Ten things ....

As the Sunday papers clamour to provide us with their predictions for the year ahead, I had a think about a few things the past 12 months have taught us / me.

Here are ten to start with:

1/ 0.02mm is interesting in the right hands. Especially if those hands are the D&AD award winning team behind Sagami’s ‘Love Distance’ campaign http://awards.dandad.org/2009/categories/onln/online-advertising/25046/love-distance

2/ Markets can behave irrationally. How else can we explain UK bookmakers making England second favourites for the World Cup? (Yes I know, it’s the punters not the market that are behaving irrationally).

3/ We’ve gone real time. We’re texting, twittering, facebooking like …. It’s all about ‘Now’. Admittedly Vodafone cottoned onto that a while ago but Samsung tapped into that nicely with ‘impatience is a virtue http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8tWLEsLpxs

4/ Hash can be bad for your health - hash tags that is - as Habitat found out earlier in the year when trying to use coverage of the Iranian election to sell sofas. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/5621970/Habitat-apologises-for-Twitter-hashtag-spam.html

5/ The success of a campaign can be judged on recall of a TV execution? That was the argument some experts made to explain why an ad by ‘Confused.com’ had performed better than one by ‘Compare the Market’. Missing the point I think when you see that Mr. Aleksandr Orlov now has well over 600K facebook fans.

6/ That being said, TV advertising is far from dead. Comcast proved that without question – simply genius http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYAOLKSAaBM

7/ There is more than one way to skin a cat. Or launch a new car. As VW showed with the Golf GTI in the US http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/golf-gti-iphone-usa-2009-10-29

8/ You really are only as good as your last burger. See Fallon + Sony + Balls.

9/ Baku is interesting the first time you visit. On each subsequent trip it is blustery, dusty and a long way from home. Bakcell were doing well when we left them though.

And finally, one other thing that I now know all too well.

10/ Nappies are easy. Not pleasant, but easy. Thanks for every one Avie x.

The Jam used to tell us that the bitterest pill was hard to swallow.

But as I watch the political landscape here in the UK develop it seems our current and future political leaders no longer feel that holds true.

As the parties set out their respective stalls ahead of next years’ contest, I wonder if ever before an election has been contested on the basis of ‘vote X, it’s going to be much worse with us’!

It tells us something about the world we live in today I guess. That the levels of trust we have for our leaders have fallen to such a low level that they now feel the only course of action is to be honest with us.

Research Gyro conducted a year or so back showed that in the midst of the credit crunch less than 17% of us (believe we) trust advertising…. . if you’re a bank brand I doubt things have improved.

Marketers of course know all this. They also know that consumers are savvier, more informed and – in theory at least – should have more control over their choices.

And as such the best brands and agencies are responding. Day after day we see, dream up and argue over various brand attempts at collaboration, co-creation and participation.

So as we move forward into 2010 and beyond, we will undoubtedly see more and more stunning ideas in this area as we all become used to these changing times.

We’re going to see more openness, more honesty and less spin. And personally, I think I look forward to it. It can only be good for the soul.

The Real Thing?

Coca Cola’s lawyers obviously need a holiday … to Corsica.

On a recent trip there I discovered the locals have their very own version of The Real Thing – Corsica Cola - and they haven’t been shy in using the Coke packaging as the inspiration for their own e.g.

http://www.fractal-angel.org/photo/img/photo0829.jpg

At first I assumed that Coke must own or license the brand but I am reliably informed that the Pietra brewery on the island actually launched it in 2003.

So how have they managed to create something so similar to and seemingly ‘get away with it’? Of course I’m no lawyer so maybe there simply isn’t a case to answer but if there is then what could the story be?

Well what became very evident whilst travelling around was the fierce pride in being Corsican. Road signs are presented in both French and the local Corse language but the French version is almost always painted (or sometimes shot!) out. Advertising celebrates a ‘made in Corsica’ sentiment. And restaurants delight in serving up all manner of traditional and very local delights.

So one theory has to be that a judgement call has been made at Coke HQ that the newspaper headlines created by tackling Pietra in the courts would do the brand more harm than good on this very proud island.

Maybe. Maybe not. Either way one final question remains.

Does Corsica Cola taste like The Real Thing?

Simply, no! Though certain other brands sold by the Pietra brewery do come recommended.

U2 Love Blackberry .... and Apple

I have always been told to Zig when your competitors Zag … or Zag when your competitors … you get the picture!

I’ve just seen the new Blackberry ad, “We Love U2”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx_wdg-BSaY

I like it … but it reminded me of something …

What was it … of course, the iPod U2 ad!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nljs4kzpebU

A mistake? An oversight?

No, I can’t believe it’s anything but a conscious effort to take a leaf out of the iPod book of marketing.

After all, if you want to emulate them and beating them is not really on the agenda, why not copy them? Mmmmm ….

Wally

It’s awards season and over the last couple of days I’ve found some time to look through a selection of entrants and winners from both the D&ADs and Cannes Lions.

There are plenty more to look through but I’m currently dothing my cap to a couple of nice uses of outdoor and one barnstormer of an idea that blasts through all channels.

Virgin Trains and the guys at Spike did the talking billboard which, no matter how often I see it, still gives me that envious, ‘why didn’t we think of that’ feeling!

http://www.spikeuk.com/vtposter.html

The next bit of outdoor magic comes from Australia and it’s a beauty. It’s a fantastically simple, fun and engaging way to get money out of people’s pockets (via their phone bills) and improve the lives of Sydney’s dogs and cats.

http://awards.dandad.org/2009/categories/mmkt/mobile-marketing/20776/throw-us-a-bone

The last one is a BIG IDEA. And it’s a little more hardcore. In fact you might want to look at it first and then use the previous two to relax.

If you haven’t seen this before I won’t spoil the fun. Just hit the link below to Meet Wally’s Heart.

http://awards.dandad.org/2009/categories/intg/integrated/18822/meet-wallys-heart

Just A Little Bit Better

I did an interview in Starbucks this morning before work. “Why Starbucks?” asked Janet when I arrived at work?

Her inferred point was right. I wouldn’t have dreamed of doing it at Costa or that blue place even though it’s a little closer to the tube. So why Starbucks?

Of course there isn’t a single reason. They’re just ‘a little bit’ better in every aspect.

The chairs are a little more comfortable. The tables are a little further apart. The barristers are a little friendlier. Their sustainability initiatives are a little more interesting. Their loyalty cards are a little cooler. Their coffee is a little better. They are a little bit better at making a dry cappuccino. Their digital work is a little more engaging. And the whole experience just feels a little warmer.

Here’s to being that little bit better. It’s on the margins that brands win and lose.

Loyalty and Pigs

This post might be seen as a blatant plug for one of our client’s products but it genuinely didn’t start as that.

It started with an email this morning – 7.20am - which informed me I had accrued enough Flying Club miles for a free return trip to the US in the Upper Class cabin of Virgin Atlantic.

Now, for those who don’t know, Upper Class is V nice so I was naturally delighted … especially as this seemed to vindicate my decision around 18 months to pay for the black fee-based credit card that VAA had launched (double miles per £ spent) rather than the free white card.

So, given it was only this weekend that we decided we needed a holiday, I thought I would have a look at where to go (availability of reward seats permitting).

So off to Google - 7.25am – to look at the weather in the US only to find that the EU health minister has advised against non-essential travel to the US due to swine fever (a H1N1 strain of flu apparently) hitting 81 people out of a population of 109 million in Mexico.

An over reaction? Or a reason to head to Wales for a break instead?

Brand or Demand

How should I spend my communications budget in the current economic climate? Do I continue to invest in brand building activities or slash the lot and spend every dollar I have on demand generating activities driving enquiries and sales?

I’m paraphrasing of course but this is a question we have been asked to consider on a number of occasions in the last couple of months.

We’ve decided to conduct research to gather different evidence and opinions on the subject for the clients concerned, all of whom happen to be B2B brands. For them the question is actually simpler. They want to know whether they can justify advertising or if they would be better shifting budget into direct and digital channels.

Already I have heard from several commentators arguing that brand building in B2B markets is an ineffective use of budget. I guess those SAP, Accenture and Oracle ads I saw as I came through Heathrow a few weeks ago are all a waste of time and money then?

The same commentators see the B2B purchaser as a purely rational animal, buying and making recommendations to peers based on price, product and service features. I expect us to also challenge that. Isn’t there also a role for more emotionally led communications in B2B marketing?

Some areas we are exploring in the research include:

• Understanding decision making networks and how to deliver an optimum mix of brand and selling messages
• If appealing on an emotional level to the target whilst giving them the rational arguments they need to appeal to their peers / boss is a valid approach
• Understanding the different stages of the buying process and when to deliver emotional vs. rational selling messages
• Understanding the role of different channels and how to use them to deliver emotional vs. rational selling messages
• Understanding the difference between reputation, relationship and brand

Any ideas / comments welcome. I suspect the answer to the original question will of course always come back to the individual client objectives. I am sure we will find historical case studies that support putting $$s into advertising in a recession and equally case studies that can be found to support a shift into direct channels.

Away for a while

Time to add to this blog has been a little limited since News Years Eve.

The reason?

The arrival of Aveline Stella Mabbott shown here!

Will We Be Green in 2009?

I mentioned a month or so that we were looking into the relative importance of sustainability, CSR, green and the whole environmental debate for our clients. We were hearing in the media that 2009 will be all about thrift and as such our green consumer values will go out of the window. We wanted to see if this was true.

So with this in mind Gyro has just completed research with close to 2000 consumers and over 150 Marketing Leaders in 8 countries. The objective behind this 2 pronged research was to understand the above question and also to discover whether the people behind the brands fully appreciate the buying motivations of their customers. The results show a considerable disparity between what brands are communicating and what their customers actually care about.

A selection of highlights includes:

- Marketing Directors significantly underestimated the role green issues can play in the purchase decision of consumers. Even in current economic times.
- People see themselves living increasingly green lives over the next 24 months.
- The UK significantly lags other major European countries in green attitudes.
- Around half of consumers do not trust the claims of green brand advertisers.
- People want to see evidence of companies’ progress in ‘green R&D’. They are not interested in hearing about car sharing schemes. This is about real technological efforts and breakthroughs.

We jointly hosted a roundtable with The Times this week to discuss the results. The Shadow Environment Minister and representatives from P&G, Coke, HP, Shell, BT, Adobe, Google, Nokia Siemens Networks and The Carbon Trust all contributed towards a really interesting debate.

Drop me an email - richard.mabbott@gyrointernational.com - and I’ll be happy to send you a copy of the report.

Social Enterprise – Why Wouldn’t We?

This time last year I wasn't changing nappies, I was in South Africa, rising at 5.00am each morning to go out on an open top 4x4 looking for lions and other hungry residents of Madwike game reserve.

The animal highlight was the sight of a female leopard taking down an antelope, only for three hyenas to effectively mug her of her dinner minutes later. Away from the game, the other highlight was the hospitality of the local people who run a number of the lodges on the reserve.

Accommodation options include the Madwike Collection, a group of fabulous lodges that in most cases are ‘community owned’. http://www.madikwecollection.co.za/

This means they are run and operated by the local communities with private capital and expertise being used to get them up and running. After a period of ‘a few years’ the lodges are handed over to the communities which means that your tourist $$s have a better chance of going to the people who really need them.

I thought this was a pretty cool idea and it played a huge factor in our decision to stay there. It is also just one example of a fast emerging sector of the economy that I hope defies the current economic downturn.

UK consumers seem to agree. A recent YouGov poll showed that social and environmental values of business are as or more important than before the onset of the credit crunch.

Only 13% of respondents said that they believe that social and environmental values of business are less important since the credit crunch began, whereas almost three quarters (71%) believe that they are as or more important than before the economic upheaval.

According to Government figures, there are 55,000 social enterprises in the UK that contribute £8.4 billion per year to the UK economy. YouGov’s poll also shows that people want more social enterprises in the UK. When asked what we need more of to ensure a sustainable economy for the future, 42% of respondents chose social enterprises, ahead of government institutions, charities funded by donations, and traditional business.

So it seems that in these tougher times, people in the UK not only want to see vibrant businesses contributing to the economy, but they also want those businesses to consider the communities and the environment in which they operate.

If you had been to Madwike and seen the impact the venture is having there, you’d find it hard to disagree that there is even greater need in countries outside the UK.

My tips on Madwike by the way: Stay at Thakadu River Camp for a couple of days and then move to Buffalo Ridge. You’ll get the warmest of welcomes and see more of the park.