21 December 2012

I am extremely amused and I want to share the fun!!

I don't know if you are yet familiar with the whole propaganda surrounding the end of the world... Here's the scoop. Rumors are spreading on the world wide web that the end of the world is coming on December 21st 2012.

This propaganda coincides with a movie being launched that revolves around this topic... and yes, I don't believe in coincidence.

Do you remember the Blair Witch Project's marketing stunt? They filmed a trailer that seemed so real and fooled so many that it spread like fire over the internet. The entire marketing strategy revolved around cheap and fake publicity which made the movie extremely popular.

Back to the new movie launch: "2012".

The end of the world concerns everyone. What better message can create word of mouth, and what better medium to spread false rumors than the undictated web?

A great stunt of "mischief marketing" as Ray Simon would put it, and I would argue that it is more successful than the Blair Witch Project... With 8 million viewers so far, the "December 21 2012 THE END" is not doing so bad on youtube.

...What about Outsourcing R&D?

Talking about evolution and revolution; I cannot but bring about the subject of Innocentive.com, an ambitious company that aims to be "Where the World Innovates". Based on a social network, the company is set out to bring about solutions from the four corners of the globe to the businesses in need. A revelation?

It operates by creating a link between companies seeking solutions and business development through R&D with people around the world ready to take up the challenge in their fields of expertise, ideally scientists, PHD holders and researchers.
The network allows “Seekers”, companies such as Eli Lilly and P&G, to post challenges with a proposed remuneration for the winner, creating an incentive for “Solvers”, registered members, to participate; thus following Linux’ open source policy and the new digital trend extracting information from the common human knowledge source. This system ought to allow progress in a timelier manner, at a cheaper cost, and with better results.

The drawbacks?

1. Copyrights shift to the seeker. Would you want your hard work to be channeled? Had I been a Solver, I would want to keep the rights over my work.
2. Remunerations are low. If you are to present a cost-effective solution to the company in question, you might as well be paid for it.
3. Finally, who is to guarantee the solver gets his rights? The way I see it, the seeker can easily trick the system by providing the winning solver himself, thus recuperating his money and yet get inspired by the many submissions he receives.

Yet, the network boasts having the smartest people on board; are they really that smart to get involved? ...Nonetheless, it managed to get mentioned in CNBC, the Economist and Forrester. Revolutionary?

Rules of SEVEN

Hands-off marketing if you are not a marketer!

You won't see an sportsman working on accounting, or an accountant fixing the television. Why the hell does everyone feels he can get involve when it comes down to marketing?!

Things CAN and DO go wrong! In the name of all those who have to sit quiet and watch their campaigns get smashed by the decision maker:

GENERAL GUIDELINES

1-Make use of white space. It makes the eye more at ease and your ad more attractive.
2-Let the borders breathe. Always leave a margin.
3-Beware misspellings in the text.
4-Beware misinforming the public.
5-What is a beautiful piece of work without an audience? The medium is key.
6-Use integrated marketing communication; convene the same message, with the same soul.
7-Present the logo properly, always follow the guidelines set for its identity

OUTDOOR

1- Outdoor bookings should be done early on. NO you cannot wait for a better price, unless you're ready to deal with the worst locations.
2-Locations are to be chosen wisely, avoid locations in the middle of nowhere, avoid advertising clutter, avoid that tree blocking the view but mostly avoid the panels that are parallel to the road, they need to have a minimum tilted angle.
3- PLEASE outdoor advertising cannot handle a three paragraph text, in fact, it cannot even fit a three sentence text!! You want your ad to reach the audience? Try three to seven words; and that's that.
4-The logo HAS to be big enough. What is visible on your pc is not necessarily visible on the roads. No general rules. It all depends on the logo's font and recognition ratios.
5-Too many items in the picture might seem to offer a better understanding of your goal; do NOT be fooled, too many items in the picture equal no picture at all to the passers by. Keep it clean and simple, use a human character if you can, otherwise make it a very intriguing picture.
6- DO use sans serif fonts. Those like Times New Roman are less readable from distance.
7-Consider the use of eye catching colors like red, orange or yellow for the background. (However, the effectiveness of these colors is highly dependent on the surroundings)

DAILIES

1- When booking in a newspaper, choose your ad location wisely. You don't want a festive ad next to the picture of a mourning woman.
2-A quarter page size is ideal in terms of value. GO for it when possible.
3-Better one ad in the front or back page than three in the middle.
4-Write concisely, and make it informative.
5-Consider the low resolution and bad printing quality, text and logos should be big enough and do not put 2 layers of the same color and expect it to be visible!
6-Use serif fonts, as they are more readable up close.
7-Always include a picture. It makes the ad more attractive.

TELEVISION

1-Some colors look better on TV, like purple and blue. Take this into account.
2-When it comes to animation, go slow enough to make the information graspable but fast enough not to make it boring.
3-Cut, cut and cut. It helps the eye keep its focus.
4-The brand should be mentioned prominently enough to be remembered; especially of the ad includes a lot of fluff and talk. In that case, increase the frequency.
5-Music is core. Make it relevant.
6-The choice of medium is very important. Take a keen look on the viewership ratings and assess your investment accordingly.
7-Choose your timing wisely, for a maximum viewership aim for news-time.

RADIO

1- Balads work greatly
2- Make the information concise so as not to lose the listener
3- Manage frequency effectively for optimum results
4- Music is crucial
5- Beware the pace of the speaker, leave room for breathing
6- Chose the right language to reach your audience
7- For optimum reach aim for rush-hours