CrapHammer

Power up your brand aftertaste!

Brand Refreshment

It all began with a simple image.  A seemingly powerful way to take a brand foundation and move to the tactic or big idea level.

Then it became a love-in but with amazing results.  Behold a model that better encapsulate the point where the business needs meet the consumer needs without losing the core of what adliterate had originally proposed above.

I love this model.  Now my struggle is how to capture the foundational elements.  How do I generate the story from which everyone operates so as to engender a clear understanding and consistent launch point for the brand?  For example, we develop a number of core pieces with any brand strategy.  How do these relate to this simplified view?

I took at stab at this below.  Note.  It's 2am and my head is buzzing from VizThink1 (not to mention the beers) so take this with a grain of alcohol... er, I mean salt.

What is a Brand Aftertaste?

And now.  For something completely different.  Well, sort of.  Thanks to Kate for this Ze Frank find.

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Do we even know what "Interesting" is?

What is Interesting?

Thanks to the effervescent Paul for his link to an OIA video on "Interesting'ness" in the context of brand building and communication efforts.  Brilliant, simple and impressive.

Watch the video! (link corrected!)

I'm struck by this concept of how "Interesting" when ultimately achieved flips so quickly over into "dislike" with potentially substantial numbers of the target audience.  And yet, these vocal so-called "anti-message" individuals remain interested enough to "read", "watch" or even "purchase".  They have to.  Or else they couldn't remain vocal members of the conversation around the campaign and the brand.

Looking back, I can see many cases where I've been an enabler of the "let's not suck" mentality which leads one away from anything that might approach "true dislike". Perhaps at the cost of not achieving true highs in "Interesting".  Would love to know your thoughts.  How many of you push into the territory of "dislike" or even "aversion" for the sake of being "interesting?"

Join the conversation! Or feel free to just lurk and watch the funny video below...

Do you work in Advertising?

A little long, but worth it as it hit WAY too close to home.  If you are reading my blog, you are likely in here somewhere.

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Planners Untie and DeLurk!

I recently met up with one damn smart cookie from my past.  She is now a planner at a large agency in the local area.  I took her to Dangerous Dans here in Toronto.  I don't think she will ever be the same.

Interestingly, she has not taken to the blog-world yet.  So I told her I would share some of my recent favorites with her.  And now I've decided they are likely of value to many of my readers as well.  Here you go, Renee.

                                                                                               

	Everyone is talking about this "You" concept.  Time magazine being just the tip of the iceberg.  But have we really stopped to consider what it means when it comes to advertising?  Paul has.  Check out his awesome Mad Avenue Journal article.  I refuse to link directly to Madison Avenue as they don't allow commenting or conversations.  Sucky.
	I can't even fathom speaking about planning without a link to the insatiable Russell Davies.  If you are a planner and haven't checked out his planner wiki, then... then... yer lame!
	Okay.  Co-Creation is the shits.  It's that simple.  I've written about this before.  But now I just learned that there is a wiki where you can see the samples from the co-creation manifesto and even add in details!
	Finally. The myths of Loyalty. Does it really cost more to acquire a new customer than keep an existing one?  Ipsos Loyalty aims to bust a lot of common loyalty myths.  How much does acquiring new customers really cost vs. retaining existing ones?

Did I miss anything?  I know I have a bunch of you planners out there.  Time to delurk and share some resources!  Or punch your blog!  No shyness allowed.  You work in advertising!  ;)

Tags: You Generation, Planning, Co-Creation, Loyalty Myths

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How deep does this false veneer go?

I've been immersed into YouTube these past few weeks.  Hours have blended into days and my world has bent back on itself.  Everything I thought I knew about YouTube is pretty much up for grabs.  I've come to realize that YouTube is not just about finding funny little videos or downloading "hot" shows before they get deleted.  It's about an ever changing realm of video blogging conversations.

Friendships, enemies, relationships and business contacts are being cultivated in this hidden little realm.  It's right there beneath the surface.  A part of the inane and even mundane content we so quickly pass over in our search for the next hot video.

But I can't bring myself to fully participate.

Do you remember your first BIG blog post?  I remember mine very clearly.  I worked on it for days and even had close friends proof it and offer feedback.  Even then, I wasn't satisfied with it.  I remember finally pressing that "Publish" button.  It was one of the most daunting things I had ever done.  The idea that some of the people I was referencing might come and read it made me keep doubting and reviewing what I was attempting to say.

I've certainly gotten over my first blog post.  Sometimes to the opposite extreme of not thinking enough about what I'm putting up.

But here's the crux of the matter.  I'm finding YouTube far more daunting than any blog post.  Three weeks and I'm still staring at a blank YouTube account.  I'm not inactive, rather just the opposite.  I have plenty of subscriptions to OTHER people's content.  I'm participating, commenting and following the inner lives of these people on a daily basis.  But I'm struggling with even contemplating my first video blog post.  Hell, the other day I decided to take it slow and just work on my YouTube profile.  A few minutes later found me going back and forth on whether or not I should publish the link to my craphammer blog.  I was struggling with wanting to keep these two worlds separate.  It seemed safer.

These guys are RAW.  And I can see them.  I can watch their faces while they discuss life, death, fears, or any other emotion.  They can't hide.

That's when it really started to hit me. How honest am I?  Or better yet, how authentic is this persona I appear to be wearing?  What am I crafting?  Protecting? Hiding?  I talk a lot about authenticity in regards to social media strategies.  But how do I apply it to myself and my business?

Two weeks ago, I met with a most amazing man running a socially conscious food-related business.  He operates a small bakery in a hidden little industrial park and proceeded to serve us a homemade four course meal.  Speaking about his passion, his customers and his business, it became abundantly clear that any money spent with us was earned penny by penny from his very hands.  There was no factory.  No investors.

Driving back to our offices loaded with samples, I found myself deep in contemplation and Dave's article on his early days as a consultant ringing in my head.  We have lots of successful customers.  And lots of happy customers.  But here was a man asking us to help him double his revenues.  Clear.  Simple.  And trusting.

I couldn't shake the discomfort that I felt.  I had made a half-hearted attempt to sell our normal "social media" offering.  But it felt hollow.  Sitting in that car I realized it was hollow because I wasn't certain it was the best solution for this wonderful man and his business.  There was this immense weight on me to have the best answer I could manage.  I was upset.  Not because of the weight, but because there were too many cases in my business where this weight was absent!

Are you acting in the best interest of your clients?  of yourself?  Does it matter?  I would love to know your views as it will help me procrastinate that first YouTube video post a little bit longer.  ;)

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A post not for me.

My post today is not for me. Nor is it by me. I give my blog today to carf. Please visit.

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Nothing is comparable to the suffering of a child abandoned to the streets. It is the duty of every responsible citizen to mobilize whatever is in his or her power to change that situation.

[...]

If you would like to support the work of CARF in Brazil then please visit our WeBlog, where it is possible to make secure online donations through PayPal. We are most grateful for any support you may wish to give. Thanks to many, the life situation of the kids in the above image has taken a better turn.

UPDATE:
Our film links have been transferred to YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=HOMESTREETHOME

Anyone interested in helping us with a donation, we have a Changemakers Campaign page here: http://www.carfweb.net/changemakers.html
We are most grateful for all contributions.

I thought I was having a crazy day.

I've been a bit quiet of late as I'm diving deep into YouTube.

It's been a bit of a surprising exploration as I had a lot of misconceptions about what YouTube really was.  I'll have more to share on my experiences soon.  Let's just say I was using it as a marketer would.  And that sorta surprised me and pissed me off at the same time.

Stumbled across this today.  Reminded me of the Russell Davies episode where someone created a hurtful spoof site of him.  I think this type of thing is going to get more common, not less.  Enjoy.

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Tags: YouTube, Stolen Identity, Marketeritis

Image Source: myrtepeert

links for 2007-02-15

• The Byline Group | How A Communications Audit Can Make Your Clients Look Like They Sound And Act Like They Mean It
  Eric Swartz's wonderful and insightful writeup on a branding communication audit. Complete with questions and approach.
  (tags: communications, communication audit, brand strategy)

The future of touch screen interfaces is almost too Sci Fi to believe.

Wow.  You have to sit through the initial 30 second ad about some guy in an elevator with snakes.  But it's worth it.

Many thanks to Doug at The Mark of a Leader for this tidbit.  Doug is a client of ours.  New to blogging. Totally surprised me with this find.  Enjoy.

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Consumers vs. The Machine

Age of Streaming approacheth.

Cam has a great post about the likelihood of consumers to stream content. eMarketer recently released some new stats as of January 2007.

As the graphs above show, the desire to stream content is becoming quite substantial.  But it gets MOST interesting when the numbers are broken down by age.  TV shows actually rate higher than User-generated videos in the youner audiences. And when we consider that these younger folks are pretty much in the most-desired category for most marketing efforts, we begin to see a substantial threat to traditional networks and a substantial opportunity for innovators.

This trend is only going to continue as fiber becomes more common place and companies like Apple continue to revolutionize the consumer entertainment experience.

Doritos shakes up the advertising world.

I have to admit that I am quite gleeful at the ongoing debate about the Doritos consumer generated Super Bowl ads.  I believe a number of big agencies are threatened.  And for good reason.  But they are over-reacting.  Read all about the debate here.

Watch the piece for yourself and you be the judge.

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Not convinced something is afoot?  Check out this chevy ad produced by students.

Consumer Generated Media vs. Co-Creation.

There is a lot of confusion between these two concepts.  And its understandable considering how close the terms are to one another.  But they are really quite distinct concepts.

Consumer Generated Media (CGM) refers to the direct act of consumers creating content and uploading it to a variety of online sites or services.  For those of us in Marketing, we often see it as consumers creating content with the intent of spoofing, supporting or even attacking a companies products, brand, marketing initiatives or any facet of the organization.  But it can also be individuals creating media about their personal views, experiences or hobbies/interests.

Co-Creation is about actively involving our customers in the process of, well, creation.  I tend to refer to it as Marketing 2.0.  It could be working together to create a show, a product or even an advertisement.  Often, the result is CGM or enabling your customers in a conversation or shared experience.  One thing that is certain is that it changes companies.  It's not about talking to your customers, it's about creating a relationship with them.

For more information on co-creation, check out my post the other week about an amazing co-creation manifesto that I still can't recommend enough.  In fact, I'm slowly giving copies to all my customers.

Tags: co-creation, CGM, Doritos, streaming content, iTV

Blog Tipping 103

A shout out to Cord at :Marketing Hipster for introducing me to this concept of blog tipping.  It's a LOT safer and humane than cow tipping and a great way to find interesting new links. 

The concept is simple.  Every month, list 3 (and only 3) sites that you really enjoy.  For each, provide 3 compliments and one "tip".

Here goes.

Servants of Chaos by the illustrious Gavin

I'm driven by my work.  As such, I struggle with the balance between work and my passions around philosophy, spirit and being present.  Gavin forces me to consider more than just marketing and leads me on a journey that leaves him naked and me changed.  The writing is direct, moving and insightful.   

If there was any tip for Gavin, it would be to visit North America more as I would dearly love to meet him one day.

Own your Brand by the mesmerizing Mike

I have a weakness for storytelling.  I believe that stories are the only way that we change ourselves and our world.  Facts don't work.  They don't excite or motivate us.  But stories are different.  We tell ourselves stories about our worth, our world, our leaders and our beliefs.  And Mike knows this.  He uses stories to break through and change us.  In some cases its just to open our eyes to something interesting.  In others its to shift our own beliefs and values so that we might better present and build our brands.

A tip.  That's tough.  I learned how to comment on blogs by watching Mike.  I learned how to treat other bloggers by following Mike's lead.  I guess, "keep sharing!" is all I can offer.

ViralMeister by the insightful juzzie

I'm a sucker for the inside scoop when it comes to the world of word of mouth, viral and social media.  Juzzie provides insight from the larger agency side of the fence into all things social media related.  From really awesome bebo experiments to co-marketing forays, I love that I get real results and insight from someone who gets it and is spreading the word on larger campaigns.

A tip?  Launch a blog roll!   Would love to see some of the sites you find useful/powerful/insightful.

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Like most of my attempts to participate in a meme, I've destroyed the format.  See Cord's post for how its supposed to work.

Warning.  Selecting only three sites is both a horrible and unrewarding task.  I fully expect to be flamed for not including some of the other absolutely amazing blogs I frequent.

Image Source:  Laura May