31.8.10

Content Strategy in 10 Simple Steps

More and more, brands are recognizing that a strategic approach to content is becoming important. Content is moving from being among the final considerations of a Web-development project to being front and center in a digital-marketing strategy.



Engage via Conversation
It's easy for brands to get drawn into the hype around the latest format, platform, or tactic. A couple of years ago, brands were all asking for a "viral," whereas now they all seem to be asking for iPhone apps.
But content is merely a means to an end: Content drives conversations, conversations are how you engage with people, and engaging with people is the only way brands will be able to survive in the social-media-disrupted world we now live in.
Formulating a content strategy can be a difficult process, partly because of the many considerations and partly because of the number of stakeholders. So, to help, here's a simple 10-step systematic process for formulating a content strategy.

1. Principles
Set some principles. Doing so allow the brand to have a healthy and robust discussion around authenticity, transparency, and humility, as well as an opportunity to define the engagement policy.
Also, acknowledge that because brands no longer control when the conversations end, you need to commit to making continual investments. Unlike a campaign, this endeavor is ongoing.
2. Business Objectives
Here we get into the "Why are we doing this?" question. Clarify your objectives; link them to appropriate metrics, setting targets if possible; and define a budget.
3. Brand Purpose
Substance focuses the mind on what subjects and topics are important to you. What's your position on things, your point of view? Where's the evidence that you're serious about content? What's your story? What's your purpose? Why should people care?
David Ogilvy, founder of advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather Worldwide, talked about identifying a brand's ideal. For example, Dove believes that the world would be a better place if women were allowed to feel good about themselves, Fanta believes the world would be a better place if we grew up less and played more, Scrabble believes the world would be a better place if we loved words more, and Coca-Cola believes the world would be a better place if we saw the glass as half full, not half empty.
Identifying your brand ideal is a great way to uncover your purpose and so gives you something to anchor your content to. Remember that you need to support your brand ideal with evidence. Just paying lip service is playing with fire.
4. Content Value (Social Currency)
What value does your content deliver directly to people? What value does it deliver indirectly (i.e., the payback you get for telling someone else about it)? The direct value is the content's social currency, and there are five types of value:
  • Entertainment value. Advertising campaigns typically deal in this currency. It's worth asking whether the idea lends itself to being parodied like Cadbury's Gorilla campaign, as that can be a potent conversation multiplier.
  • Personal value. Fame delivers powerful personal value. The rise of The X Factor-type television shows and other reality-TV shows over recent years indicates the value that people place on such content.
  • Knowledge value. B2B thought leadership via white papers is an example.
  • Monetary value. Consumer public relations (PR) typically deals in this type of currency with promotions and competitions. A 40%-off voucher that UK wine-store-chain Threshers offered in 2006 is a great example.
  • Utility value. Many iPhone apps, such as Sky+, fall into this category. Also, see toilet paper brand Charmin'sEnjoy the Go campaign, for which it installed 20 restrooms in Times Square.
How can we blend some of those together to make them more potent? Attempting to blend various values together is the modern-day equivalent of the challenges faced in creating an integrated campaign (i.e., you need a multidisciplined, experienced, and talented team to work collaboratively together).
Here are some other thoughts: Can we tap into popular culture as T-mobile did with TV show So You Think You Can Dance, or can we ride a meme like EA Games did with the Tiger Woods "walking on water" game glitch?
5. Sources
Who is going to be creating or producing all this great content for you? You have more choices than you may realize.
  • Employees can be an effective choice. US online shoe retailer Zappos.com encourages all staff to use Twitter and even has a competitive element: a leaderboard that ranks Zappos staff according to their Twitter following.
  • Agencies are an obvious route.
  • You could use industry peers by simply sign-posting people to relevant, interesting stuff.
  • User-generated content (UGC), crowdsourcing, and co-creation can also be a viable option for some brands.
6. Spaces
Which social and digital channels will the content be going out through? Or, put another way, what's the distribution strategy?
  • Brand media: outposts, websites, email, or events
  • Earned media: influencer networks, communities, or the media (what used to be called the press)
  • Paid media
How are you going to balance or integrate content across those spaces? Experiential and social spaces work really well together. For example, if we look at the T-Mobile flash mob in Liverpool Street station, it started with an event (or PR stunt, if you like), word of mouth spread online, and then the traditional media picked up the buzz and covered it via their channels.
Another challenging question: Is the brand able to build a social destination? Not many brands can pull that off. If you try and you don't currently have enough pulling power, you could find yourself spending a lot of money on generating traffic, which is pointless. It may be better to get out into the communities that already exist.
7. Formats
Formats that are appropriate to use include blog posts, presentations, videos, pictures, podcasts, tweets, Facebook, iPhone apps, or live streams.
Repurpose your content into different formats. For example, a white paper could be repurposed into a YouTube-video interview with the author, then into a series of blog posts, and then into an iTunes podcast.
Is your content in a format that is easy for people to share and remix? Cadbury's Eyebrows ad actively encouraged parody by providing tools to enable people to remix and share it.
8. Schedule
Remember that conversations can't be turned off like campaigns, so plan for a rolling three-month content schedule. Consider what will be preplanned and what will be left as ad hoc and reactive. How will you ensure a constant stream of content? How are you going to create peaks of interest?
9. Social Agents
Who will be manning your brand outposts? Who will be managing the conversations? Who will be building the relationships? Who will be redirecting questions or suggestions to the appropriate internal function? Who will be looking for early signs of an online crisis?
Ultimately, who will be responsible for your social brand?
Will your social agents be a central team, a distributed team, all employees, an agency?
10. Active Listening
To find out what the reaction to your content has been, you need to ensure you have set up your active-listening tools. 
What conversations have you started? What conversations do you want to join? How are you tracking against your objectives, targets, and budgets?

26.8.10

Creative Arts Emmy Awards



Old-spice
Isaiah Mustafa and ad agency Wieden + Kennedy took the Emmy for "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" for Old Spice Body Wash at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, beating out the octogenarian for the award for best TV commercial
It's the latest in a growing line of formal praise for a campaign that hit TV like a ton of bricks and became an ongoing viral sensation. (It moved a ton of product, too.) 
 Old Spice beat out Absolut vodka's "Anthem" (TBWA\Chiat\Day), Audi's "Green Car" (Venables, Bell & Partners), Snicker's "Game" (BBDO) and Nike's "Human Chain" and Coca-Cola's "Finals" (both also from Wieden).

23.8.10

Honda| Live every litre

Honda has cleverly inspired their consumers by making their stories the centre of Live Every Litre, but have elevated the content to another level by involving professional film-making talent.
Honda has framed the CR-Z hybrid vehicle with themes representing the joy of driving and "values you can share". To sell the sporty CR-Z, Honda is aiming to help drivers "Live Every Litre".

This approach differs from the usual fuel economy messages. Instead of being preached at to drive more responsibly and baffle drivers with renewable technology innovations, Honda's message asks drivers to trust them with looking after the science of fuel efficiency, so owners can get on with the important business of enjoying the CR-Z driving experience. In February 2010, a CR-Z vehicle was fitted with cameras, and drivers were recruited through various social networking platforms. Successful applicants were selected to drive the car around a part of Europe, followed by a film crew headed by director Claudio von Planta. Individuals had to audition for a chance to drive the car by stating where they would go and what they would do with the vehicle - such as take a loved one to Paris to propose, trace an ancestor, or take their band to play a special gig.
The "Live Every Litre" website allowed users to download widgets that would enable them to promote their application to friends, family, colleagues and wider communities. Applicants were selected by the project director, based on the most highly rated auditions and the most popular applicants in the Live Every Litre community.
Once applicants had been selected, the route, which covered a sizeable part of Europe, was planned and the cameras began to roll.
The resulting movie received a pan-European premier in a simultaneous mixture of real events and online broadcast. The final film focussed on the stories of five of the final cast and followed burlesque artist "Agent Lynch" as she brings Paris to a stand-still with the world's first guerrilla burlesque routine in the streets of the capital; fun-loving trio "The Schoolboys" who attempted the first recorded crossing of Lake Garda by bouncy castle and interrupt an international sailing regatta at the same time; "Bowman" a war veteran who has an emotional return to the site where he landed during D-Day in 1944 and heavy metal enthusiast Thomas, who drove from Madrid to Lisbon to realise his dream of meeting his all-time favourite group, Metallica. These stories are punctuated throughout with the tale of Sebastian, as he attempted "100 things to do before you die" in tribute to his friend who died in a tragic accident. Sebastian had already married a stranger in Vegas and broken a Guinness World Record and his appearance in the film is no less exciting as he gets his first tattoo in Amsterdam, gate crashes a red carpet premiere and sky-dives naked!
More than 1000 applications were received from 28 countries including Spain, Germany, Switzerland, UK and Romania. Filming took place over 38 days, starting in the Netherlands, heading down through Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and finishing at the infamous Nürburgring racing circuit in Germany.








BRAND: Honda
BRAND OWNER: Honda
CATEGORY:Automotive
REGION: Europe
DATE: February 2010 - ongoing
AGENCY: Grey
MEDIA CHANNEL: Branded Content,Cinema

8.8.10

Hedkandi salon|Love what you see.


All this for a beauty shop? Yes and Ilike both the insight that drive the creative process and the art direction of simple execution.

Woman and men feel good when look good and I appreciate the call for flattering individual entity and exterior 


hedkandi_1
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hedkandi_2




CREDITS
Advertising Agency: WAX, Calgary, AB Canada
Creative Director: Joe Hospodarec
Art Director: Brad Connell
Copywriter: Stephanie Bialik
Photographer: Gerard Yunker
Stylist: Leah Van Loon
Digital Retouching: Sheldon McLean
Published: July 2010

Awesome customization for MacBook



7.8.10

Brand story

As consumers, we are passionate about the brands we choose because those brands help us to define ourselves, to make a statement without having to speak. The brands themselves tell a story of our values and often allow us to convey things that are often better left unsaid. Many of these brands rely on authenticity to lend legitimacy to their experience. This story of heritage and origin becomes a key component of brand value as the brand matures and evolves.

However, the actions brands take today influence our perception of the past and manage future expectations. What you do today affects how people perceive what you did yesterday.


Coke
When Coke found that it was losing ground to its arch-rival Pepsi, Coke chose to reformulate and relaunch with a “new and improved” product which turned into, what many have called, the single greatest/worse move in branding history.
The company bent to the will of an outspoken public, bringing back “Classic Coke”. Coke’s new“classic” position was so successful that many believe this was the plan all along. To which Donald R. Keough, then President of Coca-Cola, said: “Some critics will say Coca-Cola has made a marketing mistake. Some cynics say that we planned the whole thing. The truth is, we’re not that dumb, and we’re not that smart.”
The Coke bottle is a world-renowned brand signal. It’s iconic shape and feel are a mental bridge to America’s past. A time when… (you fill in the blank). Today, Coke has further reinforced its rich history with a modern, plastic interpretation of its classic glass bottle. This has helped Coke to establish a position that defines the category, making others look inauthentic.


Oreo
With over 491 billion Oreo cookies sold since they were first introduced in 1912, Oreos are the best-selling cookies of the 20th century. In 1999 they drove their number one competitor Hydrox, out of the market. This wasn’t a question of big vs. small. While Oreos are produced by Nabisco (now a division of Kraft Foods), Hydrox was owned by Sunshine Biscuits (later acquired by Keebler, now owned by Kelloggs).
Families across America “know” that Oreo is the original sandwich cookie and Hydrox was the knock-off. Yet Oreo debuted on store shelves in 1912, four years after Hydrox was introduced (1908).
Regardless of the fact that Hydrox was the better tasting (by blind taste tests), Better engineered (stood up better in milk) or the original creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookie, Hydrox is perceived to be the knockoff. Why? The company failed to leverage their brand’s heritage and tell the story of what makes Hydrox different, better and original. So, just as Kleenex, Xerox and iPod have all entered the public lexicon, Oreo is now synonymous with creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies.
“History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon.”—Napoleon Bonaparte
Heritage isn’t the only path to brand authenticity. Where or how your brand is produced is also a signal of “genuine”. Above are two tales of brands that captured people’s memories with stories of heritage. One true. One false. Both authentic. Brands that tell authentic stories connect with consumers’ values and sense of self. Those that don’t, end up just another Hydrox.
Know of a brand that created authenticity or one that’s failed to leverage it? Share your thoughts.

6.8.10

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation [KSRTC]|Breath easy.


Bangalore in the last few years has seen such rapid development that its roads have become clogged and the traffic situation is frustrating. Concern India, an NGO in association with The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation [KSRTC] started an initiative "Breathe Easy" to encourage Bangaloreans to travel by bus to ease the situation.

http://www.5ders.com/blog/uploads/201008/05_155213_breatheeasyautorickshaws.preview.jpg

http://www.5ders.com/blog/uploads/201008/05_155220_breatheeasybikes.preview.jpg

http://www.5ders.com/blog/uploads/201008/05_155230_breatheeasycars.preview.jpg

1 bus means 40 less autos spewing toxic fumes.
Board a bus. Breath easy.



Advertising Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Bangalore, India
Creative Directors: Vipul Thakkar, Shamik Sengupta
Art Directors: Febyn Roy, Ajesh N
Copywriters: Devaiah Bopanna, Kunj Shah
Illustrator: Nitin Rao Kumblekar

Why would an energy company want us to use less energy?




Talking Energy’s a great little interactive campaign, and nice to see that E.ON is helping to raise public awareness of what it calls the Energy Trilemma – i.e. how to balance security of supply, reduction of carbon emissions, and affordability.
The campaign’s all about encouraging consumers to use less energy, and E.ON hopes that by doing this it will help reduce household bills, engender loyalty and customer support, and ultimately drive long-term profit.

This Body of Death (Lichaam van de Dood): Is that a dead body over there?

This Body of Death (Lichaam van de Dood): Is that a dead body over there?


To promote the book by Elizabeth George, a thriller called This Body of Death (In Dutch Lichaam van de Dood), we came up with this easy to retweet, easy to email and Facebook-friendly approach. We let the readers experience the first part of Elizabeth George's book 'live': the discovery of a dead body on a cemetery. It started out on Twitter and Facebook with messages like ' Is that a dead body over there? Check the live webcam!' And we let curiosity (and social media) do the rest...http://www.stokenewington-london.co.uk/index.html
Advertising Agency: Houdini, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Creative Directors: Boris Peters, Wilbert Leering
Art Directors: Boris Peters, Jonathan van Loon
Copywriter: Wilbert Leering
Production: Area25
Online programming: Kitty van der Gijp
Published: July 2010

4.8.10

"Did the Old Spice campaign really work?"


Old Spice says it's ecstatic with the results, and most independent analysis appears to back them up. Until now, Old Spice agency Wieden + Kennedy has generally stayed out of the effectiveness debate. But now the shop has released a video case history of the campaign, shown below, explaining how it sought to reach women and men simultaneously. 


It's mostly a sizzle reel of the spots, their many imitations and the campaign's impact in pop culture. W+K marshals an array of data points to buttress the it's-a-success side. The agency's video doesn't provide source citations for the facts, so I guess we'll put them in the "assertions" bucket. With that caveat, here are some of the key stats highlighted by the agency:


• Old Spice accounted for 75 percent of conversations in the category in the first three months of 2010.
• Half the conversations came from women.
• The YouTube/Twitter social media response campaign was "the fastest-growing and most popular interactive campaign in history."
• More people watched its videos in 24 hours than those who watched Obama's presidential victory speech. (Which most of us can agree is kinda sad.)
• Total video views reached 40 million in a week.
• Campaign impressions: 1.4 billion.
• Since the campaign launched, Old Spice Bodywash sales are up 27 percent; in the last three months up. 55 percent; and in the last month up 107 percent.



1.8.10

Celcom Broadband| Selling connectivity



Selling connectivity was seen as an easy task as i over and over again discussed with some creative heads... think again the shit advertised by STC, DU, Mobily is not creative. Wake up and please stop using ready made victor icons of social media.

Celcom Broadband connects users to the Internet wherever they are and whenever they want with ease. The use of paper projected from the dongle portrays an endless world of fun and limitless imagination, sending the message of the products ability to deliver the fastest speed, widest coverage and the most entertaining contents anytime, anywhere.



Content


Celcom Broadband: Content


Plug in. Watch away.

Coverage



Celcom Broadband: Coverage


Plug in. Far out.

Speed



Celcom Broadband: Speed


Plug in. Blast off.







Advertising Agency: M&C Saatchi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Creative Directors: Henry Yap, Jeff Ooi
Art Director: James Seet
Copywriter: Casey Loh
Illustrators: James Seet, Pui Fun Tham, Violet Tan
Photographer: PASHE Studio
Published: 2009


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