Digital Hive

Cocaine (the drink)

At lunch today I walked past the Knowfat Lifestyle Grille and encountered a product demo for the controversial "energy drink" called Cocaine. 

I recently re-read David Armano's piece from July called Brand Affinity Through Stories + Experience because I have been pondering how companies and marketers make decisions on affinity products and associations (see Audi piece) and how they could make better connections - when the Cocaine controversy walked right up to me. 

On any day in downtown Boston you could partake in any number of product demos, so I wasn't certain that the Cocaine demo was associated with Knowfat.  It seemed like a strange attempt at affinity given Knowfat's mission statement (from their website):

"KnowFat! Lifestyle Grille promises to provide great tasting, nutritionally packed food and products to help you look good, feel good, and achieve optimal physical and mental performance."

DO THE (RED) THING.

Can a tank top change the world? 

So asks the October 9^th issue of The New Yorker, or more specifically, the thirty (30!) Gap print ads featured within.  These ads are part of Product Red (styled: (PRODUCT) ^RED), an initiative started by Bono and Bobby Shriver in order to raise money for the Global Fund to Fights AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.  The Product Red brand is licensed by iconic companies such as American Express, Motorola and Giorgio Armani, in order to create a product with the (RED) logo, and ultimately give a percentage of sales profits to the Global Fund. 

The Gap ads have the same look and feel as your generic Gap ads and feature Jennifer Gardner, Steven Spielberg, Chris Rock and a bra-less Christy Turlington.  Though I wish the ads were a bit more provocative (after all, we ARE talking about AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria), (RED) wants to be clear that they are not a charity.  They are a business model.  And a simple one at that:  “We believe that if consumers are offered this choice, and the products meet their needs, they will choose (RED). And if they choose (RED) over non-(RED), then more brands will choose to become (RED) because it will make good business sense to do so. And more lives will be saved.”

http://www.joinred.com/

www.gap.com/red

Interesting application of consumer generated content

Nikon recently send their D80 digital camera to a number of flickr users and only asked that they submit their photos, from which they selected a few and used them as part of a new campaign.

This is a terrific example of consumer generated media with a purpose! It gets consumers involved. It encourages word of mouth. It builds engagement. AND it demonstrates the product. How cool is that?

Search Engine Optimization for - dating?

OK so I guess I've been missing out on a major trend because I'm not single. According to the Wall Street Journal (reg. req'd), success with online dating services now requires the adoption of search engine optimization-like techniques. It's apparently not enough to be hot and available, you've also got to be an online marketing genius - and harness the power of the newly in control consumer, who's reviewing your every dating move and decision.

The WSJ opines: "Members of Engage.com can review people after one date for politeness and honesty. Consumating.com users give one another "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" depending on how clever their profiles are. JDate.com encourages members to talk about their dates on a message board, inviting them to share stories of "best dates, worst dates" as well as "turn-ons, turn-offs".... The result is an emerging caste system, where highly rated daters see a lot of action, and others are deemed undateable."

Sounds kind of rough - particularly for the gentle transaction of falling in love.

But, why shouldn't the customer be in control of buying this "product"?

There's a landmine in my hamburger

The New Zealand Campaign against Landmines (CALM; http://calm.org.nz/) is using executions on condiment packets to point out the dangers landmines represent. To open the packet, you have to rip someone's foot off. And if it's a ketchup packet, well, you get the idea.

According to a posting in AdFreak, “Well it is graphic, it is shocking, but so too is the reality—15,000-20,000 [people] having that sort of thing happening to them as a result of landmines,” says one backer.

A wonderful use of an unusual medium in a contextually relevant way to convey an important message.

More about the campaign here: http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/829601

Thanks to AdFreak for this one: http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/
Original posting from Spare Room (http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/09/14/saucey-campaign-landmine-awareness/)

How real are we in virtual realities?

  I came across a great piece on trendwatching.com covering online gaming, metaverses and all sorts of online being spaces. There’s some cool work being done by marketers in this emerging environment, connecting with people in ways that enrich their gaming experiences.  Case studies, such as the efforts by P&G and Sprite in Habbo Hotel, led me to wonder whether or not brand trial and even preferences in metaverses could be expected to transfer to real life behavior.  Or could someone prefer Mountain Dew while his alter-ego avatar regularly drinks Sprite? And does this even matter if the avatars are paying – with a virtual currency convertible to US dollars – for the virtual product, as they apparently are for American Apparel clothing in Second Life.  Imagine this for a moment: marketing to both a real world population and a population of avatars, where both represent valuable market share to fight for…

And perhaps if people create avatars with regard to attributes they like or aspire to, might avatars be a truer expression of their creators’ desires than are their real world characters?  And might people, behind the guise of their avatars, express certain feelings in uniquely direct and truthful ways?  Research is already being done by introducing products or messages into the metaverse and seeing how the virtual population receives them.  American Apparel is planning on test marketing its first line of jeans in its Second Life store this summer, two months before they're available in actual stores.

A cosmetics hail mary pass?

According to an article in USA today Dove is planning an unusual Super Bowl appearance - "An inspirational ad from the beauty products maker (that) aims to raise girls' self esteem with the message that real beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and colors."

The article continues: "Dove is betting that the estimated 90 million viewers who'll tune in to ABC's Feb. 5 broadcast will notice the multiethnic ad as an interesting change of pace from monkeys, celebrities and flatulent horses. The risk is that the effect is akin to the proverbial jerked needle on the record putting a screeching halt to the party mood of Super Sunday."

Dove marketing director Philippe Harousseau just wants to stand out from the 50 other advertisers.  He explains "most American people will probably not expect to see an ad about self-esteem in the Super Bowl. The decision to invest the money is in line with the strategic commitment we are making. ... There will be surprise, and we anticipate that this will be an element of provoking a debate."

Here's a link to a January 27th press release about the campaign from Dove that describes the spot in more detail: "The heart-tugging 45-second spot, created by Ogilvy & Mather and airing
during Super Bowl XL, draws attention to the issue of self-esteem. It suggests
ways adults can make a difference in how girls feel about themselves.
Self-esteem issues will be brought to the forefront as the public will hear
little girls speak big truths about their feelings.  All throughout the spot,
the voices of the members of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County Chorus from Long
Island, New York can be heard singing a version of 'True Colors.' "

Interestingly, there will be experiential complements to the broadcast creative (aka pushg marketing) - including live chats will be held on live chats with notable self-esteem experts, Wal-Mart "Self-esteem Week," in 1,500 of its stores (Feb.7, 8 and 9) and self-esteem programming developed by uniquely ME! that will be brought to life in more than 300 college campus communities by the national Kappa Delta sorority.

We'll know the Monday after whether or not Philippe bet correctly. My prediction: at least as much buzz for this spot as for last year's Go Daddy "my bikini top almost falls off while I'm testifying in front of congress effort." You remember it - apparently GoDaddy CEO Bob Parsons is gearing up for another doozy, and the NFL powers that be are spooked (read the latest in today's AdWeek article (reg. req'd).

What do you guys think? Smart or crazy to veer from the tried and true Super Bowl advertising playbook?

Click here for our post about the Dove campaign from back in July, and here for our recent post about advertising on the Super Bowl. And here's a link to another article, this one from Brand Republic (reg. req'd).

Run, it's the attack of the cell phones!

A great article in today's New York Times (reg. req'd) speculates about the cell phone's future as a channel to reach consumers. Apparently click thru rates for mobile ads are 4x what you get with regular web advertising - which makes it seem like a more efficient way to reach people. And yes people are likely to be out and about and thus potentially near a retailer so they can act on an offer or incentive. Sounds kind of perfect doesn't it.

Despite these plusses I'm still confused. If people are out of home aren't they likely to be doing something (other than staring at their cell phone screen, that is) - driving, working, etc. Which means you're taking them off task with an unwanted interruption. Which we've learned is a big no-no with online marketing.

It also seems to me that until people agree to be "tracked" (so they can be geo-targeted with some precision) this channel won't reach its full potential - being able to offer you something very relevant in the exact moment and location you are most likely to need it and respond. Until then I predict we'll primarily see only "sponsorship" type executions (like those mentioned in the article) - e.g., this weather update brought to you by Google, etc.

Another prediction: the first people who adopt will be 16-18 year olds (teens allowed to make their own mobile decisions), who like any groovy new technology, are reaching out to build relationships with brands in a new (adult) context in their lives, and also need to save a few bucks.

Thoughts from the vox populi?

Silly Chrysler PR Stunt Garners...lots of PR!

I'll admit it, i'm underwhelmed by the stunt itself. But, I have to give credit to Chrysler for the remarkable marketing of their marketing stunt at this year's Detroit auto show. The full New York Times coverage of the planning that went into the event reads like a press release, as does the video coverage of the action. [read it here]

To showcase the power and performance of their new Jeep Wrangler, they drove it off the stage (with Chrysler chief exec LaSorda inside), out a plate glass window, across the street and up a mock mountain positioned nearby. Pure spotlight-grabbing stunt that, oh yeah, grabbed the spotlight.

But it does beg the question - was the product more prop than hero? Feels like a misplaced awareness generator where they could have been driving engagement and consideration. Thoughts?

Buy more clothes - but not for yourself

Check out this cool in-store guerilla promotion for Unicef being run by trendy Belgian fashion retailer C&A. Created by Publicis Belgium, it's a fundraising effort for the young victims of the recent terrible earthquake in Pakistan.

As you can see from the pictures, a series of clothes made out of Pakistani newspapers were hung around the store, featuring the message (this is a translation): "Is this the only thing homeless Pakistani children will wear this winter? Help them with a gift at the pay desk". Presumably an interested donor brings the newspaper garment on its hanger to the cash register and "pays" for the donation.

Here's why I think this is inspired. First, hanging clothes made out of newspapers on shop racks is just so cool. So, A+ to the creative team (and client!) for coolness and a breakthrough idea. Second, you're intercepting people to ask them to divert resources from their own frivolous wasteful expenditure toward helping someone less fortunate at the very time and place they are wasting money on themselves.

Kind of takes contextual relevance to a new level in my book.

Thanks to Houtlog for the great catch!