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The Story of Stuff

One of the things I hate most about this industry is the use of the word consumer. It’s a bad word and it implies that humans do nothing more than consume. What bothers me about the word consumer is that it objectifies people and neglects natural cycles. I usually replace the word with people or audience whenever possible. But, by doing so I avoid thinking about the negative side of consumption. Like most of you, I am not a “green” freak, but I am a logic freak. We can’t consume forever without some natural corrective cycle. I came across a neat little site, which tells a great story in a way that is easy and logical to follow. It tells The Story of Stuff. It brings to life human production and consumption patterns. It’s a must see for two reasons. It’s deals directly with an issue that many of us (or maybe just me) haven’t looked at beyond a surface level. The story of stuff is also a good example of digital and mixed media being used to engage, entertain and enlighten without losing sight of simplicity.

Change Climate Change

David Keith: A surprising idea for "solving" climate change

16 Interesting Minutes, worth watching.

Silky Kumar, Scent of Desire

It started off as a music video. It was picked up by the social media community and passed around. Then it was revealed that it was a piece of communication from AXE. Clever? Underhanded? This is an example of mixed media gone wild. It's a stealth teaser campaign on steroids thanks to social media.

Silky Kumar, an Indian pop artist in the making, came out with a song called "Scent of Desire". The well produced video was played heavily on MTV and developed an following. It was passed around Facebook, Myspace, Orkut and other conversational media. The artist gained popularity.

Then a blogger wrote that Hindustan Unilever Limited, Unilever's Indian operation was behind the Silky Kumar act. The video has no product mentions or specific branding, but HUL is creating a "Scent of Desire" product for AXE. Now that everyone knows the song it will be easier to market the product. Clearly some will be turned off by the campaign, but the product should succeed. Here is the video that started the ongoing conversations about "Scent of Desire". read more

Free Poke'n Condoms on Facebook

Facebook opened its doors to developers in an effort to enhance the member experience. Some applications provide a few minutes of fun while others enhance the experience. Apps like "Pirates vs. Ninjas," are very different than the "Places I've Been" App. It is important to understand the Facebook community in order to  add value. The Free Condoms application offers some insight into how to effectively create a Facebook application.

Here's how it works. You add the application to your page. Invite friends to join. You receive "bangin bucks" or points for referrals. You sign up for offers like Fastweb (scholarship search), Blockbuster, or ringtone sites. You get 60-150 points for signing up. You redeem your points for condoms, t-shirts, and other packages. A 30 pack of condoms costs 40 points.

There are community features also built in where you can see who has earned the most points. There are different levels of participation with names like "bed wetter" and "big Pimp'n".

The creators of the application answer questions on the forum routinely. Keep in mind that people can say what ever they want, and they often do. You can't just leave your application to be overrun by just anyone. Some level of moderation is necessary.

There are already 100,000 members on board with an estimated 20% participation. Creating applications isn't expensive. I'm not sure how much they spent, but it looks like they will receive a handsome return on investment.  This isn't the best application I've ever seen, but they did some things right. The most important thing to remember is that you are creating a community within a community, not just selling.

What they did right:
1. Promoted the site using Facebook flyers, which are much more cost effective than banners.
2. Used a Facebook lingo; "Poke Safely"
3. A good match. College Students use condoms.
4. Created a dialog.
5. Made it easy to share.
6. Partnered with companies that fit the market.
7. The concept has good word of web and word of mouth mobility.

What they could have done differently:
1. Offer the ability to purchase condoms and "stuff" for those who don't want the offers.

3 Million Dollar Widget

Ever since Facebook opened up their network to developers, I've seen dozens of little apps come and go. You can get a "Sticky Notes" widget, a "Super Wall"  or even a "Pirates vs. Ninjas" app.

Some developers are making useful applications, but others are creating spam. Facebook is taking action against some of these spam apps.

There are a few developers creating applications that actually enhance your Facebook experience. The "Where I've Been" application has been downloaded by millions of users thus far. For that reason TripAdvisor purchased the widget for 3 Million Dollars. Not bad at all. This is the biggest Facebook app purchase to date.

We Feel Fine

About a week ago, a co-worker introduced me to “we feel fine” (wefeelfine.org). It’s a simple concept that is difficult to explain. You almost have to see it in action.

The site uses a program that captures terms like “I feel” and “I am” from blog entries. It adds the blogger regional information in addition to weather and other factors.  Read more

It then creates a particle for each feeling and adds it to the system. You can learn about how people feel globally using their simple, eye catching and fun interface. Just check it out.  It takes a few seconds to load, but it’s well worth every second.

Living in the City

The other day, I found myself aimlessly walking around the city. A few blocks into the walk I came across the Tate Modern Collection, a museum here in London. There was no cover fee, which made it much more appealing. The Global Cities exibit was most interesting. Here's how they describe it on the site.

Global Cities looks at changes in the social and built forms of ten large, dynamic, international cities: Cairo, Istanbul, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Mumbai, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Tokyo. Drawing on data originally assembled for the 10th Venice Architecture Biennale, the exhibition features both visual art and architectural responses to explore these cities through five thematic lenses: speed, size, density, diversity and form.

It makes you stop and think. As marketers, it's easy to lose site of the big picture when we focus on products and services. It's all about people. It's good to slow down and consider the global impact of our actions. I don't want to get too philosophical so I'll shut up and let the photos speak.

Geico Cavemen are Coming to ABC

(click to watch the clip)

It’s official. The Geico Cavemen are coming to a TV near you this fall. The pilot was part of last week’s Upfronts, where media networks show off their new shows and advertisers get to buy TV time in blocks. ABC will run “Cavemen” Tuesdays at 8:00PM. The producers of 3rd Rock are working to make the series a success.

It’s early too early to predict if the show will be a hit, but if publicity and word of web are taken into account, I’d say the “Cavemen” stand a good chance. The show has to deliver. So far, so good. The Cavemen have successfully entertained millions in small doses. It will be interesting to see if they can do it for a half hour.

Ty Montague of JWT said it best when he said “TV is still a great place to tell a story”. While media neutrality is important, I believe that without entertainment value, programming and advertising can fall short of good. If “Cavemen” can tell a good story and provide some entertainment, then I smell another season.

I’m sure The Martin Agency will miss Joe Lawson, creator of the Cavemen. Steve Bassett, Senior Vice President, Creative Director at The Martin Agency spoke to us in April about “The Evolution of the GEICO Campaign”. According to Steve, once the show starts, you’ll see less Cavemen ads on TV. The Cavemen ads will live in the interactive world in an effort to give the show some elbow room.

Rolex and Product Placement

Inside the new Air & Space Museum outside of Dulles Airport you'll find one of the largest collections of aircraft inside a single building. You'll also find that all the large clocks inside are giant Rolex watches.

The Subway Experience

The other day, I was at Subway grabbing a bite. It was a routine visit. I was hungry. I am familiar with their menu, so it didn’t take long to decide on a meatball sub with jalapenos. The line was long during the lunch rush. Over everyone's heads, was a huge sign, "EXPRESS ORDERING".

As I sat down, I noticed the self-service kiosks. I’ve seen them before but never thought to use one. There were two self service kiosks and not a single person using them. I waited in a long line to get a regular sub when there was a faster way. So did most other people. It’s not like the kiosks are invisible. You can’t miss the signs.

Part of Subway's appeal is the EXPERIENCE. The process of choosing your ingredients and watching your own personal sub getting built makes Subway different from fast food places. Starting with the bread, you decide what goes on. You are the key ingredient in each build. You’re the boss.

It’s not the same experience with a machine. Sure, you’re going to get the same sandwich, but with self-service kiosks, it’s a difference experience. Pushing a lettuce button is different than pointing at real lettuce.

A faster way to order doesn’t make it better. For some people, the kiosks are great. They type their order in at 85WPM. They want food fast. Everyone else doesn’t mind waiting a little longer for an experience. The sign asks "Why Wait in Line?" Perhaps it should ask "Why Oder From a Machine?". One answer to that question would be to build a unique experience into the express odering system that makes it worthwhile for those not willing to part with a Subway experience.