Likewise, I'm refering to marketers, who are facing a brand-new environment of change, so that TV ads, outdoor posters or press tabloids are no longer the only ways to increase brand awareness.
Moreover, what's even more intriguing is the fact that a relevant content, surrounding the standard brand offerings may do the job on its own. So you might not even need to go for traditional "push" methods, by actually "explaining" how facinating your product is and why on earth should your audience choose it over its rivals.
In previous post I've mentioned Levi's viral ad, which though was part of an "intended" campaign, had very few mentionings of the brand itself and yet had gathered over 2 million hits on YouTube.
One of the most successful lager brands in the world - Diageo's Guiness has been running an innovative mobile marketing campaign last year, as part of their sponsorship campaign for the World major Rugby tournment - Hong Kong Sevens' event.
The event was expected to draw 20 000 foreign visitors from around the world. Instead of simply announcing the event on TV and written press, Diageo made its partnership with Ogilvy on launching a useful mobile application created to function as a Mobile Phone Guide, named "The Guiness Passport to Greatness". See below the "YouTube explanation" to its "greatness":
It became the World Guiness Mobile Event, not because Guiness was the major sponsor, but because the content was RELEVANT by: users' needs, time and location. It answered on 3 RELEVANT questiones: How? (to get there), When? (the event begins) and Where is it? (the venue).
Clever application was speaking Cantonese, allowing fans to use their mobiles to discover match schedules, team selections, stadium informations and even a city guide to Hong Kong! It broadcasted key phrases in Cantonese through mobile handsets' loudspeakers to help visitors make themselves understood! See below the featuring screen:
No, it wasn't a local mobile operator offering these facilities as an added value feature, which I'm positive customers would appreciate. It was a sponsoring the event brewery company thinking of its customers, literally speaking.
Wondering how redeeming it was for the company? According to Ogilvy's data, the campaign boosted sales by 30%. Also, over 1000 applications were downloaded on the first week of the ongoing campaign, which was supported by a targeted email blast and PR activity. So again, a blend of online PR and marketing, culminating with mobile marketing dessert, made the content work, because it was:
1.Entertainig;
2.Informative;
3.RELEVANT.
Beside the fact that this campaign won the 2008 MMA award for "Best use of Mobile Marketing", it had also reinforced my belief that today media is becoming too rich and too fragmented to keep using it traditionally for mass communication. How about you? Got something to say? Join the comments section! Would love to hear and debate.
Yours,
Nadya
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4 comments:
I've been in Hong Kong last year and it's funny that people were still talking about it:)) I guess the campaign was really catchy!!
In past few years mobile phones have transformed from simple call devices in mini computers with lots of applications. People increasingly quench their thirst for information using the mobile phone (local or online applications). If the companies that offer products or services want to keep up with technology, they should enter this fast growing market. Also they would benefit greatly if they would have a both directions communication, because companies would have direct access to buyers and to comments made by them, without involving all sorts of intermediary agencies such as market research.
I agree with the previous comment on the need for companies to embrace the new communication tools. What's been debatable for long now is the need for a marketing research in this context. I think it's becoming increasingly important for business as there are 2 major questions: Is there a need for the company to adopt these techniques in order to engage with the audience? and what measurement tools can be used to prove their effectiveness? an example of such marketing research are: social media metrics tools, which will be discussed in the next articles. I invite you all to take part soon,
Yours,
Nadya
There are tens of thousands of small business people who could possibly use an application. I know that these can be built using the Visual Studio.net, but that is rather complicated C# or VB.Net programming. Does anyone know of a platform that makes it easy to program an application?
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