Goodness knows how much thinking goes into viral marketing.  These pictures were shared by a couple of my Facebook friends today and no doubt by yours dear reader.

This is a great example of a company allowing its staff to be themselves in communicating directly with consumers.  Goodness knows what the letter would have been like if it had been submitted to head office for approval.

Proof if ever it was needed that the modern brand needs to loosen up and let staff be expressive.  You don’t need to provide guidelines and structures necessarily.  Nor do you need to try and force a viral – just share stuff like this and hope it inspires your people to do the same.

Give your staff the freedom to be themselves

Posted by Richard on January 25th, 2012

For those who are fussy eaters, whether it be due to allergies, religion, lifestyle choices or just simply having a limited pallet, food shopping can result in being a daunting task, especially if you are having to study the ingredients list on every product to check it is suitable for you or the person you are shopping for to eat.

Now, thanks to food and drink journalist, Martin Isark and iPhone, drawn out shopping trips can be a thing of the past due to the development of the new and very useful ‘Can I Eat It’ app which allows you to simply and quickly check each item at the click of a button on your phone to see if you can eat it.

The app which can be downloaded from iTunes allows you input your dietary preferences then simply scan the bar code on a product, this then looks the item up on an online database and compares the product ingredients  to your selected preferences to instantly find out if you can eat it or not.

Unfortunately the app is only available for iPhone users at present and cannot be used on every single food and drink product available. However,  the list of products in continually being updated to add more obscure items to the vast database which covers the majority of products at all major supermarkets.

The app also caters to a huge range of people thanks to having an extensive list of preferences from the obvious things such as gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and nut allergies to lifestyle preferences such as fair trade and organic to religious purposed including Halal and Kosher.  The app can also be used on drinks items.

For people looking to watch their weight and have a healthier diet, the app is also great as once an item is scanned it also gives you the products salt, saturated fat and sugar levels which can also be set in your preferences.

For just £1.99 the ‘Can I Eat It’ app really is the ideal tool for those who have specific dietary requirements or just simply wanting to watch their health this New Year!

Posted by Sophie on January 23rd, 2012

A campaign that makes thievery OK you say? Not the sort of positive, wholesome marketing that typically gets signed off by the board of a major car manufacturer.

Unfortunately us humble UK folk never got the chance to get involved in this simple, brilliantly executed treasure hunt launched by Volkswagen Canada.

Beginning in October last year, outdoor pop-up galleries started appearing in unexpected places across major cities and Canada. Each gallery consisted of three numbered, limited-edition photos of light paintings created by the movements of the new Volkswagen Jetta GLI.

The photographs were taken as part an integrated campaign to launch the new vehicle called “Driving can be beautiful”. The ad used a combination of traditional and long exposure videography to pain light trails using the headlights and taillights of a Jetta GLI. You can check out how they made it below.

Loosely nailed and positioned slightly eskew, passersby were invited to nab the photographs and messages on the back of each photograph complemented the crooks on their fine taste and invited them to upload photos of their swag to the brand’s Facebook page to share with the world.

Despite stereotypes suggesting Canadians would be too mild mannered to steal, the first lot of photographs were stolen within hours. One sly dog was even filmed walking off with all three paintings in a gallery.

But they appeared equally as fast, and those that weren’t fortunate enough to get their hands on a print first time round were given a second chance. The second stage of the campaign took the hunt online, with wannabe thieves having to follow the brand’s Twitter pages for clues on the location of each of the hand numbered prints.

Unsurprisingly, all this free art prompted lots of chatter online, as people posted and discussed pictures of their new piece of art in its new environment.

I’m a big fan of campaigns that align brands with art authentically (it’s not easily done) and also those that drive real world action and amplify it online. This piece of work fits both of those bills with a clever blend of ambient, experiential and social media activity.

Posted by Tom on

At the risk of over-egging this with such a grandiose title, I apologise, but Collaborative Consumption (CC) is a trend you can’t ignore. It’s the explosion of sharing, lending, auctioning, bartering and swapping on a global scale and is the result of tectonic shifts in socio-cultural and economic changes.

Where the 20th Century was defined by hyper consumption, including credit, advertising and individual ownership, the 21st Century will be defined by collaborative consumption, characterised by reputation, community and shared access.

It’s all about community driven marketplaces.

You may have come across CC in your day-to-day life, but maybe not known you were participating in this exciting, global movement. Have you recently Ebay’ed? Maybe you’ve picked up something from Freecycle? Or downloaded a free music track from Limewire or joined Spotify? What about visiting the Burning Man Festival, or have you used a G-Wiz City Car? Perhaps you’ve spurned Tesco and decided to choose local? Maybe you’ve joined a book club? These are just a few examples, but there are many, many more, spanning all industries and sectors.

The key levers for CC, fall around Trust, and our ever decreasing lack of it towards big, corporate beasts, a renewed sense of Togetherness and Community, and a redefined notion of Ownership.

To gain a succinct overview into what’s driving collaborative consumption, watch this great little vid (3mins 40secs):

Throughline with Mindful Maps presents Collaborative Consumption: An RSA/Nominet Film Competition Short Film from Kate Hammer on Vimeo.

You may think that this is either a load of hubble bubble, or that it spells the death knell of businesses as we know it. I don’t think it’s either. But it does mean we as marketeers need to think differently, and plan ahead. Just how do businesses play a role in this ever growing and pervasive revolution?

If you think it’s just for tree-hugging, cottage industry, sandal wearing hippies, consider this; that BMW, Ford, Peugeot, VW and GM have all entered the car sharing sector. Why? Because they realise that they can either try and fight it, like the music industry – and fail- or join in and shift their business from that of an ownership model, to a business built on offering ’mobility services’.

This has to be one the most exciting challenges in marketing, and something we at Finn are considering in our planning and creative sessions.

And finally, here’s two great live examples of businesses built on this powerful trend, which are rapidly gaining traction:

AIRBNB

TaskRabbit

Posted by James on January 22nd, 2012

If, like me, you are still too tight to fork out for a Spotify Premium account, you’ll be familiar with the technique of ‘zoning out’ and ignoring the adverts that get in the way of you enjoying the musical delights of your favourite artists.

Working in the marketing industry, it’s often hard to look at campaigns, brands and adverts (outside of work) without your analytical and cynical work hat on. That’s why I was all the more impressed when curiosity got the better of me when I was listening to Spotify and one particular advert caught my attention.

 “Click here to watch the world’s first video you can taste”

I knew that this wasn’t actually possible (well I was 99 per cent sure), but I couldn’t help but click through and see what it was all about.

This is what I found:

Did you taste chocolate? Obviously not because ‘It’s all Lies!’ and part of the latest marketing push from Kellogg’s Rice Krispie Squares. The whole campaign is based on the idea that the popular cereal bars aren’t even square and agency Leo Burnett created this brash, tongue in cheek integrated campaign which turns advertising on its head and pokes fun at the idea that adverts are renowned for featuring big, bold and unrealistic claims.

The campaign included TV adverts, billboards and social media activity and caught people’s attention with an outrageous lie such as ‘free boat with purchase’ and ‘the first video you can taste’ but then the ‘small print’ reveals that it’s all lies.

I think this is the kind of campaign which can split professional opinion but I personally think it’s clever and effective, and it personally changed my perception of a brand which I previously associated with my school canteen. I applaud the fact that Kellogg’s took a risk that perhaps many other brands would not be comfortable with.

Posted by Janelle on January 20th, 2012

Social TV, what’s that all about then? Well, it’s listed as one of MIT’s (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) top ten emerging technologies and many industry experts say that it’s the biggest change to television since it was invented…

Social TV involves updating your social profile with details and events from the TV programme that you’re watching. You could be commenting on someone’s dodgy performance on XFactor or giving a view point on a BBC Question Time discussion.

You may have noticed that the majority of TV programmes now carry a hashtag (#xfactor) at the beginning so that viewers can track, contribute and share experiences about the programme they are watching with other viewers around the country – almost like watching a TV programme with a group of friends that aren’t in the room with you!

A huge 44% of UK consumers say that they use social networks to enhance their TV viewing and during an average week in the UK, over 90 unique shows are Tweeted about. As a result, Social TV can certainly be credited with the continued rise of Twitter here in the UK.

One of the first and most exciting Social TV technologies to be developed is Zeebox.  BSKYB last week took a 10% equity stake in the company, a sign that key industry players are sitting up and taking notice of this trend.

According to Zeebox’s research, a third of all UK internet usage is said to be undertaken whilst sat in front of the TV, so they’re definately on to something!

Zeebox is a free iPad and web app which has been developed by Anthony Rose, the guy behind the BBC’s iPlayer. It’s designed to make solitary TV-watching experience more of a ‘social jamboree’

When you view Zeebox for the first time it looks like a TV guide, but when you click on a programme, it displays all of the conversations/ Tweets that have been posted about it, allowing you to track and contribute in real time.

Within each programme’s screen, there’s a credits and synopsis panel, plus a news ticker of stories related to whatever it is you’re watching. Also included is a ‘relevant apps’ section – so if you’re watching BBC News, it’ll show you the BBC News App and you can visit the App Store to download it.

The interface includes rolling ticker of tags, names, subjects and even products as they appear in the course of a programme, allowing you to tap the topic you’re interested in and instantly find out more.

Fo advertisers, the opportunity for product placement are huge, as it gives viewers a direct route to buy anything they may have viewed.

Although Zeebox has huge potential and has got the TV industry very excited, there’s sure to be many other great developments in this arena over the next twelve months as the Social TV phenomenon continues to grow.

Posted by Chris on January 18th, 2012

Ever since the dawn of time (well ok, since Mad Men was real-life), marketeers have been fixated by big numbers.  Even better, big numbers that get bigger over time. Even better than that, big numbers that get even bigger more quickly than the last time you measured them.  You get the gist. But in social media measurement, the opposite could be true.

Big number fixation has been predicated quite rightly on the principles of leverage and efficiency. Targeting the highest volume of reach, frequency, impressions, clicks or links per marketing £ investment.  We would never argue for a second that that principle no longer stands for measuring the success of traditional advertising, but it is potentially dangerous if it’s applied to social media.  We’re seeing this particularly in the context of Facebook and Twitter where big number fixation can skew folks’ view of success.

Put simplistically, the absolute number of followers and likers is not a flat-out measure of success.  Many Facebook fans could easily have liked a page, never to be seen again. The simplistic evaluation principle of big number getting bigger would provide an unrealistic read.

So, what should good look like?  Guess what – that depends. Every proper campaign should begin with the end in mind.  Set-out an objective, and agree a target for success which can be measured and is achievable.

That’s where channel selection is so important.  Social media like PR is not ‘free advertising’, it’s not a chance to broadcast your sell message to as many people as possible for as little money as possible.  It’s a chance to engage, persuade and converse.  If your objective is, for example to understand consumers’ perceptions of your brand, or to change an entrenched opinion, then social media is bang-on.  Your objective could be linked to traffic driving and SEO, which are also predicated on quality over quantity these days.

That’s why the real measure of success in Facebook, is the ‘Talking About’ metric.  This is the number of people who have created stories around your brand, whether that’s posting on your wall, commenting on your posts, or sharing links and content with their friends. Simplistically, it means they really like you, rather than pretending to do that to get something out of you.

The key word here is stories.  Most brands have thousands of stories to tell, but what most people forget is that to a consumer, a story worth sharing is not about your product and price.  Keep that message to your advertising, and make sure the numbers you use to measure that are big and getting bigger.

Posted by Richard on January 12th, 2012

Wikipedia defines Geolocation as “the identification of the real-world geographic location of an object, such as a radar, mobile phone or an Internet-connected computer terminal. Geolocation may refer to the practice of assessing the location, or to the actual assessed location.”

The Leeds Digital Festival lunch on Geolocation gave me some really interesting insights into what Geolocation is now, what it was, and where it is going in the future.

The Past (well, a few years back anyway!)

The king of Geolocation and what really put it on the map (no pun intended) was the Sat Nav.  Britain’s roads are bewildering to navigate – a maze of spaghetti junctions, one-way systems and dizzying roundabouts.

A Sat-Nav helps us get from A to B in the quickest time possible, decreasing journey time and stress for people with no sense of direction like me! It’s a multibillion dollar industry and Sat Navs can be found in cars up and down the country and across the world.

From a marketing point of view, GPS technology got interesting when social media and smart phones went mainstream.  One of the early adopters (still only three years ago) of that technology was Foursquare, which produced a location-based app that made it easy to keep in touch with friends and upload tips on various places for other members to find.  I found out at the lunch that Foursquare makes its money by collecting all the location data that people have uploaded, packaging it up into databases and then selling it on to companies that want to buy it – genius!

VoucherCloud is also a great example of an app fulfilling a consumer need… capitalising on the frugality trend, VoucherCloud uses Geolocation to great effect, by connecting brands offering local deals to consumers.

The Present (for brands)

However, developing a Geolocation based app, and then seeding it so it becomes mainstream is no mean feat.  If you can do this then I suggest mobile app development is the career for you!

Instead, brands and markettiers need to think laterally about how they can utilise already existing platforms to drive awareness and sales of their brand.  We recently did this for Fox’s, when we launched a location-based Facebook treasure hunt game to mark the launch of its new Christmas Pudding range. The campaign, called the Great Christmas Pudding Heist, features the brand’s panda mascot Vinnie enlisting Facebook fans to help find his stolen treasure, which have been smuggled inside Christmas puddings.

I’ve also seen great location based campaigns from Mini and Vodafone in the past.

Perhaps the most exciting development recently is the new location based reminder software in the iPhone 4s.  You can set a reminder to a place and when you get close to it and your phone will beep to let you know you need to do something.  So, if you leave a suit to collect from the dry cleaners and you drive past it on the way home from work but you don’t know what time that’ll be, you can set a location based reminder so you won’t forget to pick it up. Brilliant! I haven’t started using this yet but I plan to very soon!

The future

Mobile shopping through Smartphone apps hasn’t really taken off yet, but I’m sure it will in 2012.  An exciting idea will be to combine a retailers back end stock systems (so consumers know what’s in stock) with a live shopping app and Geolocation.  That way, you could find the closest shop to you that is open and has the item you are looking for on the shelf at any given time. This would work brilliantly for me while Christmas shopping next year!

You could see this extending into shopping lists – so for example, ask the app “what shop closest to me has the most items in stock on my shopping list?”  This would be great for grocery shopping on a Sunday evening when the supermarkets are closed.

Geolocation and joining friends with friends and consumers with brands is still very much in its infancy but I predict big things for Geolocation this year – Marketeers need to be ready to take advantage and evolve with it.

Posted by Greg on January 11th, 2012

As we continue to move forward in the digital age, print media must rethink its strategy by considering the digital opportunities available to them. In this post, I take the example of Encounter magazine as a case study, looking as the positives and negatives of a magazines’ foray into the digital space, as well as the opportunities available for brands to gain added value from their advertising and advertorial activity.

Encounter is a multi-client online digital magazine produced on behalf of the large brand food & beverage manufacturers and read by local convenience store retailers, small independent retailers and impulse retailers.

Encounter’s online retail magazine enables manufacturers, marketers and brand owners to inspire independent retailers and small shop owners by transforming content into interactive digital messages, enriched with vivid graphics, video and flash that hope to engage and inspire action.

As clients continually want to see more for their money and increased ROI, taking print media into the digital space provides endless opportunities to analyse and improve a brand’s advertising content.

From heat-map analytics to show exactly when and how retailers stopped to zoom in or click a link, to in-depth tools to measure how much your content is shared, the possibilities are endless and from a brand perspective, this is invaluable insight that simply could not be gathered from a print ad campaign.

Aside from more thorough ROI measurement and deeper insight into the effectiveness of an ad’s design strategy, the above content from alcohol supplier, Intercontinental Brand Ltd demonstrates how the digital magazine format can be used for even more added value.

The advert features a prompt asking retailers to register their interest to receive £5.00 off their next order to ICB Ltd. The incentive offered, coupled with a single click action time (as oppose to print magazine – computer action time) entices the retailer to register for the promotion. The retailer has nothing to lose and the brand receives the added value of data capture through their own systems.

The concept of taking common digital advertising techniques and placing them into an online magazine format appears to be common sense and cuts print costs significantly, but then why is it that not more publications are making the transition?

The main challenge for the likes of Encounter is building a strong audience of brands and retailers alike. Will they ever succeed in competing with the likes of Convenience Store and The Grocer with their trusted reputation and year’s in the field? I’m not sure – but if The Grocer were to add these digital capabilities into their digital edition, that would make for an interesting case study.

Perhaps it comes to down the patriotic nature of print editors and the fact that brands still love to see their ads in print, or perhaps people are just not ready to let go of the ‘put down, pick up’ nature of print that we have all come to love….this will be an interesting space to watch.

Posted by Rachel on January 10th, 2012

Social media is no longer just a buzz word.  Econsultancy’s State of Social Report 2011 pointed to a maturing disciple where brands are no longer simply experimenting in the social space.

However, while the report demonstrated that social media is well and truly part of the marcomms mix for many, it did highlight that three quarters of board-level execs are not bought into it as a discipline, suggesting it’s not quite getting cut-through at the top.

At the same time, brands are faced with a more demanding consumer.  Expectation economy means that consumers not only want, but expect so much more now.  We’re much more inquisitive, enjoy researching, doing our own competitor analysis and are much more likely to engage online if we find value in something.  All this means brands need to work harder to build quality relationships and earn customer loyalty.

So, how do we add value to the bottom line as well as add value to the consumer to ensure that social media is not stuck in the ‘nice to have’ box?

Customisation is not necessarily a new trend, but two stand-out campaigns in 2011 have capitalised  on social media’s new tools to achieve this perfectly.

Using Facebook as the platform and some of its newest tools, both Heinz and Nivea offered their fans the chance to personalize a product, allowing greater affinity with the brand and adding genuine consumer and commercial value.

Heinz gave its 80k fans the chance to send a thoughtful, personalised can of soup to their friends for just £1.99 as a get well message.  The campaign kicked off in October as coughs and colds begin to set in and firmly positioned the brand’s comforting proposition.

What’s more, on the busiest online shopping day before Christmas, Nivea launched a campaign to offer its 240k Facebook fans the chance to have their Nivea gift set wrapped in personalised wrapping paper created with the fan’s own pictures.  It tied into Nivea’s Feel Closer campaign and was a creative mechanic to get consumers purchasing gifts and receive a free, bespoke gift wrapping service.

Both these campaigns worked on three crucial points

They were both relevant – both fit perfectly into the brand values and targeted an existing fan base

They were timely – capitalising on a current and timely trend to ensure it resonated with the consumer

Plus they added value – not only to the consumer to ensure they received something in turn for investing time in the brand online, but also added to the bottom line of the brand itself

These three principles should be at the heart of any social media campaign and it’s something we at Finn always strive for when developing our digital strategies.

There’s still a long way to go, but in 2012, I’m sure we’re going to see more and more campaigns that not only engage with consumers online, but have a tangible commercial impact.

Posted by Jess on January 9th, 2012