I'm a little ambivalent about Best Buy's Twelpforce winning the Titanium Grand Prix for "Best Use of Social Media Marketing" at Cannes.

Not because I think it didn't deserve to win - it obviously did.

Rather, I'm worried about too many companies drawing the wrong conclusions from it.

In my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND (available everywhere books are sold), I look at Twelpforce and the phenomenal job of fielding questions, offering suggestions and mitigating any negative online chatter before it becomes an issue.

As Forrester analyst Josh Bernoff, co-author of "Groundswell," says in my book, "We're in a world where one person, by their actions, can make a company look bad. On person talks, and a bunch of other people echo and amplify what that one person is saying. Big companies now have to be worried about one individual with a microphone called a bog." Or a twitter account, as the case may be.

But in light of the new attention Twelpforce will get after its big win at Cannes, companies far and wide will decide they need Twelpforces of their own. And they very well might. But as I say in the book, social networking is not a replacement for customer service. Best Buy already has outstanding customer service. Most companies don't.

As sophisticated as it may sound to have brand representatives ready to monitor and respond to social media chatter, it's far more useful to have highly-trained, highly-effective customer service that can handle issues long before customers feel the urge to share their war stories on Twitter.

If you really want to get cutting edge, start there.

Read more about Twelpforce's Cannes win, here.

And read more about the book, here.

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Alison Moore
Vice President, Brand Strategy
& Digital Platforms
HBO

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Very cool use of augmented reality for clothing brand Forever21, from Space150.

The onscreen model on this Time Square billboard shoots images of passersby and even plucks them out of the crowd to make them part of the action. It's not clear how it will help sell clothes, but it does position the brand as cutting edge.

In my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND (available everywhere books are sold), I look at how an increasing number of brands are using augmented reality to connect and engage consumes in amazing new ways. This billboard, launched today, is just one example of what is becoming a major trend. 

As James Squires, Space150's director of technology, tells FastCompany: "Since it sits above a pedestrianized part of Times Square, we knew there would be big crowds in front of this billboard all day. But people only look at billboards for six seconds on average. We wanted to extend that."

Read more about the initiative, here.

And read more about the book, here.

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“THE ON-DEMAND BRAND is witty, insightful, dynamic, and highly inspiring. This book should be required reading for marketers—or anyone trying to understand how to keep their brand relevant and energized through the rapidly changing consumer landscape. Mathieson has a gifted ability to dig under the breakthrough ideas that are keeping top brands engaged with their current and new consumers, offering key insider takeaways that we all can learn from.”

Alison Moore
Vice President, Brand Strategy
& Digital Platforms
HBO

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Howard Rheingold was right.

In my first book, BRANDING UNBOUND, Rheingold predicted that we'd soon be scanning barcodes with our mobile phones to connect with content around the social impact of the foods we eat the the beverages we drink. In my second book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND (available everywhere books are sold), I look at how social connectivity like this can influence brand perception, and how this is not something for brands to fear, but rather embrace.

Now, PepsiCo is re-dubbing the UPC and the Universal Purpose Code, linking the idea of activating content to discover the social impact of foods to Pepsi's Refresh Project, the effort to fund useful community service efforts.

It's definitely an interesting idea - and one where the brand is taking ownership of the experience, instead of solely being impacted by it. 

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"... WITTY, INSIGHTFUL, DYNAMIC ..."

“THE ON-DEMAND BRAND is witty, insightful, dynamic, and highly inspiring. This book should be required reading for marketers—or anyone trying to understand how to keep their brand relevant and energized through the rapidly changing consumer landscape. Mathieson has a gifted ability to dig under the breakthrough ideas that are keeping top brands engaged with their current and new consumers, offering key insider takeaways that we all can learn from.”

Alison Moore
Vice President, Brand Strategy
& Digital Platforms
HBO

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A little bird told us sponsored Trending Topics on Twitter yielded 86 million impressions for Coke.

The soda brand followed Disney/Pixar in the new channel in what is said to be a promotion in the tens of thousands of dollars - a lot for a few words, by small relative to a typical ad buy. The particular topic led to a congratulations to England and the US for moving forward in the World Cup.

Still, you have to wonder if this is just the novelty of Promoted Trends.

With apologies to Coke, time will tell if they're the real thing. But as we see more brands move into promoted Topics - and as more consumers recognize what they are - response rates will likely lose some fizz.

Read more about the effort here.

And read more about the book here.

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>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

"... WITTY, INSIGHTFUL, DYNAMIC ..."

“THE ON-DEMAND BRAND is witty, insightful, dynamic, and highly inspiring. This book should be required reading for marketers—or anyone trying to understand how to keep their brand relevant and energized through the rapidly changing consumer landscape. Mathieson has a gifted ability to dig under the breakthrough ideas that are keeping top brands engaged with their current and new consumers, offering key insider takeaways that we all can learn from.”

Alison Moore
Vice President, Brand Strategy
& Digital Platforms
HBO

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rolling Stones fans jonesing to express their devotion will soon be able to get some satisfaction in a whole new way.

A new iPhone app will soon enable fans to post virtual, interactive posters of the rock icons on streets, homes and offices.

Developed by Howard Ogden and Augmented Reality, the app is designed to help celebrate the re-release of the Stones' Exile on Main Street.

What's especially cool is that when you post one of 18 flyers, you can leave a comment along with one of 28 tracks from the double album and a short video clip of the band for others to discover through their own phone screens. Users can drop these posters via a special website as well as via a Facebook app.

In my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND (everywhere books are sold), I look at how a number of brands are using mobile augmented reality apps to express themselves or provide useful information and utility. 

As a longtime Stones fan, I'm looking forward to this particular bit of AR, too.

Read more about the effort here.

And read more about the book here.

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>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

"... WITTY, INSIGHTFUL, DYNAMIC ..."

“THE ON-DEMAND BRAND is witty, insightful, dynamic, and highly inspiring. This book should be required reading for marketers—or anyone trying to understand how to keep their brand relevant and energized through the rapidly changing consumer landscape. Mathieson has a gifted ability to dig under the breakthrough ideas that are keeping top brands engaged with their current and new consumers, offering key insider takeaways that we all can learn from.”

Alison Moore
Vice President, Brand Strategy
& Digital Platforms
HBO

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The original distressed jeans are helping out a seriously distressed town.

In a gritty new twist on Pepsi's sunnier, more social media-centric "Project Refresh," the second leg of Levi Strauss & Company's "Go Forth" campaign focuses on the brand's efforts to help Braddock, PA and its mayor John Fetterman, try to recover from decades of economic decline.

The TV spots, hitting July 4, will feature real residents instead of models - including a young single mother who recently lost her job (and was compensated for appearing in the spot). And the brand is donating over a million dollars over a two-year period to assist in renovating the town's community center, and to jump start an urban farming program, according to the New York Times.

On the digital front, there will be digital ads aplenty and a dedicated Facebook presence. 

But where do we go forth from here? During the first leg of the campaign, hypnotic TV spots and a highly engaging website provoked much thought about the strength of the American dream.

The campaign, from Wieden & Kennedy, featured video of an American wreckage juxtaposed with a voiceover of Walt Whitman reciting a poem about the opportunities of America. Visuals included unsettling symbols of decline as well as hope, a kind of Obama-era assessment (indictment?) of the state of our union, and a call for unification in moving forward, together. A "new declaration for the United States of America," as the website put it.

And the website! While official copy featured lighthearted lines like "When in the course of the human work week, it becomes necessary for one to drink 29 cups of coffee, check email 344 times, and add 92 Twitter friends, all while avoiding..." entries from visitors tended toward the undeniably thoughtful, even provocative. This was not just a consumer republic enamored of Americana; but a nation of critiques and challenges as much as one of celebration and can-do spirit.

But the inevitable questions arise: What does this have to do with selling jeans?

And will this newly expanded campaign succeed in bringing a more positive spirit, as some suggest it will, and repositiong a brand that has always been an icon of rugged individuality into one geared around a "one for all" mentality - all while hocking "510 Super Skinny Jeans" and the "569 Loose Straight Jean" and describing the difference between washes running from "Bjorn Blue" to "Super Destructed Light"?

On the other hand, I'm surprised more brands aren't making themselves this useful during the Great Recession. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are among the few I can think of, though I'm sure there are more. Maybe just not as many as one might expect.

Who knows, maybe Levi's will finally get a leg up.

With luck, so will Braddock, PA.

Read more about the effort, here.

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>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

"... WITTY, INSIGHTFUL, DYNAMIC ..."

“THE ON-DEMAND BRAND is witty, insightful, dynamic, and highly inspiring. This book should be required reading for marketers—or anyone trying to understand how to keep their brand relevant and energized through the rapidly changing consumer landscape. Mathieson has a gifted ability to dig under the breakthrough ideas that are keeping top brands engaged with their current and new consumers, offering key insider takeaways that we all can learn from.”

Alison Moore
Vice President, Brand Strategy
& Digital Platforms
HBO

 

 

 

 

 

 

>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

 

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A new TV, PC and mobile ad campaign will make use of Microsoft's new Kinect Gesture Interface to enable consumers to test drive the Chevrolet Volt electric car.

It's essentially a Cadillac and Toyota-do-Project Gotham-style add on module for the new "Kincet Joy Ride" Xbox game, the first controller-free racing game from Microsoft Game Studios. Using the Kinect technology, use gestures to drive the car instead of holding a game controller. 

As I talk about in my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND (available everywhere books are sold), video games are emerging as a powerful way to connect with many young audiences. Burger King's popular Xbox games being just one example - but certainly racing games hold a certain appeal for automotive brands.

And beyond the gaming virtual test drive, this particular effort connects Volt with the technological innovation of Kinect.

"It gives us a leg up in consumers' minds," Steve Rosenblum, director of advertising sales and promotions at Chevrolet, tells Mediapost. "Where we go from here will really be the culmination of the advertising team, Microsoft and the new agency hired to manage the campaign."

But may someday be much more. Think building and buying your car through such an interface.

As Rosenblum puts it: "It would be really cool to design or build the car on your cell phone or go to a dealership and design and build it there."

Read all about it, here.

Unilever's AXE deodorant's new scent Twist is coming with just that - a twist.

A new mobile marketing campaign includes 2D barcodes that link users to exclusive content from the AXE Twisted Humor Tour, presented by Funny or Die and at college campuses.

Enabled by JAGTAG, the barcodes will be featured in GQ, Maxim, Men's Fitness, and other pubs; sample packs distributed at college campuses; on handouts and signage within movie theaters; at Six Flags theme parks nationwide and more.

"For AXE to stay relevant to our guy we need to constantly innovate and find new ways and channels to entertain him where he lives, works and plays," says Mike Dwyer, AXE marketing director in a statement.

In my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, I look at how AXE has been particularly innovative in mobile as well as in transmedia initiatives. This looks to be its first major foray into 2D barcodes - and the campaign does seem to target the brand's male, 18- to 24-year-old dude demographic. 

So get Twisted at Funnyordie.com/axe and facebook.com/axe.

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"... WITTY, INSIGHTFUL, DYNAMIC ..."

“THE ON-DEMAND BRAND is witty, insightful, dynamic, and highly inspiring. This book should be required reading for marketers—or anyone trying to understand how to keep their brand relevant and energized through the rapidly changing consumer landscape. Mathieson has a gifted ability to dig under the breakthrough ideas that are keeping top brands engaged with their current and new consumers, offering key insider takeaways that we all can learn from.”

Alison Moore
Vice President, Brand Strategy
& Digital Platforms
HBO

>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

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Turns out that new Barclaycard iPhone game "Rollercoaster Extreme" comes with a twist: Every month for six months, you can submit your top score for the chance to win an iPad. And the four tall time top scorers will get a trip to Las Vegas for a Rollercoaster Extreme playoff and the chance to win £50,000.

Now that's a nice way to update the brand's "Waterslide Extereme" game, by making it a social game with some pretty attractive prizes. 

The competition runs through January 4, 2010, so you'd better get trackin'.

Full terms and conditions are available here.

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"... WITTY, INSIGHTFUL, DYNAMIC ..."

“THE ON-DEMAND BRAND is witty, insightful, dynamic, and highly inspiring. This book should be required reading for marketers—or anyone trying to understand how to keep their brand relevant and energized through the rapidly changing consumer landscape. Mathieson has a gifted ability to dig under the breakthrough ideas that are keeping top brands engaged with their current and new consumers, offering key insider takeaways that we all can learn from.”

Alison Moore
Vice President, Brand Strategy
& Digital Platforms
HBO

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"The first thing I would say is that it’s actually not as expensive as you think it would be, though obviously you make a very valid point.

"I would not be able to go into my manager and say ‘I’m going to spend a million dollars to create this site. And, oh by the way, we don’t know what kind of traffic we’re going to get. We don’t know if anything will be converted or lead to any revenue stream.’ Obviously that’s going to be a very tough deal.

"I think what you need to be able to do is say, ‘Hey, here’s an initiative that I think can bring us some really positive buzz. And oh by the way, it’s not a huge expense.’

           

"To create a site that offers up content, really in the grand scheme of things, does not cost much at all. It’s the cost of the content. And I think that there’s a lot of creative ways that you can obtain content.

           

"If you’re going to go ahead and produce it all yourself, and you’re going to go to large agencies [or studios] to do that, yes, that’s going to be in the millions of dollars.

           

"But I think the beautiful part for us is, when you’re working with a lot of these emerging artists, the costs are a lot less expensive because they’re looking for the exposure.

         

"For us, that’s an equation that works."

- Scion's Adrian Si, on justifying an initiative like the Scion Broadband branded entertainment portal, from THE ON-DEMAND BRAND: 10 Rules for Digital Marketing Success in an Anytime, Everywhere World (available everywhere books are sold).

Read more of this exclusive Q&A interview - pick up a copy of the book today.

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>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

"... WITTY, INSIGHTFUL, DYNAMIC ..."

“THE ON-DEMAND BRAND is witty, insightful, dynamic, and highly inspiring. This book should be required reading for marketers—or anyone trying to understand how to keep their brand relevant and energized through the rapidly changing consumer landscape. Mathieson has a gifted ability to dig under the breakthrough ideas that are keeping top brands engaged with their current and new consumers, offering key insider takeaways that we all can learn from.”

Alison Moore
Vice President, Brand Strategy
& Digital Platforms
HBO

>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

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