Understanding And Effectively Using A Hashtag #

Hashtags are like keywords that can be used to organize messages on a social network. A hashtag is only a type of label or metadata tag used on social network and microblogging services which makes it easier for users to find information. To understand hashtags you need to understand social search.  For example https://www.hashatit.com/ 

Just imagine that there are a number of people who are searching on specific topics (without knowing anyone on Twitter.) How do they find out who is tweeting about the things that they care about?  They use social search engines (as demonstrated above.) Google also incorporates hashtag search but the social search example above ONLY searches hashtags.

Therefore, when we employ the use of hashtags we are really only tagging things that people are (potentially) searching for. Adding a hashtag therefore facilitates the searching and grouping of messages with their given hashtags.  The real power of hashtags comes from other people using the same keyword(s) so that by clicking on a hashtag you can get a group of other messages on that topic. 


Hashtags should make your messages easier to organize and find. The trick is to hashtag keywords that you think other people would use when looking for the content contained in your message. You can do a quick search for keywords prior to posting your message to see which hashtags are popular (called “trending”). 

People typically use hashtags to: 

• Identify places, things, or brands or events: #Hawaii #Ferrari #CoolEvent  
• Connect with like-minded individuals: #CatLovers #TVaddicts

There are really only two reasons we employ hashtags: 

• Organize content 
• Increase exposure

These are obviously compelling reasons to use hashtags on your personal messages. They are even more compelling when it comes to using social media to promote your business. 

Three common mistakes to avoid: 

• Hashtagging every word (i.e. #I #am #so #excited #today)  
• Hashtagging the same word more than once (i.e. It is my #birthday. Here is a photo of my #birthday cake, my #birthday presents, and my awesome #birthday party!)  
• Separating keywords. If your keyword is “black cat” your hashtag should be #BlackCat. If you write it as #Black #Cat this will give you two different keywords: “black” and “cat”.

The most effective use of hashtagging is when you first search http://hashtagify.me/ and see what is trending.  If you can add a (relevant) trending hashtag to a post you’re effectively then entering a much larger conversation (and will naturally have much higher exposure.)

Anything you post with the word Canada in it (for example only) should be #Canada. Use the hashtag search and search for #Canada – and the social search engine will aggregate everyone's posts using the hashtag #Canada.  In a business environment, for example, if you worked as a marketer for Dyson, you may be reaching out to people using #vacuumcleaners (or whatever the most relevant hashtag was related to vacuums. 

Imagine in the Arab Spring when Egyptians were trying to overthrow their government.  If the people were limited to sharing information ONLY with those they know and follow on Twitter – very little information could be shared and little could be accomplished.  But if they searched for and followed the hashtag most relevant to the uprising (#arabsping for example,) and everyone was posting updates, news, and information using the hashtag #arabspring – you can start to see just how powerful hashtags are to aggregating and disseminating information.

Lastly, and you can of course experiment as you choose, but I was also lead to believe that there should never be more than three hashtags in any post. Keep it relevant and logical based upon what topics you think people are searching for.  

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Goodbuzz is a digital agency based in Toronto, Canada. We help brands create and capture value from emerging trends in technology, society and the workplace. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.  Or contact us at info@Goodbuzz.ca and let us know how we may be of assistance to you.

Connect - Cultivate - Convert | A Model For The New Marketing Paradigm

Connect Cultivate Convert 

This deck reflects an attempt to present a simple to consume and communicate model of how to approach the complex new marketing environment. Of course many experienced marketers will know much of what is contained here, but they may not have a simple way to think about it holistically, or more importantly to communicate to those less sophisticated than themselves. With that in mind we offer up Connect, Cultivate and Convert, a model for the new marketing. 
 

♔ The Evolution of Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented Reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input, such as sound or graphics. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified to enhance one’s current perception of reality.  For any of you (luddites) who still haven't seen some of the things brands can do using AR, we've compiled a few examples below.  


The first example isn't really AR at all. It is however the first example of mixed/ augmented reality in the midst of an otherwise formally conventional feature film, but also in relation to the recent proliferation of text treatments in motion graphics work.  The overlaying of text on screen in this scene from David Fincher's Fight Club bears an uncanny relationship to recent experiments with information graphics in augmented reality research. It also offers a clever and self-reflexive meta-commentary on the conventions of product-placement that is increasingly common in contemporary feature films.  (See below)

[ Fight Club Ikea Catalogue Scene ]

Transformers - We Are Autobots AR

Augmented Reality (AR) Promotional used to build excitement around the launch of the latest Transformers movie. It was the first good example I’ve seen where facial tracking technology is mixed with Augmented Reality to enhance the experience.

Mattel: Avatar Toys

Toy maker Mattel’s solid AR example that got some serious hype with the launch of Avatar.  It can be used with Mattel products or as a product itself, and as the technology becomes more advanced, we’ll be able to have toys like this interact in a very “game like” way - making them even more appealing.

Adidas Originals Shoe AR

This Augmented Reality Shoe App provides one of the most detailed AR models while combining a lot of functionality and interactivity into the app. However, the downside is it’s so detailed that it seems to be a little slow (just sayin’) in the gaming area.

Stella Artois Le Bar Guide

Stella’s Augmented Reality App blends real world places with directions, promotions, and other useful features. 

GE’s Smart Grid AR

As featured on the front cover of Popular Science magazine in early 2009, this robust app is responsible for sparking the big push from brands and agencies into Augmented Reality last year.

Rayban Virtual Mirror

Try on the entire range of Rayban sunglasses from your very own computer. Like the Transformers AR app, it works with some facial recognition.  The app maps key points of your face then utilizes these as the directional markers to track and size the sunglasses perfectly on your face.  Perfect to enhance sales and introduce new product lines.  It’s even tied into an e-Commerce application.  Smart.

BMW Z4 AR

This Augmented Reality Example was one of the first to allow you to take an AR model in your hands, place it on your desktop and then control the car from the keyboard and webcam while you drive it around your desk!  The AR app also allowed you to save out the graphic you created and share with your friends on Facebook & Twitter.  It’s really the BMW of AR apps. Go figure.

Although the correct description "mobile markerless tracking algorithm optimized for dual-core chips" sounds very complex, the demo shows how easy life can be with AR.

The Future - AR 2.0
Currently in the prototype stages, this technology demo by researchers at the University of  Tokyo are using ultrasound technology to give holograms a solid feel. Sensors detect when you’re touching the hologram making the whole experience truly interactive. 


2011 Mobile World Congress MWC Teaser 
Here is a taste of what we’ll be seeing at this 2011 Mobile World Congress (MWC). This video demos the world`s first integrated markerless 3D object tracking on a smartphone. Or, to you and me, it shows us where Augmented Reality is heading: robust, smooth and useful everyday experiences. 

Iron Man 2 Augmented Experience 

Much like the Trasformers example, users can use their webcams to get suited up with either an Iron Man or War Machine helmet, as well as take a look at what the HUD (heads up display) would look like through Iron Man or War Machine’s perspectives.

Microsoft Live Labs

Blaise Aguera y Arcas TED Talk on Augmented Reality (AR) Maps.

Have examples of great AR you'd like to showcase?  When we say great, we mean at the level of say a North Kingdom or Total Immersion.  Still not sure?  Take a moment and check out Total Immersions Reel on their website.  Send examples to info@goodbuzz.ca

♔ SOCIAL MEDIA CASE STUDIES [GB_V26.0]

Virgin Mobile is attempting to gain over one million Facebook likes with a contest to become an official VIP tour blogger for Lady Gaga's next tour - Portfolio 

The Old Spice Case Study (by Wieden+Kennedy) talks us through the insight around targeting men & women at the same time to generate buzz around body wash - More. 

Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and Kraft Foods' Oreo brand have all shown steady growth on their Facebook pages due to engagement, interest, and constant connection with their fans. - eMarketer 

Society of Digital Agencies (SoDA) 2011 Digital Marketing Outlook - Report 

The VW GTI Project (by Tribal DDB London) fun, viral advergame promotes the new Volkswagen Models - Website

Remember the Harlequin Romance? The brands new site (www.patentyourkiss.com) breathes new life into the brand by letting you patent your kiss. Also integrated with FB - http://on.fb.me/gby7Gh 

Mobile brands Samsung and HTC are looking to broaden their social media efforts by going global and experimenting with new platforms for social media campaigns. - BrandRepublic 

Coors Light’s (by Razorfish) used SnapTag technology (by SpyderLynk) to allow consumers to interact with branded tags using their mobile - More

Chili's promoted a coupon for a free brownie sundae on their Twitter and Facebook pages that did not require customers to like their fan page. - ClickZ 

Mutual-fund companies Putnam Investments, MFS, and Vanguard are using Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to build brand loyalty, educate investors, and help with customer service. - The Wall Street Journal 

The BMW ActiveE campaign (by Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners) drives an ethical movement to reorder our priorities - Website

Kellogg's Crunchy Nut cereal debuted in the U.S. with the world's biggest cuckoo clock comedy event. Fans were encouraged to follow the action, interact with the performers, and watch streaming videos of the event on Kellogg's Facebook page. - Drinks Media Wire 

By combining Microsoft's Surface with this new Apple iOS app, Razorfish's latest innovation that change the way you share and interact with digital content - http://vimeo.com/18859503 

NPR's Facebook page's success is driven by the 1.4 million fans who comment and share stories regularly. - Nieman Journalism Lab 

We had to add this - A QB telepresence robot that allows you to roam the halls of your empire and bark orders - no matter where you are!? Awesome. The self-balancing robot is controlled from a web interface and runs about $15,000. - http://www.anybot.com 

Since it linked Windows Live Messenger with Facebook, Microsoft has been responsible for powering more than 2.8 billion minutes of Facebook chat. The software has also led to doubling figures in connections with LinkedIn, YouTube, and MySpace. - Softpedia 

The Power Of Social Authenticity - Volkswagen’s latest clever campaign “The People’s Reviewer” (by Tribal DDB London) crowdsourced reviews using YouTube, Blogs, Flickr, Facebook and Twitter - http://bit.ly/hefHKD 

Online condom store 'Condomerie' leverages Chat Roulette's large number of exhibitionists - More 

Pfizer is communicating via social media with a well-developed and implemented social media policy. - Vimeo 

TAT - The Astonishing Tribe explore the future of captive touch screen technology - and what our lives may look like in 2014 - More

Esquire Magazine and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with augmented reality platform GoldRun to launch a campaign that allows fans to take a seemingly real picture with Brooklyn Decker on their smartphones. Images from the app are shareable on the brands' Facebook pages and Brooklyn's Twitter account. - Promo Magazine 

Honda's innovative interactive TV Ad (by Wieden+Kennedy UK) uses “screen hopping” whereby the TV's sound is recognized (and synced with the mobile App) essentially giving you the ability to interact with the TV ad in real time - http://youtu.be/UbDYdjhnfEg 

For ten days Lingerie retailer Aubade Paris got a female model to strut, strip and tease - all in full view of a window in central Paris that was only concealed by a gauzy screen. Crowds gathered in the street below staring at the sexy silhouette. Once the 10 days were up, the model removed the screen (revealing her Aubade Lingerie) and replaced it with a banner showing the URL of the brands site - http://frenchartofloving.com/ 

One cannot underestimate the power of the “wow” factor – that elusive element that disrupts, amazes and creates real buzz. Hand it to Hyper Island students tasked with connecting a streetwear brand to music/art (hosted by rockstars @NorthKingdom) and B-Reel - http://vimeo.com/18815585 

The New York Times iPad App (HTML5 Game banner) adds a new dimension to a tired format by embedded ciphers - http://vimeo.com/19033123 

The gameification of advertising, automated geo-location, social curation, and more - Social Media Marketing Trends Redux (Y&R-2011) - http://slidesha.re/fBUf0V 

Check out the latest addition to NIKE’s Kobe's Black Mamba site (by EVB). Clever use of FB Connect - http://bit.ly/hW0Vv2 


Branded Entertainment - M&M’s (Denmark) creative browser enhancement lets you trash ANY website using M&M’s. ;) http://bit.ly/fKQYHl 

Have Case Studies to share?  Please send them to info@goodbuzz.ca 

♔ The Power Of Social Authenticity

Unless being demonstrated in activities like professional sports (where you actually can see the product in action), celebrity product endorsement has become pretty irrelevant today.  Add to it you can get Snoop Dog, Mark Cuban or any number of Kardashian’s to tweet about your brand (ad.ly) for as little as $5,000 – and it becomes pretty clear – authenticity is king today.  Savvy advertisers are recognizing the power of social authenticity.

This transition has taken place over the years because consumers enjoy watching and empathizing with people just like themselves.  Why? Simply because its easier to connect and identify with them.  Average (real) looking people seem more inviting and suggest an authentic back-story.  Fueled by our desire for authenticity, life itself has effectively become the ultimate reality show – and social media our broadcast channel. Brands today are making their customers the hero and primary focus.

A phenomenal example of this is Volkswagen’s latest campaign (by Tribal DDB London) “The People’s Reviewer”.  Volkswagen crowd sourced reviewers for their new Tiguan, across a range of social mediums including YouTube, Blogs, Flickr, Facebook and Twitter.  The campaign started with thousands of YouTube auditions to find interesting people who’d potentially make a good reviewer. Then, they were split them up into heats and taught how to use Twitter, Facebook and Flickr to build buzz around their review of the Tiguan (to win votes) while they were driving it for the week.  The incentive? The winning reviewer drives away in the Tiguan they reviewed.

This is a great example of an integrated (through the line) campaign that leverages social media to create good buzz, while also employing a participatory vehicle that forces users to utilize and demonstrate knowledge of the product’s features and benefits to generate content.  Moreover, to vote for the winner, users had to review others reviews – thus viewing the same content over and over again.  This has to influence sales. Check out the website here or the YouTube auditions.

The results? After over 1000 applications, 3 entertaining heats and 1 challenging final, users decided who should be crowned ‘The People's Reviewer’.   From the finalists users chose their favorite reviewer – 33-year-old Harriet Gore.  Watch her winning video below.  

♔ SOCIAL MEDIA CASE STUDIES [GB_V25.0]

Simon Sinek's brilliant TED Talk on brands and people who inspire - http://bit.ly/dcDsbx  

Audi, E-Trade, Budweiser, Teleflora, and Volkswagen are all centering their 2011 Super Bowl campaigns around social media. - Ad Age

The Girl Store (by Strawberry Frog) makes a powerful statement on behalf of Nanhi Kali, a project that provides primary education for underprivileged female children – www.the-girl-store.org

Intel's first mini web-movie, "Chase," has made it to the top of the viral video charts online. - Intel Newsroom

ABC is turning the Oscars into its own social network with interactive maps, behind-the-scenes video footage, user voting and sharing, and a live Twitter feed of the nominees' tweets during the show. - Fast Company

USA TODAY's Social Media Editor, Michelle Kessler, shares how social media is impacting gathering and reporting in the newsroom. - SocialMediaToday

Lipton's SXSW promotion is encouraging fans to tweet their Instagram self-portraits with hashtag #briskpic for a chance to be featured on the new Brisk cans. - CNET News

Sweden's North Kingdom’s marriage of creativity and technology – KarmaTech demonstrates what’s possible when you embed RFID tags in shoes - http://vimeo.com/19192547

Red Bull's BlueCasting Mobile Coupons Promotion at Point-of-Sale (by Toronto's iSign) – http://bit.ly/gFxGlJ

Procter & Gamble is bringing back their Old Spice Man campaign and giving one "superfan" the opportunity to debut an ad on his or her own social networking profile before it airs on TV. - ClickZ

Dagens Industri (Newspaper) - Making the point that Social Media Activities Need to Reinforce the Brands Attributes - http://youtu.be/UNKLGEQJV8M

Netflix is integrating Facebook to allow for split household accounts. This will let individual users share their personal viewing history and recommend videos to friends online. - All Things Digital

The UN’s ‘Voices’ Campaign lets you take a photo of the person's mouth on the print piece, text it to the number using your mobile and hear their story - http://vimeo.com/1854851

This Orange - France Télécom Twitter promotion (by POKE London) stopped by users homes to hand out hot chocolate and scarves - http://youtu.be/L5fUdvQMnFM

TurboTax is taking over NBC commercials during tax season with the airing of their new microseries, "All-Star Celebrity Treasure Hunt." The show-within-a-show will encourage viewers to play along online to win cash and other prizes. - The New York Times

Bud Light's ‘Unlock the Spot’ campaign invites Facebook fans to guess what its Super Bowl ads will be about (based on a static image). If the plots are correctly identified, Bud will "unlock" a new commercial - http://bit.ly/hebOGi

IBM is releasing their new Social Business Toolkit that will help guide the process of incorporating social elements into their products and solutions. - CMS Wire

Europcar's clever ‘Crush Hour' Campaign (France) – crushes peoples cars into cubes and captures the surprise – http://youtu.be/M_lIpsgiRHQ

Yahoo! 3D Gesture Control Installation - The brief to Tronic / Brandfirst made note there was to be no instructions or screen prompts, as they wanted people to experience the response patterns by accident - http://youtu.be/2X7ef8MMBZA

The Australian Open's iPad App by Ogilvy (Sydney) is a great example of branded utility - http://youtu.be/5OPyarlt7lc

KIA amplified their new Optima launch and sponsorship of the Australian Open using an Augmented Reality (AR) Mobile App. Any time users captured the KIA logo (tied also to event print materials) it activated an interactive 3D experience featuring the Optima - http://youtu.be/tTyXG4TBLiE 

The Pepsi Refresh Project (aka the best Social Media Campaign ever) has received over 150,000 idea submissions, 76 million votes, 17 million unique visitors, 1.6 million comments and more then 3 million Facebook "likes" - all in the first year - http://bit.ly/gMrWu2 

Alex Bogusky's 'Fearless Revolution' and Reforming Capitalism - http://bit.ly/fYfehl

The Goodbuzz difference-  http://bit.ly/eaZ8j1

Have Case Studies or examples to share?  Please send to info@goodbuzz.ca 

♔ Alex Bogusky's 'Fearless Revolution' and Reforming Capitalism

Alex Bogusky is attempting spark a consumer revolution and has recast himself as a "consumer advocate."  Along with co-conspirators Rob Schuham and John Bielenberg, Bogusky has unveiled nothing less than a roadmap for reinventing capitalism.  This new kind of capitalism, he believes, needs to be fueled by creative people of all stripes - the end goal is a kinder, gentler capitalism that does more than help the rich get richer.  

The overall point—that consumer empowerment, growing inequality and vast structural issues facing our planet are changing economic dynamics—is provocative.  Capitalism reforms based on values like transparency, collaboration and sustainability with more focus on meaning - beyond the bottom line.  Sounds great in principle.   Bogusky and crew plan to attempt it through a new open-source brand, 'Common', which anyone with a sustainable idea can use. The Common brand is devoted to "rapidly prototyping many progressive businesses that unleash creativity to solve social problems." It's an interesting vision and you can watch the entire presentation at Bogusky's Fearless Revolution site.

The FearLess Revolution explores a new relationship between people and brands. It's goals are nothing less then shifting the way business is done - driving more transparency, more collaboration, more democracy, and ultimately more value.


Bogusky sees a big shift under way, empowered by the Internet, where consumers take back control of what exactly they consume. "The data on the web and the creation of new tools for consumers to access that data in real time is going to change the relationship between consumers and those they consume from," he writes. "Our expectations as consumers, in what we deserve for the dollar we hand over, are way too low. All our dollars — both tax dollars and consumption dollars — should never go to waste. But today, our consumption dollars often blindly pay for products and services that appear to be cheap, but come with hidden costs." (You can hear a lot more in the video of his recent speech at conservation event "Turning the Tide". To help turn the tide, Bogusky is assembling a band of folks in the communications industry to push forward this agenda, which includes rewriting the Consumer Bill of Rights.  Maybe there's a chance for us after all?

Watch live video from FearLessTV on Justin.tv


Watch live video from FearLessTV on Justin.tv

Martin Lindstrom | Moments of Brand Zen | January

easier, faster and more relevant

Nothing has made access to brands easier, faster and relevant to consumers than technology.  GPS-based messaging by NTT Docomo in Japan takes it to a whole new level. Their LBS (location Based System) pinpoints and suggest shops, restaurants and whatever else you may require – to within 50 meters of your location – wherever you are! For consumers, the real rewards are contextual and relevant messages that recognize who you are, where you are and what you need – all the right moment.   Watch Video 

using sex to market your brand

If you’re planning on using sex to market your brand and get consumers to engage, you’d best be prepared for what comes next. When clothing and accessories retail giant XOXO decided to parade 2 sexy young women in a 5th avenue window around peak Christmas shopping time, it seemed they knew just what they were doing. Or did they? It’s risky business using sex as a means of luring consumers in to your brand, for the simple reason that inevitably it is not the sex that’s working for the brand, but the hype being caused. In this video I examine this precise issue, looking at some of the do’s and don’ts when heading down risqué promotional avenues.  Watch Video

For the Love of Tim

Forget Wayne Gretsky, Celine Dion and Dan Akroyd. Canada’s hottest new export to its southern neighbors is Tim Horton. This is a Canadian success story (2,700 stores coast-to-coast) that has carved out a niche in a market that is neither fast food, nor specialist coffee either. What is it then?  Watch Video

SUBWAY GOING GREEN

The recent Tokyo Designer week, which integrates the aspirations of design, technology and the environment in one show, and which provides a sneak preview of the future, left visitors with one powerful impression – brands will not survive if they cannot demonstrate real environmental support.  Watch Video

Viral Marketing Put to the Test

Explains how the strategy of spreading a video to as many popular video websites as possible.   The results? It was quickly available on 400 websites, including 70 versions on YouTube alone.  Watch Video

Viral marketing strategy?

Did you know that today only 5% of the global brands have a viral marketing strategy?  Three things have to be present to build at powerful viral video: First of all it needs a talking point, a content that makes people talk about it, secondly it has to be a bit sensational and cross the line that makes it too extreme to be shown on TV, viral videos belongs to the Internet. Finally it has to have a "soap" element around it, so the target group can get their video-input on a regular base, and it is only an advantage if the video contains humour, irony and sarcasm as a part of the message.  Watch Video