Friday Fun: Brand New Day

Here's a really clever post from "Jane." Basically she portrays her day visually through her interaction with products and brands.

I'd need a lot of Diet Coke logos for mine.

Interstitial ads: Too much of a bad thing?

Gerry McGovern wrote recently that finding is the new advertising. Not a new concept really - search moguls Google and Yahoo have been making money for years now displaying targeted ads - not the advertising to the masses that gets done in newspapers, radio, and TV.

But what's really new is the level of ad-receptiveness, or lack of it really. Today we are advertising averse. Ad-blind.

My wife thinks watching the previews is one of the best parts of going to the movies. Why? We expect it. We are receptive to it. We want it. It's entertaining and enticing. It's the Free Prize. Most people are not annoyed by the previews - most of the people that I know like them.

Interstitial ads are all the rage online. But they make you wait for what you want. In contrast, no one I know likes watching these ads and usually looks to see if there's a "skip this ad" button.

The web has brought new powers and capabilities to advertisers to reach people in new ways. The web allows marketers to target niche audiences that would have been cost prohibitive to reach in the past. The incredible success of the Google Adwords program is due to two main factors: (1) they can be incredibly granular and targeted allowing for great relevancy; and (2) they are at times very beneficial - providing useful links to the information, product or service the user was searching for.

In the short life of the web, online advertising has already seen several trends come and go. Pop-ups and banner ads, while still somewhat effective, are considered "old school." The interstitial ads, while very popular now, seem too much like television to me. They are the non-targeted, non-relevant, in most cases non-interesting commercial before the show. They are the painful, annoying opposite of a free prize.

One thing is for certain: online advertising is here to stay. New techniques and technologies will undoubtedly bring us new forms of advertising. But it's obvious we have a ways to go before we figure out exactly how content and advertising will live together in online harmony.

A brand new day

A brand is a powerful thing. A strong branding message ("Just Do It" from Nike or the Energizer Bunny) can say a lot about your product and convey to your customers what they can expect. Your brand can convey to your customers and your external audience what it is you stand for.

But a good brand can also have a tremendous effect internally. A strong brand message (GE: We bring good things to life; Apple: Think Different; Ford: Quality is Job 1) can define an organizational culture and affect how employees feel about the company.

Clarksville, Tennesee just unveiled a new logo and slogan for the city and all of its marketing efforts. Clarksville, which is Tennessee's northern-most city, is now "Tennessee's Top Spot." It's a nice double-entendre that will work well in marketing the city as a destination. But what is interesting is how excited people at the unveiling are about the brand - not only as a marketing tool but how it makes them feel about themselves and where they live.

As with any change, there can be naysayers. Some in Clarksville are saying it's a huge waste of money and Clarksville is not truly tops in anything. It's true, a new slogan and a new logo won't change the city overnight. It doesn't fix potholes or build schools. But a strong brand can not only reflect the current situation, but it can set a tone for the future. A brand can not only communicate who you are today but who you strive to become.

Clarksville, Tennessee: Just Do It.

What are you selling?

Here's a nice post from Jonathon that challenges you to look beneath the surface. What fears, insecurities, aspirations, and desires are marketers playing on when they promote their products?

For instance, WalMart has recently changed their marketing campaign to focus on saving you money and how that can help you live a better life. Their not selling their products in the ads, they're selling thrift.

A few others to add to Jonathon's list:

- Bud Light doesn't sell the taste of their beer, they sell humor and good times.
- Cadillac doesn't sell cars, they sell style and acceptance.
- Volvo doesn't sell cars, they sell safety.
- Microsoft doesn't sell software, they sell productivity.
- Visa doesn't sell debt, they sell paying convenience.
- Home Depot doesn't sell their tools, they sell DIY confidence and assistance.
- L'Oreal doesn't sell cosmetics, they sell beauty.
- Pfizer doesn't sell drugs, they sell well-being.

Customer 2.0

So the new issue of "New Thinking" arrived in my in-box the other day. New Thinking is a great free e-newsletter from web content guru Gerry McGovern.

In this latest issue, Gerry tackles the issue of the evolution of the modern customer: Today's customer, empowered by the web, is more cynical, more informed, more jaded and less loyal than past versions. He is resistant to "marketing speak" and prefers facts over emotions. It's a thought-provoking piece on how some of the traditional marketing tactics no longer work on today's customer and how the modern world requires "New Thinking."

You can read Gerry's latest e-newsletter here or catch up on past issues, organized by topic.

Marketing thoughts: Quoth the mavens

"The mass market has split into ever-multiplying, ever-changing sets of micromarkets that demand a continually expanding range of options." --Alvin Toffler

"The product is our most important marketing tool." --Phil Knight, Nike

"I notice increasing reluctance on the part of marketing executives to use judgment; they are coming to rely too much on research, and they use it as a drunkard uses a lamp post for support, rather than for illumination." --David Ogilvy

"Almost no one goes home eagerly anticipating junk mail in their mailbox. Almost no one read People magazine for the ads. Almost no one looks forward to a three-minute commercial interruption on must see TV. Advertising is not why we pay attention. Yet marketers must make us pay attention for the ads to work. If they don't interrupt our train of thought by planting some sort of seed in our conscious or subconscious, the ads fail. Wasted money. If an ad falls in the forest and no one notices, there is no ad." -- Seth Godin

The cobblers' kids DO have shoes

The old expression "The cobbler's kids have no shoes" holds true for many businesses and their websites. Often marketing agencies are terrible at marketing themselves. Great shops have websites where you can't shop. Information technology companies are often lacking information and using old technology.

But here are a few examples of web design companies whose sites serve as an endorsement of the quality of their work. Their kids are walking around in some spiffy shoes.

Digital Kick - be sure to click around and explore.

AgencyNet - very creative design. Navigating can be a little confusing.

Avenue A / Razorfish - very clean and clear.

352 Media - integrates video onto their homepage. Also see MindComet.

New City Media - attractive design which highlights their portfolio.

Red Clay - beautiful imagery.

Ironworks - a shameless plug for my employer.

The soft sell

My wife drives a Toyota. Having bought a car from them in the past makes us a prime marketing target for Toyota today. The theory goes "You liked us enough to buy from us one time...Consider us again when the time comes. And isn't now a good time?"

Recently we received a mailing inviting us to take a look at their new lineup of 2008 vehicles and consider one. But what struck me was the URL they were directing us to on every page of the fold-out: Toyota.com/shop. Just shop. No implied pressure. Come look, learn, compare.

This is very different from the Toyota ads I've seen on TV for the last few years. They all promoted the website BuyAToyota.com.

Now this could just be a matter of relationship marketing - current Toyota customers get sent to "shop" while new acquisitions go to "buy."

So I looked up some of the newer ads for Toyota like this one and this one, and they both end with simply "Toyota.com."

Not that Toyota has ever struggled with sales, but maybe we're seeing a shift from the hard sell to the soft sell.

Another car manufacturer, Mercury, struggling like many American car companies, says simply "You've got to put Mercury on your list."

With consumers being inundated with more advertising messages than ever, helpful, suggestive, but not pushy marketing seeems to be the current trend.

Fight for Kisses

Haven't played the game yet (other than in real life) but the trailer is hilarious and very creative.

Fight for Kisses

Branding's periodic table

What's the difference between Marketing, Branding and Advertising? What is Brand Equity? Or Marketing Position? Few areas are as jargon-filled and full of similar-sounding things as Corporate Branding. The folks at Kolbrener have created a clever tool to help us keep it all straight.

Click on the chart to be taken to the interactive version.

Advertising Truthiness

My son sees me shaving and tells me I should use some new-fangled shave gel because he saw a commercial for it on TV and "it works great." My son is six and has never once shaved his face. I tell him that he can't believe everything he sees on TV. That some messages are just trying to get you to buy something.

I try to deconstruct some of the messages to show him what I mean:

"Four out of five dentists recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum."
My take: Most dentists would probably prefer you not chew gum at all.

"Buy this car - it received a five star side-impact rating."
My take: Maybe it loses half its value in the first year and gets terrible gas mileage.

"You may have already won $1,000,000."
My take: We're almost certain you didn't win anything.

Dudley Moore once made a movie called Crazy People in which advertising execs started telling the truth in their ads. (Volvo: They're boxy but good.) In this cynical age of transparency, in which we've been bombarded with advertising and spin our whole lives, companies can gain a lot of credibility by being brutally honest. Admit your mistake when you mess up. Make amends. But most of all, don't mislead us.

Friday fun: Name that chip

Frito-Lay is involving its customers in a new contest to name a flavor of its popular Doritos chips. After giving the chips a name, which prints right on the bag as you watch, you even have the chance to write and produce a commercial for it.

As marketers look for new and innovative ways to gain our attention, this kind of "participatory advertising" is becoming more and more common.

The Implicit Web is Watching You

We've all seen links like "Most Popular Articles" or "Most Emailed" on a website. Or e-commerce recommendations like "You might also like this" at a place like Amazon or LL Bean.

The concept is simple: sites are becoming "smarter" and more able to present information in a personalized way. This personalization used to be done based on explicit information the user had provided - an age, a sex, a zip code, a profession. But now, more implicit, behavioral factors are feeding this revolution.

I highly recommend this article on The Implicit Web.

Friday fun: Lover boy

Do the subtle differences between marketing, PR, advertising and branding get you confused? Maybe this will help you keep them straight.

Hello, Mom?

Not an mp3 player. Not a camera. Not an email device. Just a simple, well-designed cell phone that even my parents might use.

A Cell Phone for Baby Boomers

Jalopy.com?

There's a classic marketing exercise where you are asked "if our company were a car, what kind of car would it be?" Is your company fast and exciting like a Porsche? Or conservative and safe like a Volvo? Is your company a Mercedes (luxurious and high-class) or a Mini Cooper (fun and friendly)?

There's no right or wrong answer. But it's a helpful exercise to gauge the "personality" of your company. Your corporate personality is your brand. And that personality should be reflected on your website. Not just with a logo or a tagline, but with the entire web experience.

The Porsche site should be fast and sporty. The Volvo site should stress luxury and safety. The Mercedes site should be well designed and connote quality. The Mini Cooper site should be fun.

If your website doesn't reflect the brand values and personality of your organization, it may be time for a tune-up.

Advertising is story time

We've all seen him. The roadside guy dressed like a chicken holding a sign announcing the opening of the new barbecue place. Or the dancing guy spinning a sign for the new wireless carrier.

They are real-life pop-up ads.

We all look at them and dismiss them. Say they don't work. A friend of mine goes so far as to claim that advertising as a whole "doesn't work" on him. But brand awareness and location awareness are worth something. Maybe you're not in the market for a new cell phone (or barbecued chicken) today. But when you are, these companies are betting that a little part of your brain will have filed the information away and you'll remember their store.

You should market your products and services the same way online. No, I'm not advocating you dress up like a chicken. But you should think "long-term." Ads are not all about click throughs. Conversion is not the "be-all end-all." Sometimes it takes multiple messages to get the point across. Dell doesn't expect you to buy a computer every time you see one of their ads. But when you're in the market for one, maybe you'll think of Dell.

Advertising is about telling a story as much as it is selling a product. The Mac vs. PC ads today are a great example. They never say "go buy a Mac" or give you a price or any call to action at all. Years ago Infiniti introduced a new car with an ad campaign that never even showed the car. Ads for investment companies seem to tell a story that if I put my money with them, I'll live to a ripe old age, be in good health, and have great looking, well-behaved grandchildren.

So figure out what story you want to tell, then get out there and dance.

Keep your friends close, but your competition closer

I had an economics professor tell me this story once. I have no idea if it's completely accurate or taken from a book, but years later I still find it interesting.

McDonald's has a pretty successful track record. Rarely do you see a McDonald's location go out of business. When McDonald's is considering opening up a new location, they spend thousands of dollars and commission a study to look at factors such as:

• How far away is the closest McDonald's?
• What's the average income of the surrounding neighborhood?
• Is it a commercial or residential area?
• How much would the real estate cost?
• How much traffic does the road get? At what times of the day?
• What speed are the cars going?

Here's what Wendy's does:

• Open franchises next to McDonald's.

If the area can support a McDonalds, in all likelihood a Wendy's will thrive there too. And now they've saved all that time and effort researching locations. Take a look around in your town and as you travel. They are often in very close proximity.

So how does this apply online? Don't turn a blind eye to your competition. Learn from their successes and failures. Subscribe to their e-newsletters or RSS feeds. Use tools like Alexa and Google News Alerts to keep track of what they are doing. But also collaborate with them when it makes sense. After all, there's probably room on your street corner for both Big Macs and Frostys.

"Word of a Stranger's Mouth" Marketing

I get some interesting spam email messages. I recently received one from someone named Marcel trying to sell me a watch. The subject line read "Mauricio said these are incredible." Another one, also for watches, said "Kerri said these are unbelievable."

Now even though I know no one by those names, I'm sure Kerri and Mauricio are reputable folks who know a fine timepiece when they see it. But I don't think these emails are trying to fool me into thinking that these are real endorsements from real people I know. Surely the spammers could choose more common names that Kerri or Mauricio, right? Maybe they think those names are unique enough to get my attention.

But "word of mouth" is really at work here. The company isn't saying "Red-hot watches here, Get yer Rollexx, here." Instead, they have "Mauricio" and "Kerri" give testimonial endorsements of their products. The cynic in me says this must work or they wouldn't all be doing it.

It turns out, people are pretty trusting of others. CNet, Epinions, and Amazon are all examples of where product reviews made by complete strangers, have been shown to be incredibly valuable. Sites like Digg, Reddit and Newsvine take this "wisdom of crowds" approach and apply it to the news.

I propose that never before in the history of man have the thoughts and opinions of strangers been so powerful - powerful enough to influence what we read, hear, buy and watch.

Hmmm...Buy. Watch. Now what did I do with that email from Marcel...?