Wednesday, 15 July 2009
We are a ‘moment defining’ agency according to the FT, which is nice
We are all about agenda-setting ideas at St Luke’s so it was nice to see this IKEA campaign being remembered. Every week the FT selects a ‘defining moment’ and recently they chose the ‘Chuck out your chintz’ campaign. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/f47a8eb6-6475-11de-a13f-00144feabdc0.html
Must Reads
the race for social network domination - the winners and losers
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jun/11/myspace-bebo-social-networking
Comedians fill Twitter with gags
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2009/jun/09/standups-tweet-twitter-comedy-club
Bing v Google - is the search war on?
http://blogs.forrester.com/groundswell/2009/05/could-microsofts-bing-take-share-from-google.html
Facebook vanity urls - seo war for brands?
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/06/10/facebook-vanity-urls-journalists-dont-have-to-wait-in-line/
O2's report into the role and importance of digital technology in family life
http://dnc.o2.co.uk/home/2009/05/o2-digital-families.html
Google releases wave - realtime conversation to combat twitter search threat
http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/Google_Waves_Goodbye_to_E-Mail__Welcomes_Real-Time_Communication
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jun/11/myspace-bebo-social-networking
Comedians fill Twitter with gags
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2009/jun/09/standups-tweet-twitter-comedy-club
Bing v Google - is the search war on?
http://blogs.forrester.com/groundswell/2009/05/could-microsofts-bing-take-share-from-google.html
Facebook vanity urls - seo war for brands?
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/06/10/facebook-vanity-urls-journalists-dont-have-to-wait-in-line/
O2's report into the role and importance of digital technology in family life
http://dnc.o2.co.uk/home/2009/05/o2-digital-families.html
Google releases wave - realtime conversation to combat twitter search threat
http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/Google_Waves_Goodbye_to_E-Mail__Welcomes_Real-Time_Communication
Fast Facts
There were 100 Billion free skype-to-skype calls made between August 2003 and February 2008.
Facebook has grown from 100 million to 200 million users in less than 8 months. If it were a country, it would be bigger than Brazil.
One out of every 30 website visits in the U.K. comes from Twitter.
Facebook has grown from 100 million to 200 million users in less than 8 months. If it were a country, it would be bigger than Brazil.
One out of every 30 website visits in the U.K. comes from Twitter.
AVON – ‘HELP FAITH FIND HER AD’ CAMPAIGN
We started working with Avon this Summer. Avon is of course the original social media brand. With over 5.8 million Avon ladies, working in over 120 countries their whole business is built on social relationships and conversations
What was the problem?
When the star of the first ever UK ‘ding dong’ AVON calling ad, Faith Heines, came to them to ask for help finding her ad, they really wanted to help but were faced with two problems. Firstly, how to make the search look and feel genuine and not just a PR stunt, and secondly, how to keep the brand feeling contemporary.
What was the idea?
Women working together to crack a problem.
How did it work?
We decided to make Faith herself the face of the campaign (rather than AVON) and used her memories of AVON, the shooting of the ad and how she felt at the time to start the conversation. We also wanted to tap into more contemporary issues, so we moved the conversation on to show how AVON began to challenge women’s role in society then and now, bringing in fresh content from current Avon representatives and consumers. We used contemporary technology as part of our campaign. Twitter & Facebook were at the crux of the campaign supported by traditional mainstream PR.
Where did the idea come from?
We had to find a way to make a tactical campaign tie in with our overall brand ambitions. It was important that we balanced the ‘old’ and ‘new’ AVON enabling people to talk about AVON the way they remembered it, whilst showing how AVON has evolved for modern times. Our use of media helped us strike the balance whilst generating fun, engaging content. And - you never know - we may help an old lady find her ad.
What was the problem?
When the star of the first ever UK ‘ding dong’ AVON calling ad, Faith Heines, came to them to ask for help finding her ad, they really wanted to help but were faced with two problems. Firstly, how to make the search look and feel genuine and not just a PR stunt, and secondly, how to keep the brand feeling contemporary.
What was the idea?
Women working together to crack a problem.
How did it work?
We decided to make Faith herself the face of the campaign (rather than AVON) and used her memories of AVON, the shooting of the ad and how she felt at the time to start the conversation. We also wanted to tap into more contemporary issues, so we moved the conversation on to show how AVON began to challenge women’s role in society then and now, bringing in fresh content from current Avon representatives and consumers. We used contemporary technology as part of our campaign. Twitter & Facebook were at the crux of the campaign supported by traditional mainstream PR.
Where did the idea come from?
We had to find a way to make a tactical campaign tie in with our overall brand ambitions. It was important that we balanced the ‘old’ and ‘new’ AVON enabling people to talk about AVON the way they remembered it, whilst showing how AVON has evolved for modern times. Our use of media helped us strike the balance whilst generating fun, engaging content. And - you never know - we may help an old lady find her ad.
Social Enterprise London.
President Obama has stressed the importance of Social Enterprise to solving the current economic crisis so re-branding SEL and building their website came at a perfect time.
What was the problem?
People were unclear what SEL stood for. The SEL branding didn’t accurately represent their business and the website design looked dated and uninspiring.
What was the insight?
Social enterprise is a complicated area: stakeholders still debate the definition of it. Through our research, it emerged that SEL helps other social enterprises to run a professional, competitive business, and thereby continue their good work of feeding profit back into the community. SEL is at the heart of social enterprises because it champions, connects and supports them.
How was it relevant to the product?
SEL connects social enterprises through a directory, their resource of information and events. It is important that SEL is seen as the first port of call for anyone interested or involved in social enterprise.
What was the idea?
SEL is a hub for a vibrant business community with social enterprise at the heart.
Where did the idea come from?
The logo was changed to a plectrum shaped badge with overlapping fanned bright colours and SEL at the very centre. It was devised to illustrate the collective power and diversity of SEL’s membership and that of the whole social enterprise movement. The design principles for the logo were then used to inform the rest of the website.
What was the problem?
People were unclear what SEL stood for. The SEL branding didn’t accurately represent their business and the website design looked dated and uninspiring.
What was the insight?
Social enterprise is a complicated area: stakeholders still debate the definition of it. Through our research, it emerged that SEL helps other social enterprises to run a professional, competitive business, and thereby continue their good work of feeding profit back into the community. SEL is at the heart of social enterprises because it champions, connects and supports them.
How was it relevant to the product?
SEL connects social enterprises through a directory, their resource of information and events. It is important that SEL is seen as the first port of call for anyone interested or involved in social enterprise.
What was the idea?
SEL is a hub for a vibrant business community with social enterprise at the heart.
Where did the idea come from?
The logo was changed to a plectrum shaped badge with overlapping fanned bright colours and SEL at the very centre. It was devised to illustrate the collective power and diversity of SEL’s membership and that of the whole social enterprise movement. The design principles for the logo were then used to inform the rest of the website.
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Strongbow. Hard earned.
Our Strongbow campaign launched this Summer with a new endline: Bowtime. Hard Earned. It has already been reported as far afield as the New York Times and Forbes and was the choice of MSN as their video of the day.
Problem
Strongbow had a weak relationship with its drinkers and had an undefined role in their repertoire. As a result they too often order lager when they are out with their mates.
Insight
Our key target is grafters- builders, electricians, plasterers and so on. They work physically hard and have a real work ethic but feel unappreciated and undervalued. Too often they see rewards going to the undeserving.
Product
Strongbow is more refreshing than lager. Fans call it the ‘Bow.
The brand mission
Strongbow rewards hard graft.
The agenda setting idea
Bowtime. Hard Earned.
Where did the idea come from?
It's a tricky brief. Strongbow is tapping into something genuinely important to its drinkers - on one level this is serious stuff. But on the other hand, it was crucial to do this in a way that would be engaging and funny, not worthy or preaching. Striking this balance led us to the hyperbole of heroism in epic films like 300 and Gladiator - a fertile ground for the ads.
How does it work through the line?
Bowtime. Hard Earned. is the basis for every piece of activity. There is the Bowtime Bar at Festivals, The Bowtime show on Talksport, Bowtime promotions , the Bowtime Grafter of the year award in S & N and now there are Bowtime groups popping up on Facebook. Try Googling it and you will see three pages of natural search results.
Results
Strongbow volume has grown 35% in the four years we have worked with them.
Problem
Strongbow had a weak relationship with its drinkers and had an undefined role in their repertoire. As a result they too often order lager when they are out with their mates.
Insight
Our key target is grafters- builders, electricians, plasterers and so on. They work physically hard and have a real work ethic but feel unappreciated and undervalued. Too often they see rewards going to the undeserving.
Product
Strongbow is more refreshing than lager. Fans call it the ‘Bow.
The brand mission
Strongbow rewards hard graft.
The agenda setting idea
Bowtime. Hard Earned.
Where did the idea come from?
It's a tricky brief. Strongbow is tapping into something genuinely important to its drinkers - on one level this is serious stuff. But on the other hand, it was crucial to do this in a way that would be engaging and funny, not worthy or preaching. Striking this balance led us to the hyperbole of heroism in epic films like 300 and Gladiator - a fertile ground for the ads.
How does it work through the line?
Bowtime. Hard Earned. is the basis for every piece of activity. There is the Bowtime Bar at Festivals, The Bowtime show on Talksport, Bowtime promotions , the Bowtime Grafter of the year award in S & N and now there are Bowtime groups popping up on Facebook. Try Googling it and you will see three pages of natural search results.
Results
Strongbow volume has grown 35% in the four years we have worked with them.
8 Rules of UGC
We have been working on some user generated content campaigns recently and we feel we are getting pretty expert at how to do them. Magic 105.4 FM is now London’s biggest commercial radio station and we have been inviting their listeners to create a photo sharing site. We also ran an experiment to see how much user involvement we could get while spending no media money for an amazing new retail idea called The School of life.
After some rigorous brainstorming and several cups of strong coffee we settled on 8 rules all conveniently starting with the letter R.
Rewarding
Its not rocket science but people will only do stuff they are genuinely interested in and will bring them some reward. It might help them become famous, or let them have some exclusive content or just share a viewpoint that they want to talk about. Too many brands seem to think users will do things because the brand thinks it is important. When we asked Magic listeners to upload photos that lifted their mood people thought it would be a fun thing to do. And they thought it was fun to look at what other listeners had put on the site. Yes there are lots of baby and kitten shots – but people love babies and kittens!
Relevance
A UGC site is only worth the marketing dollars if it is relevant to the brand. This will only happen if the brand defines an agenda for itself that is important to people. So when the The School of Life says it is about ideas then it can engage people in new and interesting ideas and so build their brand.
Realistic
Don’t get carried away with what you think people might do. Yes people will upload a couple of shots of, say their favourite bit of London – if they already have those shots. But very few people will be bothered to get their cameras out to shoot what their morning looks like. We learnt the painful way so you don’t have to. Keep the invitation simple!
Relinquish
Bit of a stretch – another cup of coffee! Its obvious to say, but a user site must be exactly that – somewhere for users to play and make their own. Too much editing and controlling and no-one will be bothered. Keep it inspiring and people will respect what the site is trying to do.
Refresh
If people are going to keep coming back to the site the content needs to be constantly refreshed. Part of this is being clear about how long the site is going to last. Is it just a short term campaign site or are you looking to build something of long term value. If it’s long term you have to think about the investment required to look after the site and keep it fresh and perky.
Respond
You have to be part of the site. If users are putting stuff up you should be rewarding them with comments and appreciation. Turning user stories into editorial is a simple way of doing this.
Recruit
Sites don’t start all by themselves. Populating the site from the start is vital to get things going. It can be a really good way of involving the whole company. The soft launch of the Good Mood Site at Magic involved everyone at Bauer uploading their good mood pics first. If ever there was a great way to communicate a brand’s values internally this is it! It also helps to set the bar in terms of standards. Good early stuff will attract better stuff later.
Research
More of a benefit than a rule. But hey its starts with an R so it makes the list. This stuff is real – not just what people say in groups. If anyone wants to know what a Magic listener looks like, what kind of homes they l live in and what lifts their mood, go to GoodMoodFilm.co.uk.
So that’s it. Follow these 8 golden rules and you will soon have a huge community of faithful fans hanging out with your brand and enthusiastically spreading the message through their social network.
Magic 105.4 has risen from 3rd in the London radio market to 1st in the last three years. www.goodmoodfilm.co.uk
The School of Life achieved 2000 new subscribers and 150 000 hits on the site. www.dailyaphorism.com
After some rigorous brainstorming and several cups of strong coffee we settled on 8 rules all conveniently starting with the letter R.
Rewarding
Its not rocket science but people will only do stuff they are genuinely interested in and will bring them some reward. It might help them become famous, or let them have some exclusive content or just share a viewpoint that they want to talk about. Too many brands seem to think users will do things because the brand thinks it is important. When we asked Magic listeners to upload photos that lifted their mood people thought it would be a fun thing to do. And they thought it was fun to look at what other listeners had put on the site. Yes there are lots of baby and kitten shots – but people love babies and kittens!
Relevance
A UGC site is only worth the marketing dollars if it is relevant to the brand. This will only happen if the brand defines an agenda for itself that is important to people. So when the The School of Life says it is about ideas then it can engage people in new and interesting ideas and so build their brand.
Realistic
Don’t get carried away with what you think people might do. Yes people will upload a couple of shots of, say their favourite bit of London – if they already have those shots. But very few people will be bothered to get their cameras out to shoot what their morning looks like. We learnt the painful way so you don’t have to. Keep the invitation simple!
Relinquish
Bit of a stretch – another cup of coffee! Its obvious to say, but a user site must be exactly that – somewhere for users to play and make their own. Too much editing and controlling and no-one will be bothered. Keep it inspiring and people will respect what the site is trying to do.
Refresh
If people are going to keep coming back to the site the content needs to be constantly refreshed. Part of this is being clear about how long the site is going to last. Is it just a short term campaign site or are you looking to build something of long term value. If it’s long term you have to think about the investment required to look after the site and keep it fresh and perky.
Respond
You have to be part of the site. If users are putting stuff up you should be rewarding them with comments and appreciation. Turning user stories into editorial is a simple way of doing this.
Recruit
Sites don’t start all by themselves. Populating the site from the start is vital to get things going. It can be a really good way of involving the whole company. The soft launch of the Good Mood Site at Magic involved everyone at Bauer uploading their good mood pics first. If ever there was a great way to communicate a brand’s values internally this is it! It also helps to set the bar in terms of standards. Good early stuff will attract better stuff later.
Research
More of a benefit than a rule. But hey its starts with an R so it makes the list. This stuff is real – not just what people say in groups. If anyone wants to know what a Magic listener looks like, what kind of homes they l live in and what lifts their mood, go to GoodMoodFilm.co.uk.
So that’s it. Follow these 8 golden rules and you will soon have a huge community of faithful fans hanging out with your brand and enthusiastically spreading the message through their social network.
Magic 105.4 has risen from 3rd in the London radio market to 1st in the last three years. www.goodmoodfilm.co.uk
The School of Life achieved 2000 new subscribers and 150 000 hits on the site. www.dailyaphorism.com
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