Archive
Dollar Shave Club teaches us all an important lesson
For this post we’ll forego esoteric analysis and focus on something more simple – the truth.
So what’s the truth you ask? Great question. The truth is it’s a hard world out there with consumers who’d argue you down to giving it away for free if they could. As a result, if you plan to break into a category you need to do it with some attitude. While carefully thought out communications may feel good sitting next to all the charts and graphs in the business plan, sometimes you just have to let it all hang out.
So simple, it’s rewarding
As we all know things are getting better. A little anyhow. Each month offers more signs that the economy is on the mend and brighter days are ahead. And when those days come, don’t be surprised if they look just a tad different.
Real Engagement
Once upon a time the word engagement actually meant something in marketing. It was new and fresh – sort of the “it girl” in marketing. What if, rather than churning out more predictable marketing communications, we could find a way to touch the consumer?
Alas, touching the consumer has devolved into something akin to an overly-forward acquaintance putting their hand on your knee. Brands mistake street teams and Facebook pages for engagement.
National Geographic = Cool = ?
This week we will forego the usual analytical commentary and instead simply share something very cool. In a previous blog, we posted about how Augmented Reality was the future of the future. And much of that revolved around the potential to turn a profit. While this is still very important, National Geographic recently showed how this platform can skip past the mobile phone and create a very deep and engaging experience that quickly bypasses pre-disposed biases individuals may have about a topic or brand.
Watch the video below and ask yourself, how many of the people participating are likely to have a copy of National Geographic laying around their house.
All Tweets Are Local
Former House Speaker Tip O’Neill was famous for his saying, “all politics are local.” This would seem fitting for tweets as well.
Trendsmap.com was developed to show who is tweeting what and where. The end result is a really smart geographic display of how different regions tend to tweet about different topics.
The Perils of a Multi-Part Viral Campaign
Before we begin, it’s only fair to acknowledge that all the world is a critic and only a small handfull are performers. That being said…
What does a long-standing member of the cultural arts community do to reach out beyond its traditional sphere of influence to a younger, hipper, more tech-savvy audience? Yes, you guessed it – a viral video campaign. But this particular campaign offers one very important lesson – the aforementioned audience has a short attention span and unless you start a dialogue, they aren’t likely to return for an encore of their own volition.
Four Common, Unforgivable Brand Mistakes
The past ten years saw a significant shift among major marketers. The once all-powerful brand concept has since been humbled by demands for accountability and measurability. And while there are models in place to estimate the impact a brand has, a brand’s softer, more intangible nature has a difficult time competing with “dollars and sense” tactics such as direct response or push-to-retail campaigns.
Online Video – Can B2C work for B2B?
There would appear to be a very clear line drawn in the marketing world. On one side you find the “consumer approach” and on the other you find the “business approach.” B2C marketers complain about their stodgy B2B brethren and B2B marketers cast doubt on the “let’s make everyone love us” approach employed in the consumer sphere.
