and also your showreel.
Tuesday 28 December 2010
Good quality writing/performance/production
Three things you associate with great entertainment and yet in the world of branded content often left behind in the rush to integrate brand and content.
Another thing that people often forget is the power of music - the emotion added to a piece when the right music has ben added is amplified sometimes almost unbearably as in this fantastic piece of work for road safety produced by Alexander Films.
Look at the expression on the actors faces, the use of hi motion cameras in an economical yet hugely demonstrative way - the right props in a very spare environment. This is a perfect example of the quality of production showing through. This looks like it didn't cost too much to make but I'm pretty sure it wasn't cheap.
the results are stunning and a well deserved success.
Sunday 19 December 2010
Friday 17 December 2010
How to take a naturally difficult subject and make it even less engaging
I'm sorry but I get so angry when I see video content like this. I'd read the case study and was quite excited to see it. Lots of rhetoric from the agency about how it was the first time Barclays had had video on the site so it had to be engaging and how it was important to garner compelling performances from the talking heads. Using handhelds to create a nice vibrancy and energy in the films. Utter balderdash! I love seeing good work from other exponents of video content - it infers credibility on the industry and makes for a feeling of community among us but this is the worst type of lip service.
Very very poor show.
http://www.barclays.co.uk/BarclaysInvestorZone/VideoThebasicsofinvesting/P124...
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Very very poor show.
http://www.barclays.co.uk/BarclaysInvestorZone/VideoThebasicsofinvesting/P124...
>>>>>
A shameless abuse of our blog to post a job ad for a Senior Account Manager
We've had a rather good year and 2011 promises to be even more exciting. We've retained our role as global creative agency for mens tennis through the ATP, we've produced some great comedy, documentary and even our own online magazine show. We have travelled all over the World in the course of creating great content and we've distributed that content too - this year we've achieved over 2 billion Worldwide views in over 100 territories. We've enjoyed working on campaigns both large and small and also having the opportunity to spread the word about good branded content and how it can and should be used as a marketing tool that yields measurable results from awareness right through to sales.
2011 is the time for us to grow.
2010 will feature a new office move as we've already outgrown our Fitzroy Sq base, an international expansion and a rather exciting Non Exec appointment that we will be announcing in the first week in January.
We're also on the lookout for people to come and work with us . Here's one of the ads we're using to entice a Senior Account Manager although we are recruiting across the business and especially the account teams so if you fancy being a part of The Big Shot just let us know.
http://www.prweekjobs.co.uk/job/328210/senior-account-manager/
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Friday 10 December 2010
The Sun
The Sun newspaper is rapidly becoming a viral video expert and one that can take the pastiche out of other successful work and make it its own. 'Their best UK handheld for 40 years' ad worked on loads of levels but kept true to their cheeky image. Their latest offering - a rip off of the ridiculously successful Old Spice - 'Man you want your man to be' viral is excellent - obvious but delivered in that perfect Sun manner.
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Thursday 9 December 2010
Video - The gift that keeps on giving
This was a bit of a shock - Wrapping paper with QR codes on that turn into bespoke and slightly freaky Xmas scenes on your Mac ( and the other thing if you happen to still have one) Merry QRhistmas!! www.qrappingpaper.com
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Wednesday 8 December 2010
The reinvigoration of content
There is good, bad and most annoyingly of all mediocre work out there but the stuff that gets me most excited is the stuff that brings new life to old content in an interesting way. That journey through the galaxy video still mesmerises me all with the addition of some explanatory text (if you haven't sen it let me know and I'll send you the link) I really love the Rolling Stones deconstruction piece posted on the Dangerous minds blog - it's like a xmas present come early. Having the opportunity to play producer and isolate Mick's vocal and Bill Wyman's bass is too good. Now this is content that any brand could sponsor with no fear of a backlash but imagine if this had been adopted by say...Shelter, especially at this time of year.
http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/deconstructing_gimme_shelter_listen/
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http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/deconstructing_gimme_shelter_listen/
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Artisan Bread
What is it with this stuff? It's everywhere all of a sudden! All the sandwich chains are lousy with the stuff.Was there a focus group that informed the sandwich industry that a new bread was in town and that it had to be worked in with the usual breads/rolls and wraps or else sales would plummet?
I've nothing against the stuff particularly ( in fact the prosciutto, Parmesan and basil Artisan at Pret is very tasty ) but its all a bit weird how it is now a lunchtime staple from nowhere. Was there an Artisan shaped hole in the market. A reaction to a particularly disappointing Ciabatta sales curve?
Maybe it's all a ruse. The pre-cursor to a very clever marketing campaign for something else that takes the roof of your mouth when eaten perhaps?
Or maybe this is a sign of the tough economic times we live in. For Artisan bread read three day old baguettes that we just can't afford to throw away.I remain confused having sought a definition of this new bread and finding that artisan bread is made in small batches, not mass produced.
I suppose it doesn't matter really it's just that being marketed to with fake authenticity sticks in my throat just a little. Yes....just like the bread!
Sunday 21 November 2010
To be or not to be
I don't make a habit of criticising others work. It's unprofessional and often doesn't take into account the reasons why someone had done what theyve done. It may not be the most creative or groundbreaking campaign. It may not show innovative thinking or breakthrough media strategy but it is often effective and shows knowledge of the target audiences response rates to their offering. However..... I'm at a loss to understand the reasoning behind the Halifax tv ad with two employees pretending to be DJ's. Yes it's awful to look at and more cringe making to experience than most but it's not that that appalls the most. It's the fact that someone somewhere has given precious work to struggling actors and forced them into such a humiliating position. I wanted to be an actor when I was a teenager. My mother talked me out of it with the promise of penury and bitter despair. I've never really forgiven her. I've always yearned for the stage and a visit to the theatre leaves me breathless with both excitement and jealousy. And yet watching those poor souls try to make something good out of such a horrible piece makes me think that maybe mum had a point!
Friday 19 November 2010
How long should an online video be?
I have this debate all the time with clients when deciding how long an online video short should be. There are lots of factors that decide this but the main and obvious one is how long will the creative hold the attention?
Most 'Viral' campaigns created by brands are 'one hit' creatives and actually based on the methodology of a TV ad regardless of their adaptation to the online medium. Once the gag is revealed there is no point going beyond a short edit due to the short attention span on offer from your target audience. Not to mention the fact that the sooner you get to the point the more chance you've got of converting the view into a click.
If you are going to go for a longer edit then the content has to be super compelling and have a narrative pleasure for the viewer that transcends the 'joke'.
We achieved this with our short comedy film for Pringles Xtreme and Keith Lemon which had an almost 80% view through and here is another stunning example from trick biker Danny MacAskill for Red Bull. Their work gets ever more ingenious and I am totally taken with this and I am open mouthed in admiration at the talent of the man and that's what content should always strive to achieve.
How long should an online video be?
I have this debate all the time with clients when deciding how long an online video short should be. There are lots of factors that decide this but the main and obvious one is how long will the creative hold the attention?
Most 'Viral' campaigns created by brands are 'one hit' creatives and actually based on the methodology of a TV ad regardless of their adaptation to the online medium. Once the gag is revealed there is no point going beyond a short edit due to the short attention span on offer from your target audience. Not to mention the fact that the sooner you get to the point the more chance you've got of converting the view into a click.
If you are going to go for a longer edit then the content has to be super compelling and have a narrative pleasure for the viewer that transcends the 'joke'.
We achieved this with our short comedy film for Pringles Xtreme and Keith Lemon which had an almost 80% view through and here is another stunning example from trick biker Danny MacAskill for Red Bull. Their work gets ever more ingenious and I am totally taken with this and I am open mouthed in admiration at the talent of the man and that's what content should always strive to achieve.
Friday 29 October 2010
The humanity of face to face marketing
I make mistakes all the time. As the father of young children I'm always being too easy going or too strict. My sleep deprived mind often puts the milk back in the cupoard and the teabags in the fridge.
I've never specialised in sampling but in there were times when I ran the UK's largest radio promotions agency that the prospect using of radio station's sampling crews proved too easy a win for a client who was promoting on that radio station. Seduced by the promise of genuine interaction with the local public who were so in love with their station that they would happily accept a sample and think all the better of the brand despite the tenuous link between brands.
Generally it was a happy mariage with everyting from soft drinks to hard liquor changed hands through a roving station crew and an eager public.
Not this time though. Tasked with neatly placing a sachet on each seat at the football ground the station assured us that they had permission and had done it loads of time. We took them on trust. There's a mistake i didnt make ever again.
The client happened to be in town and happened to see the sampling experts in action, dumping box upon box of their product in bins, behind doors and just generally misbehaving with the samples.
Needless to say this didnt go down at all well although the client let us off the hook, blaming quite rightly the station's appalling practice but this was many years ago before digital channels kicked in, before the sophistication of sampling increased exponentially.
I've always thought that actually the concept of face to face sampling is quite simple in theory Pick the right time of day, the right area where your target will be and give em the sample. Be cheery, flirtatious even wear the brands colours with pride, enhance their day and get them to sample the brand no?
Well i'd have liked to see the client's face if they's experienced what I experienced earlier this week at Baker Street Station. I was ambling in thinking about some aspect of the day to come and was confronted by an unshaven frankly thug like looking guy dressed all in black with a plastic bag in one hand and a handful of sachets in another....
"Hot sauce!!"
He bellowed at me.
"Sorry" I said, slightly startled thinking he was promoting some completely different service
"Sample! Hot Sauce!"
"Er no thanks, I'm fine"
and off I went slightly disturbed, completely unaware of the brand he was forcing on me but generally feeling unkindly to any make of hot sauce yoo could think of. It was 8am. Hot Sauce?
AS I walked through the station heading towards the Met line there was another one, much gentler looking but atill all dressed in black, no branding but the ubiquitous white plastic bag.
He was appealing slightly pathetically to passers by.
"Sample.....hot sauce sample....sample"
I dont know about you but when someone says 'sample' out loud it conjures an image of a wholly different type of sauce I would not be keen to put on my jerk chicken.
Tuesday 5 October 2010
Quote of the day on the BBC homepage
"Ants are so much like human beings as to be an embarrassment. They farm fungi, raise aphids as livestock, launch armies into war, use chemical sprays to alarm and confuse enemies, capture slaves, engage in child labour, exchange information ceaselessly. They do everything but watch television." LEWIS THOMAS (1913-93)
I guess in that regard they're more advanced!
Turning a publicity stunt into a viral video success
A perfect example of how to take a publicity stunt, ensure news coverage and get a powerful viral video campaign out of it.
Hats off to the very clever Mr. P Power!
Sunday 3 October 2010
Chiltern Society | No HS2
< HS2 homepage | < Previous page
September news
29 September 2010
Society’s first formal HS2 submission
The first in a series of evidence-based papers which the Chiltern Society is presenting to the Government as part of its campaign to against HS2 crossing the Chilterns has been published.
It is a paper by Alison Doggett, an acknowledged expert on the area and co-author of the definitive book about the region, The Chilterns. She is a trustee of the Chiltern Society and Head of Geography at Berkhampstead School.
The paper, which is also being sent to all MPs and other decision makers, establishes the Chilterns as a long-standing natural region with a unique cultural heritage. It is ancient countryside with a strong sense of place, despite pressure from all sides. The special characteristics of its woodlands, farms and settlements combine together in a way that is not found anywhere else and it is important that the responsibility for preserving the cultural heritage of this beautiful area is understood.
A number of other evidence-based submissions will follow in the coming months.
The paper will be here soon…click here. -->
12 September 2010
Walkers show their opposition
Eighty protestors took part in an eight mile walk along the proposed preferred route of HS2 between Amersham and Great Missenden on Saturday 11 September.
Numbers had to be restricted in the Chiltern Society-organised walk because of health and safety reasons, but a shorter two mile walk attracted nearly 100 others.
The walk attracted extensive publicity and support – it coincided with an HS2 information day in Great Missenden – and it was such a success that future walks are being planned.
2 September 2010
Protest walk on route of HS2
A protest walk against High Speed 2 travelling through the Chilterns is being held along its proposed route through the Misbourne Valley on 11 September.
The sponsored walk, organised by the Chiltern Society, will start at Amersham Station and follow the route to Great Missenden Station – a total of nearly eight miles.
It’s been held to highlight the impact the High Speed 2 would have on the valley if it is built.
Organiser Jim Rodda said: “Only by walking the route can you truly appreciate the utter devastation HS2 would bring, and realise not only the horrendous visual impact it will have but how the noise from these enormous trains would carry over the valley.”
Most of the walk is on public rights of way, but Mr Rodda has obtained permission from private landowners where the route crosses private land.
Walkers are being asked to be sponsored to raise money for the Chiltern Society’s fighting fund against HS2. The Society is preparing an evidence-based case against HS2 across the Chilterns and is raising cash for a major publicity campaign in the autumn.
Sponsor forms are available in newsagents in the Amersham and Great Missenden area. They can be also be downloaded by following the 'Join our sponsored walk' link above left. If you wish to enter the walk please contact Mr Rodda at jrodda@ukf.net so he knows the numbers that will need to be managed. -->
Thursday 23 September 2010
The illusion of consumer choice in today's media landscape pt 1
We all know that we now live in a World where the consumer has the choice of what brand messages to absorb right?
This is a basic error on the part of marketers. Consumers choose what they consume and if the brand communication that inevitably comes with that choice is unpalatable then they ignore it or switch to something else. But how bad would a brand message have to be for you to stop watching what you chose to watch? It irritates you yes but if you're really into the content will you stand it?
A question glossed over by the online media industry who pompously state that consumers will tolerate advertising messages from things such as pre-roll ads in order to watch content. Well they will if they have no choice and of course with a lot of content they don't have a choice but to watch ads so where's the empowered consumer?
Oh yes and by the way something that is really starting to grate with me is this still constant referral to the death of all media that isn't digital. Just so we're clear and I think I can speak with authority on this...
TV is not dead
Print is not Dead
Radio is not dead
They are now part of a wider mix that includes some level of
active consumer choice and some level of
passive consumer involvement. Active consumer choice is not always that active. Unless the content is itself interactive then once the choice has been made to consume then the consumer becomes passive again until its time to make a different choice.
Here’s an active consumer for you. I’m watching something on the telly, I don’t like it. I turn it off. When I was a teenager in the 80’s this meant I could do a number of
different media related things instead – listen to music on my record player, listen to the radio, read, play on my Sinclair Spectrum and err... that’s about it.
I see no difference in the media led activities teenagers do now it’s just the choice of activity that has increased, not the emotion or the desire to consume.
Of course interaction is very much alive but it works best when people are interacting with each other not with third party content. To use my teenage years as an example again.... I called my mates on the home phone (or a phone box if someone else was talking to someone at home) or went round to their house. It's the same emotion and result as texting or calling from my mobile or IM etc just not quite as convenient.
Lets not get caught up in this old media is dead debate. it is a mistake for digital media to crow over other media as if it has somehow won a battle of the mediums – it hasn’t.
What digital has done in all it’s myriad forms is enhanced and democratised media – it allows so much more choice of not just what people consume but where and how they consume it and this is the key thing to remember with regard to media choice. Situational and convenience based choice
Are people really going to stop wanting to flop in front of the TV when they get home from work?
Is anything going to replace that feeling of sitting in a comfy chair with a good book or the latest edition of a magazine?
Well no, those emotions stay the same. It is just that some of the delivery mechanisms have evolved or been invented anew and that doesn't mean the old forms of media are wrong or out of date
As Stephen Fry, champion of all things new, bright and shiny has just commented when asked if new media replaces old.... "they didn’t burn all the horses when cars came out did they?"
The technology that has swamped us over the last twenty years has been designed to enhance choice and convenience. The consumer is at the heart of that choice but you are mistaken if you think that they choose the platform for its own sake– they choose the content first and the MOST CONVENIENT form of delivery second.
It all leads back to the simple fact that regardless of the form, mechanic or delivery platform.....Content is King! Now there's an old expression that has more relevance than ever.
Friday 10 September 2010
How to get slaughtered in social media
http://www.facebook.com/Secretsales
Great example of how angry people get if they think you're conning them - perfectly good reputations damaged like that!
My advice - don't make an offer on the most popular tech gadget in the World to entice new customers unless you're very sure you can meet demand.
You'd think that people would have learnt once and for all after the Hoover flights promotion unpleasantness of the 90's!
Friday 3 September 2010
Street Knowledge by King ADZ
We pride ourselves on being all things content and distribution and more often than not that involves the full service from consultancy on how best to create the right content for your campaign all the way through to producing the activity, filming it and then distributing the content. Occasionally we get asked to just distribute content which is flattering but we are often reluctant if the content doesn't fulfil the Big Shot criteria of Entertain, inform or improve.
No such worries with this wonderful piece of work which we are using to promote the latest book by advertising creative director turned street art expert King Adz.
The film is a very original stop-motion graffiti animation from Broken Fingaz, a multi faceted, multi talented, young and restless art and music crew who virtually run the street scene in Haifa single handed
Street art is an encyclopaedia of street culture for those who love Banksy or Irvine Welsh and want to know about the cutting-edge talents, past and present, who have shaped urban cool.
This eye-catching insider's guide includes old-school graffiti legends, avant-garde street artists, film-makers, DJ's, designers, writers and poets who have influenced urban culture. From the ground-breaking New York artists of the 1980s to the unique work of modern-day Iranians – this book shows how street culture has penetrated every aspect of modern life.
The book is on pre-sale at Amazon.co.uk right now but if you'd like to win a copy just answer this question on street art....
What country do Broken Fingaz come from?
Answers in the most original style will win a copy of the book!
Thursday 2 September 2010
Wednesday 1 September 2010
Pringles Xtreme
Our latest campaign for Pringles Xtreme concerns the antics of rock star Xtreme as he is followed around London for the day by a documentary crew who film his antics as he dares us all to unleash our inner xtreme.
Starring Keith Lemon aka Leigh Francis, this was a fantastic film to make. The man is not only very funny and clever he's also incredibly professional and accommodating. It's sometimes hard working with celebrities who have signed contracts to work with brands especially if they are expected to perform. Despite the fact that they have signed contracts and are usually making at least a fair days wage for a fair days work they often give off an air of embarrassment at having 'sold out'. This always tends to show in their work for the brand and is a constant niggle when you're trying to relate to them as a performer and produce a great film. Of course it helps if the content you're making is designed to be as entertaining as possible in the brands name, not simply a succession of brand logos, pack shots and mentions. If you can get the balance right then it adds up to some great content for the audience, a great advert for the brand and even a nice vehicle for the performer. I like to think that we struck that balance in this video. As I write this we have been seeding the video for six days and we are currently sitting on 42 sites with many many thousands of views and a 13% click through rate to the Pringles Xtreme facebook page. When you're making content you can get very jaded having prepared it, shot it and then spent far too much time watching it in the edit. I still find myself laughing after hundreds of views.
Get a basque on. What's up wi' ya! >>>
Starring Keith Lemon aka Leigh Francis, this was a fantastic film to make. The man is not only very funny and clever he's also incredibly professional and accommodating. It's sometimes hard working with celebrities who have signed contracts to work with brands especially if they are expected to perform. Despite the fact that they have signed contracts and are usually making at least a fair days wage for a fair days work they often give off an air of embarrassment at having 'sold out'. This always tends to show in their work for the brand and is a constant niggle when you're trying to relate to them as a performer and produce a great film. Of course it helps if the content you're making is designed to be as entertaining as possible in the brands name, not simply a succession of brand logos, pack shots and mentions. If you can get the balance right then it adds up to some great content for the audience, a great advert for the brand and even a nice vehicle for the performer. I like to think that we struck that balance in this video. As I write this we have been seeding the video for six days and we are currently sitting on 42 sites with many many thousands of views and a 13% click through rate to the Pringles Xtreme facebook page. When you're making content you can get very jaded having prepared it, shot it and then spent far too much time watching it in the edit. I still find myself laughing after hundreds of views.
Get a basque on. What's up wi' ya! >>>
>>>
Monday 23 August 2010
Amazing Roger Federer trickshot on Gillette ad shoot
Fantastic example of how you use genuinely engaging content that furthers brand equity without involving the brand! Total production cost = next to zero.
Social media is more engaging than online advertising - how incisive!
I was moved by a couple of stories over the last week. The first was a clever piece of social media work by Pedigree for its Adoption Drive Campaign which is usually fronted by a TV ad campaign and an extensive on pack campaign. Not this year....The brand says that while traditional channels deliver reach they don’t encourage engagement or direct action....well no change here - they never have!
Display advertising creates look and feel, it imbues personality to the brand but very few people have ever got up from their chairs to go buy things cos they've just seen them on the Telly and that's not a bad thing.
It allows people to form their opinions about the brand over time and adopt their favourites. The difference now is that people can interact with the brand online and tats great too but it’s unlikely that most of the Worlds biggest brands would have been built purely online - not yet anyway. Once they are built then they can afford to put themselves in the hands of social media.
Back to Pedigree where the results of the campaign appear to be over a million people 'liking' the brand which is great - I'm not sure that their tactic of releasing frankly quite average videos for every 25k views was particularly strong although the conation of 25k for every 25k views was certainly a good PR story....now perhaps that's the point?
The second relates and I saw this morning with the trumpeted headline that online ads annoy rather than appeal - well of course they do! More interestingly is the fact that young web users will react positively to online ads as opposed to the over 55's who apparently were brought up on intrusive advertising so therefore are less likely to engage than those who are used to content online - Sounds like one great big cycle going round and round and round!
Tuesday 3 August 2010
Marketing in Greece pt.1
I've been away on holiday staying in a wonderful small Greek sailing/fishing village called Paleros on the west coast. We have family there and my Brother in law Kosta runs a bar on the beach (yes it's one of the tougher things I have to deal with in my life). It was great to just forget about marketing things and to kick back and relax, enjoy the fabulous hospitality and spend some time thinking about the more important things in life.
It was weird though as I saw a real example of the effects of the recession that to be honest haven't really hit home while at home. It's a great place to go as it really is an authentic Greek town, its beautiful and it feels unspoilt although there is plenty to see and do there so you dont feel isolated. It does however rely heavily on tourist trade. mainly English, Greek and sailing types. Last time I went three years ago it was buzzing every night, the bars were packed and I could hardly get to the bar to get my free drinks! This time it was a very different story.
There were two main holiday resorts in the town and one of them went bust last year leaving an unimaginable hole in the local economy. It went bust due to the parent companies over ambitious Worldwide expansion plans that got scuppered by the downturn. While there are still plenty of people there it is noticeable how difficult thing have become. Not only are they down on numbers of tourists but the staff at the resorts who are major customers of bars like my Brother in laws now have far less money to go out with and so their custom is at a premium.
The feeling of competitiveness between the bars and resaurants in now palpable as they struggle to come to terms with a local downturn the likes of which they havent seen for a long time, if ever. New innovative ways of marketing their hostelries to those punters out there have had to be devised and this is where the natural form of marketing has started to show it's face.
If you mentioned mar comms to these guys they'd look at you like you were mad but dont think for a minute that they are not sophisticated in their approach. They play the same games as major multi nationals such as P&G do when they launch new and possibly unnecessary baby/child products to head off the decline in the birth rate and therfore profit (Kandoo anyone?). They are well versed in PR, Sales promotion, DM and a host of other techniques that we study at marketing school but they use naturally as a way of boosting sales.
I even managed to get in on the act while I was there. Kosta was running a promotion to attract the young English staff to his bar on one of his quiet nights, A free Watermelon Vodka punch night. He showed me the flyer. It was intricate and interesting but not very clear and so I set about producing a club style flyer with dodgy watermelons in various states of intoxication making words like FREE and VODKA and THURSDAY NIGHT leap off the page.
Our head designer would have murdered me if he'd seen it - not very sophisticated! Kosta thought it was ok and we plastered it in all the relevant places. The place was packed. I daren't take credit for this but it did get me a new client! I am now putting together some flyers for the Punch night on Saturday followed by some others to be briefed.
I'd like to say that this is pro bono work for a family member but actually it is going some way to pay off all the free drinks I got on holiday - They're pretty shrewd these Greeks!
It was weird though as I saw a real example of the effects of the recession that to be honest haven't really hit home while at home. It's a great place to go as it really is an authentic Greek town, its beautiful and it feels unspoilt although there is plenty to see and do there so you dont feel isolated. It does however rely heavily on tourist trade. mainly English, Greek and sailing types. Last time I went three years ago it was buzzing every night, the bars were packed and I could hardly get to the bar to get my free drinks! This time it was a very different story.
There were two main holiday resorts in the town and one of them went bust last year leaving an unimaginable hole in the local economy. It went bust due to the parent companies over ambitious Worldwide expansion plans that got scuppered by the downturn. While there are still plenty of people there it is noticeable how difficult thing have become. Not only are they down on numbers of tourists but the staff at the resorts who are major customers of bars like my Brother in laws now have far less money to go out with and so their custom is at a premium.
The feeling of competitiveness between the bars and resaurants in now palpable as they struggle to come to terms with a local downturn the likes of which they havent seen for a long time, if ever. New innovative ways of marketing their hostelries to those punters out there have had to be devised and this is where the natural form of marketing has started to show it's face.
If you mentioned mar comms to these guys they'd look at you like you were mad but dont think for a minute that they are not sophisticated in their approach. They play the same games as major multi nationals such as P&G do when they launch new and possibly unnecessary baby/child products to head off the decline in the birth rate and therfore profit (Kandoo anyone?). They are well versed in PR, Sales promotion, DM and a host of other techniques that we study at marketing school but they use naturally as a way of boosting sales.
I even managed to get in on the act while I was there. Kosta was running a promotion to attract the young English staff to his bar on one of his quiet nights, A free Watermelon Vodka punch night. He showed me the flyer. It was intricate and interesting but not very clear and so I set about producing a club style flyer with dodgy watermelons in various states of intoxication making words like FREE and VODKA and THURSDAY NIGHT leap off the page.
Our head designer would have murdered me if he'd seen it - not very sophisticated! Kosta thought it was ok and we plastered it in all the relevant places. The place was packed. I daren't take credit for this but it did get me a new client! I am now putting together some flyers for the Punch night on Saturday followed by some others to be briefed.
I'd like to say that this is pro bono work for a family member but actually it is going some way to pay off all the free drinks I got on holiday - They're pretty shrewd these Greeks!
Monday 21 June 2010
Pringoooals football celebrations
Pringoooals football celebrations
Our contribution to helping repressed England Football fans express their true feelings on scoring a goal. Hopefully the England football team will get a chance to use some of 'em!!
Our contribution to helping repressed England Football fans express their true feelings on scoring a goal. Hopefully the England football team will get a chance to use some of 'em!!
Tuesday 8 June 2010
The Distant Future. The year 2000
"I write this blog post on my phone while travelling on the train. When I'm done I'll email it to a central data hub which will then distribute my waffle to a goodly number of destinations....my blog, micro blog, social networks, business networks, The Big Shot website. It will also mail it to those lucky blog snorkellers who subscribe to my RSS feeds. Then once it's 'out there' on the Internet the spiders will come looking for the meta tags and links compiling all that search data ready for people to find on google or maybe that other engine. When some one finds the information they need they'll read it and they may the share it with others through a range of specialist social bookmarks and they may contact me directly to offer their opinion on mine." It amazes me that if you wrote that paragraph just 15 years ago it would have been as an intro to a science fiction novel.
Tuesday 1 June 2010
What will the iPad do for us? - A thought piece written by our guest blogger Mr. Rick Sareen...
Recently 'mobile' has been much talked about as the next big thing. Mobile agencies have sprung up like wild flowers in spring, some have already sold for millions, multiple mobile operating systems have arisen (Apple, Windows Mobile, Android, Blackberry), and the mighty iPhone has been the standard-bearer throughout.
This latest platform, like those before it, is seen as some kind of stand alone entity; experts in this platform arise in agencies, large clients will create individual managers for the discipline, reporting in to a digital manager, up through a marketing manager and so on. And this is reflected in the way media is structured, owned and sold.
The segregation is usually by media in other words. Always was. TV dept, DR, Shows and Exhibitions, PR, Print etc.
To this you must add web, search, email, social media, games, apps…. (there will be another one along in a minute). And you can now watch TV and read your newspaper on a (mobile) screen.
Thus all media are in play as they compete for the ad pound that pays the bills and keeps it all afloat.
And now we have a new player on the block. The iPad. Already whole industries are frantically re-evaluating their business model, their marketing strategies and much more besides. Has there ever been an example of an industry (telecoms) collectively waiting to see if the arrival of one product will be a game changer?
I'd like to offer a slightly different way to look at the effect of the iPad by considering the way we use these new devices.
Generally we see the desktop PC as sitting at the top of the pile. The most powerful, the mother ship, the most connected, the biggest, the most expensive. Then comes the laptop, now universally able to connect with wifi, which is becoming ever more pervasive, fast and free.
Mobile was the dividing line at this point. And mobile meant phones. The dongle has now given that capability to laptops. Smartphones, led by the iPhone have stolen people's time away from the wider web and desktops as apps provide more and more functionality and access to specific content e.g. YouTube, BBC, FB. iPhone watchers were also surprised to discover that a significant percentage of users were happy to read books on the small screen. Which brings me to my point…the screen size
The iPad is a bridge that will allow us to see screen size as a new discriminator in marketing. The screen size determines how and sometimes where you use the device. And that means what you do with it. Already many are describing the iPad as a couch device. You can spend the evening with it listening to music, watching video, playing games, using social sites and so on. But it's not (yet) much of an inputting tool for anything beyond reference data or status updates. For that you will move to your larger desktop or laptop. Out and about, in the evenings, in your social world, you are likely to use a (smaller screened) phone.
Already content is configured for the device it will be viewed on. Dot mob sites are not what you look at on your laptop. Equally, www does not play well on traditional, small screen Nokias.
The screen size governs the nature of the communication and how advertising will adapt to these varying sizes; small single line ad units at the bottom of any app are not the place for Big Strategy; it's a signpost that you are best advised to point to your shop or website. On the other hand the web is the place to put thoughtful, commissioned content that draws users to watch and spend time in your brand space.
And if you have produced or are thinking of producing an iphone app, consider this - an average smartphone user will tolerate up to 5 or so full screens of apps. After this it becomes too difficult to manage (folders are coming to iPhone 4 to help with this). So if you want a user to give up some of this most valuable screen space on a device which has such an intimate relationship with its owner, your app had better earn its keep.
Hi - Tec Walking on water
I'm moved to write an 'extraordinary' blog post on the wonderful wonderful work of Hi Tec and their Walking on Water viral - as they are revealed today as the brand behind this video that already has over 4 million views.
It encapsulates everything that is right about creating video content for both special interest and mass consumption.
Have a look here first.....
Fantastic!
You can see it being seeded and catching fire on extreme sports sites before moving onto more mainstream sites all the while being shared on video sharing and social bookmarking sites gaining momentum.
This sort of content would work just as well if it was genuine rather than a hoax and that's the point...
Is it misleading to those who thought they's discovered a new sport? Certainly. Does it have its tongue firmly enough in it's cheek to get away with it? Definitely!
Is there a market for providing compelling content to niche verticals that then spreads into more mainstream areas - most certainly!
Do you have to brand everything within an inch of its life to get your brand into the content - of course not!!
We doff our collective caps to you Hi Tec - well done!!
It encapsulates everything that is right about creating video content for both special interest and mass consumption.
Have a look here first.....
Fantastic!
You can see it being seeded and catching fire on extreme sports sites before moving onto more mainstream sites all the while being shared on video sharing and social bookmarking sites gaining momentum.
This sort of content would work just as well if it was genuine rather than a hoax and that's the point...
Is it misleading to those who thought they's discovered a new sport? Certainly. Does it have its tongue firmly enough in it's cheek to get away with it? Definitely!
Is there a market for providing compelling content to niche verticals that then spreads into more mainstream areas - most certainly!
Do you have to brand everything within an inch of its life to get your brand into the content - of course not!!
We doff our collective caps to you Hi Tec - well done!!
Friday 28 May 2010
To film or not to film...
Being at the forefront of creating video content for brands to help them communicate with consumers is both exciting and frustrating.
I have blogged before about the dangers of launching yourself on this discipline without due care and attention (not to mention expertise).
Brands are embracing this 'new' discipline with ever more fervour which is good but there is a danger here of ignoring opportunities that are literally right under their noses.....
When I meet a new client they often tell me that they have no idea how they are going to get to grips with producing branded content, much less distribute it digitally.
They seem to believe that in order to get involved they must start from scratch in this 'new' genre but brands have been producing branded content for some time now, they just don't know it!
I'm talking about anything that is staged in the brand's name. That could include events, press conferences, TV commercials, CSR initiatives, Video News Releases even webcasts.
All of these are established as brand activities and yet they are not often filmed with a clear strategy in mind. They are often an afterthought, essentially a record of events and not used as the basis for producing engaging and distributable content that delivers substantial viewing and even direct calls to action on a large scale.
With a bit of care and attention you can create an extension to your existing campaign while developing a long term communication strategy with your audience that sits nicely alongside your existing efforts.
You could turn a PR event into a viral sensation, a VNR into a guaranteed editorial hit or even a dry web chat into a global marketing campaign.
Combine editorial know how with the ability to create real entertainment. Utilise an online distribution strategy that covers pure editorial, social media and viral networks and you'll have the keys to unlocking your online video content potential.
It's all about producing things that people will want to watch, very simple in theory and yet not quite so easy in practice!
I have blogged before about the dangers of launching yourself on this discipline without due care and attention (not to mention expertise).
Brands are embracing this 'new' discipline with ever more fervour which is good but there is a danger here of ignoring opportunities that are literally right under their noses.....
When I meet a new client they often tell me that they have no idea how they are going to get to grips with producing branded content, much less distribute it digitally.
They seem to believe that in order to get involved they must start from scratch in this 'new' genre but brands have been producing branded content for some time now, they just don't know it!
I'm talking about anything that is staged in the brand's name. That could include events, press conferences, TV commercials, CSR initiatives, Video News Releases even webcasts.
All of these are established as brand activities and yet they are not often filmed with a clear strategy in mind. They are often an afterthought, essentially a record of events and not used as the basis for producing engaging and distributable content that delivers substantial viewing and even direct calls to action on a large scale.
With a bit of care and attention you can create an extension to your existing campaign while developing a long term communication strategy with your audience that sits nicely alongside your existing efforts.
You could turn a PR event into a viral sensation, a VNR into a guaranteed editorial hit or even a dry web chat into a global marketing campaign.
Combine editorial know how with the ability to create real entertainment. Utilise an online distribution strategy that covers pure editorial, social media and viral networks and you'll have the keys to unlocking your online video content potential.
It's all about producing things that people will want to watch, very simple in theory and yet not quite so easy in practice!
Monday 17 May 2010
Bumptop swallowed up by Google
I have really enjoyed going to presentations over the last year. Not just because I am a pitching machine who loves the thrill of the chase (although I am of course) but because every time I open my Macbook, the other guys/girls in the room say....
"Ooh. what's that?"
It is of course my desktop as completely revolutionised by Bumptop. For those of you who are not aware of this superb application it is a 3d realised version of a 'real' desktop which allows you to view your desktop files in a more human, ergonomic way.
You can personalise your workspace, arrange file icons, make piles and throw them round the desktop. You can make individual file icons bigger and smaller. Files' movement are governed by the physics of their size. You can stick them on walls, label them...oh it's fantastic.
See it for yourself here
It has changed the way I use my Mac.I only realised how much when it accidentally closed last week and I was left with my old fashioned desktop with row upon row of faceless files. I felt as if I'd been transferred to cold war Berlin, I was so depressed. If I was ever to lose Bumptop I would be bereft.
So I thought I'd blog about how good it was and get others to feel the benefit and then I found out that Google have just bought the company!
The reporting on this out there is a little bit ambiguous but it seems that you will not be able to download it anymore and there wont be any more updates for it.
I can only assume this is because Google are deciding what to do with the technology as they surely must have plans for it?
I am sad on two counts...
1) that the technology that has genuinely changed my way of working more than any other application might be gone forever.
2) That Google, in buying this cute little piece of work is now going to make it visible to everyone and they'll all buy it and then I wont feel like a cool early adopter in meetings anymore!
"Ooh. what's that?"
It is of course my desktop as completely revolutionised by Bumptop. For those of you who are not aware of this superb application it is a 3d realised version of a 'real' desktop which allows you to view your desktop files in a more human, ergonomic way.
You can personalise your workspace, arrange file icons, make piles and throw them round the desktop. You can make individual file icons bigger and smaller. Files' movement are governed by the physics of their size. You can stick them on walls, label them...oh it's fantastic.
See it for yourself here
It has changed the way I use my Mac.I only realised how much when it accidentally closed last week and I was left with my old fashioned desktop with row upon row of faceless files. I felt as if I'd been transferred to cold war Berlin, I was so depressed. If I was ever to lose Bumptop I would be bereft.
So I thought I'd blog about how good it was and get others to feel the benefit and then I found out that Google have just bought the company!
The reporting on this out there is a little bit ambiguous but it seems that you will not be able to download it anymore and there wont be any more updates for it.
I can only assume this is because Google are deciding what to do with the technology as they surely must have plans for it?
I am sad on two counts...
1) that the technology that has genuinely changed my way of working more than any other application might be gone forever.
2) That Google, in buying this cute little piece of work is now going to make it visible to everyone and they'll all buy it and then I wont feel like a cool early adopter in meetings anymore!
Friday 7 May 2010
Customer Experience going backwards
Posted via email from oliversrussell's posterous
At The Big Shot we spend our time evangelising about content as a means for brands to engage with their audiences.
At The Big Shot we spend our time evangelising about content as a means for brands to engage with their audiences.
We tell our clients that by treating their audiences well in this area they will see results in positive awareness and ultimately in tangible results whether that be registrations, views or direct sales.
It's a very powerful form of customer communication and it's great that brands are really embracing this exciting area of marketing.
I am getting rather concerned that while brands are adopting this relatively new area of customer engagement with open arms that some might be falling short of communicating in the same way in other areas of their CRM.
Sunday 2 May 2010
Linked in - A rather complicated Business Card exchange?
At the outset let me say this is not yet another guide to getting the most out of Linkedin - you know the ones....
"first find a picture that reflects you. It mustn't be too serious but also not too frivolous. This is a serious business networking tool after all".....hmm.....yes well I guess the site has to cater for all sorts of people and on that note I've noticed that they seem to be divided into certain types.
Tuesday 27 April 2010
Alluring content and nothing else will do....
Lots of people in the UK are watching video online (300 million hours per month*) and marketers know this represents a great opportunity to connect with potential consumers
They are of course right, people online are hungry for content or all sorts, its not just Hamsters shinning up lampposts on Youtube (65%**) or ‘Proper Telly’ from the BBC and commercial stations (3%**).
Friday 23 April 2010
Happy St. Georges Day!!
Yeast based snack news
Yesterday's news that the BNP had adopted (officially or otherwise) the much loved (or hated) Marmite brand on a recent web cast as a symbol of their Britishness and suitability to govern seemed no more unusual than some of Marmite's marketing comms and of course scarily aligned to their current General Election advertising.
Yesterday's news that the BNP had adopted (officially or otherwise) the much loved (or hated) Marmite brand on a recent web cast as a symbol of their Britishness and suitability to govern seemed no more unusual than some of Marmite's marketing comms and of course scarily aligned to their current General Election advertising.
Tuesday 20 April 2010
The idea is the thing!!
It was good to get back into the office yesterday.
The sun had finally decided to show its face in a meaningful way, there was a lovely spring breeze wafting through Fitzroy Square and I was ready for another week at The Big Shot.
Friday 16 April 2010
Integrated means what exactly?
is there a universally accepted industry definition of Integrated Marketing? As the term is now being bandied around more and more it seems to be becoming blurred.
The traditional definition requires that an integrated agency executes all disciplines in house but then by definition companies are integrated in certain areas so companies are specialists in different disciplines.
Friday 19 March 2010
Video Content FAQ Pt 1
Our first post....
Well I thought we'd start with an explanation of our views on video content in the form of an FAQ.
These are some of the things that we get asked when we first speak to new people about what we do.
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