Honesty – The ambient campaign driver that brings virtues back…?

Some years ago, Billy Joel sang his song “Honesty” and I always remember this one first line… “Honesty is such a lonely word. Everyone is so untrue.”. Apparently, it seems that Billy was not quite right with his statement (although he took a different approach to his somng argumentation). It is interesting to see that more and more campaigns seem to pitch with that virtue proof…

I wrote about the interesting HonestTea campaign. That campaign not only proved the value of Earned Media but more importantly how honest people in the world were. And it also pointed out that honesty as a virtue might become a wonderful topic for campaigns – a real ambient campaign driver.

The National Australia Bank (NAB Group) is another example how companies come up with that topic. Some while ago, the NAB was shaking up the financial services industry by encouraging the customers of other banks to “break up” with their bank. The campaigns continues now to a next level now…

The NAB is challenging the honesty of consumers with a series of social experiments on the virtue of honesty. The honesty project of the NAB proves that Australians are very well behaved and very honest.

The bank is publishing the results in little clips. Watch the results…

Spot On!
This modern ambient approach to make a change in the communication to consumers from banks I found quite refreshing, compared to the traditional annoying and boring print letters I still get today. If banks open up to customers with some clever ideas like these it will be a perfect way to get Earned Media which leads to Owned Media and puts a question mark behind the honest value of “Paid Media”. And that is a fact, that is my honest truth.

PS:: What is your view on the campaign? The honesty approach? The value of honesty from a bank’s perspective?

News Update – Best of the Day

All entrepreneuers and business managers try to create best possible brand awareness these days. Mashable author Benjamin Lang has some great 10 tips for entrepreneuers (and business decision) makers how to socialize their business and get more “free” brand awareness. It reminds me that I still haven’t got the customized URL shortener up and running. Project for next week…

Mobile is the extension of print in the future, I wrote some weeks ago. Aurasma, a new app by Autonomy, gives again a proof for this thesis which I found on the IBM A Smarter Planet blog. It enables media companies to use it to relate to printed matter (i.e. print ads, posters, newspapers articles, etc.) to compelling video and online content.

The music industry, especially young bands and singers, are said to put their bets still on Myspace for the promotion of their new tapes. Interesting to see that MTV, the most popular music channel, and Corona Extra are using Facebook (and not Myspace) for the revival of their campaign in Germany. The contest “Experience The Extraordinary – The Challenge” is for users that can describe and share the dream experience – and Corona and MTV will make it happen, they say. The proof from last year is in the video promotion. And I am still thinking what I am dreaming of but we will hand something in – be sure…

Corona Experience the Extraordinary – English from Corona Extra on Vimeo.

How displays will organize our day and influence purchase…

We have seen different versions of the future of digital displays. They tell us how all these displays will organize and manage our daily business and lifes. Remember the TAT and their Open Innovation project? A nice idea…

Today I came across another display vision looking into the future called “A Day Made of Glass” was made by Corning. You should watch it…

Just imagine what it means if other technologies like Immersive’s software will be combined with these displays of the future. The Immersive software is built on artificial intelligence software. It calculates the probability of success for each impression and serves the most appropriate ad. It learns how people give feedback and improves response targeting over time.

The software works with existing digital signs, uses anonymous facial recognition and takes advantage of given data through APIs, i.e. from social networks like Twitter or Foursquare, weather data and time of day. Thus it determines the age, gender and attention time of people passing by. No matter if you are in busy atmosphere or at home…

Immersive Labs – Wiji Software Demo from Immersive Labs on Vimeo.

If these technologies would be combined in the future, and I am sure we will see derivates some time soon, then it could well be that you don’t even have to look at ads again. Ads will catch your attention in your house whilst you are cleaning your teeth, taking a bath, via head-up display while driving, or when you are passing by a billboard. And you will touch the screen and just purchase the offered product by wiping your mobile (see latest study by VISA) over the screen, or simply by the fingerprint. Just imagine…

News Update – Best of the Day

Are you suffering the FOMO effect with your Social Media efforts? Don’t know what FOMO means? No it is not “Female Only/Male Only Fellowships” or “Former Mormon”… It is the “Fear of Missing Out” that Millenials describe in a study conducted by MTV. Colleen Taylor quotes that 58 percent of study participants agreed that “when I’m unplugged, I worry that I’m missing out on something.” And although 66% stated that “what I post online defines who I am,”, they also admit that being always on is exhausting. One of the drivers for FOMO is the fear of Social Rejection. And what that causes can be read here.

A lot of media companies think about the future of publishing these days. Hugh Macleod cites Seth Godin and his theory that “The book doesn’t matter. The conversation matters”. I especially love the idea of the global microbrand which will become more and more relevant in the future. A shame that there is not really an easy way to monetize these tiny brands the way we have done it for decades…

Reporters without Borders wants to report about the real (life). Publicis Brussels created a nice augmented reality campaign that is another version of the extension of print to mobile. In the campaign the journalists talk about what is really happening in countries by using the pictures of leading politicians of different countries and replacing their mouth with an iPhone that tells the journalistic truth…

Google Survey: 39% US mobile users take their mobiles to the bathroom

Google published a survey (in partnership with the independant marketing research firm Ipsos OTX) and present insights into how U.S. consumers use their smartphones. A video presents key findings from “The Mobile Movement: Understanding Smartphone Consumers”.

The research, conducted at the end of 2010 among 5,013 US adult smartphone Internet users, was meant to better understand how smartphones are used in consumers’ daily lives and how smartphones have influenced the ways consumers search, shop and respond to mobile advertising.

Some of the key findings of the study don’t show special new insights. However it illustrates that we are not alone anymore in our bathrooms any longer. We are taking our friends, business partners and our social graphs to the bathroom… by using our smartphones like we used to read our newspapers or magazines in the past. Google states that 39% admit to having used their smarthone while going to the bathroom.

Some more findings…
- 93% use smartphones at home
- 81% browse the Internet
- 77% do search for information
- 72% do parallel use of smartphone and other media (over 30% like watching TV)
- 45% use smartphone to manage their daily lives
- 20% would give up their Cable TV for using their smartphone

Obviously, Google wanted to find out how smartphone users access search via their mobiles. And no suprise there as well. Search is the leading website type accessed (77%). It helps consumers access information like News (57%), Dining (51%), Entertainment (49%) , Shopping (47%), Technology (32%), Travel (31%), Finance (26%) and Automotive (17%).

Spot On!
Interesting from a marketer’s perspective is that the report actually finds that mobile advertising is engaging. The research states that after seeing an ad (on print, online or mobile) 71% of users search on their smartphones. A remarkable 82% of users notice mobile ads, and of those 49% purchase (!), 42% click on it, 35% access the website, 27% contact the business. This shows the new power of mobile marketing for companies and that marketers should have a close look at mobile marketing opportunities in the future.

PS: And if 39% of people use their iPhones in the bathroom, I don’t want to know how many use their iPads to read the latest news or watch a video, and how this increases the average “bathroom staying time”…

Study: Is Social Media a traffic driver to corporate websites?

This is definitely a finding, I would like to get you reviews on… According to a recent report by ForeSee Results, not even 1% of website visits are coming at the moment from a social media site. Can we really believe that? The Social Media Value Benchmark is based on nearly 300,000 completed consumer surveys on more than 180 websites across a dozen private and public sector industries (i.e. Department of Defense, Drugstore.com, General Mills, ESPN, Express, Kellogg’s, among others).

The report suggests that 18% of website visitors have been influenced by social media. This tells us that 17% of the respondents visited the website in an approach that was not really initiated through some way of clicking on a social media link. So, the question could be: Is social media more a brand awareness topic (18%) in the future, to be evaluated under the ROI of content marketing? We will see…

The idea of the their “Social Media Value Benchmark” study was to measure social media ROI. ForeSee developed the idea to rank web visitors based on how the customer came to the site, how much they spent, how they felt about the experience and whether they’re likely to return. By surveying nearly 300,000 consumers, Foresee’s outcome is that people who were influenced by social media spend more and are more satisfied and loyal customers than those who aren’t influenced by social media. But wat happens to the other 17%?

It raises questions like: If customers spend more money than the average customer, is it worth the effort invested in social media? Social media is not a “cost-free” marketing approach. Time is the money companies are paying… And what does it mean if email is known as the influence 32% of customers bring to website?

Spot On!
How do we value the report? It is questionnable if the report really delivers insights. Social Media does not have a blueprint solution for all companies. Industries are different. Customers in inustries are different. For one company it might work well and for others it won’t. Brand value, SEO power and content input in a relevant way will decide in the future. And most companies haven’t really started using the tactical finesse of social media yet. The value is in the SEO effects and those who are real friends with the brands (and stay or become a fan with it). If you leverage it properly the traffic will go up. I have tried it out, and know what I am talking about… ;-)

What is your experience and how do you see these results…? Looking forward to your questions…

Content Marketing – Insights in an emerging digital topic for CMO’s

This week, the Custom Content Council and ContentWise released their American survey “Characteristics Study: A Look at the Volume and Type of Content Marketing in America for 2011” that indicates the future for a young type of branding: content marketing. The study states that CMO’s are spending an all-time high of $12.5 billion of their budgets in emerging platforms for custom content marketing with virtual events, mobile, video, and educational content.

The platforms for content marketing are still ruled by a $24 billion spent on print production and distribution. It shows the relevance of print for their marketing activities. CMO’S dedicate 29% of their average overall marketing, advertising and communications budget to content marketing activities. Those custom content products and platforms are becoming increasingly important to chief marketing officers. The study reveals that 87% see content marketing is valuable, and more than one-third of CMOs (35%) believe custom content marketing is the future of marketing, an increase by 19% in 2006.

“While print remains the choice du jour for most custom media programs, new media channels are providing more growth opportunities for the custom content industry” (…) “This year’s study underscores multiple expansion areas for content. As the economy continues to rebound, the future of content looks very promising.” Lori Rosen, Executive Director, Custom Content Council

Some further key findings of the study are that for example video content is growing: 57% of marketers will produce video, (increase of 3% to last year). Website and blogs are still on of the main topics CMO’s are focussing on next to print custom content marketing formats: Website updates of articles, blog posts and other content is for 79% the main activity.

Spot On!
Consumers seem to value the custom content from brands and companies. 69% like when custom content marketing targets their interests and 67% see it is valuable. An even more important finding for me is that 61% admit they feel better about brands when these deliver custom content. AND: These consumers report to be more likely to make purchases with these brands and companies. Marketers should pay attention to this development of the power of digital content marketing, especially as content curation will affect their SEO strategies of their social web activities acording to a study by Curata. Although probably most CMO’s agree with these motivations, more than 73% also admit that creating original content is the main challenge for marketers. There’s obviously a lot that content marketing could do for brands and companies in the future. As money seems to be made available by companies, it’s just depending on the usual bottle-necks: people and time.

Is mobile the future extension of print (and TV)?

I have always quoted that there is a future for print. In trains, in planes and on quiet places where you will always be on your own… However print might need some partner media: mobiles… to becomes 3-D reality in combination with them.

The Commonwealth Bank used a Sydney computer graphics firm called Explore Engage and let them create a 3-D mobile extension. The print ad uses a smartphone’s camera to connect the print creative (launched in Melbourne’s mX commuter daily newspaper last week) with the 3-D reader software in the phone. The smartphone then opens a virtual town on the phone’s screen in which a virtual sales person introduces some of the Commonwealth Bank real estate properties.

The smartphone all of a sudden makes print (ads) attractive again. Augmented reality (AR) extends the opportunities of the static print value into a new engaging mobile world. Just think about the opportunities… Wallpapers could be scanned and then virtual promotions or commercials could appear on mobile screens on-the-go selling new products and services. Previews of movies could be taken from print ads instantly. The future of print seems to be mobile…

PS: Although it might be a bit challenging for some people, TV has also new opportunities to extend their offering. Just watch the latest KIA Optima advertising idea which also used AR technology to get people engaged in advertising…

News Update – Best of the Day

A good explanation why Apple often wins against competitors. Just see how they behave. Sure, no one of their competitors will comment here…

A nice copy of the Facebook referential advertising idea? Google +1 comes in late but follows the line of an old guest post I wrote a while ago on Mediamind blog (formerly Eyeblaster)…

A great commercial idea from Mercedes. The Sprinter applies for a job…

My quote of the year 2011

Every year, you create a quote that you use either to explain your business, to justify what you are doing or to establish some kind of heritage for those that you think are interested in what you are saying.

Last year my quote was “Talking is online, silence is print!”. Although, I have had many tweets and many likes on this, there was also some critics coming with it… which is good. It shows that people think about the value and impact of the quote… and they start conversations. That’s what we want to initiate in business… not only with our social media activity.

For this year the quote will be about social media strategy…

“Community Strategy and Social Media is NOT a discipline. It IS an attitude to strategy in business.”

And before you start asking… By “discipline” I mean departments (like marketing, sales, customer service, HR, or other) that are responsible for using, handling, organizing and planning the business tactics around the brand, product line or service offering of business relevance.

… and now start discussing!

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