Google is not media. But it is the message.

May 3rd, 2010 by Eric Hyman
Categories: Analytics, Commerce and Content, Demographics, Digital Media, Search, Social Media, Traditional Media, Trend Spotting | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

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Newsflash. Once again, for the 4th year in a row, our WPP sister firm Millward Brown Optimor has named Google the world’s #1 brand of any kind. Surprise, surprise, surprise.

Interestingly, our company recently did a far less scientific piece of research among our own employees that also said something uniquely enlightening, though entirely different, about Google.

Members of our media/experience team circulated a one question internal survey asking everyone to list their three favorite media sources.  The intention was to use the results in an orientation session to show how diverse our own media preferences are. And the results confirmed it, with nearly 125 “top 3″ sources collectively named.

But what jumped out at me was not the variety of unaided answers. Nor the overwhelming dominance of CNN (see Wordle results below, kudos CNNers), across almost every department in the agency (other crowd favorites were ESPN, MSN, Fox News, ABC, Wired, along with one medium, radio).

Mighty Google looking more like David than Goliath

What jumped out, rather, was in fact, what didn’t jump out; Google.

Think about that a minute. In a world where Google plays such a pervasive role in so many people’s lives, in an industry that’s been pretty much turned upside down by the immense power of Google itself, a relatively small number of us “industry insiders” think of Google as a “media source.”

While I suppose this shouldn’t be totally surprising, I found seeing it so clearly to be pretty enlightening.

To be quite clear, this doesn’t lessen Google’s omnipresent and ever-expanding role in pretty much everything.  But it does lead me to say this; Google is not media.

What is Google then? A tool? A platform? An aggregating oracle? The Gutenberg Press of the next millennium?

Personally, I think it most closely resembles a medium. Though this doesn’t exactly fit either, since I think in the technical sense, the Internet is the medium.

One thing is certain, though. As Marshall McLuhan pointed out (for those in the Google generation not… errr… um… experienced enough to have been forced to study this in college, see this great clip I caught the other night from Annie Hall, though you might not have heard of that either), in the grand scheme of things, it is not the content itself, or any single provider of content, that is most responsible for the way people interact with media, or the changes media can bring about, but rather the medium itself.

On that note, the results of the research are clear. Despite our overwhelming love of select media brands to keep us informed and engaged, the medium is still the #1 message. And the message is, at least as far as I’m concerned, I should have bought Google at $95.

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Engagement Statistics That Suck In Even The Savviest Of Marketers

March 22nd, 2010 by Rory Partalis
Categories: Social Media, Trend Spotting | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

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Whether you realize it or not, I’m sure you’ve fallen victim to one of the most effective marketing tricks in the book – sucking people in by providing them with engagement statistics.  It’s a tough concept to wrap your head around initially, but once you understand it, you notice it everywhere – the endless feedback loop of engagement statistics.

The draw of this is most apparent in video game addicts. Do you know someone who is obsessed with improving their XBOX Gamer Score or getting enough XP to level up their character in WoW (that’s World of Warcraft for you n00bs)? Do you know a Facebook addict that is consumed with seemingly mindless apps like Farmville or Mafia Wars?  Why do they care so much about something that has little to no effect on their real life?  Because their stats are constantly shared with themselves and their peers and it becomes a status symbol or competition of sorts. It also taps into the OCD in us all – a desire to make progress and accomplish things.

However, this isn’t just limited to gamers.  Take marketers, like myself.  Too much of my time is consumed with checking email because I hate to have things on my to do list or unread email messages.  I also spend a lot of time on Google Reader making sure to keep up with my RSS feeds and to make sure I continue to share and read shared items with my peers.  Actually, when I think about it, much of my online life is trying to suck me in even further with engagement stats and feedback loops: Twitter followers, RTs, DMs, @ replies and lists; Facebook friends; Netflix Queue lists and rated movie counts; and Foursquare check-ins…

There is a debate to be had about whether this is a healthy trend or not, but I’m not going there because I feel like there is no turning back now.  People, like myself, enjoy being able to see statistics on our own behavior and being able to compare that behavior with friends’.  However, I do recommend moderation and reflection on our behavior.  Most people reading this blog consider themselves savvy marketers or advertisers, so we should be able to spot these techniques designed to encourage re-engagement. Feel free to get sucked into these binges of OCD behavior from time to time, but know when to say “enough is enough.”

On the other hand, from a marketer’s perspective, giving people access to statistics is a valuable tool to encourage re-engagement. Use it wisely.

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Stick it. Tag it. Scan it. Beam it. The evolution of your digital digits and the death of the paper business card.

March 18th, 2010 by Kristen Green
Categories: Digital Innovations, Social Media | Tags: , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

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The familiar custom of introducing yourself, shaking hands and exchanging business cards is becoming an antiquated practice. As people ramp up their tech game and attempt to diminish their eco footprint, many are relying on digital exchange, like QR codes, SMS, and barcodes.

QR codes were ubiquitous at SXSW. Patrons had a QR code on their badge that others could scan to get a quick download of their details. The best part? No stack of paper business cards to keep track of. Once people get home from the festival, they can export all that data from their phone and have a running list of everyone they met. Some of you may be thinking that QR codes are cool, but it still requires you to have a hard copy of a QR code available. You are correct. However, the beauty of the QR code as opposed to a business card is the one-to-many factor. For every person, you need a business card. But with your one QR code, an infinite number of people can scan your code and walk away with your digits. Robert Scobel actually wore a QR code on his t-shirt at SXSW that linked to his twitter account.

Standard barcodes are still holding their own among the 2-D QR codes of the world. Since barcode technology has been around forever, people are just learning to use it in new ways. I recently came across a great company that is using barcodes as ways of collecting and cataloging virtual information. Stickybits is a company that introduces, “a fun and social way to attach digital content to real world objects.” The difference between the Stickybits barcode and the QR code is that the information attached to the QR code is finite. You can push to one URL. The Stickybits barcode can have all kinds of digital information tagged to it. Think of it as a digital time capsule. You could leave a Stickybit on a park bench and attach your Twitter profile. Someone else could sit down, scan it, see your profile, and add their Facebook link. The trail could continue until you have a whole group of people who are sharing information from one barcode on a park bench. I like to see it as a tangible means of reaching into another person’s digital world. You are no longer someone that I randomly discovered on Twitter, but you are someone that jogs in the same park that I do. It’s a real world connection with a digital extension.

For those of you who are of the 100% paper-free lifestyle, you might like using a SMS service to beam your credentials. One of the companies focusing on this service is Contxts. I agree with their philosophy that, “Business cards are so 2007.” How it works is simple. You create a profile with all of your info, and you choose a username. So you would simply text “kristeng” to 50500, and you would receive my credentials back in a text message. Super simple way to exchange info instantly and without wasting paper.

Whether you want to scan it, beam it, tag it, or stick it – you have many options for swapping digital digits. So, let the data dance begin.

@kristengreen

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What do Red Cross, Harvard and Tasti D-Lite have in common?

January 14th, 2010 by Kristen Green
Categories: Cause Marketing, Digital Media, Social Media | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

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What do Red Cross, Harvard, and Tasti D-Lite have in common? They have all learned how to use existing social media and digital platforms to work overtime for their causes and brands. Let’s take a little walk through three highly effective and brilliant uses of this digital thinking.

Case Study No. 1: Red Cross
As the world watches the heart-breaking images of the devastating earthquake, our hearts are saddened. We want to provide help in whatever way that we can, but we live here. They are there. What role can we play? This is where Red Cross stepped in to provide a way. Everyone knows that Red Cross plays a huge role in responding to disasters around the world. They also accept donations that fund these very causes. Their mission didn’t change but their call-to-action did. Many people would never take the time to seek out a way to give to Red Cross, but our tech-savvy society had phones in hand when they heard of the Haiti disaster. Many of us, including myself, learned of the disaster on my phone. So, the idea of using that device as a quick and easy means of collecting money was perfect. With a simple text message, you can donate $10 to the Red Cross’ relief efforts in Haiti. The buzz about the 90999 SMS code spread like wildfire across Twitter and Facebook. Within 3 days they had raised over $3 million dollars in donations through text messaging alone. That is phenomenal! That is money that may have never been seen if this system wasn’t in place. It is such a simple technology, but it found a great use in this tragedy. Tony Aiello of mGive, the company that is handling the donations for Red Cross, said it best, “Today is a huge day for mobile giving. We are experiencing a tipping point.”

Case Study No. 2: Harvard
Remember the first day that you walked onto your college campus as a freshman? Can’t you feel your heart pounding as you try to discreetly glance at your campus map that is secretly tucked away inside of your shiny new binder? Well, Harvard is attempting to take the fear out of freshman life and encourage upper class-men to become more involved and active on campus. Enter Foursquare. For all of you Mayors out there, you already know that Foursquare is a game that lets you & your friends discover new things in the city, and you earn points and unlock badges when you discover something new. You can think of it as a location-based scavenger hunt with the goal being to connect with new places and ultimately new people. So, Harvard has partnered with Foursquare to create a game and badge specific to their locations. I think this is a great use of a previously existing social platform. Instead of reinventing the wheel, Harvard has harnessed the power of a very popular tool to encourage campus activity and help save fearful freshman.

Case Study No. 3: Tasti D-Lite
If you peek inside your wallet, do you find a stack of unused loyalty reward cards? Or do you have a myriad of grocery store fobs that adorn your key ring? Even though the rewards of using loyalty cards can be beneficial to our bottom line, many people simply forget to use them. But would you reconsider if your incentives were increased? Tasti D-Lite has taken a new approach to customer loyalty by combining digital platforms that their patrons already use. If you connect your Tasti D-Lite loyalty card, known as the TreatCard, to your Twitter and/or Foursquare account, you can earn additional points for spreading your Tasti D-Lite love. When you swipe your card, you will earn points for an automated tweet that will go out, and when you check in on Foursquare more points will be added to your account. Again, it’s such a simple idea that will most definitely have an effect on their patrons. Tasti D-Lite may be one of the first to attach loyalty rewards to social media engagement, but they won’t be last. Others will soon see the benefits and follow suit.

Brands are always looking for ways to further their cause, engage their consumers, and increase their awareness. Red Cross, Harvard, and Tasti D-Lite, although drastically different in their missions, have all found a shared success harnessing the power of existing digital addictions. These case studies are great examples of how to implement easy and highly successful programs for your brand. So, what digital power will your brand harness?

Sources:
NY Times Blog
Mashable: Harvard
Mashable: Tasti D-Lite

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The masses are mingling. Is your brand at the party?

January 6th, 2010 by Kristen Green
Categories: Digital Media, Social Media | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

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image by chrisjohnbeckett

2010 is upon us, and many of us are surveying the triumphs and failures of the last decade in an attempt to make this one better than the last. Many top ten lists have surfaced for the latest and greatest predictions of the coming year and decade, and I have been especially drawn to the “10 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2010″ that was published by trendwatching.com. One of particular interest to me is the idea of Mass Mingling. As trendwatching.com puts it, “Ironically the same technology that was once seen to be—and condemned for—turning entire generations into homebound gaming zombies and avatars, is now deployed to get people out of their homes.” As more people are utilizing location based social services, such as Foursquare, Loopt, and Google Latitude, more people of similar interests are gravitating together for common causes and fun. The digital walls have fallen.  We are now entering what I believe to be a world that has a digital layer that lives on the real streets, rather than a computer world full of 3-D avatars. People no longer desire to hide behind the anonymity of their computer screen, but they are seeking to connect and share in real-time and in real-life with those who they have discovered via the interwebs.  So, what does this mass of mingling mean for your brand? I view it as the golden opportunity for 2010.

In decades gone by brands had to hunt down their target and attempt to assimilate a mix of media that would hopefully hit a large percentage of those eyeballs. In today’s world, people are clustering themselves willfully. The upside for brands? Go find your group and follow them. I mean this both figuratively and literally. If you keep a constant finger on the pulse of your brand’s society, you can become a part of that culture. You can learn how to add value to conversation,  provide reward for brand enthusiasm, and make yourself a lovemark to those who your brand values most. Hear about a flash mob that is going to assemble? Make sure that you are there to be a part of the action. Learn of a tweet-up or tumblr meetup that has the attention of your brand’s target?  Be there! Make your face a common presence among your in-crowd. Now, you don’t want to be a salesman at the party. You want to be the cool kid who is laid back that other people seek out. If you wear your brand well, then you won’t have to shout from the rooftops. Also, if this is truly your right target, they will welcome your presence and not shun you from the fun.

How is your brand going to mingle in 2010? Step outside of your comfort zone and get out there! No one ever made new friends by staying home on Saturday nights.

Source: www.trendwatching.com. One of the world’s leading trend firms, trendwatching.com sends out its free, monthly Trend Briefings to more than 160,000 subscribers worldwide.

Image by chrisjohnbeckett

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A look at the last TechADE; what brands will be around to see the end of the next one?

December 27th, 2009 by Eric Hyman
Categories: Convergence, Digital Innovations, Digital Media, Social Media | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment »

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I’ve been sending out some old fashioned holiday cards, which I still think have a special if not minor place in the current world, even if my blogging pundit friends think their time has past. And in my notes on the back, I remarked it is hard to believe the “ZerOOs,” are over, and that I hope the “TEENs” are good to us. And easier to survive that living with actual human teens (like the four that cause daily havoc in my house).

As usual, I amused myself with my witty names for the past and coming decades. Great names, I thought; the ZerOOs and the TEENs.

But I just came up with something better and more fitting while reading a piece about the past decade in tech, and how so much has changed. So I’m officially renaming the ZerOOs from here on in: the TechADE.”

Think about it, so much has gone on since the entire established tech world put their collective heads in the sand waiting for Y2K to destroy civilization as we knew it. And when the clock struck 12, and nothing happened, and everyone blew out a collective sigh of relief, and realized, there was a whole lot of new stuff going on.

Boy, was that an understatement. And the pace of change has accelerated every day since.

I’m not going to reiterate everything the piece I linked to above said, it’s a good read if you have a few mins. But what occurred to me was what has happened to all of these brands. Some that have come from nowhere, like Facebook, others that have risen from the potential ashes like Apple, and still others that have faded into obscurity, like Geocities (RIP). Wow, it’s been a busy and remarkable span of time. Looking back, I cannot think of any better way to refer to it than the new name I’ve coined above.*

We have a saying at our shop, “Great Technology Can Be Leapfrogged, Great Brands Cannot.” And I still believe in it. But the trick to brands in the tech space living on for another decade is not simply to do a lot of branding, but rather, to embody the brand itself. To create an experience that is the brand, and a brand that is the experience.

There are a lot of great companies, products and services that are doing this today. How many of them will be around when I follow up on this post — if that is what we call it then — in another ten is another story. Will any of the brands changing our lives via technology today even exist on 12/27/2019? Only the most customer driven, and dare I say “Brand Savvy” need apply.

That is, after all, what happens to teenagers. Some, like the ones Springsteen sang of in Glory Days, end up fat and old and bald. Others get cooler, smarter and more successful as they grow up.

Which ones will be which is anyone’s guess at this point. But it won’t be dumb luck. It will take astute and unwavering dedication to the brand to be here for the long run.

How we build and manage those brands will no doubt continue to change. I, for one, look forward to being among those who are here then helping to drive it.

To use a term that is sure to be looked at as a huge cliche come 2019, I’m ready for you Teens. “Bring it on.”

*OK, someone else has the domain but it was about squeezing lemons, not the passage of time.

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The Demise of the Glossy

November 24th, 2009 by Kristen Green
Categories: Digital Media, Social Media, Traditional Media | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

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We all know that with each day that passes digital media is pushing print further over the cliff of no return. You hear of magazines closing or going 100% digital on a daily basis, and even those of us who are digitally-devoted find it heart breaking to see some of our favorites glossies fall by the wayside.

Many of the big names are taking the hit hard. Conde Nast’s ad count is reportedly down by 8,359 pages. However, others are taking a step towards the future by merging the idea of print and online through augmented reality. The December issue of In Style magazine will be using augmented reality for their Taylor Swift cover (via Fashionista). There will also be interactive ads throughout the entire issue. According to publisher Connie Anne Phillips , “This is our most buzzed about issue [of the year] on a consumer level, and with this click-to-buy feature, it’s all about ROI and taking consumers to the point of purchase.”

So, is this a glimpse into the future of magazines? Will other pubs follow suit and find a means to their own revival? I’m excited to get the issue in hand to explore a truly interactive and tangible experience.

What are your thoughts? Could this be print’s lifeline?

Proof That Social Media is Killing Print Magazines
Infographic by CartridgeSAVE.co.uk

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Google Wave Developer Sandbox Brainstorm

October 27th, 2009 by Rory Partalis
Categories: Convergence, Digital Innovations, Social Media | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

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We were recently granted access to the Google Wave Developers Sandbox and are testing out our first Google Wave Embed on this blog for everyone to see!!!

Ok, we kinda lied, but it’s not our fault.  Everyone can’t see this, thanks to Google’s developer rules, but you lucky few who have access to the developer’s sandbox (sorry again, that’s not the same as the Wave Preview) can see this and I’d love to hear how you’re using it.  Comment down below, in the Wave, and share you’re cool implementations, extensions and ideas.

For everyone else, you can get a little taste of what the developers are up to over at the Google Wave Samples Gallery.  There’s all kinds of cool extensions and bots for sites like Craig’s List, Twitter and IMDb. And everyone, please share you’re thoughts about Google Wave, the Preview and the Developer activity in the comments section below.


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Bing makes a game-changing move… then Google levels the playing field

October 22nd, 2009 by Kristen Green
Categories: Search, Social Media | Tags: , , , , , | 3 Comments »

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a game changer

This morning the Twitterverse gasped at the news that Bing was in negotiations with Twitter to make status updates part of search results (see the beta). What?! The ability to see relevant, real-time updates on topics? That’s a game changer. As people started to speculate that Bing finally had one up on Google, the big G announced that they too are in talks to add Twitter updates to their search results. The Google blog gave a great example of what the Twitterverse will bring to the search world:

“That way, the next time you search for something that can be aided by a real-time observation, say, snow conditions at your favorite ski resort, you’ll find tweets from other users who are there and sharing the latest and greatest information.”

Although Bing beat them to the punch, it will be interesting to see which search engine is able to implement and launch this integration the quickest. In addition to integrating Twitter updates, Bing is also adding Facebook status updates into the mix, possibly causing a more complex integration.

So, the digital world is waiting with bated breath to see how much these relationships will bring to Twitter’s wallet, and Tweeps around the world are waiting for their 5 seconds of search fame.

@kristengreen

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Where does your target land on the Social Ladder?

August 31st, 2009 by Kristen Green
Categories: Demographics, Digital Media, Social Media | Tags: , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

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Social Technographics LadderForrester Research just released their third annual Social Technographics Profile. It is an on-going piece of the initial book entitled, “Groundswell,” which analyzes consumer involvement in social media. As a social media enthusiast, I was very interested to see how the ladder broke out social media interaction segments. Forrester’s Social Technographics Ladder contains six categories: Creators, Critics, Collectors, Joiners, Spectators, and Inactives.  As the Advertising industry continually migrates to the digital model that is part and parcel to social media, we strive to know where people are flocking. As brands need to have a relational engagement structure with their consumers in this space, we as an industry need to know WHY people are choosing particular social media and HOW they are using it. Simply knowing WHERE they are flocking to is only one piece of the picture. Once the shiny new tool has worn a little old and the crowd moves on, we would only be chasing the crowd. But stepping back and looking at the WHY and HOW, we can always be one step ahead.

I think there are a few actions that we can take to stay ahead of the flock…

1. Spend time in your targets’ digital social scene. Partake in the conversation. If there is only one way speak and no dialogue, this is one clue right away that this audience is not comprised of Creators or Critics. Also, get to know the language, the humor, the hot topics, and the issues they consider important.

2. Be an early adopter of all social media tools. The more you know, the more knowledge you can impart on behalf of your Clients and their brands. Even if a particular tool rises fast and falls even faster, you have the benefit of seeing the advantages/disadvantages that contributed to the short digital life span.

3. Remember that your target is made up of people, not statistics. It is easy to look at insightful data and want to base 100% of your decisions on that. However, you have to remember that there is a heartbeat behind every number and a face behind every tweet, blog post, and comment. Use that human element to find the emotional value of social media in your consumers’ mind.

So stay ahead of the flock and let insight, not the crowd, lead you.

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