HomePod, Alexa and Echo

The online sphere of digital marketing has taken on many tangible forms of access, from laptops to smartphones. Marketers are catching onto societies apparent “obsession for immediacy” within a fast paced world of communication with sales of smart Ai assistants  going through the roof. Australian reality TV show “The Block” has been a prevalent platform of reach in the Australian market for Alexa, googles take on the smart assistant. With every room reveal being matched with commands for Alexa to “Turn on the Tv’ and “roll down the blinds”, Google have invested good money into the integration capability its Ai device has. This may seem like a cool gadget to have, however Burger King have revealed one of its many flaws through a disruptive guerrilla marketing campaign.

Burger King have noticed the soaring sales of Google Homes and have used this to their advantage. The ad with a simple command “Hey google, whats in a Burger King Whopper burger?” triggered google homes across America to read out the ingredients within their signature burger.

Google quickly moved to block the command from activating the Google Home devices, but with this in mind, Burger King already had another version of the ad ready to go, which would trigger the same message being read out, using a different command, according to Adweek.

What are your thoughts? Will tv advertisement continue to engage with Ai within our homes and should brands capitalise on this?

 

 

It’s okay to be obsessed

Music is universal and brands are capitalising on this – and no I’m not talking about the type of music brands choose to put over their online content. Brands are creating music! Youtube, Spotify and Apple music are seen to be three of the largest online music streaming platforms in the market, offering “free-mium” models which opens up an unlimited selection of songs and podcasts for consumers. I use it everyday and I’m sure most of you  do to, so it makes sense brands have jumped into this market.

Oakley in their latest instalment of their “One obsession” campaign, have released a spoken word/ jazz song with lyrics written in collaboration with several Oakley athletes including snowboarder Chloe Kim and cycler Mark Cavendish just to name a couple. The song aims to be an ode to all athletes who put their social lives aside to work on their craft, and that its “okay in the name of obsession”. The music video was released on Youtube and has amounted over 24 million views with the song even being released on Spotify.

 

Within a digital marketing context, I think its both refreshing and genius. Its a genuine act of brand disruption with underlying strategic prowess. The share-ability of music, and the universality of its message is something that encourages virality. People often remember the soundtrack behind a memorable ad, such as the Cadbury Gorilla Phil Collins rendition, so I think it reinforces the brands image and salience in the mind of a consumer by providing that often missed auditory branding.

What are your thoughts, do you think brands producing music is the next marketing trend?

Commbank “CAN”! But should they?

The big banks have been in hot water after revelations of their misconduct as per the royal commission. From Westpac admitting it “paid bonuses to financial advisers whom were consulting clients into high fee investments” to NAB charging for financial advice it apparently never gave, and Commbank even charging fees to the deceased, its apparent that these Big banks need to regain trust within their consumers.

How will they do this? Firstly, I think they should cut the “wishy washy” promises they give consumers. NAB’s “More than money campaign”, to me, is just a mere attempt to stay trendy, forward thinking and creative in their marketing communications. I do believe that these campaigns are of some value, however due to the ethical backlash they’ve been facing, they should move their focus onto smaller clear cut messages. ANZ digital campaigns are doing well due to the fact they deliver practical help on social platforms to help their customers “Get on top of their money” with budgeting advice. NAB and Commbank should take a note out of ANZ’s book, and leverage their presence on social platforms to build trust and transparency with their consumer. Commbank sent an email out to all its customers amidst the royal commission controversy which gave consumers a small sense of comfort in its long term plan and apology.

Ultimately, the digital world should be leveraged according to the businesses’ current situation. Brand disrupting content has its time and place. Commbank, NAB and westpac should implement transparency in their communications before creatively exploring the possibilities of what they are capable of.

Do you agree?

Are Buyer Personas a thing of the past?

Humans are extremely complex creatures with a great deal of layers. Emotional layers, behavioural layers and volatile intentions. Yes, humans do fall into behavioural patterns, however should we structure our digital branding strategies through these created personas?

Roy Morgan is among one of the many marketing research companies whom with the help of both big data, social media and research, create certain personas which stereotype potential users of your product or service in order to better understand them and the strategy they’d confine to. An example of a brand persona are “Dinks” who’s main attributes are having a dual income and no kids. They are also perceived to drive either a Mercedes, volkswagen or BMW and frequently go on social outings with high school friends.

Although some may actually relate to these profiles (which go into way more detail than the above mentioned), in this age of volatility and endless disruption, brands whom swear by these buyer personas may be completely missing their target market which comes with grave consequences.

Specifically in terms of digital marketing, a married couple with medium – high level incomes living with 3 children may still share the same needs and wants as a uni student due value alignment and possibly the way they use technology. The digital world has shaped how we receive our news and how we are exposed to certain brand communications. Campaigns created by agencies are beginning to impact across generations, and while age gaps may continue to increase, the way in which people receive information is very much becoming standardised – Therefore, I guess it can be argued that these personas shouldn’t be limited to “age” and “demographic” and really shouldn’t be the be all or end all of scoping the market.

The Palau pledge is a great example of moulding a digital campaign to fit multiple personas and changing attitudes, rather than creating a campaign with personas in mind. The content should shape the consumer in this day and age.

What are your thoughts?

Is fake the new real?

In the midst of a world imbedded with fake news through digital communications, consumers have to navigate through whats real and whats not on their social media platforms. With authenticity looking like a thing of the past, what if digital marketers really pushed the boundaries of “fake”.

Enter CGI influencers. At first, I didn’t buy it. Who would purchase goods promoted and worn by artificially designed and created human like figures. But then it got me thinking. As a social media influencer, you have a certain audience you cater to. You accept brand deals that cater to your audience and promote these brands in order to try and capture and hook your audience. Even though it may not look like it on social media, there still is a real human being behind these posts, which makes posts both brand and emotionally driven. Influencer won’t post things they don’t want to post, and this is where I think CGI influencers come in.

The key in the success of CGI influencers is their ability to “not think”. Their creators have the ability to customise their media communications and really give their consumers and followers what they want to see. They are able to create drama to ensue word of mouth without fearing damage to anyones reputation or emotions. They are able to promote a range of goods without the need to conform to a certain aesthetic. They are able to customise and swap between their target markets while curating and delivering content to please all – its a win win.

Moving forward in the world of digital marketing, CGI influencers may pose a threat to our everyday influencers. Although it can be said that we don’t have the level of emotional connection we do with regular influencers, do we really need that emotional connection? In this fast paced world where society is getting addicted to “immediacy”, maybe, CGI influencers will give us the “immediate validation” we need to buy that Fendi lipstick or that Acne jumper we’ve had our eyes on. I don’t completely agree with where the world of digital marketing is headed with CGI influencers but I do see its value.

What are your thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

30 years of “Just do it”

A slogan, developed and based on an executed criminals last words turned 30 this week. We all know it – and to mark the 30 years of Nike’s “Just do it” slogan, the company released a campaign featuring controversial American Footballer Colin Kaepernick. Just two days later, the campaign generated over $43 million in media value with the likes of Donald Trump pitching in. What was all the fuss about?

Kaepernick’s controversial image stems from him being the first player to take a knee during the US National Anthem before an NFL game to protest police brutality against African- Americans. As a result, Kaepernick has been taken off the NFL rosters, resulting in a legal battle. Nike followed up with this video.

 

Opinions have been divided with hashtags #boycottNike with loyal nike fans setting their nike branded goods on fire as the action Kaepernick took was seen as disrespect to the National Anthem.

My thoughts? This was an extremely refreshing act of brand authenticity. Furthermore, it showed Nikes ability to jump on polarising issues (Speed) and take a stance which resonated with their 30 year old slogan. From a digital marketing standpoint, virality of their media communications were successful, surpassing KPI’s and increasing the brand resonance within the consumers who believed in Nike’s message. In a way, Nike has managed to cull the non believers of Nike’s true brand mantra and have strengthened their community of believers. The authenticity of nike standing behind the underdog and potentially losing some customers along the way is something I personally admire.

With an increasing stress on SEO, AI and strategic data based marketing, Nike have managed to create an authentic campaign which drew the consumer back to the roots of Nike.

What are your thoughts? Will authentic branding and communications manage to withstand the test of a volatile and fast pace marketing environment?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Facebook’s Identity Crisis

As you’ve probably noticed on your digital frames for the past few months, Facebook have rolled out a campaign to improve its transparency on fake news, ads etc. The campaign was titled “Here together”. In this ad, Facebook attempts to draw viewers in to the roots of Facebook and why we, as users, initially created an account. It was a crying effort to help identify Facebook as it once was. A community based company.

It was a crying effort to help identify Facebook as it once was. A community based company. Whether the ad was genuine or if it was a spark of brilliance from marketers to get Facebook back in the spotlight has been debated – however their latest move complicates things even more…

Welcome “Facebook Watch”. A platform where content creators are able to monetise videos with the addition of ad revenue slotted into the content. Facebook take 45% of revenue, while creators take 55%. In my eyes, Facebook have made just made a foggy stance in “reclaiming its identity”. It’s push to be the answer to effectively monetising video content has further pushed them into the entertainment industry. However it can be argued that Facebook is helping its community create sustainable income where they can be sure the content is organic and of quality.

What do you guys think? Is this Facebook Watch initiative the right way forward for Facebooks mission to regain its identity?

Additional Question: How do you think Facebook Watch will compete with other monetising video content communities such as youtube?

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE SECRET INGREDIENT MISSING IN MOST MARKETING CAMPAIGNS!

Lets be honest, its becoming increasingly hard to stay relevant in the world of digital marketing. Social influencer marketing, trend leeching, use of AI its all been done before.  And to be completely honest I don’t really buy it. Social influencer marketing has its flaws – its limited to low involvement goods and its effect on brand loyalty doesn’t really impress me. But when else can a business really do?

I know this may not be applicable to ALL businesses – but I do think that its not used enough in the marketing world. And the secret ingredient is Experiential Marketing. 

Experiential marketing, sometimes referred to as engagement marketing or event marketing is a marketing strategy that directly engages consumers in real time and encourages them to participate in the evolution of the brand or immerse themselves in the history and “story” of the brand. Why I think this is vital in a marketing strategy is because it forces consumers and customers to be actively involved in the production and co-creation of the marketing communication – creating another level of brand loyalty.

Heineken Experience: Instagram

An example of this of this is the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam, where you are immersed in the history of the company, how their beer is made and how the packaging has evolved over time. This paired with exclusive access to their underground bar where free heineken beers on tap are served with an included boat ride down the scenic canal of Amsterdam creates a sense of belonging and brand loyalty that can’t be matched by a single post made by an influencer.

How does this link to digital marketing? Now comes the concept of micro influencers – also known as regular people, just like you and me. These immersive experiential marketing events/stores are made to share with your friends. This is where the businesses just sit back and watch. Everyone that goes to these events snaps and shares it on their socials, word of mouth spreads and not only do you have loyalty from the attendees, but now you have exposure to their 700 closest friends.

Share your thoughts on experiential marketing and the micro influencer wave that comes from it! DO you think more business should invest in it and why?

Speed v.s Quality

IN a growing cyber age, digital content has become a must for any growing social media marketing strategy. Whether it be in the form of videos, images, tweets etc. , businesses and agencies are constantly distributing content into our socials. However, most reach a common dilemma… Speed vs Quality.

Should we spend ample time curating and “perfecting” our content, or would it be more advantageous for us to be the first to distribute our content?

Some argue that speed is the way to go. With decreasing attention spans, we are losing our attentiveness to content 7 seconds into a video. Thus popular opinion says releasing visually eye catching content at a fast pace regularly is a way into the consumers mind and furthermore increases our chances of sharing the content.

Daniel Arzani for Headspace

I think its a win – win dilemma, as it really makes businesses think situationally, and aline their choice with their brands values. A major factor we should consider in this debate is a brands opportunity to “Trend leech”. Trend leeching is when a business uses fast fleeting breaking news or current trends in order to position their marketing communication of a product or service. An example of this is the business “head space” currently using the hype around up and coming young Australian Footballer Daniel Arzani, to talk about his experiences with mental health.  Trend leeching is a good example of using speed, and businesses should capitalise on any opportunity to effectively trend leech.

What do you guys think is more important, speed or quality? 

 

The biggest mistake to date?

In an overly saturated world of marketing communications, it might seem impossible for your ad to gain traction … unless you make a mistake. Breakfast show “Sunrise” presenter and owner of KBB agency David kosch or “koschie”, as we all know him by, has recently been in hot water after using the hashtag #socialsuicide to promote an article on social media use.

Experts are deeming the use of the term “suicide” out of context as a misrepresentation of the suicide issue and a “total lack of sensitivity around suicide and its prevention”. However, was this really a mistake? 

Controversy and contentious issues are the building blocks of virality. Koschie’s trending hashtag, Sportsbets ad promoting drug cheats and Vegemite’s latest “tastes like Australia” ad showcasing Pauline Hanson as an Aussie icon all play on contentious issues in an attempt to cut through a marketplace of content- and it works. It gets people engaged and most importantly gets people talking. However where do we draw the line? How contentious is too contentious?

Arguments can be made that the casual use of the word suicide brings exposure and gets people talking about the issue rather than hindering it, and the use of Pauline as a “National icon” brings a sense of cultural identity and branding along with the political turmoil which may arise.

Is it a balancing act of subjectivity and morale?

Should we be able to use touchy subjects to make our content viral?