Don’t fall into the trap of just handing out some money or a product through a random drawing from a million apathetic participants who dropped their business card into a cardboard box. Zappos and Steve Madden have succeeded in creating a contest that attracts the right consumers and results in content that contest participants and non-participants alike can create, share, and have fun with.
A Deeper Shade of Sole
By Brett Virmalo | Published December 18th, 2009
We’re Giving Away 3 Bushels of Moonfruit …*
By Josh Cole | Published December 8th, 2009
Several months ago, Moonfruit, a free website builder, made a splash on Twitter by giving away ten free Macintosh computers in ten days. They ran their contest by co-opting the hashtag functionality on Twitter. This second-hand spam technique was very effective in one sense. A tweetload of people wrote #moonfruit a twitzillion number of times, and it was the top trending topic for about a week.
While I can partially agree with those who say this is effective Twitter promotion, I want to discuss how mere effective promotion can be a defective goal. Effective Twitter promotion does not automatically translate into any real return on influence. Even though Moonfruit got a momentary spike for their brand, this contest failed to build any relationship.
*This title is just a joke. We are not giving away any fruit of any kind, Moonfruit or otherwise.
Stride to Run Better Contests
By Jim Cosco | Published December 1st, 2009Make sure your contest is well planned, and the rules are clear. If a contest is not well thought out from the very beginning, the results could be disastrous — just ask the people at Stride Gum.
There’s Hope for Hyundai Think Tank
By Josh Cole | Published November 4th, 2009Hyundai Think Tank is a gated customer outreach community that attempts to bring customers and potential customers together and give them an opportunity to participate with the brand on a deeper level. It seems to accomplish, in theory, the goal of being more participatory as a brand. If you look at the Google trends for the automotive vertical, you can clearly see that brand interaction is a plateau. Hyundai is right to try and engage customers more deeply.
Soapboxes for Everybody!
By Brad Schwarzenbach | Published October 28th, 2009
Doesn’t it feel good to live in the age of the empowered consumer? No, we can’t force our planes to take off on time. But sometimes, if you use the right channels, you can get some money taken off your ticket price to compensate for poor or incompetent service. It’s hard to imagine getting this…
Do You Really Need a Gimmick?
By Josh Cole | Published October 14th, 2009If you’re creating great content, there’s no point in trying to trick people into consuming it. Distraction is one type of attention, while engagement is quite another.
Will this Microsite Blend?
By Jim Cosco | Published October 7th, 2009What do you want to accomplish with your next microsite? Can you accomplish the same goals with lower risk by using an established channel first?
Are Microsites Zombies?
By Brett Virmalo | Published September 23rd, 2009Microsites have allowed ad agencies to avoid jumping through hoops to get a campaign rolling. Agencies have found it much easier to register, build, and host their own independent sites than to struggle against corporate restrictions. The problem with the agency approach to microsites is that until very recently it has mirrored the agency approach…
Nokia Conversations Keeps Discussions Going
By Josh Cole | Published September 16th, 2009Nokia Conversations serves as a launchpad for other kinds of interaction. Once you get the behind-the-scenes content, you are easily led to other types of interaction. Nokia Conversations is high-quality, relevant behind-the-scenes content that works extremely well. It’s not just about being a destination for conversations, but about starting them and keeping them going.
Why The Jay Leno Show Will Be a Big Hit and a Game Changer
By Brad Schwarzenbach | Published September 14th, 2009Forget all of the statistical analysis about demographics and ad revenues on television. Forget the talk of “getting a jump” on late night. Forget the cost analysis of comedy versus scripted drama and the ratings each can expect. The Jay Leno Show will succeed because it is 100% quality content. And dammit, people like him…
A Making-Of Video that Doesn’t Quite Make It
By Brad Schwarzenbach | Published September 9th, 2009This month, we’ve been talking about the power and effectiveness of “behind-the-scenes” or “making-of” video as part of a larger video campaign or production. The Honda Insight “Let it Shine” Vimeo homepage takeover was executed perfectly four months ago. The page takeover expanded Vimeo’s recognition as a channel for high-quality video, and the video is…
CBS Ruins a Good Thing
By Jim Cosco | Published September 2nd, 2009In Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, we discussed the trend of creating behind-the-scenes content, and we cited some great examples, including Ford’s CEO using Twitter, the making of a commercial for Sony Bravia, and Nokia’s conversations blog. CBS’s The Early Show could have made the list when they began streaming live,…
Twitter Circa 1809
By Jim Cosco | Published August 6th, 2009President Obama may be the first living president to be on Twitter, but John Quincy Adams is now the first.
A New Book to Help You Shift Marketing Gears
By Brett Virmalo | Published July 15th, 2009I was lucky enough to land a pre-release copy of Bernie Borges’ new book, Marketing 2.0: Bridging the Gap between Seller and Buyer through Social Media Marketing. Borges is a marketing vet with a deep understanding of both traditional and online marketing for small to medium-sized companies. Adapt marketing to the market Bernie’s big idea…
Vimeo + Honda Insight: The Medium is the Message
By Andrew Davis | Published May 25th, 2009The Honda Insight page takeover on Vimeo is an inspirational model of what can happen when content and context are merged. It elevates both the Vimeo platform, beloved by users, and the Honda Insight brand. Their mutual willingness to take creative risks produced a visually stunning piece that far exceeds most Vimeo users’ expectations.