by Allyson Moehring, Integrated Strategist
Publicity and successes aside (claims Joel McHale, “it’s the digital Macarena”), Twitter still has some hurdles to overcome. For one, it was reported by David Martin of Nielson that 60% of Twitter users fail to use it the following month, leaving a 40% audience retention rate or percentage of users in any given month who use Twitter the following month. Granted, this number is up from the 30% retention rate that Twitter had the same time last year, but it is much lower than that of Facebook or MySpace and demonstrates that one of the largest hurdles, as we have reported that we continue to hear about, is education and awareness. New Twitter users, curious to see for themselves what the fuss is about, arrive on the site and still do not “get it.” Any other social networking tool gives you some pretty explicit prompts when you start an account – you get it. Twitter is less intuitive and one of their largest barriers at the moment is educating the general population on how to use the site and what makes it fun and useful.
For brands, it will be increasingly difficult to ignore the Twitterverse. Twitter can spread information like wildfire, forcing brands to monitor what is being said about them, even come up with ways to combat firestorms like Motrin was forced to do when they experienced a huge backlash from moms on Twitter regarding an ad campaign. A great way for brands to put their toe in the water is to monitor what, if anything, is being said about them in the space - do a Twitter search on your brand and find out what consumers are already saying. In terms of opening a Twitter account, similar to blogging, Twitter can be a great way to convey a brand’s personality and unlike blogging, it is a bit less time consuming. That said, every brand needs a strategy behind it and must understand its goals and the space and what your consumers do there, as well as offer value to consumers – are you entertaining them? Offering updates, information, exclusive news or deals? If you are not, just like brands who decided to jump on the Facebook, MySpace, blogosphere, or other bandwagon without a strategy, you can’t expect much; you may even turn consumers off. Check out Zappo’s as well as Southwest Airlines on Twitter as examples of companies getting it right – opening up a two-way dialogue with consumers, following their conversations to get inside their heads, offering value, and making your brand accessible and, in turn, generating a following.
Twitter certainly has a lot going for it. It allows celebrities, news and information sources and brands to essentially broadcast to a public of “followers” things that will help their image, drive traffic to their websites, and increase their exposure. Unlike Facebook, Twitter allows consumers to indulge in voyeurism in a much more anonymous and pressure-free way, interact with brands and personalities in a way that no other platform allows, and serve as a customized aggregator of media and information. With buzz usually comes awareness. I foresee more brands catching on and making it a part of their communication strategy and the Twitter retention rate increasing as more consumers receive peer endorsements and education from users who are sold on its appeal.
GlobalGrind Twitterers, what's the best story you've read/ watched/ heard today?
Ooh, I’ve got a great one...
Read more!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
A Twitter Tutorial Part 3: Tweet My Brand
by Erin Keaveney, Integrated Publicist
We’ve talked a lot this week about how celebrities, the media, and the average person benefit from being on Twitter. In case you missed it, here’s the 140-character-capped recap: celebs get more exposure, the media breaks news faster, and the average person gets a perfect host for their ever-shrinking attention span.
For these groups, Twitter’s appeal is pretty straightforward. The territory gets a little stickier when brands enter the mix and begin to ask: how can we effectively use this space to our advantage?
Over the past year in particular, many brands have gained attention by joining Twitter with varying degrees of voluntary participation and ultimate success. We’ve seen it utilized for brand building, implemented for everything from crisis communication to showcasing brand personality. Some brands have crashed and burned when entering the Twitter-sphere, garnering embarrassingly high levels of public backlash. If you need examples, just search the following brands using your digital info-sharing resource of choice: Motrin (Google it), Domino’s (YouTube it), and Skittles (for the easily offended, whatever you do, DON’T Twitter Search it).
If used correctly, Twitter can be the perfect medium for brands to monitor their reputation and efficiently communicate with their customer. So what can brands do to tweet-talk their way into a positive consumer perception? By following a few simple guidelines:
Be informed.
Before signing your brand up for Twitter, search the site to see how current users utilize the space. Doing some research will help you understand how to work the space to your brand’s advantage, and also feel comfortable using it. You can then decide what you want to accomplish by directly engaging your consumer in this forum, including attracting new consumers, sharing news and updates with brand loyalists, and showcasing your brand’s personality.
Be pragmatic.
Twitter is a fun community, but that doesn’t mean brands should throw caution to the wind when entering this space - having a general plan and how to execute it is crucial. Just as companies have hurt themselves by ignoring the opportunity to tweet, it can also be dangerous to enter into the open forum without thinking it through. Recognize that having a Twitter feed takes time, and you’ll need a combination of man- and brainpower to open and maintain an open conversation with your consumer. Consistent updates and interesting content are crucial to keeping consumers engaged, but also to maintaining control of the conversation. Brands need to own their space by figuring out how to involve consumers without letting them take over (again, see Skittles on what NOT to do).
Be yourself.
The brands who are the most successful on Twitter are the companies that are open, honest, and understand who their audience is. Zappos is a brand that does a great job on Twitter, as their CEO Tony Hsieh constantly updates their feed with a mix of giveaways, company news, personal updates, and random thoughts. Hsieh’s cleverly uses personal commentary to help his nearly half a million followers feel directly connected to him, and ultimately, his brand. Knowing what works for your brand and having a variety of content that plays to your audience will help your brand’s identity shine through. Read more!
We’ve talked a lot this week about how celebrities, the media, and the average person benefit from being on Twitter. In case you missed it, here’s the 140-character-capped recap: celebs get more exposure, the media breaks news faster, and the average person gets a perfect host for their ever-shrinking attention span.
For these groups, Twitter’s appeal is pretty straightforward. The territory gets a little stickier when brands enter the mix and begin to ask: how can we effectively use this space to our advantage?
Over the past year in particular, many brands have gained attention by joining Twitter with varying degrees of voluntary participation and ultimate success. We’ve seen it utilized for brand building, implemented for everything from crisis communication to showcasing brand personality. Some brands have crashed and burned when entering the Twitter-sphere, garnering embarrassingly high levels of public backlash. If you need examples, just search the following brands using your digital info-sharing resource of choice: Motrin (Google it), Domino’s (YouTube it), and Skittles (for the easily offended, whatever you do, DON’T Twitter Search it).
If used correctly, Twitter can be the perfect medium for brands to monitor their reputation and efficiently communicate with their customer. So what can brands do to tweet-talk their way into a positive consumer perception? By following a few simple guidelines:
Be informed.
Before signing your brand up for Twitter, search the site to see how current users utilize the space. Doing some research will help you understand how to work the space to your brand’s advantage, and also feel comfortable using it. You can then decide what you want to accomplish by directly engaging your consumer in this forum, including attracting new consumers, sharing news and updates with brand loyalists, and showcasing your brand’s personality.
Be pragmatic.
Twitter is a fun community, but that doesn’t mean brands should throw caution to the wind when entering this space - having a general plan and how to execute it is crucial. Just as companies have hurt themselves by ignoring the opportunity to tweet, it can also be dangerous to enter into the open forum without thinking it through. Recognize that having a Twitter feed takes time, and you’ll need a combination of man- and brainpower to open and maintain an open conversation with your consumer. Consistent updates and interesting content are crucial to keeping consumers engaged, but also to maintaining control of the conversation. Brands need to own their space by figuring out how to involve consumers without letting them take over (again, see Skittles on what NOT to do).
Be yourself.
The brands who are the most successful on Twitter are the companies that are open, honest, and understand who their audience is. Zappos is a brand that does a great job on Twitter, as their CEO Tony Hsieh constantly updates their feed with a mix of giveaways, company news, personal updates, and random thoughts. Hsieh’s cleverly uses personal commentary to help his nearly half a million followers feel directly connected to him, and ultimately, his brand. Knowing what works for your brand and having a variety of content that plays to your audience will help your brand’s identity shine through. Read more!
Unleash Your Inner Wolverine
By: Vince DiGirolamo, Associate Planner
It's a no-brainer for brands to try and capitalize on all of the hype surrounding the upcoming blockbuster movie releases. And that is exactly what Schick is doing by promoting their Quattro Titanium and Quattro Titanium Trimmer with the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
What better way to promote a razorblade, and associated products, than to match them with a mutant who has the ability to dispense blade-like objects out of his hands? Granted he uses them to fight evil, instead of crafting his facial hair - but nonetheless, the connection is obvious.
In addition to limited edition packaging, Schick has also launched a microsite where visitors can download exclusive Wolverine wallpapers and screensavers, play games, and even enter for a chance to win a walk-on role in an upcoming film.
Check it out here: http://www.schickquattro.com/xmenorigins/
Read more!
It's a no-brainer for brands to try and capitalize on all of the hype surrounding the upcoming blockbuster movie releases. And that is exactly what Schick is doing by promoting their Quattro Titanium and Quattro Titanium Trimmer with the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
What better way to promote a razorblade, and associated products, than to match them with a mutant who has the ability to dispense blade-like objects out of his hands? Granted he uses them to fight evil, instead of crafting his facial hair - but nonetheless, the connection is obvious.
In addition to limited edition packaging, Schick has also launched a microsite where visitors can download exclusive Wolverine wallpapers and screensavers, play games, and even enter for a chance to win a walk-on role in an upcoming film.
Check it out here: http://www.schickquattro.com/xmenorigins/
Read more!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
A Twitter Tutorial – Part 2: How General Users (aka those of us less exciting than Ashton and Demi) Are Using Twitter
by Allyson Moehring, Integrated Strategist
With all the hype surrounding it these days, little is being said about what the everyday users, as opposed to the celebs and brands, actually get out of Twitter. Those that I know who are still not on Twitter sum up their resistance by saying they don’t understand how it is different from Facebook status updates and they don’t want another social media site to spend time on- they already spend way too much time on Facebook and others.
So what is the draw and why would the general user devote time to Twitter? For me at least, as a fairly new convert (I prefer this term over “addict”), it can be summed up in a few main points, some of which I am slightly embarrassed by and none of which involve my own contributions or “Tweets.”
It feeds my craving for celebrity gossip and gives me a peek into celebrity’s lives.
There are few things I like more than reading about Speidi, Brangelina, Britney, and Lindsay to name only a few – celebrity gossip is my guilty pleasure. Following celebrities on Twitter allows you to take it one step further by following, and therefore getting “tweets” and updates, directly from the celebrities you follow. I read Lindsay’s rants, look at Sarah Silverman’s personal photos, and hear how Shaq is doing on his diet today. Twitter is flush with celebrity addicts – famous athletes, musicians, and actors who tweet multiple times a day – and their lives are a lot more interesting than mine.
The thrill of the scoop.
With Twitter all over the media, there is something thrilling about following people and reading the things that will be covered on CNN or Oprah later that day or week as it happens. Getting the scoop at the same time as producers at E! Network or CNN makes us feel in the know – there is definitely a cool factor to reading something that a major news network or Oprah found worthy of a mention as it happened.
It serves as a customized information aggregator for all the news I want to hear.
As a PR professional I am slightly obsessed with consuming media and information and before I became a Twitter convert, you would find me perusing industry news, NY Times, CNN, ESPN, and yes, celebrity news sites, all separately. With Twitter, I can follow my favorite sources of news and information and I receive “tweets” all day long with breaking news updates, allowing me to customize and find the info I want in one place.
How do brands play a role in the mix? We’ll be back tomorrow to tell you about which brands are being followed and why, and how some brands are leveraging or even being forced to use Twitter. Read more!
With all the hype surrounding it these days, little is being said about what the everyday users, as opposed to the celebs and brands, actually get out of Twitter. Those that I know who are still not on Twitter sum up their resistance by saying they don’t understand how it is different from Facebook status updates and they don’t want another social media site to spend time on- they already spend way too much time on Facebook and others.
So what is the draw and why would the general user devote time to Twitter? For me at least, as a fairly new convert (I prefer this term over “addict”), it can be summed up in a few main points, some of which I am slightly embarrassed by and none of which involve my own contributions or “Tweets.”
It feeds my craving for celebrity gossip and gives me a peek into celebrity’s lives.
There are few things I like more than reading about Speidi, Brangelina, Britney, and Lindsay to name only a few – celebrity gossip is my guilty pleasure. Following celebrities on Twitter allows you to take it one step further by following, and therefore getting “tweets” and updates, directly from the celebrities you follow. I read Lindsay’s rants, look at Sarah Silverman’s personal photos, and hear how Shaq is doing on his diet today. Twitter is flush with celebrity addicts – famous athletes, musicians, and actors who tweet multiple times a day – and their lives are a lot more interesting than mine.
The thrill of the scoop.
With Twitter all over the media, there is something thrilling about following people and reading the things that will be covered on CNN or Oprah later that day or week as it happens. Getting the scoop at the same time as producers at E! Network or CNN makes us feel in the know – there is definitely a cool factor to reading something that a major news network or Oprah found worthy of a mention as it happened.
It serves as a customized information aggregator for all the news I want to hear.
As a PR professional I am slightly obsessed with consuming media and information and before I became a Twitter convert, you would find me perusing industry news, NY Times, CNN, ESPN, and yes, celebrity news sites, all separately. With Twitter, I can follow my favorite sources of news and information and I receive “tweets” all day long with breaking news updates, allowing me to customize and find the info I want in one place.
How do brands play a role in the mix? We’ll be back tomorrow to tell you about which brands are being followed and why, and how some brands are leveraging or even being forced to use Twitter. Read more!
Monday, April 27, 2009
A Twitter Tutorial – Part 1: We dare you to follow
by Allyson Moehring, Integrated Strategist
aplusk @Oprah well done you’ve made it
DunkinDonuts Wait a sec -- sounds like you did... RT @RK0407: i will never cheat on you @dunkindonuts with subpar coffee. i feel so dirty
Oprah @THE_REAL_SHAQ thanks for being my twitter buddy. this is cool.
iamdiddy Rev Run is my hero!
Whether you heard about it at the water cooler, in Us Weekly, murmurs from friends, or on CNN or Oprah, it is hard to avoid Twitter in the news right now. However, despite the buzz and its rise in popularity, the overwhelming response I still hear in my social circle is: Who cares? Why would I want to be on Twitter? Why do I care about Ashton reaching 1million followers, Oprah joining , or what Shaq had for lunch, and why would I want to share with a bunch of people I don’t know that I just grabbed a coffee?
For anyone rolling their eyes at this social media tool, probably in the same way that you did with Facebook before you became addicted, I dare you to start by opening up a Twitter account and following some of the main players or any of your favorite personalities and see if you become intrigued, maybe even hooked. Questlove is there. (@questlove). Serena Williams just did a 2 hour non-stop “ReTweet” Twitter session to talk to all her fans on Twitter (@serenajwilliams). Shaq and Diddy are addicts (@THE_REAL_SHAQ, @iamdiddy). Follow NY Times’s latest headlines and editorials (@NYTimes) and CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk). And no Twitter experience would be complete without following the crowned prince himself, Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk).
The beauty? Unlike Facebook, you won’t even feel compelled to contribute to get started – set up an account, find people to follow and watch the Tweets come in.
Stay tuned the rest of the week to learn more about the rise of Twitter, its relevance in the larger media landscape, its use as an information aggregator and social media tool, understand how brands and celebrities are leveraging Twitter, how it has created media firestorms and forced brands to monitor their reputation in the space, and the AMP Integrated PR team’s position and predictions on the effectiveness and future of Twitter.
allyM Tweeting off. Until tomorrow…
Read more!
aplusk @Oprah well done you’ve made it
DunkinDonuts Wait a sec -- sounds like you did... RT @RK0407: i will never cheat on you @dunkindonuts with subpar coffee. i feel so dirty
Oprah @THE_REAL_SHAQ thanks for being my twitter buddy. this is cool.
iamdiddy Rev Run is my hero!
Whether you heard about it at the water cooler, in Us Weekly, murmurs from friends, or on CNN or Oprah, it is hard to avoid Twitter in the news right now. However, despite the buzz and its rise in popularity, the overwhelming response I still hear in my social circle is: Who cares? Why would I want to be on Twitter? Why do I care about Ashton reaching 1million followers, Oprah joining , or what Shaq had for lunch, and why would I want to share with a bunch of people I don’t know that I just grabbed a coffee?
For anyone rolling their eyes at this social media tool, probably in the same way that you did with Facebook before you became addicted, I dare you to start by opening up a Twitter account and following some of the main players or any of your favorite personalities and see if you become intrigued, maybe even hooked. Questlove is there. (@questlove). Serena Williams just did a 2 hour non-stop “ReTweet” Twitter session to talk to all her fans on Twitter (@serenajwilliams). Shaq and Diddy are addicts (@THE_REAL_SHAQ, @iamdiddy). Follow NY Times’s latest headlines and editorials (@NYTimes) and CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk). And no Twitter experience would be complete without following the crowned prince himself, Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk).
The beauty? Unlike Facebook, you won’t even feel compelled to contribute to get started – set up an account, find people to follow and watch the Tweets come in.
Stay tuned the rest of the week to learn more about the rise of Twitter, its relevance in the larger media landscape, its use as an information aggregator and social media tool, understand how brands and celebrities are leveraging Twitter, how it has created media firestorms and forced brands to monitor their reputation in the space, and the AMP Integrated PR team’s position and predictions on the effectiveness and future of Twitter.
allyM Tweeting off. Until tomorrow…
Read more!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Fun Facts
Believe it or not … May is right around the corner. And for college students, May means finals and then graduation. So with that thought in mind we reached to our Pulse Network (AMP’s proprietary network of high school students, college students and young adults) and asked them about their future plans. We heard back from just under 100 respondents. Here is what we found:
They are students with a plan
College students represented 59% of our overall survey sample. We asked them about their plans for after graduation and found that most of them do have plan – either more school or getting a job.
What are your plans for after graduation?
36% I plan on enrolling in graduate or professional school
51% I plan to find a full-time job in the field I majored in
2% I plan to find a full-time job in a different field from what I majored in
0% I already found a full-time job in the field I majored in
7% I don't have plans yet for after graduation
4% Something else (such as service year/join Peace Corps or going on vacation, then looking for a job)
The economy is not going to mess with that plan
We also asked college students if the current economy has impacted their plans at all. We found that most students did not believe that the current economy would tamper plans but there were a few that were worried.
Has the current state of the economy caused you to change your post-graduation plans?
15% Yes
49% No
36% Somewhat
How has the current state of the economy caused you to change your post-graduation plans? (Asked only of those who answered “Yes” or “Somewhat” above)
33% I was going to enroll in graduate or professional school, but now I will find a full-time job
7% I will have to look for a full time job in a different field than what I studied
19% I was going to look for a full-time job, but now I will enroll in graduate or professional school
41% My plans have changed in some other way because of the economy
We will be reaching out to our Pulse Network again next month. If you have any questions you would like us to ask, please let us know at frequency@ampagency.com. Read more!
They are students with a plan
College students represented 59% of our overall survey sample. We asked them about their plans for after graduation and found that most of them do have plan – either more school or getting a job.
What are your plans for after graduation?
36% I plan on enrolling in graduate or professional school
51% I plan to find a full-time job in the field I majored in
2% I plan to find a full-time job in a different field from what I majored in
0% I already found a full-time job in the field I majored in
7% I don't have plans yet for after graduation
4% Something else (such as service year/join Peace Corps or going on vacation, then looking for a job)
The economy is not going to mess with that plan
We also asked college students if the current economy has impacted their plans at all. We found that most students did not believe that the current economy would tamper plans but there were a few that were worried.
Has the current state of the economy caused you to change your post-graduation plans?
15% Yes
49% No
36% Somewhat
How has the current state of the economy caused you to change your post-graduation plans? (Asked only of those who answered “Yes” or “Somewhat” above)
33% I was going to enroll in graduate or professional school, but now I will find a full-time job
7% I will have to look for a full time job in a different field than what I studied
19% I was going to look for a full-time job, but now I will enroll in graduate or professional school
41% My plans have changed in some other way because of the economy
We will be reaching out to our Pulse Network again next month. If you have any questions you would like us to ask, please let us know at frequency@ampagency.com. Read more!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Penguins Popping Up On Campus
By: Vince DiGirolamo, Associate Planner
In this economy, everyone is strapped for cash - especially college students. To help them out, sportswear brand Original Penguin is bringing pop-up stores to 20 college campuses offering students 25% discounts on all merchandise. Students also have a chance to win a trip for two to Miami Beach, $1,000 cash, and a $1,500 shopping spree. Original Penguin will also donate a portion of the sales to local charities.
Click here to check out the full article
Read more!
In this economy, everyone is strapped for cash - especially college students. To help them out, sportswear brand Original Penguin is bringing pop-up stores to 20 college campuses offering students 25% discounts on all merchandise. Students also have a chance to win a trip for two to Miami Beach, $1,000 cash, and a $1,500 shopping spree. Original Penguin will also donate a portion of the sales to local charities.
Click here to check out the full article
Read more!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Memoryandum
by Jason Rivera, Director, Consumer Insights
You ever get a random song stuck in your head? Like one that you haven’t heard since a junior high dance? Well, that’s been happening to me a lot lately, so I thought I would investigate further. I started doing research on how human memory works. To turn my thesis into a blog entry, I’ll just give you the gist. It turns out that we really have two ways for storing factual information – semantic and episodic. Semantic memory is in charge of things like people’s names, word definitions and other truly “factual” things. The other category, episodic, deals with remembering things like your last birthday or last week’s baseball game. These episodic memories tend to be a combination of more complex emotions and facts blended together. Often wonder why you can remember what your wife was wearing the night you met her, but have trouble remembering her birthday? Well, those episodic events get stored on their own whereas semantic memories are blended in with all the other singular bits of information we pick up. Now I know what you’re thinking – who cares – well, you should. Think about advertising – can you recall more than one print ad from the latest magazine you read? Can you recall the last sponsored event you went to? Chances are you can’t remember the intricacies of the print ads but that event is clearer. These are the exact principles behind experiential marketing. To make an impact with consumers, you need to leave that indelible mark on their conscious. Think about these principles the next time you go into a brainstorm – what can you do to spark clearer memories for you brand? Well, if you can remember this article by then, maybe you’ll come up with something grand.
Source: Georgia Tech College of Computing, April 2009 Read more!
You ever get a random song stuck in your head? Like one that you haven’t heard since a junior high dance? Well, that’s been happening to me a lot lately, so I thought I would investigate further. I started doing research on how human memory works. To turn my thesis into a blog entry, I’ll just give you the gist. It turns out that we really have two ways for storing factual information – semantic and episodic. Semantic memory is in charge of things like people’s names, word definitions and other truly “factual” things. The other category, episodic, deals with remembering things like your last birthday or last week’s baseball game. These episodic memories tend to be a combination of more complex emotions and facts blended together. Often wonder why you can remember what your wife was wearing the night you met her, but have trouble remembering her birthday? Well, those episodic events get stored on their own whereas semantic memories are blended in with all the other singular bits of information we pick up. Now I know what you’re thinking – who cares – well, you should. Think about advertising – can you recall more than one print ad from the latest magazine you read? Can you recall the last sponsored event you went to? Chances are you can’t remember the intricacies of the print ads but that event is clearer. These are the exact principles behind experiential marketing. To make an impact with consumers, you need to leave that indelible mark on their conscious. Think about these principles the next time you go into a brainstorm – what can you do to spark clearer memories for you brand? Well, if you can remember this article by then, maybe you’ll come up with something grand.
Source: Georgia Tech College of Computing, April 2009 Read more!
Friday, April 17, 2009
HTC to the Rescue
by Jason Rivera, Director - Consumer Insights
If you haven’t noticed, you’ll see some new handsets on the shelves at every wireless retailer, and many are by HTC. They are one of the biggest wireless handset manufacturers you’ve never heard of. They have been taking Asia and Europe by storm for years, and now it’s our turn in the US. It is the greatest thing to happen to our cell phone market in years. Are you sick of seeing the same old Blackberry being produced year after year? Then you should check out some offerings by HTC. They are super-powerful powerhouses of connectivity. Hard and soft QWERTY implementation, touch screens, sleek richness – you’ll soon be writing a Dear John letter to your old corporate standby. HTC is going to challenege a lot of brands as well as begin to redefine what we as Americans think “technology” really is.
If you haven’t noticed, you’ll see some new handsets on the shelves at every wireless retailer, and many are by HTC. They are one of the biggest wireless handset manufacturers you’ve never heard of. They have been taking Asia and Europe by storm for years, and now it’s our turn in the US. It is the greatest thing to happen to our cell phone market in years. Are you sick of seeing the same old Blackberry being produced year after year? Then you should check out some offerings by HTC. They are super-powerful powerhouses of connectivity. Hard and soft QWERTY implementation, touch screens, sleek richness – you’ll soon be writing a Dear John letter to your old corporate standby. HTC is going to challenege a lot of brands as well as begin to redefine what we as Americans think “technology” really is.
The HTC FUZE. Blackberry, eat your heart out. www.htc.com Read more!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
"Work It Harder" With This New Pick-me-up
By Angelika Kazakaitis, Planner
In the late 90’s a couple of college guys decided that energy drinks were cool, but there was just one problem – they didn’t quite match up to their healthy lifestyles. So they got together with a team of scientists and created GURU, an energy drink that’s 100% natural and made with organic ingredients and herbal extracts (or as they like to put it – 100% crap-free).
Inspired by the brand’s new “Clean Energy for Dirty Minds” campaign and its means of expression, Kanye West is now collaborating with the company to create a new flavor for GURU packaged in a can he will also design himself. If you’re looking to get a taste of Kanye, keep your eyes open. His energy drink will hit store shelves later this year in the U.S. and Canada. Check out GURU's new online campaign here
Read more!
In the late 90’s a couple of college guys decided that energy drinks were cool, but there was just one problem – they didn’t quite match up to their healthy lifestyles. So they got together with a team of scientists and created GURU, an energy drink that’s 100% natural and made with organic ingredients and herbal extracts (or as they like to put it – 100% crap-free).
Inspired by the brand’s new “Clean Energy for Dirty Minds” campaign and its means of expression, Kanye West is now collaborating with the company to create a new flavor for GURU packaged in a can he will also design himself. If you’re looking to get a taste of Kanye, keep your eyes open. His energy drink will hit store shelves later this year in the U.S. and Canada. Check out GURU's new online campaign here
Read more!
Searching For A Clever Idea? Imagine What’s Never Been Done Before
By Angelika Kazakaitis, Planner
Have you ever heard a client say, “This idea is great, but how can we make it more memorable? How can it be ownable to our brand?” Well, after skimming through magazines and only finding generic headlines like Relax and Unwind and Dream Big, I was inspired to compile a list of what I think are some of the best and some of the worst ideas yet that break the clutter.
Best: Flogos. Perhaps inspired by blowing bubbles as kids, a few guys working for a special effects company named Snowmasters got their heads together and discovered they could do wondrous things with the right mixture of helium and bubbly liquid. During opening day at the Anaheim Angel’s Stadium, the letter “A” with a halo suddenly drifted across the sky and yes, it got people to talk. Naturally, people always look up, so why not take advantage of the sky? View more information on Flogos here
Clever But Not So Great: Scales At Bus Stops. Imagine sitting down on a bench and then seeing a huge red number (aka your weight) appear on the wall beside you. Fitness First Health Clubs has taken bus stop advertising to a whole new level. A very clever idea, but I wonder how many consumers were actually motivated to drop a few pounds and how many avoided taking the bus while this campaign was running.
Best: Ads On Planes. When I was in high school, I couldn’t understand why companies never thought to advertise on tray tables. I should have taken ownership to that idea because just a few years ago, I saw my idea come to life. Yup, Verizon beat me to it. If you haven’t noticed, airlines aren’t doing too well these days, but advertisers are now helping the industry’s bottom line. Pretty soon, travelers can expect to see brand names all over security bins, cocktail napkins, cups, and yes, even barf bags. (What a perfect partnership for Dramamine, right?)
Worst: Fast Food Brands On Report Cards. Just last year, kids from Seminole County, Florida elementary schools came home with a report card with a McDonald’s logo slapped on it and a promise to give students free Happy Meals for good grades. While the thought of using report cards to communicate a message isn’t a bad one (if you’re Staples or Target), it is for a fast food chain like McDonald’s. Fortunately, this brand has smartened up and decided to stop running this campaign. Isn’t childhood obesity on the rise?
Whether good or bad, all of these ideas are completely out of the box and they certainly grab the attention of consumers, but brands have to remember that something out of the ordinary doesn’t always have to be this extreme (unless you’re an extreme brand). A clever idea only works well in execution if it makes sense for the brand and the target consumer. Brands and agencies should keep pushing their ideas to the limit, but the most important thing is that brands remember who they are and what they stand for. The brand should never get lost in the idea itself. Read more!
Have you ever heard a client say, “This idea is great, but how can we make it more memorable? How can it be ownable to our brand?” Well, after skimming through magazines and only finding generic headlines like Relax and Unwind and Dream Big, I was inspired to compile a list of what I think are some of the best and some of the worst ideas yet that break the clutter.
Best: Flogos. Perhaps inspired by blowing bubbles as kids, a few guys working for a special effects company named Snowmasters got their heads together and discovered they could do wondrous things with the right mixture of helium and bubbly liquid. During opening day at the Anaheim Angel’s Stadium, the letter “A” with a halo suddenly drifted across the sky and yes, it got people to talk. Naturally, people always look up, so why not take advantage of the sky? View more information on Flogos here
Clever But Not So Great: Scales At Bus Stops. Imagine sitting down on a bench and then seeing a huge red number (aka your weight) appear on the wall beside you. Fitness First Health Clubs has taken bus stop advertising to a whole new level. A very clever idea, but I wonder how many consumers were actually motivated to drop a few pounds and how many avoided taking the bus while this campaign was running.
Best: Ads On Planes. When I was in high school, I couldn’t understand why companies never thought to advertise on tray tables. I should have taken ownership to that idea because just a few years ago, I saw my idea come to life. Yup, Verizon beat me to it. If you haven’t noticed, airlines aren’t doing too well these days, but advertisers are now helping the industry’s bottom line. Pretty soon, travelers can expect to see brand names all over security bins, cocktail napkins, cups, and yes, even barf bags. (What a perfect partnership for Dramamine, right?)
Worst: Fast Food Brands On Report Cards. Just last year, kids from Seminole County, Florida elementary schools came home with a report card with a McDonald’s logo slapped on it and a promise to give students free Happy Meals for good grades. While the thought of using report cards to communicate a message isn’t a bad one (if you’re Staples or Target), it is for a fast food chain like McDonald’s. Fortunately, this brand has smartened up and decided to stop running this campaign. Isn’t childhood obesity on the rise?
Whether good or bad, all of these ideas are completely out of the box and they certainly grab the attention of consumers, but brands have to remember that something out of the ordinary doesn’t always have to be this extreme (unless you’re an extreme brand). A clever idea only works well in execution if it makes sense for the brand and the target consumer. Brands and agencies should keep pushing their ideas to the limit, but the most important thing is that brands remember who they are and what they stand for. The brand should never get lost in the idea itself. Read more!
Friday, April 3, 2009
The Condom Fairy
AMP recently worked with producers, the Best*Company Ever, to put together some “bonus reel” footage from the latest LifeStyles studio shoot. The result is a piece called “Condom Fairy” that is a 60-second spot designed for online viewing. Its aim is to give visitors to the LifeStyles website or other video posting sites exclusive content. Its humorous approach tries to communicate a serious topic in a tone that is appropriate for the target audience – 18-24 year olds. Read more!
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