Usable Clicks

Just jump in and try it

(image courtesy of Cibergaita on flickr)

Over at the DraftFCBlog I have a new post up all about how to be a savvy marketer you need stop simply reading about new products & services like Twitter and Foursquare and you need to jump in and experience them for true insights:

It’s clear to everyone that old world disruption advertising models have a smaller role in the future of marketing.  As advertisers we need to be able to know how to engage with our audiences in meaningful and valuable ways.  The only way we can do this is if we invest real time in experiencing and learning the new media landscape.  We need to stop asking what tweets are or why someone just became “mayor of the 33rd & 5th street Starbucks.” We need to sign up for these new and unusual (or possibly scary or stupid) products and services, or we’ll be left behind.

Read the post and let us know what you think.  Are you jumping in?

Comments | Posted in » Strategy, Trends

McDonalds Early Risers Campaign Made Me Smile

From k.b.skobac.com

When I jumped over to Digg this morning a new McDonalds campaign was being displayed displayed:

Check out this morning’s early risers:
Stories so fresh they’re not on the homepage yet

It’s nothing flashy, but it’s clever enough that it made me smile, and even made me consider going downstairs to get an Egg McMuffin.  And really, that’s all it needed to do.

post-script: I do seem to have an infatuation with advertising on Digg lately- they just seem to be making real progress with campaigns that fit for their audience

Comments | Posted in » Executions

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-11-03

• Currently Reading: Apple's iPod Touch Banners – Results from CNET: Results of control vs expo.. http://tinyurl.com/y9b9dur #
• RT @TechCrunch: Microsoft And OpenX Team Up Against Google AdSense In Web Ad Partnership http://bit.ly/1GbyVl by @robinwauters #
• New at UC: UPS Gets it Right With Valuable Content Marketing http://bit.ly/2bfkVq #
• RT @TechCrunch: Google Says Chrome Browser Now Has 30 Million Active Users http://bit.ly/c2izD by @erickschonfeld #
• Free Pays Off- RT @bigyankeefan: Greetings from 30,000 ft. AA flight from NY-Chicago offering complimentary wifi access courtesy of #Lexus. #

Comments | Posted in » Twitter Digest

UPS Gets it Right With Valuable Content Marketing

Recently Mashable started running a series of “Seizing Opportunities” videos with their sponsor UPS.  The ads are done in white-board style, feature the usual UPS music, and focus on a social media topics that Mashable editors can speak to in a useful way in just a few minutes.  As an execution I was already impressed, but it turns out the Mashable program is just one piece of UPS’s overall content strategy.  The bigger picture can be seen on the UPS “Popurls brown edition:  The Dashboard for Business News” page.  Here UPS has created a valuable content hub designed to help their customers with everything they need to know about business – curated news on specific topics, “seizing opportunities” videos from a variety of content partners that can speak with expertise on specific topics, and their own commercials.

All together it seems like UPS has come up with a killer strategy.  They’re utilizing key strategic partners like Mashable to create custom content that’s tailor suited for Mashable’s audience and also manages to be synergistic with the ideal UPS customer – a business person looking for business solutions.  This same custom solution is being built out with TechDirt, VentureBeat, and other niche blogs.  Then it’s all being aggregated to provided a very valuable, well rounded solution center for their consumers- all while ingraining the catchy UPS soundtrack & logo into the customer’s head for quick reminder when their packaging & shipping needs arise.  Proving once and again that producing valuable content is the best strategy.

Comments | Posted in » Executions, Strategy

Why Old Social Networks are Redefining Themselves for Success

Yesterday I wrote a post for my company’s blog (DRAFTFCBBlog) about the evolution of older social networks that is taking place:

Early entrants into the social networking space MySpace and Hi-5 are no longer competing to be the main social-net in people’s lives, rather they’re refocusing on Entertainment content.  For MySpace that means Music, and for Hi-5 that means games; in both cases, the early returns look good.

The evolutions aren’t just about audience numbers, it’s about monetization & compatibility with advertising:

it’s easier to to develop ad-products around music consumption and sharing because advertisers prefer professional content to UGC content

with gaming advertisers have the opportunity to create more involved ad-experiences than run-of-network banners

Facebook itself is focusing on social engagement advertising, which is important when their environment is all about social interaction.  More traditional forms of display advertising are proving not to work when it’s wrapped around your friend’s profile or when you’re looking at pictures from the weekend (CTR’s on social-nets are tanking).  But multi-media content like video & gaming can still help produce content that is capable of tying with more pure-play branding efforts.

Oh and if there’s any question about where MySpace sees its future, rumors yesterday that MySpace will trade implementing Facebook Connect on their site for increased MySpace music & video share functionality on Facebook should say a lot.

[read my company blog post]

Comments | Posted in » Trends

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-10-27

• RT @zachklein: I predict Wburg will become the east coast's next startup hotspot. I know of two big startups looking for real estate today. #
• @julierb thanks, we're glad you appreciate the article! in reply to julierb #
• RT @kskobac: Yesterday was a HUGE day for the big web players (Google & Facebook Music, Google & Bing Social Search) http://bit.ly/3NwJPD #
• Currently Reading: Social Search: Customers Influence Search Results Over Brands | Jeremiah O.. http://tinyurl.com/yz8ucyz #
• Ummmmm …. RT @digg_2000: "Hulu's Glorious Free Days Are Officially Numbered" – http://digg.com/d217wuO?t1 #
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• RT @marshallk: i just can't think about Yelp anymore without thinking about this scam they are reported to be pulling http://bit.ly/VoJys #
• RT @mattcutts: Saturday #blastfromthepast: http://bit.ly/USF2h A 2002 analyst on Overture vs. Google calls us "a kid's lemonade stand" #
• follow me on dailybooth – http://dailybooth.com/bowlerjim/ #
• Currently Reading: The Impending Doom of Facebook Apps | Bronte Media: Discussion of the prob.. http://tinyurl.com/cgbmaf #

Comments | Posted in » Twitter Digest