Shaping the Conversation

Once again, President Obama is using the internet to get his message out the way he wants. Over the last week, he has gone on a national tour to promote his economic package and get the message out to American's that the economy is on the road to recovery.

On Tuesday, he had a large question and answer session with the national press. You've probably seen this before: he stands at a podium in the Whitehouse and answers poignant questions from the White House Press Corps. All well and good - especially if you are over 50 and don't really use mediums other than news and TV to get your daily intake of the news.

But Obama realizes that he's missing a huge portion of Americans by only having a large press conference - most notably, younger citizens who were a key reason why he won the election in the first place.

To get his message to them, he's doing something very simple but revolutionary - especially when it comes to the Presidency - he's hosting an session online where he takes questions from anyone. The session is occuring today and the White House reports that by 7AM this morning there were over 77,000 questions already submitted. Obama will answer key questions and use the forum to continue his public campaign to spread the word about the state of the economy.

Detractors would say that this is just a stunt. That real people who submit quesions have an extremely low chance of having them answered and that the Moderators will just pick the layups that best-fit Obama's pre-determined responses. Maybe.

For the people who actually do get a question through, it will be a pretty cool feeling ("Hey mom, Barack just answered one of my questions!"). I think the people who should be really interested in this approach, though, are onces who have made their living as 'traditional' journalists.

Here is the message Obama is sending to them: "You don't control the whole story anymore. I will get my message out, my way."

In the past, the White House question period was one of the most important parts of the democratic process. Veteran reporters, through their investigations and stories, asked educated questions and reported back to the world how the President and his team responded. They shaped the stories that the world consumed and that was that.

Now Obama is using the web to speak directly - on a one to one level - with his citizens.

For brands out there who are still afraid of blogging or getting involved in the conversation, this should be the greatest example ever of how to show them that you must participate actively to get your message out properly. If you're brand thinks it would be hard (due to the types of comments they might get or the conversation that might be generated), imagine how tough it would be for a President.

MINI Does it Again

This quote says it all:

"I think we're in a viral!"

It's about time a smart-brand made fun of all the fake viral vids out there. Loving this.



From Adrants

Fallon has learned a few things...

I like the Fallon blog. It always has a great presentation once a month on a hot topic and it's full of cool insights that any ad planner would be interested in.

They've been blogging for over two years now and have put together a quick deck (below) on some of their key learnings. My favorite part is how they show how a simple blog can enhance the mentions and image of the agency as a whole.

Fallon Brainfood: Agency Blog Secrets Revealed!

View more presentations from akispicer.

RIP Viewfinder

I never thought this day would come. Reading last week's issue of The Economist tonight, I stumbled upon a short article about the death of the Viewfinder.

Fisher-Price, the manufacturer of the device that has been a staple of Americana for the last 70 years, announced the elimination of the toy due to declining sales. Sure, the web is more exciting and you can pretty see anyplace in the world with a quick, click of a button but the Viewfinder was a great toy. As I kid, I used to love looking into these things and watching a show about the latest Disney character or random far-off place. It was simple and sweet.

"In all," the Economist writes, "more that 1.5 billion [Viewfinder] reels have been produced, everyone to the same size and format, and usable in every model of Viewer ever made."

That's a ton of content and a lot of cool memories. I love the web but I'm going to miss this little guy.

Simple Navigation Makes a Big Difference

A super-smart colleague of mine just helped LG launch their new US website. It was a massive undertaking and as result of some smart planning, the new experience is slick, simple and very user friendly.

What I love most about this site is the navigation on the left-hand site. I love how it always stays with you. To a user not in the digital space, you'd never think about how intuitive the nav is, you'd just be happy that it works seamlessly and you know exactly where you are within the site.

But if you look closer, you can see that the navigation allows you to scroll back and forth without changing your current page or hitting the dreaded "Back" button. Why does this matter? Because in large sites you can get lost - quickly. And you can often miss what you are looking for because a capable IA hasn't thought about how the content should be structured and flow.

These ideas are never given enough credit - they're not the sexy 60 second spot or the cool Facebook app. But they matter and allow brands to keep consumers feeling good about them (and help them find what they are looking for...a key step in any purchase decision).

Great idea, Jenna, and nice work to all the LG team who worked on the redesign.

Some Cool TV

AdAge's article on the month's most liked TV spots got me thinking about some of the new advertsing out there. Here are two worth checking out.

Coke - 102
This feels like old Coke too me - all brand and feel good. It's a nice idea and I hope that the guy is real.


Microsoft - Kid
I'm not a big fan of the "I'm a PC" work. It started off with a huge splash with all that Jerry and Bill stuff and really fell off the map after the big-celeb filled 60 launched. My guess is that this is all over the US in all types of mediums but up North, we don't see much of the big Green giant. Still, this is one of my favorite spots of the campaign. A bit scary when you consider that every 4 and a half year-old is probably more tech savvy than 90% of people 30+ in the world.

The Rookies: Kylie, Age 4 ½ from Windows Videos on Vimeo.

Minority Report - It's Here

I've always thought that Minority Report was a cool movie from an advertising sense. The idea that billboards could have eye scans that would access our data and create targeted messages just for us seems crazy - until you realize that many digital sites and online ads (um...Facebook?) are getting close to this.

Still, the real world seems like a safe place. Until you watch this TED talk.



Simply astounding. The idea that you could look someone in the eye on the street and instantly find out their interests, their hobbies and..well..their information is crazy. Sure, I can find out about you after we meet by Google-ing your name but still...I've got to wait a few minutes.

The applications for this technology are endless. If they make it look cooler and a bit less intrusive, it's going to be big. Maybe not in 5 years...but soon enough.

Southwest Rap [Give this guy a raise]

Props to PJC for finding this bad boy (I stole the post). If I'm an executive at Southwest airlines, I give this guy a small bonus and a few free flights for his family and friends. This is going to get big. Nothing like some good old family fun every once and a while.

Great Advice from KR

We've posted about Kevin Roberts before (he's the CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi worldwide) but I loved his recent post so much I had to blog it.

Roberts talks about how easy it is to become sidetracked - especially during a stressful, economic time. There is always so much going on, too much work to get through in the day and not enough time to really think about the things that matter - in life and in work. So how do you overcome the stress and the huge pile of papers on your desk?

Make a list.

Kevin suggests these 5 key things for your list (that you should make Tomorrow):

1. Refer to your 100 Day Plan. (Saatchi operates under the idea of creating 100 day plans in order to accomplish the important goals that can't wait. I love this idea and think it has huge potential wherever you work)
   
2. List what needs to be done next.
3. Start each item with a verb. You want a list of real, physical actions you will take.
4. Cross off at least half the items on your list. Decide what’s to go and what’s to stay based on importance, not urgency.
5. Get started.

Simple, straightforward and upfront.

It's funny but isn't this exactly how great campaigns are created? A single-minded message, a straightforward brief and a strong point. Most importantly, great work requires focus. Ignore the stuff around the edges and just focus on what matters.

But remember, write it down first.

Diddy talks Twitter

Follow his tweets at @iamdiddy

Follow mine at @pcrowe

Samsungs Best Effort to date? The viral continues

Well Samsungs back with another viral video. I am not sure where they found these guys but good for them.

Check out some of their other efforts here and here

Training for the big game

Really enjoy this new video from the folks at Lowe. To help promote a soccer game on April 1st between Uzbekistan and Australia, Lowe created this video (which has gone viral) and a few TV spots.

It's along the lines of the usual "Is it real?" video but I like the concept and think it's pretty funny.

Have a Website? You Need to Read This...

A few months ago, someone once challenged me on my web 'knowledge' (not that I have much). It was an in the moment, fun insult but the proof point about my lack of knowledge was the fact that I didn't read the official Google Blog. I laughed it off in the meeting and, when it was over, ran straight to my browser and added the blog to my Reader.

Turns out the joke was on me. The Google blog is sweet.

Not only does it give anyone access into one of the most forward-looking digital companies, it provides users with excellent tips and tricks for all their web endeavors.

Take their series on creating a great website. The first post discusses how to use Google analytics to your advantage. It's a quick read and well worth it.

The second is more about site design. Google's top four tips?

• Tip #1: Pass the 8 second test. At first glance, a visitor should understand the purpose of your website within a few seconds. People are busy and have limited attention spans — you want to keep them from hitting the dreaded back button.
• Tip #2: Tell them what's in it for them. Create clear and tangible benefits (e.g., "Save more! Make extra money! Look better with our product!").
• Tip #3: Use compelling images. Try product images instead of generic stock photos, icons with blocks of text, and buttons instead of links. Keep in mind that a low-quality, irrelevant image can kill your site's credibility.
• Tip #4: Close the sale. Help your visitors take the next step. Make that step clear and easy to reach; don't make them hunt for it. Action words like "buy now" may work better than "add to cart," for instance.

Great thoughts - especially the 8 second test. How many sites have you been too where you just don't know where to begin let alone click? Read the full post here.

Twitter StreamGraphs: Real Time Visuals

Mashable has a great post today about 6 visualization tools for Twitter. I've been playing with a few of them and Twitter StreamGraphs is one worth testing out. It takes real-time Tweeds against a key word of your choice and gives you a great visual (that's recent...the picture above is from the last 8 hours or so) about how your term is being used - based on the last 1000 Tweeds that have the term in it.

This tool is valuable when it comes to understanding how users are talking about your brand. I used "Skittles" as a test and you can see some of the different associations with it over the last couple of days (for some reason 'kill' is now appearing, most likely because everyone at SXSW is sick of hearing about the social marketing campaign that recently launched).

Test it out against the brand you're working on if you have a minute. I guarantee if you send the visual through to your client they will think you are a novice social media expert.

Changing the Game

In times of recession, businesses and brands either panic or reinvent themselves for the better. They change their business model and give their consumers something different - a new product or service, a new way to engage or ask them for their opinion or, simply, a message that surprises them and forces them to think differently about what they previously thought about your brand.

Take the Florida Panthers. For years, they've been a team in the NHL that has been on the wrong side of winning. Losing records and a market more interested in the NBA lead to low ticket sales. Florida isn't Toronto and they need to do whatever they can to get people into the games. And by people I don't mean crazed Hockey fans, but casual viewers as well.

That's why I love Randy Miller so much. Miler has been the announcer for the Panthers for the past few seasons and is also the host of a popular radio show. One day on his show, he asked his listeners to send in recommendations on pop cultural references from Hollywood movies and Randy guaranteed that he would try to insert them into his actual NHL broadcast after the Panthers scored a goal. Sounds fun doesn't it?

Within a few weeks, he had hundreds of submissions and the broadcasts started to slightly change. Here's a clip of some of the latest:



Game changing. I love it and wish that I could watch every game with Randy announcing it. Imagine the possibilities and the added excitement around a goal being scored. It's sweet, fun and different - three key things to think about when you're trying to change a product that's been the same for the last 100 some-odd years. It also asks people to be involved in something that's been closed to the public forever. With Randy, I now have a vested interest in the game (and the goals) with the hopes that he will read my suggestion.

Sure - there are people that don't like this. It hurts the game, takes the focus away from it. Whatever. As a casual fan, this is sweet. Next time in Florida, I'll swing by a game just to hear Randy scream out the calls.

Thanks to Dave for the heads up!

Woa...

It's been a busy couple of days. PJC and I have been working on some fun new business stuff and AdJoke has been neglected. I promise a ton of cool stuff this week so please don't give up on us. We will be back soon.

A Different Approach to Cell Phone Advertising

You can't deny it - Droga 5 has done some great stuff in the last few years.

A collegue of mine just flipped me a link to this spot from Australia:



I really like the "hit them hard" strategy of this spot. The tone of the voice at the end brings some good humour to the spot in contrast to the first 70 seconds of good, old fashioned heartwarmingness.

The spot captures the feeling that a lot of people have about their cell phone provider: hate.

Long contracts, legal, 'too good to be true plans' and add-on pricing has done this to telcos everywhere. Some are better than others, no doubt, but Droga 5's work doesn't let any of them leave untarnished.

When you check out the microsite, you can watch some good comic videos about the services and also explore what Net10 is, how it works and - most importantly - how your current cell phone comany is evil.

I really enjoyed the site experience - it's simple, the tools at utility that's practical (not just how much I would save but stores that are close to me and even a tool to help find someone to take over my current contract).

A good campaign from start to finish. And one that doesn't pull any punches.

I Know Times are Tough But...

In the last two days, we've seen some examples of marking and ad people going to the streets and the web to show companies how great they would be. While I completely sympathize with anyone who has recently been laid off due to the current economic circumstances, some of the tactics that have been going on take things a bit far.

For example, last week in Toronto a guy stood on a street corner with a megaphone, telling anyone who passed by that he was a qualified marketer looking for a respectable company to work for. I assume that he used this tactic to 'generate buzz' about himself but a quick Twitter search shows that nothing really registered.

While I applaud out of the box thinking, I don't know if I could see a managing partner or creative director approaching this guy and give him an interview on the street. Maybe you'd quickly pass him a card and tell him to get in touch later, but the situation (and mega phone) don't really create a comfortable environment for the director of HR to come and chat with you.

In another attempt, Shawn Norman Stewart created this video - called "Dear Droga 5: Please Hire Me!" and sent it to the agency:



The spirit of the guy is clear - he desperately wants a job at a top shop. But are these guys looking for desperation, or potential? It takes someone who is super-keen and ambitions to succeed in the ad world and for creatives, it also takes a ton of talent. This might get him in the door (which I'm sure was his goal) but he's going to quickly have to prove that he can do more than low-quality videos to make it at Droga 5.

Again...the effort is there. But are the days of cold calling the CD or walking into a few dozen lobby's with your CV over?

What do you think? Good idea or useless stunt?

The Links

Some great stuff you may have missed over the last few weeks:

• Seth Godin explains the power of a New York city panhandler
• Like random Japanese TV shows? How about one with a Helicopter opening a beer bottle?
• Great list of 20 iPhone apps that you need to have
• Ford is trying to be more social - by bribing Americans everywhere.
• Advergirl puts together her list of 10 authentic brands (Montreal is one of them)
• Adnews released their Digital Agencies of the Year (yes...Razorfish is top again)
• Think that your cell phone bill is too high? Let new start-up Validas tell you what you should be paying (for a small fee, of course)
• Now THIS IS SWEET. YouTube: Remixed.
• Read Perez Hilton? The #1 site that gives him most of his traffic? (Hint: it's NOT Google)

And my final (non-link) is a video you should check out:

Vanilla Ice Does Virgin

Virgin Australia has launched a new campaign called "Right Music Wrongs." The campaign, created by the Droga5 crew, focuses on artists (like Vanilla Ice) apologizing for the music, culture and news they created back in the day.



A small microsite has been created which allows users to upload artists who the think are guilty of Music Wrongs and there are already a few dozen there.

For a simple site, it's got a nice look and a straightforward approach. Virgin stands for music and this is a nice campaign from a brand perspective. But if they are trying to raise awareness for a new concert series or product, it falls a bit short.

Via Adverblog.

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.