Planning season is soon (already!) upon us. And social media should be an integrated part of all brand work for the next 12 months. 4 important areas to consider when looking ahead for the next year.
Mobilized communications and services will transform our world. Consumers are pervasively connected 24/7 & their appetite to access content and services on the go is only tempered by limitations in what can be easily achieved on a small screen. Mobile is both the largest communication medium as well as the most personal ONly eclipsed by The Internet of things: “things” being devices, cars, household electronic objects, nation utilities and transport systems that are all connected via the internet... and accessible by the mobile consumer.
Technology is driving some dramatic shifts that will change the face of business, and change the fundamentals of marketing and advertising in particular. And while it has changed the places where we connect and communicate with each other (FB/Twitter) And developed many habits we did not have 15 years ago (people on phones) It has not changed the basics of human engagement – community, the levers of influence and how we share information – or the fact that social networks are based around human behavior. And just as we can learn from people who communicate well in real life, we can learn know someone who communicates well – hand up, give me an example. Why do they communicate well? Simple, clear communications that are at the right level for their audience.
Information we can obtain from people all around the world – due to the advance of technology, and the rapid rise of social media – we are an empowered planet that can do everything from topple regimes to connecting with our own favorite sportsmen as they drive their racecar around a track at 150 mph.
They understand that a program that starts here, will also be seen here
And that innovation comes from others overseas not just on their own turf
And that the people here are not the same as the people here
Nine months ago, nearly everyone on my daily commuter train was using Twitter, which now has 20 million users in Japan. But most of have since switched to the homegrown platform, Line, which was launched in 2011 by NHN Japan after the Tohoku earthquake. The name refers to the lines that formed outside of public phones after the disaster. Driven by strong advertising support and celebrity endorsements, the app, which provides free IM and calling via smartphones, tablets and desktops, is now the world’s fastest-growing social network. It recently reached 50 million followers in just 399 days. In January 2013, Line’s total number of Japanese followers hit 40 million; and a whopping 60 percent of Japanese women in their 20s and 30s, Line's research shows, use the platform every day. Line and its parent NHN (which also owns Naver, Korea’s largest search portal) have monetized the network by motivating users not only to follow brands but to take action, which has made Line incredibly attractive to marketers in retail. According to research commissioned by Line, more than half of female users follow official brands. In addition, 63 percent of all users read brand messages, 32 percent have used a coupon delivered via Line, and 27 percent have clicked on a link. Unlike Facebook, however, advertisers can use the platform only if they pay. There is a fixed-rate card, and the number of messages is strictly controlled. For example, a four-week campaign with five messages will cost 8 million yen ($81,000), while a 12-week campaign offering 15 messages (at a maximum of two per week) will set you back 15 million yen ($151,000). Brands can use messages to link to content or offer coupons, presents and prizes. There are additional charges if brands want to create sponsored stamps, a form of emoticons that are hugely popular in Manga-obsessed Japan. These are based on client creative but generated by Line. And marketers have major incentives to remain on Line for the long haul, as a decision to stop paying means a brand’s account is deleted and it loses not just followers but the content that was created. None of this tight control has put off potential advertisers, which now include Coca-Cola, Lawson convenience stores and the Sukiya fast-food chain. When Matsumoto Kiyoshi, a drug store chain, needed to attract more customers aged 10-20, it offered a 10%-off coupon via Line and, within five days, more than 10,000 people had used one -- half of them in the target group. An additional 300,000 people also started following the brand on Line. One of the most remarkable aspects of Line’s fast rise and its ad-funded business model is that so many businesses have bought into it so quickly. While consumers are quick to leap onto the next big thing, businesses in Japan are notoriously wary of new platforms. The constant search for first-mover advantage is simply not as ingrained in the marketing psyche as it is in Western countries. As Line becomes more global, NHN will get the chance to see whether these characteristics apply outside of Asia. Early results appear promising: Line claims on its English-language website that it is the most downloaded app in more than 40 countries and available in 230 markets. Services such as avatar community Line Play have recently become available in English, and the app itself is available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows phones. In February, Line signed a deal with Nokia to make it available on Asha handsets across Asia. Line’s status as the biggest social network you’ve never heard off won’t last for long.
By getting the glocal model right, Johnnie Walker reversed a continuing decline and more than doubled its global business in ten years. Successful global advertising concepts, as demonstrated by the EffectiveBrands consultancy's Leading Global Brands project, start with a simple but powerful idea: they address a universal human motivation that crosses cultures. At the highest level are motivations like a desire to be healthy and safe, attain an education, provide well for one's children, and achieve one's aspirations. Next, they find a positioning that goes beyond describing product attributes to address the motivation. Johnnie Walker started with the understanding that men around the world, regardless of culture or country of origin, seek to advance in their lives. This universal human motivation unlocked both a global positioning — specifically, "inspiring men to progress" — and an advertising expression of this, "Keep Walking." From the outset this campaign was both global and local. For example, the initial print and poster elements of the campaign featured inspirational quotes from many cultures: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" from Lao Tsu was particularly powerful in Asian cultures; Hannibal's "We will either find a way or make one" resonated in Western cultures. There were more than 100 quotations used, many uncovered in the local markets, such as the twelve quotes in Swahili, a language not written down. Over more than 13 years, the "Keep Walking" campaign has transformed the Johnnie Walker and Scotch whisky business globally. It has spawned more than 70 TV ads, hundreds of outdoor and print ads, and numerous other adaptations across the marketing mix.
Nestle IBM P&G Pete Blackshaw joined Nestle in 2011, one year after the company endured a debilitating online tussle with Greenpeace, in the process becoming a high-profile example of a big company that had misjudged the power of social media. Blackshaw was hired to bring a fresh perspective as the company's first head of digital marketing and social media, following a lengthy digital career that included several years at Nielsen BuzzMetrics. Since relocating to Nestle's global HQ in the Swiss town of Vevey, Blackshaw has worked tirelessly to boost the FMCG giant's digital infrastructure, setting up a central digital lab that monitors issues, identifies opportunities and sets policy for the company's two thousand-odd brands.
Technology is driving some dramatic shifts that will change the face of business, and change the fundamentals of marketing and advertising in particular. And while it has changed the places where we connect and communicate with each other (FB/Twitter) And developed many habits we did not have 15 years ago (people on phones) It has not changed the basics of human engagement – community, the levers of influence and how we share information – or the fact that social networks are based around human behavior. And just as we can learn from people who communicate well in real life, we can learn know someone who communicates well – hand up, give me an example. Why do they communicate well? Simple, clear communications that are at the right level for their audience.
Video is the enduring, long-lasting form factor of content. If you give people the option of reading or viewing, they’re going to view. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and video is worth a million words. You can say more in six seconds on Vine than you could say in 140 characters or a blog post many times. It’s the purest form of content, and now because of broadband Internet and the mobile devices in our pocket and the cost of storage going down, video is no longer just the property of very large media conglomerates Vine 4 x more likely to be shared than longer YouTube videos
Video is the enduring, long-lasting form factor of content. If you give people the option of reading or viewing, they’re going to view. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and video is worth a million words. You can say more in six seconds on Vine than you could say in 140 characters or a blog post many times. It’s the purest form of content, and now because of broadband Internet and the mobile devices in our pocket and the cost of storage going down, video is no longer just the property of very large media conglomerates Vine 4 x more likely to be shared than longer YouTube videos
Video is the enduring, long-lasting form factor of content. If you give people the option of reading or viewing, they’re going to view. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and video is worth a million words. You can say more in six seconds on Vine than you could say in 140 characters or a blog post many times. It’s the purest form of content, and now because of broadband Internet and the mobile devices in our pocket and the cost of storage going down, video is no longer just the property of very large media conglomerates Vine 4 x more likely to be shared than longer YouTube videos
Likewise, Corning experienced double-digit growth in speciality glass sales after posting its “A Day Made of Glass” video on YouTube. In a little more than two years, the video, created by lead agency Doremus, has generated a staggering 21 million-plus views.
The Royal Baby's here (it's a boy!) and it's birthed an endless number of marketer tweets. While some feel appropriate because they're from baby-related brands or companies that provide related services, others are either completely out of place, or a matter of an overzealous social media manager just trying to make sure his or her brand say something. Proof that "real time marketing" is no longer about getting credit for just showing up.
Content marketing isn't anything new, but too few enterprises I see practice it, and of those that do, too few take the time to do it well. According to the Content Marketing Institute, "Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience--with the objective of driving profitable customer action." The idea is to produce content that people want to read, share and talk about--whether it's a white paper, an infographic, a report or a blog post--or a combination of all the above. It could be a funny or educational YouTube video or a podcast interview with an industry luminary, but whatever it is, it has to be captivating Netflix did a number of things well when it launched "House of Cards." First of all, it built up the hype cycle ahead of time to get people revved up about it. It got star power in the form Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. It did something different. It launched all 13 episodes at once, encouraging its viewers to binge on it if they wanted--which many reportedly did. In the age of the social internet, you need to communicate with your audience in an entirely new way--and a big part of that is producing content that matters.
Technology is driving some dramatic shifts that will change the face of business, and change the fundamentals of marketing and advertising in particular. And while it has changed the places where we connect and communicate with each other (FB/Twitter) And developed many habits we did not have 15 years ago (people on phones) It has not changed the basics of human engagement – community, the levers of influence and how we share information – or the fact that social networks are based around human behavior. And just as we can learn from people who communicate well in real life, we can learn know someone who communicates well – hand up, give me an example. Why do they communicate well? Simple, clear communications that are at the right level for their audience.
Maria Bartiromo (born September 11, 1967) (aka "Money Honey") is an American television journalist, magazine columnist and author of three books. Bartiromo is a native of New York and attended New York University . She worked at CNN for five years before joining CNBC television. At CNBC, she is the anchor of the Closing Bell program and the host and managing editor of The Wall Street Journal Report and is credited for becoming the first reporter to broadcast live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. [1] She has appeared on various television shows and been the recipient of various journalism awards including being inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame.
Decades of research in social psychology has shown that people talk to form and grow social bonds. Conversations ensure that we understand one another. One key aspect of this is communal laughter. Research has shown that if people laugh together with strangers, they are as generous to them as they are to their friends. (2)
It used to be that beverage companies, shoe brands, and clothing lines were the bread and butter of the celebrity-sponsorship circuit. Now athletes, movie stars, and popular musical acts are shilling for smartphones in an effort to pad their income. Samsung paid a reported $5 million to buy a million copies of Jay-Z's upcoming album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, which will be distributed to owners of Samsung's Galaxy smartphones through a specialized app three days ahead of its general-audience release. The deal shows that smartphone endorsements are now as high-profile and lucrative as other spokesman gigs. And it's a perfect example of the new celebrity-sponsorship model, which looks a lot different from the old "We cut you a check, you film a 60-second TV spot" rigmarole.
Building a Passion Brand: Key Findings and Insights from our 2013 Global Advocacy Study Posted on July 16, 2013 “ All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire” - Aristotle When we think of how people express passion for a brand, do emotions trump reason? We know brand advocacy is hugely important to making marketing more relevant and effective. And advocacy via social channels is especially valuable because of its tremendous potential to scale. But what really drives people to express their passion for a brand through advocacy in social media? Our newest Social@Ogilvy research – the most comprehensive study of global social advocacy to date – analyzes millions of social brand mentions to help us better understand advocacy for brands online. The data – which includes about 7 million mentions of 20+ brands and 8 feature films across 4 countries including China, Brazil, UK and US – provide us with insights and clues on how to build brand advocacy. Here are some key findings: 1) Brands are largely failing at driving advocacy in social media. Most brands are driving very low social advocacy from their satisfied customers. It’s estimated that less than 5% of satisfied customers advocate publicly for the brand on social channels. This “social advocacy gap” represents a huge opportunity to improve marketing’s efficiency and effectiveness. 2) Practicality trumps emotion. Overall, advocates in all four countries were more likely to talk about product features than benefits, cost (or deals/savings), customer service or ads. 3) True passion is rare. For most brands, the majority of mentions were casual. In the US, only 2 brands had over 50% of mentions falling in the most enthusiastic advocacy category (love, excitement, must-do or buy). And these 2 brands had even more enthusiastic advocacy than blockbuster movies like The Avengers and The Hunger Games.
Technology is driving some dramatic shifts that will change the face of business, and change the fundamentals of marketing and advertising in particular. And while it has changed the places where we connect and communicate with each other (FB/Twitter) And developed many habits we did not have 15 years ago (people on phones) It has not changed the basics of human engagement – community, the levers of influence and how we share information – or the fact that social networks are based around human behavior. And just as we can learn from people who communicate well in real life, we can learn know someone who communicates well – hand up, give me an example. Why do they communicate well? Simple, clear communications that are at the right level for their audience.
Our everyday offline conversations tend to be about whatever comes to mind, independent of how interesting it is. And what usually comes to mind first is what is in our current environment (we’ll see later how this works for brands). If we’re talking to good friends, even our desire to appear interesting takes a backseat to environmental cues. Although we do craft our conversations in order to shape others’ perceptions of us,6 most day-to-day conversations with people we know well are about everyday things and are cued by our environment. Conversely, our desire to appear a certain way to others is a bigger factor in what we talk about online than offline. Offline, many of our conversations are driven by a need to avoid awkward silences. While people most often talk about what is visible or cued by their environment offline, when online they don’t need to fill a conversation space so they can think more carefully about what might be interesting to others.
Most references to brands in conversations happen in passing. People are talking about something loosely related to the brand, the brand comes up for a few sentences, and then disappears, as the conversation continues about the core topic. When people talk about brands, they are usually not motivated by the brand but by the instinct to converse with others and fill conversation spaces. We need to understand the incidental nature of brand conversations when planning marketing campaigns. Research has shown that around Halloween, when there are more environmental cues about the color orange, products that are orange (Reese’s Pieces, orange soda) are more top of mind. (13) Other research found that products that are cued by the surrounding environment are talked about 22 percent of the time, versus 4 percent for products not cued by the environment. This has profound implications for understanding how people talk about brands. Products that are visible and accessible will be talked about more. Products that are not naturally in people’s environment need to build associations with things that are in people’s environments. Yet, samples are not a substitute for the actual thing. Coupons and samples do not drive more conversations, but giving people the full product to try, so that it is consistently in the person’s environment, can lead to a 20 percent increase in conversations about that product. (14) Interesting (arousing) products are talked about more initially, but once the novelty wears off, they are talked about less than things cued by people’s environments. Frequency of use also drives conversations, as products used frequently are easier to recall from memory and are therefore more top of mind. (15, 16, 17) People talk about big brands far more often than smaller brands. This is not surprising, as bigger brands are more accessible—more visible and easier to recall from memory. Samsung Galaxy Launch
And soon, as google Glass takes off, will that affect us again – seen the first Glass arrest… Glassholes
We are in a post-social world where everything is social and that it’s just the way we live. We don’t like being disconnected from our mobile devices, we don’t like being disconnected from our data and our social contacts, and we certainly don’t like being disconnected from our friends—and when we are, it doesn’t feel like we are whole. Everything has to be mobilized. I don’t have a computer on my desk, but rather mobile devices. It’s how we work now, from the device that’s in our pocket VW Smileage ver taken a road trip, you’ll know the long haul can be tiring. Realizing this, Volkswagen partnered with Google to make trips more fun, utilizing social media. Available in a beta platform in the coming months for the Android market, Smileage will pair with your Volkswagen through your smartphone. With two modes, “passive” and “active,” the app will take into account distance traveled, weather, passengers tagged, and social interactions and assign a “ smileage quotient. ” As the Volkswagen press release indicates, “ a sunny Saturday afternoon might accumulate more smileage than a morning commute in the snow. ” The app will catalog trips and integrate photos taken along the way and include geo-tags on an interactive map. Smileage users can then choose to share the trip with others through social media, of course. Interestingly, Smileage can be used in any vehicle, not just with a Volkswagen.
Nike's mission is to bring motivation and inspiration to every athlete* in the world (*If you have a body, you're an athlete). Nike+ launched in 2006 as a collection of digitally enabled products and services to motivate all athletes to exceed their potential. We are looking for people who share this vision and want to create companies that build upon the success of NikeFuel, the Nike+ FuelBand, and Nike+ Running to make the world more active. The Nike+ Accelerator, powered by TechStars, will host 10 companies for a three-month, immersive, mentor-driven startup accelerator. The focus is to allow companies to leverage the Nike+ platform, and NikeFuel, to build offerings that inspire and assist people to live more active, healthy lifestyles. View Press Release Support As You Go 10 partner companies will be chosen and given the tools and support they need to succeed: $20,000 Access to the Nike+ APIs, Nike+ mobile SDKs, and Nike+ FuelBand Dev Kit (Beta) - you will be among the first in the world to receive this access A Nike+ FuelBand for each team member Tech support from experienced developers who've built companies, or built with Nike+ Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) Code and solution reviews during the program Mentor sessions with Nike executives and leaders in the start-up community Two Investor Demo Days: one at the Nike World Headquarters and one in Silicon Valley Real Access to Decision Makers At the end of the Nike+ Accelerator, each team will present to Nike executives, mentors, angel investors, venture capitalists, and tech industry leaders.
Adrian Grenier And SHFT Announce Collaboration With Ford (PHOTOS) First Posted: 11/21/11 01:34 PM ET Updated: 11/21/11 01:34 PM ET React Inspiring Enlightening Infuriating Scary Helpful Amazing Innovative Adorable Follow Ford , Green-Living , Video , Adrian Grenier , Electric Vehicles , Green Lifestyle , Adrian Grenier Ford , Adrian Grenier Shft , Auto Industry Sustainability , Ford Adrien Grenier , Ford Shift , Shft , Green News SHARE THIS STORY 12 6 1 Get Green Alerts Sign Up Submit this story Actor and filmmaker Adrian Grenier and producer Peter Glatzer, co-founders of the award-winning sustainable lifestyle site SHFT.com, have announced a multi-year collaboration with automaker Ford. As the name SHFT implies, the concept of change is important to the website. Speaking with HuffPost, Grenier explained that SHFT tries to show the public how trends in sustainability are shifting and what this means for their personal consumption choices. "Industry is starting to shift, and they need us to help tell their story," he said. "So we're proud to be able ... to be the platform for individuals, and also companies, to show their shift." Ford, which recently unveiled its 2012 Focus Electric, partnered with SHFT to promote its efforts to "accelerate the development of more fuel-efficient and alternative-fuel vehicles," according to apress release. Glatzer told HuffPost that the collaboration with Ford was a "very natural fit" for SHFT. He said Ford recognized that they shared similar values, and a belief in "offering consumers options and doing it in a creative way using new media." As part of the collaboration, SHFT is working with Ford to produce a short documentary series on sustainability and the innovators and game changers who bring about sustainable shifts. Over the next two years, Ford and SHFT also plan to be at cultural events, such as music and film festivals, promoting sustainability and positive shifts in industry and technology. Ford's work with SHFT is also motivated by research which indicates that "nearly half of potential American car buyers" aren't aware of the differences between hybrid and electric vehicles, according to Ad Age . Glatzer told The Hollywood Reporter that Ford's electric Focus is a good fit with SHFT not only because it's electric, but also because its interior uses recycled and sustainable materials. He said all of SHFT's partners share their "core values of sustainability, innovation, corporate responsibility and creativity." Grenier and Glatzer stressed that SHFT isn't just a checklist for a sustainable life or a "clearinghouse of all green items," as Glatzer put it. Rather, they say, their filmmaking backgrounds have given them an appreciation for aesthetics and design which they've incorporated into SHFT. Grenier summed up the philosophy behind SHFT and their attitude toward sustainable products and lifestyle. "It really is not about a to-do list: you can only change so many lightbulbs, you can only recycle so much," he said. "But for us, it's about taking that next step, and really participating creatively and finding solutions to help really improve your own personal quality of life. And you find that life is better when you care, life is better when you share, life is better when you aren't hurting your neighbors by the things you consume. We find that the products in a sustainable space are better made, they're highly aesthetic and beautiful and they last long and they're the type of things you want to hand down to your kids." Glatzer said that while they try to "inspire and nudge [sustainability] gently" into pop culture, their work is also a reflection of the "sweeping changes" and the "burgeoning market [of] sustainable design." Sherif Marakby, Ford's director of electrification programs and engineering, told HuffPost there has definitely been a market shift in the auto industry in the past decade. He explained that shifts have happened both with consumers, who are increasingly embracing hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles, and within the industry itself. He added that a big shift in the industry is that both the design and manufacturing of new automotive technology is happening here in the U.S. Marakby has a lot of hope for the future of alternative fuel vehicles and sustainable materials in the industry. "I really and truly believe in the next five years, you're going to see a really, really big shift in the automotive industry with this technology." Last month, SHFT and Grenier opened a pop-up shop in Los Angeles to showcase other products that fuse sustainability and design.