Customer World

Does P&G need another community portal or a platform?

Procter & Gamble has launched a portal for pet lovers - petside.com. According to NY Times:

...Web portal that looks something like a Yahoo or AOL for pet owners, with a bit of Facebook and MySpace thrown in.The site, Petside.com, offers a full menu of information about dogs and cats, from the serious (how to diagnose your pet’s illnesses) to the silly (funny animal videos). There are links to shopping sites (like Petco.com) and articles about topics like what to do if visitors are allergic to your pet (hint: vacuum). Visitors are encouraged to set up social networking profiles in order to meet other pet owners.

While it's a great idea, it raises some questions in my mind. Frankly, I don't have all the answers but it can set a context for a discussion, I think:

1. Can such portals aggregate "interested" customers and create sustained interest ?  Am not sure. There is a lot of content on the web for pet owners. I think marketers need to add context around the content rather than just content. I personally don't think there is a need for one more portal and consumers are not waiting for one, I presume.
2. Is it still old world thinking? The TV era was about creating content and it helped aggregate audience. During the later years,there was proliferation of channels but it was still limited. The internet has opened-up a flurry of 'content creators' with micro audiences. So, it may just  be impossible to lead with content alone. The clutter in  new media is  lot more higher than traditional media. If TV soaps had a 13 or a 26 week interest, such content might have 13 days or 26 days interest?!! How do marketers keep the momentum going?
3. How can P&G create a platform? Thinking laterally, Google creates APIs that can be plugged-in with other sites and hence it is a sort of glue where ever users go on the web. It's in the context of the user rather than the marketer. So, do marketers like P&G have to create CPIs, where  C stands for customers. If I was a pet owner, P&G builds a set of CPIs that can help pet owners get content the way they want.It pulls content from different creators. It's an equivalent of a  "TV remote" in the offline world. If I don't like the content, I switch it off and move to another. P&G's site needs have a lot such CPIs which consumers can use. It may be mobile reminders, email alerts, or a plug-in into my igoogle  which is an independent channel for pet owners, beauty, grooming etc. P&G has to create an open marketing platform for content developers to use its CPIs.

What do you think? To me this makes a lot of sense and seems far more relevant than creating one portal after another.

          

Accountable Mass Media

Well, don't these words - Accountable & Mass media present an irony of sorts to you? 

Yes, surely this has been the way things have been happening for last 3-4 decades. Mass marketing has never been accountable. It's never been addressable 'one household at a time' too. Either, it was not possible or it was too expensive to do it. Technology is surely breaking down these myths and introducing possibilities like never before. Take a look at how this happening or expected to unfold in the near future:

"Since May, Google has been selling ads on the 125 national satellite channels distributed by EchoStar Communications’ DISH Network. Cable networks routinely provide distributors with a few minutes each hour for local commercials; Google is responsible for a portion of EchoStar’s local time and creates an online auction market for it.

Google then analyzes the data from set-top boxes to determine exactly which ads were watched or skipped, with a second-by-second breakdown. With Nielsen’s help, Google will begin to take that information and overlay sampling-based ratings, adding a rich demographic layer to the raw numbers that EchoStar provides."

The reports from Google can pinpoint the moment when viewers most commonly changed the channel, potentially helping marketers shape the creative work on their commercials. For instance, if viewers are turning the channel after seven seconds, the agency might revisit the opening of the ad.

“We see a future in which, when you sit down in front of your television set, you will see ads that are more relevant for you,” said Mr. Steib of Google. “When we make advertisements more relevant to viewers, inventory becomes more valuable and the return on investment is much higher for advertisers.”

Marketing is content - Part II

Continuing with my thinking on this topic, NY Times has interesting article that further reinforces this thought:

Behind the shift is a fundamental change in Nike’s view of the role of advertising. No longer are ads primarily meant to grab a person’s attention while they’re trying to do something else — like reading an article. Nike executives say that much of the company’s future advertising spending will take the form of services for consumers, like workout advice, online communities and local sports competitions.

“We want to find a way to enhance the experience and services, rather than looking for a way to interrupt people from getting to where they want to go,” said Stefan Olander, global director for brand connections at Nike. “How can we provide a service that the consumer goes, ‘Wow, you really made this easier for me’?”

Traditionally, the “service” provided by advertising was cheaper media content for consumers. But the services of the future may be virtual workout coaches, map applications for cellphones, health advice and matchmaking services.

I think this kind of content fused with enriched data( on what customers use as a service, which will arise out this content) will drive the future of marketing. 

Marketing is content

I just love this thought by John Jantsch on how marketing today is all about content.  I can't agree with him more. Marketing is no more about messages, no more about offers, no more pushy about sales messages. It's transforming into a world of content. That's really what consumers want to read, enjoy and absorb.

While he has focussed on small business and their needs, I think there is a bigger thought for even large companies.

If you have a product, find out what content can you create around it?

He talks about the concept of creating mixed media content and how businesses need to adapt to provide such content to their prospects. He writes" Now when a surfer goes to a search engine looking for content they may find local directory results, images and video mixed into the organic results. If you aren't producing these types of content you may find it tougher to compete."

To me again, this is just not restricted to the web. It's applicable to every form of media - TV, Radio, DM, E-mail, telemarketing etc.

Next time , if you don't have content around your product, don't start marketing!!

Google Widgetvertising

Google today is launching a new effort to turn widgets into ads. A select group of brand advertisers are working with Google on special Google gadgets (widgets) that iGoogle users can place on their Google homepage.

What are Gadget Ads?

Gadget ads can incorporate real-time data feeds, images, video and much more in a single creative unit and can be developed using Flash, HTML or a combination of both. Designed to act more like content than a typical ad, they run on the Google™ content network, competing alongside text, image and video ads for placement.

See some examples here.

Secrets to building a customer-centric organization - # 2

When it's Disney, you know there is more passion behind the company than just some products, characters or merchandize! No wonder, it shows in the customer experience.

Read some Disney quotes and understand the passion behind the man and his ideas:

“Disneyland is a work of love. We didn’t go into Disneyland just with the idea of making money.”

“When we opened Disneyland, a lot of people got the impression that it was a get-rich thing, but they didn’t realize that behind Disneyland was this great organization that I built here at the Studio, and they all got into it and we were doing it because we loved to do it.”

“Disneyland is like a piece of clay, if there is something I don’t like, I’m not stuck with it. I can reshape and revamp.”

“The idea of Disneyland is a simple one. It will be a place for people to find happiness and knowledge. It will be a place for parents and children to share pleasant times in one another’s company; a place for teachers and pupils to discover greater ways of understanding and education. Here the older generation can recapture the nostalgia of days gone by, and the younger generation can savor the challenge of the future.

“To make the dreams of Disneyland come true took the combined skills and talents of hundreds of artisans, carpenters, engineers, scientists and craftsmen. The dream that they built now become your heritage. It is you who will make Disneyland truly a magic kingdom and a happy place for millions of guests who will visit us now and in the future.”

Read more

TiVo of the Online World

NY Times has an article on whiting out of ads in the online world thro' a software called Adblock Plus, very much akin to TiVo in the offline world. Adblock is an open source software and has already over 2.5 million users!! Here's an example of how a whole business model of advertising will get hiccups with applications such as this in an online world.

The key point however to me is that in an online world the traditional model of advertising based on interruption, will not work. Else, consumers will take control and reject them with applications like Adblock plus. Hence, the old world form of communication - banners, emailers belong to the Advertising 1.0 world. SEM, SEO are at least a lot more contextual but even these will have to evolve as they will become blindspots in some time.

However communication in the online world will have to change from "Informing" to " Entertaining". Hence, we will need a lot more "Content thinkers" rather than "creative Copywriters/Art directors" who are trained to "sell" products or develop "messages". Consumers will consume content that's interesting, involving and participative.It's got to have some gossip value, surprise value, upgradable value to consumers so that they can pass it along with their comments or inputs. To me the more I think, the online model of communication has to have a mix of  TV programming, TV commercials, event marketing, promotions, traditional DM rolled into one.

It's got be as "unadvertising" as possible. I guess only that format will lead to a lot more believability, credibility, have some retention value in consumers' minds and will not be blocked!

In the online world, we need to forget the word " Advertising" and think "Contentization" .

Nokia - From selling phones to selling services

Nokia has announced the launch of digital music service.

NY Times reports the Nokia Music Store, to open this year, will let users download songs from the Internet to their computers or directly to mobile phones over wireless networks, which Apple’s recently released iPhone cannot do.

Nokia said it would price music downloads at 1 euro for each song, or 10 euros for each album, in the same price range as many existing mobile music services. In addition, customers would have to pay for the use of phone networks for the download, though many operators are starting to offer monthly flat-fee packages.

Agency of the future

"The agency of the future will be half a software company and half an entertainment company because that's the new landscape." according to Ajaz Ahmed, chairman and co-founder of independent digital marketing agency AKQA.

American Express brings its customer community together

American Express has launched a unique online initiative called The Members Project that enables its cardmembers to come together as a community by submitting and sharing their project ideas for making a positive impact in the world. Cardmembers can rate and discuss the project ideas on message boards and will ultimately vote and choose one innovative winning idea that American Express will help
bring to life with up to $5 million. The Members Project, which is a part of American Express' new brand campaign, "Are You a Cardmember," highlights the value of being a Cardmember and part of the American Express Cardmember community. "Our Cardmembers make up a unique community -- one that is highly engaged and passionate -- and we know that they care about the world around them," said Jud Linville, president of American Express Consumer Card Services Group. "Through the unique experience of The Members Project, our community of Cardmembers is pulling together and collectively shaking up the world just a little bit to do some good."

Cardmembers can go register and submit their project ideas for making a broad positive impact in one of the following categories: Arts & Entertainment, Business & Finance, Education, Environment & Wildlife, Fun, Health & Fitness and Community Development. Cardmembers can also participate by rating or posting comments about project ideas already submitted. For every Cardmember that registers, regardless of whether they come up with a project idea or just add their input on project ideas already submitted, American Express will contribute $1 toward the winning idea. The more Cardmembers registered, the more dollars available. American Express will commit at least $1 million and up to $5 million for the winning idea.

I love the deep engagement that this idea will create with their cardmembers.

Emerging Customer Interaction Platforms on Joost

I prefer to call advertising opportunities on Joost as customer interaction platforms, as it helps me constantly remind myself of the amount of reinventing we need to do to move away from traditional advertising formats.Ilya Vedrashko has a great post on the kind of opportunities Joost is throwing-up:

• NY Times: “Some advertising on Joost will resemble traditional 30-second television spots.” This is one such spot for Wrigley’s Eclipse gum showing between two Joost videos.
• Joost has a built-in search engine that allows users to find videos by typing in titles, artist’s names, or keywords (it seems that Joost relies on file metadata to identify content instead of indexing the audio or video streams themselves). Ad spots are no different: if you are interested in seeing all commercials by Wrigley, they will come up in the search results.
• Hand Raisers -This is the so-called hand-raiser: if you see something you like on the screen — a commercial or any other video — you can activate the top area of the screen and a small window will slide down to display more information about whatever it is you are watching. Eventually, advertisers should be able to place all kinds of interactive content in this space, from polls to games to web links. According to NY Times, “Joost users will also be invited to provide information about themselves and their personal interests. That will allow advertisers to steer their ads to individual Joost viewers, avoiding some of the wasted spending that occurs with conventional television, when people with no interest in a certain product sit through the commercials.
• ”One of the most interesting features of Joost is its widgets menu. Already, you can chat with other people who are watching the same channel, or IM friends on your Google Talk contact list, or rate individual videos, or use Joost as an RSS reader.

Bill Gates ViewPoint - The demise of Traditional Media

Microsoft thinks the advertising business model for traditional media — venues where advertisers still channel most of their spending — will fall apart faster in the coming five years.

"We're saying newspapers will go online, and there will be massive innovation that comes out of that," Gates said. "We're saying that TV, the biggest ad market in the world, will completely go online and have the kind of targeting interaction that you only get out on the Web today.

Gates gave other specific examples of old media facing withering competition from new technologies.

He said IPTV, the underlying technology for TV over the Internet, makes traditional broadcasting obsolete, supplanting the model in which one show goes to many viewers who may or may not be interested.

The IPTV model presents opportunities for advertisers to tailor messages to viewers.

"In this environment, the ads will be targeted, not just targeted to the neighborhood level ... but we'll actually know who the viewers of that show are," Gates said.

Not everyone agrees on the pace of the transition to digital media and the demise of traditional forms.

"The timeline between now and when that happens I think is questionable," said David Cohen, executive vice president at Universal McCann. His agency is an arm of the McCann Worldwide ad agency, which counts Microsoft among its blue-chip clients.

"There are very few companies that have such a wide range of digital assets that you can run messaging across all those platforms," said Cohen, who works with clients including Johnson & Johnson, Intel, Bacardi and the U.S. Army.

He said Microsoft's challenge is to link all of those platforms to give advertisers a comprehensive profile of a consumer — her preferences, what ads she viewed in the last month and which ones she acted on.

"That's the code that they're trying to crack, and if they do, they'll be unmatched," Cohen said.

Is Joost leveraging the power of internet?

NY Times reports Joost, the Internet television service being developed by the founders of Skype, has lined up several blue-chip advertisers, including United Airlines, Microsoft, Sony Electronics and Unilever, as it prepares for its introduction. While some advertising on Joost will resemble traditional 30-second television spots, others will take advantage of the interactive qualities of the Internet.Instead of interrupting the programming, these ads will appear as the shows are running with a small box called a “hand-raiser.” Viewers who click on the hand-raisers will be sent to an “overlay,” or menu of content created for Purina. “It’s a whole new way to market to people,” Mr. Renshaw said. “You’re combining the best of the rigor of direct marketing with the richness of the Internet and the entertainment of television.”

I see quite a lot of different challenges when it comes to launching an internet television service. It's unlike the traditional TV network model. Let me tell you why:

• Global Vs Local Viewers: Last week, I downloaded Joost TV beta to my desktop. I am from India and I didn't find the content really relevant for an Internet TV viewer out of India. The traditional TV model of the past has always been restricted by geographical footprint and hence content was a lot localized. The internet TV model is a lot more global, hence programming content has to be a lot more inclusive. Imagine internet users from China, Korea, Japan and the like. They might not find Joost TV currently engaging and relevant. But, they have access to Joost TV!
• Build-up vs Scalability: The Network TV model builds-up viewers over a period of time by way of subscriptions, signal availability etc. The internet TV model is scalable right from day 1. The launch of Joost TV in the mind of an avid internet consumer is a worldwide launch and not a geography launch. Millions of internet users will want to use it right away if content is engaging and entertaining. Hence, Joost TV will need programming partners across globe right from its inception not just from one or two countries.
• Interruption vs Irrelvant advertising Most advertising in network TV medium are viewed, more recently, as interruption. Since internet TV is a medium with a vast global reach, the advertising can get irrelevant too, for an internet TV viewer in Europe or India, if the content and ads are US based, for example. Hence, marketing departments of companies need to work closely with their country teams so that viewers are served relevant country specific ads. Else, it is advertising dollars down the drain.
• Single format vs Multi-format : Most advertising in network TV are single-format based – 30 sec TV commercials. But in the case of internet TV there is a lot of interactive and contextual multi-format advertising opportunities. For example, the internet TV viewer may be interested in just seeing, knowing more, buying, chatting, seeking references etc. about brands and they can tracked at different stages of such a behaviour. Hence, the traditional model of just time-based selling will have to move out and new monetization opportunities will have to adopted by internet TV folks. Advertisers have to work on multiple format campaigns that will have to be served to viewers in real time.

The Wired 40 - Most innovative companies in the world

Wired has released the annual list of most innovative companies in the world.  Apart from the Googles, Apples and the like, to me the list has some interesting trends of how customer-focussed innovation is going to be key for survival and growth of companies around the world.

Here are key innovation trends that I picked-up which are going to have significant impact on our society and culture:

• Innovation Trend #1 : Green Energy
• Innovation Trend #2 : Medical Services
• Innovation Trend #3 : Gaming
• Innovation Trend #4 : Information transformation
• Innovation Trend #5 : On-demand lifestyle infrastructure & entertainment

Take a look at some of the companies in this list:

Medtronic has moved up one place in the list. What do they do? They make chest implants that transmits vital signs to the Web for your cardiologist to view. Clearly to me, it is the starting of converting pharma/medical products into a customer services business.

Sunpower is in the business of "green energy". Again an extremely customer-focussed utilities business where they are using solar energy for residential and commercial applications. They have moved-up 4 places in the rankings.

Level 3 - If internet video and  web 2.0 are reshaping our lives, bandwidth and data pipes are key catalysts to this change. Level 3 boasts of 50,000 miles of net backbone. Companies that carry and convert this data into information in real time will be in demand. Level 3 is new to this list!

Exelon is driving innovation around alternative energy generation. Energy crisis is going to be a key global problem and Exelon is aiming to build the first new US reactor in a generation. Companies that can innovative in the area of alternative energy will be the winners of tomorrow. They have moved-up from rank 33 to 17!

Nvidia and Nintendo  are in this list too. Gaming and gaming related business seem to be a key innovation trend that is catching-on. As more and more consumers get addicted or introduced to gaming or as gaming becomes an integral part of our lives, more and more brands need to understand how to leverage this new G-culture. In fact, Nvidia moves-up 11 places and Nintendo is new to this list!

Salesforce.com moves-up 8 places. Clearly, it seems SAAS(Software As A Service model) is here to stay. It's no more just about building great software products but the business model of making it available to millions over the web on an access fee basis is going to be key.

Comcast, NTT Do Co Mo, Verizon are players who are changing the landscape of entertainment and mobile communications. They are driving on-demand internet based entertainment and building new digital lifestyle infrastructure. 

   

Leveraging Mobile Marketing @ Mobile Monday, Mumbai

I spoke at Mobile Monday in Mumbai yesterday and shared my thoughts on how brands could leverage the power of mobile marketing. With over 2 billion mobile phones worldwide and 200 million mobile subscribers in India( and growing!), mobile as a marketing medium is reaching a tipping point. Marketers, publishers, aggregators, application providers, mobile operators and agencies have to unlearn a lot of old marketing principles and adopt new marketing rules for mobile marketing to gain widespread acceptance.

Integrating minds and solutions not just agencies or departments

At OMMA Hollywood, there were some interesting points made on the challenges facing agencies and how they need to rethink their solutions & models for consumers. Take a look:

Tim Hanlon, senior vice president-Ventures Group, at Publicis Groupe's Denuo said "Agencies should be de-siloing to make that TV expression both a branded and DR vehicle," whether it's a TiVo vehicle or a telescope unit, "a little TV with a DR component," adding: "Is that the direct marketing agency's responsibility or the brand agency's? I think it's both, so why do have two separate groups?" He further added "Consumers, especially younger ones, if they see something in any form of media, they're going to want to go further with it,"

Bant Breen, president, Interpublic Futures Marketing Group said ""It's a messy landscape today ... Digital media staff is working two and a half times longer and harder than the traditional media staff," he noted, citing thousands of media channels and different data feeds. "We need systems to coordinate that process. Truly personalized creative could be very, very exciting."

"The big part of what agencies do is to empower consumers to make a purchase decision, foster relationships, enable transactions and deliver information," added Sean Gold, senior vice president marketing, MySpace. "Traditionally, they've been great at delivering information, but the fostering relationships/enabling transactions needs to improve."

 

Is there a need for another TV model on the net?

John Grant has a post on how he just can't understand the Joost Model. I completely agree with him on his views. He writes:

"...the true potenetial of IPTV is best understood by looking at the magazines market; small but intensely interested niches, much bolder, more focused content as a result. There isnt a single music channel that caters to my taste right now, there isnt a channel for recording engineers (my hobby), there isnt a lifestyle channel for 30 & 40-somethings that used to enjoy Shoreditch & Soho but are now more likely to be online on Saturday night God dammit there isnt even a channel for treehugging ethical consumers. that’s where IPTV can shine; the missing diversity and fragmentation in video content; the layer between the BBC and the out and out (and crap but entertainingly so) user generated content."

I can't understand why I need another TV channel on the net. It is not a web friendly service. I am not going to sit and watch it like the tradtional TV network. What we need is setting-up of "My Network" with programming from different channels. But, it must have programming which is my interest-alignable, flexi-time - 5 min channels, half-hour channels, day channels, night channels, payment options - pay per view, pay per hour, pay per day, pay per month, interactivity features  to name a few.

I believe the future web TV channels are ones that are extremely flexible and modular. We surely don't another TV channel on the net.

Snack Media will drive snack marketing

Wired has a nice perspective on the changing face of media and how it is evolving.

For marketers, the article provides great insights into how they  need to reshape their marketing thinking. I think they need to get ready for 'snack marketing' - small byte sized campaigns, convenient and fast food like distribution strategies, messages need to be munchy as it will be consumed throughout the day, communication needs to be packaged well with lots of variety and choices, needs to appeal to different target audiences as they will come with different tastes, brand needs to engage consumers at armslength from where it is consumed etc..

Take a look at why it needs to change because media is increasingly getting packaged like a snack:

Movies, TV, songs, games. Pop culture now comes packaged like cookies or chips, in bite-size bits for high-speed munching. It's instant entertainment - and boy, is it tasty.

Replace Nabisco with Apple, the Mini Oreo with the iPod nano, and youve got a blueprint for the current boom in what might be called snack-o-tainment. Apples single-minded marketing campaign for the iPod (its tunes - not albums - in your pocket, after all) taught us the joy of picking the choicest cuts and shuffling them into individual hit pdes. The same with television: When the video iPod launched in October 2005, we were suddenly eager to pay $1.99 to watch a music video or a recent episode of Lost in a smaller, portable version of what was already available for free on that big square thing in our living room.

Today, media snacking is a way of life. In the morning, we check news and tap out emails on our laptops. At work, we graze all day on videos and blogs. Back home, the giant HDTV is for 10-course feasting - say, an entire season of 24. In between are the morsels that fill those whenever minutes, as your mobile phone carrier calls them: a 30-second game on your Nintendo DS, a 60-second webisode on your cell, a three-minute podcast on your MP3 player.

Welcome to the new world of snack marketing!

Radio Station extend the customer experience with Videos

Recently, I had a written a post about new media getting the attention of marketers. In fact, I had mentioned there that I hated the use of the word non-traditional media and called it convergent media.

Looks like radio stations are fast adopting convergent media strategies. NY Times has an interesting article on how radio stations are using their websites to have videos that literally 'extend' the listening experience.

I personally think this is an extremely sticky & brilliant idea for radio stations. It just moves seamlessly from offline 'listening' to online 'viewing and listening' very well. Take a look at the opportunities it provides when you view radio media with a convergent mindset:

• A simple camera in the broadcast booth( How about seeing your RJ?)
• Web-only musical performances

Radio Stations can become a visual medium if you have the right imagination!

Rural India & Digital Era - Customization will help

In a digital era, how do rural and poor communities share stories with one another? By a Nokia mobile phone, with adapted software, if academics in London and campaigners here get positive results from their project.

Using mobile phones with simplified icons, which villagers would find easier to deal with, this British-linked project seeks to zero in on what kind of information local users find useful.

Ramnath Bhat, 25, working in communications-based NGO Voices, is part of the Story Bank project, in association with University of Surrey.It is part of a larger project called 'Bridging the Global Digital Divide' and is based in the rural area of Buddikote, in southern Karnataka's Kolar Gold Fields area. 'We've seen in a prior research that in a lot of cases, information and communication technologies, or ICTs, don't encourage communication among the poor.'

ICTs - primarily computers and electronic communications - imply centralisation, complicated methods of participation, language, and design issues.The project is quite exciting, says Bhat. It uses the Nokia N80 mobile phone, together with easier-to-use software for villagers, including Dalits, to create multimedia content.

'We're modifying the phone interface to make easy the process of creating content. It will be all done by using icons. We'll have separate icons for recording ambient sound, for voice and for clicking pictures or taking video,' he added.

A computer icon is a small pictogram, used to supplement the normal alphanumeric tools used to relate to the computer.With these buttons, an unlettered villager should be able to record small video clips with audio tracks. These digital stories will be then sent to a nearby central server, connected to a touch-screen.

The project aims at making it simple to create and access digital content. Voices also runs a project in the area, where radio-type programmes are put out to local houses.

'We've noticed that villagers cannot access our community centre, because timings don't match or because of their work. With a touch-screen device located outside, they could create and send stories here anytime,' argued Bhat.

What information do villagers seek, really?

'For men, their primary needs are info on governance, legal awareness, agricultural, health. For rural women in this area, it tends to be career information for their children, profiles of other self-help groups, and options for financial loans,' he says.

Children, meanwhile, wanted info on general knowledge, sports events, film stars, and themes science (including seemingly remote themes like dinosaurs or space).

The NGO is also linking the Internet with radio, by adopting the Sri Lankan idea of 'radio browsing'. Villagers ask for the information they need, someone in the NGO searches the Net for it and then reads it out over the local radio 'station'.

thro' contentsutra

Dripvertising - Is this the future?

I was reading an article in NY Times on how Microsoft  launched Windows Vista last week. There is an interesting point in the article that reinforced my long-held belief that we are going to see seismic shifts in marketing communications and how consumers will consume communication - "Messages in Drips" as I have termed it. It's no more the blockbuster approach of the past! It's happening as we speak and is gaining ground rapidly.

Here's the point Brian Marr of Microsoft makes in the article that reaffirms my belief:

“We wanted something very special for this audience; something very low key,” ....“This is an audience that is very cautious about marketing.”

Take a closer look at this:"low key", "cautious about marketing". That's the biggest challenge for brands today! Marketing to the ever cautious consumer!

How has Microsoft approached this problem? They launched a site called clearification.com. According to NY Times:

The campaign offers a series of “webisodes,” or stories told in short video clips. Microsoft also sponsored a performance tour for Mr. Martin and his Comedy Central special....

News of the clearification.com site was released in e-mail messages to influential blogs like laughingsquid.com and on video sites like YouTube.com. The site also lets visitors sign up for an alert to notify them when the latest webisode is released.

It's interesting how messages are being released in "drips". This creates a high level of engagement and involvement plus don't forget the buzz it creates.

I believe "drip messages" can capture the imagination of consumers. There is a lot intrigue and expectations in this kind of story-telling for brands. It's pretty media neutral and does many things a 30-sec spot can never do - dialogue, converse, respond, interact and build an experience. This is the way marketing communications is headed in the future.It's not devices like TiVo any more that pose a challenge for marketers. Brands need to break the "cautious wall" consumers have built around themselves.

The article ends with this quote"...The idea is to deliver something with depth and substance.”. Never mind the jargon -"Dripvertising" but surely this approach makes a lot of sense to me.

The new meaning of Network TV

What's Network TV as we know it?

Network TV may be a channel or a station that produces TV content and distributes the same to millions of households. They could be  doing it either thro' cable or satellite or terrestrial but it is a   ' single producer and distributor' model.

The new Network TV

Steve Rosenbaum has this to say about the evolution of the new Network TV era.

This requires you to think about the word 'network' in a whole new way.

Today, content is often driven by the passion, enthusiasm and deep knowledge of the members of a given interest group-- like surfers or hamster enthusiasts. The economics are topsy turvy as well. So surfers with high-quality DV cameras and access to a broadband connection are turning their passions into video-based content, with DC Smitty organizing and aggregating this collective knowledge into a network for both viewing and distribution. The economics of these new 'curated' networks revolve around sharing, not owning either content or audience. So DC Smitty owns the inventory on his pages, and video sources own the ad inventory in their video feeds. Sites like Revver share revenue with both content creators and site owners, and its expected that other video sites will over revenue shares as well. But the power is shifting from content pipe to contextual.

So the future of TV is no longer about content creation, though there will be plenty of that. It is instead about content discovery-- finding media nuggets that are site-specific and user-friendly. Video discovery is at the heart of TV 2.0

Read more

P&G Productions makes a debut

Procter & Gamble is making its first foray into consumer-generated content with two new Web sites.

The company's P&G Productions unit said Monday that it has launched Capessa.yahoo.com. an "online community" where women can share information, practical advice and inspirational stories.

P&G Productions also said Monday that it will launch the People's Choice Community, an online forum that will feature voting for the People's Choice Awards, as well as blogging and chatting.

The site will go live Tuesday night, at www.pcavote.com, with programming and online activities to continue year-round.

How to stay relevant when consumer habits change - Learning from libraries

Seattle times has a great article on how  some libraries have adapted to changing consumer lifestyles and technology innovations that have been happening around them. The web has literally changed the way information has become available and shared by consumers. Some libraries have therefore morphed to become

• Community Hubs
• A place for new experiences - study rooms, a place to meet & socialize, little eating area etc.
• A place for multimedia experiences -  check emails, watch videos, DVDs & CD entertainment

The article reports:

Those who can't afford the Internet at home come to the Bellevue Library to use one of the 108 computers available. "In a society where we're worried about the digital divide, libraries can level the playing field," Eisenberg said. "There's a shift from academics to the library being a form of entertainment," said Barbra Barkus, who has worked at the Bellevue Library for more than 27 years.

There are some great lessons here for brands and marketers!

120 million personal TVs in India

Imagine a day when 120 million Indians( and expected to reach 400 million in 2010) can have their own personal TVs on their mobile. The day does not seem to be far off.

Modeo has launched a beta of their version of mobile TV in the US. Services like Modeo can be soon expected to be launched in India.

Modeo is a digital television broadcast live to the one device you're never without—your mobile phone. Modeo is transparently high-tech, making mobile TV as familiar as the coffee table clicker. Modeo's content is provided by most distinguished entertainment brands in the business, airing today's hits and TV classics. One can watch top-rated sitcoms, dramas, news and sports. Also one can tune-in to music and talk radio. You could also download video podcasts, bite-sized episodes of your favorite shows and exclusive made-for-mobile content.

No wonder, London School of Economics has written that the future of TV is personal.

MobileTV has the potential to unleash a new revolution in the country. The telecom revolution has created a new wave of growth in India and if TV goes mobile, it can just mutiply the benefits of telecom revolution.

New marketing opportunities will surface:

• 5-sec TV Spots
• Interactive programming - Voting, Personalized programs, Channesl etc.
• User generated content
• May be one can start trading entertainment time with air time!
• M-wallets
• Product purchase requests from mobile etc.

It can also create new development opportunities like:

• e-learning can just become easy to implement
• The rural-urban information divide can be bridged very quickly

I can't wait to see TV go personal!

Customer trends 2007

This will be my last post for the year 2006.

It's the right time to reflect on how advertising will have to adapt itself for the 2007 customer. NY Times has an article  that captures the essence of what it will look like and what marketers have to get ready for:

CONSUMERS WITH A CONSCIENCE

Consumers want to know where products come from, how they were made and what companies and brands believe in.

Consumer interest in environmentally friendly products will grow, as will interest in the local stories of products, even those that come from halfway around the world, said Marian Salzman, chief marketing officer of JWT, a WPP Group agency, and co-author of “Next Now: Trends for the Future.”

“Every brand is going to now have to have a social conscience, and they’re going to be evaluated for their social consciousness as much as for their products,” Ms. Salzman said

LIFE ONLINE OR OFFLINE?

Consumers spend so much time online — working, playing, sharing personal details with the world and living out fantasy lives — that the online terrain is blurring with the physical world.

In 2007, more companies will start adding social networking and user-generated tools onto their intranet sites, predicted Clark Kokich, worldwide president of Avenue A Razorfish, an agency owned by aQuantive.

“People in the younger work force are going to look for an experience on intranets that looks more like the experiences they have on the Internet,” Mr. Kokich said.

PUSHING THE OFF BUTTON

Even as consumers are networked in and logged on most hours of the day, some ad executives say they think workers will be quicker to separate their work lives from their personal space. Some hotels are now offering to lock up guests’ cellphones and BlackBerrys to give them a break, said Kiwa Iyobe, trend manager at Faith Popcorn’s BrainReserve.

USER-GENERATED ADVERTISEMENTS

Ad executives are not going to be quick to give up their paychecks for creating ads. Still, a growing list of brands — among them Converse, Chevrolet, Doritos and Dove — are asking consumers to design commercials for them.

“Consumers are demanding and getting a seat at the table and defining what the brand experience is about,” said Allen P. Adamson, managing director of the New York office of Landor Associates, a WPP Group brand consultancy, and author of “BrandSimple.”

WHAT’S A BRAND TO DO?

Advertising executives said brands should focus on clear, simple messages that were consistent across consumers’ online and offline lives. Companies that scored the highest in a national brand study earlier this month were ones with well-known mass appeal, like Google, Las Vegas, the N.F.L., Sony and Amazon. YouTube, iPod and Yahoo also made the list of “top brands,” though they came in a bit behind Google.

On this note, Wish you a happy new year!

You - Time's Person of the year

Finally, User Generated Content and Customer-Driven marketing has got mainline. The Time Person of the year is  "YOU".

You, me, us...we're all Time's Person of the Year. Well, technically speaking not all of us (more on that in a bit). Time has selected, 'You' as Person of the Year because of the revolution in user-generated-content that is increasingly influencing society.

The December 25th issue features a number of articles surrounding the selection. There is of course the cover story, as well as:

- The YouTube Gurus
- Essay: Andy Was Right
- Enough About You
- It's All About Us
- The Beast With a Billion Eyes
- Web Boom 2.0
- Making Mischief on the Web
- My So-Called Second Life

What happens when marketers become media companies?

AdAge has an interesting report on how consumers are turning marketers' assets into media opportunities. It made me pause for a moment and think how will this affect the future of brand communications and relationship marketing that such companies currently practice.

I feel that brands  and marketers need to practice 'embedded marketing' where consumers are 'embedded as media' in whatever form of communications that they do. They can't just communicate and inform as in the past. They need to collaborate and converse continously.  Take a look at the article:

Believe it or not, those boring corporate websites are pulling in more eyeballs -- and more influencers -- than the flashy prime time TV shows, print magazines Believe it or not, those boring corporate websites are pulling in more eyeballs -- and more influencers -- than the flashy prime time TV shows, print magazines and general interest sites on which marketers advertise.

Larger audiences
While P&G sites captured only 3.3% of ComScore's U.S. web audience in October, that's more than double its industry-leading 1.3% share of U.S. ad spending last year and nine times its share of online ad spending, according to TNS Media Intelligence. The monthly web audiences for P&G and Unilever brands now easily swamp the audiences of many magazines and cable and syndicated TV shows where they advertise.

But more important than the volume may be who the visitors are.

Recent research by VNU's Nielsen BuzzMetrics using Nielsen's Homescan consumer panel showed 33% of creators of consumer-generated media (in the form of video or blogs) also provide e-mail feedback to companies or brands via their websites, and 13% participate in brand or company blogs. Their engagement with corporate and brand sites is well above the norm for the general population.

"Visitors to [corporate and brand] websites have a much higher propensity to recommend products," said Pete Blackshaw, chief marketing officer of Nielsen Buzzmetrics, whose research shows more than 40% of people who give a brand e-mail feedback are likely to recommend it to others.

thro' Steve Rubel