Morpheus, from the Matrix. Yes we know the 'blue pill' you were thinking of, you dirty lot.
So Justin Timberlake is the saviour of MySpace. LinkedIn is beginning to act more like Facebook with developers. And social media is finally beginning to reach the point where an unsocial online experience, no matter where you are on the web, will be increasingly hard to find.
I can feel myself reaching for the blue pill.
Recent press stories about people departing Facebook in droves may have been the reaction of the uber-cool to the news that the social network had passed 700m users, but there is a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I’m not cool, and yet I’m still beginning to feel that social networks aren’t necessarily the great thing that I thought they once were.
I don’t necessarily want every single page of the web to be populated with faces of my friends or business colleagues. I don’t really want to crowdsource every aspect of my life. I don’t really want my friend’s opinion on EVERYTHING I do and every decision I make online to be open to judgement by my peers. But the arms race to integrate ‘the social graph’ into every aspect of my online life is beginning to feel like this will be the reality sooner rather than later.
This week Google has launched a whole host of new and upgraded services. Buried amongst all the hype about Facebook Vs Google+ is the launch of Social Plug-in Tracking.
According to Mashable the tool ‘compares the impact of different types of social actions on your website. It not only tracks +1s, but it also tracks Twitter tweets, Facebook Likes, Facebook Sends and other social actions.’
To the consumer these changes are fairly meaningless, but to the webmaster, content strategist and data analyst, the latest Google foray into analytics provides another layer of complexity and insight that allows them to more carefully target their readers and customers – wherever they are.
For the rest of us in the industry, who sit somewhere in the middle in terms of knowledge, it is another blue pill moment. The saying goes that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and for those within the marketing industry, who know how powerful and important data is becoming and how far company’s knowledge of your online actions will extend very soon, Google’s latest upgrade is yet another step towards a ‘full data picture’ of every user online and what the more alarmist would call ‘Big Brother’.
As for me? I’m not an alarmist and I’m definitely not cool. But I do possess enough knowledge to confuse and scare myself. I’m off to pop the blue pill now.
Mr Gregory 'Phileas' Brooks, helped (and sometimes hindered) by his colleague St. Andrew are both scouring the world to identify the most interesting trends in media and marketing innovation. These findings will be presented upon their return to London at the Adam Street club on 20 July, where visitors are invited to take part in an afternoon of innovation and wonder.
In the meantime, enjoy the full VW case study video discussed in this diary extract here...
Product-led communications and feature ‘demonstrations’ may not always be as sexy or have the fireworks of a Cadbury gorilla-esque piece of entertainment, but the simple equation of showing product features and the consequent benefits remains a powerful and effective selling tool (that owes something to the advertising of the 50s).
However, there’s a fine line between an entertaining and edifying product demonstration, and a dull infomercial. Here we look at examples of brands that have excelled in the art of making product-led communications relevant and engaging by keeping consumers informed, but also entertained. Since, to quote another doyen of the advertising industry, Bill Bernbach, "You can say the right thing about a product and nobody will listen. You've got to say it in such a way that people will feel it in their gut. Because if they don't feel it, nothing will happen."
In each of more than 190 videos, Tom Dickson, founder of Blendtec, demonstrates how his range of blenders is able to blend anything. Over the years he has blended a wide variety of things: from marbles, golf balls, keyboards, iPhones and iPads, to most recently blending a whole set of "Justin Bieber's stuff", which included his latest DVD, his CD, a Justin Bieber action figure, and other related merchandise.
Whatever Tom Dickson puts into his blender is always topical and relevant to the consumer; which is precisely why people keep coming back to and sharing these videos, which have now reached 164,094,410 views on YouTube.
Dyson
Dyson is renowned for an exclusive focus on product features and benefits, and has built a successful brand around this.
The aesthetics of the Dyson products, and the genuinely unique and apparently advantageous design features make what would otherwise be rather plain, purely informative adverts interesting and engaging. While in some cases the language and explanations can be technical and complicated, the use of Sir James Himself, for example in the 'Ball' advert, gives it watchability, credibility and persuasiveness.
In 2010, Dyson created a video that demonstrated how their Air Multiplier Fans work. A couple of Dyson engineers experimented with these "bladeless fans" to make a balloon travel across their lab. The video made consumers aware of the mechanics of the product, but the spectacle and playfulness of the film, and the demonstration of a genuinely intriguing product feature made it such that it captivated the audience.
Earlier this year, Volkswagen Norway released an innovative iPhone app called "The VW Test Drive". The app used augmented reality to allow consumers to test VW´s latest car features in a print ad.
Depending on which of the three modes – Assist, Adaptive Lights, and Cruise Control – the user selected from the app, the phone would vibrate and react differently to mimic what the car would do if it were being driven in real life.
This is an engaging, innovative and fun campaign that not only informs consumers about VW’s latest features, but also allows them to experience them in an interesting and unexpected way.
Apple iPhoneand iPad
The Apple iPhone is another brand that has succeeded in creating desire through product-led communications (albeit the desirability of the Apple brand itself is a contributing factor).
When the iPhone first launched, the focus in communications was on showcasing the capabilities of the device, and demonstrating the ‘gadgety’ features to people in order to drive interest, credibility and desirability. The ads created were memorable, simple and engaging.
However the iPhone was swiftly followed by a number of self-proclaimed ‘iPhone killers’ – and the Android and Smartphone market took off. Rather than enter into an app-off with other devices, Apple started to imbue a more emotional edge into their communications – demonstrating not only the desirable product features, but the emotional benefits behind them.
Since the launch of their ‘Your M&S’ positioning, Marks & Spencer has become synonymous with appetite-tickling food advertising; and their latest campaign is no exception, as the ads take us through the mouth-watering journey of how M&S prepares their ‘ready-meals’.
What makes the M&S ads stand out from the competition is the treatment the product receives, now widely referred to as ‘food porn’. The food is lit, shot, filmed and put on display to attract attention and deliver a simple ‘quality’ and 'appetising' message; the food is the ‘star’ of the ad in its own right.
Call of Duty is one of the biggest franchises in the gaming world, and in line with the majority of gaming promotions and adverts, in the past they have created simple trailers that purely showcase the gameplay, showing quality graphics, exciting plot lines and new or evolved playing features.
However, last month they released a different kind of promo trailer for a new online service – a new platform for playing the Call of Duty games – Call of Duty Elite. This trailer is notably different for its creative, engaging and humorous approach to showcasing the features and gameplay, the advertising of which is normally quite flat and didactic.
In the 6 minute long demo, they have created ‘The Legend of Karl’, showing the features from the point of view of a player, but demonstrating how the different features make for a much richer experience, getting across a humorous tone of voice and story that helps to hold the attention for the full length of the trailer.
It sounds like the start of a very media in-joke. Yes, the Twittersphere is frantic with reaction to the news that Justin Timberlake, together with Specific Media has acquired the beleagured ‘entertainment destination’.
Justin Timberlake, far right, pictured here with Madonna and Iggy Pop. Either of whom will probably resurrect Friendster or PlanetAll at any moment.
According to an official press release quoted by Reuters, Timberlake thinks that MySpace has the potential to be a place where “fans can interact with their favourite entertainers, listen to music, watch videos, share and discover cool stuff and just connect.” Bless him.
This might not be as barmy an arrangement as it sounds. Timberlake has released exclusive music through MySpace as recently as 2008, and while usage figures for the site have undoubtedly seen a sharp decline from its heyday, MySpace still claims some impressive audience figures.
On the other hand, Timberlake’s comments could be interpreted as shockingly naive. Quite how much cash has exchanged hands is at this stage unclear, but I doubt it approaches anything like Fox’s initial investment of $580m. (Just heard it's about $35m, ouch! -Ed.)
Still the idea that Timberlake woke up one morning and thought, “I know, I’ll buy MySpace!” is an engaging one. We hadn’t ever heard of Specific Media before tonight, but you can bet they’ll be a familiar name by the end of the week.
Perhaps it's time to reactivate that old profile, or maybe you should wait for Beyonce to announce that she and Tina Knowles own the controlling stake in Yahoo!
(Obviously any references to pop stars other than Mr Timberlake making bizarre media purchases are entirely speculative. Good luck JT, you're gonna need it -Ed.)
I'm not often moved to comment on things like this, but felt I had to share the ridiculous nature of this week's front cover of Newsweek.
It might come as no suprise that Newsweek editor Tina Brown has also wrote The Diana Chronicles. Obviously there just isn't enough happening in the world at the moment.
Piccadilly Circus, 1930s. The Guinness clock was fake, and the site is dominated by Bovril
More than 30 years after it was first switched on, the Sanyo panel at London’s iconic Piccadilly Circus will soon be replaced by Hyundai. The Sanyo name first sparkled into view back in 1978, and in the following decades it has become a background fixture in millions of tourist snapshots that have been seen all over the world.
The Piccadilly Circus billboards provide an interesting commentary on the changing fortunes of brands and economies over time. Up until the 1950s, it was British brands that dominated the site. Bovril, the beef stock based drink that is a favourite with pensioners across the UK occupied a prime position for many years. The then-famous Guinness clock (which wasn’t even a proper clock for the first 15 years) could be seen at the Circus for four decades until finally making way for more glamorous advertisers towards the late 60s. Bovril, Guinness, Wills & Scissors Gold Flake cigarettes were out – Cinzano, Gordons, Max Factor and Ferrero were in. Coca-Cola would move in during the mid-fifties and never leave, and can now be regarded as the Grand Old Lady of the Circus.
Mid-1950s. Coke moves in
By the end of the 70s, middle class alcohol and FMCG names were rubbing shoulders with exciting technology brands with exciting technology names. Over the ensuing decades the Circus would act as a roll-call of the great and the good in electronic engineering of one form or another: TDK, Fujifilm, Kodak, Panasonic, Sanyo, LG, Vodafone and Philips all competed to outshine their neighbours with increasingly elaborate installations. The exception in this group is Sanyo, which has stuck with the same neon strip light rig since 1987, staunchly ignoring the digital craze surrounding its simple red and white creative. But at a site worth about £2m a year, it’s easy to appreciate that being a beacon for neon in the age of LEDs is an expensive folly.
Early 1970s
Piccadilly Circus 1985. Technology brands take over.
Today’s Piccadilly Circus has displayed news headlines, ballet performances, football scores and personal messages. It was obviously time for Sanyo to go and no doubt Hyundai has great plans for its new glitzy West End residence. But as the neon chapter comes to a close in what is perhaps the most famous advertising landmark in the world, part of the magic of Piccadilly Circus passes with it. While millions of tourist holiday snaps over the years have featured the same trademarks and logos in the background, the constantly shifting LED murals of the modern circus mean that no two photographs of this famous ad landmark will ever be the same again.
Perhaps I’m just a romantic at heart.
100 years and 50 brands later, Sanyo is the last neon survivor of Piccadilly Circus
*The neon lights have been turned off on occasion, usually for local difficulties like the Second World War, or the death in the royal family. I’m well aware of this, please don’t write in.
Right Brain, Left Brain sums up the dichotomy of a media business that’s constantly battling with the challenge of delivering a profit and discovering new ways to communicate to consumers. The Cream editorial team combined with a dream team of industry pioneers from around the world share their expert opinions.
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