The changing nature of advertising
May 14, 2010 at 8:31 am | Posted in Ad commentary, Advertising News | Leave a commentTags: advertising, Brands and Branding for Good Conference, Museum of Branding Advertising and Packaging
Gosh, advertising has changed! I looked at some of the super-old ads featured on the website of the Museum of Branding, Advertising and Packaging in South Africa and enjoyed the ‘medical products’ of heroin, opium and cocaine, prescribed for children’s tooth- and other aches.
Not surprisingly, the field of medicine has evolved considerably in the past century, and today we’d get arrested for having any of these substances on our person. But not only has the medical field changed. Advertising has too.
While today we don’t have to deal with the problem of promoting opium to children, there are other concerns to take into account. Exposure of children to pornography; marketing junk food to them; promoting negative self image with the use of skinny models, are some examples.
What is interesting to note is that there seems to be a movement in advertising to not only be responsible in the messages sent out, but in the ways that advertising itself is practically carried out. Although it’s not a new campaign, Nedbank’s solar-powered billboard serves a dual function of offering marketing for the bank, while providing a power supply to a nearby school in a poor South African area. Innovative and very green, keeping in line with emerging trends highlighted at last year’s Brands and Branding for Good Conference.
The world is changing, and so are our advertisers, adapting along and driving change. Let’s hope they remain focused and continue heading in the ‘doing good’ direction.
Twitter takes first steps on road to advertising
April 30, 2010 at 8:17 am | Posted in Ad commentary, Advertising News | Leave a commentTags: advertoising, Facebook, Google, Twitter
Facebook did it recently and Google has had it for ages, so it should come as no surprise that Twitter would seek to begin drawing revenue from its massive leap into the social media market – despite reluctance in the past. Given the format of the online offering, it makes sense that the site would use unorthodox advertising in the form of ‘promoted tweets’, which will appear on Twitter’s search results pages.
Some of the limitations are that advertisers will have to tread a very fine line between intruding on the tiny tweets and being creative enough to capture attention.
I think Biz Stone’s comments that it’s vital to make sure ‘everythin works’ is a good starting point. If Twitter makes the option viable for advertisers, advertisers may benefit by hanging in there and seeing what the platform could bring in.
Overall, it seems that if advertisers are creative enough, they will be able to use the platform to make it work for them. What will be required, though, is dealing with the pressure of being creative with only 140 characters to put across their message, and still ensure that the marketing message is not intrusive. What are yout thoughts on advertising tweets? Intrusive, or a necessary evil? For me? The jury’s still out.
Creatives move fast with news developments
April 9, 2010 at 8:35 am | Posted in Ad commentary, Advertising News, campaign success | Leave a commentTags: advertising, AWB, BBC, e.TV, Julius Malema, South Africa, Virgin Active
With the recent political drama snowballing as a result of incidents including the Eugene Terre’blanche murder; Malema kicking out a BBC journalist from a media briefing; and an AWB representative storming out of e.tv’s studios – South Africa is looking at itself with jaws wide open.
While many are still in shock and wondering what to do, some local ad agencies and creatives are on the ball. And they’re sharp.
It’s easy to turn a difficult situation into a negative and see the worst possible aspects. But the hardest thing to do in such a case is to look at the bright side and make a joke. We often praise ourselves by saying, “Ja, we South Africans can take a joke,” but is it something we just say or actually do?
Virgin Active is the first to have proven that South Africa can have a sense of humour. Soon after the e.tv ‘storm out’ Virgin released a print ad stating: “Let the studio touch you. But in a good way,” effectively mocking the conversation between the AWB representative and the e.tv host.
We are, after all, not all politicians, but sons; daughters; mothers; fathers; professionals; people with hobbies; interests; likes and dislikes; people who go to gym; people who may or may not like curry; or Weet-Bix; or mielie pap; or Zam-buk, but we’re people by nature and not politicians.
Two thumbs up (and if I had more I would raise those too) to Virgin Active for reminding us, albeit briefly, of who we are – and congrats to the creatives for their quick thinking!
The best advertising for the World Cup
March 26, 2010 at 12:02 pm | Posted in Ad commentary, Advertising News, Marketing News | Leave a commentTags: 2010 FIFA World Cup, advertising, marketing, message, word-of-mouth advertising
It’s common practice to send funny emails to colleagues, friends and family during the day and these take the form of pictures, jokes, or ‘cute little snippets’ that make the girls go ‘awwww….’. Although funny, most of these images reveal some kind of truth. If it’s an image depicting someone drinking and acting silly, we all giggle and snigger a little because we’ve seen it before. This picture for instance, reveals a little truth to ordinary South Africans’ perceptions about the 2010 FIFA World Cup. While there are plenty of PR efforts to try and stir up excitement, many are sceptical about whether we’ll actually pull the big ‘2010’ off. Subtle, but it’s a definite hint of our own vote of ‘no confidence’ in ourselves. I think in this photo, the ‘artist’ must have felt pretty strongly about the message they were trying to send. Firstly, to get out of his or her car on a road, to acquire the paint, and to subtly say to all drivers passing the pothole: “look, we can’t even patch up our own roads, let alone host the world…” Subtle, but intense. And how did I get this pic? A colleague! Goes to show how important word-of-mouth still is…
I’m an optimistic South African, but I’m also pretty realistic. On the one hand, I think it’s necessary to encourage a spirit of excitement with this huge, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. On the other hand, I know the country needs a lot of work. Maybe advertisers could look at this as a reminder, when sending your message out there, don’t forget who you’re speaking to; the nature of the problems in the country; and our hopes and desires for the future. Only pointing out the silly side of life is fun, but there are intelligent people out there who can see through an irrelevant message… and you may have lost an important opportunity to connect. Just putting it out there… Let me know what you think.
Effective ambient campaigns, using the space around you
March 23, 2010 at 9:40 am | Posted in Ad commentary, Advertising News, campaign success, Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: Ambient Advertising, Ambient Media
by Lindsey Kin
In an Editorial Desk piece I wrote recently, I commented that with the use of ambient media and its artiste statements attached, such campaigns will stand out from the crowd. If marketers want to secure the immediate attention of their consumers, ambient media is the way forward in today’s congested marketing environment. Such campaigns will make you look, even if you do not want to; generate interest, even if there was none to start with; and are out of the ordinary, so they will grab one’s attention, creating buzz around a campaign, and in turn, increasing brand recall.
Here are some campaigns that I came across whilst conducting my research for my Ed Desk. They are awesome:
An international example: Guangdong Advertising, Beijing, China created the ‘Excretion Vision’ campaign for Greenfamily Youth Association of Environmental Protection. Guangdong was challenged to raise people’s awareness about environmental protection. The agency erected huge billboards on drainage holes, where dirty water created the synonym for human excretion, resulting in a strong visual impact as well as psychological, and even physical, abhor. Strong interaction between audience and campaign was created, making people aware of protecting the environment, as well as the consequences – both sight and smell – if they did not.
As a local example, winner of the ambient media category, at this year’s Out of Home Media SA (OHMSA) Awards, the Durex campaign titled, Play-O Broken Bed stand at the Sexpo, was designed by MorrisJones & Co. It featured a bedroom in shambles with a broken bed and shattered mirror, making the ad relevant and interesting for its clients, as well as the inquisitive ‘passer’ at the show.
Feed SA, a charity dedicated to feeding disadvantaged people throughout South Africa, teamed up with TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris Johannesburg to create an effective campaign to increase contribution of food to Feed SA. Images of hungry, begging street children were effectively placed at the bottom of supermarket shopping trolleys, bearing the Feed SA website, www.feedsa.co.za, as well as the following line: ‘See how easy feeding the hungry can be’. Any food that was placed into the trolley appeared as if ‘actual food’ was being given to a street child.
Lowe Worldwide, Belgium, created the ‘Axe emergency exit sign’ campaign for Axe deodorant’s. Emergency exit signs were utilised to create the ‘image’ of an irresistibly ‘fine’ smelling man.
Do you have any interesting links, to any amzing ambient media campaigns? Post your links below.
For a ‘look-see’ at more campaigns that I came across during my research, click on the following link: www.mediaupdate.co.za/?IDGallery=23601. What are your comments on these campaigns? Post you comments below.
Solar Powered Magazines …
February 25, 2010 at 8:22 am | Posted in Ad commentary, Advertising News, Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: solar powered magazine, TrendHunter, TrendHunter Magazine, visionaire world, visonaire 56 solar
I recently subscribed to the TrendHunter Magazine … all I can say is ….. “THE AWESOME”. The online mag features daily acumens of micro-trends; viral news; and cutting-edge ideas that are set in motion by a global network of thousands of trend spotters; cool hunters; and brilliance.
Being the year 2010 – The International Year for Bio-Diversity, dubbed by the UN, and the whole thing, these days, about ‘keeping all things green and beautiful’, I simply had to share an article I came across entitled: ‘Solar-Powered Magazines – Visionaire adds colour to Black & White art with Sunlight’, very out of the ordinary. Visionaire magazine, famous for its refreshing creativity, have used the latest in printing technologies to create a whole book filled with imagery that appears black and white under indoor lighting but magically comes into sight when exposed to sunlight and transforming into dazzlingly coloured pieces of art.
I would definitely encourage a look-see of the images that feature in the limited edition Visionaire 56 Solar.
For more info on the mag, visit: www.visionaireworld.com/issues.php?id=56
Do you have any chic green initiatives up your sleeve? What next, after solar powered magazines? Share you ideas below.
Pringles viral marketing spreads
February 22, 2010 at 7:17 am | Posted in Ad commentary | Leave a commentTags: Pringles, viral advertising, win, YouTube
A silly video clip is circulating on YouTube. Two guys dressed in not-so-hot athletic gear get ready to challenge one another for a Wii match in the living room. Two types of chips are on the coffee table for their energy supplement: an ordinary packet of chips and a Pringles box of chips. As it progresses, the guy who takes a bite of the ordinary chips, trips and falls down. The message: to win, eat Pringles chips. Cute.
With almost 400 000 views, and just over 2 000 ratings of 4.5 stars, at first it seems like a home video that was simply taken randomly and innoently promotes the Pringle-win effect. It is, however, a viral ad. Interesting work by Pringles, trying to bring its products to a level a the consumer interacts with. It’s not even overtly-pushy. Nice touch.
Broadcast advertising- yay or nay?
January 27, 2010 at 1:31 pm | Posted in Ad commentary | Leave a commentTags: broadcast advertising, daily life, HelloPeter, KFC, necessary evil, office conversation, overplayed, same footage
Hardly an office conversation goes by without mention of ‘have you seen/ heard that new ad? This works for very effective/ shocking/ off-the-wall new ads, but seeing the same footage over and over again has a very numbing effect.
In this light, there’s no doubt that adverts have become a part of our daily life – but some function as more of an irritation than a point to pause and shift focus. A friend states that there are so many good ads on TV (and even more bad ones)… The trick to getting your message across and not being seen as an irritation is to make “such an awesome ad that people want to see it and don’t mind repetition”. I have written at length about the somewhat off-colour KFC ‘is there a baby growing in your bum’ ad, which has drawn quite a bit of negative commentary on HelloPeter. Other irritating (read: overplayed) ads include the Milo/ Cheerios cereal TV ad, and my long-time ‘favourite’, the Lucy Hirch radio ads.
What do you think of broadcast advertising – a necessary evil? Leave your comments and suggestions below.
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Effective research to get the best for your brand
June 17, 2010 at 8:08 am | Posted in Ad commentary | Leave a commentTags: advertising research, Answered, Google, market research, neuromarketing
I don’t know if the importance of research is underestimated and I will not go as far as making this generalization. However, marketing and advertising research is not a static field, and, as expected, we understand that some ‘get’ research better than others. There are so many innovations; new techniques; methods; models; tools… enough to make your head spin. But don’t’ let that get the best of you. As advertiser, and brand protector, you of all know how important research is. Some would say getting your research right is half the job done.
As I mentioned, the pathways to research are multiplying (no, I don’t have chills yet) to such an extent that we can now look at completely untraditional ways of reaching and understanding consumers. In fact, Google’s team of economists have found that searches varying from the geographic spread of the swine flu; to auto sales; right down to the brand name, contains important research value.
Moving beyond the basics, marketing and advertising research has grown steadily from focus groups and panel studies to telephone interviews and mailed questionnaires. Importantly, however, market research is changing the methods employed as a result of higher demand for faster research turnaround time and branching out the research into previously uncharted territories, such as attaining full research results within 24 hours.
This initiative might sound very surprising given the amount of time it takes to compile a questionnaire; set up the interviews; collate the research; and establish the findings. However, Answered is a research tool that was recently launched in the South African market to offer clients feedback within 24 hours, as according to Business Development Manager of Habari Direct, Lindsay Shuttleworth, “simple questions do not always require complex and time consuming statistical analysis.” Answered allows a client to ask its direct target market pivotal questions about a new product launch; packaging concept; or advertising campaign, and get a response within 24 hours. The 24-hour turnaround time is unique, and to make sure that responses are received in this time frame, all respondents are given monetary rewards for every survey finished, which sees surveys being completed almost instantaneously.
(Go team South Africa!)
But it is not only possible to get research results faster. Research is also trying to get deeper into consumers’ minds; bodies; and eyes than ever before with neuromarketing.
We live in a fast world – brain scans show us those areas of the brain that are involved with intentionality; it takes us just 750 milli-seconds to identify what we see; and human fovial vision is so concentrated that the arc of focus is only seven degrees. So how do marketers access these unconscious mental and physical developments to find out what we think? On the one hand, there’s eye tracking, which entered the South African market as recently as last year. This technology tracks the movement of an eye over an advertisement and records when and where the eye retains its focus for longest.
And today, brain scans can show us that certain concepts (such as a dog), like brands – are interpreted in a single area of the brain, which emphasises the need to be distinctive when entering a market that holds similar products.
Research in marketing and advertising has been around for over a century and has tried to gauge consumer behaviour and choices made. With the rise of online trends in market research, we have much higher potential to get even more accurate consumer insights. But, while some research is progressively streamlined, others remain old and irrelevant, and do not make use of the latest developments available. What are your thoughts on market and advertising research? Has it evolved from its humble beginnings? Leave your comments below.