What Tokio Hotel Tells us about Small Markets

My daughter who is twelve believes with all her heart that she discovered the band Tokio Hotel and made them famous.

To an extent, this is true.

While their story might sound like any other teen fascination, I think it has lessons for all of us. She discovered this tiny market “emo” band from Germany when they appeared on a tiny spot on MTV. She instantly fell into an all engrossing love affair with Bill Kaulitz, the lead singer. Still nothing new, right?

What happened next is fascinating. She began introducing the band to her brother’s 15 and 16 year old high school friends and started a movement. Twelve year old younger sisters do not co-opt high schoolers, as a general rule. She drove this band on Facebook and created a network of “friends” in more than one local high school as large as her brother’s – including many she’s never met.

Again we could chalk this up to general teen-ness and let it go, but a couple of things bear considering. First, distinctive differentiation. There are piles of teen bands out there, but this one’s lead singer is instantly recognizable. Some of their videos just show his silhouette and because of his distinctive hair [see picture] and overall look, even I recognize him.

Second, the power of social networks and small markets. This is a German band, whose work is produced in their native tongue first and only later ported to English. Though Island Records, their label, manages a number of big market artists like Bon Jovi, most of their promotion is Internet-only. Their fundamental appeal to teens is essentially under the radar, socially connected, and, totally “in-the-club” driven.

This all came together for me when I was watching the Denver Broncos narrowly beating the San Diego Chargers and realized that the NFL was playing their single, “Ready Set Go” to jazz up a commercial break.

You see, even this low-budget, behind the scenes, grassroots-driven stuff can make the big time.

Good Read. Great Example of Creative Advertising! As seen in Advertising Age…

Students promote creativity

A Norwegian art school finds new ways to attract prospective students. Norwegian creative school, Norges Kreative Fagskole, was facing fierce competition from other colleges and universities when it came to recruiting students. NKF wanted to maintain the level of applications received in 2007 for 2008 by increasing awareness amongst 18-24 year olds and boosting traffic to the website.
NKF recognized that most colleges did not speak in young people’s language, instead speaking to young people like their parents. It wanted to make the young people view the school as more of a credible companion rather than a boring grown up, or be the “Mac” among all the PCs in this category.

NFK decided to use its current students as brand ambassadors, starting by creating a website with an online art board. The site was built by some of the current NKF students in partnership with another agency. A prize of a Mac Book was offered for the best artistic contribution. This was supported by events where students could graffiti the campaign message live when speaking to prospective students and handing out brochures. There was also an indoor event where visitors could stand against a blue screen and have their photo super-imposed onto and illustration by the students. NKF also linked to niche creative sites to encourage a photo competition as well as using some SMS advertising.
As a result of the campaign, there was a 20% increase in applications compared to the previous year. Web traffic was up 69% compared to 2007 and there were 1,500 drawings created on the online art board.
Click here for campaign credits and more images.

Searching for the Future of Search

Ineke’s recent post “I Freebased….No, Not That Kind!” got me thinking about what the future of search will mean for marketers. Looking for futurist insights on the topic, a quick Google search using the term “Web 3.0” retrieved roughly 2,160,000 results with a Wikipedia page: dedicated to prognostications about the future of the Web leading the pack. One of the predictions found in the Wikipedia entry comes from John Markoff of the New York Times who hypothesizes that the evolution of Web 3.0 will “emphasize machine-facilitated understanding of information in order to provide a more productive and intuitive user experience.” The thought here is that Web 3.0 will bring about the sophistication of data analysis on the Web whereby “natural language processing”  will extract meaning from text/images and produce a set of highly specific and personalized results. In Web 3.0, you’ll engage in an interactive dialogue with your search engine to drill down to the exact information you’re looking for.

Implication? Search Engine Optimization will become a thing of the past and, as Bob Johnson suggests in an April 18^th posting, a university’s website will decrease in value as an early touchpoint.

In Web 3.0, brand awareness will become even more vital as users will quickly be able to bypass online content they are unfamiliar with. What this means for higher ed marketers is that more resources will need to be invested in getting your message out to audiences using a focused multi-platform approach.

Series 2 of 3: Looking out to the Edges of the Web Universe for the Next Big Ideas. – Getting on the Grid

I was listening to an NPR story about the starting of the Hadron Collider in Cern, Switerland. That’s the huge particle accelerator that’s trying to recreate the circumstances of the Big Bang and in the process might destroy the world – ok that depends on who you believe. At least for now, we survived the start up. In the story, the reporter mentioned that scientists are using a “next-generation” version of the Internet to track and store all the information. That got me curious so I started looking into what this evolution of the Internet was supposed to look like.

I invite you to follow me into every techie’s (or Matrix fan’s) Nirvana…the Grid Universe. Right now it is an interface used exclusively by scientists, but the developers of this data exchange vehicle of tomorrow have big plans for it. Here’s how University of Illinois’ National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) describes Grids:

“Grids are both a dream and a tool for realizing even larger dreams. Today, most grids are small and research oriented. They’re early forays away from the coast and into a vast, unexplored ocean. Tomorrow, the grid will be a single, sustained engine for scientific invention. It will link petaflops of computing power, petabytes of data, simulation and modeling codes of every stripe, sensors and instruments around the globe, and tools for discovering and managing these resources. At your desktop and at your whim, you’ll have access to the world and its computing assets. What you do with them is the larger dream.” See a full multimedia presentation.

Now if you followed that, you truly can count yourself as a superior technofile. Me, I was asking: “How is this different than what the Net does already?” I went looking for a layman’s explanation and found this from FOX News as originally reported in the London Times:

“At speeds about 10,000 times faster than a typical broadband connection, “the grid” will be able to send the entire Rolling Stones back catalogue from Britain to Japan in less than two seconds.

The latest spin-off from Cern, the particle physics centre that created the web, the grid could also provide the kind of power needed to transmit holographic images; allow instant online gaming with hundreds of thousands of players; and offer high-definition video telephony for the price of a local call.

David Britton, professor of physics at Glasgow University and a leading figure in the grid project, believes grid technologies could “revolutionise” society. “With this kind of computing power, future generations will have the ability to collaborate and communicate in ways older people like me cannot even imagine,” he said.

‘Although the grid itself is unlikely to be directly available to domestic internet users, many telecoms providers and businesses are already introducing its pioneering technologies. One of the most potent is so-called dynamic switching, which creates a dedicated channel for internet users trying to download large volumes of data such as films. In theory this would give a standard desktop computer the ability to download a movie in five seconds rather than the current three hours or so.

“Projects like the grid will bring huge changes in business and society as well as science,” Doyle said.

“Holographic video conferencing is not that far away. Online gaming could evolve to include many thousands of people, and social networking could become the main way we communicate.

SOURCE: www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,347212,00.html

Now this is an idea I can get excited about. Anything that will stream You Tube faster and allow me to watch high def movies online is off the hook! I also see incredible applications for online learning environments and the type and volume of interactive media we can put on our website. Most compelling, was Doyle’s comment on how social networking could be the main way we communicate. It says to me, that if this is not something you feel comfortable with now, start immersing yourself in that environment. It’s something at which everyone who communicates for a living should get to be an expert.

Series 1 of 3: Looking Out to the Edges of the Web Universe for the Next Big Ideas. – I Freebased… No, Not That Kind!

Photo Credit Will Lion (LINK: http://flickr.com/photos/will-lion/2595497078/)

So I was reading Andrew Careaga’s blog recently and he had a post about battling info-glut. Which lead me on a curiosity search for what, if anything, is out there that can help us manage information better both the finding and keeping of it. I know I spend a lot of time Googling or searching Wikipedia for information and my frustration is that I have to go to each site that Google pulls up or each link that Wikipedia includes and essentially analyze or compile that information myself. My search lead me to a new type of database called a Freebase, which describes itself as follows:

“Freebase is an open database of the world’s information. It is built by the community and for the community-free for anyone to query, contribute to, build applications on top of, or integrate into their websites.”

You’re probably saying to yourself, “that sounds like Wikipedia” …or, “isn’t that kind of what Google Base does?” Here’s specifically what Freebase says about that:

“Wikipedia and Freebase both appeal to people who love to use and organize information. The difference lies in the way they store information. Wikipedia arranges information in the form of articles. Freebase lists facts and statistics. Freebase’s list form is good not only for people who like to glance at facts, but also for people who want to use the data to build other web sites and software. Information in article form can’t be reused in the same way (though, obviously, articles are awesome for other purposes). In addition, the topics covered by Freebase include subjects that are too obscure for Wikipedia, which strives for notability appropriate to an encyclopedia.

Google Base is a whole ‘nother ball of wax. The data in Freebase is all shared and collectively editable, with a single instance of each topic (as described in Question 1). Google Base, on the other hand, lets you help other people find your data, but it doesn’t provide a community editing tool nor does it attempt to reconcile data sets. It’s a different animal.”

Playing around on Freebase for a while, I was quickly learning to love the idea of contextual grouping which is the way they organize information…but it was still a bit too single-topic minded. Then I came across this open source browsing interface called Freebase Parallax developed by David Huynh at Metaweb, the developer of Freebase.

Whoa baby…I’m digging this guy’s idea.

It’s still in its infancy, but you’ll quickly see how this could be any information hound’s (by definition isn’t that what we in the communication business are?) dream. Check out the video David made to illustrate how the interface works. Not only does it hold promise for our own research activities, but for helping our audiences interconnect the often complex multidisciplinary connections that exist in our own research units.

Freebase Parallax: A new way to browse and explore data from David Huynh on Vimeo

I’m still in search of the application or interface that will do the same kind of rich contextual organization for me with my emails and RSS feeds. If anyone knows of one…let me know!!!

UGC and Your Brand

Over the last several years, user-generated content (UGC) has been increasing rapidly in volume and importance. Back in April, eMarketer.com projected that the number of UGC creators will rise from 77 million in 2007 to 108 million in 2012 and consumption will climb from 94 million to 130 million. And with the technology for creating and distributing high-quality content readily available and virtually free, many in the blogosphere are predicting that UGC will soon represent more than 70% of all media consumed.

This shift is already impacting product development for new technologies. Case in point, trendwatching.com’s just published 2008 Trend Report included the new JVC Everio camcorder that “enables one-button uploads to YouTube…and also limits recordings to 10 minutes, which matches YouTube’s file-size limit and eliminates the need to manually time recordings or edit and shorten footage before uploading.”

Also check out a recent report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau titled User Generated Content, Social Media, and Advertising that includes a rundown of the various forms of UGC and some great examples of how brands are adapting to reach their customers.

As UGC continues to gain momentum, brand managers must become much more aware of the “unpaid” advertising that is impacting their brands. But also remember that UGC is a two-way conversation. It’s important not to attempt to sanitize the content from all negative comments. Instead, allow your audience the opportunity to be heard in their own voice. Here authenticity = potency.

Rural Broadband Not What You’d Expect

There is evidently a strong belief out there, because I’ve heard it many times, that rural folks don’t have broadband and therefore colleges and universities with more rural audiences should avoid the more engaging aspects that Web 2.0 provides.

It ain’t true.

Or at least it isn’t as true as people think it is. So says the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

They reported in February of this year that fully 68% of rural households used the internet in some location (only 3% lower than the nation as a whole) and 58% used it in the home. Perhaps most importantly, 38% had a broadband connection in their home.

The conclusion?… our rural audiences are getting to the Net, even if it is through their work, their school, library, or a coffee shop.

At the same time, dialup connections are in the homes of only 19% of rural households.

Most importantly, the data shows that household income is as significant a determiner of broadband use as geographic position. In fact, 51% of rural households with incomes of $50,000 per year and above (essentially middle-class by governmental standards) have broadband connections in the home and nearly 90% use the Internet at some location.

SOURCE: Prepared by Prescott Coleman from data from the NTIA report Networked Nation: Broadband in America 2007
[http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/2008/NetworkedNationBroadbandinAmerica2007.pdf]

And, while there is some information to suggest that the rate of broadband adoption is slowing, it seems clear that tomorrow there will be more high-speed users than today… and every day after that.

The New Media Double-Dip

Here’s a good example of shaping tactics to maximize impact via new media.

As mentioned in the previous blog on September 1 titled What’s Your Brand Sound, EMG just helped produce a music video for Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, VA (be sure to watch the “I Love the Modern Mind” video in the previous blog). It was done to support the 2008 Convocation address by Acting President John Broderick on August 20. It’s a strong expression of the ODU brand and was warmly received by about 350 faculty, students, staff, and dignitaries. As the Convocation closer, it projected an attitude of energy, student-centeredness, and forward-thinking optimism.

So far so good, but not enough for AVP Jennifer Mullen Collins, who wanted more out of her video investment. After the initial showing at Convocation, she put the video on YouTube, where 1,300 new viewers compounded its exposure in its first four days on the site. She also put a Spotlight link on the ODU home page (www.odu.edu), along with the slick sell messaging below.

The modern mind is panoramic. It's a multi-tasking whiz in a world
where image, sound, and ideas fly by at the speed of light. It collects
the pieces, shapes them, assembles and reassembles until it's
satisfied with the outcome.  It's you.  And at Old Dominion University,
we get it.

Next she plans on adding some outtakes from the shoot to the YouTube site, and then cutting several :30 spots from the video for TV advertising. After that, who knows?

It’s the kind of neat tactical layering designed to exploit Web 2.0 capabilities and develop a brand that others resonate with, and can participate in. But it takes some planning and thought. For example, the ODU piece was conceived to suit YouTube viewers – it’s entertaining, a true music video in style and tone. Running 105 seconds, It uses catchy original music that echoes the brand campaign. And it was made with an eye toward being able to edit multiple finished products from the single production. Thus powerful TV spots will be economically edited from the current video.

As icing on the cake, Jennifer reached across the campus to dozens of students and other units to produce the video, saving thousands of dollars in production costs. (Good internal collaboration to solve new needs – see the 8/11 post on Staffing.) All in all, an outstanding example of making the most of a video investment.

Great work, Jennifer!

What’s Your Brand Sound

My friends and I often play a version of “Name that Tune” while waiting in line at the movie theater or on a road trip.  The specific rules of our game center around coming up with the tunes of obscure commercial jingles and television shows and trying to get the others to guess what show or product they’re associated with.  Obviously we don’t even touch the highly recognizable ones, because they’re too easy…and that recognizability is the subject of my topic today.  Tapping into music as tactic in marketing your college or university.
Music has a way of getting to our brain stem (our emotional core) in a manner that language and even imagery, I might argue, can not. Only our sense of smell is as, or even more, powerful in tapping into our emotions.  Martin Lindstrom, author of Brand Sense, agrees.

“Sound generates mood and memories. It promotes brand awareness. Sound also communicates brand quality. For instance the sound of the car doors closing. It builds brand recognition and builds brand familiarity.” Brand Sense, By Martin Lindstrom

Sound, music in particular, has been a primary tool in marketer’s toolkits since the beginning days of radio and television.  “I’m a Chiquita Banana and I’m here to say…” has been around since 1946, and most of you have probably heard it.  How about “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke,” or “Meow Meow Meow Meow,” or “If You Got the Time, We’ve Got the Beer,” or “Plop, Plop, Fizz,” “Jello,” or “I wish I were an Oscar Mayer…”

Distinctive music, however, has been largely overlooked in college and university marketing. Ironic, since music is often at the center of an institution’s traditions.  On the marketing front, however, music often ends up being the background for words and images, rather than the driving force that words and images support.  Done correctly, you have the potential to engage your audiences – internal and external – in a way that will stay with them much longer than any headline or image.
A great example is Old Dominion University.  ODU just introduced a new video based on music it had especially composed for the brand.  The University launched the video at its annual State of the University address to faculty and staff and posted it on YouTube as well.  Almost immediately, the video generated a great deal of excitement and buzz. In fact, within hours of its unveiling, it had received over a thousand hits on YouTube.

More sources about tapping into sound and all the senses in your marketing efforts:
Smells Like Brand Spirit.
Sensory Brand Management: It Makes (Five) Senses
Senses Cue Brand Recognition
In the Realm of the Senses