely marketed story. Interviews, merchandise, and a number one album - not bad for a women who only 10 months ago was quietly spending her evenings petting her cats.

Her online video has been seen over 82-million times and by the end of 2009, Susan Boyle's debut album, "I Dreamed a Dream", has been named by Billboard as the best opening week for a female artist's debut album ever.

#3 - The Telus Goats

"Oooohhh, they're sooooo cute."

Is what women all over Canada have been saying since these goats started popping up in newspapers, magazines, billboards, and on the web earlier this year.

Saying these advertisements appeal to women is not a generalization, rather an observation.

Even while compiling this list, the women around the office would "ooooh", "hehehehe", and "ahhhhhaha!" when walking past the image.

What are they selling? Cell phones, I think. Either way, Telus Canada determined their target audience and they went for it!

Thanks to Telus, I'll be dressing up like a cute goat for Halloween next year.

#2 - No More Boring Life, Thanks to Slap Chop!

Slap Chop. Have you heard of it? You haven't?! Watch this:

Charisma, innovation, and pure marketing gold! Not only is Vince pushing an exciting new product on viewers, he's also changing the way we look the traditional infomercial. Why pay for expensive airtime on television, when you can just post your silly infomercial online?

With millions of views and hundreds of parodies, the Slap Chop video is just a hilarious way to get an innovative product out to the masses. Anyone know if this thing is as good as it looks?

#1 - What is the Pomegranate?

Talk about thinking outside the box and hitting a home-run! If you haven't heard of the Pomegranate Phone, then it'll be hard for me to describe it to you without ruining the surprise. Here's what I'll tell you:

It's a top-notch marketing campaign that will have you exploring the website asking yourself, "Is this real?"
It's a marketing initiative that cost $300,000 to execute.
It's garnered more than 1.1 million website hits from over 201 countries worldwide.

If you don't know what it is, visit the Pomegranate Phone website and see for yourself.

We believe the reason it's such a success is because it's smart and it keeps your interest to the point where you need to know what this product is.

It will surprise you.

Do you have any other great marketing ideas from 2009 that didn't make our list? Let us know, we love hearing them.

The Friday Breakthrough: Special Holiday Message

2009-12-18T15:02:00.002-05:00

The Friday Breakthrough is Ottawa's weekly roundup of some of the internet's best marketing and social media articles for a less-than-intense day at the office.

As we begin to wind down and prepare for the madness of the holidays, we here at The Daily Breakthrough thought we'd share with you two of our favourite holiday YouTube videos.

Thanks for your continued support and we're looking forward to bringing you our ongoing perspective of news, opinions, and tips in 2010. Be safe and have a festive season!

Happy Holidays!

The Friday Breakthrough: The Future is Now!

2009-12-11T14:27:00.008-05:00

The Friday Breakthrough is Ottawa's weekly roundup of some of the internet's best marketing and social media articles for a less-than-intense day at the office.

LeWeb conference in Paris, France took place this week with some of the most innovative websites, social media tools, and all around geeky gadgets on display. Some worthy-to-mention ideas included:

1) ClubCooee - just when you thought you'd lived a fulfilling real-life, it's time to embrace your virtual life. ClubCooee is social media in 3D! It's a web messenger program that allows users to create and furnish their own rooms and then host friends to chat and share videos and photos. Why? Why? Why? Because 3D is cool.

2) Yatedo - For those who love to "Google" themselves, here's a chance to learn even more about yourself. Yatedo claims it can compile an easy-to-read online dossier about anyone from all available information on the Internet (not just Google). Ego-maniacs unite!

3) BlueKiwi - A simple idea that may actual have potential. Companies create their own secure social network, linking up employees and clients to share ideas and possibly improve efficiency. It's Facebook on a secure network, with less of your "real" friends to talk to.

Finally, world famous singer/songwriter Alicia Keys is doing something brilliant with Facebook. She's giving away her newest album, scheduled for release next week, for FREE! Users can check out Alicia's Facebook page and stream the entire album. Because users can't actually download the songs, music industry experts believe this tactic will drum up enough interest in the album to get people kicking down the virtual doors of iTunes to get their hands on it.

Visit her Facebook page to see all the buzz being created!

Do you believe the 'Alicia Keys strategy' convince people to buy her album? Let us know! Leave a comment or send us a tweet @marketingottawa.

The Friday Breakthrough: Unfriend this!

2009-12-04T15:25:00.004-05:00

The Friday Breakthrough is Ottawa's weekly roundup of some of the internet's best marketing and social media articles for a less-than-intense day at the office.

"I totally unfriended that guy." If you've uttered this phrase over the past 12 months, then congratulations! You've been using the 2009 word of the year all year-long! Oxford University Press recently announced that 'unfriend', the social networking term, is the 2009 Word of the Year.

Car-maker Ford recently held the largest 'tweet-up' in history (so far)! A 'tweet-up' is a real-world meeting (you know, with smiling and hand-shakes) of people who know one another through Twitter. Ford got almost 13,000 people out to help its "Fiesta Movement" social networking project.

Crowell Advertising recently announced The Tracy Awards, its Academy Awards-style list of the year's worst ads. The categories include "Best reckless waste of expensive talent," and "Best use of a jingle to justify suicide", among others.

How many people have you unfriended in the last 12 months? Let us know! Leave a comment or send us a tweet @marketingottawa.

Splinter Cell Takes Viral Marketing To Another Level

2009-12-02T09:33:00.005-05:00

It started with a tweet.

"www.splintercell.com has been hacked. We are trying our best to resolve the situation and will update ASAP."

Splinter Cell, a popular espionage video game franchise from game studio Ubisoft Montreal, is set to release its latest game in the first quarter of 2010, and an interesting viral marketing campaign has been launched to help promote it.

The first stage of this viral marketing campaign? Let's take down the website. While every attempt has been made to make it seem as though the video game's official website has been hacked by a third party, investigative minds have demonstrated that this is likely a ploy to hype the game. And I say it's a good one.

The website opens with Russian characters and appears to be loading a new page. Nothing happens. If you check the page source code (and I swear I'm not nerdy enough to think of doing this myself), the code says the following:

Th!s S!T3 hä¢KeD ß¥ VL@d69
M3M0RY l3@K C0nfirm3d
c0nfID3N7i@L d@t@ c3r7ifi3d
Unix D@7@ f0ld3R Sc-hack/2009
http://bit.ly/6M12tE
V0r0n v2.1.f

If you click on the bit.ly link, it will lead you to an ASCII image of a raven. One supposes this is the symbol of the supposed hacker group.

While many viral web campaigns launch another website on which to toy with its audience, using the official Splinter Cell site for this purpose, and maintaining that a group of real-world hackers are responsible, adds another level of intrigue to the campaign.

The ongoing (fake) website hack is being chronicled through the Ubisoft Twitter account. A new tweet this morning says the hackers are now targeting the rest of Ubisoft.com. Interesting!

You've got my attention, Ubisoft. I really want to see how the rest of this viral marketing soap opera plays out.

Marketing Breakthroughs Wins Ottawa Business Achievement Award 2009

2009-11-27T14:40:00.019-05:00

On November 26, 2009, Marketing Breakthroughs Inc. was awarded by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce with the "Professional Services of the Year" award.

Congratulations Steve Klein and the staff of Marketing Breakthroughs! Thank you to those who continue to support Ottawa's best marketing company!

Check out our Staff News article for more information on the award ceremony.

Photo courtesy of Audrey Bond
(Creative Concepts Photography).

The Friday Breakthrough: Remember AOL?

2009-11-27T14:30:00.001-05:00

The Friday Breakthrough is Ottawa's weekly roundup of some of the internet's best marketing and social media articles for a less-than-intense day at the office.

Remeber AOL? It's been many years since this online portal has been central to anyone's internet experience, but the company is trying to change all that with a new logo and branding strategy. I like it! AOL Revamping Its Logo, in Hopes of Reviving the Brand

Apple's iPhone is dominating the smartphone web market, with 55% of mobile internet traffic in the United States coming from the popular touch-screen device, according to a recent report. Google's Android mobile platform takes second place with 20%.

A group of magazine publishers are planning to launch a service that may become a one-stop shop for digital magazine content, much like iTunes has for digital music. Time Inc., Condé Nast, Hearst and Meredith will join forces to distribute their content, much like different broadcasters have contributed to Hulu. If successful, it could mean a major breakthrough for paper news publishers. including newspapers. Group of Magazine Publishers Is Said to Be Building an Online Newsstand

And finally, here are two excellent articles examining the perils on hopping on the social media bandwagon. Before you launch your next blog, have a read!

Are Twitter and Facebook evil?

When politicians tweet

What do you think of the new, simplified AOL logo? Let us know! Leave a comment or send us a tweet @marketingottawa.

The Friday Breakthrough: Chrome Says Kiss Your Harddrive Goodbye!

2009-11-20T15:31:00.007-05:00

The Friday Breakthrough is Ottawa's weekly roundup of some of the internet's best marketing and social media articles for a less-than-intense day at the office.

How do you reach tech-savvy young men? Get inside their Xbox video games. A national security element of the British government is planning to do just that placing ads inside games like "Assassin's Creed II" and also the Xbox Live interface. Government intelligence organization targets recruits with Xbox Live ads.

Where my tweeps at? As if some people don't catalogue their life thoroughly enough online, Twitter enthusiasts can now geo-tag their tweets so that their location will be listed along with their message. Now You Can Tell Twitter Where You Are.

Canadian Members of Parliament have discovered Twitter. The results have been mixed--including a recent controversy over some unflattering comments from one MP to another--but one in three MPs are now on the micro-blogging service. Canadian Press describes the outcomes so far.

Google Chrome--the new operating system from the search engine giant--wants you to take all your computing online. Much like its Documents app, most of Google's new OS takes place on their servers. Is it the future of computing? Only time will tell... Ditch Your Hard Drives, the Future Is the Web.

Do you think you'd willing to put all your computing content online? Let us know! Leave a comment or send us a message @marketingottawa.

Top 5 Things Online Businesses Can Learn from the Ottawa Apple Store

2009-11-17T13:12:00.012-05:00

When the Rideau Centre Apple Store opened in Ottawa, it was a quiet revolution for Mac and iPod fans. Finally they would have a place to go and worship their favourite consumer electronics.

But more than a place for nerds to drool over glossy 27-inch screens and the latest multi-touch devices, Apple stores, especially the one in Ottawa, represent a larger strategy for a company that can often seem based in the distant lands of California and the Internet. And it’s a strategy many online-only companies can learn from.

Give your company a face. I don’t know a single Ottawa Apple store employee, but I know what one looks like: Smiling face, colourful T-shirt, and name-tag lanyard. Putting the faces of your employees on your website can reflect a positive image in consumers’ minds. (We do a pretty good job of that here at MB.)
Give your company a location. Even in today’s digital economy, where many businesses are internet-based, giving your company a physical location can increase consumer trust and loyalty. Unlike your website, they can depend on your store, warehouse, or home-office being there tomorrow. List address information, or, better yet, include a photo of where you work on your website.
Make it shiny. Even if your store is small, it’s got to be eye-catching (that goes for your website too). People wander into the Ottawa Apple store all day long because of its unique layout; bright, open design concept, and grand, all-glass storefront. Potential customers will spend more time on your website if it’s visually appealing.
Don’t be afraid to sell your own product. If it’s good enough for the Internet, it’s good enough for the streets of Ottawa. One of the reasons Apple opened its retail chain was because it felt other retail businesses were not doing a good enough job of highlighting its products. If you believe your product or service isn’t getting the recognition it deserves, stepping outside the confines of the Internet can increase your product visibility.
Educate everyone. Sometimes it seems like Ottawa Apple store employees are simply there to promote products they believe in—the sale comes later. This ‘soft sell’ can educate customers about your products or services and implant positive selling points in their minds that they will recall later.

This is, of course, a simplified version of just some of the techniques that Apple retail stores employ and no one seems to be doing it better. Incorporating all or just some of these tips into your online business can increase consumer trust and loyalty, and improve brand recognition.

The Friday Breakthrough: Olympic Advertising Ambush

2009-11-13T14:53:00.007-05:00

The Friday Breakthrough is a weekly roundup of some of the internet's best marketing and social media articles for a less-than-intense day at the office.

Marketers are taking advantage of the Olympic buzz in Canada by creating sports-themed advertising at an unprecedented rate. The only problem is that very few of these Olympic hype artists are official Olympic sponsors. 'Ambush marketers' fuel Olympic ad concerns.

Like this story states, there are more than 100 million blogs on earth, and it's no stretch to say that most of them are poor. Wordpress co-founder Matt Mullenweg picks his 10 favourite blogs. He must have temporarily forgotten about his favourite Ottawa marketing blog... right? Ten blogs to make you think.

Inspired advertising and a solid public image has led to an influx of recruits for the Canadian Forces infantry regiments--so many that they can't accept everyone who applies. I would argue this phenomenon has more to do with the constant stream of press that the CF is receiving with the war in Afghanistan, but in any case, it's been a boon for Canada's military.

Coca-Cola is taking its advertising message to the streets, signing up buskers in the London Underground to sing its Christmas jingle during the Holidays. The buskers will perform in Coke-branded areas and receive incentives for singing Coke's tunes. I would love to see the buskers on the streets of Ottawa get a little more coin in their hats, even if it was in the form of a cheque from Coke.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the Olympic-themed advertising lately? Leave a comment or send us a tweet @marketingottawa.

Say Cheese, Ottawa! Social Media Hits the Capital!

2009-11-10T10:44:00.011-05:00

Call me a geek, but it truly warms my heart to see people using social media in unique ways to generate mass awareness. It warms my heart even more to know its being embraced by our very own city hall!

The City of Ottawa is running their first major social media campaign/contest called: Picture it downtown. The concept intends to draw awareness for all eight of downtown Ottawa's beautiful communities (Bank Street, Byward Market, Chinatown, Downtown Rideau, Preston Street, Sparks Street, The Glebe, and Wellington West).

Go downtown. Snap a picture. Share it online. It's as simple as that!

The recent recession has resulted in the City of Ottawa looking for a way to keep the city's economy humming by keeping citizens interested in Ottawa's downtown's core. What better way to showcase all the great sights, sounds, and excitement of Ottawa than to create a contest that interacts with the people?

It's brilliant!

The contest runs from October 15, 2009 to November 19, 2009 and incorporates the use of some of the Internet's most popular social media tools.

You can see the contest's pictures on: Flicker
You can watch the contest's videos on: YouTube
You can join the conversation about Ottawa's downtown on: Twitter

What's great about the content being produced is it shows real people in Ottawa interacting in some of the city's most exciting venues. With an extensive list of contest sponsors providing some great daily prizes, there are plenty of chances to win. Including nine grand prizes consisting of gift certificates, or prize packages, with a minimum value of $500.

I'd like to think the City of Ottawa was somewhat inspired by our good friend Luigi during the successful Catch Luigi Contest this past summer. Either way, it's great to see people, businesses, and city hall recognizing the marketing power of social media.

Say Cheese, Ottawa! Get out there and snap some pics!

For more information, visit Picture It Downtown.

The Friday Breakthrough: Pizza Hut Keeps Its Customers 'Appy

2009-11-06T15:01:00.006-05:00

The Friday Breakthrough is a weekly roundup of some of the internet's best marketing and social media articles for a less-than-intense day at the office.

Pizza Hut recently announced that more than $1-million in sales have been completed using its iPhone application. A lesson to all fast food chains out there: The easier food is to order, the more of it people will buy.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs was named Fortune magazine's CEO of the Decade. The article mentions his control-freak nature, commitment to excellent products (rather than profits), and marketplace foresight (see: iTunes), but fails to mention his long-standing commitment to nerdy black turtlenecks.

Should Canada be more aggressive in its H1N1 awareness campaign? Here in Ottawa,we see the plain and simple ads in newspapers and on TV, but in Britain, their ads really play into people's fears and paranoia.

Should Canada's H1N1 ads be more frightening? Let us know! Leave a comment or send us a tweet @marketingottawa.

Metallica + Ottawa = 19,100 Free Downloads!

2009-11-05T10:02:00.014-05:00

They took Napster to court thinking they could somehow curb the tide of online music. But now heavy metal superstars Metallica are singing a whole different tune when it comes to their online strategy, and the results have benefited both the band and their fans.

After their November 3 concert in Ottawa at Scotiabank Place, fans who didn't rush to get to their cars after the show (I had to wait 30+ minutes to leave the parking lot) received a business card-sized hand-out with a code on it. The code will allow fans to download a free recording of that night's show in 3-4 days.

Most of the time, Metallica charges $9.95 for a MP3 copy of their show, but fans in Ottawa got the download for free since the show had to be rescheduled a few weeks after tickets went on sale. The measure couldn't have hurt the concert itself - the show was packed full of 19,100 metalheads, and is among Scotiabank Places's best-selling concerts ever.

Like many artists, Metallica realizes that they can't dictate the conversation, but they can shape it with a few savvy digital moves. A few weeks ago, the band partnered with iPhone app-makers extraordinaire Tapulous to create Tap Tap Revenge: Metallica. The band won't get rich off this $4.99 Guitar Hero-style mobile music game, but it's an indication that they're being more progressive with their online policy.

A couple years ago, Metallica put its whole catalogue on iTunes, another signal that they're beginning to understand the online music marketplace. Metallica had let go of the idea that they can single-handedly dictate where their music lands up.

Moves have been slow and deliberate. After a few years of bad PR and digital stagnation, it seems that this band is finally getting the idea behind digital music: give the people what they want, or they'll just get it somewhere else. And now without a record label lined up for their next record, they're considering an online release.

For both Metallica and their fans, it's all good news. Now to go get my free download...

It's a Thriller! MB Staff Gets in the Spooky Spirit!

2009-10-30T14:24:00.004-04:00

The Marketing Breakthroughs staff would like to wish you all a safe and spooky Halloween!

Pictured above:
Steve Klein - Captain Canada
Sarah Rainville - Stinky Skunk
Caitlin Hines - Medusa
Melissa Ray - The March Hare
Casey O'Brien - Geisha 1
Tania Glithero - Geisha 2
Krystal Bevin - Unknown...something Australian we think
Ben Myers - Hawaiian Tourist
Dave Delage - The New Ottawa Senator Mascot (Sparta-gator)
Derek Smith - Luigi Preston
Elise Goodhoofd - Pregnant Krystal Bevin

The Friday Breakthrough: Subaru smacks Snuggies and GQ gets an iPhone app

2009-10-29T10:13:00.015-04:00

The Friday Breakthrough is a weekly roundup of some of the internet's best marketing and social media articles for a less-than-intense day at the office.

This Snuggies/Subaru commercial is truly innovative. It's the best ad I've seen this month.

Thanks to some carefully constructed legislation, high-speed internet is now a right for all 5.3-million citizens of Finland. Wow, lolcats must be an important cultural commodity over there... Broadband Internet is Now a Legal Right in Finland.

Are these pants in style right now? Well there's no need to run home and check GQ magazine anymore, because its publisher is now offering individual issues of GQ in an iPhone app for the price of $2.99. Conde Nast Launches iPhone Platform With GQ App.

Don't forget to tweet your favourite online marketing articles to @marketingottawa for inclusion in next week's Friday Breakthrough. Thanks to all those who submitted this week!

Colonel Sanders' International Incident

2009-10-27T10:00:00.008-04:00

One absent-minded United Nations security guard may have unwittingly helped coordinate one of the most outrageous and concerning marketing stunts of this year. Colonel Sanders, mustachioed (and deceased) spokesperson for chicken-enthusiast restaurant KFC, was pictured shaking hands with President of the General Assembly Dr. Ali A. Treki inside a secure UN diplomat lounge.

The guard mistook Sanders for a diplomat and led him inside secure United Nations areas.

The event has set off metaphorical alarms about the state of security inside the UN’s New York headquarters, with statements from the Secretary General’s spokesperson, among others, addressing the breach.

Sanders was in the building following up on a letter that KFC had sent the UN, asking that the “Grilled Nation” be named the 193rd member state of the United Nations. It was a small publicity stunt that has grown to become something far bigger: an international incident.

This event and the resulting publicity has certainly pushed the boundaries for marketing stunts. Viral videos and riské iPhone apps are so 2008. Next up: Hamburgler breaks Ottawa City Hall and declares himself Councillor for Ward 24 -- McNuggetsville.

No word yet on whether the United Nations security guard will be fired, or gain a lifetime supply of grilled chicken, for his or her actions.