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September 29, 2009
Microsoft Windows 7 House Party: Public Relations Disaster or Video Marketing Triumph?If you create something so bad that it goes viral, is it a public relations disaster or a video marketing triumph?
That's the question that journalists and bloggers are asking after watching HostingYourParty, which tells you how to host a Microsoft Windows 7 House Party.
Microsoft is putting a Tupperware-style twist on the upcoming Windows 7 rollout -- launching a new initiative to encourage thousands of employees, partners and technology enthusiasts to throw parties in their homes and communities to demonstrate and help spread the word about its new operating system.
People accepted as official launch party hosts will get their own copy of Windows 7 Ultimate Edition, and a chance to win a computer. But unlike the Tupperware model, there will be no literal selling. These parties are more about generating word-of-mouth buzz.
To promote this idea, Microsoft has uploaded a video to YouTube. Some journalists and bloggers think it is a public relations disaster.
Cindy Perman of CNBC writes, "You just knew that once they put the Microsoft geeks in charge of the "party," that it wouldn't be a 10-kegger and before long, we'd all be putting lampshades over our heads."
Ian Douglas, a tech blogger for the Daily Telegraph in London, writes, "I'm beginning to think that no one involved with Microsoft's advertising has ever left the house or spoken to a real person."
And James Lileks of The Bleat writes, "If Microsoft had been put in charge of marketing sex, the human race would have ended long ago, because no one would be caught dead doing something that uncool."
Now, you may be tempted to watch this 6-minute, 14-second video yourself -- to jump to your own conclusion. But, I warn you -- only serious geeks like me will watch beyond the first minute.
Now, if Microsoft really wanted to show people how to hold a Windows 7 Launch Party, they might have created a remix of the 1950s educational video below about what, in fact, makes a "good" party.
1950 - What Makes a Good Party
Not all of the reaction to Microsoft's Windows 7 House Party has been negative. Some of it can be charitably described as "mixed."
David Meerman Scott of Web Ink Now, asks, "Is this Microsoft Windows 7 House Party thing real? Or is it an incredibly wonderful and clever spoof on a 50s educational video that is so well done as to have fooled most observers who seem to think it is legit?"
Janice L. Brown of The Fussy Marketer also asks, "Hmm, if something goes viral because it's so bad, does that still count as achieving the marketing goals?"
Nevertheless, Lieutenant Columbo, if he were blogging these days, would ask just one more thing: "Why did Microsoft disable ratings and adding comments on HostingYourParty?"
Is this something you'd do if you were hoping for a video marketing triumph?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Posted by Greg Jarboe at 9:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)
January 29, 2009
SEW Experts: Bribing People With $50 Gift Cards: Part DeuxWe asked what you might want to see here, and what a promotion-monitoring component would look like. In today's online promotion & link building column, "Bribing People With $50 Gift Cards: Part Deux," Sage Lewis shares some reader ideas that far exceeded expectations, and could really help push this column further along.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
January 22, 2009
SEW Experts: Jumpstart a Viral Marketing CampaignAbout to launch a viral campaign and need to energize it to increase the likelihood of success? In today's online promotion & linkbuilding column, "Jumpstart a Viral Marketing Campaign," Justilien Gaspard shares some strategies that can help jumpstart it and spread the word.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 4, 2008
SEW Experts: Viral Link Building: Size Doesn't Always MatterDespite some popularly held ideas to the contrary, viral campaigns don't need to be massive to be successful. You can have a small campaign that has a big impact in your industry or community. In today's linkbuilding column, "Viral Link Building: Size Doesn't Always Matter," Justilien Gaspard explains that the power of viral marketing for link building comes from going after a targeted audience.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 10, 2008
SEW Experts: Link Building via Word-of-MouthGet people talking positively about your company or product and the links will follow. In today's linkbuilding column, "Link Building via Word-of-Mouth," Justilien Gaspard offers some tips on how to increase exposure, branding, and build links all at the same time.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 10, 2008
SEW Experts: Link Building Strategies: Apprentice EditionGreat content is only half the battle. Don't forget the other half: getting the word out about your great content. In today's Link Building column, "Link Building Strategies: Apprentice Edition," Sage Lewis shares his past mistakes when building a blog for The Apprentice, and neglecting to tell anyone about it.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink
February 24, 2008
How It Came To This: Virals vs. MicrosoftMicrosoft recently published a letter from Kevin Johnson, President of Microsoft's Platforms & Services Division, to his team. The letter details Microsoft's interest in the Yahoo! merger, and the benefits the company and its employees will gain if the deal goes through. The letter seems to focus entirely on a friendly purchase, though Microsoft has already authorized a proxy fight for Yahoo! NYTimes.com DealBook looks at the letter as a "pep talk" to employees in preparation of a protracted and dirty fight, despite the letter's gentle nature. I'm inclined to agree.
But how did it get to this? How was such a huge, and by many accounts, generous, offer so roundly rejected by Yahoo? Let me propose a novel answer; you're to blame.
Yes, you - the average Flickr user, Digg poster, YouTube browser. You embraced virals that broadcasted the "evil empire" stereotype of Microsoft and directly appealed to Yahoo to either reject the deal--or to hold out for more money. You flooded Flickr with images opposing the purchase, pledging to keep Microsft's "evil grubby hands" off of Flickr. You Dugg a video of Sphigler advising Jerry Yang to pull out an iPhone during his meeting with Microsoft as a negotiating technique. In fact, you Dugg it twice. According to Ran Harnevo, CEO of 5min.com, which created the Sphigler viral (below), the video may have been directly responsible for the decision by Yahoo's board. "I received a mail from someone at Yahoo that everyone had seen the video," he said, "including Jerry Yang."
In short you lived up to your honorific as Time's Person of the Year. You tanked the biggest deal of the decade. At least for now.
Watch more DIY videos on 5min.comPosted by at 5:58 PM | Permalink
February 8, 2008
Yahoo News Reports Microsoft Bid ChangeThis just in: Yahoo! News (AP on Yahoo News) scooped the world on the most amazing number ever reported for MicroHoo. Since all wait with linkbaited breath for the latest Microsoft-Yahoo bid, here 'tis:
$45 MILLION dollars!
Microsoft agreed to pay how much for Yahoo? Would the Yahoo board of directors accept this low-ball offer from Microsoft?
O who will save Yahoo from Microsoft? We need a white knight. Our suggestion, Sir Spamalot orSir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir Lancelot Maybe several bidders led by Leader of The Knights who say NI! And now for something completely different, a Black Knight.
Who caught this typo last week? Eagle-eyed Incisive Media creative manager, Drew Eastmead, creative genius behind SES Magazine - official publication of Search Engine Strategies shows noticed someone didn't get the copy right.
As Yahoo News warns us all:
"The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press."
"Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press." "Copyright © 2008 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved."
And now we know why they want express written consent.
Posted by Kevin Heisler at 1:40 PM | Permalink
October 10, 2007
Nielsen: Search Ads Score Low on TrustA recent study from the Nielsen Company found that word of mouth was the most trusted form of advertising worldwide, while search ads are more trusted than only banner ads and text ads on cell phones.
Based on a survey of 26,486 internet users in 47 markets from Europe, Asia Pacific, the Americas and the Middle East, the results showed that online media, like search ads, may not be the most persuasive way to sell something.
Recommendations from consumers are trusted by 78 percent of respondents, followed by newspapers at 63 percent. The most trusted forms of online advertising are consumer opinions posted online, trusted by 61 percent of respondents, and brand websites, trusted by 60 percent.
Search engine ads are trusted by just 34 of respondents: less trusted than television (56%), magazines (56%), radio (54%), brand sponsorships (49%), opt-in e-mail (49%), and ads before movies (38%). Search ads beat out online banner ads (26%) and text ads on mobile phones (18%)
These findings don't mean that search ads are useless, obviously. But they do point to some interesting ways to utilize search marketing, according to Justilien Gaspard. He offers marketers some questions to reflect on: Is your company...investing advertising dollars in “trusted” sources of information?...making use of link development with editorial content?...utilizing consumer opinions for links and sales?...encouraging consumers to talk about your product/service online?
Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 3:41 PM | Permalink
September 26, 2007
Viral Recommendations Have Natural LimitsWhether cruising around social networks or shopping online, I do pay attention to friends' recommendations -- ranging from the newest restaurant, to the hippest shoes and most effective plumber. My social circle influences my interests and purchases, and I find myself often passing on suggested links to others or checking out something mentioned to me.
But how effective are friends in actually closing the sale? In a recent study, The Dynamics of Viral Marketing (log-in required), researchers set about trying to debunk the lore of viral marketing. It turns out that each friend can influence me at first, but then loses her impact on my clicks or purchases. After a while, I'm likely to ignore her links altogether.
As marketers, this translates into our needing a constant supply of new recommenders. Sheer volume of shared links does not necessarily correlate with conversions. Based on the study, we may be heading into new territory from what we have seen in the past. Search marketing typically succeeds by having links distributed and exposed as widely as possible. Apparently, asking “related others” to recommend and link for you does not always result in a sale.
There are other dynamics involved in actual person-to-person recommendations and their effectiveness. Just a few of the study's findings concluded that:
* People like to initiate recommendations, with 94% having sent a link prior to receiving one. * People have sway over some friends, but not all. When an individual sends out more recommendations, conversions decline. * If more people recommend a product to an individual, it increases conversion at first. There is saturation, however, if too many people send links. * Influence varies by product type, though more expensive products have higher conversions.
Viral recommendations do still work, and can be an effective way to get the word out about a new product or offering. Beyond the old “send to a friend,” they are even more potent on social sites as the links linger for all to see and share. We simply need to readjust our expectations about possible outcomes.
Posted by at 6:34 PM | Permalink
July 16, 2007
ToDou: China's YouTube Adds Advertising, Gets Venture CapitalToDou, the Chinese equivalent to YouTube, announced the launch of an ad serving platform, as well as the acquisition of $19 million in venture capital, according to an Adotas report.
ToDou gets 50 percent of China's valid video sharing, according to IResearch. "40 million Chinese Internet users are currently watching more than 1.2 billion videos each month off of the Tudou platform", Adotas stated.
Kathy Xu, of Capital Today - one of the venture investors - said, “Tudou is a new life style where we see millions of people spend hours and hours to watch their own shows. It is a cool place where new stars will be born, and new media where eyeballs will eventually turn into advertising dollars.”
Posted by Frank Watson at 3:51 PM | Permalink
April 26, 2007
Meet the Newest Link Love Columnist, Sage LewisWe welcome aboard a new SEW Expert, Sage Lewis, in today's Link Love column, where he will be sharing commentary and expertise on link building from the social aspect. Sage will be splitting time in Link Love with columnist Justilien Gaspard.
In his first contribution, Prevention is the Best Medicine: Don't Let Viral Campaigns Get Sick and Die, Lewis diagnoses problems with the most feverish trend in link building - viral marketing campaigns.
Sage Lewis is President of the consulting firm, SageRock.com and will be speaking on measuring the impact of social media and viral marketing at our next SEW Live in Columbus, Ohio - taking place on May 9th.
Posted by at 12:56 PM | Permalink
February 8, 2007
Lycos Jumps Into the Social MixWith the launch of Lycos MIX (http://mix.lycos.com), a new bookmarking tool, Lycos users can pull video clips from a variety of different sources across the web (YouTube, MySpace,Yahoo Video, and others) into one playlist, creating a community around shared interests and topics.
Within the MIX interface, users can add new videos, rate and comment on all the videos within a given playlist. Playlists can be made private or kept public, and the owner of a content mix can approve or discard video additions.
Lycos Mix works for both PC and MAC users, and browsers including IE, Windows, Safari and Firefox support Lycos MIX.
More notes from the release:
“Lycos MIX continues the evolution of community and video with a true Web 2.0 collaborative, contributory and interactive social viewing experience,” said Brian Kalinowski, chief operating officer for Lycos, Inc. “Unlike social networking sites, each MIX is a collection of video clips where users socialize around content, not individual people or profiles, creating combinations of lasting content to share with others. With Lycos MIX, users can create an amalgamation of video content where others participate by viewing, commenting and adding more clips.”Other unique functionality includes a “MIX It” bookmarklet feature, allowing users to quickly and easily add videos from other sites to their MIXES without cutting or pasting URL's. Robust permanent comment and rating system features also allow users to rate MIXES, as opposed to individual pieces of video content.
Posted by Elisabeth Osmeloski at 12:38 PM | Permalink
February 7, 2007
Rand Fishkin, the SUPER ManRand Fishkin of SEOmoz comes clean with a super secret... he was "that guy" who wanted to propose to his girlfriend during a SuperBowl commercial. Yes folks, the blogger behind MySuperProposal.com was in fact Rand Fishkin, and with a lot of help from Joseph Morin, CEO & Founder of Storybids.com, they almost pulled off the best play of Superbowl XLI. And it probably would have had the most talked/blogged about Superbowl commercial of 2007.
When the inital plans to raise money for a commerical slot or find an advertiser to sponsor the proposal fell through, CBS almost stepped up to the plate to air the 15 second proposal for FREE, based on the viral buzz the MySuperProposal blog had created. By the halftime show, (hello, who would have preferred to see this over Prince?) Rand knew it wasn't going to happen during the big game. So Plan B followed: air this simple spot locally during his long time girlfriend's favorite TV show, Veronica Mars, and drop the clip on iFilm.com, followed by a torturous wait for Geraldine's response.
Watch Rand's Video Proposal Now:
So that's not the end of the story, of course - here's the video of Geraldine's exciting reaction, which was also posted on iFilm.com, two hours after the proposal clip:
Danny Sullivan & I also discussed the impending proposal, earlier in the day on the Daily Searchcast, where you may catch me *nearly* letting some of the secret slip!
In addition to the details on MySuperProposal, SeattlePI.comhas much of the local scoop and backstory on how the project evolved, and I'm sure the SEO blogosphere is going to buzzing about this, but let me (and the team at SEW) be the first to say: Congratulations, Geraldine & Rand!
Posted by at 1:49 AM | Permalink
January 24, 2007
Fingerprinting Videos, Music May Help Stop Piracy2006 was a good year for Advestigo, a French company that helps guard digital assets - winning a number of prestigious awards including the Information Society Technology Award. 2007 looks like it could be an even bigger year as it rolls out its AdvestiSearch - the technology for fingerprinting digital video and music so companies like YouTube and MySpace can quickly find and remove offenders.
The launch of this technology should help Google and other search engines from future lawsuits over listing or hosting (in the case of YouTube) pirated media.
FT.com gives a good overview of the potential of this technology.
Posted by Frank Watson at 5:01 PM | Permalink
January 18, 2007
Dell Says Buy A Computer And We Plant A TreeDell CEO Michael Dell used the CES event in Las Vegas last week to announce his company's new "Plant A Tree For Me" campaign.
Dell said the company will donate $2 for every laptop sold and $6 for each PC.
Dell has been in the forefront of conservation initiatives. In 2004 they offered free recycling of old computers for anyone buying a new one from them.
The Associated Press reported Dell challenged all computer manufacturers to become involved in recycling. Asking the companies "to join us in providing free recycling for every customer in every country you do business, all the time – no exceptions".
"It's the right thing to do for our customers. It's the right thing to do for our earth," Dell stated.
Posted by Frank Watson at 1:45 PM | Permalink
December 28, 2006
2006: The Year Search Grew UpBarry Schwartz first posted this over at SEL, but Chris Winfield of 10e20 did such a great job of listing the 101 Biggest Stories in Search for 2006, it deserves to be noted several times in the search blogosphere. It's a comprehensive list of everything from product launches, personnel moves (including those here at SEW), and the rise of Internet celebrities.
Perhaps most important to recognize is Winfield's commentary looking back on the year and how 'search' played a bigger role in society: 2006 was a year that saw the definition of search expand. Search to me has become an all-encompassing word. Search is information. Search is media. Search is social interaction. Search is life.
Though mostly an arbitrary listing, Winfield priortized the list according to his opinions, and did a comendable job, so the entire thing is a must-read. Barry noted the top 5 stories, so I would like to point out some other defining moments in the list:
-
#97 - Stephen Colbert vs. Wikipedia
#84. Yahoo! and Ask embark on huge traditional ad campaigns but still remain at 2 & 4 respectively in searchers
#69. Google launches Book Search
#54. Yahoo settles click fraud suit
#51. Google agrees to censor results in China
#28. AOL leaks user search data
#26. Microsoft launches adCenter
#20. Yahoo announces Panama Search Advertising System
#19. Google tops $500 a share
#15. Microsoft introduces new search engine (3/8) and then redirects search.msn.com to Live.com
#13. The Butler is Dead - AskJeeves rebrands itself to Ask.com
#7. Congress bans Internet gambling
#5. Google, Yahoo and Microsoft support Universal Sitemaps Standard
#3. Social Media Optimization
#1. Google Buys YouTube for $1.65 Billion
Personally, I'm really happy Chris put together this mega-list, because I had thoughts of compiling one, and honestly, I was a bit overwhelmed by the idea. (And yes, I think #2 on the list was a pretty big deal.)
Postscript: Kevin Newcomb & I both posted about the list at nearly the same time, (it should be noted he did beat me to the punch) - I combined some of his post with this one.
Posted by Elisabeth Osmeloski at 12:08 PM | Permalink
December 18, 2006
Kevin Rose Launches New Look For Digg HomepageDigg just had a remodel. As Kevin Rose describes in his blog today, the site no longer uses fixed widths, while prominent spots have been made for podcasts and videos.
With new separate sections for News, Videos and Podcasts, finding what you want will be quicker, Rose said.
Rose includes a video explaining the changes and can be seen at his blog.
Posted by Frank Watson at 3:57 PM | Permalink
December 15, 2006
SEOmoz Does Cartoon of SES ChicagoThe creative team over at SEOmoz have published a great comic recap of Chicago SES. Capturing with cartoon irreverence many of the better known members of the search industry.
It gets my vote for most creative SES conference summary.
Posted by Frank Watson at 4:27 PM | Permalink
June 26, 2006
Comcast's CGM NightmareThe newly-empowered consumer is, of course, taking every opportunity to cheer, and boo, the companies they deal with every day. The latest example: A Comcast Technician Sleeping on my Couch. The video posted on YouTube of, you guessed it -- a Comcast technician who fell asleep on a customer's couch during a service call -- has gotten 320,967 views as of this posting. Between footage of the sleeping technician, the customer interspersed text commentary complaining about Comcast's customer service. Reuters reports the technician has been fired.
Posted by Pamela Parker at 9:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 15, 2006
WPP's GroupM Buys WOM FirmWord of mouth firm M80, based in L.A., has been snatched up by WPP's GroupM. The eight-year-old agency "activates word-of-mouth among online influencers and opinion leaders." Clients have included Microsoft, SegaAmerica, Universal Music Group, Twentieth Century Fox and the NBA.
Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
May 26, 2006
WOMMA Names First Elected BoardThe Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) has named its first elected board of directors.
WOMMA's new directors are: * Idil Cakim, director, Burson-Marsteller * Laurent Flores, CEO, crmmetrix * Jackie Huba, author, Church of the Customer * Ed Keller, CEO, The Keller Fay Group * Virginia Miracle, director of word of mouth marketing, Brains on Fire * Ann Moravick, president & CEO, Rowland Communications Worldwide * Rick Murray, president, me2revolution, Edelman * Paul Rand, partner, global chief development and innovation officer, Ketchum * Jim Nail, CMO, Cymfony * Gary Spangler, e-business leader, electronics and communications platform, DuPont * Jamie Tedford, SVP, media and marketing innovation, Arnold Worldwide * Scott K. Wilder, group manager, Intuit * Michael Wiley, director, new media, GM * Dave Balter, CEO, BzzAgent * Pete Blackshaw, CMO, Nielsen BuzzMetrics
WOMMA's original board, which has been in place for the past two years, was made up of founders Balter, Blackshaw, Jonathan Carson, and WOMMA CEO Andy Sernovitz. Carson had been CEO of Buzzmetrics, which was acquired by Nielsen parent VNU in January at the same time as Blackshaw's Intelliseek. Since both now work for the same combined company, Nielsen BuzzMetrics, it became necessary for either Carson or Blackshaw to leave the board.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 27, 2006
FireFox Flicks Winners AnnouncedIt killed us that we're so busy at Ad:Tech, we couldn't get over to the announcements of the Firefox Flicks video contest winners at the San Francisco International Film Festival this afternoon.
The grand prize winner, Pete Macomber's "Daredevil," will be short-listed for the NY Festival of Advertising's 2006 International Advertising Awards in May. Finalist and runner-up videos will be incorporated into Mozilla's 2006 marketing activities.
The Firefox Flicks campaign continues throughout 2006.
More user-generated submissions can be viewed here.
Posted by Rebecca Lieb at 6:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 25, 2006
User Reviews Platform Gets MetricsWord of mouth enabler Bazaarvoice has partnered with Coremetrics, Omniture, WebSideStory and WebTrends to offer its merchants deeper measurement of its user reviews product. From the release:
The partnerships allow clients to quickly and easily incorporate word of mouth metrics into overall measurements of online performance, as well as quantify and compare the strategic impact of customer ratings and reviews versus other online initiatives.My heritage is in Web analytics, and I founded Bazaarvoice with the goal of associating the ambiguity of word of mouth with tangible marketing ROI, said Brett Hurt, founder and CEO of Bazaarvoice. By establishing relationships with the major Web analytics vendors, Bazaarvoice has made it much faster and easier for our clients to bridge the strategic gap between the customer voice and solid business metrics and performance.
Bazaarvoices partnership with each of the top four Web analytics solutions means mutual clients can track and assess authentic customer conversations through familiar tools and reporting structures without additional training or effort.
Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 5:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 30, 2006
Social Voicemail: Latest Marketing Tool?With Social Voicemail, you call one toll-free number to leave one message for all your friends. Your friends receive a text message alerting them to check for the voice message.
The soon-to-launch service is offering early registrants free service for life -- and seems to be aiming at the MySpace/Facebook/Friendster set. They're encouraging early registrants to spread the word virally on those sites.
I can see plenty of marketing opps here. Stay tuned.
via Warren Ellis
Posted by Rebecca Lieb at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 28, 2006
The Problem with Earth Day: No MealLast year I covered an interesting effort by Organic Valley Farms to align itself with Earth Day (and give the holiday a plug as well) by offering free, downloadable "Earth Dinner" playing cards. Here's a detail from my deck:
Very well designed, fun to look at and hold.
I'm glad to see the company (actually a non-profit cooperative) is reprising the effort this spring. You can download the cards at EarthDinner.org
"What's wrong with Earth Day is it doesn't have a meal attached to it," director of marketing Carrie Branovan told me. "Every holiday has to have a meal."
Can't argue with that.
Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 23, 2006
Melody and her WebcamPaging all online word-of-mouth fetishists: YouTube user bowiechick (actual name: Melody) has been videoblogging about David Bowie and her Logitech webcam on YouTube. Seventeen videos, all recorded with the device, have been viewed tens of thousands of times. Not often do you stumble across a case study showing CGM product buzz on such a large scale. Must be a great camera.
Nod to ZDNet, which also spotted this one today.
Update: Melody's now aware of the buzz she hath wrought. From her blog:
I called Nancy Morrison from Logitech today. She said they really love my videos. They arent going to pay me (which I dont care about) but its cool because she said that if I ever see something I really want from Logitech, I can just contact her. Isnt that nice? I would feel greedy asking for something, but then again I guess I helped them make a bunch of money and that is something most people are payed for. And hey, I should take advantage of this. I will find something I REALLY want first... Then later I called some guy from a San Fransisco news thing. This whole thing is so weird.Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 5:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 22, 2006
Pepsi: Combine Media and Brand RelevancePepsi gets that they're not in control.
Anotonio Lucio, SVP insights and innovation, is talking CGM right now at the Conference on Marketing. He showed a consumer-generated karaoke video which he claims is the "most ownloaded commercial video ever." (Hear that, Carl Jr.'s?).
Lucio's exhorting marketers to, "Create a bond by combining professional and amateur work in your message. Understand the contact will be interactive. The content will be used and be recreated. There will be an element of losing control. Create an environment in which you set some limits. You need tools on the media side that focus on interoperability. Get the nuggets of [consumer] brilliance and push it out as part of your brand message."
Takeaway: Combine brand relevance with media relevance.
He just showed a commercial Pepsi will release next year that is made to be mashed-up, complete with a suite of interactive online tools.
Lucio: "Those are the choices that you make as a leader -- as a challenger."
Posted by Rebecca Lieb at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 16, 2006
'Crash the Trailer' on Road to CanonizationLast year didn't have a breakaway viral in the way 2004 did with Subservient Chicken, but New Line's "Crash the Trailer" edit yourself into the movie application for "Wedding Crashers" may be on a similar path to sainthood. Yahoo! has recognized the viral with its first "Big Idea Chair" award for excellence in studio interactive marketing. Yahoo!'s Vince Messina called the campaign "a perfect example of a cohesive effort that went beyond conventional methods to achieve exceptional results," in a statement. The award was given out last night at motion picture convention ShoWest.
Watch for more "Crashers" accolades during awards season.
Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 10, 2006
WOM WednesdaysThe Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) plans to hold a weekly teleconference series to educate marketers on topics like blogs, ethics and viral marketing.
Speakers include Jackie Huba and Ben McConnell, authors of "Creating Customer Evangelists" and execs from GM, Edelman, Cymfony, Dell and WOMMA. ClickZ columnists Pete Blackshaw from Nielsen BuzzMetrics and Mark Kingdon from Organic are also signed on for panels.
Posted by Enid Burns at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Natalie Portman Raps AgainNBC has evidently not lost all reason. After taking its 40 lashes for sending take-down letters to YouTube over two SNL rap sketches that went supernova on that site, the network has moderated its protectionist instincts by putting the videos up on NBC.com. Here they are: Natalie Portman Rapping and The Chronic(what?)les of Narnia.
Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 9, 2006
BSkyB Behind Viral Simpsons VideoUK satellite broadcaster BSkyB is behind a fantastic viral video that recreates, with real live actors, the Simpsons introductory montage, according to a Reuters report. The video, aimed at promoting the company's broadcasts of the Simpsons, is one that hadn't crossed my desk until today. It's a delight.
UPDATE: Ed Martin at Jack Myers Media Village is reporting that the live action Simpsons intro will replace the animated version on this week's TV broadcast of the show (which was, incidentally, written by Ricky Gervais, perhaps the most popular non-tech podcaster).
Posted by Pamela Parker at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Mary Woodbridge and Her Dog Climb Mount EverestSex is not a necessary ingredient for a winning viral. You can substitute quality or relevance any day.
Take mountaineering gear maker Mammut, which has drawn some nice attention through the personage of an 85-year-old British lady, Mary Woodbridge. In a series of videos on her site, Mary details her plans to climb Mount Everest along with her Dachsund Daisy. Mammut also placed help wanted ads with copy like "85 year old British Lady plans ascent to Mount Everest. Need advice and sponsoring," and even infiltrated mountain climbing discussion boards -- a decidedly risky move that appears to have paid off in this case. Now, Mammut agency Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett in Zurich Switzerland has put Mary in some print executions.
See Adland's coverage for further details.
Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 6, 2006
CitiBank Gets BlogswarmedAdFreak, Boing Boing, Consumerist and the rest of the blogosphere is abuzz about the fallout from CitiBank's apparant fraud issues that have caused untold numbers of customers to be locked out of their accounts.
The CGM and mashups are underway. AdFreak's posting a spoof of the bank's ubiquiqitous "Live Richly" campaign. Consumerist has posted the office and cell phone numbers of the public affairs officer.
This story's been snowballing since yesterday. Where's the mainstream media coverage?
Posted by Rebecca Lieb at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
February 23, 2006
Forced BuzzTranparency in viral campaigns is necessary, but posting step-by-step instructions on your Web site might turn transparent into bold print. KFC said there's a hidden code in its commercial airing during the Olympics, NASCAR and select shows. Discovery of the code redeems a $1.00 KFC gift check to try a Snacker sandwich. Viewers will have to play the commercial frame-by-frame to break the code.
The Easter egg plant in its commercial gains KFC Kudos. However the company sketched out its plans a little too much. People are directed to KFC's Web site to view the commercial and for directions on how to reveal the secret code. Is this trying a little too hard to capture a viral buzz? It's also just a matter of time before the code is posted throughout the Web for easy redemption.
Posted by Enid Burns at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
February 15, 2006
Kid-Generated AdvertisingThe campaign for the upcoming animated flick Doogal takes user-generated marketing to new heights (or lows). A print effort links people to doogalmovie.com/coloring. Under the premise that "Dogs are colorblind," the site asks for help -- presumably from the target audience of children -- coloring a black and white ad they can download as a PDF. Once the coloring-book-style ad is colored, folks are asked to mail it to the Weinstein company in New York. The winning version will be used as the opening day newspaper ad for Doogal.
Now I've heard of getting fans to create our advertising for you, but using child labor? On the other hand, it's awfully interactive... (And perhaps the only practical approach when your target audience can't yet use a keyboard and mouse.)
UPDATE: Oh, and there's an online matching game just announced, too.
Posted by Pamela Parker at 6:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
February 14, 2006
Valentine's ViralStill stumped for an appropriate Valentine's day gesture? This viral magnetic poetry game from TribeAgency might help you keep out of hot water with your Valentine. It's not flowers or candy, but it affords a certain level of personalization and creativity.
Not a bad idea for the agency, either, given folks are innundated with e-cards like this around the holiday season. Holding off until V-day helps one stand out a little.
Posted by Pamela Parker at 1:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
February 2, 2006
Miller's Animal AuditionsNot sure if it's the lingering effects of lunch or the lazy ramblings of these CGI-cloaked working actors, but watching Miller's animal audition videos has driven my mind into a lull. (via screenhead and ad-rag)
Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 3:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
January 31, 2006
Burger QueenCP+B continues its Burger King/Brooke Burke paparazzi parody, begun here and furthered here.
The two are now engaged, so the next logical step in the viral ploy is either baby or break-up. And since you know a baby would be nixed by both client and supermodel, my money's on skidsville next month for the King and Queen.
You're welcome Burger King. This blog's new motto: putty in CP+B's hairless, tanning oil-greased hands.
Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
January 30, 2006
Microsoft Sees the Future in IMMicrosoft enlisted Fallon to create a microsite to promote MSN Messenger 7.5. Dubbed ESPBilly, the site is billed as "An MSN Messenger Films Production. The episodic series features actor Ricky Jay (Deadwood) as a cynical but dead-on fortune teller who advises a college student on his life's questions via MSN Messenger.
The pilot plays out on its own, but the three episodes play like a "choose-your-own webisode" video. I watched the first one. But when I clicked to see the alternate outcome, my newly updated MSN Messenger crashed.
It's a well put-together site, but possibly missing a few key elements. Visitors can sign up for MSN Alerts, e-mail updates and even RSS, but there's no way to send an e-mail -- or given the platform, an IM -- to a friend.
Posted by Enid Burns at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
January 27, 2006
Where Athletic Footwear Meets J-Pop KitschLovely Football's already going down as one of the best new instances of that rare breed of interactive deployment whose form suits the best functions of the Internet.
The site's highlight is a video performance of the song "Lovely Football," by the fabulously enthusiastic Onitsuka Tiger National Choir. An online karaoke competition ("the world's first!") awards Injector DX shoes to the top five renditions of its tune. Onitsuka Tiger takes steps to ensure the recording and sing-along go smoothly, so important when you're enabling multimedia CGM. There's a sound check to get participants to sing loud enough and difficulty settings called "Junior Tiger Sing Along" and "Onitsuka Karaoke World Cup." Despite a couple moments when the Japanese pop kitsch aesthetic teeters on the brink of self-consciousness, it's pretty near perfect.
Created by StrawberryFrog for a European audience.
Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
January 17, 2006
Friday the 13th, via GreenpeaceI was on vacation when we had Friday the 13th last week, but wanted to share this viral nightmare scenario film, courtesy of Greenpeace.
Non-profits are getting really, really good at online viral marketing.
Posted by Rebecca Lieb at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
January 13, 2006
Another Indicator of a Hot SectorI wrote today about execs jumping to the word of mouth marketing space, saying it was an indicator of something exciting going on. Another indicator? Funding. Today BzzAgent announced (PDF) receiving $13.75 million in VC funding, co-led by General Catalyst Partners and IDG Ventures Boston. The company says it will use the dough to "expand its market position and organizational infrastructure."
Understandable why a company like BzzAgent would be attractive to investors. It's got well-known clients (Anheuser-Busch, Lee Jeans, Levi's, Sun Microsystems) and it's run in such a way -- with a passel of volunteers -- to keep operating costs low.
Of all the WOM companies, BzzAgent in particular has caught a lot of criticism over its methods. The firm recently changed its disclosure standards for "agents" to try to address one issue.
UPDATE: Ok, I should amend to say that Procter & Gamble's Tremor has also caught a lot of criticism, especially for its work with children.
Posted by Pamela Parker at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
January 5, 2006
Video Ads for the iPodPodGuide.TV points to a couple advertisers who are pushing content for download to iTunes and iPods.
Sprite's sponsoring a video short called "Marcus Hates His Job," which tries hard to project creative integrity and mostly succeeds, despite one moment of glaring product placement. Tagline: "An independent production brought to you by Sprite."
Meanwhile, Bud Light's created a character-driven mockumentary called "Ted Ferguson: Bud Light Daredevil" that more closely resemble advertising. (via Steve Rubel)
Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
January 3, 2006
Lenovo: Which Side Are You On?"Black or Titanium?" is the question posed to ThinkPad fans. My question to Lenovo: Do you really expect a favorite-color poll to catalyze a viral effect?
Ah well, the microsite gets points for an interactive "persuadatron" with avatars courtesy of Oddcast.
Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 31, 2005
Meet Mr. KentuckyFriedCruelty.comA PETA staffer has legally changed his name to KentuckyFriedCruelty.com (yes, of course there's a corresponding Web site).
The former Chris Garnett decided to "make a statement" against KFC every time he meets someone new or signs his name. Not to mention garner international media attention for his cause, and direct consumers to an online resource, too.
Posted by Rebecca Lieb at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 19, 2005
Firefox Brands RSS - It's OfficialThe next version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer will adopt Firefox's little orange RSS feed icon. That, effectively, is what will visually brand RSS feeds in consumers' minds.
Chalk one up to the power of consumer and word-of-mouth marketing. Firefox afficionados have beaten the Redmond marketing machine!
Posted by Rebecca Lieb at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 28, 2005
Word-of-iPodiPods owners are significantly more likely to create and spread online consumer-generated media (CGM), and that will likely increase with the incorporation of video content into their iPods, says Intelliseek.
From the study:
"iPod users are twice as likely to have authored a blog than consumers who do not own MP3 players, and they outpace other MP3 owners on creating and posting content online. iPod users are also 2.5 times as likely to exchange text messages on cellular phones (59% vs. 24% of non-owners), three times as likely to take photos with a camera phone (45% vs. 15%), and three times as likely to download video clips and movies to a personal computer (47% versus 16%)."
Posted by Rebecca Lieb at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 26, 2005
CheeriokeA new sub-chapter in the marriage of phone to Web. General Mills' Cheerioke lets you call in a song and then watch an avatar of your own design sing the recording back.
It's a viral play most cute and disturbing. And like many virals, the brand connetion is thin. "Start your morning on a high note." Yikes.
I sang a very bad rendition of "I Think We're Alone Now." I was afraid my cubicle neighbors would hear. I'm thinking office paranoia may deter widespread participation here.
Avatars are courtesy of Oddcast. Points go to those folks for upgrading the look of their virtual characters.
Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 12, 2005
Apple's Message Stays PolishedWhat promised to be a speed-typing contest has fizzled into wait-and-see. Apple picked a WiFi black hole in which to announce its highly-anticipated "One more thing..." (it's pretty much a given that 'thing' is a video iPod).
Apple's certainly has its issues with bloggers. Still, deliberately putting the kibbosh on live-blogging (or reporting, for that matter) is a very interesting choice, control-the-buzz wise. It'll be interesting to see who takes the hit from this move -- Apple, or the media. Update: It's a video iPod, all right. Advertisers, bring on the branded entertainment! Trade show exhibitors, here's the latest in lead-gen bait for your booth.
Posted by Rebecca Lieb at 2:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 27, 2005
Down the Rabbit Hole with MicrosoftBloggers (and presumably gamers) are abuzz over a European-targeted Web site to promote Microsoft's Xbox 360. Site visitors follow a pair of white rabbits through a series of surreal Flash adventures. One lets users take a quiz to win a trip to "Origen," described as "a wonderful magical place where all of your gaming fantasies come true."
[via Threadwatch]
Posted by Pamela Parker at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 1, 2005
Egg & Muffin Toaster Combo Flouts Blog BuzzThis may be a first. A release hit the wires this morning screaming,"'Where Do I Get One?' Dominating Blogs, Back to Basics' Egg & Muffin Toaster Makes Mouthwatering Debut." It goes on:
"The new Egg & Muffin Toaster from Back to Basics has created lots of online chatter and interest a few weeks before the inventive appliance hits store shelves throughout the United States. Comments such as "I want one ... it is so cool," "Makes me hungry just looking at it," and "It's a pretty machine that's well thought out," continue to cross blogs and Internet chat sessions."
First time I've seen a press release touting blog buzz preceding a new product's release.
Still, doesn't this thing make you feels as if you're reading an in-flight gizmo catalogue with feet firmly on the ground?
Posted by Rebecca Lieb at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
August 30, 2005
Take that, FirefoxFirefox isn't the only browser brand that knows how to harness a viral community. In honor of its tenth birthday, Opera hosted an online party on its Web site where attendees could chat with Opera bigwigs, play games, learn about the browser's history and download music made by employees. The Norwegian company is also giving away free registration codes for 24 hours (as of this posting there's still time!). Opera is also asking supporters to submit creative (poem, drawing, etc.) birthday greetings. It'll share the ten best with the community and the winner will get a t-shirt.
Posted by Pamela Parker at 6:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 29, 2005
The Week in Viral: Marg(ar)inalA viral try from I Cant Believe It's Not Butter got some love (registration) from Stuart Elliott of The Times this week, and for dubious reasons. Sure, the Unilever brand is a longtime broadcast marketer, but well, thats sort of the problem isn't it? The serialized Flash cartoons, which play on familiar soap opera tropes, offer the safe, watered-down comedy you expect from a mass-market TV spot. Note to marketers: successful online viral is about more than making a longer television ad. All due respect to Seinfeld and Superman.
Old and new: Whirlpool tries to tap into American family archetypes with a new podcast series.
Lynx deodorant: You punch keys on your keyboard, and a disembodied pair of lips moans in various expressions of ecstasy. Sex sells, in case you hadn't heard. Except when visitors can't click through and leave after 10 seconds because they're bored. Hey, at least it's interactive.
Virgin Mobile continues the diabolical combination of religious themes and no-commitment phone plans that worked so well for it during the holiday season. The Fallon-created Paygoism Saves site uses an Oddcast-created preacher avatar named Reggie to delineate the precepts of pay-as-you-go. Southern Baptist all the way.
Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 8:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 19, 2005
Is This Considered Interactive Advertising?Calvin Klein unveils a bottle full of models in the middle of Times Square today.
With both the temperature and the humidity index spiking into the 90s, isn't it nice to know those of us within walking distance of the spectacle who feel the need to see it can do so online, just as cooly and conveniently as anyone else?
UPDATE: OK, so the event is live and photos are up. Who's not livecasting the bottle? That would be the CK One Billboard site, folks. Nothing comes between me and my Calvins -- except consumer-generated media.
Posted by Rebecca Lieb at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 13, 2005
Born Again Stealth MarketingSo I'm on my way into Black Rock yesterday for the CBS confab when a young woman presses a Quaker Oats granola bar attached to a card into my hand.
No biggie. Sixth Ave. can be rife with rush hour product samples, and few would decline the quasi-healthy treat at 8:30 a.m. So later at the office, the thing's sitting on my desk. An URL catches my eye, along with plugs for the hot summer movies: Fantastic Four, Willy Wonka, War of the Worlds. Idly wondering if we need to cover some sort of Quaker Oats/major studio coop advertising something, I hit the granola card URL and land on The Journey, a site geared to young, evangelical Christians. Their "God On Film" series promises to reveal the spiritual lessons in the summer's blockbusters (Tim Burton?); offers gifts with site registration; a mass baptism at Jones Beach...there are even apartment listings.
Pamela's written about Christian buzz networks, but this site floored me along with the rest of the ClickZ ed team. Jaded NY'ers that we are, we'd mentally filed that category in the flyover zone file. Who's jaded now? It's happening here - studio tie-ins, granola bars, guerilla marketing, and a deep, sophisticated site. Wow.
(No online coversions on this end yet.)
Posted by Rebecca Lieb at 3:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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