Sunday, 3 October 2010
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
