Managing the Gray - Marketing for the New Media Professional

Last night as I was drifting off to sleep I saw this commercial from Sprint. At the end of it they give you the CEO’s e-mail address. ( dan [at] sprint [dot] com)

Of course, the first thing I did this morning was send “him” an e-mail to see what would happen.

As I guessed, I got an auto responder with some nice thank you text and link to their campaign website where I could learn more about their phones if I wanted to.

I’ll give whoever came up with this campaign credit for grabbing my attention and being smart enough to set up the auto response. But, what I’m hoping I get to do is give them praise if he actually ever answers the e-mail. I put in an invitation for him to come on Managing the Gray for an interview about this new approach to get a conversation started with consumers. Hopefully it goes better then the invitation I put over a year ago to politicians and none took me up on.

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Are you already reading Web Strategy by Jeremiah? If the answer is no, then get over there right now and subscribe to his feed. I came late to the party on this blog and feel that it is one of the best out there for people playing on the new media playground. I don’t know him personally but really hope our paths cross soon as I’d love to pick his brain.

Anyway, today he has a post talking about some of the top viral videos. He even went so far as to embed them in the post so I got entertained as well as informed. Although it was interesting that I had only seen three of the ten posted. Makes me wonder who was watching them and where I was that I totally missed them. *grin*

But, the point that he made that I wanted to back up and second is that no one should ever set out to “make a viral video” as that is doomed for failure or more importantly shouldn’t be the outset. Creating quality content that connects with a viewer as well as causes them to share that content is what I wish more people would focus on.

Sure, we can all hope that a video will go viral. Who wouldn’t want that type of success? We’d all want it and so would our clients. But, it shouldn’t ever be the measure of success in my mind. Focus on the content, the story, the message you are trying to get out. If people connect with it then it’ll spread and remember it that is important as well.

An example for me is that I had never heard about Agent Provocateur lingerie until I saw a post months ago on Shake Well Before Use (another blog that I highly recommend although it is quite different as you’ll see). I hadn’t thought much about it till today when Jeremiah shared a video from them with Kylie Minogue in it that for obvious reasons went viral. The minute I watched the video I remembered the blog post and thought, “Hmm…I’ve got to check out this company” and proceeded to go to their website. That is SO much more powerful then someone just saying “oh cute video” and sharing it. Does, the video make a connection with the viewer? Does it have the ability to turn them into potential customers that are now aware of your brand?

Think about it and let me know your thoughts.

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Ok, you want the perfect use of fun video to advertise a product?

My buddy Chris from The Financial Aid Podcast told me I had to check out http://www.willitblend.com/

I didn’t care that it was trying to sell me blenders. In fact I didn’t know it was at first. I just instantly went to the  “don’t try this at home” section and was floored by what they are putting into a blender.

The only opportunity (and it’s a big one) that they are missing, or I just couldn’t find, is a way to share the videos with others. Add that one little bit of new marketing juice and they’d have one big instant viral success I think.

Of course it’s the middle of the day and I’m now craving a margarita in the worse way! And a new blender….

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Go. Watch. Be Amazed.

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Ok, Deval Patrick is a smart marketer as well as a politician.

He’s been using social media in his campaign and then today when I go to Boston.com and they have a big spot on the home page where people can find out where all the candidates stand on the issues and when you go to that page you see this:

Notice the banner ad on the side? Yup, he’s bought banner ads on Boston.com and bingo, it appears on this site. THAT is a smart move.

I like his politics, but I LOVE whoever is doing the marketing for him.

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The Boston Globe is reporting that deals have just been signed that will make the billboards that racers go cruising by in Need for Speed Carbon dynamic and thus “live.”

When these games are played online with the Xbox or PC the ads will be updated with new movie posters, products and other items in real time.

This is a no brainer and a step in the right direction. It fits into the game. It’s not like when in the middle of a first person shooter a blatent ad is slapped up on a wall. Billboards and posters are part of this game. They are there already with static ads. Do gamers notice them? That I don’t know.

But, I would bet that if I were playing and suddenly saw an ad for a new movie it might catch my attention.

The problem? It’s a racing game. If I noticed an ad as I’m cruising along what do I do? Stop in the middle of the race and drive back to check it out? I doubt it. Hopefully my brain would process it fast enough to remember what it was or that I’d see it again the next time I played.

The idea is a great one. Ads should be dynamic and not static anymore whenever we are talking about new media and online. I’m just not sure they are going to get any form of measurable results.

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