Social SnapTags – what are they all about?

August 22nd, 2011
FacebookTagRihanna

Last week I spotted a Tweet announcing that marketing tech company SpyderLynk have launched Social SnapTags exclusively in US Glamour magazine’s ‘Friends issue’.

Like QR codes, now routinely integrated into PR and marketing campaigns, Social SnapTags look set to become a useful way for brands to instantly interact with their market.

After a little research, it seems that what sets the tags apart from the QR code is that they link exclusively with a social media platform, in this case, Glamour’s Facebook page.

According to Glamour, user incentives include: ‘access to huge shopping discounts, scoop on the stars you love and insider advice from your favourite experts.’ It also allows readers of the magazine to shape the content they receive and control the conversation – accelerating an increasingly important trend for two way engagement between brand and consumer.

For Glamour, and the brands within its pages, the SnapTag is a valuable tool directing consumers to exactly where the brand wants them to be, giving brands the ability to use social media channels to their fullest potential.

Furthermore, as content is already on social media sites, it is much more likely that users will share it with their friends, and for it to become viral.

The SnapTag has a much wider appeal than the QR code – they can be ‘unlocked’ both by downloading an app onto a Smartphone, and, by sending a photo taken on a camera phone to a designated short code. This instantly brings a more mainstream element to the SnapTag and increases the number of people able to use them; meaning that SnapTags are more likely to be picked up, or at least trialled by more brands.

For me though, the main draw is that the tag, a neat circle with a logo inside, is much more aesthetically appealing than a QR code. The familiarity of the logo evokes a sense of trust and is explicit about the tags purpose, so hopefully the user will be more inclined to use it.  In choosing Glamour’s female audience to trial the codes rather than a technologically focused publication – Spyderlynk was easily able to highlight the wide appeal of the SnapTag.

I can’t wait to get snapping!

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The secret life of Vogue – or is it?

August 12th, 2011
blog

‘The Devil Wears Prada’ gave us an ‘unofficial’ hint as to what it would be like to work in the glossy fashion mecca that is Vogue, depicting scenes of backstabbing, designer clothes, bitching and beautiful people – Conde Nast may have thought that with the movie done and dusted, the public’s curiosity into the famously cut throat world of fashion had wained…. Then, along came @condeelevator!

The tweets claimed to be accounts of conversations overheard~ in the lift of Vogue’s HQ in New York sent out jus 36 tweets but managed to amass 68,485  followers (to date), all looking for an insight into the everyday life of the ridiculously stylish.

The tweets were hilariously entertaining, and whether they were real (which appears to be the case as they have stopped – before the fashion police could catch them!) or fabricated, in my movie-tinged mind, that is exactly how Vogue US is. “Woman #1 to Woman #2, holding an omelet: “What’s the occasion?” Woman #2: “…huh?” Woman #1: “I would need an occasion to eat that.”

A Conde Nast spokeswoman said in an statement to ABCNews.com ”We have no idea if this is real or made up and don’t know who is behind it but it certainly suggests that many people care a great deal about what happens at Conde Nast.”

Vogue’s reputation has survived untarnished by the 2006 movie, and the 2009 September issue documentary that depicted Anna Wintour as a bit of an ice queen (I love you Anna!), so I hardly think that this twitter insight would do them any harm, but nonetheless, @Condeelevator account has died a twitter death, with the last tweet stating “Girl or Guy #1 [in elevator alone]: This got really crazy. Love my job. Better stop. #sorry”

Hopefully that’s not the end… what I’d do to be a fashionable fly on that  elevator wall!

 

 

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Is it the end of the World as we know it?

July 14th, 2011
Screen shot 2011-07-14 at 10.38.00

 So, in the face of a united House of Commons, Rupert Murdoch drops his bid to take over BSkyB.

The leading news mogul has been in the constant media spotlight since he landed in the UK on Sunday, for all the wrong reasons – and what a fortnight it has been for the news makers themselves.

News Corporation’s press comment that the BSkyB deal was too difficult to undertake in such circumstances was an understatement to say the least. And now, there is the possibility that Murdoch will withdraw more papers from the UK – something that was unthinkable just two weeks ago.

Alleged hacking of the phones of the parents of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler and the friends murdered in Soham, as well as, apparently, families of those killed in the terrorist attacks in London by investigators working for the News of the World have made News International one of the most despised brands in the country in a huge crisis of trust.

Murdoch has been bidding to acquire 100% of BSkyB, a very successful media business -  indeed one that would have been a business opportunity of a lifetime – and this failed bid translates to potential disaster across the pond, where there are more allegations that families of the 9/11 disaster also had their phones hacked.

And the speed at which the News of the World closed down and rolled its last presses on Sunday, was down in no small part to the power of social media.

When the news broke, thousands of people tweeted their disgust and disappointment that ‘real’ people were being targeted in such a way – and almost immediately national brands, feeling the force of that public revolt, pulled out of advertising with News of the World in their droves.

  • Websites linked directly to pre-written tweets so that twitter users could select a brand to target and tweet the question ‘are you going to continue to support News of the World in the light of these allegations’.
  • Links to an online petition at Avaaz.org, the campaigning community, spread like wildfire across twitter, and quickly amassed over 80,000 signatures
  • prolific tweeter John Prescott lent his support to the campaign too.
  • The sheer volume of tweets dwarfed anything we’ve seen on twitter before.

Here at Democracy we saw first hand with some of the brands that we represent how quickly companies needed to act in the light of pubic outrage – and they too swiftly withdrew their advertising from the News of the World website.

All this left Murdoch with no choice – shut down the paper – and who knows, possibly more will fold. But whatever happens, this is certainly not the last we have heard of this media mogul.

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McDonalds Advertising Pongs

June 6th, 2011
Burger chain PR advertisement

McDonald’s in-house PR firm has pulled another great engagement trick out of its hat with an interactive billboard, Pick n Play.

The beauty of this idea is that with or without a smartphone McDonald’s still has its name up in lights; even if you don’t have a smartphone you’ll see the advert and those who do, well addictive gaming and a fast-food freebie await.

The concept is a hi-tech, but seemingly lo-fi, idea. A huge billboard allows smartphone users to play a Pong-like arcade game live on-screen through a mobile website. If players manage to keep the ‘ball’ in play for more than 30 seconds of increasingly difficult gameplay they are rewarded with a choice of;

  • Free milkshake
  • Burger
  • McFlurry

Redemption is simple too. The website will display a code to all successful players that they can show over the counter.

PR genius

It’s a shrewd PR move, not least because of the increased footfall, and store awareness (the one closest to the billboard that is) but the PR coverage across media channels not normally frequented by the fastfood chain shows the burger empire in a different light, a positive one that has introduced a bit of unexpected fun into the lives of shoppers and commuters.

What’s more old arcade games are nostalgia-inducing and addictive; players will come back time and time again.

What’s clear is that the time to embrace smart phone marketing is here. Those who tried it too early and had their fingers burned need to step back, reassess and reconsider how the smallest screen has the potential to deliver the biggest returns on your bottom line.

 

 

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Rio Ferdinand: The UK’s foremost celebrity digital-evangelist?

May 25th, 2011

Is Rio Ferdinand the UK’s Ashton Kutcher? We know he’s got an app, it probably won’t be long ’til he gets a twitter client to match @aplusk

Whether it’s for Manchester United gossip, a mention in his ‘#ff aka follow ferdy’, a chance to win a free meal at his restaurant or a signed shirt giveaway I imagine he is the sole reason that thousands of people have signed up to Twitter.

Rio, @rioferdy5, is also credited with encouraging many of his Manchester United team mates, past and present, to sign up to the micro-blogging service and this has unquestionably generated headline news. A 2-hour appearance on Twitter from Darren Gibson, the headline-hitting Rooney saga (he offered out a fan) or the put downs of Piers Morgan and fellow footballer Robbie Savage.

I realise many of those in the creative industries will lament trivial gossip or footballers and ‘the like’ being on Twitter but I believe Rio’s account is a good example for other mainstream celebs to follow. He isn’t afraid to give his opinion, which is refreshing in a media-wary football landscape, encourages debate, and supports the United youth team.

Let’s hope that he ignores Sir Alex Ferguson’s advice and doesn’t go to a library and read a book instead!

——————update—————–

Perhaps I jinxed him but Rio has made a faux-pas to rival Wayne Rooney’s fan threat by sending a threatening message to a journalist! Oliver Holt, the Daily Mirro’s chief sports writer decalred that he received a furious meesage from Rio Ferdinand following criticism of him on Twitter.

I think it’s time I found myself a new role model in Twitter, Wayne Rooney?

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Gmail Labs: Preventing you carbon copying Harry’s email nightmare

March 31st, 2011
Gmail labs

You can’t have missed the widespread news reports over the recent email ‘mishap’ involving one bitter ex giving permission to his buddy to ‘have a go’ at his former girlfriend. The inappropriate male banter would probably have remained between the two of them … until he accidentally cc’d the ex into the email(!)

Although the two chaps could not have predicted that a private conversation about a potential conquest would make a full page in The Sun, we’d like to think that he’s learnt his lesson and will never make the same mistake again. Should you ever find yourself in the same situation, we thought you might like a few tips to help avoid the terrible mess.

Tip 1: Migrate your email account to Gmail and activate a few handy ‘labs’ functions to help keep your discourse secret.

Tip 2: Install ‘undo send’, a personal lifesaver, allowing a 15 second window within which to cancel the email and save yourself from a very public dressing down.

Tip 3: Install ‘Got the Wrong Bob’  meaning Gmail learns from previous emails and highlights when you include someone unexpected.

These three tips could have saved him (and may save you one day), but with the backlash against him flooding in from all corners of the UK I imagine he might want to take a look at some other Gmail labs to help him out of this mess.

Hint 1: He should enable ‘Message Sneak Peak’ allowing him a quick glance at emails without opening them to decide whether it’s an email from the boss or vitriolic hatemail in his inbox.

Hint 2: Finally he should enable ‘Smart Mute’ so that once he hides an email it stays out of sight. Better keep those spiteful emails locked away hey Harry?

Sadly there’s no ‘auto-grovel function’ or ‘apologise to all’ but given the OS nature of Gmail it probably isn’t far away.

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Technology vs the traditionalists

March 31st, 2011
gruffalo_head

Julia Donaldson, author of the bestselling children’s book ‘The Gruffalo’ explained in an interview with The Guardian over the weekend, how she has refused permission for her award winning title to be published as an eBook, citing that if every publication was available electronically this would add to the decline of ‘real books’.

Now I could sit here and give you are number of positive arguments about how the ebook is the next big thing (there are certainly some fans in this office) etc but really, there is one overriding issue.

Liz Thomson, editor of the website BookBrunch was also quoted “There’s a lot of stuff at the moment that we’re doing because we can. It’s a question of whether you can really add value to the story”. What she says here rings true, and highlights the importance of assessing what media is right for not only books, but indeed any brand/product/service, and not necessarily jumping on the bandwagon because everyone else is doing it.

Social/digital media IS for everyone, but choosing the right platform is fundamental, and some will deliver better than others depending on what message you are trying to get across.  Essentially it should not be seen as a replacement, but as an enhancement working in harmony with more traditional communications.

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Webuyanycar.com – Fuelling The Sun Campaign

February 11th, 2011
We Buy Any Car

Find out more about our work for webuyanycar.com 

 

 

 

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Dancing on Iceland

December 22nd, 2010
Picture Credit: Flicr; Mike Licht

A new Ofcom ruling will allow product placement on certain programmes  from the end of February 2011 providing a much needed lift to commercial channels following a well-documented dip in advertising revenues due to the recession.

News, current affairs and children’s programming may be excluded from the new ruling but that still leaves  a wealth of opportunities in soaps, sports programmes and dramas where product placement could generate a huge additional income.

The advantage that advertisements hold over product placement is their ability to ‘go viral’. A great idea broadcast once can lead to millions of hits on free-to-use YouTube, adding reach and value to the campaign. Product placement has to be editorially justified and as such is unlikely to lead to a viral and any great amplification in audience figures. Of course some scenes in our favourite soaps are repeated endlessly, but, and this is just my opinion, the most popular soap scenes are grim murders, revelations, explosions and fights; what product wants to be associated with any of that?

I think 2011 will see companies getting to grips with product placement, we might see a few blatant initial offerings to begin with as producers fail to wrestle overall control from the fat cats chasing money. The ‘editorially justified’ clause certainly prohibits any characters in period drama Downton Abbey stumbling across a time-travelling Honda and racing to 2010 for a can of Pepsi but now that Ofcom has officially opened the floodgates anachronisms might well be omnipresent 10 years from now, if that’s where the money is!

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Gawping at Google

December 13th, 2010
Google Blog image

Google is the search engine of choice for most internet users, here’s a quick rundown of top searches in 2010.

Unsurprisingly Social Media behemoth Facebook was crowned as ‘the most searched term’ with such a huge amount of users searching for the site and of course new users looking to sign up, the top search item was written a long time ago.

The BBC’s news gathering credentials are undisputed, but perhaps the reason that the BBC has managed second place in this list might have everything to do with its Iplayer service streaming content to almost every computer in the country.

YouTube grows and grows, now with 2 billion videos streamed every day, it would be a huge surprise to see it usurped as the world’s leading video-hosting site. Hotmail too features prominently on the site and continues to evolve, now with Active View and Office docs its popularity remains strong.

In the midst of economic gloom a bidding site is assured of a top-five placing on this list, and with Ebay a well-established leader in the field it rightly assumes its place

It’s funny that Google makes it into its own list of search results, remembering that this a list of Google search results! Maybe Chrome users don’t realise their URL bar is also a default google search bar?  It’s unlikely though that web users are navigating to a Google search engine to search for Google’s search engine, but rather it’s a lazy search made by people looking for one of Google’s products; Documents, Android OS , Nexus phones, tablets, netbooks, maps, streetview (it’s endless).

Predictions for 2011

Surprisingly twitter is not on the list, despite its leading role in many breaking stories this year. Breaking news, celebrity spats and great trending topics will ensure Twiiter emerges onto this list next year.

Facebook’s lead will not last with so many browser plug-ins, extensions and a rise in social browsers such as Rockmelt, there shouldn’t be any need for anyone to browse to Facebook, it’ll be instant, a homepage or in-built function directing the masses to their most-used website. That’s not to mention the growing take-up of all the mobile apps that lead Facebookers directly to their friends.

Surely the BBC will maintain its heady place in the list, especially now that it plans to roll out to paying US customers, perhaps it might sneak onto the US list!

What this list shows however is that either web browser developers haven’t made bookmarks simple enough or it’s the average internet user that is simple. Google might be instant but we could all save time by navigating directly to our favourite sites by organising our bookmarks, simple.

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