Here’s an interesting bit of YouTube functionality that you might not have seen. Follow the instructions in the clip to see how you can remix the video.
There must be some interesting applications of this we can use – allowing people to jump to a particular part of the clip, the notes of a piano, playing sections of a song…
Post any you can come up with.
Here’s a really good idea, this time from a media owner – Epicurious, the american foodie website.
Their iPad app has a really smart twist that differentiates it from most food apps or websites. Most recipe books and sites assume you have a really well stocked fridge and brimming kitchen cupboards. This is clearly not true for most people most of the time – the further away from the weekly grocery shop, the more stocks are depleted. The Epicurious app lets you enter the few bits and pieces that you have knocking around at the back of the fridge, and then provides a list of recipes that combine those elements.
Plus it also takes advantage of the iPad’s size and portability – small and robust enough to have on a clean corner of the worktop; a big enough screen to follow a recipe.
Shows how insight about how people actually live (in this case, how they think about meal preparation) combined with some new technology can deliver something really useful.
I guess most of us are pondering how product placement can play a role in our clients’ marketing plans. Coffee machines in the background of daytime TV shows? Fine, but how about this as the high water mark for what can be achieved (regulators permitting of course)?
Picture the scene. You’re sat in a studio in America, as part of the audience for one of the final ever episodes of Oprah’s TV show. Towards the end of the show, the good lady annouces that she’s going to take the entire audience to Australia for a week. And who better to fly everyone there than John Travolta?
Absolutely brilliant.
Two of the final Oprah shows, aired in prime-time to tens of millions of Americans and syndicated around the world, are devoted to the communal experience. Orpah flies to various destinations – including Uluru, Hamilton Island, Melbourne and Sydney – causing a PR sensation wherever she goes. And according to news reports, international and domestic tourism enquiries go through the roof.
Here’s how it was reported in the Australian news.
How could place your brand at the heart of popular culture this way?
Morning all
We should all be considering the role of social in meeting our clients’ objectives as part of a wider digital strategy. Here are some pointers for when social could play a role …
1) When there is huge love for your brand or product - Wispa, Skittles, Mini, Craig David.
2) When people talk online about the area that you operate in - Sky and football, Sacla and Italian food, Remington and beauty products, Tomy and nursery products
3) When you have something interesting to say about your products or services and a community exists to listen to it - eg T-Mobile launch the new google handset
4) When you have lots of new products or offers to prmote to regular customers eg Boots, M&S, a fashion brand
5) When you have an existing brand association around a community of interest, eg Galaxy and Books, VW and film
I’m sure you will have some more examples of “when to” – especially Mr Aves (currently foursquare mayor of MediaCom’s 3rd floor printer).
A lot of brands’ social media strategies revolve around dialogue, CRM or monitoring of buzz and sentiment. But it’s also possible to use social platforms to drive short-term sales or other “hand” objectives. Obviously, DR advertising runs on social platforms, but there are other more creative ways of getting people to act.
For example, Marks And Spencer use their Facebook presence to alert fans to sales, both on and offline. And they create media pitstops, with timed messages suggesting tasty sandwich options just prior to lunch, or easy meal solutions at the end of the day.
Dell use their DellOutlet twitter account to tell followers about stock sales.
Skittles use their Facebook page to maintain a continuous dialogue with 600k+ fans – this is (at least in part) intended to prompt regular reminders about the brand to increase frequency of purchase and rate of sale.
And Orange use their Orange Film Club page to suggest films for people to see on Orange Wednesdays, pushing more people to redeem the offer, meaning more loyal Orange customers and more vocal advocates.
Anyone got any more examples?
We should be considering how we can get people to buy, go instore or act on a brand message when building social strategies for our clients. Perhaps time-limited sales to create a sense of urgency. Or deals exclusive to our social media fans / subscribers to reward them for signing up to our page. Or timed messages to prompt action close to purchase opportunities (eg the end of the day / Friday night / lunchtime / the weekend).