Atomic Ideas

Words Mean Things - Pay Attention or Perish (like that Sea World Trainer)

Did you hear about the trainer who was killed at Sea World by a Killer Whale? They said they were   shocked because the whale and his female trainer got along really well. Don’t you think the name “Killer Whale” would have been enough of a hint to her that this animal might possibly be dangerous? I mean, if it was called like a “Play Quietly in The Corner Whale” or a “Cuddly Whale” then yeah, I would have  been surprised,  too. But it was a “Killer Whale.”  And not in a "Lady Killer" sort of way. More in a "Kill Other Creatures" sort of way. After all, it had actually killed before! Twice! This of course, made it a much more dreaded  denizen of the deep - "The Serial-Killer Whale!"

What does this have to do with advertising and marketing? Words mean things. How you name your products and services should be done carefully. Of course, a great name still cannot overcome the tendency of people to ignore the inherent value, promise or danger the name is meant to communicate. So advertise, advertise, advertise.

The Making of Old Spice

My friend, Brad Smith sent me this You Tube video the other day.

It’s a video about the making of an Old Spice commercial that aired some time during the recent Super Bowl.

It’s a great example of how things magically get done on television. And it also shows us a little about the creative team that was responsible for this spot, something we don’t often see. 

The complete commercial is also included on the video in its entirety.

Take a look.

"Hi There" Marketing

Imagine being able to give a virtual nudge to a customer, sending an offer or coupon to their cell when they're physically near your store.

It's here, and it's called 'geo-fencing' - Take a Step Closer for an Invitation to Shop

'Location-based mobile ads', and it has awesome potential. If a customer opts in to receive messages from a company, say from Panera Bread, then when that customer is physically near a Panera they'll receive a text message. 

Search engine marketing? This is 'search customer marketing'.  Imagine walking near a Panera and getting a nice offer on a new bagel or coffee they're offering. The possibilities are endless. 

If you want to prompt purchasing behavior, grab a customer's attention when they're in the moment. 

Geo-fencing in the virtual world could help customers hop a fence to your store in the real world.

Marketing Money

Most everyone carries a credit card or two with them. It's very convenient charging stuff. And it's nice to be allowed to have credit.

No one calls them 'debt cards', which is what they actually are. Who wants to be reminded of that? The more you buy on your credit card the more debt you acquire. That's not fun. It's great to have credit, not so great to increase your debt.   

So financial institutions have successfully marketed what we're actually doing, increasing debt, into a positive, free-wheeling way of life, "Charge it"!. And they love when we take time paying down our credit cards. Finance charges (debt charges) are very, very profitable for the banks.

Next time you pull out the plastic, think of it as a debt card. Sobering thought. Especially in these times.

Photo: stargazer95050

Social Media Made Simple In a Plain English Video

If, like many, you have a hard time explaining how social media works, you'll enjoy this video. It was created by Lee LeFever who runs a small company called Common Craft and their product is explanation. Basically, they translate complex subjects into plain English.

I thought this was pretty good, especially since I love ice cream.

Internet...Schminternet. (Nearly a third of Americans can't be reached online)

From a recent article that appeared on AOL, It would appear that almost one in three of us cannot be reached via the information superhighway.  Or even through any of the social media by-ways. (Of course, that means that 60% of us can be reached online!) All the more reason to first determine who your best potential customers are, and where they will be when you choose to deliver your brand's marketable truths.

Feb 17th 2010 By Jeremy Taylor

30 Percent of Americans Don't Use the Internet

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Our happy hour fact to amaze your drinking buddies with.

Almost one in three Americans don't use the Internet at work or home.

New census bureau data, collected from 54,000 households, finds that seniors, the poor, underrepresented minorities and folks who live in rural areas lag behind the rest of the country, technologically speaking.

While a good chunk of the nation remains offline, high-speed broadband has made significant inroads with those who are surfing the Web. By late 2009, 63 percent of overall households had opted for the faster service, which is up from 40 percent in early 2007.

Still, we can't help but be baffled, and slightly insulted, by those who continue to shun the information superhighway, which we call home.

His-Tweets....Major Events in Human History in 140 Characters or Less.

Twitter can be such a powerful marketing tool, it got me wondering. Could some of the most profound events in human history be winnowed down so as to be tweetable?  Sure!   

If Moses had to tweet the ten commandments: God says "Stop that!"

If the colonists had sent the Declaration of Independence as a tweet: "This relationships isn't working. You'll find your tea in the harbor."

If the Magna Charta had been sent as a tweet: "Who died and made you king? Oh right, your Dad. But still. That doesn't give you the right to treat us badly."

If Abraham Lincoln's assassination had been tweeted:  "Lincoln killed in Ford"

If the Hindenberg tragedy had been tweeted: "Sell Zepplin stock...now!"

A passenger tweet from the Titanic: "The icebergs are so close I could almost reach out and touch them!"

Hitler's Mein Kampf as a tweet: "Aryans rule, sub-species drool."

A tweet from the final day of the Jurassic period; "Look, a shooting star. Make a wish!" 

A tweet from the Roswell crash site, "They tried to probe me, that's when all hell broke loose."

Lindberg tweet after landing in Paris: " I made it! I flew the Atlantic. Now I'm just waiting for my luggage."

After the Lindberg baby kidnapping: " He was just here a minute ago!"

Madame Curie after taking first X-ray: "New photo technique makes me look as thin as a skeleton!"

Buzz Aldrin after setting foot on the moon: "I'm number two! I'm number two!"

Isaac Newton just before discovering gravity: "Ow, an apple just hit me on the head....hey...."

Tweet immediately after the final spike of the TransContinental Railroad was driven: "Experienced rail layer looking for work."

Orville Wright: I can see our house from here!

To the followers of the Knight's Templar site: "Anyone seen the Holy Grail? Seems someone --who shall remain nameless -- has misplaced it!"

Socrates after drinking the hemlock: "The pois jxw apjem lqwe zgrrrrrrrrrr....."

You could say a few of these are an example of anti-social media. Hope you enjoyed them. Have a great weekend

Photos that tell a story.

  

I’ve always liked good photography whether it’s professional or photojournalism. I’m a big fan of those classic Vogue fashion shooters like Irving Penn, right, (who died last year at 92) and Richard Avedon, above, (saw his show at the DIA last month.) I liked their simplicity, their clear-cut, striking black and white look - always displaying a lot of texture, shadow and drama. Though their work was created to help sell a fashion look and to help sell a magazine, the work was always art. 

Art, in the same way Ansel Adams majestic landscapes of Yosemite are art. Like Penn and Avedon, Adam’s works (above) required a lot of patience, technical proficiency, subjective judgment and luck. His dramatic photos show us the power and grandeur of nature’s scale.

Photojournalism has a similar power. A frozen image tells a story, big or small. A story captured at the right moment with many having the elements of drama and composition that the fine art shooters posses. The difference being, one creates the moment of truth, the other records it. And that truth can carry a lot of emotion.  

With that appreciation of good photography I have to point out last week’s release of 12 new aerial photos of the 9/11 collapse of the World Trade Center. Greg Semendinger, a former New York Police Department detective took the 12 pictures. Here's two:

  

These shots are amazing. They say so much of that day, eight plus years ago. These photos make us remember much of the stories and horrors from afar and they connect us to the other places of terrorism of that same day. Seeing this tragedy from the outside yet we reluctantly and painfully imagine what happened inside. Though shot in full color on a bright sunny day, the smoke and debris of the collapse give the photos a composition similar to the black and white, gelatin-silver print effect like those of Ansel Adams.

Because these powerful photos moved me on many levels, I wanted others to also see them, to be reminded of the event that reshaped our world to what it is today.

Is This World's Funniest TV Commercial?

Sometimes, random thoughts pop into my head like, "Gee, what's the world's funniest commercial?" At those moments I turn to Google. Of course, there wasn't just one, but being a dad of an 8 year old trouble-maker I chose one that hits close to home. Definitely relevant to my life and, I think, good for a laugh on a Thursday morning. Enjoy!

Surprise. People on Facebook Actually Like a Good Sale!

Is conventional wisdom about how marketers (particularly retailers) should sell their products and services with social media all wrong?

Most expert advice suggests that retailers shouldn't push their products or services too hard on platforms like Facebook. It should all be about conversation, engagement, influence... you know the drill. 

Now, nobody's saying that's all wrong. But a new study from ForeSee Results in Ann Arbor, MI presents some interesting, and rather surprising findings. It shows that Facebook is actually, "By far the most effective way to woo would be shoppers."

Whoda thunk it?

Retailers like Victoria's Secret are leading the charge by showcasing and promoting new products and sales on their Facebook pages. According to the article about the study at MediaPost's Marketing Daily, Victoria's Secret has 2.8 million Facebook fans, and its teen brand Pink, has 1.8 million fans.

Kevin Ertell, VP/retail strategy for ForeSee Results, tells Marketing Daily. "If you look at those pages, they are giving Facebook users exactly what they tell us they want -- information about new products, and special prices and promotions."

Contrary to what we might all think, this study indicates that online shoppers might actually want less fluff and more stuff.

Here is a recap of some of the findings:

• Of 69% of online shoppers who are social media users, 56% have chosen to "friend," "follow" or "subscribe to" at least one store.
• 61% of this group is connected to fewer than five companies. Another 21% is made up of more serious shoppers who follow between 6 and 10 stores, while just 18% is hardcore enough to have friended more than 10.
• Facebook is by far the dominant player: Among online shoppers who engage in social media, more than 80% are using Facebook. YouTube comes in second at 31%, followed by MySpace with 22%, Twitter with 16%, and LinkedIn at 12%.
• Yet 25% of the top 100 online retailers have no formal presence on Facebook and 25% have fewer than 10,000 fans. 
• 49% of those who follow companies through social media want to hear about deals, and 45% want to see products. Only 5% use social media primarily for customer support.

In the Marketing daily article Ertell says,  "The most satisfied and loyal customers are seeking out their favorite stores' pages, and then if those experiences are rewarding, they become even more loyal."

Interesting stuff! However caution is probably justified. As we all know, too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Until all the evidence suggest otherwise, engagement and conversation is still a wise strategy. And so, apparently, is the occasional, "And if you act now, you'll also get...!"

The more things change, the more they stay the same.