Sunday, July 10, 2011

Dog owners last longer in bed than cat owners? An app for condom usage

The health care organisation in Stockholm is trying a social media game to encourage the Swedes to use condoms. Around the city, Stockholms Läns Landsting (responsible for the local government´s hospitals etc), gives out free condoms wrapped in a box telling people to use their app "Liggprofilen" which means something like "Sex style profile". People are supposed to bring the smartphone to bed (or wherever they fancy sleeping with someone) and then record rythm, sound and time, and post the result for everyone to see. On the website you can follow how people "do it" and compare dog owners with cat owners, guys who wear sneakers with girls who live in Southern suburbs.

Which takes us back to the headline of this blog post: Those who have a dog have sex on average 4 minutes and 11 seconds, while those who own a cat only do it for 1 minute and 25 seconds. But... if you own a goldfish you won´t even last for a minute.

Allright, the statistics might not be reliable... but it´s at least a little interesting and different, and aren´t we living in a culture constantly looking for novelty? People can´t simply live, they seem to also need to record, measure and analyse every step on the way. Brands can attract them by sending a little game or a contest or a magic trick their way. Entertain, surprise, shock, make them giggle, and you have won their hearts. Help them escape from the real world for a while and they will love you for it.

It is not for everyone though. Some people are restless, constantly seeking attention and change - they get a physical kick out of getting an sms! Some people are happy with silence and feel more stress than relief from getting email in their smartphones. Some don´t mind sharing their darkest secrets with everyone, others get offended by a simple question. It´s all in our DNA and a marketer should have a plan for both types of consumers.

When it comes to usage of condoms I believe "Liggprofilen" is a great idea built on a brilliant strategy. The type of people who tend to "forget" to use condoms, and who are more likely to have one night stands or cheat, are those who can´t sit still and get easily bored - especially of doctors or nurses or any authorities telling them what to do. They will protest if you lecture, yawn if you inform and do the opposite if you push. But if you play with them, on their terms, by giving them a puzzle, or as in the case of the Swedish sex profile app, you can get closer.

Agency Ester Stockholm http://www.esterstockholm.se/ who has won several prizes for the campaigns for Kondom08.

All this made me remember an old post of mine, about a man who married his dog. Ehum. http://howwemove.blogspot.com/2010/12/man-marries-dog-and-woman-marries.html

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