iTV, tablets, smartphones: why consumers are ready for multi-media marketing

What is it about commercial breaks that evoke such negativity among TV viewers?  My guess is that it's not so much the commercial breaks, but rather the irritating nature of commercials themselves. Could it be that the web-savvy public has outgrown advertising's modus operandi of cramming dull, convoluted USPs into forced-fed 30 and 15-second blips? 

 

In AdWeek, Jacquie Corbelli, CEO of BrightLine iTV Marketing Specialists, opined it's time for marketers to embrace multi-platform campaigns that bridge traditional advertising and digital/social media. She cites Unilever’s success with "The Rookie," a webisode series created for Degree deodorant by Mindshare Performance/ Entertainment with 20th Century Fox's hit show "24." By combining web, mobile and iTV  the campaign achieved average engagement times of more than seven minutes -- 14 times that of a traditional 30-second TV spot. This media strategy worked, boosting Degree sales 22 percent over a three-month period - making it the fastest-growing brand in its category. 

Understandably, most marketers have been slow to experiment with digital integration. But with ultra-smartphones, tablet computers, interactive/ iTV, and social/digital media all becoming mainstream, the pressing question is, "if not now, when?"

Immersive Technology & Marketing: From Mobile Apps to "Virtual Cocoons"

About 20 years ago people got really excited about Virtual Reality. In concept, games and entertainment that could immerse users in a rich interactive experience seemed promising. However, due to its high cost and clunky equipment VR never gained mainstream use. At least not yet. Last year a team of British scientists from the Universities of York and Warwick unveiled an ambitious project called “Towards Real Virtuality" aimed at taking VR to a remarkable next level - capable of simultaneously and realistically stimulating all five senses - touch, sound, feel, taste and smell. Included in the project is development of a “Virtual Cocoon” – a user module equipped with a special headset and wired with sensory-producing electronics and computing capabilities. 

Any VR device capable of simulating all five senses has huge potential from a marketing communications standpoint. It's easy to imagine how Virtual Cocoons might be deployed in experiential campaigns to promote everything from food, fashion and home furnishings, to real estate, exotic travel, luxury cars and interactive entertainment. Alas, the V-coon is still very much a work in progress as researchers try to reduce its prohibitive cost. 

In the meantime the here-and-now technology for ad and PR folk to explore is Augmented Reality. While AR can't come close to the all-sensory experience of "Virtual Cocooning," it still offers plenty in terms of creative interactivity and broad user appeal.  Watch tech reporter Adam Balkin's story on NY1 TV about three cheap, quasi-immersive games now available to Apple iphone users. Also worth reading is this blog post by Steve Mann, founder and CEO of AbleBrains, with commentary and a video demo of the new AR app called Wikitude.   

Abundant social media at NY Fashion Week made everyone an insider

It used to be that NY Fashion Week was for A-listers and industry elite. No more, according to Mashable, which posted about social media’s democratizing affect. For the past six days, from September 9 -16, anyone from anywhere on earth, was able to be a fashion insider via social networks that brought them up close and deep behind the scenes - all for free. 

Back in pre-web days the fashion public waited weeks or even months to see what editors decided to report from the runways. This year NY Fashion Week held nothing back, spewing news and stirring the publicity pot with the help of nimble bloggers, some with VVIP  access, whose simple point, shoot, edit and stream efficiency fed the frenzy. Some designers worked even faster by putting out their own runway photos and video in realtime. 

For me, most notable about NY Fashion Week was the abundant, innovative mix of digital/social media in use: Facebook, Twitter, blogs, mobile, crowdsourcing, live streaming, geo-social, and more. The deluge of content worked to bond fans with designers and with other fans, and surely all the buzz was a huge victory for the fashion business.  During the Great Depression people flocked to movie theaters for a dose of fantasy. For some Fashion Week is a sort of escapism designed to excite and inspire people to get out and shop.  

Publishing's Lucrative Future in Transmedia

Transmedia producer Simon Pulman wrote a compelling post on his Transmythology blog about publishing's need to become intellectual property distributors, promoters and curators. The eBook is just a first step into the vast and lucrative digital realm, and Pulman suggests that soon literary blockbusters may well be conceived from the ground up as transmedia productions. It's easy to imagine all types of material published in an array of offline/digital/social media that together create an extraordinarily rich reading experience.  Pulman adds that publishers accustomed to selling rights may soon retain IP control and exploit their ability to build and mine active fan communities, and drive revenue from for-pay companion content. Here is the link to Mr. Pulman’s insightful Transmythology  blog. 

Why Hollywood filmmakers see their future in multimedia storytelling

Narrative treasure trove inside Guillermo Del Toro's
sketchbook for Pan's Labyrinth  

Acclaimed film director, producer, screenwriter and designer Guillermo Del Toro, best known for films such as Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy, says he's eagerly branching into television and working with Dreamworks Animation. Why?  He told reporters at the Toronto International Film Festival that storytellers of the future, including himself, need to embrace multiple media platforms (including games) because they offer enormous narrative possibilities. Read more about this at techland.com. 

Marketing communicators will follow suit, no doubt, perhaps more quickly and aggressively than filmmakers simply because campaigns are much smaller, more focused productions. Can we expect transmedia marketing campaigns any time soon from pioneering brands like Nike, BMW and Starbucks? 

Levy's Rye and why digital must revive the art (and craft) of great "grab-ya" headline writing

Where are today’s great ad headlines?  Rarely do we see punchy, clever, few-word "grab-ya' wonders like those created by the real Mad Men (and women) of the 1960’s – 70’s. One of the all-time classic print ad campaigns was for Levy’s Rye Bread, the work of ad legend Bill Bernbach.  Bernbach had equal admiration for art and word, and back in the mid-60's he was one of the first to assign copywriters and art directors in teams. Previously, art and copy worked in different departments!

The Levy’s campaign, "You don't have to be Jewish to love Levy's," is a fantastic example of instant “I get it, I love it” communication. The ad series ran in magazines and newspapers and also as eye-popping transit posters so iconic and beloved that you can buy reproductions today on Amazon. 

The immediacy of the Levy’s copy makes it a great model for anyone working in digital communications. The world is infinitely faster and more distracted than it was in Bill Bernbach’s heyday, but three fundamentals for effective selling and storytelling still stand: Simplicity; Clarity; Creativity.  

Nowadays it's too easy to lose the message amid digital's bells and whistles. Mr. Bernbach never let execution interfere with his marketing mission and nor should we. Indeed, Bill's philosophy is incredibly timely, "If your advertising goes unnoticed, everything else is academic!" 

Can Ad Agencies Pitch Big Brands on Transmedia?

Y&R's "Whole Egg" - ready to hatch after +30 years ?  

Today, more and more filmmakers are pitching projects with transmedia adaptations. In the current issue of Canadian Screenwriter Magazine, columnist Kelli Ann Benz writes,  “Now, when you come with your series idea, [funding agencies look at how] you are taking it digital too – engaging web sites, web series, computer games, alternative reality games, social media sites, blogging, geo caching, whatever!”

What about big-time brand marketers?  Transmedia adaptations seem a logical next step for big consumer brands with well-developed digital programs. The question is, can traditional ad-centric agencies pitch (and deliver) transmedia campaigns? After all, transmedia requires an interdisciplinary approach and talent from inside and outside the typical ad organization. Until now the territorial nature of the ad business has made such collaborations difficult to pull off.

In the 1970’s, Y&R’s chief Ed Ney introduced a visionary concept called “Whole Egg” – a blueprint for the one-stop super ad shop capable of integrating advertising services with other marketing specialties, such as direct marketing, public relations, sales promotion, and more.  Indeed, Y&R acquired a stable full of best-in class specialty firms like Wunderman, Ricotta & Kline, and Burson Marsteller, yet the spirit of “Whole Egg” was never fully realized. Perhaps it will be now. The digital age demands integrated thinking and resources, and Y&R (now part of WPP) has plenty to work with right in the family.