It was inevitable that this was going to happen someday, but it’s also kind of a bummer.
The beauty of Twitter to me has always been that it’s organic and allowed me to connect with friends, colleagues, bands and brands in unique ways.
Even as a follower of certain companies & brands, I never felt like I was being shouted at to ‘LOOK HERE! BUY THIS! CLICK NOW!’, but more that I was able to engage with someone from the brand directly in a digital conversation if I wanted to. Essentially I felt like I was getting a sneak peak at what was going on with the brand from a day to day perspective. Of course, not all brands using Twitter follow a model that embodies putting unique content out there for followers, some purely do just yell at people to buy their stuff. That’s a whole other story, but this advertising model could only enable that more.
That said, I’m not sure if the new Twitter advertising model is going to make its users very happy. The model will start out small apparently, but will closely mirror Google’s paid search advertising structure. So, when you go to look for Sue Smith on Twitter, you’ll find an ad for “Sue Smith drinks Joe’s Cola. Click here!” Well, maybe it won’t be that blatant, who knows, but that’s the model.
According to a story in the Wall Street Journal: “Twitter Chief Executive Evan Williams and co-founder Biz Stone have been publicly lukewarm about advertising, suggesting it could irritate users,” so only time will tell how this is going to go.
Based on that statement alone, this should be interesting…
Miller Coors, the No. 2 U.S. brewer, is getting ready to launch a new craft beer, that is brewed in small quantities and is marketed exclusively through digital and word-of-mouth channels.
Normally I don’t geek out over things like this because the marketing approaches don’t tend to be all that inspiring, engaging or revolutionary after you dig into them a bit, but this one has me hooked.
For starters, the brew, Colorado Native Lager, is unique in that it that it uses “99.9%” Colorado-grown ingredients, a percentage that includes the locally made glass bottles.”
That serves as the starting point for what the brewer has used to its marketing advantage in the past with beers like Blue Moon; creating a feeling of ‘discovery’ in consumers. The thing about a craft beer, a small-lot single vineyard wine, or an underground band, is that not everyone knows about it of course. Whether through purely knowing or consuming, the consumer feels a level of prestige or exclusivity. Nana-nana-boo-boo…. (See also: “Heineken drinkers are posers“)
To create that feeling, the brand is apparently putting all its eggs in one basket; that basket being digital marketing via social and mobile media. But what’s taking it to the next level is the ‘SnapTag.’ Tags will be on every bottle and users can take photos of the tag with their mobile device, text it to a specified number. From there the brand can engage in digital discussions with the drinkers, which further down the road will lead to customized marketing efforts directed to each users. Great way to generate engagement, build loyalty and just enhance intrigue.
There is so much more to the program and I definitely recommend taking a quick read of the article on Ad Age. It’s definitely apparent that the brand seems committed to being a part of their consumers lifestyles and finding ways to evolve with them.
Of course, there will be debate by beer afficianados over whether this is a true craft beer brand (see Blue Moon), but regardless of that it’s great to see the brand taking a different approach to reaching its consumer and truly giving them something special.
It will be sold only in Colorado, at least at first.
Everyone knows that at Burger King, you can “Have It Your Way” way when it comes to the flame-broiled goodness that is your hamburger. The King and his team of merry men have worked extremely hard to instill this message in the minds of beef eaters and fast food lovers everywhere, but for all that work, there was always one part missing.
Sure, you could get your burger without mayo, or with 4 extra patties of meat, or with 2.5 slices of smaller tomatoes instead of 1, but there was always something missing, it just never really was “your” burger.
Well, BK and the King have changed that, at least they did for a little bit (in Brazil), by embarking on a unique little campaign where they show customers what ‘Made to Order’ really means.
As someone who isn’t a huge fast food eater/supporter, even I thought this a unique way of personalizing the dining experience and building some additional brand affinity. You can already see from the video that camera phones were a-snappin’ which inevitably means Twitter posts and Facebook status updates that probably generated some positive chatter about the brand.
All in all, a unique and quirky idea, that showed a true connection of the dots when it comes to the idea of “Have It Your Way.” Not sure how much longevity it has after the initial novelty would wear off, but it’s still a rather cool and smart approach on a one-off level.
Anyone who’s been through art or design school has probably had to sit through a color theory class or two. There truly is a lot of interesting science behind the way particular colors and combination of tones behave optically: how you can fake three-dimensionality by splitting color channels and wearing blue- and red-lensed glasses, how two squares of the same grey can look totally different surrounded by contrasting fields of color, OMG and don’t even get me started on synesthesia. No argument that all that stuff is really fascinating.
“Color is like sex. It’s mysterious. It’s unknowable. It never looks the same twice. No two people see the same thing. No two people feel the same thing. I once went to China on a cruise ship. Eight hundred of us got off the ship wearing white, because it feels festive and shippy and says “I’m on a cruise.” In China white is the color of mourning. We
looked insane.”
We all know that movie releases are big business, and that social media has moved to the center of all things marketing-related, thus how social media is handled by movie studios is a core component to a modern film’s success. But let’s face it, it’s annoying to have to go to the movie’s microsite AND Facebook AND YouTube AND Twitter etc etc for your movie info. Total ugh, amiright? Not to mention it is also annoying and expensive for studios to build all that for every movie. It is this exact issue that Lionsgate Films, partnered with online media firm ThisMoment, aim to address in promotion of LG’s new film, Kick-Ass.
ThisMoment has developed the Distributed Engagement Channel, which essentially aggregates all of a movie’s social media stuff (Twitter/Myspace/Facebook/YouTube comments and ability to friend/follow/subscribe in those channels), and all of the movie’s official stuff (videos, downloads, contests etc.) into one place, which is THEN posted up onto Myspace, Facebook and YouTube in theoretical-lieu of a custom microsite/branding for each of those sites. (Although they HAVE covered all their bases with a traditional movie website as well in this case. Baby steps.)
The advantage to users and fans is obvious (so convenient!), but less apparent is the advantage afforded to Lionsgate in this move. The Distributed Engagement Channel technology is controlled by one single CMS system, allowing LG to manage their content on all the social channels at once (except Twitter, alas!) and providing consolidated metrics all in one place. Simplicity FTW!
There is a pretty confusing article on Ad Age about it, I recommend reading through the comments, there is a great dialogue going on between commenters and representatives from ThisMoment.
Whether you are a curious consumer and want to see what people are saying about the brands you use in your daily life, or you work for a brand and want to see what people first think of when they see your logo, Brandtags.net is where you want to go.
This site is great. Simple premise. You go to the site, see a logo randomly, enter into a box one word (the first word that comes to mind) and then move on. You can either choose to keep entering words about new brands the site throws at you, or you can go see what other users tagged a given brand with.
Using it is fun, but reading what are the most popular tags about a brand is even more fun and pretty darn insightful. You can also play a game where you guess what a brand is based on the tags (and NO, you don’t get a choice of logos, just the tags!). You can even add other brands if you want to submit them to see how people think of them and tag them.
The site refers to itself as “A collective experiment in brand perception.” Great stuff and very insightful stuff for those interested in seeing consumer perceptions.
“…I decided to ask some of today’s most exciting artists and creators what they do when the ideas aren’t flowing. I left the question fairly open ended and asked, What do you do to inspire your creativity when you find yourself in a rut? As expected, I was presented with an array of strategies, ranging from listening to Boards of Canada in a forest alone, to cooking up a storm (recipe provided) and waiting for the mind to clear.” Here’s what they had to say.
Having trouble thinking of something to do for your loved one on Valentine’s Day? Or are you still trying to get out of the doghouse from last year? Lucky for you, we’re here to bail you out! Here’s a top-five list of suggestions. By the way, you’re welcome.
1. WINE – and lots of it. Whether it’s going wine tasting, dining in or dining out, wine seems to be a sure win. Preggos don’t worry, plenty more suggestions below.
2. QUALITY TIME with the loved one. A cheap but effective option, this gift should come straight from the heart. Try dinner or a movie at home. Gentlemen, chick flicks are a total bonus.
3. STICK TO THE CLASSICS. We’re talking flowers, chocolate, jewelry (duh). But be sure to put your own spin on it – roses are nice but can be overplayed. And ladies, don’t leave the fellas out of the gift exchange – look for a nice watch (peep our friendly-yet-stylin’ HQ males’ wrists for ideas).
4. HANDMADE CARDS. Flash back to second grade, bust out the construction paper and fill that cut-out heart with tons o’ glitter. The perfect way to show that you care (and have an eye for design).
5. THE SPA TREATMENT. A couple’s massage, gift certificate or an at-home-you-know-what-I’m-talking-about. Nuff said.
None of these striking your fancy? Well, whatever you do, steer clear of fighting, forgetting the day all together, or skipping the reservation. The point of the day is to make your loved one smile, as long as you do that, consider yourself “the best husband/wife/fiance/boyfriend/girlfriend ever”.
“The Center for Advanced Visual Studies is a community for contemporary art in the School of Architecture and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.”
OK, so it’s not a web or graphic design school, but still…WHAT. This website…it periodically reloads itself. The layout appears to be random. There are animated gifs. THIS IS A REAL PAGE. I’m baffled and sort of enthralled all at once.
Maybe that’s the point, aha! The website itself is meant as a “contemporary art piece,” (right?) a commentary on Internet and Art and Grid Systems and Whathaveyou. Whoa. It really kind of IS making me think. This reminds me of a recent episode of NBC’s Parks and Recreation, where Tom (who proudly declares, “I have no interest in art”) commissions an abstract expressionist painting, and finds as he really looks at it, that his opinion changes from derisive to admiring. “A piece of art caused me to have an emotional reaction. Is that normal?”
Related: a friend just reported that, while viewing the MIT site, his cat leapt from his shoulder to attack the computer screen.
