For our thinking to stay sharp it's vital to stay informed. So we're forever updating ourselves on the diverse world of marketing trends and news. And we thought we'd share some of our more fascinating finds with you. But knowing what a busy lot you are we've condensed them for you into little bite size pieces. Every month expect the latest developments, the highs and lows and a whole lot of interesting insights, from our own point of view.
Issue 3
Issue 2
Tweetocide
The question on everyone's lips: Is Twitter a Killer? Mr Top of Google, otherwise known as Eric, clearly does not think so as he loftily claimed to the great unwashed last month that Twitter was the poor man's email. And when you look at its clickstream profile, it is actually much closer to a social network than a search engine or email service. But hang on, Twitter are beefing up their real-time search abilities and if they correctly harness this it could be a smart move for them. At least commercially. So its no wonder Google has its eye on Twitter. All we wonder, is that perhaps an eye for eye-quire Mr Schmidt?
Search gets rich
Search engines are riding the trend in online video growth by offering rich-media search platforms. So will this eventually become known as paid rich search? For brands, the payback will only be if they correctly utilise this. Everyone knows the power of online videos but how can you drive organic traffic to these? Paid search is all about direct response and clear metrics. Equally video SEO needs to work in a completely different way from brand virals, with the focus on conversion not gimmicks. Sounds obvious but with an area still in its infancy and finding its feet, brands and agencies will need to take a few explorative moves to fully reap the benefits.
Privacy invasion or digi innovation?
Google's Street View is to most of us an innocent delight in viewing our house or workplace or local zoo from our PCs. But despite 41% growth for Google Maps, this new adjunct is not without its critics. On one hand, a few people have been trapped for ever on camera where they shouldn't and as a result of gossip web machinations we know all about you, tut tut. On the other hand, UFOs and ghostly sightings have been discovered so could this be an advancement on science? No matter where you sit on this debate, you've got to admire the commercial impetus of Postar, the outdoor media company who have utilised Street View so we can preview images of roadside panels before buying them. Excellent.
Treasure hunts get all grown-up
Meanwhile, in a clever usage of social media, Whyte & Mackay have combined forces with Twitter and Google Latitude in launching its Safari Hunt promotion, an online and offline treasure hunt to find hidden bottles of booze by tracking down their brand's two red lions in London and Glasgow through online clues. Coming soon to a pub near you.
Pawsbook?
What happens when man's best friend's owner goes to work? Or out with their real friends? A sad, lonely dog in need of social companionship, that's what. But put away your hankies, help is at hand with the launch of a social networking site for dogs. The four-legged kind. One member - Chloe - already has an amazing 156 canine chums. Whoever said life's a bitch was clearly wrong. Advertisers of all things doggie should take note.
The rising sun
The Sun has beaten the Guardian to become the most visited online newspaper website with over 27m unique users in Feb. Could it be the world-wide newsfest on Ms Goody (who achieved more traffic alone that for all branded terms combined)? Or our daily celeb crave-fix (almost a quarter of searches to Google News are celebrity related)? Or the Pops move to be well...Top of the Pops (with the launch of The Sun's online radio station this month)? Who better to provide some answers that the (recently) demoted guardian.co.uk.
At last a truly 'sticky' idea
An Aussie creative collaboration, The Glue Society, have created an innovative promotional campaign for this year's Australia Outdoor Awards. Taking a major outdoor site in Sydney they've turned it into a bespoke mosaic-style poster made from ten thousand individual $1 lotto scratch cards, which form both the award logo and the prize itself - which may be worth considerably more than the $10,000 face-value. Hence the security guards on 24 hour watch. If we were on the judging panel, this alone would take some beating. Great idea. Well executed.
Please take on our ex-staff, we'll pay you
Tough times call for radical moves. Laying off staff is (unfortunately) not news in our industry. But in the US, one agency has come up with a left field solution to help ensure its 24 redundant employees find new jobs by pledging to pay new employers of these staff half of their previous monthly salary, if hired within a set time period. If taken up, this offer could cost the company nearly $100,000. Kudos for what is surely meant as a charitable move but... doesn't this raise a few questions? If the company can afford this level of dent in their balance sheet, why not keep the staff in employment for longer? How will the employees in question feel to be potentially "pimped" into a new job? And hang on, wasn't this the agency that just won the $580m Wal-mart account in January?
The future of advertising lies in integrated thinking
"Wake up & get with it" is the overriding message given out by Institute of Practitioners in Advertising to their member agencies. Get involved in non-traditional advertising space or face a shrinking business future. We wholeheartedly agree: the traditional model of advertising agencies is dead, long dead. We realised this 16 years ago when we launched as a fully integrated comms agency. Does that mean we have foresight? Perhaps... but what is all-important is not just what we think but how we act on our thoughts. This is about cross-media fertilisation, being able to implement great ideas across any medium and being early adopters of new communication channels. More so now than ever as we are evolving into a virtually-dependent world where seventy-year olds have iPods and seven-year olds have mobile phones.
Recession-busting advice
An article everyone in marketing should read, reporting on 50 changes in consumer habits. Some of which will be good news, especially if you are in the business of selling biscuits you can dunk, can't-do-without toiletries and that old recession-buster, margarine. Less so for all things baby, high turnaround fashion and branded cereals. But never fear, we're here and we love a challenge.
FDs are our new best friends
Traditional wisdom has it that Finance Directors are sceptics of increased spending in a recession but according to a new research study more than 80% of FDs believe that investment in loyalty schemes and marketing will enable companies to emerge with a competitive advantage. Even more encouragingly, 84% believe brands should increase their spend - particularly FDs within the bigger companies. We never thought we would say this but bean-counters of the world, we love you.
Germans more into www than va va voom
Bizarre but true. 84% of Germans aged 19-29 said they would rather do without their current partner or their car than forego their connection to the Web. Living without a mobile phone was also incomprehensible for 97%. But for a lucky few, well around 8%, new relationships had been formed over the internet. And its not just the Germans who're not at it. A US study by Intel Corp found that half of woman and a third of men prefer the internet to sex. We're not Dr Ruth but perhaps those new partners had better stay online...
Forget aerobics, go acrobatics
Okay be honest, who doesn't think exercise is a chore? Well, according to research by Reebok, half of all women do and nearly two-thirds would happily work out more – if it was more fun. So Reebok have joined forces with Cirque du Soleil to offer Jukari Fit to Fly – a group exercise based around a hanging trapeze. Reebok assure the fairer sex that “You'll flex and flutter, sweat and stretch”. We can't wait.
Music to our ears, not
Heralded "the worst ever song in history of mankind", "magnificently dreadful" and banned by Radio 1 for not being credible, its here to be hated all over again. Agadoo by Black Lace has been absent from our ears for 25 blessed years but the misguided duo felt what better time than in a depressed economy to re-release their cheesy track. We don't know whether to laugh or cry (again).
Should you drive your teen into debit?
An interesting concept (US proposition) of debit card for teens that helps them manage their money. Parental control can be built in through the ability to set prescribed spending limits and block unsuitable retail categories. Whilst some may criticise any move to introduce kids to plastic at too early an age, others will view this as a positive step in their financial independence. Providing of course that parents give their teens some degree of responsibility to manage this themselves. Our knowledge in this area informs us that whilst 70% of parents have taught their teens how to cook and do laundry, less than half have educated them how to budget. According to the payments industry APACS debit card usage is growing at an annual rate of 9.5% so perhaps its up to banks to offer more propositions like this to help parents teach their kids what will be a very important lifetime skill.
Putting the earning into learning
Teaching kids aint always easy. They get bored, they lose focus, they just want to play games and have fun. A new US website, smartycard.com, has cottoned onto this and offers grade-appropriate games across a wide variety of subjects but the added twist is that gameplay is rewarded in points, which can be traded into music, video games, books, DVDs and toys. Already on board are partners such as iTunes, Club Penguin and Star Doll. Parents can create accounts for their kids and control gameplay through the dashboard. A good initiative for brands to get on board with early.
In cod we trust
As The Big G slims down on the opening times of his Foxtrot Oscar's posh Chelsea eaterie due to a lack of bookings, the chippie on the corner is doing very nicely ta very much. The ultimate comfort food, one in every 100 pounds spent on food is in a fish and chip shop, equating to more than 276 million meals of fish and chips sold every year from almost 10,500 shops. And a healthy 5% upturn in trade is forecast this year. With figures like this perhaps astute businessman Mr Ramsay should move into Great British takeaways?
Constructive moves in the building sector
The family-firm Walker Group has - like every housebuilder - been hit hard and had to axe a large percentage of its workforce. In a bold effort to retain its remaining 400 staff and see through 2009, it has moved all of its employees onto a four-day week for the next 3 months. We hope they weather the storm. And signs are beginning to look a little more optimistic. After 18 months of job losses, insolvencies and plummeting shares in housebuilding, analysts are now looking favourably at some of the big players following refinancing deals and trading above expectations.
Are chocolate, cakes & biccies slow on the uptake?
Ahead of Food & Drink Federation's confectionery conference, a reminder was sent out to the sector on the importance of investment in innovation. We're all for innovation but let's put this into context. Here is one of the industries that put the Fast into Fast Moving Consumer Goods. NPD is centric to any confectionery business model and from our direct experience in this area we know this is not just restricted to boffins in white coats so new sweet offerings will continue to tempt us, regardless. But brand innovation is more than just product development, it needs to embrace areas such as the consumers barriers to buying your brand and how these can be overcome and the long term recessionary impacts on consumer behaviour.
Are we really born with a sweet tooth?
Oh dear, parental dilemma: sugar is apparently innately good for growing kids. A new US research study has proven a link between children's growth and a liking for sugary foods. And no, these findings do not come from 10 year olds but from bona fide geneticists and biologists. But apparently, this desire for all things sweet declines during our teens. (Well, for some maybe...) But, in the face of pressure for the food industry to help address growing obesity and unhealthy diets, it will be interesting to see how brands and authorities alike respond to this new research. Will sugar emerge as a good food, an essential energy source?
Sorry kids, even the Easter bunny is cutting back
Reported Stateside but it is likely the intent to spend less on Easter celebrations, gifts and confectionery will sadly impact this side of the Atlantic also. In the US, it is forecast spending will be 14% down. Meanwhile brands are making positive cutbacks with a mass effort to reduce excess wasteful packaging on Easter Eggs - by as much as 90% - and improving on distribution efficiency. All of which has resulted in sharper price points and helps both our pockets and our conscience alike. Meanwhile, if you're undecided about getting that extra Easter Egg, remember sugar is innately good for growing kids.
Life's a pitch
We love this. Really love it. A nine-people strong Swedish agency has tasked three of its interns (first year comms students) with the mighty job of winning the global account for Adidas. In just three weeks. Adopting the brand's mantra of Impossible is Nothing, the students have been given their own website and blog to record their ideas and progress so we can follow their creative travails. Addictive viewing.