This time, I tried to more actively seek connections with other bloggers and their entries.
For my most recent entry about negative WOM, I posted a comment and link on the entry in the Bazaarblog that I cite. If my blog entry was being cited, I certainly would want to know about it.
After surfing the web for a blog specifically about advergames, I came across a blog entitled "Advergame Network" and looked over some of the games that had been featured in the past. I actually found a game featured on the blog that was very similar to one that I had mentioned in my entry, and therefore commented and left a link to my blog.
Lost Remote TV Blog is so cool. It was fun to read around in there. I came across an entry about MTV and other networks going towards mobile features and commented on it, left a link, and compared it to my entry on MTV's death of the Reality TV model.
My final attempt to promote my blog was to try to sign up with Blogdigger.com. Now, after spending a substantial amount of time trying to determine how to sign up, I think I have it. Hopefully my future blogs will be posted to the database for other users to read.
Friday, March 30, 2007
WOM - Negative Style
We have established that word of mouth (WOM) marketing is a vastly effective method for getting the word out about a brand or product. Now, just as buzz can be related to good things about a brand, it too can be negative. Word of mouth is certainly not something that can be completely manipulated or controlled by marketers, as I may have glazed over in my previous blogs. It is often hit or miss, and containing negative word of mouth can be quite the task.A recent Brandweek article, "News Analysis: Companies Have a Devil of a Time Denying Rumors", discusses this very issue of negative word of mouth, and how it applies to some corporate giants such as McDonalds, Starbucks and Proctor and Gamble. In fact, this article highlights that these entities have been falsely linked to Satanism through rumors spread among consumers. These rumors have naturally caused some isues for the companies. Proctor and Gamble was particularly linked to the devil because individuals believed its old logo, featured above, had three sixes in it.
What I have learned in my readings, is that the spread of buzz has excellerated exponentialy due to the surge in technology. In the past, as mentioned in Brandweek, companies or brands were able to wait it out until the crisis or negative press was at a breaking point. Now, with email and the viral nature of news, it could reach that breaking point in a day and could become the completely unanticipated news feature!
The way companies have neutralized this negative word of mouth or even translated it to positive feelings about the company, is by being very proactive. Proctor and Gamble legally squelched any rumors of satanic ties and posted evidence on their site of their innocence. jetBlue, who recently had major issues with their service, have tried all they can to nip those negative associations in the bud quickly. A Bazaarblog entry explains why jetBlue has been successfull in taking care of the bad publicity. Citing jetBlue as an example, the entry explains that in order to succeed despite adversity, a company needs to:
"1. Listen to their customers, admit their mistakes and show sincere remorse"
"2. Commit to making significant changes to improve customer service"
"3. Back up their promises with real results"
What I have learned in my readings, is that the spread of buzz has excellerated exponentialy due to the surge in technology. In the past, as mentioned in Brandweek, companies or brands were able to wait it out until the crisis or negative press was at a breaking point. Now, with email and the viral nature of news, it could reach that breaking point in a day and could become the completely unanticipated news feature!
The way companies have neutralized this negative word of mouth or even translated it to positive feelings about the company, is by being very proactive. Proctor and Gamble legally squelched any rumors of satanic ties and posted evidence on their site of their innocence. jetBlue, who recently had major issues with their service, have tried all they can to nip those negative associations in the bud quickly. A Bazaarblog entry explains why jetBlue has been successfull in taking care of the bad publicity. Citing jetBlue as an example, the entry explains that in order to succeed despite adversity, a company needs to:
"1. Listen to their customers, admit their mistakes and show sincere remorse"
"2. Commit to making significant changes to improve customer service"
"3. Back up their promises with real results"
There is also another theory about rumors and negative brand associations; this other theory is that no buzz is bad buzz. The owner of Carmex Lip Balm supposedly doesn't worry anymore that some people claim the product causes "slack mouth" or is addictive. He claimed that he was once very concerned about such outrageous falsehoods, but now he just sees their perpetuation as simply another time his product is mentioned. Still, there exists a special page on the Carmex site devoted to clearing up facts and myths.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Oh Advergames
Viral Chart recently came out with its top 10 viral games of 2006 for the U.K. They also came out with the best viral videos, but the games really caught my attention.
I have never considered myself one for games. I had a Nintendo Gameboy for about a year or so during my adolescence, and have had little interaction with any other video game formats. Assuming that I had a built-in immunity to the addictive nature of games, I decided to try out some of the "best games" to see what all the noise was about. I must say, I found myself drawn to play several rounds of mindless games without even knowing it. With ease, I pressed the "play again" button and gladly spent another few minutes being exposed to a brand name.
Wow. Advergames are far more advanced and purposeful than the simple "pop the pimple first" banner/click game. They are well designed, creative and the epitome of the latest buzz word in marketing communications, "engagement." Their interactivity sets them apart in a special way from video, the subject of my previous blog. Not only do they spread like wildfire, but they can offer a degree of teaching and a special form of recall.
Looking at the top ten U.K. viral advergames resulted in some interesting observations. First of all, three of the top ten games revolved around soccer, called "football" in Europe. These games were:Keep Them Uppy, Viva la Volley and Studs up Soccer. This is obviously a popular sport and appeals to people enough that they enjoy playing soccer-related games. Two of the games were Christmas themed, so perhaps the spreading of advergames is especially high during holiday periods, particularly now that people are already accustomed to interactive e-greetings. Elf Attack and Chimney Challenge were the Christmas oriented games that made it into the top ten. One of the most popular games was actually generated by Dodge, an American automotive brand which I did not expect to be especially attractive among the U.K. market.
Two of the top games were generated by nonprofit organizations and focused on using the games to change behaviors and inform. One of these games, How Does Your Garden Grow was primarily concerned about sharing the mission of its creator, Growing for Life, to connect plants with people. The game consisted of the gamer manipulating the celebrity-inspired gardener to water flowers; therefore, teaching people to take care of plants. The other nonprofit game, Snack Dash, is supported by the School Food Trust. In this game, a little character runs around the screen and can lose weight from eating good foods and then swell up to signify that he has gained weight when he bumps into a walking vending machine or other unhealthy choices. Snack Dash actually came in at #2 on the top ten game list, and How Does Your Garden Grow was only a couple of spots behind.
How Does Your Garden Grow was actually one of two games on the top ten created by Tamba. Tamba is a company that makes awardwinning advergames in the U.K. and spreads them around the world to various advergaming sites. They made Chimney Challenge as well. In my naivete, I did not think that there were companies completely devoted to advergame creation. With it becoming such an amazing method for customer-product interaction, it only makes sense that advergame demand would increase and justify specialists.
I am completely sold on this type of marketing; it is fun and provides a sort of free value to the consumer. Another neat aspect of advergaming is that it can be used to collect consumer data as well. At the beginning of many games I played this evening, I was prompted to put my gender and age.
On the other hand, there is such a thing as an impotent advergame. This blog entry on Water Cooler Games describes the innefective and pointless Monster.com game called Foot in The Door. Try it and you will see that the game does not add an amusing element to the phrase, "getting your foot into the door," but just bores instead.
I have never considered myself one for games. I had a Nintendo Gameboy for about a year or so during my adolescence, and have had little interaction with any other video game formats. Assuming that I had a built-in immunity to the addictive nature of games, I decided to try out some of the "best games" to see what all the noise was about. I must say, I found myself drawn to play several rounds of mindless games without even knowing it. With ease, I pressed the "play again" button and gladly spent another few minutes being exposed to a brand name.
Wow. Advergames are far more advanced and purposeful than the simple "pop the pimple first" banner/click game. They are well designed, creative and the epitome of the latest buzz word in marketing communications, "engagement." Their interactivity sets them apart in a special way from video, the subject of my previous blog. Not only do they spread like wildfire, but they can offer a degree of teaching and a special form of recall.
Looking at the top ten U.K. viral advergames resulted in some interesting observations. First of all, three of the top ten games revolved around soccer, called "football" in Europe. These games were:Keep Them Uppy, Viva la Volley and Studs up Soccer. This is obviously a popular sport and appeals to people enough that they enjoy playing soccer-related games. Two of the games were Christmas themed, so perhaps the spreading of advergames is especially high during holiday periods, particularly now that people are already accustomed to interactive e-greetings. Elf Attack and Chimney Challenge were the Christmas oriented games that made it into the top ten. One of the most popular games was actually generated by Dodge, an American automotive brand which I did not expect to be especially attractive among the U.K. market.
Two of the top games were generated by nonprofit organizations and focused on using the games to change behaviors and inform. One of these games, How Does Your Garden Grow was primarily concerned about sharing the mission of its creator, Growing for Life, to connect plants with people. The game consisted of the gamer manipulating the celebrity-inspired gardener to water flowers; therefore, teaching people to take care of plants. The other nonprofit game, Snack Dash, is supported by the School Food Trust. In this game, a little character runs around the screen and can lose weight from eating good foods and then swell up to signify that he has gained weight when he bumps into a walking vending machine or other unhealthy choices. Snack Dash actually came in at #2 on the top ten game list, and How Does Your Garden Grow was only a couple of spots behind.
How Does Your Garden Grow was actually one of two games on the top ten created by Tamba. Tamba is a company that makes awardwinning advergames in the U.K. and spreads them around the world to various advergaming sites. They made Chimney Challenge as well. In my naivete, I did not think that there were companies completely devoted to advergame creation. With it becoming such an amazing method for customer-product interaction, it only makes sense that advergame demand would increase and justify specialists.
I am completely sold on this type of marketing; it is fun and provides a sort of free value to the consumer. Another neat aspect of advergaming is that it can be used to collect consumer data as well. At the beginning of many games I played this evening, I was prompted to put my gender and age.
On the other hand, there is such a thing as an impotent advergame. This blog entry on Water Cooler Games describes the innefective and pointless Monster.com game called Foot in The Door. Try it and you will see that the game does not add an amusing element to the phrase, "getting your foot into the door," but just bores instead.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Viral Video and the Political Scene
The viral video factor has been unleashed upon the presidential primaries with the release of a 1984 ad featuring Hillary Clinton. The ad is a play on the Apple commercial, where dazed and drone-like individuals watch a screen with Clinton's image while a female athlete runs to destroy the screen with a sledgehammer.
Needless to say, this video became an instant hit and source of buzz. An article on AOL News, written today, says that the short video was watched by one million people after being posted on YouTube. On the bottom of the linked video you can see the number of times it has been viewed, which at this point is over two million. What was particularly buzz worthy about the video was that the creator was a mystery for a short period. Fingers were pointed at Obama, who did not claim responsibility but at the same time did not refute the message of the ad.
Finally, the Huffington Post somehow identified the creator as Phillip de Vellis, a relatively young professional working for a company that does consulting and creates campaigns for liberally oriented groups and Democratic candidates. A New York Times article explains that the company, Blue State Digital, was helping to create Obama's website and assist with utilizing new media his campaign. Blue Digital was not affiliated with the creation of the video, however, and de Vellis was allegedly fired after admitting to its creation and to acting completely on his own.
How has this video set the tone for the rest of the campaign?
Another AOL news article asks some similarly themed questions such as:
"How will Web content outside the control of campaigns affect voters?"
"How should campaigns react to anonymous but highly viewed attacks?"
"When is Web content, no matter how provocative, newsworthy?"
I predict this will be a very different election. With politicians already scrambling for help capitalizing on new media and creating Myspace accounts, a whole new level of public involvement will be reached and a new era of campaign tactics will be ushered in. Politicians' visibility will be elevated to the extreme by current media. The change is almost comparable to when Nixon and Kennedy had the first televised Presidential debate. The way people voted changed then, and perhaps citizens will vote differently now.
It is possible that this guerrilla-style video has given us just a taste of what is to come.
Needless to say, this video became an instant hit and source of buzz. An article on AOL News, written today, says that the short video was watched by one million people after being posted on YouTube. On the bottom of the linked video you can see the number of times it has been viewed, which at this point is over two million. What was particularly buzz worthy about the video was that the creator was a mystery for a short period. Fingers were pointed at Obama, who did not claim responsibility but at the same time did not refute the message of the ad.
Finally, the Huffington Post somehow identified the creator as Phillip de Vellis, a relatively young professional working for a company that does consulting and creates campaigns for liberally oriented groups and Democratic candidates. A New York Times article explains that the company, Blue State Digital, was helping to create Obama's website and assist with utilizing new media his campaign. Blue Digital was not affiliated with the creation of the video, however, and de Vellis was allegedly fired after admitting to its creation and to acting completely on his own.
How has this video set the tone for the rest of the campaign?
Another AOL news article asks some similarly themed questions such as:
"How will Web content outside the control of campaigns affect voters?"
"How should campaigns react to anonymous but highly viewed attacks?"
"When is Web content, no matter how provocative, newsworthy?"
I predict this will be a very different election. With politicians already scrambling for help capitalizing on new media and creating Myspace accounts, a whole new level of public involvement will be reached and a new era of campaign tactics will be ushered in. Politicians' visibility will be elevated to the extreme by current media. The change is almost comparable to when Nixon and Kennedy had the first televised Presidential debate. The way people voted changed then, and perhaps citizens will vote differently now.
It is possible that this guerrilla-style video has given us just a taste of what is to come.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Company Identity in Second Life
Our task in Audience Research was to run around in Second Life (SL) for a class period, completing a scavenger hunt of sorts. Very cool. We were directed to teleport our way around, but specifically to a few locations: Leo Burnett, Paper Couture and Kawaii Ku. We were asked to give insight into our impressions of these locales.
Leo Burnett
Leo Burnett Worldwide is a Chicago-based advertising agency, according to Source Watch. Their website in real life is fun and interactive, based around the concept of "the big black pencil" which translates to "big ideas." This concept of creativity really hit me upon visiting their island in second life. This island and its "storefronts" are nothing like what you would expect in the real world. Leo Burnett took full advantage of the capabilities of SL to create a fantastical island where their conference room is located in the trunk of a giant tree and glowing orbs dance around you when you are outside. The tree at different levels of the trunk has different rooms: a library and a gallery to name a few. Another tree house looking building has spaces and rooms that are off limits to the snooping avatar without access.
The purpose of the island and spaces seems to be to excite, inspire, impress, and most of all, house employees and clients form around the globe. Its auditorium can hold conferences and meetings, and the other spaces can be used to meet, generate ideas and interact. I liked the island because it was very different and demonstrated the level of creative freedom that the planners enjoyed. The Leo Burnett island looks as if the employees were allowed to just go wild and create. As an advertising agency, I'd say that it is in the best interest of the company to look to wow a potential client with a far out space. That creative freedom and emphasis on new ideas would sound great to someone wanting an innovative campaign.
Paper Couture
This is one of the leading fashion shoppes in SL, and boy could I feel it upon teleporting in. The space is chic to the extreme, with single outfits, purses, shoes, etc. placed on the racks in sparse boutique fashion. I clicked on a purse and it was over a hundred Lindon dollars, but only a dollar in U.S. dollars. I must say, I was tempted. It was such a strange experience to covet clothes and items for my avatar, this second self. An ornate spiral staircase led to an even more exclusive upstairs.
The purpose of this site, as I perceived it, is to provide clothes for those fashion conscious consumers in SL. Or, on the other hand, their clothes could be for those unfashionables in real life, seeking and able to afford a fashionable persona in SL. It also seems to try to bring SL a little closer to being real. This is more than a video game where you are limited to certain outfits and colors. In SL, if you want to invest and personalize your avatar, you certainly can.
I really liked the site particularly because of my emotional reaction to it. What's funny is that, just as in real life, I felt awkward going into this store. It was very exclusive looking and expensive. I looked at my own prefabricated clothes from orientation island and felt inadequate. When I interact or look at avatars with ornate and personalized clothes/hair/shoes, I feel like I am obviously an outsider and uncool. If my feelings are similar to what others are experiencing in SL, then this truly is a marketer's paradise.
Kuwaii Ku
Kuwaii Ku appears to be an anime inspired site. Now, I am not very knowledgeable about anime, but the three parts of the island looked like it represented the different types of anime; one part was of the Hello Kitty, pop variety, another focused on feudal anime, and finally the last on more of a edgy, urban anime. It was interesting to look around and I liked the bright colors. It was fun to see my classmates romping around here and the tunnel for the train is neat to walk through.
I came back to this spot at night, and turned on the sound for the first time in SL. It was a much more intimate feeling and more real. I heard the sounds of birds, the wind and the trees. I have come to realize that deserted places in SL make one strangely lonely. Very interesting.
Analysis
After our recent experience of holding a lecture in SL, having class in SL, and looking at a variety of locations, I think I have an answer for the prompt "If your company was going to come into SL, what would you tell them?"
First, I would have them listen to this edition of CC Chapman's podcast, and I would echo the sentiments expressed in this podcast, to not be afraid to really give SL a try. And by really giving it a try, I mean embrace the capabilities of SL and not be limited by the typical restraints of the real world. I would encourage Pinkberry to consider experimental and fabulous designs with plenty of space for clients and employees to interact.
Each member of the company, from corporate to frozen yogurt server, should get an avatar to roam around a bit to get a feel for what is out there and for what they find enjoyable on different islands. On the Scion island, for example, I really enjoyed interacting with the cars. Adding interactive components or freebies make a site memorable and cause avatars to come back. Maybe free frozen yogurt, advergames, and interacting with topics somehow would be good. Also, there is a Pinkberry song now, so it could be fun for avatars to make their own ode to Pinkberry.
Finally, I would tell them to make sure to hold company events and public events as much as possible to get employees involved and a name made in world. Pinkberry could offer conferences on healthy living to go along with their pure + simple focus, as well as host concerts with artists that are associated with relaxation and refreshment. An opening of a photo gallery of people's favorite topping/frozen yogurt combinations could be interesting as well.
Leo Burnett
Leo Burnett Worldwide is a Chicago-based advertising agency, according to Source Watch. Their website in real life is fun and interactive, based around the concept of "the big black pencil" which translates to "big ideas." This concept of creativity really hit me upon visiting their island in second life. This island and its "storefronts" are nothing like what you would expect in the real world. Leo Burnett took full advantage of the capabilities of SL to create a fantastical island where their conference room is located in the trunk of a giant tree and glowing orbs dance around you when you are outside. The tree at different levels of the trunk has different rooms: a library and a gallery to name a few. Another tree house looking building has spaces and rooms that are off limits to the snooping avatar without access.
The purpose of the island and spaces seems to be to excite, inspire, impress, and most of all, house employees and clients form around the globe. Its auditorium can hold conferences and meetings, and the other spaces can be used to meet, generate ideas and interact. I liked the island because it was very different and demonstrated the level of creative freedom that the planners enjoyed. The Leo Burnett island looks as if the employees were allowed to just go wild and create. As an advertising agency, I'd say that it is in the best interest of the company to look to wow a potential client with a far out space. That creative freedom and emphasis on new ideas would sound great to someone wanting an innovative campaign.
Paper Couture
This is one of the leading fashion shoppes in SL, and boy could I feel it upon teleporting in. The space is chic to the extreme, with single outfits, purses, shoes, etc. placed on the racks in sparse boutique fashion. I clicked on a purse and it was over a hundred Lindon dollars, but only a dollar in U.S. dollars. I must say, I was tempted. It was such a strange experience to covet clothes and items for my avatar, this second self. An ornate spiral staircase led to an even more exclusive upstairs.
The purpose of this site, as I perceived it, is to provide clothes for those fashion conscious consumers in SL. Or, on the other hand, their clothes could be for those unfashionables in real life, seeking and able to afford a fashionable persona in SL. It also seems to try to bring SL a little closer to being real. This is more than a video game where you are limited to certain outfits and colors. In SL, if you want to invest and personalize your avatar, you certainly can.
I really liked the site particularly because of my emotional reaction to it. What's funny is that, just as in real life, I felt awkward going into this store. It was very exclusive looking and expensive. I looked at my own prefabricated clothes from orientation island and felt inadequate. When I interact or look at avatars with ornate and personalized clothes/hair/shoes, I feel like I am obviously an outsider and uncool. If my feelings are similar to what others are experiencing in SL, then this truly is a marketer's paradise.
Kuwaii Ku
Kuwaii Ku appears to be an anime inspired site. Now, I am not very knowledgeable about anime, but the three parts of the island looked like it represented the different types of anime; one part was of the Hello Kitty, pop variety, another focused on feudal anime, and finally the last on more of a edgy, urban anime. It was interesting to look around and I liked the bright colors. It was fun to see my classmates romping around here and the tunnel for the train is neat to walk through.
I came back to this spot at night, and turned on the sound for the first time in SL. It was a much more intimate feeling and more real. I heard the sounds of birds, the wind and the trees. I have come to realize that deserted places in SL make one strangely lonely. Very interesting.
Analysis
After our recent experience of holding a lecture in SL, having class in SL, and looking at a variety of locations, I think I have an answer for the prompt "If your company was going to come into SL, what would you tell them?"
First, I would have them listen to this edition of CC Chapman's podcast, and I would echo the sentiments expressed in this podcast, to not be afraid to really give SL a try. And by really giving it a try, I mean embrace the capabilities of SL and not be limited by the typical restraints of the real world. I would encourage Pinkberry to consider experimental and fabulous designs with plenty of space for clients and employees to interact.
Each member of the company, from corporate to frozen yogurt server, should get an avatar to roam around a bit to get a feel for what is out there and for what they find enjoyable on different islands. On the Scion island, for example, I really enjoyed interacting with the cars. Adding interactive components or freebies make a site memorable and cause avatars to come back. Maybe free frozen yogurt, advergames, and interacting with topics somehow would be good. Also, there is a Pinkberry song now, so it could be fun for avatars to make their own ode to Pinkberry.
Finally, I would tell them to make sure to hold company events and public events as much as possible to get employees involved and a name made in world. Pinkberry could offer conferences on healthy living to go along with their pure + simple focus, as well as host concerts with artists that are associated with relaxation and refreshment. An opening of a photo gallery of people's favorite topping/frozen yogurt combinations could be interesting as well.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Engagement is the Key
Hyundai is launching its first effort in a new marketing strategy, an interactive game called "Mash and Seek." The press release explains that people are invited to submit to be one of the 16 people who will be chosen at random. Those sixteen people will be divided into four teams of four, and then each member will receive a collage-style picture of each member of the team. Here's the challenge: the four members have to find each other before the other teams find their members in order to each win a Hyundai Elantra.Hyundai has created a website for the competition, www.mashandseek.com, where hopefuls can file to compete. There is little else on the site except for a picture split into four that is animated to show how comical and difficult the activity could be. Hyundai wants for those who do not get notification of being a team member to continue to be involved with weekly "Mash and Seek" sweepstakes quizzes. So, although the "Mash and Seek" site is currently terribly plain, it will probably grow and become more dynamic with constant quizzes and updates.
This game is recognized as a viral execution, where people will be sharing information, posting to Facebook accounts and blogs, and creating personal web pages all in the hopes of reaching their teammates. Hyundai is focusing on a new marketing strategy, as mentioned in an article, Hyundai to Launch Game That's Guaranteed to go Viral, on Marketing Daily. They are utilizing guerrilla tactics with street teams while also pursuing grass roots opportunities. They want to create discussion among the target market of the technologically savvy by engaging them.
Hyundai does not currently have a slogan or tag line, but the theme of its current endeavors is"think smart." In the press release, this is stressed by mentioning the game as "fresh and creative" and a "social experiment." The game calls upon the players to "master the global network" by being "smart" and inciting their need for "discovery." The language oozes of a challenge for the intelligent and web informed.
Right now people may have to put their ear to the ground in a really quiet place to hear anything about the competition, but the game is still young. I imagine that buzz will begin when the teams are actually chosen at the end of April. If all goes well, I should bump into some attempts to contact team members while surfing the web.
Friday, March 9, 2007
The People's Player
The Zune, also known as Microsoft's answer to the iPod, has been and is currently positioned as a social networking tool. This social networking tool connects music lovers with other music lovers, music lovers with musicians, and musicians with other musicians. The plan was to create a special place in the market outside the shadow of the giant in MP3 sales, Apple. For Microsoft, that meant considering the trends and figuring out how to get people talking about the Zune.Taking a look at a Marketingvox.com entry , one can read that back in November 2006, when the Zune was about to be launched, Microsoft debuted the slogan "Welcome to the Social." The major selling point for the player was the wireless song sharing capabilities that drove home the concept of bringing music to the people.
According to a Marketing Daily article just out today, Microsoft is still really trying to gain street credibility and get people to associate Zune with not only music, but with music experiences involving people. The Zune is pushing its connection with both high and low profile music events; you can see off of a section of its website that it is currently sponsoring artists and performances at the larger than life music festival in Austin, Texas, SXSW (South by Southwest). By acting so music savvy and dedicated to continually developing the music industry, the portable music player is hoping to hit home with a very niche audience. Unlike the iPod, the Zune experience is not merely about getting your favorite tunes, but finding new artists and connecting to the broader music community.
Marketing with SXSW was a brilliant move, but other attempts to increase word of mouth for Zune have not been so impressive. A post entitled Marketing the Zune Way that was featured on the marketing section of zuneinfo.com, explains how recently the Zune promo car just tooled around city streets at 3 a.m. blasting Justin Timberlake as loud as it could.
A spoof of an iPod ad is also linked off of the Zune marketing page that is amusing and gives a taste of the fierce loyalty we know exists among "Microsoft People" and "Apple People." Actually, that aversion to the Zune and supposed loyalty to iPods can be seen based on reactions to an entry on the Marketing Pilgrim blog. The premise of the entry is that people would prefer to see a picture of a girl in tight clothing than win a Zune. There was quite a bit of a response with many people saying, in so many words, "I just don't want a Zune."
On the other hand, perhaps these comments are not related to loyalty to another player, but simply reaction to the horrible product buzz that the Zune has received. According to the Marketing Daily article referenced previously, the product has had many technological issues, from skipping tracks to faulty screens.
Overall: Although inspiring discussion among music lovers and creating buzz through concert sponserships are excellent ideas to appeal to a distinct market, it is going to take a lot of positive coverage to make up for some product failings.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Viral Video - Be Careful With That Stuff
With viral video becoming a fad tool for generating word of mouth for brands and companies, it was interesting to read a post on Organic Frog that questions the use of such videos. The videos are compared in the title to reality TV, perhaps alluding to the sometimes hollow yet entertaining nature of reality TV shows."Froggy," the blogger persona of Organic Frog is a junior planner at an interactive agency, Agency.com. As surprising as it was to hear a dislike of viral videos voiced by an interactive specialist, his/her main argument revolved around the fact that these videos are being created simply to entertain, and often conflict with the brand message or " brand storytelling."
The evils of posting cool videos simply to entertain is exemplified in the post through the Quicksilver "Dynamite Surfing" video. In this video, dynamite is used to create an artificial wave. Definitely cool and in the spirit of Jackass, the video has been successful on YouTube and sites where video is featured. However, the message that the video sends, although catching the feeling of thrill seeking that is often associated with the surfer culture, is directly in contra to Quicksilver's stand on environmental issues.
With so many new online opportunities to exploit as an advertiser, we might be seeing a bit of the, "I'm not sure why I'm here but I need to be here" phenomena. Everyone is in a rush to get into the internet mix of social networking/sharing sites that they might not be so carefully crafting their messages to get there. And who wouldn't be in a rush? Major portals such as AOL, Lycos and yahoo feature hit viral videos off of their main pages and to be among the top-ranked videos translates to thousands upon thousands of click-through opportunities. Infiltrating the viral video scene also results in major word of mouth coverage. Viral video has become so popular among the young demographic that get togethers among college friends often result in the showing and sharing of favorite viral videos.
So, the message here is:
Advertisers and brand-builders, slow down and make sure that the viral videos you are creating are really 100% in-line with your campaign and perpetuate the integrity of the brand. Of course we want people talking, but we want to give them something good to say.
Lycos.com viral videos
AOL Video Blog
MSN Videos - Click the Viral Video Tab
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