Do you have an idea that will help the world? If you do Google wants to hear about it.
From the site:
The question is: What would help? And help most?
"At Google, we don't believe we have the answers, but we do believe the answers are out there. Maybe in a lab, or a company, or a university -- but maybe not.
Maybe the answer that helps somebody is in your head, in something you've observed, some notion that you've been fiddling with, some small connection you've noticed, some old thing you have seen with new eyes.
If you have an idea that you believe would help somebody, we want to hear about it. We're looking for ideas that help as many people as possible, in any way, and we're committing the funding to launch them. You can submit your ideas and help vote on ideas from others. Final idea selections will be made by an advisory board."
This is type of projects that corporations should be getting involved in.
Monday
A couple facts....
In 1984 3 channels reached 80% of the population. Today, 150 channels are required.
- Chicago Tribune, 22 August 2004.
Commercial radio debuts 88 years ago today (Sept. 29, 1920).
- Wired.
- Chicago Tribune, 22 August 2004.
Commercial radio debuts 88 years ago today (Sept. 29, 1920).
- Wired.
Sunday
Whoops!
From copyranter.Wonder how long after the magazine went to press that the editor figured out this little layout mistake. Ouch.
Bold Act
Whether you think this is simply a PR spin or a way for an agency to regain confidence after losing a major client, I think that the act of resigning a client is something that shows the backbone of what an agency stands for.
Starbucks and W+K have been together for a long time. They've been through the good times (the launch of the brand, the rise in sales and store openings) and now the bad (the decline in the American economy resulting in hundreds of store closures, the lack of client focus - have you seen all the new CD releases at the counter? - and the general panic that comes to marketers when their brand is losing strength).
Although the full details will never be released, my guess is that things weren't just getting tough, they were getting downright awful. Agency people left for better things, the marketers might have considered briefing multiple groups on the same project, executions were getting criticized because they weren't driving short-term objectives...who knows.
But the decision for W+K to leave them is a bold one. It says that the culture of an agency is more important than a client. That the quality of the work is more vital than hitting the revenue number of the month.
It takes guts to do that - to have the confidence that your shop will continue to thrive, that it will find new business and that it will make up for the lost revenue over the last year.
It would have been easy for W+K to pander to their client. To spend "a bit more time" hoping that things got better. But sometimes you know the decision that has to be made. And usually, it's only the client who has the guts to pull the trigger.
Starbucks and W+K have been together for a long time. They've been through the good times (the launch of the brand, the rise in sales and store openings) and now the bad (the decline in the American economy resulting in hundreds of store closures, the lack of client focus - have you seen all the new CD releases at the counter? - and the general panic that comes to marketers when their brand is losing strength).
Although the full details will never be released, my guess is that things weren't just getting tough, they were getting downright awful. Agency people left for better things, the marketers might have considered briefing multiple groups on the same project, executions were getting criticized because they weren't driving short-term objectives...who knows.
But the decision for W+K to leave them is a bold one. It says that the culture of an agency is more important than a client. That the quality of the work is more vital than hitting the revenue number of the month.
It takes guts to do that - to have the confidence that your shop will continue to thrive, that it will find new business and that it will make up for the lost revenue over the last year.
It would have been easy for W+K to pander to their client. To spend "a bit more time" hoping that things got better. But sometimes you know the decision that has to be made. And usually, it's only the client who has the guts to pull the trigger.
Friday
Thursday
Shatner - UNMASKED
Just found this new video on YouTube (less than 100 views). It's hilarious. It's amazing how many brands Shatner has been a "part of" and this compilation pokes fun at the man who has become a cultural phenom.
Great two minutes.
Great two minutes.
Tuesday
PayGo
Don't really know what to think of this Pay as you go spot from Orange. But I like the idea of a rewards program for PayGo customers. And for wireless customers in general.
Find more videos like this on AdGabber
Find more videos like this on AdGabber
Monday
The Politics of Metrics...
Two weeks ago, Canada was thrust into a Federal election. Campaigns have been ramped up quickly, candidates are traveling across the country and the messages are getting out - especially with a new campaign promise every day.
A few months ago, I did a post about the pathetic state of visits to Canada's three main political party websites - Liberals, Conservatives and the NDP. 14 days into the election here is how traffic to their respective sites has increased:
In the past 2 weeks, site traffic has increased dramatically and now the three sites are averaging a respectable 5-10K users per day. Although that isn't many in the great scheme of things, at least we know that there is some interest in the content of the political parties...even if that current interest only represents a tiny, tiny percentage of the population.
If we compare the chart above with the party Search terms, we can see a similar trend:
The Liberals, on both accounts, are winning in terms of website traffic and search share. What interests me, however, is that a number of recent polls show them substantially behind the conservatives. In fact, the Globe and Mail has a recent poll that shows the Conservatives a whopping 12 points ahead of the Liberals.
Why then, are visits and searches to the Liberal site higher? One possible answer could be demographics. Liberal voters are traditionally younger and in urban centers and that could result in higher internet usage than the rural, older conservative base.
Still, it's interesting to compare digital data to polling to help predict what will happen in the next 4 weeks.
Oh, and if you really want a refresher on the state of Canadian politics, let's just take a quick look at Barack Obama and John McCain's website traffic over the last year:
Even if we apply the 1-10 rule, we still don't compare with the over 400K unique visits to Obama's website per day. To put that in perspective in Canada, that's double the daily traffic that Ebay.ca gets.
A few months ago, I did a post about the pathetic state of visits to Canada's three main political party websites - Liberals, Conservatives and the NDP. 14 days into the election here is how traffic to their respective sites has increased:
In the past 2 weeks, site traffic has increased dramatically and now the three sites are averaging a respectable 5-10K users per day. Although that isn't many in the great scheme of things, at least we know that there is some interest in the content of the political parties...even if that current interest only represents a tiny, tiny percentage of the population.If we compare the chart above with the party Search terms, we can see a similar trend:
The Liberals, on both accounts, are winning in terms of website traffic and search share. What interests me, however, is that a number of recent polls show them substantially behind the conservatives. In fact, the Globe and Mail has a recent poll that shows the Conservatives a whopping 12 points ahead of the Liberals.Why then, are visits and searches to the Liberal site higher? One possible answer could be demographics. Liberal voters are traditionally younger and in urban centers and that could result in higher internet usage than the rural, older conservative base.
Still, it's interesting to compare digital data to polling to help predict what will happen in the next 4 weeks.
Oh, and if you really want a refresher on the state of Canadian politics, let's just take a quick look at Barack Obama and John McCain's website traffic over the last year:
Even if we apply the 1-10 rule, we still don't compare with the over 400K unique visits to Obama's website per day. To put that in perspective in Canada, that's double the daily traffic that Ebay.ca gets.
Saturday
The Links
A ton of interesting links from the last week. Check them out.
- Seth Godin gives a great outlook on why advertising can't fix Microsoft's problem (if it even has one)
- Zuckerberg tells Facebook fans about the new Facebook design (and over 7 million protest it)
- Oasis goes to NYC and teaches street performers how to play their new song
- Nintendo employees are richer than Googles and Goldman Sacks ones
- Ellen DeGeneres is the new Cover Girl model? Seriously?
- Social networks hurting the online porn industry?
- Here comes Google Andriod - exciting news for September 23rd
- Twitter is growing fast - up 422% in the last 12 months
- Should moviegoers pay for better seats? Um..yes.
- Google Stephen Harper, Get Jack Layton.
- Looking for a new job? Here are some places to start your search (and interview better)
- Seth Godin gives a great outlook on why advertising can't fix Microsoft's problem (if it even has one)
- Zuckerberg tells Facebook fans about the new Facebook design (and over 7 million protest it)
- Oasis goes to NYC and teaches street performers how to play their new song
- Nintendo employees are richer than Googles and Goldman Sacks ones
- Ellen DeGeneres is the new Cover Girl model? Seriously?
- Social networks hurting the online porn industry?
- Here comes Google Andriod - exciting news for September 23rd
- Twitter is growing fast - up 422% in the last 12 months
- Should moviegoers pay for better seats? Um..yes.
- Google Stephen Harper, Get Jack Layton.
- Looking for a new job? Here are some places to start your search (and interview better)
Friday
Lamborghini teases with photos
Lamborghini teases and the money is on 4 seats.Lamborghini's teased us with another photo of the mystery car it's bringing to the Paris Motor Show, and a close look suggests Sant'Agata is about to unveil a sedan.
The Italian automaker offered the first clue earlier this week, revealing a single photo and promising "it's not just a new Lamborghini, it's a whole new world."
But looking at the photo Lamborghini released today, we're leaning toward a gran turismo to take on the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Raptide. We'll even go so far as to say it'll be called the Mondo.
The most obvious clue is the size of the b-panel -- when's the last time you saw a Lamborghini with a door that wasn't right next to the wheel well? That much unbroken sheet metal behind the wheel suggests the engine will be up front, creating the space for a back seat.
First photo:
I'm a PC.
My initials are PC and I am loving this. How does apple re-act. Do they? Do they play it cool and pretend that nothing changed? Can they? Has chiat been creating a new campaign for the past year just in case this happened?
Thursday
Wednesday
Bye, Bye Jerry!
Well, that didn't take long. Three spots and we're done!
In the last week, PJC and I have posted about the new Microsoft campaign and our thoughts on it. Turns out that today, a rep from MS confirmed that there aren't going to be any more Jerry spots and that it was all in the plan to "phase him out" after the campaign launched.
$10 million for three spots? I guess when Alex Bogusky said that the next thing from Microsoft was going to be "big" he meant the budget.
"First chink in the [CP+B] armor, Ted!"
UPDATE: Maybe I spoke too soon. It seems like the folks at Techcrunch have some inside info that this was all planned and that the second phase of the campaign is coming. It's going to feature other stars as well - I wonder if any of them will last longer than a few spots.
Top 15 Artistic Ads [Another List..but a good one]
One of the most popular posts on Digg right now is about 15 artistic ads. It's a great compilation of TV spots that are extremly iconic. You've probably seen most of them but there was one that I haden't (posted below) with Lance Armstrong. Another good Nike spot from W+K. No wonder these two are so tight.
Nice
My guess is that most of the people who read AdJoke do so at work. My second guess is that a large majority of those readers might not be having the best time at their jobs.
That brings us to this spot from Monster:
Well, are you?
That brings us to this spot from Monster:
Well, are you?
Tuesday
Solved!
The folks at EA sports continue to impress with their latest spot featuring Tiger Woods. It's pretty amazing what this guy can do on the golf course.
So Close!
I love this spot.
I love the direction, idea and editing. The acting, pictures and scenes. It's almost a great, short, two minute film.
But I also hate it. Because it leaves me feeling like it was just another ad, even though it could have been anything but that.
Great execution for the first 1:55.
Note: the spot length was determined by the fact that the history of the product was 200 years (one second per year...)
I love the direction, idea and editing. The acting, pictures and scenes. It's almost a great, short, two minute film.
But I also hate it. Because it leaves me feeling like it was just another ad, even though it could have been anything but that.
Great execution for the first 1:55.
Note: the spot length was determined by the fact that the history of the product was 200 years (one second per year...)
Fido Goes Vertical
Check out this cool video from Fido (a Canadian telecommunications company). Fido has a series of arts and culture events in Toronto and to help promote them, they created bubble logos that were launched into the sky.
I'm not sure how many people saw (or would know what these were...it's not the standard "dog" imagery that Fido uses) but it's a pretty innovative idea.
I'm not sure how many people saw (or would know what these were...it's not the standard "dog" imagery that Fido uses) but it's a pretty innovative idea.
Monday
Who is the target?
Seriously. Who is it?
It's not someone who is between the ages of 14-24. It's not someone who is making over $60K a year and somewhere between 25-34. It's not a baby boomer who is now anyone over 50. And it's definitely not someone who has a family.
Who is it? Who is the target?
Most marketers don't really know. It's a group, usually defined by a broad media segmentation, that contains thousands of different personality types, backgrounds and interests. We group them together because that's the only thing we know - it's the system we are used to using.
Targeting youth? Make sure you're on the top 10 TV shows in Canada that "youth" watch and that you're display buy is on Facebook and YouTube. What about Boomers? Make sure you're in the financial section of the newspapers and have TV spots on all the news programs.
Does this really make sense?
Did you really find the same things interesting when you were 14 as when you were 24? Did you read the same paper when you were 34 as you did when you were 25? Are "youth" really one target?
Can we all just admit that the mass advertising targeting model is broken?
I've come across some different segmentations, more detailed looks at a target and one of the best models that I've come across is based on the diffusion of an idea - or, how an idea spreads from one group to another.
In 1962, author Everett M. Rogers wrote a book called "Diffusion of Innovations." In it, Rogers describes five groups that help to carry an idea - Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Mass, Late Mass and Laggards. Each group plays a key role in spreading an idea and within each media segmentation (18-24, 26-24, etc), these five groups exist.
So, again, who are you targeting within your segment? The Early Adopters? The Laggards? Sure, all of these people are between 18-24 (as an example) but they don't consume the same content or use the same websites.
Think about who your target is because digital is not a traditional medium - please don't try to use it that way.
Who is your target?
It's not someone who is between the ages of 14-24. It's not someone who is making over $60K a year and somewhere between 25-34. It's not a baby boomer who is now anyone over 50. And it's definitely not someone who has a family.
Who is it? Who is the target?
Most marketers don't really know. It's a group, usually defined by a broad media segmentation, that contains thousands of different personality types, backgrounds and interests. We group them together because that's the only thing we know - it's the system we are used to using.
Targeting youth? Make sure you're on the top 10 TV shows in Canada that "youth" watch and that you're display buy is on Facebook and YouTube. What about Boomers? Make sure you're in the financial section of the newspapers and have TV spots on all the news programs.
Does this really make sense?
Did you really find the same things interesting when you were 14 as when you were 24? Did you read the same paper when you were 34 as you did when you were 25? Are "youth" really one target?
Can we all just admit that the mass advertising targeting model is broken?
I've come across some different segmentations, more detailed looks at a target and one of the best models that I've come across is based on the diffusion of an idea - or, how an idea spreads from one group to another.
In 1962, author Everett M. Rogers wrote a book called "Diffusion of Innovations." In it, Rogers describes five groups that help to carry an idea - Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Mass, Late Mass and Laggards. Each group plays a key role in spreading an idea and within each media segmentation (18-24, 26-24, etc), these five groups exist.
So, again, who are you targeting within your segment? The Early Adopters? The Laggards? Sure, all of these people are between 18-24 (as an example) but they don't consume the same content or use the same websites.
Think about who your target is because digital is not a traditional medium - please don't try to use it that way.
Who is your target?
Once Lucky, Twice Good
A few weeks ago, I finished off Once You're Lucky, Twice You're Good by Sarah Lacy. The book helps to provide a history of how the current Web 2.0 came to be. It focuses on a number of the lead start up entrepreneurs (from sites like Facebook, SlideShare and Digg) and their journey to get their web ideas from concept to creation.
It's an incredibly personal look at the history of the web through the key people who developed the sites, provided Venture Capital cash and helped give rise to the web after the dot com crash of 2000.
I think this book should be required reading for anyone who specializes in digital. It's critical to understand the history (and interconnectedness) of the web and the people who run Silicon Valley. If you don't know who is running these sites, where they want to take them and what their dreams are, how could you possibly pretend to a client that you understand ways to be effective on them?
If anything, it's a great text book on the battle between an entrepreneur and venture capital. The dynamics are extremely interesting (and challenging) and if you'd be interested in developing your own site (or any business idea) it's good to know what they are.
AdJoke Ad Quote of the day
"I welcome and seek your ideas, but do not bring me small ideas; bring me big ideas to match our future."
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Sunday
Social Media Best Practices
David Griner from the blog The Social Path posted today about what he thinks is are the "best practices" for social media marketing. In short he spoke about how we must be willing to drink the kool-aid - basically he said:
Know your audience
Home Depot Canada using Twitter as a flyer (posting daily specials) shows me that they do not understand their audience. Maybe that is why they only have 50 followers (probably 10 from the marketing department and 5 from their agency).
If you have an intimate knowledge of your audience, stay within your brands personality (you don't change the brand just because it is in a different medium) and apply this knowledge accurately you will have a good chance at succeeding when you jump into the social media playground.
- Don't over promise or over-sell what social media can do for your clients. Do not sell overnight success.
- We’re talking to people one-on-one, trying to prove earnestly that we have more to offer than a sales pitch. Know your audience, know your stuff, and know your limitations. Mix all that together, sweeten it with some personality and wit, and I’ll be the first to knock back a glass and ask for a refill.
Know your audience
- Understanding how your target uses social media (do they create content, engage with it, or just read it?) can help you determine the best way to approach them. Want to learn more... maybe take a look at the book Groundswell.
- Identify the challenges that your target faces. What can you deliver that will help your audience. (Why will they engage? What could be a positive outcome for them in regards to a social media experience?)
- What is your audiences perception of your brand? Are you trying to deliver something through social media that is a stretch for you brand in the eyes of your audience?
- What is your audiences current digital behaviour look like? Are you asking them to engage with something they are unfamiliar with or are you a year too late?
- How can you assist your audience in sharing what you are doing?
- When will your audience be engaging with social media? How does this impact the content? Impact when you update it? Impact what social media you select to include in your communications mix?
Home Depot Canada using Twitter as a flyer (posting daily specials) shows me that they do not understand their audience. Maybe that is why they only have 50 followers (probably 10 from the marketing department and 5 from their agency).
If you have an intimate knowledge of your audience, stay within your brands personality (you don't change the brand just because it is in a different medium) and apply this knowledge accurately you will have a good chance at succeeding when you jump into the social media playground.
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