Lady Gaga - The Ultimate Social Brand

LADY GAGA has rocketed to global fame in less than two years as the first artist to have her first five six singles reach number one. She's also won two Grammys, sold 8 million albums and 15 million singles digitally worldwide.  Her video's have even garnered 1 Billion Views on YouTube.  While her performance art-style stage shows and bizarre outfits have garnered significant attention, it's her loyalty marketing that may sustain her for years.


So how does Lady Gaga foster and cultivate legions of evangelistic fans online? Whether by exclusively releasing content (i.e. “Bad Romance”) on her website LadyGaga.com or exposing fans to her daily life via Twitter (she has 3 million+ followers) and Facebook (nearly 6 million) - Gaga lets fans come along for the ride.   On Twitter for example, she updates regularly telling fans everything she is doing.  She tweeted them before she opened the Grammy Awards and even tweeted to fans that she was buying them pizza for waiting overnight at an album signing.


To further build engagement, ownership and content, fans are further encouraged to record videos and take photos during her performances with an open invitation to network, comment and share with the world.  To validate fans, Gaga also doesn't allow professional photographers into her concerts (however encourages fans to take photos and videos).

A SENSE OF BELONGING - Lady Gaga gave her fans a name - as she doesn't like the word "fan". So, she calls them her "Little Monsters," named after her album "The Fame Monster." She even tattooed "Little Monsters" on her arm and tweeted the picture to fans professing love for them. Now fans are even getting their own Little Monster tattoos. By giving the group a formal name, it gives fans a way to refer to each other. Fans feel like they are joining a special club. Psychologically, this ‘sense of community’ is one of the major tenants of self-definition. Belonging to a group can involve language, dress, and/or ritual. To be part of the group gives meaning and association with a larger group provides emotional safety and a sense of belonging and identification. The influence is bi-directional.

STORYTELLING, RITUALS AND MYTH-MAKING - During her concert tour, Gaga recites a "Manifesto of Little Monsters". Although a bit cryptic, most Little Monsters see it as a dedication to them, that her fans have the power to make or break her. Whether New Testament, Torah, or Koran - EVERY major religion is built upon a heft of history and stories (mostly gruesome and miraculous.) Ritualistic patterns make us feel consistent, stable, safe, and grounded. It’s clear that people ritualize positive experiences and keep coming back for more.


SHARED SYMBOLS - The official Little Monster greeting is the outstretched "monster claw" hand. As all Little Monsters know, the clawed hand is part of the choreography in the video of her song "Bad Romance." Even Oprah knows the Little Monster greeting. Shared symbols allow fans to identify each other and connect. The cross. A dove. An angel, or crown of thorns. Organized religion is full of iconography and symbolism that act as an instant global language, or shorthand. This is also true of products and brands. A brand or product (symbol) logo can evoke powerful associations, just like religious icons. Think: Lance Armstrong (Nike) “Live Strong” bracelets.

FAN AS THE HERO - Lady Gaga makes her customers feel special. A staple of Gaga's "Monster Ball" tour is to call a fan in the audience during the show. Gaga dials the number onstage, the fan screams out, is located and they are put up on a big screen. While the rest of audience goes bananas, the fan is invited to have a drink with her after the show. In doing this, Gaga doesn't simply add value to her ticket price but also creates experiences that stand out by virtue of being so "extra."

It gets better.  Lady Gaga dedicates her shows to her frenzied fans (and each of her awards to her gay fan base), claiming only to be the "jester" to their kings and queens. By letting her fans know that she knows (that everyone knows) that they have the "power to make or break her," Gaga has made her success shareable. It gives fans the chance to not only showcase and articulate their faith, but also to unite with fellow believers.  Magic.

SENSORY APPEAL - No one really does branded spectacle like Lady Gaga. She’s Liberace, Marilyn Manson, Madonna, David Bowie and Ozzy simultaneously.  The music is entirely secondary to the spectacle.  Lady Gaga defies expectation and just when you think you’ve got her pegged - she dawns an evening dress made entirely of fresh meat.


Her brand appeal is much more about the fact she’s always changing and unpredictable - challenging people's tendency (and ability) to shut out their environment, she disrupts with new modes of aestheticism.  She's everything we ever learned, every case study, lesson and truth all bundled up into one brand.   Just like all great religions, (whether church, temple, or mosque), Lady Gaga's unique sensory appeal is an integral part of the otherworldly brand experience.  Web Site http://www.ladygaga.com

Twitter ladygaga

If there’s a more perfect hybrid of branding, PR, advertising, and marketing today - we haven't seen it. Have you?  If so please, do tell.  www.goodbuzz.ca

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Goodbuzz Inc. is a Toronto-based Digital Agency that creates social media campaigns that entice consumers to play, create, and share brand experiences. This is accomplished by focusing on developing "branded utility" - moving away from interruptive 'push' models towards more meaningful ways of connecting. From simple metrics to actionable insights that enable data-driven marketing decisions - Goodbuzz links social media efforts to business outcomes. Visit Goodbuzz or join us on Facebook. Any / all product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.

SAPPORO's “The Legendary Biru” Campaign Gets Lost In Translation

The original task assumedly of this campaign was to “tell the story of the Sapporo brewing process weaving Japan’s deep cultural heritage into the narrative”.  Presumably, a secondary client goal should have been established to “share that message with as many people as possible”.   We kid - as it's great work on many production levels.  The only point we hope to demonstrate is that, with a few slight tweaks in strategy, this could have been so much more. 

The website itself is centered on a character – the Sage – who is “the keeper of the legend of Sapporo".  He leads visitors on a treasure hunt through the site where the goal is to collect a number of hidden scrolls. Some are easy to find and tell a brief story about the beer, while others are well hidden and require diligence to unlock. Those who reach the end of the journey are given a message tailored to the number of scrolls they’ve discovered, while those who manage to collect all 15 scrolls are entered to win a trip to Japan”.  Ho hum.  

The “website as destination" strategy demonstrated needs to evolve to a branded utility model (or something far more in touch with the way people access, use, and share content today).  Certainly the website could remain a central focus and hub of the online campaign, but the real fun and engagement could have been extended well beyond a simple site experience - especially in light of all the dynamic new technologies available today.  

The campaign should have been far more focused more extending messaging virally and making the idea bigger then the media or medium.  Imagine, for example, if users were rewarded/ incentivized for extending SAPPORO content to peers?  Better still if the user could be positioned as the story's "Hero" rather than the "Sage" character.   In essence, allowing consumers and prospects to adopt the Sapporo brand as their own (and be validated socially for it in a clever, interesting, and entertaining way using emerging technology).  Imagine further if this content was so interesting, so compelling and entertaining News channels picked up the story?   Imagine if the original goal was to take $10 in media spend and garner $100 in ROI?  

While we definitely applaud the attempted storytelling aspect of the “Sage” taking people on a Sapporo journey – the campaigns biggest failure is it's lack of participatory vehicles (it feels like a monologue).  Although the production is high, the creative strategy seems woefully ignorant of the SAPPORO target demographic and their social technographic profile.  As further evidence of this point, as of this posting there were only 29 “Fans” on the SAPPORO Facebook page (the only social property we could find).

As competitive as the Beer market is, marketers can easily lose sight of the emotional connection their brands have with their consumers—and just how critical that connection is to their overall success.   As consumers take command of their media consumption and increasingly filter out traditional brand messages—deeper storytelling and relevant emotional consumer connections are becoming powerful competitive weapons as they reconnect and deepen the emotional underpinnings of your brand.

Bottom line:  A campaign like this may have captured consumers mind-set a years ago, however, today there are amazingly no participatory elements in the campaign that resonate or create any real Buzz; nothing certainly that ‘pops’ - disrupts or differentiates itself - or adds real user value, utility, or entertainment.     Bottom line - it’s really important when planning and executing campaigns today to focus on one BIG, VIRAL, RELEVANT, DIFFERENTIATING IDEA (based upon a unique brand insight) - then amplify it across all relevant channels in meaningful and engaging ways.  

But of course, that’s just our two-cents.  What do you think? Check the site out at www.legendarybiru.com.  

Sapporo Beer from Lollipop on Vimeo.

Sapporo Beer from Lollipop on Vimeo.

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Goodbuzz Inc. is a Toronto-based Digital Agency that creates social media campaigns that entice consumers to play, create, and share brand experiences. This is accomplished by focusing on developing "branded utility" - moving away from interruptive 'push' models towards more meaningful ways of connecting. From simple metrics to actionable insights that enable data-driven marketing decisions - Goodbuzz links social media efforts to business outcomes. Visit Goodbuzz or join us on Facebook. Any / all product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.

Social Media Case Studies [SEPT-GB_V8.0]

General Motors' shares how they used social media to keep any misunderstandings from blowing out of proportion. - Vimeo 

Apple has introduced a new social music service called Ping that allows users to (use social search and) follow friends and favourite musicians' iTunes activity. - NPR Music Blog 

Cisco's Senior Manager of Global Social Media, LaSandra Brill, talks about how the company saved hundreds of thousands of dollars by using social media during a recent product launch. - Social Media Examiner 

Stride and Dentyne gums Marketing Manager discusses the important role of social media in the launch of Stride's new flavor changing gum. - Brand Week 

Mattel is increasing buzz around Barbie and her newest career through an integrated social media campaign that relies mainly on Twitter and Foursquare. - Promo Magazine 

Restaurant chain Houlihan's Digital Marketing Manager, shares an in-depth analysis of the expansion into social media. - ClickZ 

MTV is teaming up with Foursquare to launch an STD awareness campaign that offers a special badge for checking-in at an STD testing facility. - Alltop 

American Express' Sponsorship Marketing Director, describes how the credit card company incorporated all sorts of social media into its website for the US Open tennis tournament. - Brand Week 

Ford, Clorox, and Arby's are highlighted as brands creating great calls to action in social media. - ClickZ 

Procter & Gamble is focusing their social media campaign on women bloggers to help get the word out about their "Children's Safe Drinking Water" program. - Promo Magazine

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Goodbuzz Inc. is a Digital Ad Agency that creates social media campaigns that entice consumers to play, create, and share brand experiences. Note: Any / all product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.

2010's Most Viral Brands

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Goodbuzz Inc. is a Digital Ad Agency that creates social media campaigns that entice consumers to play, create, and share brand experiences. Note: Any / all product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.

Samsung’s "Shakedown" - Experiential Online Campaign (Sweden)

It’s a real challenge sometimes to come up with new, innovative ways to showcase products.   Especially in ways that reinforce the product attributes while extending entertainment and engagement.  Samsung (Sweden) had this task, but with their B2100 model.

Samsung’s B2100 mobile phones are both water resistant and built for durability.   Apparently the pack mule of the Samsung fleet, the B2100 seems to accept the premise that while “it may not be beautiful, it definitely works” (even if it takes a beating).

Samsung showcases this premise in it’s simplest form via a new campaign website (in Sweden) where users can win a free B2100.  There are multiple live video cameras filming an elevated surface scattered with mobile phones.  The premise is simple; seventy B2100’s mobiles with vibrate-mode enabled are placed on an elevated surface. If the phone rings, the vibration will naturally make the phone move across the surface.  Users therefore call the corresponding number (on the B2100 mobile) they are attempting to make fall off onto the elevated surface.  There were also strategically placed aquariums to avoid, but if the mobile falls on the concrete floor on the floor the caller won the phone.

This is a fun, innovative and immersive way for users to interact with a brand.  The Facebook integration minimally allowed users to extend to peers.  Just as an aside, a custom application for Facebook here could have really amplified the social activity, however we’re assuming this was all done on a minimal budget, so commend Samsung for the ingenuity.  It’s also buzz worthy so has a high viral appeal both on and offline. 

Check out the Samsung B2100 website and tell us what you think. 

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Goodbuzz Inc. is a Digital Ad Agency that creates social media campaigns that entice consumers to play, create, and share brand experiences. Note: Any / all product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.

FORD FIESTA’S HYPER-LOCAL PROMOTIONS MIX SOCIAL MEDIA + EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

To drive excitement and sales leads for the North American launch of the 2011 Ford Fiesta, Ford has launched a multi-tiered program of events in four Northeast markets (New England, Philadelphia, the New York/Tri-state area and Washington, D.C.)

The Fiesta Northeast tour follows on the heels of the Fiesta Movement, the savvy, award-winning national campaign that put 100 agents behind the wheel of their own Fiesta for six months and had them document the experience on their social networks.

The local program consists of Ford-sponsored events such as Boston Red Sox Fans Days or Philadelphia’s Fiesta Rocks concert in September, sponsored in partnership with Live Nation. In addition, local pop-up events at dealerships, festivals and local businesses take place in each market. At both types of events, consumers can test-drive the vehicle with a FORD product specialist on a closed circuit TV and check out the voice-activated Sync technology. The best part?  Video cameras inside the cars capture the experience and upload content to thefordcast.com, Flickr, Twitter and the brand’s Facebook page.   The results?

The promotion effectively fosters conversation between the brand and consumers while generating buzz and feedback about the Fiesta.

Location-based Marketing

Four personalized Twitter accounts and FourSquare profiles update fans on where the tour is headed and share content. Consumers also are asked to check in on FourSquare or Gowalla and share their experiences via their own Twitter and Facebook accounts.

To individualize the experience, the tour developed a personality for each of the four markets that reflects the unique target consumer in those areas. Three dedicated vehicles and a road crew of six to eight people travelled to each market.

The Target

Trendy, hipster Tri-State residents who frequent art museums and weekend farmers markets, for example, test drive the Fiesta Lime Squeeze Hatch, Blue Flame Hatch and Tuxedo Black Sedan, which have been detailed with “tattoos” to reflect the personality of this market.  Sporty, spirited, proud Philadelphia folk who jog in the park or escape to the beach on weekends, on the other hand, try out an appropriately decorated Lime Squeeze Hatch, Blue Flame Hatch and the Red Candy Sedan.  New Englanders are casual, fun-loving and outdoorsy types; Washington, D.C. residents are preppy, connected and in the know.

Throughout the tour, Ford is giving away four new Fiestas, one in each market, to consumers who attend an event, support social media or sign up on thefordcast.com.  Props to agency: Mr. Youth based in New York City. While it may be hard for some to get excited about Ford's Fiesta per se, this integrated campaign tries hard to break through with a strong mix of above the line activities/support (TV/Print/Radio) - and more to our interests - a strong hyper-local promotional strategy, automated participatory/social media elements, PR 2.0., Experiential and location-based marketing.    

Solid work all round, however, a few elements would have amplified activities further.  Leveraging emerging technology, adding YouTube UGC/ stronger viral video activity, and most importantly employing (more sophomoric) HUMOUR (perfect for this target audience defined).  Just imagine if FORD had married their campaign with something like Mekanism's work for Toyota ("Your Other You") http://bit.ly/1yJ2qi  Something that would allow users to personalize a Fiesta in a clever, intelligent (and viral way) whereby users want to share the Fiesta with their friends (regardless of the branded content) because it's so cool and fun.   Agency: JWT Team Detroit, Action Marketing Group, Undercurrent.

More on FORD's Fiesta Movement.

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Goodbuzz Inc. is a Digital Ad Agency that creates social media campaigns that entice consumers to play, create, and share brand experiences. Note: Any / all product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.

  

Remember liquid paper? Tipp-Ex correction fluid leverages YouTube to increase relevance

The correction fluid brand's latest campaign features a video of a hunter caught in the dilemma of whether to shoot a bear or not. Having decided not to, he grabs a Tipp-Ex Pocket Mouse and amends the video to 'A hunter ____ a bear', before inviting (you) the viewer to fill in the blank with their choice of verb.  Once the viewer has suggested a new action, the hunter and bear duo act out the new command or, if they get stumped, hold up a cheery 'Error #404' placard.

The open-ended challenge of trying to find all the filmed variations ensures high levels of engagement and dwell time on Tipp-Ex's YouTube page - which has already notched up over 3.5 million views since the video was uploaded at the end of August.  

For possibly the first time in YouTube's history, the comment section is actually helpful, with suggestions of actions to try out including: eats; watches TV with; swims with; moonwalks with; shows his ass to; is shot by; smokes with; and the rude one which you're thinking of - yes they do that too.  
Check it out and tell us what you think. :)

Social Media Case Studies [SEPT-GB_V7.0]

NASA is using their blog to feature a contest to choose the playlist for their wake up anthems during their next voyage.  - NASA Blog

The Boston Celtics' discuss the success of the Celtics Facebook application game in growing their e-mail database.  - DMNews

Puma's new social ad campaign features a 60 second spot and a microsite that blends both Puma-created content and user-generated content.  - Puma

Groupon's recent Gap offer proved to be its most successful yet. The campaign utilized Twitter's "Earlybird Offers" special of the day and Gap's Facebook "Likers" to relay the offer.  - ClickZ

AT&T is partnering with game startup SCVNGR to launch a social game-based reward program with goofy challenges that lets users win points for redemption at the carrier's stores.  - MediaPost

Coca-Cola’s Experiential Marketing uses special bracelets that transmit RFID signals and integrates Facebook's "Like" feature in real life.  - AdLand

Quaker Oats' new campaign, "Does your breakfast make you amazing?" teams up with the co-host of NBC's The Biggest Loser, Bob Harper, to engage Facebook fans in a dialog about their breakfast.  - Brandweek

Carnival Cruise Lines is the first in the cruise industry to launch a Facebook application that allows users to engage their social network in their vacation planning when shopping for cruises.  - MediaPost

Hyundai's Experiential Marketing Manager, discusses how Hyundai's "Uncensored" testimonial campaign is rooted in social media.  - ClickZ

Ford's unconventional virtual unveiling of the 2011 Ford Explorer on Facebook resulted in a larger increase of customer engagement than other automakers' top Super Bowl ads.  - MediaPost

Heineken (Italy) punks soccer fans and pull off the perfect mix of experiential marketing, PR 2.0., sophomoric humor and participatory media. – YouTube

IKEA's Facebook "Showroom" Viral Promotion - The mission was to create something engaging that would have the potential of spreading by itself  - YouTube

Zugara's Augmented Reality (AR) & Motion Capture refines Shopping - YouTube

Eurostar Crowsourced Guide to the Continent is an impressive crowd sourced platform that acts as a guide to all the European destinations accessible by their client Eurostar's high speed rail service– Contagious

VAIL launches the biggest thing to hit the SKI industry since bindings and sets new benchmark – Goodbuzz

"Tune Out" The Noise with Altoids new App - Tune Out—an iPhone, Android and desktop application (developed by Big Spaceship) cuts down on the digital noise and lets fans keep up with their favorite friends – and ONLY their favorite friends. – Big Spaceship

Looking for more Social/ Participatory Media Case Studies?  Check out:

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Goodbuzz Inc. is a Toronto-based Digital Ad Agency that creates social media campaigns that entice consumers to play, create, and share brand experiences. Visit Goodbuzz or join the conversation on Facebook.  Note: Any / all product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.