2008. okt. 29.

Will the IPOD generation ever trust financial services?

Answer – No.
Will the 50+ ever trust financial services?
Answer – No.

OK, never is a long time. Let’s be realistic and say for the lifetime of the average bank or insurance company marketing director and their three successors.

I doubt if the Financial Services really, really understands the mess it is in - not just financial – something that can be fixed quickly. The bigger mess is the total destruction of consumer’s confidence in its Industry Brand.

Have a read on this excellent report from Reform about the way the younger generation view the finance industry.

2008. okt. 24.

Mike Fries talking about the future

Mike Fries, Liberty Global CEO,
interviewed by Kara Swisher of AllThingsD
at the PICNIC Event for creativity and innovation,
Amsterdam, September 2008
Watch the video here

Mike Fries, CEO of Liberty Global, speaks during the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecom Summit in New York May 21, 2008. From Reuters Pictures by REUTERS.

2008. okt. 23.

The Client Brief




A brief is the most important piece of information issued by a client to an agency. It’s from the brief that everything else flows. Therefore it’s essential that every effort be taken to prepare the best possible documentation of what is required.


It’s in the nature of creative thinkers that giving them the tightest of parameters will often stimulate the most inventive of responses – and 79% of clients and agencies agreed that: “It is difficult to produce good creative work without a good brief”.

The client brief can be considered the platform for a communications campaign. The better a company’s corporate or brand position is defined and the more thoughtfully its key business issues are described, the more likely it is that strategic and creative thinkers in agencies will be able to apply their specialist skills to produce great solutions.
“The whole idea is to stimulate the creative imagination, not to restrict it. Ultimately you are buying creative ideas. Procurement people can sometimes write briefs as though they were buying copper piping or paperclips. But selling is an art. It’s more like briefing an architect. We need agencies to feel inspired so they can do their best work.” (‘BRIEFING’ RESEARCH 2002: AGENCY SAMPLE)
The biggest waste of agency resources is to put them through the process of developing a solution repeatedly without concrete direction. It wears on relationships and is costly in wasted staff time (on both sides).
“We need agencies to get more work right first time. That saves time and money. A proper written brief makes the process more efficient – that’s good for clients and good for agencies.” (‘BRIEFING’ RESEARCH 2002: CLIENT SAMPLE)
In our research 99% of agencies and 98% of clients agreed that: “Sloppy briefing and moving goal posts wastes both time and money”. A clear written brief can minimise this wastefulness and maximise the chances of a ‘right first time’ agency response to the client.
“The written brief instils a discipline on my team and the agency to be very clear about what the objectives and expected outcomes are.” (‘BRIEFING’ RESEARCH 2002: CLIENT SAMPLE)
Both clients and agencies say that ‘time pressures’ are the main reason for inadequate client briefs. But in fact not writing a brief to save time is a false economy, as more often than not it leads to re-working. Worryingly, 75% of agencies and 55% of clients agreed that: “The briefs that we work on are often changed once the project has started”.

Worse, 79% of agencies reported that: “Clients often use the creative process to clarify their strategy”, and even 35% of clients agreed with this. It’s like using your first set of curtains merely to define how big your windows are!

One of the criticisms that marketing people face from their colleagues in finance and in the boardroom in general is that they lack accountability for the very significant sums of money they spend. The caricature of the flash and superficial marketing executive will only be dispelled by a more professional approach. Ensuring that briefs are written for every project from every agency is an essential place to start.

Over 90% of agencies and 84% of clients agree that: “Payment by results is impossible without fully agreed business objectives”. Given the increasing prevalence of a PBR component in so many remuneration agreements, this is another compelling reason for a proper written brief.

Clearly the scale of the project will dictate the depth and complexity of your brief – one for a major new brand launch will obviously be much more detailed than one for a small tactical advertisement within an existing campaign.

But, whatever the task, a written brief that includes ‘objectives’ and ‘success criteria’ is the foundation stone for accountability and demonstration of the effectiveness of advertising, media, PR, direct marketing, sales promotion and indeed all forms of commercial communications. And without the ability to demonstrate our effectiveness, none of us will receive the remuneration that we deserve.

Quick link: 3 principles of a Good Brief
Quick link: An Interactive Guide to Writing a Brief for Communications Agencies

2008. okt. 22.

Obama and the tubes

Obama has actually been named AdAge's Marketer of the Year.

One of the most interesting things in following the US Election is the distinct advantage Barack Obama has been given by his campaign's understanding of the web and social networking.
At the start of this whole 18 month long schebang, Obama and the Democrats announced they would opt-out of the traditional public financing model of election fundraising. This surprised some, but meant they were free to attract unlimited personal donations via their website and a constant barrage of email requests.

Its working. Today, the Democrats announced yet another record month in donations raised - $150 million. To give you an idea how much this is, in 2000, the two candidates raised in total "just" $350 million. Over the entire campaign.

And if you take a look at the efforts Obama has got going online, its not surprising:

On the front page of Obama's website buttons to allow donations can't be missed. McCain's website has the same, but every single one of the videos on Obama's YouTube channel links to a Google Donate button:

Not a difficult thing to implement. But when you see the kind of views Obama's channel has (almost 100 million so far, compared to McCain's with around 22 million) - that is some serious, potentially game-changing interface design. Why wouldn't McCain have the same button on their videos?

On Obama's website, folks can get involved, and campaign on his behalf, with drag and drop code that allows people to fund raise on their own site:

This effectively makes Democrat supporters agents of Obama's campaign, spreading it on his behalf. Which is good for them, and good for Obama.

Whilst McCain during his campaign has used banners that have gone for a bit more of a negative approach (not to mention the design):

...Obama's banners on the other hand offers some utility - a tax cut widget that allows people to see how much their tax bill would be under the Democrats:


Of course, Obama even has his own iPhone app
Picture 13.png

Not to mention the many probama memes all across the web. This is of course not the direct doing of the Obama campaign, but more proof they are connecting with people online:

McCain, for his side of the equation, has a game of space invaders and McCainSpace, which gave me the exact same feeling I had when my dad did an impromptu "rap" in front of my friends when I was 12. It looks awkward and probably won't draw much of a crowd.
Its no surprise that McCain might have difficulty connecting with younger voters. His appeal is with conservative, traditionally older Americans. And he's admitted on a number of occasions he doesn't use email (due to war injuries I believe). But it just seems that the attempts he does make, are simply not as smart, from a media or engagement point of view. And the more we find out about who uses the web, the more we are surprised at the wide demographic that actually gets involved (retirees, housewives, etc). So there's no excuse for both parties to be all over new media as a way of engaging with people.
Obama has hit a wide range of voters from every angle possible, and allowed people to feel like they're actually involved in the campaign. The Democrats seems to be more acutely aware of how fragmented the voter audience has become over the past few years:
Picture 31.png
Here's a few numbers also:

Barack Obama
YouTube Subscribers - 101,318
Friends - 23,817
MySpace friends - 711,524
Twitter followers - 99, 121

John McCain
YouTube Subscribers - 25, 322
Friends - Not stated
MySpace friends - 172,953
No official Twitter account

Will this all matter come November 4th? Who knows. US Elections involve countless factors and hundreds of much bigger, knife-edge topics that could prove decisive for one candidate one way or the other. We haven't seen so far how big a role the web will play in swaying a campaign one way or the other (remember a short three elections ago where e-mail use was far from widespread). And TV campaigning is an area that still involves big media spends that will end up determining a lot of people's vote. But if Obama does win, his campaign's approach to the web certainly won't have hurt. And will probably come to be a textbook approach to fighting an election online.

2008. okt. 21.

Using Web 2.0 to communicate with the older market

Do you wanna know more?

An Age-neutral commodity - Social Networking becomes a mature web application

Download the pdf here.

When Did We Start Trusting Strangers?

Bridging The Social Divide

David Armano:

"Over the weekend I had a flash of clarity while listening to a podcast from Jeremiah Owyang about companies trying to gain a significant a foothold in "Social Marketing". There was one particular moment that crystallized things for me.


Most companies treat social media like interactive marketing which is computer to consumer, social media is people to people


This is really the core issue and what currently represents a divide between the worlds of interactive marketing, and organizations who choose to participate in social media beyond pushing content. The gap itself is bridged by participation, meaning that a company empowers PEOPLE to engage and interact with other PEOPLE. This means public and private conversations, activity in comments and a commitment to be responsive in real time. This is potentially messy business and requires a long term commitment. Interactive or digital marketing techniques traditionally do not include this dimension and as outlined in Owyang's podcast the end result often times comes across as traditional marketing using a social channel or worse, can result in a community backlash.In order to bridge the social divide between interactive marketing and something that looks more genuinely like a commitment to meaningfully participate in networks, it's going to take organizations participation itself. Which means people on the company side getting off the sidelines and getting involved."

2008. okt. 19.

The end of advertising as we know it

Traditional advertising players - broadcasters, distributors and advertising agencies – will need innovative new approaches to respond to major industry shifts underway.

Report summary: The next 5 years will hold more change for the advertising industry than the previous 50 did. Increasingly empowered consumers, more self-reliant advertisers and ever-evolving technologies are redefining how advertising is sold, created, consumed and tracked. Our research points to four evolving future scenarios – and the catalysts that will be driving them. Traditional advertising players – broadcasters, distributors and advertising agencies – may get squeezed unless they can successfully implement consumer, business model and business design innovation.




About the authors:
  • Saul BermanSaul Berman - Global Media and Entertainment Strategy Leader, IBM Global Business Services
  • Bill BattinoBill Battino - Communications Sector Managing Partner, IBM Global Business Services
  • Louisa ShipnuckLouisa Shipnuck - Global Business Development Executive
  • Andreas NeusAndreas Neus - Managing Consultant, Communications Strategy and Change Practice, IBM Global Business Services

A new age is knocking on the door...


Ever been annoyed by all those ads and banners on the internet that often take longer to download than everything else on the page? Install Adblock Plus now and get rid of them. Right-click on a banner and choose “Adblock” from the context menu — the banner won’t be downloaded again. Maybe even replace parts of the banner address with star symbols to block similar banners as well. Or choose a filter subscription, then even this simple task will usually be unnecessary: the filter subscription will block most advertisements fully automatically.

State of the Blogosphere / 2008

Want the inside scoop on bloggers?

Read all about them in Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere / 2008


Generosity. Learning To Give Instead Of Take.

Generosity Fallon Kc
View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: aki spicer)

2008. okt. 18.

Digital advertising to kick TV’s behind?

by: Devora Rogers

A new survey shows that digital ad spending is on the rise, even in a weakened financial market. Not to say we told you so, but traditional media is feeling the pinch. Looking at the stats actually, it could be more like a punch in the face. Epsilon CMO reports 65% of Chief Marketing Officers admit their “ad budgets will decrease because of the troubled economy, but more of their money will go toward digital/interactive marketing than before.”


The study acknowledges that marketing budgets always tighten in difficult economic times–even as it goes against the age-old wisdom that this is precisely the time to augment advertising spending. But despite reduced cash flow, marketers increasingly feel they can get more bang for their buck in digital channels. As a result, reasons Epsilon, “This means a shift away from traditional marketing and to interactive and digital marketing that is data-driven and targeted; an approach that is already generating demonstrable returns.” Check out the graph after the jump.

Here’s what the budget trending looks like for marketing channels, according to senior marketing executives in the Epsilon report:

The proof is in the pudding: 63% of marketers say their budgets are moving toward interactive or digital marketing, while 59% say their investment in traditional marketing has decreased.

Traditional advertising won’t go away overnight, but the current downturn could finally bring more brands into the digital fold. Is that why these people are celebrating? Or is emerging media also going into a world of hurt?

brands and communication in the era of media democracy

Eric Schmidt, Web 2.0 vs. Web 3.0

True, true...

"Life In Perpetual Beta" intro and an interview with Armano




16 Good Questions

Howard Mann of The Business Brickyard share 16 really smart questions that every business should ask. The answers aren't as easy as you thing.

  1. What products or services do you sell?
  2. What is your core purpose?
  3. What are the biggest opportunities for your organization/product/service?
  4. What are the biggest challenges/dangers to overcome?
  5. What are your unique abilities/strengths?
  6. Who are your customers?
  7. List your top 5 primary competitors and their specific strengths as you and/or your market see them
  8. Who do your target clients think of first when “shopping” your category?
  9. What is the biggest issue that is dragging down your entire industry?
  10. What do you dislike most about your market and/or your industry?
  11. What makes your business a “tough business”?
  12. What is your organization’s durable competitive advantage? In other words, what can you say that no one else can say?
  13. Your “Skyscraper” Business. Describe (In as much detail as possible) what you would want your business to be like 20 years from today. Revenue, profit, offices, clients, staff,etc…
  14. What are the medium term goals of your organization? (Within 3 years)
  15. What are the short term goals of your organization? (Within 12 months)
  16. If we were sitting one 1 year from today, what (specifically) would have happened with your business to make you VERY happy with the results?

Suggestion: Put a note in your calendar to ask yourself these questions every six months.

Andy Sernovitz interviews Matt Dickman and David Armano

Brand U.0

Brand "U.0"
View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: internet brand)

The Agency Path To Enlightenment :)

Conventional vs. Unconventional Marketing

What's Next In Marketing & Advertising

The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier

The Brand Gap
View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: design brand)

Experience Design and Convergence

Video presentation "Experience Design and Convergence" by David Armano / Critical mass

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1412254155?bctid=1414319087

Leo Burnett / Arc Predictions, Future Trends in Advertising

Wheel of Marketing Misfortune ...true, true

Stairway to Brand Heaven & Hell

David Droga about a new advertising era (Dubai Lynx 2008)



Micro-Interactions in a 2.0 World (v2)

How to create interactive "TV Spot"? Check this out!

http://www.greatpockets.com/index.php

Modern Brand Building

Modern Brand Building
View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: deepspace space150)

Chuck Levine's Mobile Presentation

Jon Steel: Planning at 40: Solving the wrong problems



Jon Steel: Planning at 40: Solving the wrong problems from JWT on Vimeo.

Basically, he says planners need to:

1) Help the clients set the right objectives, not just for communications but for brands and for business

2) Find the right problems to solve instead of just doing what the clients asked for

3) Find new opportunities for our clients to exploit and grow their business

Content Marketing = Brand New Marketing?

10 Ways Digital Can Help You Thrive in a Recession

what you need to become web 2.0

Web 2.0
View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: satyajeet singh)