What we can learn from "Kitten's"

Just flipped through a new presentation from the Fallon planning group. A great, mini-case on how a video went viral. Although the 5 ideas that are presented in this deck are fundamental, the presentation is simple and intuative. I love the specific metrics about how each network contributed to the overall views of the video.

Some excellent visuals to help you think about your next presentation. As per usual, activation of social networks (yours and your friends) is the critical first step to ensuring something gets watched and talked about.

Slideshare is being annoying and I couldn't embed. Flip through the FULL PRESENTATION HERE.

Guinness: What has happened to you?

I have seen some bad, horrible and really shitty Guinness ads lately.

They used to be held on the beer ad pedestal. Okay, maybe lately they have been falling down the ranks as we have made fun of their money spending and copycatting efforts here, and here.

But still Guinness used to be synonymous with good advertising. What happened? How did their fall from grace happen? My thoughts are:

1. Switching from "Worth the wait" to "It's ready for you" is wrong. Worth the wait was good. You can't make a strategy switch as dramatic as that.
2. What was the deal with Darkness Reigns? Shit strategy, shit idea, shit execution.
   
3. Finally they got cheap. After a great 1990's and early 2000's they figured they had built their brand and guaranteed future sales. So multi-million dollar production budgets became a thing of the past.
   

Guinness: time to get good again.

Those crazy kids and there gizmos and gadgets

This video is currently the second biggest thing on the internet. A sleep walking dog is number 1.

Cellphone applications have caught and will continue to catch the imagination of youth. The cellphone is solidifying its position as the outlet for youth to express themselves .

Live In Utah? If Yes, Read On...

Just finished a fascinating article in the Globe today about online porn consumption across the United States. Researcher Benjamin Edelman recently published a study in the Journal of Economic Perspectives that provided a snapshot into subscriptions by each state.

The initial finding? Red states are more into porn than any other state.

“Utah had the highest web porn subscription rate of 5.47 for every 1,000 broadband-subscribing households. Alaska ran in at a close second with 5.03 per 1,000 broadband homes. Mississippi, Hawaii and Oklahoma weren't far behind.”

What could have caused these differences?

"One theory is that people in Utah like adult entertainment more. They're buying more of it because they want more of it," he says. And two? "Adult entertainment could be harder to get in stores in Utah. People in Utah who want this material may be buying it online because they can't get it other ways."

Edelman also suggested that geography could play a large role. For example, Alaska is so far away that ordering porn in adds time and shipping costs. Why not just go online, enter your MasterCard number and go from there? Priceless.

Rounding out the bottom states were Idaho, Tennessee and Ohio (a shocking finding for anyone who has been to Ohio).

So why is this interesting? Well first, this type of model – looking at online subscriptions by location – could provide interesting insights into membership on sites across the Internet; from eHarmony to eBay. Having a grasp on this information could be extremely valuable for advertisers and marketers. Imagine knowing that one state is way more likely to buy your product online vs. another. Why bother with spending dollars on a national media plan when you know that your business objectives could be obtained if 10 states became more active online.

And second? Edelman was able to identify the most popular day of the week for porn consumption on the internet – Monday.

Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase – “I’ve got a case of the Monday’s”

Like Small Animals? Samsung Does...

File this under the "Random Video" category for Samsung. Full credit though, as this looks to be real animals in some funny situations (all grounded in the different 'capabilities' that the handset has - from small fireplace to 'Hedgehog World Domination Tool.'

The video was posted in mid-February and already has over half a million views. Samsung - known in Toronto for it's awful out of home ads - seems to be taking a Telus-like approach here with the heavy animal play.



Like the video? I actually thought it was pretty funny. So funny, in fact, that I checked out the microsite. Guess what? Like most things with a good video or TV spot, it's a let down (mostly due to the long load times and lack of engaging experience.

But hey - at least they still let you watch hot Chicks on a dance floor.

Creativity enhances the message

As if we needed another example to demonstrate the impact that a creative approach can have on communicating a message, but here it is. Not surprisingly it has had millions of views.