Monetizing Twitter

Be A Magpie is a new ad network for Twitter. Twitterers can sign up with Be A Magpie and earn money based on how many followers they have and how often they tweet. Advertisers can sign up with Be A Magpie and have their message incorporated into relevant Tweets. The default is that about every 5 tweets on your page or so Be A Magpie will insert an ad into the feed from one of their advertisers, though you can adjust the ratio. 

Personally, I am only worth about 0.31 Euros ($0.39) per ad served on my Twitter account. Bummer. To up my worth I need to get more followers and Twitter more.

Be A Magpie is not affiliated with Twitter, but they've monetized them in a way Twitter has yet to do. Now their success depends on a person's desire to allow ads to infiltrate their feeds.

Temporary Brands: Friday [brain]Food

I apologize for my Yaybia hiatus, it’s just been one of those weeks. But there have a been a few thoughts that I’ve been meaning to share. I shall do so with some Friday [brain]Food for Thought.

Last week I attended the Ypulse Mashup East. Met some awesome people and learned more about my generation that I thought possible. Today’s insight comes from Spencer of Virtue Worldwide . During his keynote he brought up an idea that I hadn’t really ever thought of before.

“Do brands have to last forever? Maybe they should only last for a short period of time and make the most of it.”

Pretty bold statement. But pretty awesome. I have two examples that I thought of right away, MTV and Mountain Dew. Other soda companies are known for this as well, but I guess I’m craving some sugar so I’m Doin’ the Dew.

MTV: By thriving on capturing trends, exploiting them to the masses, and then killing them, MTV has developed a business model that exists largely because of their ability to change. While their parent brand keeps the same positioning (being a pop culture trendsetter), their sub brands come and go. TRL is the most relevant today because of its recent cancellation , but many shows have started, saturated, and sayonara’d. This strategy works for MTV because of generational shifts. TRL was cool for kids that had their see through Vtech phones (don’t tell me you didn’t have one) and would call in while drooling over Carson Daly. But the next wave of kids ditched their land lines for their Nokia bricks (again, you know you had one) and quickly began to move towards texting based interaction. Personally, I think MTV should have killed TRL when Carson left, or after that whole Limp Bizkit phase. Skip it.

Mountain Dew: With sub brands ranging from short lived Dew Fuel to blockbuster driven Darth Dew, Mountain Dew is a master of short lived brands . What works for them is that many consumers will at least hit it and quit it (trial purchase) because they know that the sub brand won't be around forever. Others that can't get enough of their MDX will actively pursue brand purchases, and Mountain Dew is also aware of the relationship of these sub brands with the parent brand. They avoid brand dilution by temporarily expanding their product set instead of creating an arsenal of sub brands that has the firing power of dive bar buck hunter.

I think the idea relates really well with what companies can do with sub brands and products -- I'm still unsure of how you could churn brands after a period of time. If you have any ideas I'd love to hear them.

UPDATE -- Can't believe I didn't think of this until now, but our very own Minneapolis agency Space 150 is the best example I can think of for brands that adapt and radically change quite frequently. AND our very own Jacey works there! I've been to a few of the re-branding parties an they're quite fun. Everyone is excited and supports the demand for pushing themselves to be more innovative. What better way to show your clients/community that you're able to transform brands than by using yourself as an example?!

I Shouldn't Be So Shocked, But I Am

Erin: reversecowgirlblog.blogspot.com
ummmm right rail banner ad for american apparel...

me: WAIT IS THAT A NIPPLE

Erin: YES

YES IT IS

me: THAT'S A NIPPLE

Erin: IIIII KNOW

ON A BANNER AD

me: NIPPLE!

Australian Kotex Ads tap into our inner beaver

Animated furry friends still work (I mean those puppy's on the puppy cam could sell me anything!) Here is a great example of a friendly Beaver from our friends down under:



A real thank you from the girls at Yaybia, for keeping our Yaybia's...well, Yaybia's.

JCrew wants you to dress like Michelle Obama [the best google adwords I've seen in a long time]

I would like to give an A+ to whoever is buying Google AdWords for JCrew right now. While reading an email about Obama in Gmail, I found this ad on the side:


When you click the link, you are brought to this page:



Thank you JCrew. With all the buzz around gorgeous Michelle Obama's outfits, I think you hit the nail on the head.

Music Fail

While this is not technically a fail in the classic sense, I shall classify it that way anyway:
Music is not the ONLY way to connect to a younger, cool audience. Just because you have free (or pay) music downloads on your site does not mean that youth will flock to your site in droves, nor does it fit with the personality of your brand. Here is a sample of some recent offenders:

Pizza Hut: Initially, I thought this sounded like a pretty good deal. If you order on pizzahut.com between 11/5 and 12/27 you will get a link to eMusic where you get 75 free music downloads: 25 from a Pizza Hut playlist and 50 from eMusic's giant catalog. However, this includes a 14-day trial to eMusic. This means entering credit card information, and that if you don't to cancel you will be charged thereafter. Fail. Maybe I am being to sensitive to this, I had a long ordeal trying to cancel a "free" magazine subscription (alright ma'am, but before we officially cancel, would you like us to throw in 3 month at half price?) and my roommate tends to forget about these things and loses money on it. And Pizza Hut's justification of using music? They use music in their marketing. Gee, when was the last time you saw a commercial that used music?

Tic Tac: Tic Tac launched a new microsite called Tic Tac Chill where a visitor can download four free "chill" songs. And the first 1,000 visitors get a free sample of Tic Tac Chill Mints. Personally, I'd just rather get the free mints.

Who did it right:

Radiohead: Yes, they are a band so their "brand" is defined by their music, but by allowing users to pay whatever they want, even nothing, for their new album In Rainbows. “Radiohead made more money before In Rainbows was physically released than they made in total on the previous album Hail To the Thief.” It was a unique way to use their music. It got media attention. Also, fans who loved their music would pay more, and people who had never heard of them got to sample them for free becoming potential lifelong fans.

Music may be easy, but it is not the only way. Teens still hang out with friends, go on vacation, and go to the movies. Life offline and unplugged still exists. Sure, there are 5 billion iTunes music downloads per day. And radio listening for young people is back on the rise. It's no secret that people like music, but just because you slap a free download on a mediocre site does not mean you are going to be the next big thing. Like the viral video or the user-generated content contest, it's been done. Find the next big thing rather than jumping on the band wagon.

PiPress Helps Ease the Election Results Waiting Game

All I want to do is curl up in front of CNN right now, but alas, there are Excel charts to be formatted. So I wait instead and comb cnn.com and nytimes.com for some news, any news...just to be greeted by a countdown until the polls close. But I want new information right now!

Enter @MNvotes. I noticed the #mnvotes tag while Tweeting this morning, but I just now realized that MNvotes is also a Twitter username. And it's owned by the Pioneer Press!

This is great. People want to creep out on election news all day long, even if it's just reports of Lakeville lines moving fast and a voter wrongly turned away in Prospect Park. PiPress, I had written you off in your battle with the Strib for the surviving Twin Cities daily, but you just struck back in a big way. Only 125 followers, but I'm guessing you have a lot more stalkers like me seeing you turn up in friends' Tweets or Summize results instead of adding you as a friend. Very nice!

Let's hope that's not an indication of another comeback from a competitor we'd written off...

GET OUT AND VOTE TODAY!

Hello all, it's your friendly PR gal reminding you to get out there and vote! I stood in line for almost 2 hours in not so comfy heels, and it was worth every second.

Now, just a small interesting article to share with you all. Obviously, strategic communications is THE major aspect of campaigning. Speech writers, spokespeople, and campaign strategists are all working toward something that PR professionals do every day. We work to change or reinforce public opinion. It's just a bit (ok a lot) more important in their case to get the public behind a candidate than it is for me to try to get the public to like a can of soup.

That being said, PR Week released a great article today with some insights from highly respected public relations professionals giving their insights on who will win today, and why. It's worth the read.

How the Mighty Have Fallen*

Two years ago, if you had told Starbucks that they would be giving their product away like Taco Bell or McDonald's lattes, they would have laughed in your face. But then the economy went to hell, and this once-premium brand has hit rock bottom.



If you ask me, Starbucks' recent mistakes have been:

• Ridiculous brand extensions. I really don't want Starbucks breakfast beyond muffins and coffee cakes, and the brand can't seem to figure out what it wants to do, either. And I'm not paying $6 for a shrinkwrapped chicken sandwich. The coffee shop atmosphere just isn't conducive to a meal.
• Dunkin' and McDonald's slowly but surely crept into the premium coffee industry. Starbucks got scared when their sales took a dip and tried to compete with price promotions and the aforementioned food. But it doesn't seem as though McD's is really stealing away that many faithful Starbucks drinkers. Are real Starbucks customers really trading down to fast food? Or are there other reasons (brand dilution, a Starbucks atmosphere that has strayed from its roots, and yes, the economy) that have them skipping their morning joe?
  
• MyStarbucksIdea.com. Creating a social network for people to basically complain about the brand and offer ideas that will never ever get implemented was maybe not the smartest idea.

On the other hand, Ben & Jerry's is another premium-priced brand that is giving away product on Election Day. But for them, it works. Just look at the website. B&J never takes itself too seriously and is always pushing fun--it's ice cream! They also have an annual customer appreciation/Free Cone Day complete with long lines, brand ambassadors, and even a dancing cow. Ben & Jerry's built its entire brand on doing good and having a positive outlook, and giving away ice cream fits. Watching the Starbucks ad, though, you see how seriously they take themselves. The targets, the attitudes of the brands, and the motives for the giveaway are all completely different. For Starbucks, it just doesn't work.

This election giveaway is icing on the GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK! cake for Starbucks. Maybe they just expanded too fast and erroneously thought they could mix luxury prices with a mass audience. Maybe consumers really are remembering that $4 a day not spent on coffee could help buy next week's groceries. In any case, I'll be at work in the morning and at the Bob Dylan show in the evening, so I'll probably miss out on this sad promotion from the former coffee giant.

*Or in the case of our very own Erin Lamberty, the mighty have fallen, torn three ligaments in their knee, bruised and swollen beyond recognition, and been placed in an immobilizer until further notice. That probably describes Starbucks even better.

Out of this world campaign

"Today, we are all Americans" - this September-10-2001-sentence is once again true on this November-04-2008. The American election has been the number one news topic for quite a while, real and fake experts constantly present their views and there are public and private debates all over the place. You probably know what I mean. It's your country, after all.

The election hype is quite unbelievable - and we can't even VOTE! Well, actually we can vote. Just not in this election. We have this fancy democracy thing going on over here, too. Every once in a while there are European elections, for example. Only problem is nobody cares about them. The turnout has been steadily declining and is especially low in the new EU member states.

In an attempt to change that in the next election in June 2009 some geniuses in Brussels Germany came up with a mind-blowing idea. The European Union aimes for nothing less than the stars: A ballot box will be send into outer space to make voters interested in the process and create election excitement from Britain to the Balkans. In May, a Belgium astronaut is set to take the thing on his trip to the ISS. The box will show us Europeans that we can vote everywhere (no, still not in the US today). I supposse the Eurocrats learned from our American friends that every vote can count. Long lines in front of extrateresstial polling places have long been a major problem and many potential voters were err... alienated by that.

It's all part of a 33 Million dollar PR campaign to enhance the European Union's image amongst its citizens. Cause, you know, it's doing all sorts of tangible, effective and generally great stuff with our tax Euros. Next June, we will all be Europeans. Even those Martians out there.

Election + Cabbage Patch Kids = Charity (obviously)

eBay and Cabbage Patch Kids have teamed up to create 4 one-of-a-kind dolls. Election Cabbage Patch dolls. One for Obama, Palin, Biden, and McCain. The auctions for the dolls is currently live on eBay and is set to end during election day. As of 11:45am CST on October 31, the bids are as stands:

Palin: $3,650
Obama: $1,225
McCain: $1,025
Biden: $610 (Poor Biden)

If these stats are any indication, it looks like Palin, and that other old guy, are going to run away with this election.

100% of the proceeds will benefit Toys for Tots and four lucky people will have that must-have toy this holiday season.

Obama-rama

I posted a while back about Obama's 30 minute spot that ran last night on CBS, Fox, NBC, BET, Univision, TVOne and MSNBC (hey ABC, where you at?). Was it a $3.5 million waste? Or brilliant media placement? I'm not going to lie, I was skeptical at first. Is this what politics has come to, half hour ad-tastic spectacles? I suppose anything is better than this.

But I must say I quite enjoyed this 30 minute spot. It was beautifully filmed (Dona Schwartz agrees ;) ) and the narrative was extremely moving. Not only do I feel emotionally connected with Obama, but I also learned his exact strategies for moving our country in a new direction. Sorry people, politics isn't just about rationality, we want to feel good about who we put in charge. Yes they must be capable, but they also must be kind, and good hearted individuals.

Alright enough of my opinions. What are yours?

In case you missed it.

The First Banner Ad I've Clicked On In Recent Memory

Seen on Creativity for The Now Corporation. Love it for sheer WTF value.

(Ed note: The video for this ad has since been taken down by the ad server, but it was a visual of a mouse slicing random objects like a cantaloupe. Part of the loop can be seen here.)

Teen Vogue's Perfect Marketing Event

After working in the media industry for a whopping five months and three days, I've learned that the magazines that offer valuable, engaging events are must-buys for advertisers. Readers love their magazines, especially women. What's better than flipping through People (or AdAge/MediaWeek if you're a loser like me) with a glass of white wine after a long day? Well, cuddling with Erin, but that's beside the point.

So I was completely thrilled with Teen Vogue's pop-up retail concept for the holiday season. They are branding a space in a New Jersey mall where nothing is for sale, but everything is being sold. From the Times article:

Instead, the store will be a place for girls to relax, try on clothes and drink smoothies — all while marketers woo them. [...]

The stores will offer free snacks, informal modeling, a perfume bar, a makeup station, charging stations for cellphones and iPods, a gift-wrapping counter and racks of clothes.

Stylists and attendants at the store will advise visitors on lipstick, shoes and outfits.

And, to the delight of retailers, they will whisk visitors to stores in the mall where they can buy the products.

I am so impressed by this concept. It will succeed because:

• Teens are already immersed in a buying environment--it's not overselling.
• Like they say in the article, girls this age are "impressionable and aspirational." A Teen Vogue professional is knowledgeable but not parental, the ideal source for advice.
• FREE SNACKS.
• It sounds like these Haute Spots will be really laid back--a chance to sit down, have coffee, reapply lip gloss, take inventory of the day's purchases, maybe an impromptu fashion show to see if my new jeans go with her new heels. There's nothing else like this. It's the closest thing you can get to re-creating your best friend's bedroom inside a mall.
• Girls who normally wouldn't pick up a Teen Vogue will be introduced to the brand.

(Of course, I'm assuming the inside of the stores will match have a modern, welcoming, coffee-shop-meets-best-friend's-bedroom atmosphere. Teen Vogue would be smart to lure some of the stylists' younger sisters or a group of interns inside the store to avoid an empty, intimidating space.)

Make sure you read the Times article for all the details. I hope this spreads to MOA in 2009!

Candies v. Trojan: Who Will Win in the Battle to NOT Knock Me Up?

My latest Ypulse article has insights on the Candies PSA that you saw during Gossip Girl on Monday and on Trojan's Evolve website. Check 'em...

Don't Be a Boob; Use Pantene!

There's something about this ad... I don't know what, but my eyes aren't exactly drawn to her shiny locks.

What is it? Thoughts?

Brought to you by MatosGrey in Brazil

I'm a PC, and I Hate This Campaign

Stop the presses. Breaking news from CP+B and Microsoft. The "I'm a PC" campaign has branched out into completely uncharted territory and done something totally revolutionary:

User-submitted videos.

Unheard of!

Dentyne Face Time: The Good and the Bad

Just like real face time, the Dentyne Face Time campaign has a lot of good things, and some bad things. I was completely in love with the campaign. It was relevant to my life (mobile, digital, interwebs, friends) and reminded me that I do enjoy disconnecting to hang out with my friends, my sister, or boys (I'm open on Friday if you're looking!).

The NY Times thought that "That strategy could be a gamble, as the ads focus on exactly the people who are most passionate about these digital tools." But we think that people want to disconnect at times.  Sure we love our iPhones, Facebook, Twitter, Brightkite, Blogger, etc etc -- but we have the most fun when we use these tools to schedule time to hang out in real life. To meet up on Friday for happy hour, to plan a debate party, to laugh about the events that happened when we were hanging out the night before. I think Denytne has done a good job of reminding people that you may have a ton of friends on the interwebs, but those in real life are what really count. 


Here are my thoughts, share what you think of 'em!

I loved the ads.

I loved the website . Giving me a 3 minute time limit, whaa! But right on strategy with their goal of getting people to have more face time with each other.

Giving me options to ask someone for face time. Ok, I can handle that. Except, I'm using the interwebs to do it. Send them a pack of gum with an invite?

And then I hated it. The contest made me cringe and I vowed never to go back to the site. (screen shot below). The woman has a very condescending tone and is explaining to me how to create and upload content. But if you are targeting this demo, isn't that an inherent part of their lives?! I was very turned off by it and I was even considering buying some Dentyne when I'm an Orbit girl.

What are your thoughts? Will the disconnect to connect strategy work? Will Libby just try to keep trying to get me to cuddle with her anyways?

Fail Monday: AdWords Fail

What's false?!

BUTTONS! Fo' free!

Finally, a sponsored "gift" on Facebook that I can get behind.  This morning when I checked my Facebook for the gazillionth time, I noticed today's free gift was a "Obama '08" pin for my friends to adorn their wall with.  (Oh yea.... Facebook also offers a free "McCain '08" pin as well.)

Anytime I see a "free gift" on Facebook, I notice about a dozen or so friends who pass the gifts out with little messages, probably simply because it was free, and was a break from the normal "hey girl heyyyy" messages they type out on each other's walls (oh don't worry, I do the same thing).  What a great way for a company to sneak a message onto thousands of Facebook pages.  

So, sneak your message (whoever you may be voting for) onto your friends' pages.  Because the most important thing we will do in the next four year span is coming up really soon. 

VOTE, people.  VOTE!   

Stella Artois + IMDb= Free Movies!

Ask me my top 5 favorite websites and IMDb is always included. Today, while looking up scary movie trivia during lunch (tis the season) I was initially distracted by the Saw V take over, but then my eye was drawn to something else. Something more subtle, but much more interesting:

Saw V may have taken over the page, but I actually paid more attention to the small black bar across the screen. It has more value to me. Watch free TV shows and movies? Yes, please. Wait, brought to me by Stella Artois? OK. Clicking through brought me to this page:

I can watch a wide variety of movies (from Pride of the Yankees to Sideways), Independent Shorts (from Wonky to Speed Relationshipp-ing), and TV Shows (from The Twilight Zone to NCIS). Cool. A decent sized, FREE list with some worthwhile shows and movies. But, how does Stella Artois fit in?

Their tag-line for this page is: "Saluting the spirit of Independent Film. Perfection Has Its Price." Ok... I don't know about you, but this feels a little over-thought. They include Independent Films in their free movies, but they also include movies such as Weird Science. Not exactly Independent Perfection. Also, Independent movies are known for having lower budgets, so what "price" are they talking about? The gas money it takes to drive the extra 30+ miles to a theater that shows them? I like the thought put behind it, and it implies that Stella Artois may be expensive, but it's quality. Plus, I can watch these movies online for free, so thank you Stella! (Bummer: A Streetcar Named Desire is absent from the list).

Thoughts on this Promo?

Dunkin beats Starbucks

A double blind taste test conducted in ten major cities crowns Dunkin as the coffee king.



But will this change the minds of consumers. My hunch is the feeling one gets from drinking Starbucks outweighs a slightly better cup of joe. I personally avoid Dunkin Donuts because the service sucks (in my experience) and it just feels so unhealthy. I guess that's the power of branding.

Check out their website: http://www.dunkinbeatstarbucks.com
I enjoy their attempted digs at S-bucks.

Your Google is dirty... better wash it!

Google Washing? Kind of sounds dirty. Well, actually it is, but not in the way you think.

With the web’s presence being all-encompassing in the world of media relations and brand management, Google has become the spy scope for companies to check out the conversations going on about their brand. It can be kind of scary to type a Google search about your company and see a big dirty mark come up in the search returns. “I HATE BRAND X” (Wal-Mart knows what I’m talking about…) This is where Google washing enters. Wikipedia’s “Google bomb” entry has described Google washing as: “the use of media manipulation to change the perception of a term, or push out competition from search engine results pages.”

Branding (like was just discussed with rather heated passion by the fabulous Libby and Erin) is still a very important staple of companies. Branding also matters a lot to public relations professionals. Public relations is not just about typing up press releases and feverishly pitching them to the media world. A large part of our job is brand management. What are people saying about the brand? How can we spark good conversation about the brand? How can we even get people to BEGIN talking about the brand? And Google is a big part of this.

When a company Googles their brand, the last thing they want to see is a negative hit in the “Golden Triangle” of the search. While your first hit may be your own website, if the next few are “I hate Brand X” sites or blog posts, you may be in some trouble. Normally, this would be a public relations job. We would say, “OK, Let’s get going and start building good press, good conversations, and bring the brand back up in the good graces of Google searchers everywhere,” because that’s our job, and (hopefully) we are good at it. However, a new service is offering a shortcut option for many companies, and some are biting the bait. This new service is called “Online Reputation Management.”

Basically what some of these services do is pile on new materials to bury the old and “dirty” search terms, therefore cleansing your Google search of all the negativity. Sort of like fung shui for Google, I suppose. The problem is this: you didn’t get RID of this negative buzz, you just buried it and are now hoping it will not resurface. Personally, I feel that’s a lazy way of dealing with negative brand associations. Andy Beal, a marketing consultant quoted in a Business Week article, puts it perfectly: “They're not necessarily interested in trying to fix the problem. They just want to make sure that other people can't find it.”
Web 2.0 has become all about conversations. If brands don’t engage in conversations there isn’t much they can do to improve their image. Companies might find that some of the negative buzz they address may spark new ideas to make the brand more exciting than it was before. But if they let reputation management services do their thing, they may just be burying those ideas along with the negative buzz.

The ultimate connection

Genius, surprising, simple media placement at airports for the rental car company Sixt. In recent years, one of the best German agencies, Jung von Matt, has driven Sixt's rise from a small local competitor to the leading rental company. And yet, they still manage to surprise me and everybody else. See for yourself and be amazed:

Spreading the Yaybia Love

Yaybia, I've been unfaithful. I posted my first feature on Ypulse today. It's the first of the "Our Side of the Screen" series, which will be the Youth Advisory Board's reviews of ads and branding efforts aimed at 13-24 year olds. I reviewed three online political videos aimed at the youth vote. Please go check it out, watch for future features...and leave me some Yaybia love in the form of a comment over there!

P.S. You're all following the Ypulse Twitter feed, right? Another Youth Advisory Board member and I are in charge of it, so go follow!

Search is the Anti-Brand?

I came across this article , and then this one , oh and the bro’s book while breezing through the Dim Bulb posts in my Reader this morning. I agree with the first one, that Google should maybe give a little TLC to what they started with, search. But the last one is a bit...well, worthy of a Yaybia post. I read it, gave it some thought, and came up with some thoughts.

Some arguments and issues:

“Search doesn't operate in the language of colors and buzzwords, and it doesn't force consumers to think the things your branding has thrown at them”

-Search may not be sexy, but it has the power to extend the branded consistency that you have built elsewhere in the world.
-Search is just beginning. As more images, videos, interactive elements of search begin to be developed, it will be important to use all of these search elements for branding.
-Branding should never be about “forcing consumers to think” a certain way. Companies present their brands to the public in the way they would like to be received. If consumers find that this is not true, they’ll tell people, they’ll post about it, they’ll no longer value your brand. Consumers never liked having things “thrown at them” in the first place.

“It doesn't exist unless someone dips into it”

-Perfect! Some is going out of their way to look for what I have to offer! Now it’s my chance to show them that yes, I have what you want, I’ve presented it in a clear manner, and that I am trustworthy.

“Internet search has forever changed the way consumers behave. It shifts authority from the information-giver to the answer-seeker, and exposes every conceivable aspect of brand to scrutiny.”

-What’s wrong with change? Once upon a time television was one of the only dominant forms of connecting with large audiences, but now it seems there’s another new option everyday.
-To be good, your brand should be transparent. Exposing the brand online is part of the entire branding process. Listen to what people are saying, sharing, and feeling.

“The bad news is that this has nothing to do with branding. In fact, Internet search is the anti-brand.”

“People paid more for things because they didn't know better. They behaved certain ways because of routine. Branding didn't cause this phenomena as much as cover-up many of its true drivers.”

-Consumers didn’t know better? I think they do. They want to buy Coke rather than RC Cola. They actively choose to drive out of their way to go to Starbucks. Branding has placed value in these products and activities.
-Libby adds, "Here is where I start telling this article to fuck itself."

“I'd suggest that people don't search with questions about brands as much as generic terms about things or activities. They're not looking for answers from brands, but rather answers about products and services.”

-Yes, people don’t necessarily search for “cute shoes from Target”, but if they searched for “cute shoes”, why couldn’t Target, or another company, brand their search result? Consistent titles, descriptions, URLs should reflect the brand image and personality.
-And consumers will seek out those branded results from the unknowns. How often have you Google Mapped "gas station near 55409" and skipped CHEEP-O GAS for the SuperAmerica 2 miles farther, because you knew you could trust it?

“Web search undos these connections, and treats brands as words, just like in the Middle Ages...marks with no implicit meanings beyond those which an anonymous public of Internet users, and secret equations, choose to give to them. “

-When was branding not about words? Twitter? What the hell is a Twitter? Just words? Oh wait, with branding it now means something.
-You have 150 characters for your search result title. Why can’t you use it for branding?

-Last time I checked Twitter's big thing was about telling others what you are doing. Looks like a branded search result to me.

-Brands that have established themselves online are rewarded with more links in their result. And it's not just for the big brands, small local companies get site links like these all the time. People trust these results more because Google (a brand) has said so.

-Branding is about being prepared. Your links may not come up every time someone searches for what you've got to offer, but that's not reason to ignore the "secret equation" of search.

So a few short wrap up points:

1. Sorry for the ridiculously long post.

2. As the reliance on search continues to grow, so will it's importance in branding.

3. Branding in search doesn't have to be about having the most creative title or page description. Any company can be consistent and present their content in a reputable way. That's branding.

Advertising on Twitter

Twitter is the Facebook of 2008 -- nobody can quite figure out how to make money off of it, but there are a lot of people there so it seems like there MUST be a way.

Well, in my excitement of finally being able to follow one of my personal favorite celebrities on Twitter, Britney Spears:



I found this:



There you go. Integrated advertising on Twitter. Bingo. I am a Britney fan, why wouldn't I want all the same glamorous things in her life? Now, I just need to get my hands on the metrics of http://www.diddyriese.com/ so I can find out how effective this is.

McCain launches UGC competition! Appear in a McCain ad!

Jumping on the User Generated Content bandwagon of 2006, John McCain shows his age once again by asking users to submit their own "I'm Joe the Plumber and I love McCain" video. Actually, you don't submit it, you post it on YouTube and send them a link.

See the details here:
http://www.johnmccain.com/Joe/

Straight from the website, the guidelines are:
* Your video must be 27 seconds long (3 seconds are required for a legal disclaimer)
* Use appropriate imagery, language and music.
* Do not use copyrighted music, pictures or videos.

And John McCains Ideas and Suggestions:
* Be creative! The video that most effectively tells why you are Joe the Plumber will be featured in a TV ad.
* Tell us why you are like Joe the Plumber.
* How would Barack Obama's plan to "Spread the Wealth Around" hurt you?
* Explain why you're voting for the McCain-Palin ticket.
* Tell your story simply and clearly.

And just like Doritos let you do, you could get your video on TV! No way! Except this time you only get to be on air in swing states, instead of the SuperBowl.

I think my favorite part is this: "How would Barack Obama's plan to "Spread the Wealth Around" hurt you?"
Lets get over the negative advertising people!

Seriously, why not ask people to explain How would McCain's plan HELP you, why do you have to go for the negative?

So does anyone have an over under on joke submissions? I am guessing that nearly every serious submission is doubled or tripled by a mockery.

advertising needed vs quality of product

You may remember a post from a few weeks ago about the amount of advertising needed vs. the quality of the product.

Now, Mac has released a few new Mac vs PC ads, and here is one:



I have a few thoughts about this. It is obviously a direct stab at all of the Microsoft advertising that has been sweeping the airwaves. I have to applaud Mac for this form of retaliation. While Microsoft choose to take a line directly from the Mac commercials (something I am definitely NOT a fan of, but that is a topic for another post), Mac simply came in subtly and made a crack about the Microsoft advertising. Simple = Good.

Grade: A, love it.

Ideational realization

I recently tried to explain my passion for advertising to my grandma.
"Sounds like fun," she said "However, where do you always get all those ideas from?"
"I don’t know," I replied, "I guess, I just have them."

I thought about it for a while and realized that this is not true of course. First of all, I don’t always have ideas, much less good or even great ones. Plus, output is only produced by the right kind of input. My brain is like a sponge and will only release an idea drop every once in a while if it is soaked with impressions and sensations. So I thought about it for another while to find out what really inspires me.

Here is my random, incomplete Top Ten list of inspiration:

• Failblog
• Really good ads
• Really bad ads
• Err, well… getting drunk
• My job as a fair and event hostess. In the past two weeks alone, I have worked at a cardiologists convention, at an incentive for fork truck staff and at a gala for gifted teenagers.
• Children
• Using my energy legs to clear my mind – running, snowboarding, biking, hiking
• Gossip magazines and British tabloids
• Public transport: The tourists’ dialects and cultural differences, the teenage wisdom and the gay couple arguing about what to eat for dinner, the distinguished gentlemen’s conversation with the punk… The day I can fit that in a car, I’ll give up trains and subways.
• And here is my number one source of inspiration: My friends. This summer for example, we found some old eggs. Instead of dumping them, we built a catapult and attacked our friends in their boat. Crazy? Sure! Nonsense? Of course! That’s the point.

Where do you get your ideas from? What kind of input do you need for great output? Everybody is different and it is worth to think about it so you can utilize it better for yourself and for great ads. I believe that everybody can be creative; it’s just a matter of attitude and inspiration. Take my grandma: Although she thinks she could never do“that”, she told me the most amazing stories and fairytales when I was a kid.

Old music with fresh ears

The latest trend here is a very old one: Classical music

Paul Potts' opera song "Nessun Dorma" was downloaded in record numbers and his album was an absolute chart breaker. Celebrated techno DJs recompose orchestra pieces and mix them with electronic beats. Young Berlin hipsters flock to the coolest clubs in the city to listen to live performances of Händel and Haydn.

The question is: Is this just another see-and-be-seen fad that will soon be replaced by something new? Or will those events create curiosity and a desire for more among classical newbies? And will the existing opera houses, orchestras and smaller venues be smart enough (and willing) to open up to those not-yet-experts.

The Berlin State Opera set a good example with their recent "Staatsoper for everybody" event. To start off the fall season, they installed giant video screens and a stage on the central square in front of the prestigious opera house and star conductor Daniel Bahrenboim and his ensemble performed two shows for free. The open-air opera and concert were a huge success - in fact, the traffic on the neighboring boulevard had to be blocked because 45.000 people came to listen.

Live music is great because you can see and hear and then really appreciate the artists’ passion and skills. It's those wow-this-is-awesome-I-wish-I-could-do-that-moments that make the difference between i-pod and stage. And this is exactly why I think this Cello Challenge website for the Berlin Philharmonic is a hit, too. It's like guitar hero with a bow.

In a playful, yet addictive way it illustrates the fascination of classical music (and interactive). It shows me that I can be there when this guy produces tunes with his bow and strings that I can’t even master with a simple mouse. So, it would be very kind of you if you could participate in the raffle at the end of your personal cello show and then send your free tickets to me, please.

Happy Belated "Ex Day"!

At my internship, we use a big fat book called Chase’s Calendar of Events to coordinate events we create around days that would be appropriate. Mainly, I found this book to be entertaining to fish through because there are crazy holidays that you only hear of in random email forwards and maybe at a Hallmark store. Such as, did you know that there is a National Squirrel Appreciation Day? And that it’s legitimately listed in this tool for PR professionals!?

Anyways, just recently in order to promote a new series called “The Ex List,” CBS teamed up with 1-800-FLOWERS to create a brand new holiday (because we just don’t have enough of them). Yesterday was the first annual “Ex Day.” At first I thought this was a day to gather with your friends and bitch about your exes, which immediately turned me off to the idea (an event based on bitter women doesn’t sound fun), but then I read into it. Ex Day (October 16) is a day to reach out to your former flames and maybe reconcile, or maybe even rekindle. Interesting…


Even if this holiday only garners attention for this year and never officially becomes an annual tradition, it was a good media attention grabber for CBS to promote it’s new storyline (young 20-something tries to get in touch with all of her past loves because she thinks she’s already dated “The One”). To be honest, the holiday sounds like it would mainly appeal to the female population, but that seems to be exactly the audience “The Ex List” is going for as well.

1-800-FLOWERS was smart to jump on the bandwagon in order to boost sales of their flowers. They even created a specialty bouquet created called the Ex Bouquet, which honestly is just a bunch of white, platonic-looking flowers. Conveniently enough, the day is only 2 days before “Sweetest Day” ($Ka-Ching$ for October sales...).

Even though this may be a classic PR idea, and proven to help gather media impressions, are people getting sick of having fake holidays thrust in their face? Or is it so common that it doesn’t even phase them? What do you think?

It's Like a Pizza With Your Four Favorite Toppings, Only More Delicious

Today I discovered a tool that blends four of my loves: New York Times interactive features, Election 2008, maps, and media. The Times' all-encompassing Election Guide offers an ad spending breakdown between the two majors candidates, complete with their spot TV spending.




After geeking out with this for a good half hour, I came to a few conclusions...

--McCain has spent more nationally ($17.7 million/18%) than Obama ($12.0 million/9%). If this continues to be his strategy in the next 18 days, it's great. I just read an article about how he can't depend on swing states anymore, because polls are starting to put Obama in the lead regardless of how the last 6 undecideds vote. If he can't tip the scales in his favor on a state-by-state basis, McCain needs to campaign--and spend--more nationally. Meanwhile, Obama has a solid foundation locked up. Now his strategy is to flood the airwaves in states that are still up in the air.

--Both candidates are spending similarly in major Ohio cities, but McCain is heavying up in smaller markets like Wheeling-Steubenville ($400M McCain, $163M Obama) and Lima ($231M McCain, $87M Obama). Smart. Neutralize Obama's message as best you can in Columbus and Toledo, but don't pile additional weight on top. Voters in the biggest DMAs have to be saturated by ads at this point. Put additional funding into the smaller markets to gain your advantage.

--Obama is spending the shit out of McCain in Florida. Seriously.

--Obama has more of an all-or-nothing market strategy. He skipped states like South Dakota and California that were set in red or blue from the beginning. For states that seemed to give him an early shot, like North Dakota and Montana, or early worries, like Minnesota, he enough money to actually make an impact and kick off a strong plan before changing strategy and dropping out. McCain, on the other hand, sprinkled his spot spending from coast to coast regardless of how set in stone those votes may have been. Seems weird to me. I wonder if the reporting system is accidentally counting some national buys as spot?

--Before you think to yourself, "Poor Philadelphia. They must see a political ad at every commercial break," remember how spot pricing works. There are going to be tons more eyeballs on the ad that airs in Philly than the ad that airs in Minneapolis, so the Philly placements cost more. If this map could be viewed in weekly TRPs instead of just dollars, my life would be complete.

--Check out DC spending. This isn't an effort to sway voters (DC voted almost 90% for Kerry in '04). It's a PR move to endear government employees and media to our next Commander in Chief. Obama is outspending McCain 2 to 1...who's unprepared to lead now, huh, J. Mac?!

--But don't forget, this is only TV spending, and we all know who's been ruling the interwebs this year. Internet spending probably follows TV pretty closely, except in cities with higher indices of Internet news readers.

And I'm not even getting into the ability to break down the ad spending by issues! I really need to pry myself away and get some work done this afternoon so I'll stop. But if you find me at the bar tomorrow night for a Yaybia birthday party (D, Booze, E. Lam, and I all have October birthdays!), I'll probably start gushing to you about this very map. Prepare yourself.

Political Ads, Bias, and Credibility

I believe in traditional news media, especially in election years when the public is hungry for the truth and fact checking is only a click away. It's true that some channels lean right while others veer left, but I still trust both sides' coverage to be honest, if not 100% nonpartisan. A little bias is unavoidable, and even healthy. But generally, both sides of the media do a relatively good job of digging up the facts.

I understand why news organizations accept political advertising. As a media professional, I'd be fuming if CNN wouldn't accept campaign ads. Viewers are clearly interested in the election and seeking information. Demographics for these channels describe the likely voter: older, white, higher income, and so on. So I get it. But when I read a story on Washington Post this morning, I couldn't help but be surprised by these Obama ads:




I'm reading a story about the debate, and there's Obama's hopeful face staring back at me. Does this bother anyone else? Maybe it's only a problem in online and print, where the content is directly juxtaposed with the ad. Something just doesn't feel right about this very evenly balanced, non-partisan coverage...sponsored by Obama for America.

The media is already drawing record eyeballs with their pre-election coverage. I think CNN or Fox News could generate some awesome PR--not to mention a credibility boost--for refusing to air political ads, even just for the last month leading up to the election. But do they dare risk pissing off these campaigns and the agencies that represent them? What do you think?

As far as online and print, obviously the Post accepts political ads, but I couldn't find any info on nytimes.com or wsj.com. Even cnn.com and foxnews.com seem to be relatively light on ads. Anybody have any info on whether these guys have banned Obama and McCain from their sites?

Even YOU can do this

My post today is inspired by Advergirl's recent post on Kiva.org. 

First a little background info on Kiva. Their goal is to alleviate poverty in developing countries by offering the world's first person to person micro-lending site. It works by lenders (you, yea you) browsing profiles of entrepreneurs in need of funds to start or continue their business. After specifying the amount you would like to lend, Kiva's micro-finance partners then distribute the loan funds to the entrepreneur. Over a specified period of time, the entrepreneur repays the loan to the lenders. Once the lender receives their money back they have the option of withdrawing their funds, re-lending to someone else in need or donating it to Kiva. 

The last person I lent to was trying to expand her farm to surrounding villages. Since then, I've decided to re-loan my money to other entrepreneurs. Kiva makes it so easy. I also love Kiva because you feel a personal connection with the people you lend to. Kiva gives you the opportunity to connect with other lenders, receive updates and messages from entrepreneurs and hear personal stories of success.  A few of Kiva's corporate sponsors include: Google, Starbucks, YouTube, Facebook, Think MTV, and Yahoo. (there are a lots more). I've also noticed pre-roll ads on Hulu. Here's a list of their field partners.

As a college student, I know what it's like to eat ramen for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 3 straight months. I know what it's like to "check out" random student clubs on campus just to jack a free meal. And what its like to not do laundry for 5 weeks since I couldn't find enough quarters. 

However I also know what it's like to spend way too much money on a dress I didn't really need and am only going to wear once. And how I rationalize buying an entire table a round of drinks since I "just got my paycheck". Or how I tell myself it's okay to drive to work because it's so effing cold outside today (hey it IS Minnesota). 

The coolest thing about Kiva, is that you can lend for as little as $25. That's a purse you didn't need, extra three drinks you shouldn't have had and a movie you and your bf (or bff) could have rented instead.  In the spirit of Blog Action Day, what are some things you would be willing to give up, so that others can succeed?

Mmmmm, Media Goodness

Nothing brightens my day like great media placement:



(My apologies for the terribly shitty quality of these pictures...iPhone got distracted by the bright shiny light.)

Not-for-profit HMO HealthPartners has taken over Metro Transit route 135, including new ceiling stickers I've never seen on the bus before. These ads are excellent in both targeting and placement. The 135 route has jusr a handful of buses each day: 6 from south Minneapolis to downtown in the morning, and 6 going the opposite direction after work. HealthPartners knows beyond a doubt that they're putting their ads in front of commuters.

Not to mention catching their attention. Taking over the entire bus, instead of being one of 15 panels competing for eyes, ensures that these ads can't be missed. The bright orange of all the ads visually unifies all the ads. And the ceiling sticker really seals the deal because it's new ad space for Metro Transit that's literally staring you down as you enter or exit the aisle.

Check out their site for a better idea of what the campaign looks like, and I'll try to catch some better pictures next time I'm on the 135!

$200... no, $100

So I was sifting through my lately neglected gmail account when I came across an email inviting me to be a "Shoe Maven" (give my opinions about shoes for market research) for a chance to win $200 in shoes. I don't really have much of an opinion to give, but I like shoes, $200 of them would be nice. So, I click through to the website and complete the initial questionnaire, but then, what do a see? It's a promise that I'll be entered in the chance to win $100 worth of shoes (aka, 1-2 pairs). Where did that other $100 go? Were my answers not good enough? Let's be consistent with our prize promises, especially when they go down.

BLASTOFF!

Hello readers of Yaybia!  I was once one of the loyal followers of this kick-ass blog, but I am honored to say I am joining the ranks of the talented women of advertising to blog about my expertise, public relations.  So, quick intro:  My name is Susan, and my three loves in life are Google Reader, social networking, and the talented Danielle's cupcakes.  

Now that we have that out of the way, did anyone hear about the missile being dragged along the streets of Manhattan with a Viva Viagra logo plastered to the side!?  It’s one of those WTF public relations stunts that cause people to buzz about the brand and chuckle about the craziness of the ordeal. Smart, yea?

 

But wait.  Pfizer (creator of Viagra) didn’t actually order this stunt!  A mobile advertising company, Jet Angel, issued this stunt as a “free PR gig” in an effort to rope another client.  After towing around a large silver missile with the Viva Viagra logo visible to all spectators, the company sent this note to Pfizer: 

Jet Angel hopes that you enjoyed yesterday’s visit to NYC including all your free  PR. It is the intention to make a second trip next week, with the VIAGRA Missile, and ‘riding’ on top will be two models handing out free condoms!

LOOK AT ALL THE PEOPLE STARRING, THE JOY, THE IMPRESSIONS!!!! 

(And yes, they spelled 'staring' wrong.  Nothing says good PR like crappy spelling.)

 

Pfizer wasn’t amused, and actually ended up suing Jet Angel for trademark infringement.  But, this stunt actually got major PR play with health care blogs, gained additional coverage from major publications such as our very own Star Tribune and even scored a golden impression from the Wall Street Journal Blog.  In the end, Pfizer actually did get the free PR it was promised. 

Jet Angel, however, earned some bad press from major publications, was sued, lost the case, and basically was put on display in the Wall Street Journal as a poster child for “how not to gain new business.”  

 

So kids, what did we learn today?  It is NOT a good idea to conduct your own campaign for a client you don’t even have! There are all sorts of legal ramifications, and not to mention it’s just plain dumb to use anyone’s name without permission.

Side note: I think that the males of Manhattan may be thoroughly disappointed that they didn’t get to witness the second trip of the rocket with the models tossing out free condoms.  It seems like something Kendra from The Girls Next Door would have loved to do.

Killerstartup?

Facebook meets amazon meets brandtags
DigaDing.com* is a new social network based on users' preferences for brands. Members can create their own “home story” by adding logos and pictures of their favorite brands to their profile. They can post stories about why they like a particular brand and find other users who share their taste. When adding a brand, members are also presented with a link to amazon.com and the like where they can buy what they love. The two young creators from Switzerland, however, assure that they won’t sell user data to companies. They rather intend to create revenue through targeted ads.

In their own words (well, translated)
Digading – that’s me. That’s what I like. Our network connects people through brands. We were fascinated by how friends and couples often like and dislike the same products and brands. On Digading users can create their own home stories like stars, easily meet like-minded people and buy 2.5 million products.



Why it might be a killer
I would never date a guy who hates Vitamin Water, basically all my friends have Apple computers and I proudly wear my Cheap Monday’s. In a world of flexibility and mobility, brands are a means of identification and integration. They are part of our life. They tell stories. They matter.

Some questions
Would I date a guy, only because he drinks Vitamin Water or build a friendship on a common taste in electronics or jeans? Do I need to know why a stranger likes Coke and Cheez-its? Why not buy the stuff I like directly?

What do you think?

*Ding means "thing" in German, which explains the bilingual name. Kind of.

Ad Icons Personified

So yesterday I was continuing my eternal search for the most epic, original and slightly inapropriate Halloween costume. I landed on the Orbit Gum Girl. It will give me an excuse to talk like a Brit, bleach my hair and call people lint lickers all night.

Instead of searching on Halloween costume sites (boooring) I went to advertising icon ones. Except they were all of animated characters or people dressed up in creepy outfits. No thanks. Where are the real people?

So I watched some good ol' television for some inspo - here's my favs:

Mac and PC guys: Lindsay's called dibs.

Paul from Verizon.

Subway's Jared.

Geico's Caveman. Alright that falls into the creepy category.

Other favs?

Ultra Douche Personified

No. Way.

via Best Week Ever

The Interwebs Are Watching

So I'm taking a brain break this afternoon and surfing for concert tickets (the spending freeze is making me lust after entertainment). I clicked on the "email to friend" link for Metro Station next Monday (anybody? anybody?) and instead of an email form, this pops up:

WTF?!

What do you think?
1) IT is playing an amazing joke
2) The Epic nightclub website detected I was behind a work firewall and decided to strike some terror into my heart
3) Fail Tuesday continues