FACEBOOK IS THE NEW TV

It's finally time.  There's absolutely no more excuses.  We've officially heard them all now.

With 450 million users globally (and millions more being added each week) Facebook is dominating the web in unparalleled ways. Almost half-a-billion users and 80% of all Americans online, spend at least 6 hours per month on Facebook.  Add to that, Facebook is the most visited site on the web to date in 2010, surpassing even Google in search stats for the first time in history.

There’s not much you can do today on a traditional website that can’t also be done on Facebook.  Where a brand URL was once the place to go for brand communications, consumers of all ages are more and more looking to Facebook as the de facto place to find information about the brands they’re interested in (and follow the ones they like).   Brand relationships have always been a form of self-expression.  Facebook just provides a platform to evidence and amplify this affiliation and loyalty to the world.  For Gen-Y or “Millennial’s” for example, brand preference ranks as high as religion and ethnicity as top personal identifiers online. 

The cat's out of the bag.  Facebook today is the hub of all social and online activities. It’s the new TV and our new background noise — it’s always on.  

Facebook is, for all intents and purposes, Public Relations, Customer Service, Sales, Marketing, CRM, Focus Groups/ Product Testing, Target Advertising, and Data Analytics/ Research departments – all wrapped up into one offering. While we certainly concede there are much “sexier” media vehicles, none deliver the same simple value proposition and return on investment as Facebook.   

It’s really as simple as fishing where the fish are.  

Need some expert help?  Give us a shout.

SOCIAL MEDIA CASE STUDIES [OCT-GB_V12.0]

Adobe is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Photoshop this year and over one million fans on their Photoshop Facebook page -Adobe Blogs 

Honda is launching a month-long social media effort on Facebook to build buzz around their new "Dream the Impossible" documentary series -Market Watch 

Mercedes-Benz is using Facebook to promote their new online video series, "Profiles," which features real-life Mercedes owners recounting their near-death automotive accidents -MediaPost 

Kraft Foods' shares how the relationships Oreo built on Facebook are now spreading to other social media channels -Vimeo 

Kraft Foods: How Oreo Learned to Fish Where the Fish Are, presented by Beth Reilly from GasPedal on Vimeo.

Orange is hosting a competition on Twitter that introduces Singing Tweetagrams. The best Tweetagrams from their followers will be transformed into special video messages sung by the Rockabellas - Recombu.com 

SAP recently published a case study detailing how they've successfully integrated social platforms into their Community Network -Social Media Today 

Procter & Gamble is rewarding fans with electronic "Green Stamps" for blogging and using social media to spread the word about their environmentally conscious "Future Friendly" program -Ad Age 

General Electric share how they're recruiting YouTube stars to reach new audiences online -Fast Company 

Polartec and The North Face talk about their new social media partnership that encourages a green lifestyle for all -IEWY News 

With over 760,000 followers each, CME Group and the Chicago Board Options Exchange are in the Top 300 most followed Twitter accounts worldwide -Institutional Investor 


Elvis Costello uses Social Media Mix to Promote new Album - Mashable 

THE POWER OF TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING

Is your favourite TV entertainment character on your computer screen and your phone as well?  Those focused on Transmedia Storytelling won’t be surprised. 

What’s transmedia storytelling?  In Transmedia storytelling, content becomes invasive and fully permeates the audience's lifestyle.  A transmedia project develops storytelling across multiple forms of media in order to have different "entry points" in the story; entry-points with a unique and independent lifespan but with a definite role in the big narrative scheme. Each distinct element makes distinctive contributions to a fan's understanding of the story world; "entrypoints" through which consumers can become immersed in a story world.

Research has shown that when consumers meet their characters in different media contexts their bonds are strengthened. It’s like bumping into your CEO at an amusement park. The context changes the relationship and strengthens it.

How does Transmedia storytelling differ from just telling a story in different mediums?  Under the traditional model, when a big movie comes out, for example, we are offered the novelization, the adaptation in comics, and the videogame version for our Xboxes. It’s the same story over and over again, so the property is essentially milked until it’s dead. The transmedia approach to this kind of narrative would give us different pieces of the narrative on different media platforms, so that we can see the movie and then explore different aspects of the characters and the world in other media. Taken as a whole, it’s a richer, deeper experience that gives us more of what we really want.

One distinctive element of Transmedia is that it, by definition, has a number of “invitational” components where audience members are welcomed to participate by commenting on the narrative, by playing established or original characters, or even by contributing creatively to the world and the storyline.

The easiest way to create a Transmedia story is by first immersing ourselves in the original vision. We ask ourselves, what are the building blocks of this narrative? What makes the characters and the world unique? What is this story trying to tell the world?  Once we understand this, we can set about creating a guidebook to the narrative. There are often so many people, divisions, creative teams, licensors involved in generating content around these large franchises that we work on, this roadmap/Mythology addresses all of their concerns by teaching them the essence of the characters and stories and making recommendations for how to best weave the story across multiple media platforms.

Today’s web facilitates the meeting between creator, creation and audience, and by its nature (when properly used) the web turns audience members into participants.  When you are invited into an aspirational world and given a voice, a connection is made, memories are formed, and an experience is created that can last forever.

McDonald's FarmVille Promotion - Brands and Social Gaming

Electronic Arts recently (Sept.14th, 2010) revealed results from a study conducted by The Nielsen Company, which shows the degree to which brand advertisements within video games can boost real life sales.  The study, commissioned by EA on behalf of Gatorade, shows that in-game advertising increased household dollars spent on Gatorade by 24%, and offered a return on investment of $3.11.  Gatorade had a variety of product placements within EA games including arena signs, players' water bottles, score updates and other call outs.

With social networks permeating our daily lives, entertainment is being redefined and is going back to its roots.  It’s getting social again.  Social games already alter the way people use Facebook .  Gamers stick around longer, use more of their online time on Facebook, and log in more regularly.  Facebook Connect will only make things even more pervasive.

Case in point - McDonald’s just created a branded farm on Farmville in a special one day event. Essentially, McDonald’s will become a “Neighbour Farm” to every player in the world for a day, this allows players to come and work on the McDonald’s Farmville Farm, helping to grow things like tomatoes and mustard seeds.  Players will be rewarded with all sorts of virtual McCafe items that allow them to grow their own farms twice as fast! Plus, they also get a McDonald’s hot air balloon flyover for their efforts.

The exposure is seriously huge for McDonald’s, who gains almost instant exposure and potential brand interaction to the near seventy (70) million active Farmville players around the world. The only other brand to have partnered with Farmville was Microsoft’s Bing earlier this year.

Advertainment is a relatively new form of advertising medium that blurs conventional distinctions between what constitutes advertising and what constitutes entertainment. Branded content is essentially a fusion of the two into one product intended to be distributed as entertainment content, albeit with a highly branded quality. Advertainment, unlike conventional forms of entertainment content, is generally funded entirely by a brand or corporation rather than, for example, a Movie studio or a group of producers. However, it can be argued that this is just a new name for the same type of marketing that was pioneered by soap manufacturers in the early days of radio and television with the soap opera.  What do you think?

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The Evolution of Brand Iconography - Corporate Logo Redesigns

Let’s be honest.  Sometimes we can’t figure out for the life of us how a brand landed on a specific image or font in the first place.  Let alone why, in some cases, they had a great logo that was working for them and decided to change it (Gap)?  But one things for sure, as an old friend from Mississippi used to say, “while beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, I think we can all agree on what ugly is (Gap).”  ;)  

That said, here are thirty examples of corporate logo’s redesigned to become more relevant.  Which ones do you love?  Which do you hate?  Which brands out there are in desperate need of an overhaul?

http://www.goodbuzz.ca

SOCIAL MEDIA CASE STUDIES [OCT-GB_V11.0]

Overall adoption of social technologies has effectively reached saturation. We’re now at the point where more than 80% of US online users engage with social media.  So what’s the buzz this week?


Target is now selling gift cards for Facebook credits redeemable in over 150 Facebook games and applications. - Iconoculture

PetSmart is asking Facebook fans to upload their best photos of their pets dressed in Halloween costumes for the chance to appear in a TV commercial. - MediaPost 

Cosmopolitan discusses how they're using Facebook Connect to let fans upload photographs to be a part of the magazine's new promotional video that simulates a photo shoot. - The New York Times 

Budweiser, as a part of their latest campaign, is planning to partner with Facebook to give fans turning 22 years or older a free beer on their birthday. - USA Today 

Research In Motion (RIM) is using social media to connect with their BlackBerry customers to provide awesome online customer service. - Blog World 

Lincoln's new "Best of California Road Trip" campaign is following the Lincoln MKX as it drives through California, stopping at several historic locations. Videos of the trip will be posted to YouTube, and fans are invited to vote for their favorite location on Facebook. - PR Web 

Toyota's new web series, "Standup Stories," features comedians sharing their first-car experiences and includes a Facebook tie-in inviting fans to share their stories. - Break 

American Express, in their "Action for Education" Facebook challenge, is vowing to donate up to $1 million to DonorsChoose.org when pledges towards improving local education reach 100,000. - Tonic 

Dell is combining user interests and reviews in their new Facebook application for social feedback. - Facebook 

Chevron shares how they are taking social media monitoring to the next level to build awareness of energy issues. - Vimeo 

Chevron Pulse Report: The State of Online Conversation About Energy Issues, presented by Robert Raines from GasPedal on Vimeo.
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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.

Social Media Case Studies [OCT-GB_V10.0]

CBS's 60 Minutes is encouraging viewers to submit 60-second video questions on the new 60 Minutes YouTube channel, which the program will later answer on the television broadcast. - Social Times 

New York Life Insurance Company is teaming up with Hasbro for a sweepstakes on Twitter where lucky followers of the company have the chance to win a special edition of "The Game of Life." - Facebook 

TwitterMoms discusses how Procter & Gamble has turned to Twitter to give consumers legitimate consumer ratings on their in-store products. - Brand Week 

Disney has created a new fan-generated website in which fans are invited to upload pictures and share their favorite memories from their Disney experiences. - Disney 

Nokia's world's smallest stop-motion video, filmed with a Nokia N8 phone and a CellScope microscope, is going viral with over 879,719 YouTube views and counting. - Nokia Blog 

OnStar is redefining in-car communications with its new feature that allows subscribers to verbally update their Facebook status and listen to recent news feed posts. - Advertising Age 

Whirlpool shares how they’re collaborating across departments and functions to provide a consistent brand experience. - Vimeo 

Whirlpool: Engaging Consumers in a House of Brands, presented by Brian Snyder and Scott Spiegel from GasPedal on Vimeo.

NBC promoted the premier of Community's second season with a "Twittersode" that consisted entirely of tweets from handles created for each character. - Fast Company 

GetGlue discusses how their partnership with MSNBC, AMC, Disney, HGTV, and Discovery is engaging fans and enabling users to "check in" to the entertainment that they are viewing. - ClickZ 

Domino's is turning to YouTube to help promote their new lunchtime menu with videos of the new menu items. - Pizza News 

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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.