John Barton: Advertising, Social Media, Ideas, Innovation, Passion, Thoughts & Inspiration

TESTIFY THE SOCIAL CRM AGENCY X FACTOR 2011 FULL STUDY

2012-01-05T03:59:00.000Z

Social CRM Agency Testify takes a look at 2011’s X Factor show and how it was possible to predict outcomes of the show such as the bottom two. Lots of other interesting trends and stats included around the show week on week too...

Social CRM Agency Testify Digital Xfactor 2011: Twitter Insight & Monitoring Report

View more presentations from Testify

"IT TOOK ME FOUR YEARS TO PAINT LIKE RAPHAEL AND A LIFETIME TO PAINT LIKE A CHILD" - PABLO PICASSO

2011-12-13T12:22:00.004Z

I had to share these images from Dave DeVries and his project 'The Monster Engine'. The project has apparently been in circulation since 2005 but I came across it in the Metro Newspaper late last week. Picasso is known for numerous quotes but the "Paint like a child" quote always stood out for me. When I thought of it, some of the most famous modern artists like Picasso and Miro had this sort of colorful/playful innocence. Whilst I am not predicting 'McKenna Royce aged 6' as the next Miro, I do think DeVries offers a window into the mind of a child and its pretty cool...

SOCIAL CRM AGENCY TESTIFY REPORTS ON YODELS SOCIAL CRM STRATEGY

2011-12-08T03:44:00.000Z

Full report from Testify the London based Social CRM Agency on the problems faced by Amazon and Yodel in the run up to Christmas. The public have not been shy about making their feelings felt and as the study below demonstrates, this has disastrous consequences for brands without a Social CRM strategy in place. Via the Wall.

YODEL - AN AMAZON SOCIAL CRM GAMBLE

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GRAFFITI GOES 'SOCIAL' AT THE X FACTOR STUDIOS

2011-11-08T10:41:00.011Z

On visiting the XFactor studios this week with Testifydigital.com (more on that soon) I couldn't help but notice the amount of growing graffiti on the walls outside.

What was more interesting however was the nature of the fan scrawl on the surrounding area. Declarations of love for Frankie Cocozza (&Co.) come not only with Twitter handles but even personal BBM Pins.

Is this a bit of fun or is this is a simple illustration of just how ingrained social media is becoming within modern society? Moreover, its important to consider that this is the next generation of consumer growing up in a time when social media/technology is not an 'evolution' but a way of life.

Sometimes its the simple things that can be the most telling.

Twitter Handles...

Blackberry Pins...

SETH GODIN ON 'BUYING' EARNED MEDIA (AMEN)

2011-10-25T10:56:00.007+01:00

"The term has been around since 1988, but it's not truly understood by many.

You can't buy earned media.

It doesn't arrive on schedule.

Earned media isn't free media, because the amount of time and energy and risk you have to expend to get it is hardly free.

It's like all the other things we earn. It is worth more precisely because you cannot simply command it to comply.

[An aside: throughout the history of advertising, ad agencies have rarely, if ever, bought ads for themselves. Worth noting that those that would seek to help you generate earned media are much better at taking their own advice."]

Via Seths Awesome Blog

My 2 cents...

It's always a struggle selling the 'concept' of earned media in to clients. We all do it, we have all experienced it. When a brand offers such a good product or service, we are compelled to tell others ans when others recommend, it is likely to effect our decision making process. But in a world where paying for 'reach' is the norm, things like influence and engagement are sometimes expected to be a consequence of awareness. Not so.

As consumers Social media technology offers us all a platform of influence. We are no longer voices in the wilderness. We all now have the potential to be media outlets in our own right. Whilst buying earned media is somewhat of an oxymoron it IS possible to stimulate earned media by activating and empowering brand advocates. At Testify we have found brand engagement to be much more pro-longed and valuable in terms of conversion when traffic is generated from an advocate as opposed to more traditional paid channels. In fact in many instances we have generated traffic and Facebook Likes for our clients with no paid media whatsoever...

6 QUESTIONS WITH AJAZ AHMED FOUNDER OF AKQA

2011-10-19T14:04:00.003+01:00

AKQA is widely renowned as one of the most respected agencies in the industry and with a HUGE trophy cabinet for campaigns with brands such as Nike (Trainer/Grid) and Fiat (Eco-Drive) it's easy to see why. Founder Ajaz Ahmed offers his view of the industry where it is, where it has been and where its going. Enjoy.

TESTIFY MOBO FACEBOOK VOTING APPLICATION DOUBLES FACEBOOK COMMUNITY IN UNDER 24 HOURS

2011-09-05T11:34:00.012+01:00

At Testify, we love pushing the boundaries. We always aim to make an impact and actively seek brands with similar ambitions. Having met Kanya King MBE (founder of the MOBO awards) and Henk Elzenga (Director) over a year ago, it was clear then that they were keen to explore ways to solidly integrate digital into the wider the MOBO strategy.

Testify actively approached MOBO with the idea of a new way to vote that truly activates and empowers the fan base of each nominee in an open race to the finish line live on Facebook. Conception, design and some nifty Facebook coding from Zoocha saw us go live at 8pm on Wednesday the 31st of August.

We are over the moon with results so far. Our strategy doubled the MOBO community within 24 hours and has almost tripled the community at the time of writing this post. Mark and I founded Testify to create great campaigns and we are proud to add this one to the growing list with Passion, Innovation and Accountability.

See the campaign in action here: Facebook.com/moboofficial

Read full overview on Testiys website HERE

If your brand requires a similar campaign strategy contact Testify:
http://testifydigital.com
Email: enquiries@testifydigital.com

Look out for Testify in next months issue of MOBO Magazine!

FOLLOW UP: JAY-Z & KANYE WEST DIGITAL STRATEGY APPEARS TO WORK - SETTING NEW ITUNES RECORD

2011-08-17T23:35:00.010+01:00

"According to Nielson Soundscan, Jay and Kanye sold 436,078 copies in total, including both digital and physical CD sales. 321,000 of those units were through downloads. They also broke iTunes records for first week sales with 290,000 downloads, beating out Coldplay’s previous record set in 2008 with their LP, Viva La Vida."
via@missinfo

So is digital pre-release the way forward? Sure it wont stop bootleggers but it gives artists at least a level playing field with them! I really enjoy seeing the music industry adapt and evolve with a few key artists leading the way.

FYI. I bought the album via iTunes. Until now I have only ever bought singles, games and apps.

My original post HERE

WATCH THE THRONE 'DIGITAL' PRE RELEASE SET TO REVOLUTIONISE THE FIGHT AGAINST LEAKS?

2011-08-05T13:15:00.004+01:00
On Monday the 8th the collaboration between Jay-Z and Kanye West: Watch The Throne is set to be released on ITunes.

I will be watching with great interest as the artists have received heavy criticism from from label bosses for the strategy which sees WTT released in a digital version prior to the hard copy. Jay-Z is said to be using this as an experiment to combat bootlegging.

He believes bands are open to bootlegging: "...as soon as it [the CD] is on the truck".

I noticed that fans are going crazy on Twitter today. Not because they're looking fwd to WTT. But because they cant find a leak!

Looking forward to the outcome of the experiment. Its certainly brave (for a high profile release) but if higher profits are reported, surely others will follow into the main stream?

Lets wait and see...

WILL.I.AM CONFIRMS OUR SUSPICIONS...

2011-06-23T16:58:00.001+01:00
If you were at my talk last week at the Enterprise Ireland Social Media club in Dublin you will know that it was all about the shift in media consumption, the stats that confirm the theory and the opportunity to leverage the social graph.

WILL.I.AM (whilst stating the obvious to many of us in the industry) summarises the state of play in the marketing mix pretty well below. I'm always interested in quotes from musicians as they more than anyone have had to adapt to the shift in media consumption trends.

Many of those who embrace change have done very well indeed, in many cases launching independent labels often powered by Social reach. My assumption is that those who are slow to adapt persisting with traditional marketing channels without considering the potential of Digital and indeed Social Media have and will continue to suffer - badly. Not just in the music industry but across the board.

"Right now is a unique time. TV isn't what it used to be, it's now an old technology. TV was social media back in the 80s when you would watch it and talk about it. Devices should have more than one function, why do we still rock like it's the 1990's." WILL.I.AM - Cannes 2011

I often think this when I see marketing plans with a huge spend on media such as TV, Radio or Outdoor measured on panel based trends like RAJAR and BARB. Often there is barely a sliver for digital in the comparative sense. (I accept that I.AM bias)

Mr 'I AM' whilst I wholeheartedly disagree with your musical direction since the glory days of 1990s BEP you're spot on in this instance. :)

People define the channels of consumption, marketeers and agencies are hired to engage brands effectively within them. It just wont work the other way round.

Full article via Media Week

SPEAKING AT ENTERPRISE IRELAND SOCIAL MEDIA CLUB #entirl #eismclub

2011-06-16T23:32:00.008+01:00
The theme of tomorrows presentation is:
"Developing a corporate voice through thought leadership in Social Media..."

Looking forward to seeing you all there.
(Common social touch points & advocacy - funnel modified from Google images)

#entirl #eismclub

REWIND... 2008: AIR FORCE 1 TAGGED

2011-04-19T12:01:00.004+01:00
Doing some research for a campaign and came across this...

Such an amazing piece and still stands the test of time today.

If you missed it somehow have a look!

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD ON CLIMATE CHANGE - TED TALKS

2011-04-05T17:48:00.003+01:00

It's no secret that I am a big fan of Vivienne Westwood from a creative standpoint. This talk is however all about climate change which to be honest - I don't have a huge amount of knowledge on. I posted this video however because she is a thought leader and thought leaders are important not only in my line of work but in life. Without disruption there is no progress. Questioning the status quo is necessary to keep innovating and pushing standards in any walk of life.

AIR NEW ZEALAND: #WINNING

2011-03-31T14:17:00.004+01:00

As someone who more often than not ignores the safety video on flights I cant commend Air New Zealand enough for their REAL in flight video.

An informative video that people will ACTUALLY pay attention to as well as a great piece of disruptive marketing.

Bravo.

Kudos @digitalcuppa for the link...

SOCIAL COMMERCE QUOTE ON UTALKMARKETING.COM

2011-03-30T11:25:00.005+01:00

“Facebook Connect is a key trend,” says John Barton, head of planning and social media at Steak Media. “Levi’s was one of the first to take advantage of this, putting a “like” button against various jeans. Allowing consumers to search for products by popularity, using crowd-sourcing to show what’s relevant and drive sales through target audience activity.”

Steak Media’s Barton believes rewards interactions is the foundation of social commerce. “Rewards drive business; it builds brands through word of mouth; people send it to friends/family and colleagues – this is a perfect arena to tap into – social circles are all about sharing and it drives traffic. It’s the core essence of what social advertising is about – and why referrals and advocacy is important.”

Read the article in full here: http://www.utalkmarketing.com/Pages/Article.aspx?ArticleID=20656&Title=Social_commerce_-_the_trends_to_watch

SHADOW SWORD FIGHT - STUNNING

2011-02-25T14:14:00.003Z

Man sword fights with a shadow live on stage...

LAGERFELD SHOOTS KANYE WEST MAGAZINE COVER WITH REAL $1 BILL

2011-02-02T13:46:00.003Z
Karl Lagerfeld pushes the boundaries of traditional print for VMAN magazine...awesome stuff.
(See the real money being inserted by hand below)

Kanye West shot by Karl Lagerfeld for Vman from KWest on Vimeo.

TRULY VIRAL 'CONTENT'

2011-02-02T11:37:00.011Z

Big thanks to the guys at Rubber Republic for my gift in the post this morning and as I have grown to expect from Chris and his team it comes with a clever twist...

The Rubber Library...
The idea is to share good content (in the physical sense) throughout the industry whilst promoting the core values of innovation and ideas of the company to the right people.

Kudos guys. Great idea. In my opinion its the attention to detail that catches the right eyes. ;)

(Thanks to Liz Pavitt at RR for sending it over!)

STRUGGLING TO KEEP WARM WHILE WAITING FOR A BUS LATELY?

2011-02-01T14:20:00.008Z
An awesome outdoor execution. Colle + McVoy of Minneapolis created this amazing piece of experiential outdoor for Caribou Coffee. It's hard to imagine this installation not making an impact on re-call. Especially since according to Like Cool the heater on the roof actually works!

Via BBCICECREAM + LIKE COOL

IF AD AGENCIES DID BIRTHDAY PARTIES...

2011-02-01T10:53:00.002Z

SIDEBAR: I'm not usually a fan of the 'warm and fuzzy' viral but this is funny, endearing and absolutely spot on! If you work in the industry I am sure this will raise a smile. :)

CAR INSURANCE MEMES INVADE MY FACEBOOK NEWS FEED...

2011-01-18T14:19:00.009Z

Memorable meme = More recall at need stage = More quotes

STAR WARS COFFEE? A BRAND ON THE DARK SIDE..?

2011-01-17T13:59:00.007Z

Yes, you can actually buy this... (Link below)
I'm not a Star Wars fan but I am a coffee fan. I just wonder will George Lucas sanction ANY product collaboration? I would love to see how this sells. It will probably fly out. Even if its just for the novelty of having an unopened batch in the kitchen.
"Get a taste of the Dark Side with this rich hand roasted coffee. Three diverse coffees and two different roasts create a full-bodied, sharp, cup with spicy undertones and smoky, dark-roasted complexity. Vader's Dark Roast Coffee is commonly enjoyed by Dark Lords of the Sith while planning new Death Star construction, but give into your anger, sample a steaming cup and you will be rewarded with power beyond your imagination."
Product Features
Gourmet whole bean coffee hand roasted by Stormtroopers
Perfect for Dark Lords of the Sith... or your friends and loved ones
Spicy undertones with smoky, dark-roasted complexity
Coffee blend is comprised of coffees from Africa and Indonesia. Even though these are not certified fair trade, they are specialty-grade coffees which means that droid farmers receive a higher price/pound, compared to exchange-grade coffees.
Officially licensed Star Wars product designed by ThinkGeek
Exclusively available at ThinkGeek
Each bag contains 12 Oz of whole bean coffee

Via Think Geek

DON'T BE AFRAID OF 'SILLY IDEAS'...

2011-01-13T16:06:00.005Z

"Which one would you remember?" The wonderful Paul Arden.

Best present I got last Christmas...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0714843377/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1DS5EYJHXA8YBWPSBTXW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467128533&pf_rd_i=468294

ANDY WARHOL PAINTS FIRST DIGITAL PORTRAIT

2011-01-04T19:47:00.003Z

This footage isn't exactly amazing but as the title suggests it's pretty rare and well worth a look...

KICKSTARTER - MASHABLE'S TOP SITE TO WATCH FOR 2011

2011-01-04T11:44:00.008Z

Firmly back in the grind at Steak towers today and I was interested to see Kickstarter top the Mashable one to watch list for 2011. I thought there was something special about the concept when I noticed the Kickstarter funded Nano Watch via @bbcicecream. I really hope it takes off.

Read my original post here

Read the full article on the ones to watch for 2011 via Mashable here

Hope everyone has a Happy and prosperous New Year.

John

WEB 2.0 SUMMIT 2010: "A Conversation with Mark Zuckerberg"

2010-12-16T10:48:00.006Z

This video is quite long but I was glued throughout. It offers real insight into what is the main focus for Facebook right now, the areas they want to grow and the areas they definately want to stay away from.

Interesting to note Zuckerbergs view on businesses that effectively build themselves to be 100% reliant on the Facebook platform namely games developers like Zynga, Playfish etc.

He speaks about the collaborative relationship FB has in place with these developers and the fact that FB invested in better server technology just so that these games could be supported. His reasoning? to maintain the overall user experience, but he also referenced the revenue FB has gained from Zynga and others via advertising channels.

(Rumoured to be around the $1M/Month mark for each developer)

Areas covered:
FB Messages (The How and Why)
Plans for the future (Plans for development, areas they will avoid)
FB as enablers
The culture within FB
Apple/FB Music enabler (Will it ever happen?)
Will facebook expand to the wider web - Opportunity to become an ad-network?
Social Gaming
Social Commerce

CHANEL: VISUALLY EPIC

2010-12-09T18:00:00.005Z

The imposing scale of the Lion against the models is just a crazy sight...

97 SECONDS WITH KANYE WEST

2010-12-09T16:30:00.001Z

Love him/hate him I admire his creativity and the fact he wears his heart on his sleeve. The above video was well put together so I thought I would share...

ECCLESTONE MUGGING USED BY LUXURY BRAND HUBLOT

2010-12-08T13:43:00.011Z

Via the BBC...
Hublot Geneve
The battered face of Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone features in a new advert for a Swiss company, whose watch was stolen from him in a mugging last month.
The 80-year-old was mugged by four people and also robbed of jewellery worth £200,000 ($315,000) in London.
The advert was an idea from Ecclestone himself who sent it to the firm.
The tag line quotes Ecclestone as saying: "See what people will do for a Hublot."
The watchmaker's chief executive Jean-Claude Biver said: "He told us, 'Please use it to make an advertising campaign because I want to show that I'm courageous.'
"I thought, 'Wow, this guy has some guts.'
"It is also a protestation against violence that we are all afraid of today."
The adverts will run for three days this week in British newspapers.
Bernie Ecclestone was taken to hospital after the mugging last month where he was treated for a minor head injury.
Whatever the point/goal of this campaign. Its certainly unique and disruptive... which is fine by me. Protesting against violence is one thing but I'm sure the crux of the matter is PR and ultimately sales.
In that respect its brave of a luxury brand to associate themselves with criminality in any respect - protest or otherwise. Interesting campaign, I will follow feedback closesly.

INFLUENCERS: THE DOCUMENTARY (FULL VERSION)

2010-12-07T01:31:00.003Z

INFLUENCERS FULL VERSION (FR) from R+I creative on Vimeo.

A while ago I posted the trailer for Influencers. Above is the full version for your enjoyment...
Influencers is a short documentary that explores what it means to be an influencer and how trends and creativity become contagious today in music, fashion and entertainment.
The film attempts to understand the essence of influence, what makes a person influential without taking a statistical or metric approach.
The film is a Polaroid snapshot of New York influential creatives (advertising, design, fashion and entertainment) who are shaping today’s pop culture.
“Influencers” belongs to the new generation of short films, webdocs, which combine the documentary style and the online experience

ZUCKERBERG ON CBS 60 MINUTES

2010-12-06T18:45:00.009Z

You've got to love Zuckerbergs energy. He oozes passion and ambition. Here, he speaks on the past, the present and the future for Facebook. This video is a must see for the novice, the savvy or just the curious.

(Thanks to Alex Wright over at Facebook for the link)

Part 2... (which includes the ACTUAL Winklevoss Twins)

KICKSTART'ING' THE BEST NANO WATCHES AROUND

2010-12-03T13:44:00.015Z

Social Backing without losing equity from the people who really count...

You can often find me bending the ears of Friends and Family about my 'ideas' and what I would do if I had the funds... the ideas aren't the problem. But for alot of people the funds are... Luckily for the ideas I'm especially passionate about, I have found people who are passionate about them too. So experimenting with samples and Beta's is alot easier with two heads four hands and fourpockets.

However, sometimes you need serious capital to make dreams a reality. You have a few options... you could visit a VC, go on Dragons Den (which is often more of a risk to personal pride than anything else) OR... you could pitch the idea to the very audience who will buy your products...

Kickstarter is a very exciting new site that makes the latter a real possibility without losing alot of equity in the process... all you need is an idea, a prototype (which helps your cause) and a little Social Media magic to promote your concept and raise the cash you need for your first real order.

I stumbled across Kickstarter when I read about MNML design on bbcicecream.com Their idea was simple, produce high quality DESIRABLE iPod Nano Watch straps.

See their pitch to you the consumer below it makes for compelling viewing.

See full profile here

By pledging your interest in watch on Kickstarter you are basically agreeing to a pre-order placement at a certain price.

Based on the results below it seems like a pretty good strategy...

It goes without saying that this is an highly appealing idea and was quickly picked up by the top fashion and design blogs around. However for budding innovators I think Kickstarter is an excellent idea and I plan to experiment with it in the future.

From the Kickstarter site...

Kickstarter is the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Every month, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film,art,technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields.
A new form of commerce and patronage. This is not about investment or lending. Project creators keep 100% ownership and control over their work. Instead, they offer products and experiences that are unique to each project.
All or nothing funding. On Kickstarter, a project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands. Why? It protects everyone involved. Creators aren’t expected to develop their project without necessary funds, and it allows anyone to test concepts without risk.
Each and every project is the independent creation of someone like you. Projects are big and small, serious and whimsical, traditional and experimental. They’re inspiring, entertaining and unbelievably diverse. We hope you agree... Welcome to Kickstarter!

ANGRY BIRDS PEACE TREATY

2010-12-03T10:42:00.004Z

If you are a fan of Angry Birds you are going to love this...

THE GREATEST EXPERIENTIAL EVER? RALPH LAUREN 4D

2010-12-02T13:36:00.001Z

When was the last time a piece of Marketing gave you chills? Well you would have to be a robot not to get excited by the latest piece of experiential by Ralph Lauren.

I have just spent the last 7 minutes aghast at the Ralph Lauren 4D Experience. I have seen this sort of thing before. But NEVER with such meticulous innovation and planning.

All in Glorious full screen HD picture and sound. (Please view in this format if at all possible...)

There are so many reasons to be impressed with this campaign aside from the obvious.

Here are my top three...

Firstly: Brands have a relatively short window to go get a season range ready for a regular Fashion show, let alone planning 4d integration into a static building so it looks flawless.

Secondly: Fashion Shows are deemed over the top by many with crazy themes and unwearable clothing. However they are about creating buzz and pushing the boundaries this serves to re-enforce the notion that creativity still exists within the fashion house itself and is at its core driving the mass market brands. How fitting then that digital innovation takes pride of place at Ralph Lauren.

Thirdly: This is an interesting take on content aimed primarily at the digital/Social Media environment. Sure, it makes a great live show for the critics and a great PR story for the traditional media. But where it really comes to life is within the Social Media environment. Its never been easier to express to the masses your love for a brand or for something a brand is responsible for. It works... you are digesting my opinion right now and whether or not you agree with it, your awareness of the brand has risen. Content like this mobilises genuine digital evangelists and arguably in marketing terms that is priceless.

Wavemetrix, have released some stats around this campaign:
Brand mentions
Products featured in the video (What the video is selling)
Social media content itself ie. people who arent so concerned with the evangelising about the brand but more the concept/video and its quality as an idea.
The chart below represents percentages of uplift in mentions and very much speaks for itself...

KIM KARDASHIAN DIES TODAY

2010-12-01T00:05:00.001Z

...OK not in reality but digitally and it appears Hollywoods top A-Listers are prepared to join her.

I love this idea. It needs no real explanation from me as the below video does it justice.

It says a lot about how far we have come with Social Media and its perceived value to celebrities as a liberation of their voice on one media outlet. Taking control back from the media so to speak... whether their respective Twitter accounts mean that much to to the average Joe is anyones guess and could be debated at length I'm sure.

What Could be quite interesting/funny however is some sort of rebellious campaign which allows the world public the opportunity to raise more money for World Aids Day to keep them digitally dead longer! I for one would love to watch that unfold!

Given the recent success of X Factors Wagner (HRH) and not forgetting the wonderful Rage Against The Machine For Number One campaign from last Christmas its well within the realms of possibility that this approach would in fact raise more money! (In Britain at least)

The only issue is that this may kill a few Celebrity egos in reality as well as digitally...

BANG GOES MY LIFEBOOK IDEA...

2010-11-23T11:01:00.006Z
Bang goes my LIFEBOOK idea... :p

Lovely piece of work from Perfect Fools/DDB Paris for Bouygues Telecom...

When Facebook becomes a book from Siavosh Zabeti on Vimeo.

Siavosh Zabeti writes...

"Bouygues Telecom asked us to come up with an idea to launch their facebook platform.
They wanted us to create something that would go beyond using your profile picture in a funny way, or pranking your friends with a small joke.
We decided to look at the way we use facebook and found that even though we use the social networking site everyday, we forget our favorite moments we share online.

So we created an app that could change that, and keep your facebook, in a book."

FACEBOOK CREDITS: VIRTUAL CURRENCY WITH REAL VALUE

2010-11-17T17:01:00.005Z

So, Facebook are the innovation monsters of the moment with expected gamechanger 'Messages' announced officially on Monday and the announcement that Facebook 'Credits' go on sale in Game and even Tesco supermarkets this week. We know that Social gaming shows no signs of slowing down and with over 50% of games (including Farmville - the most popular social game) adopting Facebook credits it would seem that Facebook are pioneering virtual to physical currency offering in its truest sense. Users will be able to spend credits in social environments to obtain virtual tools and power-ups in the gaming environment.

For me, here are some the more interesting thoughts:

Social to monetise Forresters ‘Young Teens’ classification:

Facebook have found a way to tap into the under 18 market effectively. This demographic are less likely to have access to credit or debit cards, yet according to Forrester, Young Teens will be the most active in the social space. Now school children can exchange their pocket money at the local Newsagent for Facebook credits as opposed to Panini football stickers (or WWF when I was but a lad!)

Facebook Connect:

In theory there is nothing to stop Facebook expanding their offering past virtual currency to real tangible physical goods. Stores like Levis are hugely integrated with connect already but still long for that REAL TANGIBLE BENEFIT then again doesn’t every brand in the social space…
Has FB connect for instance been one big plan to set up the most advanced virtual trading market the world has ever seen under the guise of encouraging brands to be ‘more social’…

OK, OK… maybe that’s a little deep but its interesting to think about…

STEAK WIN BEST DIGITAL MEDIA STRATEGY

2010-11-16T10:41:00.007Z

I am particularly pleased with this since it was our first big cross channel campaign with a Social Media objective. The team did good!

From Steaks UK Blog: Steakdigital.co.uk/blog

"We are very excited to announce that Steak won the sought after DADi award for ‘Best Digital Media Strategy’ for our work with Swiftcover.com and the ‘Summers’s Hottest Playlist’. Steak, also received a commendation for ‘Best Use of Organic Search’ for Virgin Holidays.
The ‘Summer’s Hottest Playlist’ campaign harnessed the passion of Swiftcover’s music-loving audience and sought to engage with its fans through a fun online campaign.
Car insurance isn’t something that usually sparks much excitement but with Swiftcover we tapped into the music festival spirit with a Facebook app and interactive challenge to social media fans to devise the “Summer’s Hottest Playlist”. The campaign worked in collaboration with top Absolute Radio DJs and Spotify. Facebook fans increased by 280% in a two-week period, and 22,000 people voted for the playlist.
We were also very pleased to receive recognition of our work with Virgin Holidays’ January Sale in SEO, where we beat our sales target by 168%!

So it’s smiles all round."
READ MORE ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN ITSELF HERE

FACEBOOK EMAIL - THE AOL KILLER?

2010-11-12T13:25:00.004Z

Facebooks new ‘secret’ product to be announced on Monday is Facebook Email.

The big concern here (as there always is with a new Facebook announcement) is that Facebook Email will be the end of AOL Mail and potentially take a chunk of MSN Hotmail/Yahoo Mail. AOL is particularly concerned since a huge chunk of their overall traffic is made up of Email impressions (which to be honest have never converted well for me or my clients from a display sense).

I’m excited by this announcement since I’m a huge Facebook addict. For many people including myself, Facebook is their homepage. This is a natural evolutionary step for the platform and given the sheer size of the audience my feeling is that this will be a successful move in the long run.

I will certainly be opening an account.

FACEBOOK TO LIFEBOOK?

2010-11-11T11:57:00.004Z

Have you ever thought about just how much you post on Facebook? I'm a Facebook addict and have upset many people with 'post overload' particularly on a Wednesday night when I am cringing at the apprentice - sharing my thoughts whilst rubbing my eyes...

I always look at old family pictures from times gone by when my parents were young and 'courting'. I find it fascinating as every older album progresses and tells a story...

Imagine being 65 years old and literally being able to track your life day by day seeing relationships come and go, your thoughts vent and disappear, friendships form...

I find it truely intriguing... I must keep in mind to start a business that crawls your Facebook profile and builds a: Life book 40 or so years from now...

Credit to Lynsey Galashan here at Steak for the above video

INFLUENCERS: THE DOCUMENTARY

2010-11-11T11:39:00.004Z

INFLUENCERS is a short documentary that explores what it means to be an influencer and how trends and creativity become contagious today in music, fashion and entertainment.

The film attempts to understand the essence of influence, what makes a person influential without taking a statistical or metric approach.

Written and Directed by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson, the film is a Polaroid snapshot of New York influential creatives (advertising, design, fashion and entertainment) who are shaping today's pop culture.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/influencersfilm

Music credits:
© Robert Glasper - No Worries / Blue Note records
© Passion Pit - The Reeling / Frenchkiss records
3KV6HYN7YGWX

Credit to the talented Lisa Tasker

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

2010-11-10T19:43:00.004Z

Spring/Summer show.

Love or Hate her she continues to push the boundaries...

To be a leader...

2010-11-09T21:48:00.002Z

A great quote:

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more,

YOU
ARE
A
Leader

Courtesy of @Partnerships09 Twitter

I subscribe to this...

2010-11-09T21:45:00.001Z
Another genius theory from Armano...

SUMMERS MOURNING

2010-09-11T14:51:00.006+01:00

Swiftcover.com, the pioneer in online insurance, launches a fun campaign to celebrate the end of the summer. Using social media and supporting display campaign, swiftcover.com calls on users to upload their favourite photos to its Facebook appfrom 27 September-10 October. The photos aren’t the usual shots of people partying: the call is for the saddest faces to “mourn the passing of the British summer”. Users will also be able to download a playlist of the best of the summer festival music.
The gallery of sad faces will feature on the swiftcover.com Facebook page, updated in real-time, and can be linked to users’ own Facebook pages. The winner of the best “mourning” face will be announced w/c 11 October, judged by swiftcover.com and will win a Red Letter DayTM experience day voucher worth £300; further prizes include 20 Spotify premium accounts worth £2,400.
The interactive campaign including display advertising, social media activity and advertising in casual games; was devised and conceived by swiftcover.com’s digital agency Steak. Steak also designed and developed the “Summer Mourning” Facebook application.
Visitors to the swiftcover.com Facebook page can download a best of the summer festivals top 25 tracks, voted by music fans, from a playlist devised by swiftcover.com, Absolute Radio and Steak. The list is available for free download via Spotify from 27th September.
Tina Shortle, Marketing Director of Swiftcover says, “We’re excited that social media remains at the heart of this campaign. Last spring, our ‘favourite tracks of the summer’ playlist successfully encouraged sharing between Facebook users, and with the success of this year’s summer festivals; the Summer Mourning campaign and its best of festivals playlist is a fun way of engaging with our audience around the popular subject of the end of the British summer through posting up sad faces. We’ve been delighted to partner with Absolute Radio and Spotify to create Britain’s favourite festival music playlist and it’s been great to see Facebook users take part to vote for their favourite tracks.”

John Barton, Head of Planning and Social Media at Steak says ” Music and summer festivals are effective passion points for the swiftcover.com demographic and form the basis of our content strategy and Spotify playlist voting campaign. Swiftcover.com is utilising social channels to interact with their audience in an accessible way. People love to share their photographs and then ‘upload a photo to enter’ format is effective for community building. However this format is nothing new. We wanted to close the summer strategy in a different, fun and memorable way by poking fun at the winter blues after an amazing summer of music festivals with swiftcover.com and Absolute radio.”
Kate Hussey, Head of Display at Steak says “We are once again excited about extending the field of our current social activity to further develop a relationship between consumer and client. We believe that integration between all digital and other advertising channels is crucial to gain stand out, but essentially, it’s finding a connection with your consumers that will gain, the all important, traction. We are delighted to partner with a client who is constantly pushing the boundaries of building consumer relationships through digital”.

SWIFTCOVER SUMMER ROCKS CAMPAIGN

2010-08-16T11:12:00.002+01:00
From the Steak UK Blog: Steakdigital.co.uk/blog
List voted by music lovers through social media app
The campaign from swiftcover.com, the pioneer in online insurance, offered music lovers the chance to create this “Summer’s Hottest Playlist” in collaboration with Absolute Radio. Building on their ‘Get a Life’ campaign, swiftcover.com extended the campaign theme to encourage users to ‘get a life’ this summer by voting for the summer’s hottest tracks. The campaign devised by Steak, used Facebook as the main hub, hosting an easy-to-use voting application.
A master playlist of 75 tracks was selected by popular Absolute Radio DJs: Christian O’Connell, Geoff Lloyd and Ben Jones. Spotify and Absolute Radio listeners were prompted by the DJs to visit the Swiftcover Facebook page and voted daily for two weeks via the “sucks” or “rocks” buttons beside the track. This saw the music tracks physically rising and falling, depending on popularity, on the Facebook “chart”.
The final playlist hosted is hosted by Spotify on 22 June through the summer; with Facebook fans, Absolute Radio and Spotify listeners being notified that the winning list can be downloaded and played all summer long.
The idea was conceived by Steak, who is handling the social media and online display campaign. Audio and display ads including billboards and takeover pages, will appear on Spotify, Absolute Radio and Facebook linking through to swiftcover.com’s Facebook page. The Facebook app songs then link back to Spotify, which enables visitors to the site to listen to the tracks they’re voting for; and there is an opportunity to win a Spotify premium account for a year.

Tina Shortle, Marketing Director says, “This is a perfect campaign for the summer – sitting in the park in the sunshine listening to music that you’ve voted for – it epitomises our ‘Get a Life’ campaign. We’re excited that social media was at the heart of this campaign. Absolute Radio, Facebook and Spotify are the perfect partners for music lovers to create this ‘Summer’s Hottest Playlist’”.
John Barton, Head of Planning and Social Media at Steak says “We wanted to demonstrate how we can effectively integrate social media into our existing through the line digital strategy. This campaign is ultimately about building and fostering relationships between swiftcover.com and their audience in social channels that they’re comfortable with by adding value rather than selling. Music and summer festivals are effective passion point or the swiftcover.com
demographic and form the basis of our content strategy. We are excited and fortunate to work with brands like swiftcover.com who continue to lead the way in digital marketing within the insurance vertical sector”.
Kate Hussey, Head of Display at Steak says “We are excited about enhancing the current Absolute Radio partnership for swiftcover.com along with introducing another key strategic partner, Spotify, as a main driver of our audience. We believe that this campaign has the ability to kick off a summer full of ‘Getting a Life’”.

COPENHAGEN ZOO BUS WRAP

2010-01-31T23:25:00.007Z
I'm a huge believer in using what your have to the full extent of your creativity. Advertising in its digital form is often considered to offer almost limitless boundary for creativity given the technology at our disposal.

This can be said of large takeovers or widgets or apps. But what about the simple formats - the formats we see every day. When was the last time a banner COMMANDED your attention?

Just because its simple doesn't mean it cant be effective. Marrying creative concept with delivery vehicle (in this case - the literal sense of the word)is crucial to success.

So when was the last time you saw a simple Bus wrap which took your breath away..?

This is insane...in a good way... (Via bbcicecream)

(The wrap illusion is so convincing it looks like a huge prop is actually attached to the bus. Apologies to anyone who feels patronised but I genuinely wasnt sure if everyone stumbling on this would get it at first glance! -including me)

Pharrell Williams (Is it the shoes???)

2010-01-26T23:15:00.013Z
Say what you like about him but Pharrell Williams is one of the most creative, entrepreneurial people in the world...

Having a few entrepeneurial ventures myself, I find the interview below quite intriguing.

Not everyones cup of tea... "if you have a good idea, and the right team around you dont wait, go ahead and do it" his portfolio proves this works...

Guys with this creativity and drive inspire me so I had to blog...

Enjoy.. (or not)

John

SIDEBAR: Fwd to 34:15 for Pharells opinion on how digital is shaping the music industry now and in the future...

Pharrell Keynote at MIDEM 2010 from thecashmerethinker on Vimeo.
Pharells Murakami collaboration from the Pop Life exhibition at the Tate 2 weeks ago... (taken on my rubbish iPhone camera)

Back with a bang... MySpace and Adidas Originals

2010-01-26T10:35:00.015Z
OK so I havent blogged in a long time. Steak has been quite the hive of activity of late and whilst Twitter has been my main outlet my blog is looking lonely and bereft.

I thought I would come back with a bang citing two of my favourite campaigns of late from mySpace and Adidas. The common denominator here is that they both use Facebook Connect...I plan to post on this very soon.

MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/fanvideo

This is the most impressive custom video viral I have ever seen. Personalised videos always impress... remember this from glue? http://aveaword.glueserv.com/ But the problem is that they have always looked choppy and well...fake. This was never an issue with the concept (which like Mini was almost always well planned out) but moreover it was an issue with the technology at the time.

Well fret no longer... give it a go. Log in with Facebook connect to witness the power...

Adidas Originals: Star Wars edition
http://www.adidas.com/campaigns/deathstar/content/Default.aspx?cc=en&site=size

Dear Adidas... you can do no wrong in my eyes... I am consistently impressed by your product innovation, your campaign concepts, your digital/social/guerrilla marketing endeavours and your holistic approach to communications which ties it all together. As a fan, you give me what I want and I love you for it.

Also check out... Adidas Video Viral: (Love the soundtrack)

(PS. Thanks to Kamil Yadallee over at MEC Global for sharing the links)

Excellent Volkswagen Viral

2009-11-09T21:35:00.001Z
Can we make people choose the stairs by making it more fun to do?

Excellent Axe Print to Mobile to Outdoor...Day and Night

2009-09-28T16:24:00.008+01:00
I came across this campaign from Axe last night and being the Ad geek that I am I had to log it here.

The picture says a thousand words really but the idea is that when you see the print ad you are intrigued enough to want to complete the ad on the page.

The call to action is simple: "To complete this ad send AXE to 2345 after 9pm" upon which you are sent the remaining pieces of the puzzle...

There has been a bit of buzz around the fact that this Ad is not revealing enough and is almost an anticlimax of sorts possibly frustrating the audience?

To me, thats missing the point, here are a number of reasons I love this ad...(Im sure I am only scratching the surface here)

The print ad has now become somewhat accountable via mobile
The ad has opened the opportunity for data collection and re-targeting
The engaged user has invited the brand into the most personal digital space they have in their posession (I give kudos to any brand who can do this successfully)
The concept is 'on-brand' ie. the user can only engage at night (Day and Night campaign)
The campaign has the 'cool factor' in that its innovative and clever enough to create a buzz - something that has clearly happened online

I also found this shot of AXE's outdoor endeavours for the Day and Night Campaign...

Again, great stuff.

To me this is an inspirational campaign and has already given me ideas for my clients which I would develop from this. Big kudos to Lowe Ginko the agency responsible.

Update: Lowe Ginko site seems to be down at the time of posting

When advertising goes too far... DVLA, Castrol and Outdoor

2009-09-28T11:19:00.007+01:00

When I initially heard about this I genuinely thought it was pretty genius.

Oil is pretty boring and lets face it anything innovative or clever usually gets my vote.

So I did have to catch myself on a little bit when I considered the full implications of this campaign and think about this more as a battle of Innovation vs Ethics. Just because you can do it doesnt mean you should.

Sometimes I feel the public can be a little over-sensitive about the data protection issue. For instance I never really understood the Fear Factor that Phorm raised within people. Maybe its because I'm pretty familiar with how behavioural targeting actually works but I just didnt get what the problem was. But thats for another day... In terms of this campaign however, its pretty obvious what the problem is here: its the sale of public data without their permission.

So unfortunately for me... Innovation 0 Ethics 1

Full Story here

I like this...

2009-09-28T10:02:00.003+01:00
(Via Coolhunting)

Cool Digital Outdoor (Nikon)

2009-09-25T14:41:00.006+01:00

Im a bit late... but had to blog it.

The red carpet is an amazing touch. We dont see enough of this in London for my liking. Could it be due to London Transport restrictions?

Louis Vuitton campaigns hailed as 'Digital Genius'

2009-09-24T18:25:00.008+01:00
Anyone who knows me will remember I am a huge Louis Vuitton fan. For me it is the height of luxury meeting design and I am fortunate enough to own a couple of pieces.

What I like about LV is that they are not afraid to try new things. For one of the oldest most established fashion houses in the world that has got to be respected. (See QR code above)

So I wasnt too suprised to hear that New York Universitys Stern School of business hailed the brand as Digital Genius...

Im not sure some of these other luxury brands will be use to being defined as 'average' and 'feeble' but in the Luxury Vertical it seems some brands dabble while others just 'GET' Digital.

Download the full report here

See some excellent Louis Vuitton Digital Strategy here

All comments welcome.

Augmented Reality on Iphone... Bionic Eye

2009-09-24T18:13:00.007+01:00
Whilst reading this article from Revolution I couldnt help but admire the business model of this iPhone App Bionic Eye.

The app is charged at £0.59p and will surely fly for the sake of the cool factor... but I imagine that the brands on this app will have to pay to be included (if they havent already).
Win win... I think I will download it later.
Also interesting to think... could we call this virtual out door?????? :)

Jay-Z Guerrilla Marketing SoHo London Blueprint 3

2009-09-18T17:10:00.008+01:00

These flags were cable tied to every corner lamp post in SoHo on Monday just gone by...
To the average person its a pretty obscure symbol but I happened to recognise it from the new JayZ album art. (Launch day)

This is my dilemma... If you are a fan, or you're familiar with album launch. Then does it really matter? You are going to buy the album or at least check it out on spotify anyway? right?
Alternatively, its so obscure... that if you are not a fan I imagine you wouldn't know what to make of it anyway???
That said. I liked it. But then again I have the album. So a waste of money??

Innovative? or Marketing Fail?
What do you think?

(The original cover art...)

Veet: Goodbye Bush

2009-08-25T14:37:00.001+01:00

Great print Ad from Veet (via theCoolHunter.net)

I need to start introducing current affairs based digital ads to my clients...

Outdoor/Guerrilla at its finest...Fitness First Rotterdam

2009-08-21T14:30:00.000+01:00
I know im late but I loved this.

Folks waiting at the bus stop are faced with the reality of their weight. Literally.

I would have liked to see some Mobile/Bluetooth/GPRS find your nearest gym call to action here.

Brave and genius...

Guerrilla at its finest

2009-07-17T13:27:00.000+01:00
Whoah.

Speaks for itself really...

Michael Jacksons Dies... Twitter watches on... my experience

2009-06-25T23:29:00.007+01:00
I recieved a text about Michael Jackson having a heart attack. Like everyone else I found it difficult to believe. For the first time I checked Twitter as news of a heart attack broke. I watched rumours grow over about half an hour. Hundreads of tweets appearing every few seconds.

Upon one refresh, within 4 seconds 13,000 tweets had appeared as news of his death broke on TMZ.com

The terms Michael Jackson and cardiac arrest creeped up the trend monitor on the right hand side of the screen until they reached the top of the rankings. Upon which twitter failed to cope.

It was a truely surreal experience to watch a news event as huge as this break in real time.

Its hard to describe how strange it was unless you saw it happen. Im just disappointed it had to be in terms of such bad news. A true music legend has passed on.

KFC Brands.......................................EARTH?

2009-06-15T13:13:00.003+01:00

Dont know whether to love or hate this...definately worth a blog post anyway.

Full marks for ingenuity...

Were you hit by the Twitpocalypse? :)

2009-06-15T09:06:00.005+01:00
I noticed at the weekend that I couldnt access my Twitterific account via iPhone. I was thinking to myself: "another iPhone related fault" Apparantly not. Apparantly Twitter was hit by what is being dubbed: The Twitpocalypse.

The Twitpocalypse is very much like the Y2K Bug. Commentators predicted that on Friday at

the unique identifier associated with each Tweet would exceed 2,147,483,647. Third party apps would not be able to cope with this number and revert into negative digits causing a Y2K type crash.

Sure enough this appears to be what happened. Quite funny really.

My Twitterific is still down and at some point today I will go off and figure out what I have to do to update it....

Read More here: http://mashable.com/2009/06/10/twitpocalypse/
and here: http://mashable.com/2009/06/12/twitterrific-twitpocalypse/

Twitter makes the cover of Time Magazine

2009-06-05T21:49:00.002+01:00

NMK Article Contribution: My thoughts on In Game Advertising...

2009-05-28T17:46:00.009+01:00
My quotes from: In-Game Advertising: Not Mass Market….Yet from NMK.co.uk

Full Aricle here: http://tinyurl.com/q38kk7

Market Reform:
So whose job is it to get organisations marketing via games? John Barton, head of planning at digital marketing agency Steak, believes his peers have a critical role to play in raising the profile of in-game advertising among their client base.

“As it is largely down to agencies to promote emerging technology and communications channels to clients I suspect that this grey area is a contributing factor toward its lack of adoption so far,” he told NMK. “The problem here is that clients still expect digital planning to be rationalised by behaviour and more importantly accurate accountability. Even for what we might term ‘traditional’ digital branding campaigns we are seeing a shift in key performance indicators (KPIs) from principles of simple reach and click-through rates (CTRs) to brand response. With the exception of [virtual world] Second Life, users cannot currently translate their actions within the gaming environment directly into real world.”

The Long Game:
Steak’s Barton believes that in-game advertising is here to stay and could form an important part of the marketing mix to hit certain demographics, but it may take some time to become a mainstream marketing discipline.

“Of course, there is a solid argument to be made in favour of in-game engagement, share of voice and targeting a likely demographic. However, until the issue of behaviour and accurate accountability is tackled either directly or via cross channel strategy, I suspect it will take a while before we see IGA as a regular fixture on digital media plans,” he concluded.

Spotify Mobile Demo - iTunes be afraid?

2009-05-28T13:00:00.003+01:00

Brilliant Campaign for Yahoo! Brilliant Spots.co.uk

2009-05-21T10:15:00.005+01:00

Not sure how to categorize this campaign… Guerrilla, Social, Mobile, Outdoor? I’m thinking all of the above?

I hadn’t heard anything about this in the press and literally ‘Stumbled Across’ the guerrilla placement on the pavement outside the Hospital Club in Covent Garden. (Pic Below)

In terms of an overview, its pretty self explanatory, Yahoo! Have placed ‘Brilliant Spots’ all over London where users can take Photographs from their perspective and MMS them straight into the website 24/7. The ‘brilliant spots’ campaign seems to be a well thought through push for their new Arentthingsbrilliant.co.uk site, which at the moment seems to be live in a simple blog format.

Brilliant Spots also makes full use of the flicker mapping API which is synched to guerrilla placements all over London.

It remains to be seen whether arentthingsbrilliant.co.uk will develop into a full Web2.0 Incarnation. However assuming the objective was to encourage and exploit the simplicity of interactivity with the site Yahoo have done well to mobilise a nicely integrated strategy. With 272 uploads at the time of writing it will be interesting to see how this will be rolled out in the future and what other channels will be exploited going forward.

Check out www.arentthingsbrilliant.co.uk

UK Mobile Internet users access & growth from eMarketer

2009-05-20T17:19:00.004+01:00

Thanks to Mel Clark @Steak Insight for graphics...

Lynx Bullet: Social Media Push

2009-05-17T23:58:00.005+01:00
Noticed a new Lynx Social Media Project via an MSN Messenger Text Link Prompt.

They usually do this stuff very well re: the 'ManWash' a year or two ago.

Their Digital Agency escapes me right now. Just wanted to post the link before I forgot.

They have over 300 friends so far so it will be interesting to see how this pans out.

http://www.myspace.com/lynxbullet

Sidebar: Part of me is still a little shocked at the enthusiasm of myspace users. I dont know anyone on myspace anymore!

This is the rest of the post

Smart Car With Google Maps from Weapon 7

2009-05-15T10:24:00.003+01:00
I am late but came accross this campaign from Weapon7 today for SmartCar.

An excellent use of the API.

As with many of the best ideas in the world...

Simple but effective.

http://www.weapon7.com/awards/smart-map/

Representing Steak at eConsultancy round table - key highlights

2009-05-12T20:30:00.003+01:00
Really interesting chat at yesterdays eConsultancy round table on Mobile.

AKQA: Jonathan Hum

Met with AKQA's Jonathan Hum where we spoke about the highly commended Nike ID campaign. Very interesting insights indeed.

Nokia/Point and Click: Duncan Beard

Also met with Duncan Beard from Nokia, he introduced us to his thoughts on mobile adoption across the world pointing out that the less developed countries had leapfrogged traditional technological developments in Internet infrastructure in favour of the mobile. He also spoke about point and find technology. A step in the right direction from similar QR code technology of which I have experience in. I look forward to seeing how this develops going forward.

Orange: Mark-Watts Jones

Mark Watts-Jones of Orange had offered an amazing insight into mobile adoption from a providers perspective. Pointing out a very clear split in how the technology would be adopted by the audience on the horizon.

As he sees it, rather an idea of inevitable mass audience adoption, most likely there will be a growth in users who consume the richer media experience and those who will continue to use mobile in the more basic sense. An idea I would gravitate towards myself until proven otherwise.

My thoughts on Applications VS the evolution and adoption of the mobile web under 'READ MORE'

Applications VS the evolution and adoption of the mobile web: My thoughts

There was also much debate among delegates as to the future of applications vs. the growth and development of the mobile Internet adoption. Would applications one day be made redundant? Were they a flash in the pan?

The consensus seemed to be no. They will always have a purpose. However, their continued evolution and success will be led by their effectiveness in solving problems and connecting (as yet) unconnected touch points.

From an agency perspective I was interested to see that some delegates felt that applications were in some way De-valued by their proven short life span. Siting the prompt deletion of applications as evidence of their long term ineffectiveness.

I and others argue that this is irellevant in terms of a short campaign with clear KPI's. If the app such as VW's polo racing game (Which I personally downloaded recently, completed and have never played again) makes it into the users most personal digital space in the first place, then it has aguably achieved share of voice and served its purpose. This is where I feel the application space shines.

Overall a great day and thought provoking debates.

Face.com "Is that you?"

2009-04-30T09:37:00.001+01:00

I love innovation as much as the next guy but should we be worried about this?

http://www.face.com/

When I visited this site via @duncanparry (twitter) I got excited but also a bit worried weirdly. for the first time around Social Media and Privacy.

Perhaps its the strap: "This application is the fastest, most powerful and most accurate facial recognition outside of TV crime dramas".

Celebrities DO exist on Twitter

2009-03-15T02:41:00.001Z
I still have my doubts about the true identity of a few... but I just got a tweet from Pete Cashmore of Mashable fame which included a link to this EXCELLENT story about a meeting with @the_real_shaq in real life VIA TWITTER.

This made me smile, very well written: http://sesquipedalis.blogspot.com/2009/02/finally-use-for-twitter.html

The lines between Search and Display blur on Yahoo!

2009-02-20T22:46:00.011Z

Today I read about Yahoo! introducing Rich media ads within its search listings. Brands to trial it so far include: Pepsi, Pedigree, Staples and Esurance who have reported uplifts in CTR of about 25%.

Campaign creative as reported by Brand Republic as follows:
US office supply company Staples shows a Staples logo next to the text ad.
Pepsi's 'Rich Ad in Search' reveals a minute-long viral featuring Bob Dylan, rapper Will.i.am and Bruce Lee.
The service also lets users search for products or a store location directly using their post code -- for example Esurance's listing lets users enter their zip codes from the results page for insurance quotes."
My thoughts:
Pricing Model:
My first thought, how to charge for this?
CPC: wont work, as people will click randomly our of curiosity and or excitement.

CPM: wont work, as its just not practical for search.

Tenancy: Yahoo! have opted for a tenancy based pricing model on a monthly basis. Not bad, except this detracts from the accountability of New Media and does not guarantee interaction much less attention. But agencies will undoubtedly pay, if nothing else to be at the forefront of media trends.
For me, the next step for Yahoo! would be to experiment with a Cost per engagement model as introduced by Video Egg. Once users get familiar with the format of course.
Budget:
As a planner I immediately wonder, where would the budget fall under? Search of Display?

It is technically Display, but in a search environment. I would say at the very least these placements couldn't come out of the search budget. This would surely skew results, particularly with campaigns such as Esurance which have a DR aspect.

This budget surely has to come from the display budget or ideally from a separate budget altogether dedicated solely to experimenting with this format. However, if the only way to implement the creative is via a search booking, budget must also be allocated to search for this. Confusing? sounds like it.

As more details emerge of course it could be that Yahoo! have covered these issues. So for now I can only speculate.

Overall...
...I really welcome Yahoo! dipping its toe into the unknown. Innovation is what keeps our business interesting and Yahoo! seems to get that. I look forward to feedback from the Yahoo audience once the excitement wears off. Right now 25% click through doesn't mean very much in terms of the formats longevity. Only with time, will we see if rich media search can take its seat in the IAB hall of fame...

Popjam!

2009-02-20T22:21:00.003Z

Alex Tew, the creater of The Million Dollar Homepage launched Popjam! Today - a comedy based socil media site.

I wish him nothing but the best as I can say it was the MDHP that inspired me to dip my toe into Web Entrepeneurialism all those years ago when I saw him interviewed on Richard and Judy of all places!

I could tell he was destined for big things and I hope Popjam is no exception.

Popjam

Million Dollar Homepage

Good luck Alex!

Getting deep with Chris Jordan and application to Creative engagement

2009-02-09T10:16:00.002Z
Recently I have a little more time on my hands than normal. So I've been a little more addicted to Twitter than normal.

I came across a tweet with a link to this presentation from Photographer Chris Jordan.

(I would give credit for the tweet but I have had so many since then that it has disappeared into the console abyss)

It's well worth watching. Basically, Chris uses striking imagery to demonstrate what he calls the problem of "unconscious, collective behaviour". Simply amazing pieces.

Charity Campaigns:
Aside from the obvious shocking statistics, I took a valuable creative lesson in terms of marketing from the presentation.

This is the scenario... I am not easily engaged when it comes to charity. Not because I'm tight with money or ignorant to current affairs but because I think about things too deeply, they bother/depress me. Selfish I know but I admit sometimes I am guilty of brushing things under the carpet so to speak. I suspect I'm not alone.

For instance, I avoid 'charity muggers' on the street like the plague. Part of me resents the whole "I don't want your money, just your time" line. Firstly because I know that's not true and secondly because I would much rather donate of my own accord at a time when I am ready. I think alot of people react this way to charities. So it's not easy for them and I can appreciate the struggle charities face when trying to inform me of the 'bigger picture' when I least expect it.

Although their cause is extremely noble, for me its like 'Real life Spam'. I didn't 'opt in' to that marketing message, therefore it goes into my 'life spam' folder faster you can say "Sorry mate I'm in a hurry".

So what if we don't want to confront the horrors of the world on my way to work? More so in the digital environment what if we are on our way to Hotmail for example, are we in the frame of mind to click through to a charity? Probably not. Does that make us bad people? I don't think so, I do think however that charities have to constantly think of new ways to engage.

In the presentation above, Chris Jordan could have shown a power point of basic photography and stats to emphasise his point. His goal would have been the same, however his impact negligible in comparison. As well as creating beautiful Art, his imagery demonstrates serious issues in a manor that not only cut through our 'not now' mechanism. But in a manor that simply, clearly, relates to his audience.

Dare I go as far as to say he makes serious real world issues entertaining as well as informative? I guess I just did. But isn't that art? He engaged my mind on a deeper level, that's why I'm blogging about this right now and spreading his message?

We need to harness this technique more in creative messaging for charities in particular. Indeed any campaign subject that is emotive. I have seen a few television campaigns use it but I fear in the Digital world we are still largely addicted to DR messaging and 'guilty' imagery to drive acquisitions.

From a CPA (donation) perspective I couldn't help wondering if creative similar to Chris' Art were used in conjunction with a donation facility how much money could be have raised for Greenpeace, Cancer UK, Amnesty and others in one campaign? A physical demonstration of the Power of Collective behaviour for good.

Just the 2 cents of an ordinary guy who will never look the same way at a Plastic cup ever again...

http://chrisjordan.com/

Excellent Sponsorship with Absolute Radio

2009-02-06T22:09:00.005Z

Broadcasting line up backwards for Benjamin Button
Brilliant in so many ways...being this open to creative integration can never be that bad...

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT MEDIA WEEK

Whilst waiting for my train...Ronaldinho and Photocopiers

2009-02-06T21:02:00.004Z
So anyone who knows me will know that I sometimes blog about things I see as I travel around London.

Being on the Tube, we are regularly exposed to Outdoor advertising. In my opinion, advertising on the Tube holds probably the most captive audience next to Cinema. Therefore to see full motion and digital poster advertising on the tube is fantastic. (I will make a full post on this in the near future)

I mean, why wouldnt I want to watch it? I have nothing better to do while I wait for my train? But being in the industry you could say I take more of a vested interest in the ads I see daily than the ordinary person.

So I came accross this ad from Konica Minolta featuring Ronaldinho. I had enough time to read the ad and think: "What has Ronaldinho possibly got to do with Photocopiers????"
With all due respect to the ads creators, id be curious to know if the brief went something along the lines of: Get their attention (ie.massive picture of a great footballer)and ummmm...figure the rest out later on.

Which they did, click on the picture above to zoom on the strap line. Huh?

Maybe KM is one of his many MANY sponsors? Even if they are, I didn't get it. But maybe I'm missing something... But even if I am and the only reason I have absorbed the message is because 'I like clever ads'. It begs the question: how many small business owners saw the synergy or absorbed the message? (Maybe the ones who are football fans?)

Its just my opinion, but you be the judge...

Cadbury Eyebrows Dance...

2009-01-27T00:07:00.004Z

This was first premiered during Big Brother. I will wait to see how this is recieved. Its certainly more endearing than 'Cadbury Trucks'. I do love the balloon though ;)

It will be interesting to see how this generates real ROI. WTS

YouTube Streetfighter - Interactive game (Advertisement)

2009-01-25T23:43:00.012Z

CLICK HERE: YouTube Streetfighter
(Make sure you select High Quality) ;)

Well it seems there is no end to the creativity of the 'Annotations' function of YouTube.

YouTube Streetfighter is a must see. It's a pretty cool use of the YouTubes flash core.

Its by no means polished, but thats more of a limitation of YouTube than the concepts creativity.

Since the entire game/video is stop motion animated with the very Toys it is advertising, the engaging element wins the battle over a traditional option.

Given the tools available, its an amazing and clever concept. As a Streefighter fan myself I was compelled to have a play. However I feel that this idea will also appeal to fans of quite simply: The 'Cool Factor'.

As a result the 4 Million Plays/Views Since published on the 15th of January 2009 will no doubt soar as the Viral/Cool Factor element takes effect.

For me, this is another example of a campaign that has chosen to embrace the very latest Digital trends over more traditional means with what would appear to be great success.

However for that success the means must justify the end. Streetfighter is just the sort of cult phenomenon that would sit confortably in this sort of campaign.

CLICK HERE: YouTube Streetfighter
(Make sure you select High Quality) ;)

Interview with an AdWare Author

2009-01-22T20:09:00.000Z
Sherri Davidoff is an independent security consultant based in Missoula, MT. She specializes in penetration testing, forensics, vulnerability assessments and incident response.

She recently interviewed Matt Knox, an Software designer for Direct Revenue. Direct revenue were famous for designing AdWare executed within Programs such as Kazaa.

Since contextual solutions have always been the most successful converting format for almost every campaign I have ever launched I found the interview very interesting reading.

The interview is conducted from a security based perspective rather than an advertising one. However from a Security viewpoint, the sheer potential of the software is nothing less than shocking.

Click Here: Interview with an AdWare Author: Philosecurity.com

Apple takes it to Nintendo Wario Shake!

2008-12-21T08:30:00.005Z

Find more videos like this on AdGabber

OK So I'm up early but im excited! Remember Warioland Shake on YouTube which I posted a few weeks ago? Yahoo! have allowed a similar placement for the IPod Touch.

For me this is an even bigger deal than YouTube, simply because Portals tend to be alot stricter in terms of preserving their brand. (Even if it is only the Games channel)

Nice to see everyone embracing Digital Innovation more than ever. Congratulations TBWA/Media Arts Lab. :)

MySpace: Myads

2008-10-21T19:11:00.002+01:00
MySpace launches the new My Ads Platform I have written up a bit of a background below.
My thoughts after 'READ MORE'

Background:
MY ads is a Self serve AD Platform or exchange. It works in a similar way to Facebooks ad exchange. The big difference is that it only allows display ads (Leaders and MPU’s) for now where as Facebook is only text ads with image.
Novice users can create ads with pre built flash templates/tools as well as uploading their own.

My Ads are charged only on a CPC where as Facebook is a CPC or CPM.
The price is determined in much the same bidding System as the Google PPC model with more popular terms being more expensive.
Apparantly the key to MySpace’s ad platform is their Hypertargeting technology.

Hypertargeting:
Facebook allows targeting as well, although it’s based on interest areas put in by users directly. So if someone says they like books, you can target ads to them based on that.

What MySpace does is much different - they build out a profile of each user based on what they do on MySpace over time, with 1,200 different ways to categorize each user.

Screenshot (Click to expand):

My Views:

· Commentators are calling this myspace’s effort to find a ‘google moment’ i.e. the point at which they find a way to monetise the massive audiences they have attracted.

· Given the investment in Social Networking in recent years it’s unsurprising. So far none of them have lived up to expectations in terms of generating significant return on investment and by today’s standards will take years to reap the rewards.

· This new Exchange Platform seems to be the way forward.

· I like how it makes advertising accessible to the novice with flash tools as well as offering full display ads.

· I suspect NOT offering at least the option of text ads is a mistake though...

· I estimate that this is an experiment in cutting out the middle man. Could investing in efficient software systems now will mean redundancies later.

· It’s also fully customisable so we as planners KNOW what we are getting.

· We can see the popularity of terms so we know that the price we are paying is justified. It saves time negotiating and could result in paying unnecessary commission to salespeople.

· We can see stats readily before planning and I suspect this system will make reporting easier also.

· The only air of caution I would raise is that the system must be efficient. If its not, Planners will want the human Touch. Perhaps a tech-savvy troubleshooting team is the way forward as a first contact???

Currently running in AMERICA not yet available in the UK.

Rumoured launch late Q4/Early Q1

The Times Outdoor/Print

2008-09-30T13:08:00.000+01:00

(Apologies to puzzled woman wondering what I would do with this photo)

Being an Ad-Geek I constantly take in marketing messages I see around me. Whether I absorb them is another matter.

The Times have out done themselves with their latest Outdoor/Print Campaign.

About a fortnight ago I noticed some very high quality photography on the Tube. It was beautifully done and just involved random objects or scenes on a black background. It had a real Iconic impact and try as I might I couldn't find a call to action or strapline on adjacent or surrounding ad positions. Just more Iconic photography.

Yesterday was the beginning of a new week and it seems the final phase of the Times subliminal campaign. As the Iconic Photography of the fortnight before finally came accompanied by some branding as below...

This was undoubtedly a clever campaign. But was it effective? Sure, it struck a chord with me. But I'm far from the Times Demographic. Would their readers or type of readers even care or appreciate it? and furthermore, would it convert to sales in the long run? Surely that is the long term goal of every advertising campaign...?

New and Imposed...

2008-09-29T09:31:00.000+01:00
I have about 150 friends on Facebook of which I 'Know' close to 100...the rest who can tell???

Anyway, from this amount, I have noticed more than enough status updates recently slating the 'New and IMPOSED' Facebook.

Having broken this fundamental social rule of "Dont stop users doing what THEY want to do..." I wondered had facebook gone a step too far?

This article claims to have spotted a sizeable trend in users bowing out of FB all together.

Some interesting stats and nice visuals.

Wario Shake Changes the face of YouTube seeding forever...

2008-09-25T18:33:00.000+01:00

I have just come accross the following campaign for the new Wario 'Shake' on WII.

I have no idea how this is done but when I find out I will update. Im pretty early on this so had to post it!

I'm no creative expert but this is the most genius use of webspace I have seen so far. So cutting edge I cant begin to say...

Follow and enjoy...

CLICK ME Wario Shake on Youtube

Source

Diesel XXX MY Favourite Viral of 2008 (View with caution)

2008-09-25T17:55:00.000+01:00

I toyed with posting this for a while... I got it today and I think its going to be cult.

Everyones going to have their opinion. Some are going to think this is in poor taste. Others are going to see this as a shrewd peice of marketing. Note the subtle brand references throughout.

I keep saying it every time I see lame or obvious viral attempts. If you want us to watch, give us value through branded content. It cant shout too loudly and it cant be so cheesey that I see straight through to the sales message.

This viral doesnt pretend to be something its not. The creators are just trying to make me laugh. They succeeded.

They are subtle. They leave breadcrumbs...

...This has a positive effect...

They make me laugh/entertain me so I want to know who is responsible and what this is about. Furthermore I want to tell my friends. Also, me being an Ad-Geek I get a kick out of spotting the marketing message and showing it to my friends. (LOOK OUT FOR THE DATE) ;P

So, am I wrong? is this merely a cheap laugh? Could "anyone do that" ? Or is it much cleverer than that? my feeling is the latter...

This got me thinking about virals again. Breadcrumbs...

Top 10 Secrets of the Marketing Process

2008-09-25T09:29:00.000+01:00

From Seth Godin Marketing Genius.

This was posted 2 years ago so I know im late, but since I just discovered it I had to post it.

I love point 5 and 6.

1. Don’t run out of money. It always takes longer and costs more than you expect to spread your idea. You can budget for it or you can fail.

2. You won’t get it right the first time. Your campaign will need to be reinvented, adjusted or scrapped. Count on it.

3. Convenient choices are not often the best choices. Just because an agency, an asset or a bizdev deal are easy to do doesn’t mean that they are your best choice.

4. Irrational, strongly held beliefs of close advisors should be ignored. It doesn’t matter if they don’t like your logo.

5. If it makes you nervous, it’s probably a good idea. If you’re sure you’re right, you probably aren’t.

6. Focusing obsessively on one niche, one feature and one market is almost always a better idea than trying to satisfy everyone.

7. At some point, you’re either going to have to stick to your convictions or do what the market tells you. It’s hard to do both.

8. Compromise in marketing is almost always a bad idea. Extreme A could work. Extreme B could work. The average of A and B will almost never work.

9. Test, measure and optimize. Figure out what's working and do it more.

10. Read and learn. There are a million clues, case studies, books and proven tactics out there. You can't profitably ignore them until you know them, and you don't have the time or the money to make the same mistake someone else made last week. It's cheaper and faster to read about it than it is to do it.

Posted by Seth Godin on October 20, 2006

App Makes $250k in 2 months

2008-09-24T16:36:00.000+01:00
Iphone Developer of Trism makes $250,000 in 2 Months as a "side project"...

From PSFK.COM:

A side project turned into 250K of profit for iPhone puzzle game creator, Steve Demeter. His popular game, Trism, generated the profit over two months even after Apple’s large 30% take of sales and Demeter’s start-up investment of $5,000. While many developers complain about Apple’s seemingly excessive take, he is quite pleased with their management & troubleshooting services…something that will keep him from developing titles for other OS’s like Google’s long-awaited Android (that will be unveiled today).

Google is hoping their open-sourced platform will encourage independent developers like Demeter to create superior, user-friendly applications for a completely fluid & customizable operating system…leaving mobile OS’s like Windows Mobile that is heavily laden with proprietary, bulky and sometimes useless software, behind.

For me, this throws light on the whole Open Source VS Moderated SDKs for Apple and Google (Android) I have a feeling that Android might be too good to be true and that the Open source element may prove problematic in the long-run. Could someone out there produce the first Android Virus? I hope I'm wrong. I would like to see something/someone make Apple stay one step (further) ahead of the game.

The G1 (Google Phone) Is released...

2008-09-23T14:06:00.000+01:00
So... Google officially announced the TMobile G1 Today. The first Handset to use Android.

My initial reaction? Ugly.

But does the Inside make up for the Outside?

Well what i've read so far seems to be exciting. The easiest thing in the world would be for me to rehash the various reviews already available online. Kind of lame in my opinion. So I think I will post links to the articles that I have checked out so far and you guys can guess as much as I can from them.

Mashables Overview

Engadgets Coverage (expect this to be updated very quickly)

My opinion? I am a big fan of design both aesthetically and ergonomically. So Naturally I am an I phone user and I love it. That doesn't mean I don't have gripes with it. But maybe I am seduced by Steve Jobs...

However I love how Google are attempting to rock the boat with the G1. They are going for substance over style here and without handling the G1 I cant comment on its ergonomics. I have heard the sweeping motion of the flip Keyboard to be like "butter" which sounds nice in itself.

The big point to take away from this for me is the open source platform of Android. However without stringent regulation could this prove to be a problem? too many chefs ???

On the other hand the inclusion of a level playing field for developers could be huge. Either way, it will be interesting finding out.

The second biggest point for me is the Qwerty Keyboard. The idea of a touch screen has to be the biggest gripe (or fear) i've heard from non I phone users and Crackberry addicts since Apple tackled the Price Issue on the release of Iphone 2.0.

Google will definitely stir interest on this point alone if nothing else.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how the G1 is received in the UK and I will be watching closely to see if it goes mainstream or Cult. Furthermore I will be watching to see how this affects the type of Apps that will subsequently be developed for each model....

Bread and the new Hovis Ad

2008-09-13T21:49:00.001+01:00

I just saw the new Back to the future-esque Hovis AD which was launched during x factor.
I must say I thought it made for compelling viewing.

It had a tough act to follow in terms of the last 'BIG' Ad venture in the form of Ridley Scotts "greatest Ad of all time" 'The Bike Ride' which of course is imprinted on our minds as Iconic.

It's around 2-3 minutes long and charts a young boy traveling home from the baker with a loaf of bread (nothing new there).

The format is given a makeover as he runs through a time warp on his way home. Running through various scenes his surroundings change with every corner turned. From ww2 soldiers to mods and punks the time periods and genres get more modern as the ad plays out and the boy arrives home in todays surroundings.

The Ad charts britains last 122 years of History it really was excellently shot and directed. I found myself glued. *edit*I have since found out that the AD is 122 Seconds exactly for each year of history!*

There was something nostalgic and charming about it. For me it was a great example of how to work with a brands core identity in this case being tradition and wholesome British values and revamp it for a modern more cynical audience. I'm extremely cynical and I certainly 'got it'.

I'm wondering can there ever be a place for FMCG brands like Hovis in digital?
Of course there was the Warburtons 'Ask Mr Warburton' campaign which I thought was a nice brand fit and a good attempt at convergence with TV. Would be nice to know how well this went.

Bike Ride: Directed by Ridley Scott.

Plurk! A rival to Twitter - Micro-Blogging

2008-09-12T17:00:00.000+01:00

Plurk, A name comprising 'People and Lurk' has been in existance for a while now but it seems I am a Johnny come lately - pardon the pun.

Its basically a Micro Blogging service much like Twitter.

I like the idea of Micro Blogging although I wouldnt be bothered to engage in it myself. I like the idea of small bite size chunks of information rather than large pieces of correspondance. I suppose the voyeur in me or all of us is curious to know what people we are involved with are thinking or doing.

I guess thats why I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook status updates.

I like how Plurk! Display the updates in Timeline format .

Wikipedia says of Plurk:
Plurk's interface shows updates in horizontal form through a scrollable timeline written in AJAX. Users can post new messages with optional 'qualifiers', which are one-word verbs used to represent a thought (ex. "feels", "thinks", "loves", etc.). There are also advanced features such as sending updates only to a subset of your friends, posting updates on events earlier in the day, and sharing images, videos, and other media.^[5]

The Plurk.com developers does not yet have an API released to the public, however an unofficial but supported^[6] Plurk API is hosted on Google Code.^[7]
I will sign up and have a play but i guarantee I wont know anyone this phenomena appeals to no matter how appealing the concept may seem.

plurk.com

The Digital Magazine-Redefined (UPDATED)

2008-09-12T14:26:00.000+01:00

Esquire are releasing a new E-Ink Issue for October.

The cover moves like an LCD screen of sorts. It works by charging positive and Negative e-ink particles in different formations to display messages.

This is the future folks...although there have been concerns about how green the technology is...

Video of Technology in action...

UPDATE: I MANAGED TO GET HOLD OF ONE OF THESE FROM AMERICA. BELIEVE THE HYPE. VERY IMPRESSIVE INDEED.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/10/pressandpublishing.digitalmedia
http://www.eink.com/

Google Test In-Video Advertising on You Tube

2008-09-12T10:25:00.001+01:00

Just browsing Simon Andrews Blog over at Mindshare and came across this video of Googles Beta in-video advertising program.

Somone had caught it and action and kindly filmed it.

Obviously I would prefer there were no advertising in the middle of my YouTube browsing but i really must say if this is there is one way to go with regard to in video advertising for me this would be it.

Efficient, not very intrusive (well less frustrating than pre-rolls) and even picks up where you left off.

I also noticed that this video was created in 2007. So there must be some reason this has yet to be released. Cold feet Google???

My Campaigns: Design Icons

2008-09-11T20:39:00.000+01:00
Design Icons has been undoubtedly one of my most favorite campaigns to date here at TBG London.

It has certainly been the most innovative.

We were tasked with engaging Harrods with a new audience of younger, design–conscious, London-based opinion formers whose view of Harrods was perhaps rather out-of-date, and encourage them to participate in the Design Icons season of promotional activity.

It combined many of my passions: Innovation, Design, Web 2.0 and Fashion with Vivienne Westwood as a keynote speaker.

I dipped my toe into the world of a 360 campaign and I liked it.

The Design Icons Campaign involved converging, facebook, Youtube and Twitter technology with Mobile in the form of QR Codes.

This for me was a fantastic achievement as we were responsible for making Harrods the first UK retailer to trial QR Code Technology. Although QR codes failed to be readily adapted by the British public and indeed the London Harrods audience, this venture was well received by Mobile enthusiasts at large and was hailed as a great leap not only for the Client but the technology as a whole in the UK.

Responsibilities:

Strategy
Planning/Buying
Campaign Management

Resources:
http://designicons.harrods.com/
http://Facebook Group: Design Icons
http://Myspace.com/designicons
http://Twitter.com/designicons

Media:
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3760049.ece
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=qr+codes+harrods&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

Read the full Campaign Summary on the TBG website: http://www.tbglondon.com/work/case-studies/case-study-harrods-design-icons/

My First Post....

2008-09-11T15:38:00.001+01:00
So, this is my first blog and blog post!`

In creating it i'm thinking this will be a resource for me more than anything else. Hopefully it will act as a record of my career to date my achievements, thoughts, likes, dislikes and what I've learned along the way. If some one stumbles across it and grows to like it thats even better.

It will center mostly around Digital but I'm thinking I will draw anything that I find inspirational into this one central location.

Thats it for now...

John