Mobile...

A few weeks ago I noticed an ad inside Marketing Magazine for the Mobile Marketing Conference. I felt shortness of breath with deep twists in my gut: Not in a good way at all. I felt lied to, deceived and incredibly insulted by Marketing Magazine, Rogers Publishing and the industry. I did not get a slap on my the face, but a fist tight knock-out punch. But why??? Because the one page ad had the following text: It's not new media, It's MASS MEDIA!

MASS MEDIA???? And they own a magazine on marketing and the biggest communications holding in Canada (Rogers). Nothing but the best example of how CANADA is so primitive when it comes to MARKETING. Just like they killed online by MONETIZING (milking) it as if it was traditional media, they are already killing Mobile. And it’s only in it’s infant years.

PEOPLE! Remember that news papers, magazines, tv and radio are dying and it’s the result of the business model. If new media arises, please be clever enough as to implement SMART models that make it work for clients, media and people. Or we are going to end up closing mobile like we did e-mail, but it was to late when it became permission based.

Hum... I don’t understand how some of these people have 6 figure salary jobs for killing everything they touch....

New media and mobile are NOT mass media and certainly should not be treated like such. It also stands true for experiential, digital interactive boards and promo. These are not even media, but the only clear channel available to establish communication.

I read two interesting statements that work well to close my case. 1. People are simple, they just wear complicated shoes. 2. Courtesy of Expresso Brand Infiltration: “The NO bull shit approach”. I wish everything followed those principles...

Physics of space

And the obvious yet gut twisting truth:

In our role as marketers, we are assigned the task of conveying a message that spreads within the target market. Many of us pride of being different and innovative, while forgetting the obvious: remember Obvious Adams!

I saw this yesterday and am still WOWed, by everything in it. It can't get more experiential than this: Trust me!

People actually looked behind to see if the dog was there: I will elaborate further on the 4th dimension of space and time!

Activate: Brand relationships!

From live to life and viral to traditional. All experiences...

In the broad scope of marketing one of the keys to success is brand activation. Now, when submerged in ad clutter, visual noise and a lot of competitors, brand activation plays a pivotal role in the success of branding programs, while intertwined with the WWW, viral and social network platforms. Though at times it is misinterpreted by just throwing parties or solely paying a sponsorship fee; activation is the MOST important part when putting the brand in front of your target audience.

Most brands don’t go mainstream in main-street through Madison Avenue but there are others that choose not to, considering their strategic approach to their target audience. Also, most of the brands rather be big within their niche than small in the Walmart shelves.

Adidas takes a tribal sport to the masses with great hype and an inside story. The documentary: All Blacks,serves as the platform to generate genuine brand activation through viral and 30 second TV spots. The narrative is media neutral, while the story flows in any medium. 

Oakley edits video of it’s sponsored athletes to create incredible promotional tools that spread around the web within their niche. While capturing video footage of most of it’s live activation programs, it breathes action sports throughout it’s massive brand engagement cycle. 

In the best of it’s stunt/guerrilla/mob style campaigns, T Mobile hits the street with a smart and unique activation. Since the message is the same, any public happening that involves people sharing, makes it worthwhile for audiences across the board and the brand. In the same vertical it successfully uses the live execution for viral threads and TV spots, while keeping the axis of it’s campaign.

Just 3 SMART executions in different markets and intended for different audiences. Only to enlighten the minds of so called marketers who spill money in traditional advertising for share of _____'s sake.

You can lead by being good but champions go further, they stand aside from the pack doing OUTSTANDING stuff!

Balls!

That's what it takes to do great stuff nowadays. Though the time calls for urgency in everything we do, every industry and every Jack is in a rush to do things differently. 

All the geniuses in the world call for a creative approach and those in dead industries like news papers, auto, travel and MARKETING: Are bragging about new ways, while the business for business sake is dead and their safest bet is to cut cost and take care of business as usual!

Those who dare to be really different and creative, manage to survive the self created ad NOISE/CLUTTER by touching audiences in a genuine and authentic manner. Therefore, creating and fostering relationships...

One of the marketing gurus of out time: Seth Godin, said: "Dare to be different". And even though everybody is paying attention, our rusty socio-economic helm is having a difficult time steering the wheel.

My favorite trend spotter Jeremy, brought these two videos to my attention again. 

So in the spirit of sparking an other good reason to be different... Just do it! Dare to 

go the other way, the un-usual way!!

in the moving business!

So, it seems that the industry is starting to realize that we are in a people focused 

business, where impressions are not weighted on a ROI metrics grid against media 

buys. It’s starting to shift to interactions based on ROE (return on engagement): A 

relationship model on brand experiences. 

As marketers, communicators, community activists and development agents, we move 

peoples emotions to win their rational selves as fanatics. We have the world as a 

canvas and a whole lot of possibilities to connect people with brands on an opt-in basis. 

Let’s work, play, perform, celebrate and live with them.... 

“What they want is products, communications and marketing campaigns that dazzle 

their senses touch their hearts and stimulate their minds – that deliver an experience.” 

                                                            | Bernd H. Schmitt - The Experience Economy 

 * Images courtesy of On the groung looking up, blog.