Insignificance

A great video by Karl Fisch explaining our increasing insignificance in the World. Think you're one in a million then keep watching!

Simply the best

Tina Turner was on to something when she sang "Simply the best, better than all the rest". My dad always said "Whatever you decide to do you should do it to the best of your ability." Whether this is making the best coffee in the suburb or writing the best blog on nuclear physics the prinicple is the same. Seth Godin is widely recognised as having the best marketing blog. When recently asked why he didn't use Twitter he responded that it would distract him from having the best blog. He knows what he is good at and where to concentrate his efforts.

Warren Buffett is the World's best investor. He is so successful that he is commonly referred to as the Oracle of Omaha. Tiger Woods is the World's best golfer. The common link of all three is a drive and determination to do their best. They also concentrate all their efforts on what they are good at.

They are single minded in their objectives however they use their influential status and sometimes wealth to help others who are not so fortunate. Woods even took some time out to give the other golfers a chance...

Welcome back Tiger


Whatever it is you do do it to the best of your ability and know what your strengths are. Being number 1 is simply the best.

Do you Tweet?

It seems that the World is all a twitter. Everywhere I turn these days Twitter is being proclaimed as the new 'Facebook' of Social Media. Twitter describe themselves as "a free social messaging utility for staying connected in real-time." All this in 140 character bite sized chunks.

Maybe I am missing something but why would you want to know what your friends are up to 24/7? What would you talk about when you do catch up (in real life)? I am sure there are some interesting people to follow on twitter but who has the time to update it continuously?

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Twitter. It certainly has had plenty of money invested without having produced any revenue whatsoever. According to Wikipedia Twitter cetainly has plenty of advocates. 6 million people surely can't be wrong? They obviously just have more time than me.

I will persevere with it and let you know if I become hooked but i've not got my wings yet.

Brand Personality

Any marketing activity should complement the personality of your brand. Catering.com do it well here with their tag line "An Industry with character..."

If you haven't seen them they are also great for some friday afternoon entertainment courtesy of Rebel Virals

Little Gordon Part 1


Little Gordon Part 2


Little Gordon Part 3

What's in a name?

When I was starting Qubik I had a thought about what my title should be on my business cards. It seems a simple thing but it took a while. I could have went with CEO but that seemed a bit grand for a start up. General Manager was an option but I wasn't managing anyone at the beginning. Did it really matter?!

I was going to put Owner on the card but I thought that might seem a bit aloof. Finally I settled on Principal as I figured that conveyed that it was my company but that I also did some of the work. Having endured several teacher jokes I am comfortable with it for now.

It got me thinking about all of the ridiculous job titles out there. It used to be that vice president or director meant something but now they don't really tell you anything. I guess the next time you hire someone you might want to check with a colleague of theirs as to what they actually do.

Looking through my rollodex and chatting to friends provides some great examples of titles gone mad.

Director of first impressions - i.e. Receptionist
Head Honcho - General Manager (also self indulgent wanker)
Chief know-it-all - Steve Jobs Apple (no I don't have his card and for once this one seems fairly accurate)
Catalyst for Magic - Social Media Manager (John - you need to get me one of those business cards!)
Malicious Logic Specialist - Hacker
Official vice editor of artistry and illustrations - cartoonist (with an ego)

Titles are obviously important to some people. What is yours?

Get your own idea!

Same idea, same execution. Not sure who came up with it first but surely it can't be a coincidence?

Nikon


Panasonic

Are you generous?

Being generous doesn't have to cost you money. It is a state of mind or approach to life rather than a one off event.

Marketing guru Seth Godin gives his time and knowledge to help others advance in the Worlds or marketing and business. He runs SAMBA or Seth's Alternative MBA for a small group of individuals who he encourages to take a similar approach. For anyone looking to start a new business in 2009 they have published a list of 999 business ideas that are free for anyone to take.

American billionaire Mark Cuban has also taken time to present an amazing opportunity to potential entrepreneurs. Present him with a business plan and subject to certain criteria he will fund it. No maximum, no minimum. There are plenty of sceptics on the site however he is taking the time to answer them all and hopefully help someone realise their dreams.

Thye Australian Community have shown a great deal of generosity to the Vistorian Bushfire Appeal giving both time and money. If you would like to donate go to the Red Cross site. May as well start your plans to be generous now.

Can you experience it?

When I mention experiential marketing to my friends they have lots of questions:

"How does it work?"
"Can it work for any company?"
"Have you got any examples?"
"Can I get some free stuff?"

For those that haven't been paying attention here is a recap.

How does it work?
Experiential marketing connects audiences with the authentic nature of a brand through participation in personally relevant, credible and memorable encounters. Interactive communication rather than passive persuasion has proven to be a valuable element in building and maintaining brand relationships among customers that drive the brand’s image and value. It ignites the five senses of sight, smell, touch, taste and sound to leave a lasting brand recall.

Can it work for any company?
Experiential marketing can work for any company with a story to be told. It is part of the marketing mix and when combined within the overall advertising strategy it is proven to increase brand recall and understanding.

Have you got any examples?
Below are some great examples of experiential marketing demonstrating not only the variety of circumstances where it can be applied but also the impact a little bit of lateral thinking can provide.
• Charmin – Potty Palooza
Experiential Campaign for toilet roll in luxurious surroundings
• Daimler-Chrysler - Camp Jeep
Opportunity for Jeep owners to test their cars and themselves.
• Innocent – Fruitstock
A traditional-style summer fête based around the brand.
• Zurich Insurance
Friday 13th campaign for Insurance


Can I get some free stuff?
No. You can't. Stop asking.

Out of character

It is becoming increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd. Consumers are harder to reach than ever before. They are media savvy and have the tools such as Foxtel IQ which allows them to skip the ads. To reach them brands have to think smarter. When a brave brand does something out of character from the rest of the industry they stand out. Here are a few examples that are certainly memorable.

Not your typical shampoo ad


Not your typical tax return ad


Not your typical awareness ad





I find this last ad difficult to watch but I guess it will certainly generate awareness of the issue.

Experiential marketing with swimsuit models

Sports Illustrated is launching its annual swimsuit edition with a raft of experiential marketing initiatives. SI have teamed up with Southwest Airlines, PepsiCo's SoBe drink brand and Nissan Motors to create a buzz around the launch of the magazine. This article in The Wall Street journal discusses the move towards non-traditional media.

This year, about 40% of revenue generated by the issue -- which accounts for about a tenth of the magazine's total annual revenue -- will come from digital and event-marketing efforts. Four years ago, just 4% of the issue's revenue came from sources other than print advertising, executives say. "It's really about taking this content we've created in the magazine and leveraging it through new channels," says Mark Ford, the magazine's president.

As part of the initiative a Southwest Airlines jet emblazoned with an image of swimsuit model Bar Refaeli will whisk VIPs to a launch party in Las Vegas this week. "Brands these days have really got to be creative about how they're getting their messaging out in the marketplace," says Linda Rutherford, vice president for communications and strategic outreach at Southwest Airlines.

It may be creative but it is also a smart move for these companies with the readership of the edition expected to be approximately 66 million.

Also getting in on the experiential act is Carnival cruises who recently broke the Guinness World Record for the largest beach ball to tie in with their “Welcome to Funville” branding. Having recently broken the record for the World’s largest Pinata they seem determined to notch up a few records while having fun and increasing their brand awareness at the same time. If you want to know more about their efforts log on to Carnival Cruises

Can anyone be "Creative"?

As children we have imaginary friends, we colour outside of the lines and we can play for hours with a card board box. Crayons are the tools of our trade and they work equally well on paper, doors and walls. There are no constraints as to what we can do. No-one tells us that a tree can't be blue or a person can't have more than 2 legs. Sometimes we are told that we can't eat the tools but creativity is otherwise encouraged.

Fast forward to our school years and these expressions of individuality are forced out of us. We are encouraged to conform and to fit in with the crowd. We choose a career path and are constantly told to grow up(maybe that was just me). In our professional life we have no time to be truly creative. Even the designers work within the constraints of the client brief to ensure that the work is commercial.

Some of the best ideas come from those who are unafraid to look silly or go against the crowd. After all how many times have you read the results of a survey where you disagreed with the majority? Collective wisdom may be collective but it's not always that wise...

I am not saying that I advocate corporate creativity al la Enron or even the recent accounting for ABC Learning in Australia but it does show that even the accountants can be creative! Most people are afraid to shout out a suggestion or opinion for the fear of embarrassment or standing out from the crowd. If your idea is creative it will challenge perception and you should therefore ignore the crowd. They will say it is risky or wrong or a waste of time.

Being creative is hugely rewarding and the World is your oyster. Stop thinking about it and start doing it. Start questioning conventional wisdom. Ask questions like a kid. Why? Why? Why? Write a book, paint a picture, start a business. Don't hide behind excuses. Don't let anything constrain you. Except perhaps the law. Most of all, have fun. You never know where your imagination could take you.

We're up and runnning...!

The website is now up and running. If you haven't seen it yet you can find it here. Any thoughts / comments are welcomed.

Regards

Iain

Viral Marketing

Getting the right balance between creating something that people will spread and something that carries a payload for your company is a very difficult. Get it right though and it's worth the effort.

This is a great one just in time for Valentine's Day. Gents, don't say you haven't been warned...

The dog house

The Evolution of Brands

Throughout history brands have been created through the divergence of an existing category. Television has diverged to form the analog and digital categories. Digital television has further diverged to form regular and high definition and so on. Despite this obvious natural force at work* many business leaders believe that convergence of products is the way of the future.

It is really the fault of the clock radio. Ever since this annoying product was introduced the idea of converging 2 or more existing technologies has grown stronger. The problem with this is that the resulting product is not better than the existing products and operates in a no mans land where it is unwanted. How many people do you know that can access the internet on their fridge? Why would you want to?!

Some products work through convenience. The sofa bed is neither a good bed nor a particularly comfortable sofa but when space or money is limited it’s a good compromise. Given the money and the space I would think that most people would go for the option of separate bed and sofa.

Why then do so many businesses spend so much time and effort trying to combine products instead of putting the resources into research and development for new items? Looking back at history only reinforces this approach. Flying car anyone? What about combining a boat and a car? The 1961 Amphicar was reported to “drive like a boat and float like a car.”

While companies like Nokia (N-gage phone and game console), Microsoft (Pen and computer in tablet form) and LG Electronics (Internet refrigerator) continue to spend vast sums on failed convergence ventures it provides opportunity for their competitors to get ahead.
Some products will evolve or combine to provide an exception to the rule such as the mobile phone with digital camera but again this is more of a convenience example. I’m certainly not going to replace my Nikon with a Nokia.

While these bad ideas capture the public’s imagination (I mean who wouldn’t want a flying car?) great (divergence) ideas lead to continuous improvement and evolution of products. If only they could develop simple to use clock radios for hotels that don’t wake you up at 4am because the last person had an early flight.

* It is a founding principle identified by Charles Darwin in his seminal work “The Origin of Species”
Reference: The Origin of Brands – Al & Laura Ries

Battle of the brands

Coke versus Pepsi. Is there a more famous battle for dominance of a category? Probably but both companies have released some new ads. They take vastly different approaches. It always comes back to the same old question though - Which do you prefer?

Coke (watch in high quality)


Pepsi Max


Incidentally, I once did the Pepsi Challenge and it turns out that (like the majority of people they tested) I prefer the taste of Pepsi. I still buy Coke though. Guess their branding works...

Expensive isn't always best

Just because your competition has a bigger budget and can operate on a larger scale doesn't mean that you can't compete. You just have to think smarter. Prior to Sunday's Superbowl Miller High Life decided that paying $3m US for a 30 second ad wasn't the best use of their money. Instead they aired a 1-second spot during the Big Game.


They generated hype for the ad by running a 30 second teaser for a couple of weeks prior to the game. The teaser as well as the ad and a number of alternative 1 second ads can now be viewed online at www.1SecondAd.com

"The overwhelmingly positive response we've received leading up to tonight's commercial debut shows that consumers are embracing our message of a quality beer at a tasty price," said High Life Senior Brand Manager Kevin Oglesby. "We didn't need to spend millions of dollars for half-a-minute when our common sense philosophy can be conveyed in just one second."

Makes plenty of sense to me.