Updated: April 18, 2008 02:24 PM
Updated: April 18, 2008 02:24 PM
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AdRantsPosted by Phil.Gomes
Microsoft's Tom Murphy, one of the first PR bloggers, has found yet another example of folks thinking that they can hide their identities online.
The problem is this: These are examples of marketers who don't think in terms of "right" and "wrong," but rather "What can I get away with?"
And it's not just marketers, either. I've seen people engaged in grassroots movements who beat their chests about a given topic on one blog, and then create a bunch of sockpuppet blogs to cheer themselves on.
It's the digital breadcrumbs you leave everywhere you go online. They will always lead back to you.
Ethical marketers and consumers alike, I leave you with this: In the otherwise forgettable Fred Ward movie Remo Williams, the J.A. Preston character had simple instructions for Remo.
"You're going to be the Eleventh Commandment: 'Thou shalt not get away with it.'"
Technorati Tags:
public relations, pr, marketing, astroturf
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posted by Phil.Gomes
Posted by Phil.Gomes
I've had this conversation a number of times in the past couple of weeks, so it's worth posting here.
I talk a lot about podcasting to a lot of folks. Generally, we're talking about audio programming, here.
Eventually, a brainstorm starts to happen about all of the cool ways that companies can deliver branded and (dare I say it) journalistic-quality content.
Inevitably, one person will pipe up with, "Yeah, this is all great, but why aren't we thinking in terms of video?"
There's a pervasive sense that "Everything is better with video." Typically, these are guys who have watched too much Rocketboom.
I disagree... Different tools for different jobs.
Audio -- digital or analog -- is one of the most democratized forms of media. (More democratized than the printed word, even, since it transcends literacy.) The devices to consume audio are much less sophisticated and less costly than the ones for consuming video, therefore more available.
Video demands a consumer's full attention, whereas audio can be enjoyed while occupied with other things.
When looking to create a quality product, audio is also cheaper to produce.
Sure, there are things that really do deserve the video treatment, but just because you've chosen audio as your medium of choice doesn't mean that you're making something that's somehow less... less... less cool.
Pick the medium based on your goals and the nature of content you'd like to share, not by the perceived "sexiness" of the medium on an arbitrary scale.
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posted by Phil.Gomes
Posted by Alexandra.Levit
As if there weren’t enough word-of-mouth about Lost already (and don’t get me wrong, that’s a good thing), the hit ABC show’s producers have taken their highly addictive island adventure into the online space. Starting with the May 3, 2006 episode, a cryptic ad for “The Hanso Foundation” appeared during a commercial break. The ad directed viewers to a Web site, www.thehansofoundation.org, and a phone number, 877-HANSORG. The next week, another commercial for Hanso was broadcast, this time sending viewers to www.sublymonal.com.
Producers call this campaign “The Lost Experience,” an alternative-reality game based on the show that provides fans with a network of leads and clues to further explore the mysteries of the Lost island. And boy is this thing viral. Blogs and forums are popping up all over the world, and phone lines associated with the game are have been jammed since the minute the first commercial aired in Europe. Even ABC was unprepared for the response, telling the Chicago Tribune that they were “blown away.” I knew the frenzy had reached a new level entirely when friends who had no interest in the show before (silly them) started tuning in after stumbling upon one of the affiliated Web sites.
The geniuses behind Lost have always been ahead of the curve. Lost was one of the first network TV shows to be offered as downloads on Apple iTunes. And now, they’ve proven that the magic formula for buzz is to provide a multimedia, multi-dimensional, integrated entertainment experience. It’s about inviting fans to come along for the ride – allowing them to contribute their own ideas, be a part of the action, and live in the Lost world. It’s about hooking them early and making ongoing participation irresistible.
The icing on the cake? Just think about how easy it was for ABC to persuade advertisers to buy space on the May 3 and May 10 episodes. One sentence sums it up: “People with TIVO will be watching these commercials, trust us.”
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posted by Alexandra.Levit
Posted by Rick.Murray
I loved Julie Bosman's piece on user-generated ads in today's New York Times. In it, she talks about a new Sony ad that breaks today on Current TV that was produced by a 19-year-old from the Twin Cities named Tyson Ibele.
In return for his effort, Tyson is getting his 15 minutes, some seriously cool cred, and $1,000. Sony and Current TV get some props in the NYT and an amazing ROI. Think about it: At standard hourly rates, just about any agency (including ours) would have chewed that up getting briefed by the client on our next assignment. A slam dunk for everyone — except the ad agencies involved.
But that's not what agency's should be having nightmares about. The simple fact is this: It ain't about the money. There are millions of Tysons out there blogging, posting reviews, talking with their friends on myspace.com and yes, creating (or mashing up) ads, parodies, how-to's, and so on about their favorite — and least favorite — brands every day. And they're doing it for free... because they find it both engaging and empowering.
The nightmare to which Ms. Bosman refers will keep waking us all up with the cold sweats until we realize that this phenomoenon we're seeing isn't about commerce; it's about conversation. Tyson's opinion and what he does with it are not for sale. No one's is.
A brand's lovers and detractors are going to keep sharing their opinions and their self-generated content with or without financial incentive. What's to worry? I see that as a really good thing.
Think about it. Collectively, we spend billions trying to capture our target's imagination for a few seconds. yet here comes the age of conversation, and our target will actually spend hours, if not days, engaged with our brands.
I think it all boils down to trust. You have to have trust in your brand, and you have to place trust in the hands of your most passionate advocates. They'll be a far more passionate and credible voice in countering those voices than anything.
If the detractors start gaining traction, it's time to take a good, hard look in the mirror. Fast. Whatever they're complaining about is likely a very real and recurring product or service issue. And that's something that will get talked about until it's fixed.
Technorati Tags:
advertising, pr, public relations, word of mouth, womm, cgm, sony, currenttv
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posted by Rick.Murray
Posted by Phil.Gomes
Yeah, I know. 38.
Anyway... AdAge's Bob Garfield pans the Pirelli not-quite-viral video, which is an odd cross between The Exorcist and Christine. (The Pirelli video, that is, not Bob's panning.)
Bob writes:
The only thing that stands out in this film... is a sense of pathetic self-delusion. The idea that this link would be forwarded around the world to countless prospective tire purchasers is wishful thinking on a hallucinatory scale. And if you think we're being unkind, go online and read the viewer comments so far.Ouch.
MediaBistro says "If you'd ever wondered what ten million dollars looked like when it's taken out into a field and set ablaze, here's your chance."
Forget the money and the overwrought production. For me, "viral video" means "Can be started and finished by a cubicle-dweller during work hours without the boss noticing or the viewer pausing it." If you want to watch this, it's quite an investment of time. Your boss is likely to walk by right at the denoument.
Technorati Tags:
viral video
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posted by Phil.Gomes
TalkShop is a blog about word-of-mouth and the Me2 Revolution, published by Edelman and hosted by Phil Gomes, the company's Senior Counsel, Online Communications. This blog pulls in thoughts and opinions from members of the worldwide Edelman network.
Posts that contain WOM OR WOMM OR "Word of Mouth" per day for the last 30 days.
Get your own chart!