Itty Bits of StickyBits

During SXSW Interactive, StickyBits presented an app that lets users attach videos, photos, audio or texts to real world objects with barcodes. How does it work? First you have to download the app onto an iPhone or Android. The phone can then scan a barcode and users upload a piece of content connected to that barcode or view what others have already upload to it. The content can even be uploaded to the consumer’s phone and geo-tagged, making it available to them and friends via their social-media profile.

What does this mean for advertisers? Well, consumers have already started to download the application and uploading content to products. Companies like Doritos, Ben and Jerry’s and Campbell Soup have already taken note and created their own marketing efforts using StickyBits. However, with companies lacking the ability to control what content gets posted to their products, consumers have complete hold over how a brand can be portrayed. Though the invention of the StickyBits app may seem like a worthwhile opportunity, what will happen if a disgruntle consumer uploads negative content to a product? This could lead to a downhill spiral very fast…

StickyBits on an iPhone:

The World's Biggest Sign Post

When people think about navigation they don’t think about Nokia. Nokia wanted to change this. They wanted to inspire their consumers to use the navigation system on their phones from the web. The problem: most people see navigation as something that takes you from A to B, it’s not fun or engaging. They wanted to make it into something social between their consumers. So, they created the world’s largest interactive signpost.

In London, they raised a digital arrow up on a crane for passer-byers to see. The crane would turn periodically and point out people’s favorite locations by listing the name, address and including the name of the person who sent in the information. People could text in locations and within moments the crane would move and tell you how far the location was. Nokia kept track of the arrow and information via a livestream on their website. They mapped out all the locations people had entered. This physical instillation was powered by people and became more than just a way of telling you how to get to point B, but also something fun and engaging.

The World's Biggest Signpost from adghost on Vimeo.

The Best Dinner Trick of All Time

BMW has always continually set the bar in the automotive industry for advertising efforts. Earlier this month they attempted what seemed impossible. They took the typical party trick of removing a table cloth from a set dinner table for one and amplified it to a guest list of 24. In one swoop, their S1000 was able to rip off the table cloth in seconds, leaving each place setting virtually untouched. Though the stunt isn’t clearly defined as advertising, it’s hard to call it anything but. The video has received about 3 million unique impressions on YouTube already and is also featured on the BMW.tv.com website. The video is and has become a viral marketing tool and a strategic move on the part of the automotive company.

Search is the Answer

The power of search! Search is becoming one of the most profitable and reliable options for advertisers as SEM and SEO tactics become more targetable and yielded greater results. Think about it, what’s the first thing we do before we make huge purchase decisions? We research it! We turn to friends or family and then when still left without an answer we Google it! In a study done by eMarketer, most marketers indicate they plan to shift their print and direct mail budgets to search. It is predicted by the end of 2010 search spending will reach about $16.6 million, a huge increase from the past 4 years.

Search’s ability to traffic where consumers are coming from allow for clients to track the effectiveness of their campaign efforts in a way that is of in the realm of print and broadcast. An ineffective search campaign can quickly be adjusted to yield better results, an aspect that cannot be found in more traditional media.

Tonic Water Company's Sweet Revenge

Paso de los Toros is a company that produces bitter tonic water. This year for Valentine ’s Day they created a unique campaign that utilized the broken heart feelings of people who had been hurt by their ex. The idea of the campaign: Revenge is the best way to get back at an ex for pain and suffering but not in merely a physical sense. Paso de los Toros gave their consumers a way of immortalizing their revenge forever. The campaign asked people to go online and submit a message to their ex. The best lines were collected and made into a book and immortalized forever. The tonic water company, with the participation of some of the world’s best illustrators put together a book of the 72 best messages. Here are a few examples:

C: Thanks for leaving me after paying for the surgery, my boyfriend is appreciative!

R: Do you still have a pain in your stomach? Tomorrow I’m going to poke your liver with a pin.

The book was translated into English and Spanish and consisted of 6 chapters, each with a different theme. The main idea: “To stop with the sweetness” (also the company’s tagline) of Valentine ’s Day.” Books were sold in bookstores all over Argentina and 50 books were donated to the Book Crossing program, to help them spread organically. The company incorporated Twitter, Facebook and yielded great results of over 100,000 visits to the site, 6,000 messages, 2,000 books sold in 3 weeks and 72 ex’s with peace of mind. I guess revenge can be sweet sometimes, but Paso de los Toros tonic water, never.

Paso de los Toros Tonic Water - Immortal Revenge from BBDO argentina on Vimeo.

To Like or Not to Like

I like a lot of stuff. Sleeping, eating, my friends, puppies, my google calendar, an empty inbox, etc. Facebook has now changed all of their “become a fan of” X company option to a “like” button. Now users can “like” almost everything. Photos, wall posts, comments, links…oh yea and did I mention brands? It’s easy to get lost in vast array of option of things to like, but does this mean that consumers are engaging in a meaningful, emotionally-based relationship with a brand? My answer—no. It takes very little effort to like something and even less effort to skim over a news alert about someone “liking” something.