Digital Hive

Learn new words while feeding the world

Check out this interesting site (particularly appropriate for Thanksgiving) which is a sister site of the world poverty site, Poverty.com.

Here's how it works: you are asked to select a definition for a word, and for every word you correctly identify 10 grains of rice are donated to people in need.

It's interesting to me because it couples helping others with helping yourself; even if you don't think about expanding your vocabulary as a "service" to yourself, it can still feel like a game. They demonstrate a degree of online marketing savvy by offering promotional items to embed in your content, e.g., the banner below.

It seems like there's an interesting insight here (help/develop/challenge yourself as a way to help the world) but they've focused exclusively on the individual nature of charity, and neglected the whole group aspect.

They've missed the boat on at least one important front: social networking. What if they had a FaceBook application that let other FaceBook users know you're participating and challenged them to do the same? Or sent me a grain of rice when they learned a new word? (think fishtank application). Also, why can't we play against each other? Play as teams? Rivalries could really accelerate the use of this utility, it seems to me.

Thoughts?

And now for some fake commentary

Last year Coke Zero kicked off 2006 with a bungle. On the heels of the McDonald's Monopoly flog lots of people wrote about Edelman's Walmart flog-blog that same fall. You would think that marketers, and more specifically, PR people would have learned a good lesson.

On Tuesday the inimitable CK brought us an interesting question in her post entitled "Crappy Convos (but good lessons.)" The post is not for the faint of heart, but it is a great read for companies wondering about how to engage in social media/communities/commentary.

CK's question is "Should we encourage our colleagues and friends to comment on blogs that we produce for our clients?  You would think the answer is clear by now, but I guess some clients (and their marketing buddies) aren't getting the message.

Transparency is good. Truth is better. Is that so hard?

I feel like I need an Armano chart illustrating a bad decision making process. I'll try with just words: Can you stand behind your product or service? Yes = You can probably feel good about how you will be treated in social-media land. (See Apple, be fearless.) No = "Maybe we should start a fake blog." (See Walmart.)

My question for you: What will you say to a client that is fearful of the marketplace when they ask about dipping a fake toenail into the social media pool? Can you speak truth to power (or client?) Professionals should be able to see the train coming down the tracks and save their client some grief. What will you do? What will you do? (10 points to anyone who gets the reference.)

Evan & The Almighty Forest

For Evan Almighty (Steve Carell’s upcoming film and the follow up to Bruce Almighty) NBC (parent company to Universal who is releasing the film) has a special “dotcomedy” page devoted to the release of the film. Every day they present a new Steve Carell clip from the NBC vault. If you are a fan (and I am) you may find it amusing.  Even better (or “Evan” better ~ oh I crack me up...) from the Dotcomedy page or from the Evan Almighty page you can make a $5 donation to the “Almighty Forest” project (via Universal/NBC's Get on Board Now.org) and they will plant a tree, you can decorate a virtual tree and it gets your name added to the Evan Almighty DVD. How many DVDs do you think they will sell just so people can see their name?

Universal's "Get on Board.org" launched just last week - here's a snip from the press release:

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA – May 24, 2007 -- NBC Universal today launched “Get On Board,” a comprehensive, companywide program to improve the environmental impact of its operations by reducing greenhouse gases, raising awareness about green issues, and stimulating change in the media and entertainment industry. Led by Jeff Zucker, President and CEO, NBC Universal, the campaign is part of NBCU parent company General Electric’s “ecomagination” initiative. It is also a significant corporate extension of the “Get On Board” campaign launched last month by Universal Pictures and the Conservation Fund in conjunction with this summer’s debut of Evan Almighty, NBC Universal’s first movie to “zero out” its carbon emissions.

NBC has several "partners" involved in the effort including the famously green BP (British Petroleum), Burger King, GE (part of the NBCU family) and Dell. That's quite a green little coalition they got going there. I'll be watching to see how effective the green play is from Universal & NBC - and we'll see how many trees get planted.  As for me, I'm going to name my tree Francesca. Evan Almighty will be released on June 22nd.

Cocaine (the drink) Bust!

Last fall I was squawking about my close encounter with Cocaine (the drink) and I voiced my displeasure about the name. I am still not the Church Lady, but I still think it is the lamest marketing ploy out there.

Well just 8 short months later, according to this CNN.com story, Cocaine (the drink) is being pulled from the shelves.

The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter last month that said (manufacturer) Redux was illegally marketing the drink as a street drug alternative and a dietary supplement. May 4 was the deadline for the company to respond.

The FDA cited as evidence the drink's labeling and Web site, which included the statements "Speed in a Can," "Liquid Cocaine" and "Cocaine -- Instant Rush." The company says Cocaine contains no drugs and is marketed as an energy drink. It has been sold since last August in at least a dozen states.

The manufacturer had this to say about the product positioning:

"Of course, we intended for Cocaine energy drink to be a legal alternative the same way that celibacy is an alternative to premarital sex," (Clegg Ivey, a partner in Redux Beverages) Ivey said.

He did not just spew that line.  Did he?  If that is the clear-headed thinking that can only come from an "energy" drink, I think it might be time pull then plug from the refrigerator case. People, step away from the straw.

BlogHer Business Conference March 22 & 23

I'm so excited! I'm headed to BlogHer Business Conference in New York City March 22 & 23. There is a cocktail meet-up on Wednesday evening March 21st and I'm planning to hook up with the fabulous Toby Bloomberg of Diva Marketing Blog and Marketing Profs (and a featured panel moderator) and Christina Kerley (CK!) of Marketing Profs and the CK-Blog, Lewis Green of Marketing Profs and L&G Business Solutions, Valeria Maltoni of Conversation Agent and maybe some additional special guests.

I am massively, totally excited about this conference.  There are a number of interesting sessions scheduled over the two conference days. I'll report in during the event. Here are some of the questions that we'll be pondering in NYC in a couple of weeks:

Ummmm, I think we better all start using Purell right away

I always love a good demonstration of a product's benefits. At Digitas we call it marketing as a service, and here Purell is trying to make it crystal clear why you should be using their product. I think the visuals pretty much speak for themselves - they're executions inside restrooms. Click to enjoy at a larger size.

It's hard to use research "factoids" in creative in a way that doesn't seem nerdy and preachy, but here it makes sense. The small yellow box says "Caution - 92% of guys said they washed, 34% were lying."

Final Remarks on Bad Marketing

Device location was factor in reaction. A headline from the Boston Globe on its Boston.com site.  A few choice comments:

In six of the nine other cities where the Turner Broadcasting System guerrilla ads were installed, they were not placed on or near major highways, bridges, or transit hubs, as they were in Boston.

"A device affixed to a support beam for a highway adjacent to a very busy subway and bus hub for the T?" asked T general manager Daniel A. Grabauskas. "And then in short order we hear about something under the Longfellow Bridge, the main arterial link between Cambridge and Boston over which the Red Line runs? Any suspicious activity around those locations would raise attention."

Turner is going to cover the costs - they will get through this with very little damage.  Interference Inc. has finally fessed up and hired a PR firm.  The phrase Generation Gap is back in vogue.  I'm totally over this story.  Stupid is as stupid does, can anyone show me some smart marketing examples?

Artist Told Keep Quiet During Panic

Ad Agency Told Artist to Stay Mum During Panic.  That was a Boston Globe headline on the Boston.com site this evening. The smirking clowns to the left are the "artists" known as Sean Stevens, 28 and Peter Berdovsky, 27 - today known as being responsible for at least some of the Cartoon Network advertising devices that caused emergency response overload in Boston on Wednesday.  Now yesterday I was hoping that Turner Broadcasting and their ad agency was not responsible for pointing out the devices to increase the hype - but today we learn the moronic agency that loosed the panic squad didn't bother to contact the police until 4:30pm. That's only eight and half hours from when the first device was found and shut down a major highway and subway line.  Reaction to the arraignment has been mixed, many people don't believe these men should be prosecuted for anything, many believing the ad agency should be prosecuted. The blogger and community board discussions have been very interesting (scary-interesting) to read.

While I don't believe these two should be on the hook for the tab owed to the City of Boston, they do need a smack upside their silly little faces if that was their reaction in court.  If the quote below is to be believed, Interference Marketing as agent for Turner Broadcasting's Cartoon Network should reimburse the City of Boston for yesterday's costs. A quote from this evening's article:

An advertising executive at Interference Marketing Inc. instructed Peter Berdovsky to keep quiet while police scrambled across the metropolitan area responding to a series of bomb scares. Berdovsky sent an e-mail to friends at 1:25 p.m. telling them not to talk about the marketing scheme to promote the animated television show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" on the Cartoon Network.

"My boss from the Cartoon Network’s ad agency just called -- she is asking that we pretty please keep everything on the DL," or down low, wrote Berdovsky, according to a copy of the e-mail provided to the Globe.

Cartoon Network, in its favor, posted an apology on the Adult Swim website.  We'll see where the day takes us tomorrow.

Guerrilla Marketing - Done Wrong!

Thursday, February 1, 2007 UDPATE: The young men responsible for posting the devices in question are being arraigned in Charlestown Municipal Court this morning. I overheard (actually, moved in closer to listen carefully) to a spirited discussion in my local coffee shop this morning. The overwhelming opinion is that the young men should get a slap on the wrist for being thoughtless and stupid - but Turner Broadcasting should be on the hook to compensate for the emergency response yesterday. We'll be watching (just not Aqua Teen Stupid Force.)  [Original Post Below]

Suspicious objects found throughout Boston after morning bomb scare! (From Boston.com) That was the headline explaining why traffic was snarled and commuter trains were delayed all day.  It explained why Boston's overtaxed bomb squad and transit police and Boston PD and the Fire Department and emergency rooms all through the region were on alert for impending doom.  Al Qaeda?  No.  Other terrorist group?  No. MARKETING GONE WRONG.  Doh!

The "explanation" (copyright Boston Globe):

BREAKING NEWS: Turner Broadcasting issued an apology for causing today's series of bomb scares throughout Boston. A statement emailed to the Globe from Turner Broadcasting said: "The 'packages' in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger. They are part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities in support of Adult Swim’s animated television show Aqua Teen Hunger Force. They have been in place for two to three weeks in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. Parent company Turner Broadcasting is in contact with local and federal law enforcement on the exact locations of the billboards. We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger."

Turner Broadcasting's idiot stunt is not going to win any new viewers in the Boston area.  It reminds me of the idiot stunt Paramount Pictures pulled with the Mission Impossible release last year.

Now pardon my cynical little heart, but I hope that Turner Broadcasting was not involved in pointing out the "IED"-like devices for a little press.  I'll withhold my judgment for now - but I'm guessing the PR department is going to be coughing up a little recompense for the City of Boston to cover the emergency response costs.  I doubt they'll find a way to reach out to every angry worker (and boss) who was hours late for work because of this misguided guerrilla marketing stunt.  Can't wait to castigate the local ninnies who enabled it.  Stay tuned.

User generated content: some clues about why they do it

Snaps to Greg Verdino for this one - he wrote a great post about a new answer to the question: why do people blog?

This cool PDF summarizes the findings - which vary considerably by individual. For a true appreciation of just how diverse the motivations of bloggers are you've got to read the whole thing.

I was interested in how many "pull" marketing applications are mentioned - blogging isn't just about "purshing" your message out via soapbox, it's a great way to run an idea up the flagpole for initial reaction, as well as stay in touch with customers (or "fans").

Appropriate that the survey was fielded via a blog, of course