RED BULL AND FORMULA ONE RACING GET MOBILE

Energy drink giant Red Bull is targeting tech-savvy Formula One racing fans with the launch of a game for the iPhone and iPod touch called the Red Bull Racing Challenge.  Dubbed the official game for the prominent Formula One team Red Bull Racing, the Red Bull Racing team is dedicating this racing game to fans and supporters worldwide to engage them during the off-season.

Mobile racing


The Red Bull Racing Challenge game retails for $2.99 in the iTunes App Store.  The target demographic is consumers in their 20s and 30s skewing male.  In the game, players steer the speedy RB5 through the 2009 season's calendar.  Racing down realistic 3D courses worldwide, players experience the thrill of the world's top racing tournament.

The game lets players compete for the championship and share their records via the online leader-boards or race against the clock and record their best lap times.  In between races, players can visit the Red Bull Energy Station to test their Red Bull Racing knowledge in a trivia quiz or access official behind-the-scenes videos and photos that capture exciting moments from the season.  The game features six challenging tracks in China, England and Spain, with practice sessions and qualification runs to provide a full-season experience.  There is even an in-game pit stop challenge to test player's reaction time.  The game features a multiplayer mode via Bluetooth, as well as customizable races with various tracks, playing modes, weather and control schemes.  Users can sync with Facebook and Twitter to share their progress with friends. The background music is from Twin Atlantic's new album, "Vivarium."

GRABBING THE Bull by the horns


Red Bull plans to amplify activities by teaming up with TV and radio stations to promote the iPhone application.  The brand will also have an on-site presence at various Formula One events, running sweepstakes where fans can win meet-and-greets with the drivers, as well as win a trip to visit the factory where the Red Bull Racing cars are built outside of London.

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DORITOS "HOTEL" + "ASYLUM" INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS

DORITOS – “HOTEL 626”

Doritos original goal was to reintroduce “Taco” and “Four Cheese” flavored tortilla chips for a limited time.   The original “HOTEL” campaign by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners included product packaging, Website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook UGC, 3D Surround Sound, Mobile, webcam integration, and more.

DORITOS – “asylum”

Goodby and Doritos are back with another scare-filled experience, this time setting the scene in an insane asylum. Visitors to “Asylum 626”, which like “Hotel 626” is only open from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am—wake up to the first person POV of a mental patient getting the full treatment from a ghoulish doc and his aid. We won't spoil all the fun here, but expect to encounter everything from a lobotomy saw, electroshock therapy, and warm welcomes from your fellow inmates. Note:  The night shoot was performed in Stockholm, Sweden at an actual abandoned asylum. 

Like its predecessor, Asylum makes use of social networks via Facebook Connect and Twitter to update visitors' friends of their status in the ward. Webcams and mics also serve as key components for an optimized fright-fest. This time around, Goodby and Doritos incorporate a new augmented reality feature, and only with a marker available on Doritos bags can viewers discover the final surprises of the story.

POLO RALPH LAUREN 2009 MOBILE MARKETER OF THE YEAR

Mobile Marketer has awarded Ralph Lauren (RL) their 2009 Mobile Marketer of the Year identifying that, “RL serves as a role model for outstanding use of mobile advertising and marketing.” Here is an overview of the 2009 brand in the mobile space.

in-app advertising


Ralph Lauren was the launch sponsor of GQ magazine’s new mobile application in an effort to promote the retailer’s fragrances.  GQ Style Picks, the application for the iPhone and iPod touch, features style tips and options from the men’s magazine and a geotracked “click-to-find nearby” and a “click-to-find online” commerce option.  Ralph Lauren even has a channel within the application that includes tips and videos. The Ralph Lauren channel within the GQ application includes helpful grooming and fragrance tips such as how to moisturize the face, fragrance picks and downloadable videos.

mobile commerce strategy


The Rugby Make-Your-Own-application is truly something unique in terms of the experience that it provides users.  The application was a first of its kind within the Ralph Lauren family of innovative lifestyle marketing.  Consumers can make their own Rugby directly from their iPhone or iPod touch and share the style and buy it.  Consumers can customize their own Rugby with patches, share and order their Rugby styles within the application.  The application followed the successful launches of http://www.rugby.com and http://m.rugby.com and is meant to serve as a 360-degree retail innovation platform that engages with consumers through mobile, in-store kiosks and outdoor display content in store windows, and online.

Also, Rugby stores in New York and San Francisco have an interactive store window where pedestrians walking the streets are encouraged to stop and create their own Rugby or browse the gallery of Rugby’s created by users of the iPhone application.  Much like the iPhone experience, users just drag and drop by swiping their hands over the store window and can buy Rugby’s by swiping their credit cards.  In April, Ralph Lauren launched an iPhone-optimized site for Rugby.com, the site for its sporty line of Rugby apparel.  Like the existing WAP site that is optimized for all other mobile devices, the iPhone site lets consumers browse and buy all products that are available on Rugby.com.

Mobile presence

Ralph Lauren has a mobile shopping site at http://m.ralphlauren.com where consumers can shop on the site, read about what is new at Ralph Lauren and watch runway show videos of the brand's latest styles.  Last October, Ralph Lauren made mobile fashionable with the launch of an iPhone application that lets users experience the glamour of the Ralph Lauren Collection on the Apple device.  The application invites Apple iPhone users to view collection styles that are currently in stores via video highlights from its runway show. It also offers a look behind the scenes with its Backstage Pass photo gallery in addition to full run-of-show video and Lookbook feature.  Mobile advertising was also used to drive consumers to the application.  Four months after its launch, the application was upgraded with new features that reflect Ralph Lauren's haute couture line and products reflecting a luxury lifestyle.

Quick Response (QR) codes

Ralph Lauren was one of the first retailers to launch a mobile commerce service to let consumers buy products through their handsets.  The company claims to be one of the first luxury retailers nationwide to launch a mobile commerce site and incorporate Quick Response codes in advertisements.  Ralph Lauren included a QR code on a U.S. Open advertising campaign. If scanned by a mobile phone, the code would link a user directly to a new mobile site. 

This is the U.S. Open call to action:

Ongoing communications


Ralph Lauren invites consumers to sign up for text alerts on its mobile site in an effort to build a database of the brand’s aficionados to keep ongoing communication with Additionally, consumers can text the keyword RL to 23000 to join the mobile club. 

Ralph Lauren understands the times we live in - and the wants and needs of its consumers.  And, in this day and age, for Ralph Lauren that means having a robust set of mobile offerings and being present in the lives of their consumers.  Congratulations to Ralph Lauren on receiving this honor.

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TOP 100 SOCIAL BRANDS OF 2009

We are excited to release our second annual ranking of the most social brands, The Vitrue 100. 2009 certainly marked the tipping point for social media with Facebook crossing 350 million month active users worldwide (100 million US users) according to “Inside Facebook”, December 2009.

Adoption of social media by marketers has also followed suit, as eMarketer cites the percentage of the Fortune 500 not using social media has dropped dramatically - from 43% now to only 9%.   Forrester is also stating that social media marketing is projected to grow at an annual rate of 34%, faster than any other form of online marketing (US Interactive Marketing Spend 2009 to 2014 Report issued Summer 2009).

So what does all this mean as we head into 2010?  Marketers are adding social as a foundation into the marketing mix and need the infrastructure to manage their increasingly robust presences. TV spots are now tagged out with Facebook URLs instead of corporate web sites and point-of-sale call to actions now direct you to fan them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.  Marketers get that social works. So with this in mind we established The Vitrue 100 to help bring credibility and clarity to this emerging space. The changing world of online conversations results in significant movements up and down for brands.

The Vitrue 100 was determined by averaging the SMI scores for each brand across each day in December 2009. To further clarify, “annual” based on grouping of pull done once a year as the first Vitrue 100 was done December 2008 and we wanted to measure year over year. The result is a ranked list of the brands which are most talked about on the social web. Note: Some powerhouse technology brands were omitted from the list as they provide the backbone of many social networks.  While Google, Facebook and others are top brands, the Vitrue 100 is measuring companies that are using social technology, not those who are the technology.

Top 100 Social Brands of 2009

1. iPhone
2. Disney
3. CNN
4. MTV
5. NBA
6. iTunes
7. Wii
8. Apple
9. Xbox
10. Nike
11. Starbucks
12. NFL
13. PlayStation
14. Adidas
15. BlackBerry
16. Sony
17. Mercedes
18. Microsoft
19. Samsung
20. BMW
21. Nintendo
22. Best Buy
23. ESPN
24. Ford
25. Honda
26. Ferrari
27. Gucci
28. Nokia
29. Major League Baseball
30. Dell
31. Coca-Cola
32. CBS
33. ABC
34. iPod
35. Mac
36. Turner
37. Nissan
38. Toyota
39. eBay
40. Amazon
41. Victoria’s Secret
42. Nutella
43. NASCAR
44. Disneyland
45. Audi
46. NHL
47. Red Bull
48. Verizon
49. Intel
50. Subway
51. Hewlett-Packard
52. Puma
53. Kia
54. Fox News
55. Porsche
56. Jeep
57. Dodge
58. Pandora
59. Walmart
60. Zappos
61. Suzuki
62. McDonald’s
63. Krystal
64. T-Mobile
65. Skittles
66. KFC
67. Volkswagen
68. NBC
69. Sprint
70. Pixar
71. Motorola
72. IKEA
73. Pepsi
74. Cisco
75. REI
76. LG
77. AT&T
78. Converse
79. The Gap
80. Chevrolet
81. Louis Vuitton
82. Toys”R”Us
83. H&M
84. Philips
85. General Motors
86. Pringles
87. Visa
88. Prada
89. Panasonic
90. IBM
91. VH1
92. Hulu
93. Oracle
94. Burberry
95. SEGA
96. Sears
97. Avon
98. Jet Blue
99. Lacoste
100. Comcast

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SOCIAL ANALYTICS LIFECYCLE FRAMEWORK

This helpful SIM Framework is by Ken Burbary (one of the organizers behind the Module 2010 Digital Conference.)  It starts with the social web, includes analysis, data segmentation, strategy, and execution.   

WHAT'S THE SOCIAL PROFILE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS?

According to Forrester, “companies often approach Social Computing as a list of technologies to be deployed as needed — a blog here, a community there —to achieve a marketing goal.  But a more coherent approach is to start with your target audience and determine what kind of relationship you want to build with them, based on what they are ready for”.

Forrester's Social Technographics® Profiler classifies consumers into six overlapping levels of participation (see short presentation). 

Based on Forrester survey data they can see how participation varies among different groups of consumers, globally. They also analyze the participation of people who buy technology. 

For your convenience, we have embedded Forrester’s Social Technographics® Profiler on our BLOG (at the bottom of the page.)  ;) It’s an excellent resource to start any social media initiative if you’re not sure what technologies to use.

ADVERTISING 2009: THE DEATH OF THE BIG IDEA

Beware The Bottom-Feeders: When Procurement Turns Thinkers Into Executors 

Article by Alan Schulman, Friday, January 8, 2010

It doesn't take many ‘creatives’ (in “Ad” speak) to argue the short sightedness of allowing clients to drive down, or discount, the value of developing bigger (and longer-term) brand-building ideas.  After all, what are ideas, if not the cultural currency that differentiates one brand from another?   Ultimately, we agency folk are not only "agents" - but we are all fundamentally in the IDEA business.

What's astounding is the value (or lack thereof) that clients seemingly place on the power and cultural currency of BIG Ideas.  Witness 2009.  Having already rolled over the media services operations and account service functions being provided by their agency partners -- asking for everything from money back, to blended hourly rates that can barely afford a $50K FTE -- the question is, do they really think they've won?  What did they win?  Another half of an FTE?   Or a mid-level media supervisor holding down the responsibilities of an account director?  It makes this creative wonder if they know the difference between thinkers and executors?

But if it's simply executors Clients want, it's executors they shall have (witness any Top Five Global Ad Agency).  A few smart CMO’s have finally realized that the strategic and creative business is no place for Six Sigma.  Rather, it's where ideas are born, nurtured, shepherded and communicated until the customer starts talking -- and buying. Sadly however, as long as short-term, top-line revenue growth continues to drive stock prices up, public agencies will be forced to negotiate the value of their people and their ideas down to ensure the tonnage of dollars continues to flow.

As an industry, who among us will be brave enough to stand up and clarify that we are ultimately in the IDEA business -- not just the billings tonnage and stock price business?  In this climate of procurement driving poetry in motion, it looks bleak for ultimate value of great ideas. 

Perhaps we put ourselves here.  Buy/sell technology platforms have crossed the chasm from Silicon Valley, purportedly making media planning and buying more efficient, agencies and digital media networks have become seduced by scale rather than by skill.  The embracing of these platforms of scale under the guise of efficiency ultimately leads to only one place -- the commoditization of media inventory and the devaluation of strategic thinking and ideas.  Happy 2010. 

Article by Alan Schulman, Friday, January 8, 2010

Alan Schulman is Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of U. DIG > The Digital Innovations Group. He is a member of the Creative Versioning Professionals and his creative agency develops new ad units for new and emerging media platforms. 

Contact him here.

PLANNING YOUR 2010 DIGITAL MEDIA ECOSYSTEM

Website

Ideally acts as the “hub” of all digital activities linking and integrating with all third-party sites and applications (i.e. “spokes”). It should also:

• Extend the ability to capture and share information, understand current and future user needs, calculate lifetime value, improve the customer experience, and provide customers with relevant messaging in their preferred channel.
• Extend an ‘active’ versus ‘passive’ dialog (i.e. Gives your customers a voice.)
• Note: The web acts as the one (and only) ubiquitous channel to ALL other media (TV, Radio, Print, et al.) Not TV versus interactive, Not Radio versus interactive, Not Print or Billboard versus interactive.  Rather, what can be achieved when ALL mass media drives-to-Web.  
• Note:  This vision extends the brand relationship to a 1:1) 1:1 marketing is a simple, powerful concept: promoting your products to individuals in a way that reflects an understanding of each person's individual preferences,
• Build a participatory community while allowing for user segmented paths (which would address all constituents versus only primary target),
• Extend your brand your consumers are migrating to (i.e. online.) Fish where the fish are.

 Integrated Pillar programs into existing platforms

• Firstly, to clarify, building a micro-site costs essentially the same amount as setting up a traditional website.  Maintaining a micro-site however requires additional budget and resources.  While some companies create multiple micro-sites that point to the main site in an effort to rank higher on search engines, having a larger site with a lot of updated content has proven more successful - as all links and site activity are attributed to the domain as a whole.  The big trouble with micro-sites is that they typically inherit none of the trust, authority, ranking power, consideration, etc. that search engines give to established, well-linked properties. 

What is the correct balance of functionality and emotional messaging (Form versus function)?

• The form should complement the function---serving to attract visitors, increasing the satisfaction by prompting an emotional response. A site that lacks form will seem dull and drab and not entice users for a prolonged initial visit to experience the site functionality.
• The functional elements of a site are what ultimately bring value to the user experience.
• The reality is that the most aesthetically pleasing sites are not designed to rank well in search engines, and the best ranking sites are typically not the best looking.
• The goal of the developer is to meld the design and functionality such that they are inseparable to the user. Form and function should have a symbiotic relationship that makes user experience the priority; as this will determine visitor retention rate and the duration of their stay. 

The role of Online Media in the Communications Plan

• The role of online media is two-fold.  The first (in combination with detailed segmentation and media planning) is to ensure that the appropriate message (or offer) is served to the right person at the right time. 
• The second is to entice, invite, and usher the online user to additional content.  Both online and offline media impressions create awareness and equity.  The primary difference however is that one is passive (and static) and the other is active (and dynamic.) 

 Shotgun or sniper rifle

• While static (non-interactive) media by definition must address a much wider target audience (typically primary-only), online media can be served to a unique user (1:1) based upon any number of variables.
• All online media should therefore be carefully architected to extend a clear value-proposition that will resonate with the intended audience - whenever and wherever users are most receptive to a brand’s message.   
• Note: Online media can also be optimized in real-time based upon a number of primary and secondary variables, allowing brands to become far more targeted and nimble; effectively lowering lead acquisition costs and extending much higher return on investment.

2009 CIPR AWARDS | BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

GOLD - McCann Erickson – “Things that make you go o!”

McCann Erickson has touched every aspect that the judges would expect to find. This is a campaign that genuinely sets standards for the industry and from which others can learn. 

View the Case Study

BMW USES MOBILE VIDEO ADVERTISING TO GENERATE TEST DRIVES

Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) ran a personalized mobile video advertising campaign to promote its X1 Series to a younger demographic in China. The BMW brand believes it empowers people to express their individuality and personality - and the carmaker wanted its X1 marketing message to do the same.  The personalized videos, or technically advertisements, were designed to have an impact so that viewers would show and share with their friends and create a viral buzz around the campaign (with the idea of BMW qualifying and sending the user a personalized holiday greeting.)

Why Mobile?  In this case, the mobile device is the primary Internet access tool in China and it is the most relevant medium for the demographic target. There are roughly 165 million high-speed, 3G mobile broadband subscribers in China and these are extremely active mobile Internet users.  In fact, 58 percent of Chinese mobile Web users post Web 2.0 content via their handsets, compared with 41 percent of those in the United States, according to Phonevalley. 

Personalizaton is key

The messages, distributed Dec. 21-24 in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, targeted individual customers with a holiday greeting that was uniquely tailored to each recipient.  For the campaign Clip in Touch, whose platform provides a means of sending advertising campaigns via MMS, enabled a targeted campaign with sight, sound and motion that BMW’s audience can personalize and make their very own.  The technology for the campaign’s targeting and personalization was provided by Israel-based, Clip in Touch.  Initial response to the campaign has been very positive, generating more test-drives in a three-day period than at any time this year. The uniqueness comes in allowing users to personalize, edit and add their own voice, video and text to any advertising campaign.

BMW GETS mobile
In Germany this past April, a BMW launched a mobile campaign specifically to sell more winter tires - and is said to have achieved a 30 percent conversion rate.  BMW Germany wanted to remind its customers that snow tires are more of a necessity, rather than a luxury, especially during the winters in Germany. The luxury carmaker targeted owners of BMWs, urging them to visit a local dealership and buy a set of tires (see story). 

BMW Z4 Roadster Launch

BMW turned to mobile to launch its new BMW Z4 Roadster as well. The German company introduced the Z4 Roadster to auto enthusiasts with a new application for the iPhone. The car was launched a few days ago at the Geneva Auto Show (see story).

The carmaker also ran a mobile campaign on the Nokia Media Network to promote some of its popular luxury vehicles to consumers in Spain (see story).

Also, BMW's mobile advertising campaign for the new BMW 1 Series Coupe resulted in a 67 percent increase in traffic to the brand's WAP site for Britain (see story).

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