How we move - trends, insights, marketing, strategy

The prettiest Lego is not perfect according to adults

2012-02-25T07:48:00.000+11:00

PSFK presented in their newsletter today this glorious building:

"CHURCH BUILT OUT OF GIANT LEGO BLOCKS

The Abondantus Gigantus was a temporary chapel constructed last year as part of the Grenswerk Festival in Enschede, Netherlands. The church could be mistaken for a children’s playhouse as it’s built using colorful construction bricks that resemble toy LEGO blocks. The concrete building material is Legioblock, which is often used to build walls and industrial buildings. These concrete blocks can be interconnected and stacked on top of each other just like the toy building blocks.

Designers Michiel de Wit and Filip Jonker commented that, “The odd scale of the church invites the viewer to become aware of the things we take for granted and to observe them once again, more closely, and to either let go or accept. The church appeals to sentiments for renewed sense of community.”

Watch the video below to see how the 65-foot toy-like chapel was constructed:"

You can build magnificent things out of Lego, but for kids it´s probably more fun to simply use their imagination and build the buildings of their dreams, whether they look like something real or not. I love this ad (someone says it is from 1981, when girls did not have to look like princesses...):

Talking of princesses, Sweden got a new one delivered the other day :) Her name is Estelle and she is the result of our crown princess Victoria marrying her personal trainer!

Street ads in Bondi Beach

2012-02-24T09:15:00.000+11:00

Sometimes the best, most creative marketing is not the ads that too endless meetings and millions of dollars to produce, but those little ideas, those small gestures. These are two funny cultural observations I made in Bondi Beach:

People are superstitious because they are lazy? How does this affect your marketing strategy?

2012-02-24T08:24:00.000+11:00

Now you might think I´m a freak, haha, but last night I went to a spiritual meeting to participate in a “sacred ceremony to cut energetic cords from past relationships”. The meeting was held by a lady I met a few years back at a conference, so I thought I´d test it out. Why not? :)

We were asked to put a sparkling thing on the table during the session, and this item would then be “blessed” by the angels entering the room during meditation. I have a glittery cover for my iphone so I put it there to be infused with good luck and energy from the sky (or something...). Whatever comes into my phone is now a “sign”.

You might laugh, but these things are used by many to make decisions in life; a lot of people are superstitious; a huge bunch of us don´t just rely on facts and data but on star signs and mystery.

I believe this is closely connected to the psychologist Daniel Kahneman´s theories on intuition, and that our mind by default is trying to take shortcuts to avoid spending energy finding out facts. When the brain knows too much it´s harder to make a confident decision; the less you need to consider, the more sure you can feel, which is comforting – so you prefer to be lazy and uninformed, and to base your opinions on random feelings instead of facts. Superstition is the easy way out. No information gathering needed – just throw a coin or consult your horoscope!

According to a study in New Woman from 2006, 6 out of 10 Australians can’t start their day without checking their star sign. 6 out of 10 Australians know the star sign of their pet, and 35 % of NSW readers check their horoscope before having sex with a new partner. Time magazine wrote around the same time that 1 in 5 British adults regularly throw coins into wishing wells and fountains.

Richard Wiseman, the British psychologist and author of Quirkology and Luck Factor, has studied superstition, and the results of his research is not uplifting for me and my blessed phone... These are his words:

“In 1996, the Gallup Organization asked 1,000 Americans whether they were superstitious. 53 percent of people said that they were at least a little superstitious, and 25 percent admitted to being somewhat or very superstitious. Another survey revealed that 72 percent of the public said that they possessed at least one good luck charm.

Superstitious beliefs and behaviors have been passed down from generation to generation. Our parents told us about them and we will pass them on to our children. But why do they persist? I believe that the answer lies in the power of luck. Throughout history, people have recognized that good and bad luck can transform lives. A few seconds of ill fortune can lay waste years of striving, and moments of good luck can save an enormous amount of hard work. Superstition represents people’s attempts to control and enhance this most elusive of factors. And the enduring nature of these superstitions beliefs and behaviors reflects the extent of people’s desire to find ways of increasing their good luck. In short, superstitions were created, and have survived, because they promise that most elusive of holy grails – a way of enhancing good fortune. There is just one problem. Superstition doesn’t work.

Several researchers have also tested the validity of these age-old beliefs and found them wanting. My favorite experiment into the topic was a rather strange study conducted by high school student (and member of the New York Skeptics) Mark Levin. In some countries, a black cat crossing your path is seen as lucky, in other countries it is seen as unlucky. Levin wanted to discover whether people’s luck really changed when a black cat crossed their path. To find out, he asked two people to try their luck at a simple coin tossing game. Next, a black cat was encouraged to walk across their path, and the participants then played the coin tossing game a second time. As a “control” condition,

Levin also repeated the experiment using a white, rather than a black, cat. After much coin tossing and cat crossing, Levin concluded that neither the black or white cat had any effect on participants’ luck. Also, skeptics have regularly staged events in which they have broken well-known superstitions, such as walking under ladders and smashing mirrors – all have survived the ordeals intact.

A few years ago I decided to put the power of lucky charms to the test by empirically evaluating the actual effect that they have on people’s luck, lives, and happiness. I asked a group of volunteers to complete various standardized questionnaires measuring their levels of life satisfaction, happiness, and luck. Next, they were asked to carry a lucky charm with them and to monitor the effect that it had on their lives. The charms had been purchased from a New Age center and promised to enhance good fortune, wealth, and happiness. After a few weeks everyone in the group was asked to indicate the effect that the charms had had on their lives. Overall, there was absolutely no effect in terms of how satisfied they were with their lives, how happy they were, or how lucky they felt. Interestingly, a few participants thought that they had been especially unlucky, and seemed somewhat relieved that they could now return the charms.”

What do you think? How can this change the way you work today? Is your brain lazy too? Can you adapt to your target audience´s superstitious minds?

I believe in healthy intuition, based on research. When you have stored a lot of data in your brain, your feelings (or psychic gift) can help you analyse this and draw conclusions beyond logic. If there are only a few random bits and pieces in your information bank, the conclusions will be incorrect, but if you have done your homework, a bit of mystery can help you trust your instincts.

I will curiously observe my phone today. What kind of "signs" will come...? Move to Sweden? London? Stay in Sydney? Write another book? Leave it all and get a job in a café? Dear phone, suprise me! lol

Love advice for brands: If you want to get married - don´t dress for a one night stand.

2012-02-23T13:59:00.001+11:00

Sometimes you come across brand managers whose ultimate goal is "awareness". Or, nowadays in the time of social media, marketing directors also ask you to increase the numbers of Facebook Likes, which they often call "involvement", but is mainly a way to measure awareness...

If you were looking for a boyfriend and all you wanted was to catch their eye you could simply wear a very short skirt or a deep cleavage - even if this would most likely be contra productive...

Hmm. It always upsets me when brands ask for so little, and I would never settle with giving them "awareness". In reality, anyone can easily make people aware. Just do really weird stuff:

If you saw these people, you would be aware of them, wouldn´t you? But would you fancy them? Would you go out with them? Would you marry them? I´m sure they are all awesome and very likeable, but I´m sure you get the point... To only ask the agency to create "awareness" is to ask for scrubs.

You want consumers to like you long term. You want them to have a clear image in their head of what you stand for and what you can offer them. You want the money spent on a campaign today to generate sales a year ahead. You want more!

I know it´s tough times and all companies want quick results, and sometimes the brand manager is only there temporarily and wish to shine with an awareness campaign that leads to a quick sales peak - and nobody is really there to see what happened in 6 month or 12. Too far away - let the next brand manager take that ball...

But I´m just saying... If all you want to be happily married, don´t aim for a one night stand.

What to shop for next - knit, leather and black/blue

2012-02-23T13:11:00.000+11:00

From trendcentral.com who has been at the NY fashion week.

"While some attendees grumbled about boringshows and uninspiredcollections, a trove of unusually wearable clotheswere on display for fall 2012 at New York Fashion Week. Call it the KateMiddleton effect, but no longer are designers catering to just their mostcutting-edge customers. Instead, anyone with acable knit or a closetstocked with leather can join in.

Closely Knit:Despite this year’s mild winter, designers didn’t shy away from featuringsnow-ready wares. Indeed, it was the humble cable knit sweater that provided the biggestsurprise during New York Fashion Week. Derek Lampaired his with red carpet-worthy skirts, dressing up the traditionally dowdywardrobe staple, while YigalAzrouël’s exaggerated knit links and chains wereused to create discreet cut-outs (and, perhaps a bit of circulation should itget too hot). At 3.1 PhillipLim, the sweater was worn upside down, and seeminglyinside-out, adding a post-modernist twist. But few designers paid homage to theiconic pattern like TommyHilfiger, who showed a trompe l’oeil cable knit dress.

Show Some Skin: PETAwas notably quiet this year, so attendees were left to wonder whether theindustry had finally phased out the use of animal skin. Gauging by the fallcollections, the answer remains “no.” In addition to plentiful fur andshearling accents, leather was the focal point of many runway ensembles. AtYigal Azrouël and AlexanderWang, it was a head-to-toe affair, while at ProenzaSchouler it came in woven doses.Some designers, including Peter Somand Doo.Ri,upgraded skinny leather leggings with looser, trouser-likeversions. Meanwhile, patent leather returned in abig way, shimmering on the runways of Thakoon,Derek Lam, Tory Burch,and Diane vonFurstenberg.

Black and Blue All Over: Whilethe stand-outcolor of the season was ox blood,the hot new pairing is black andblue. Some shows went with navy (as seen on theblanket coats at Rag &Bone), while others chose cobalt (includinghigh-sheen options at PrabalGurung), and a few (Band ofOutsiders, Bill Blass)integrated bright and dark shades of azure. Black-and-blue looked just as goodon the knee-grazing wool jackets at Billy Reidas they did on the sleek, body-con leather jackets and cut-out dresses at KevorkKiledjian. At Proenza Schouler the black and bluemovement converged with contrasting materials for a pleasing, and refreshinglyurbane, effect."

Read this online at trendcentral.com.

I just realised I´m wearing black and blue today. I´m soooo IN, lol.

Dolce & Gangbanga - PLEASE adland, stop creating a crap culture

2012-02-21T07:05:00.000+11:00

This ad is... absolutely out of line! I saw it for the first time today but I think it is from early last year sometime.

Please adland, can we NOT make these kind of ads?? We have a responsibility. Ads are still making impact of the culture, even if everything is about consumers making the content and engaging with online ads and apps nowadays. Print ads are still all over the mags and consumed, watched and they are forming values.

Please adland.

Move your body to think - Daniel Kahneman gives us they key to the consumer´s heart

2012-02-20T07:53:00.000+11:00

Daniel Kahneman writes in his “Thinking, fast and slow” about the fascinating concept of “associative activation”:

"Ideas that have been evoked trigger many other ideas. Each element in the brain is connected, and they support and strengthen each other. A word can evoke memories, which evoke emotions, which in turn evoke facial expressions and other reactions like general tensing up or avoidance tendency. These reactions intensify the feelings to which they are linked, and the emotion in turn reinforces compatible ideas. All this happens quickly and at once, yielding a self-reinforcing pattern of cognitive, emotional and physical responses that is both diverse and integrated."

This explains why you can smile to be happy or “fake it til you make it”. If you when going into a meeting feel a little nervous, the worst you can do is to give in to that idea and think “I´m nervous, OMG my body is shaking”, because this will only make you more nervous! Instead you should tell your body and mind “I´m confident. I´m good at what I do and have prepared myself well. They will adore me.” You should also make sure you stand straight and balanced, walk with energy and shake hands with strength, looking into people´s eyes. Just by doing this, you will also become more confident, because your brain will believe your lies. It´s easily tricked, your brain... :)

This also explains the power of affirmations, visualisations, positive thinking, of spending more time on solutions than problems and why girls who think “All men are bastards” only meet bastards! We attract what is in our heads; the world is a mirror.

To a marketing strategist this phenomenon is interesting in terms of how you can make people more friendly towards your brands by evoking the right type of memories within. Ask a question that will make them think “yes” and nod their heads and this will open a channel to their brain for the second question: “Would you like to buy _________?” Show pictures in your ads that will awaken strong feelings evoking other positive memories and feelings, that will strengthen the emotional state the consumer is when watching.

Involve and engage through apps or experiential campaigns that puts their bodies in a wanted state, where people are receptive to you. Let them play silly games and feel like children if you sell something that is a “treat”. Let them do puzzles or learn new things if you want them to trust you and purchase bank services or insurance.

It is fascinating how easy it is to be happy. And how great we are at making ourselves worried or sad. So many waste time and energy fretting and calculating, stressing and thinking they are useless. Deep down it is a cry for help, but what happens is that the more you dwell on your flaws and the injustice of life, the worst it will get. You will be a problem magnet.

Or a happiness magnet...

Fake it til you make it, and help your target audience to do so as well. It will increase bottom lines and help you smile!

Why strategic planners are annoying - Kahneman says your brain is lazy

2012-02-18T08:16:00.001+11:00

There are several different types of planners, and todescribe myself I often use “intuitive”, which for me means I “see” things, I´mgood at finding the most important parts in a huge amount of material, and“see” how facts and factors from various worlds can be merged to liftmarketing. I “read” people and situations. But I should really use the word“intuitive” with care.

After I´ve started reading Nobel Leureate in economicsDaniel Kahneman´s fabulous book “Thinking, fast and slow” I´ve understood that“intuition” can simply be another word for “lazy thinking”. Ooops.

In the book, Kahneman describes how we have two thoughtsystems, one intuitive and one rational (or as we could say: we think witheither the heart or the brain). The intuitive system reacts immediately – basedon what it knows – and the rational system starts gathering more data to makesure it has what it needs to make a decision. One system thinks fast, the otherslow.

According to Kahneman, they are both lazy though... Humansare always trying to take shortcuts, to base our opinions on what comes mosteasy. But this will mess up our judgements and make us walk in the wrongdirection. When we don´t have time (or are hungry), the brain – both theemotional and the rational brain – will try to find quick answers, and in thatprocess make rapid assumptions based on previous learnings, however small thenumber of experiences is.

To me, this explains why we have so many great marketingcampaigns for young people. Most marketers are lazy –because they are time-poorand stressed to come up with something fabulous in seconds. But when youngpeople market to young people they don´t need to do that much research; theyhave an intuitive understanding already. When those young people have to marketto older people though... Perhaps not so good to just turn to your “gut feeling”.I´ve so many times seen first meetings about a pitch for a product targetingGen X or baby boomers turn into some kind of focus group where all sorts of GenY´s are venting their own feelings about the brand. So wrong!!!

Intuition works well when it´s based on a solid ground ofknowledge. When you read, absorb, study and are curious about life, and whenyou have a little bit of life experience, you are more likely to come up withsomething amazing based on instinct. This is why really great marketers haveinterests and passions outside work, and hang out with people who don´t work inadvertising (spooky, I know, haha).

Make sure you gather impressions from various worlds though.If you are really into art, your “instinct” will always attract you to artyideas, and if you are hanging out with Northern Beaches girls you will thinkeveryone will react, act, feel, think and be like them. Your subconscious is noOracle, it is not the almighty God who knows everything about everything. Yourbrain only absorbs whatever information you have filled yourself with andjudges in order with that. Don´t think “gut feeling” is a higher Truth. It´sjust your lazy automatic response, the one your brain uses to get away from thechallenging task as quickly as possible to keep drinking cocktails in the sun.

Kahneman writes that the brain feels more comfortable theless it knows. When it has too much to digest and consider it will freak outand feel confused, less eager to “run with an idea”. This is why many creativepeople and suits think I am a little annoying JWhat a planner do is bringing in wisdom, facts, insights and thoughts. I seethings from several angles, I stretch the thinking, I turn it all upside downin the end to see if the ideas can handle it. Sure, I will present patterns andgive directions, but I like to inspire all with a big variety of data insteadof just giving a one page brief (which I believe only amplifies the lazy mindset). But getting lots can be overwhelming... Sigh. I´m a “thought sparker”,and what Kahneman tells us is that having too many thought in our head is exhausting.Hence a meeting with a strategist can irritate, because it challenges...

I know it would be easier to come up with something funbased on those first intuitive thoughts, but hold your horses! Those who havebeen around for a while and are heavy consumers of all sorts of information,who meets various types of people, are more likely to answer a pitch in a dayand win, because they have a strong base to build intuitive ideas on. Those whoare rookies should put some work into research before they get into the ideasgeneration phase. Anything else will be arrogant.

What is your challenge today? Talk to someone random,someone older or younger? Read a magazine about a topic that does not interestyou? Open the newspaper? See an exhibition? Travel to another suburb? Put yourlazy thinking and your comfort zone at risk. Time to step up!

I still wish to be "intuitive", but make sure I´m not simply lazy :)

Men rule at Cannes Lion 2012

2012-02-17T07:41:00.001+11:00

I got an email from Cannes Lion this morning, announcing new world class speakers to present on those massive stages in the south of France in June.

Nine new faces were to tell their stories. All of them men. SIGH. What is wrong with this industry? Are only guys doing and thinking things worthy being spread?

I don´t think the decision to let another nine dudes step up in the spotlight is a plot against women; it is simply a consequence of people not considering how limited our thinking is, and how trained we are in seeing men as "better" and how we instinctively judge individuals based on what box we believe they belong in. Our culture supports men, and both men and women are to blame. We all base our opinions on silly things like tone of voice, how tall someone is or what a person is wearing. This is the root to racism and unfair treatments of humans all over the world, all through history. We put each other in boxes and make quick and lazy assumptions based on fluff.

The fact that all nine new speakers are male is not a conspiracy. But intelligent people with understanding of the power of influence and how subconscious feelings steer people into certain directions, without a piece of logic involved, should know better.

Ignorance is bliss. But it´s also ignorant. The Cannes Lion event management team should be smarter than that.

My blog about the gender discussion at last years Cannes Lion: http://howwemove.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/shockingly-awful-gender-discussion-at.html

Do I build digital strategies? Or strategies that can go viral?

2012-02-16T08:39:00.000+11:00

Sometimes clientsask me if I do digital strategy, and it always confuses me. Every strategy –digital or “traditional” – must come from the same source, right?

My main job is tofind insights about the brand, the consumer and their relationship with eachother, to be able to find keys on how to make people attracted to and eager topurchase a product or service. I will recommend messages, tone of voice,visuals and channels.

Sometimes the way into a person´s heart is social media.Sometimes an app will make the target go nuts. Sometimes it´s a DM campaignthat will lead to sales. To me, “digital” is a channel, a place where peoplehang out, and that doesn´t need a “digital strategy” of its own.

What agenciesreally are asking me, is if I know what kind of tools to use. They want me toact like a media agency, having insights on how people feel on variousplatforms, what demographics are using which sites, and what´s the etiquette oneach of them?

I don´t know...but when going through the Facebook sites of different brands I can´t stopyawning. Whoever built them is probably a tech-savvy gen Z intern at the agency,but there are very rarely any deep insights to be spotted behind the strategy,the idea and the actions taken... It is like they don´t respect the target, but rather shout out a message (win, win, win, look at me). PerhapsI´m just too old...

For fun I googled "digital strategy" and checked out Images... OMG, there are a lot of infographics to be used - and we all love smart art on Power Point, don´t we? Haha. Here is one example. Get it?

Here are some tipson how to create a social media strategy from Nick Shin: (marketingshindig.com),from an article on Social Media Examiner (I´ve shortened the tips) http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/7-steps-for-a-successful-social-media-strategy/ Makes sense. But it´s not rocket science :)

#1: Determine Your Goals and Objectives

Understand your social media goals and objectivesand how they tie into your overall company goals. Keep it Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic/Relevant,and Timely (aka be SMART!).

#2: Research, Research, and Research Some More

Rather than jumping into the social media pool withboth feet, do the equivalent of the “splash-water-on-self” maneuver so you knowwhat to expect. Develop a list of social media sites where you canpotentially engage with people. The list will most likely start off withTwitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and a few select blogs and forums. Check out eachof the social media sites on your list and do additional research todetermine relevancy by searching for your brand name, your competitors,and your target keywords. Listen to what’s out there, identify, andunderstand your target audience.

#3: Create a Digital Rolodex of Contacts and Content

When social media is done correctly, relationshipswill build naturally Begin making connections by following theconversation. You can do this by subscribing to blogs in your industryand by making a list of influencers who are relevant to your business.

#4: Join the Conversation to Develop Relationships

Now it’s time to start making use of all theresearch you’ve done. You can start joining the conversation by postingcomments on blogs and forums, answering questions on Yahoo! and LinkedIn,joining groups related to your industry. Begin developing relationships byfollowing and friending influencers and those in your industry.

#5: Strengthen Relationships

It’s easy to hide behind your avatar or profilepicture, but face-to-face is incredibly powerful. Attend offline eventsrelated to your industry—not only to strengthen your knowledge base but also tonetwork and strengthen relationships with those you might have conversed withvia social media but never met in person.

#6: Measure Results

Improve brand presence across social channels—Themeasurement goal here is an increase in the number of followers on Twitter,number of fans on Facebook, number of comments, number of times your brand ismentioned in blogs and forums and so on.
Increase positive sentiment about your brand—Thegoal here is to convert the number of positive mentions while taking note ofnegative mentions. Has the ratio of positive to negative commentsimproved? With the good comes the bad in social media. Get used to it!
Develop relationships for future partnershipopportunities—This goal is to keep track of those with whom you’ve connected. For example, if you met a potential speaker for your webinar, include thatperson into your digital Rolodex. If a vendor contacts you through yourblog, capture that lead and take note.
Increase traffic to your website—Keep track ofvisitors to your website who come from each of your social media sites. If you’re promoting an event using social media, consider using a unique codeto track the campaign.

Measuring social media is a never-endingdebate. What metrics do you use to measure social media? Whatobjective are you measuring those metrics for?

#7: Analyze, Adapt, and Improve

Your social media strategy doesn’t end withmeasurement; it goes beyond that. You need to analyze your socialmedia campaigns, adapt any new findings into your current processes, andimprove your efforts. Testing and experimentation will perfect your socialmedia efforts.

Why "emotional branding" only works for clear brands

2012-02-15T07:57:00.000+11:00

As a specialist in emotional branding, I will always put a lot of time and effort into finding out how a brand can find a way to connect with its consumers on a deep emotional level, and avoid the awkward situation where one part (the brand) brags and talks about itself all the time, expecting the other to be super impressed by default...

When you stand on a stage and talk down to people, hoping they will see you, there is a distance between you... No relationship can last forever if it is not equal and built on respect. To be loved you need to know what the other person love and hate, and what would make him/her happy. You need to ask questions and listen to the answers.

Still so many agencies approach a brief with a little meeting with suits, planners and creatives almost having a little focus group, where everyone shares what they think and feel...

Pst. It´s not about you; you´re most likely a middle class white uni educated and trendy person living in the Eastern Suburbs... Building a campaign on your instincts is simply arrogant.

The best brand-consumer bonds are built on a heart meeting a heart. When the brand knows why it exists (beyond "I want to be rich by manipulating people to buy me") and what it offers people, what kind of problem it solves and how it can enhance the life of the consumer in a broader perspective, it can be successful, which lots of research has proven. And to know what problems you solve, you have to know what problems they have, and how they feel about it.

Many marketing directors know the buzzwords. They know they will create "involvement, engagement and sales success" by "emotionalizing" a brand. But few knows how... They want an emotionally powerful campaign - but even if that in theory is leading to people remembering the ad, it doesn´t work if the "emotion" is not defined. Do you want the target to be happy, sad, concerned, excited, calm, safe or shocked?

I believe the magic happens on a brand definition level, rather than on an advertisement creation level. A brand that has a vague personality, not really knowing what values it stands for, will be hard to market successfully through a TVC. If you don´t know what kind of emotions you wish to evoke in people and why, how can you create ads that are "emotional"?

According to Millward Brown´s paper "Should my advertising stimulate an emotional response?" the best ad combines messages for the heart with messages for the brain. They are both rational and emotional. But there is a difference between small and established brands. Smaller brands should not just sell on emotions - it needs to first build trust with facts and data. Larger, more established brands can on the other hand play with our subconscious feelings, which take the facts into consideration.

This is most likely because the established brands have built a strong base. People know what they stand for, because they have put time and effort into creating a clear brand image. If they hadn´t, they would not be established... Many brands fail before getting big.

In the report from Millward Brown there is lots of stats on how an emotional approach is more effective, and I do believe this. Your brand needs to be clever though. Just "being emotional" is not enough. Just using the buzz words won´t help.

How to make this day better and love yourself more

2012-02-14T17:40:00.002+11:00

Ah, it is Valentines Day, and I´m super busy so for today´s blog post I will borrow some advice from my YouTube channel, on how to improve your personal life and be a happier person. Enjoy :) All videos: www.youtube.com/carolinlovecoach

How the new Sydney Mardi Gras logo was born

2012-02-13T06:48:00.001+11:00

It´s Valentine´s Day tomorrow, so I´m telling you the story on how the new logo for the Mardi Gras festival was born. Told by Moon Communication, the agency behind the campaign.

"The naming of Sydney Mardi Gras and creation of its new identity was more than a simple rebranding exercise. It also signalled a new, farther reaching strategy. A more inclusive purpose that holds true to the past and looks the future, appealing to a younger generation that no longer feels pressured to identify themselves by their sexuality.

“By celebrating the power and beauty of diversity, Mardi Gras inspires the world to love one another.”

We helped articulate this bold statement with members of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Organisation, and if any proof was needed of its truth, you only had to witness how we brought it life.

For three weeks the creative breakout area became MardiGrasVille. All were encouraged to contribute - gay and straight, male and female, old and new, creative and suit - everyone had a go. Images, sketches, scribbles, words, phrases, fonts and colours covered and recovered the walls and floor. Ideas mattered, opinions changed; freedom flourished, banal banished; styles clashed and complemented (as did our creatives). But in the end, the ridiculous gave way to the sublime, and the work of a very talented, young, straight boy from the Shire shone through - James Calpis.

Two hearts, both equal, meeting and kissing to form the infinity symbol. Its simplicity and symmetry says it all without words: love for all time, love for all kind. For some it even whispers of the butterfly that adorned the 1978 poster, the first page in the glorious book of Mardi Gras.

So far, it has been proudly tattooed, colourfully graffitied, endlessly doodled, sculptured in the sands of Bondi, made into a massive mirror-ball, writ large across Centennial Park by huge human kissing-chain; and soon it will festoon the streets of Sydney as the excitement and fun of Mardi Gras once again consumes locals and visitors alike.

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras organisation will continue to run the show, and the parade, festival and parties will always celebrate the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersexual communities. But now everyone who has a message of love to the world is invited and welcome to play a part.

The GLBTQI communities are diverse and change always has its supporters and detractors. Many have fought long and hard to be recognised and are rightly protective of all that Mardi Gras has achieved. So we created this video to launch the new identity and help convey the reasoning behind this next step on the path towards unquestioned acceptance and equality for all.

How this epic love story will play out in the years to come – who knows? We pray it never ends. But for now, we’re hoping that boy gets boy, girl gets girl, boy gets girl, and they all live happily married ever after.

Author: Michael PickeringMy friend Christofer who is a member of The European Parliament posted this on his website a while back, presenting the legal situation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in Europe. What colour are you? :)

Make your own drink - the ultimate personalisation

2012-02-11T07:55:00.000+11:00

Trendcentral.com reports about the new trend where you not only get your own name on the same old drink, but get to produce your own content.

In our crowdsourced culture,Gen Ys are accustomed to giving their opinion and seeing it recognized. As such,the trend toward customization has accelerated across multiple categories inrecent months. Among the latest to emerge lets consumers customize theirbeverages of choice in terms of ingredient ratios and flavor profiles, all inthe quest for the perfectly personal libation.

WhiskyBlender: In thewake of the (arguably ill-advised) picklebacktrend, the whiskey business is thriving. Bourbon is experiencing a boom,and its sister,Scotch—once considered the definitive old guydrink—is seeing a similar comeback. Making the starkblend more accessible to the not-yet-grizzled, Glasgow-based WhiskyBlender’svirtual lablets customers craft a personalized mix from distinct Scotch flavors.Aficionados and novices alike can choose proportions of smoky, fruity, salty,buttery, nutty, and malty elements, highlighting their favorite tastes andmerely hinting at others. Each custom blend receives a unique bottle code, sothat customers who strike up flawless proportions can order their favoritealcoholic alchemy again and again.

uFlavor: Equalparts beverage company, lab, and marketplace, the uFlavorplatform allows consumers to craft custom soft drink blends—and to potentiallyprofit from the results. Like Coca-Cola’sFreestyle vending machines, at which consumers canmix and match among 127 Cokebeverages to create their own soda blend, uFlavorprizes customization for the individual over production for the masses. ButuFlavor takes the concept a step further, allowing users to fashion beveragesfrom scratch by selecting individual flavors (rather than combiningpre-produced drinks). Creators can showcase their beverages in a correspondingmarketplace—and eventually in uFlavor vendingmachines—for a chance to earn a percentage of theprofits.

Crowd Craft Project:With help from social media guru GuyKawasaki, SamuelAdams called on Facebook fans to create a crowdsourcedmicrobrew. Not unlike Vitaminwater’s 2009 flavorcreator,the interactive Crowd CraftProject let Sam drinkers contribute suggestions fora collaborative brew, identifying their preferences regarding the beer’s color,body and clarity, and its quantities of yeast, hops and malt. Those qualitieswhich received the most votes will be incorporated into the brand new SKU,which is set to premiere next month at SXSW.The Crowd Craft Top Brew was finally revealed on Monday; bowing to fanpreference, brewers are now at work producing a medium-bodied amber ale withspice and toffee overtones.

The trend is also picked up by the fashion industry, where Burberry for example is letting people create their own trench: http://us.burberry.com/store/bespoke/trench-coat/#/?de=WW.

This is great way to engage the consumer and involve them in the brand, though it´s nothing new; Trendwatching actually reported about this trend in May 2006 ( http://trendwatching.com/trends/CUSTOMER-MADE.htm) and I guess Nike was one of the pioneers, allowing customers design their own shoes (could have been around 2003-04?).

Latest food trends 2012 from JWT Intelligence. Awesome!

2012-02-10T08:01:00.002+11:00

JWT Intelligence delivered a new report in my mail box this morning about food trends, which is always very interesting. Food is so close to our hearts, being a part of our everyday lives - yes, the very seed of life. It creates us, bite by bite, and it both entertains and leads to anxieties.

I´ve summarized the headlines from the report, but recommend you to read the whole thing. It´s got lots of juicy stuff: vending machines for milk, insects as the new source of protein, coffee subscription services and restaurants fining people who don´t finish their food and then donates the money to Somalia. Very inspiring! :)

1. Foodie Culture

Yesterday’s gourmand has multiplied into factions of foodiesall with various passions centeredaround cooking, dining out and eating, eating, eating. A foodie backlash may beunder way, but food remains more photographed, analyzed, critiqued andgenerally obsessed over than it’s ever been

2. Food as the new eco-issue

The environmental impact of our food choices will become amore prominent concern as stakeholders—brands, governments and activistorganizations—drive awareness around the issue and rethink what kind of food issold and how it’s made. As more regions grapple with food shortages and/orspiking costs, smarter practices around food will join the stable of green“best practices.”

3. The devil wears packaging

As the eco spotlight focuses on the environmentalcosts of packaging, brands will increasingly switch to bottles, boxes and othersolutions that reduce, reuse, recycle, remove and renew. The ultimate goal is“cradle-to-cradle” packaging—sustainable from creation to disposal.

4. Health & Wellness

Awareness of good nutritional habits has beensteadily rising, even as obesity becomes a more pressing issue—in turn drivinggovernments and health advocates to further push both consumers and brands toadopt healthier ways.

5. Maximum disclosure. Competitive pressures and legalrequirements are forcing manufacturers and retailers to take transparency tothe max, disclosing more about nutritional data, green credentials, sourcing,social responsibility issues (Fair Trade, etc.) and the people and processesbehind the brand.

6. Live a little.

Faced with constant reminders about what to do (exercisemore, eat better) and what not to do (overspend, overeat), and fatigued fromseveral years of austerity, consumers will look for ways to live a littlewithout giving up a lot. People have been exercising more self-control, and increasinglythey’re looking to let loose once in a while: indulging in sinful things,splurging on treats and at least momentarily escaping from today’s manyworries.

7. Navigating the new normal

As the new normal becomes a prolonged normal in the hampereddeveloped world, more brands will open up entry points for extremelycost-sensitive consumers. Marketers will find new opportunities in creatingstripped-down offerings, smaller sizes and otherwise more accessible productsand services.

8. Getting “smarter”

From phones to fridges, devices are getting “smart,”connecting the real world to the digital world and influencing how we find, eatand make food. More broadly, each step of the way—from shopping to findingrecipes and cooking to dining out—is getting “smarter” for those armed with thelatest digital tools.

9. All the world´s a game

Increasingly, brands are applying game mechanics (leaderboards, leveling, stored value, privileges, superpowers, status indicators,etc.) to non-gaming spaces in an attempt to drive certain actions or behaviors.This is more than brand-sponsored games—consumers are engaging in brandcommunities, content or campaigns through incentives and rewards modeled onbehavioral economics. In food, gamification can help to motivate not only goodeating habits (e.g., Foodzy) but also customer creativity and engagement.

10. Screened interactions

More flat surfaces are becoming screens, and more screensare becoming interactive. Increasingly we’ll be touching them, gesturing atthem and talking to them. This is opening up novel opportunities to inform,engage and motivate consumers, whether through screens at restaurants, onvending machines and kiosks, or via out-of-home ads.

11. Retail as the third space

Retail spaces are increasingly serving as a “third space”that’s only partly about consumption. Supermarkets and other food-centricoutlets are becoming as much about experiences, unique environments andcustomer service as they are about simply buying goods.

There is a link to download the 128 pages report (lots of great examples and thoughts, not just fluff :): http://www.jwtintelligence.com/trendletters2/

If you are interested in more trends in the food area, The Hartman Group arranges this web seminar:

Looking Ahead: Ingredient Trends
February29, 2012, 1 PM Eastern, 10 AMPacific
Duration: 20 minutes
Register Now!
Presenting:
Melissa Abbott, Director, Culinary Insights

Join us for a free 20-minute webinar as we present an in-depth look at how cultural shifts in health and wellness impact ingredients in many of today’s and tomorrow’s foods and beverages. Gain a better understanding on what shapes consumer perceptions of “healthy food” from organic and natural to functional foods. We’ll show you what’s trending in and what’s trending out. Gain critical insight in distinguishing between the flash-in-the-pan fads from trends with real staying power for the long haul. Going beyond organic, we’ll fast forward into the future of health and wellness to probe what the real problem with gluten is all about. From thought-provoking insights to what it means for business, Melissa helps you navigate Food Culture’s most meaningful and relevant trends.

Brands with ideals outperform others

2012-02-09T09:47:00.000+11:00

Millward Browns latest newsletter made me happy with thispiece of news:

“The most successful brands and businesses in the world arebuilt around something other than just making profit. They are built aroundideals.

Here are bits and pieces from the paper:

The evidence is in Jim Stengel’s new book, Grow: How IdealsPower Growth and Profit at the World’s Greatest Companies. With the help ofMillward Brown, Jim identified the 50 brands that ranked highest on bothconsumer bonding and value creation over the past decade.” In this work, Millward Brown observed that the bestbusinesses are ideals-driven.

“A brand ideal is a higher purpose of a brand ororganization, which goes beyond the product or service they sell. Jim explainsit this way: “The ideal is the brand’s inspirational reason for being. Itexplains why the brand exists and the impact it seeks to make in the world. Abrand ideal actively aims to improve the quality of people’s lives. It creates ameaningful goal for the brand—a goal that aligns employees and the organizationto better serve customers. ”

For example: Zappos is in the business of deliveringhappiness. Pampers does not just sell diapers; it cares for the happy, healthy developmentof babies around the world. IBM’s purpose is to make a smarter planet. Googleexists to organize and give access to the information of the world, andDiscovery Channel’s ideal is to satisfy curiosity.

A brand ideal is not a mission statement. Mission statementstend to be narrow, business oriented statements such as “Be the leader incustomer satisfaction” or “Be the most innovative company.” Mission statementstend to be self-serving and therefore limiting. Ideals, being outward focused,extend beyond the company’s financial interests. Red Bull’s ideal is to upliftmind and body; it exists to energize the world. “To be the #1 energy drink” isprobably a mission for the company, yet it is seen as an outcome, not itsraison d’être.

The ideal is the brand’s inspirational reason for being. Itexplains why the brand exists and the impact it seeks to make in the world.

More examples: Method, the household cleaning company, wasbuilt on the ideal of inspiring a home revolution to create happy, healthyhomes. Every aspect of each product is inspired by the ideal: the non-toxicity,the natural scents, the beautiful ”cosmetic like” packaging. Apple offers thebest experience through beauty and simplicity. Chipotle Mexican Grill, anotherone of our top 50, fulfils its ideal of bringing integrity and taste back tofood by inviting patrons to create their own custom dishes using fresh,natural, and locally sourced ingredients.

The best companies align their organizations and culturebehind their ideals. By being purposeful (beyond making money and growingmarket share), they provide a higher meaning to all employees. The idealprovides clarity and intentionality. More importantly, these companies developsystems and processes to stay true to their ideals.

For example, Red Bull has set unique hiring guidelines. Theydon’t put a priority on hiring people with beverage industry backgrounds;instead they focus on athletes, DJs, and former Red Bull studentambassadors—people who believe in and live the ideal. Even the workplace isdesigned to be true to the ideal. For example, Red Bull’s London headquartershas skateboard ramps and slides from floor to floor!

Zappos has set up processes that allow employees to be trueto the ideal of delivering happiness. Employees do not have quotas or timegoals for customer calls. Nor do they adhere to scripts. They are empowered tohelp customers in need, whatever it takes. There are stories of employeessending flowers to customers in distress and helping customers order pizza inthe middle of the night.

The ideal is a core principle inherent in a brand, somethingthat emerges from a company’s DNA. Though such a high-minded concept may seemimpractical or lofty, we also have proof that ideals-driven businesses deliverhigher performance. We have consumer research data as well as financial datathat verifies the power of ideals. Research recently conducted by Millward Brown found that, when asked to name brands thatwere based on ideals, people mentioned the brands in the Stengel 50 more thanother brands.

We also have proof that ideals-driven businesses deliver higherperformance. As shown in the chart below, Stengel’s top 50 brands outperformedthe market over the past 10 years. An investment in the Stengel 50 would havebeen 400 percent more profitable than an investment in the S&P 500.

Learn more about the study:http://www.millwardbrown.com/grow/Millward Brown: Point of View Ideals: The NewEngine of Business Growth

More on the topic, Simon Sinek´s TED talk about The Golden Circle: http://howwemove.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/romance-and-business-same-rules-apply.html

"Target audience" - why demographic targets are useless

2012-02-08T07:35:00.002+11:00

I am sitting here in silence this morning, contemplating a piece of news I just got.

I hadn´t seen a man who also goes to my regular café in a while, so I asked the owner what happened to him, and found out he has retired. At 45! Apparently he was one of the lucky bankers who earned a few million dollars a year and now he is out to play. He has two lovely sons, probably 8-10 years old, and he looks so strong and confident, I just assumed he would be older.Sigh. It makes you think, doesn´t it? About how different people´s lives are.

I look at myself, 38 going on 39 this year, just a couple of years younger than him. I bum around like a teenager in Bondi Beach, freelancing in a tough industry, purely out of an enormous love of my work, but earning what I need, no millions a year. I have no kids, just a crazy cat :)

I look at the woman I interviewed during a pitch for an anti-smoking campaign a while back, the woman whose boyfriend left while she was pregnant and who now struggles with both money and self-esteem, who turn to the cigarettes as her sole pleasure. The smoke gives her a little bubble to hide in for a minute when times are tough. A shelter from the pain.

I look at the junior planner, born and bread in a upper-class family North Shore, whose reaction on the story on the smoking lady was "can´t she just go for a run. I go for a run when I´m stressed. Let´s make a campaign where we tell them to go to the gym instead". Sigh.

I look at those who are in love and celebrate 2 year anniversaries according to my Facebook wall, and I look at those who change their relationship status to "single". I look at the fat and the thin, those who are angry and those who smile all day.

And across the street I see the pastor of one of the churches I used to go to (was fascinated by churches for a while...) and he sits there, alone at the café; I know his wife has cancer and the beautiful sparkling woman I used to see next to him in the house of God is now a tiny figure, limited and vanishing. Him too. His faith? I don´t know if he still prays. I hope he does, but understand if he doesn´t.

Some are lucky, some are not. Some get a beer at a trendy pop up bar in the sun, others die in a European cold snap. Some whinge about having a bad hair day, others find out their kid has been thrown down a bridge in a custody battle. Some devote their lives to supporting a president campaign, others design skirts.

"The target"

Today I´m working on a brief where the target is "all Australians between 25 and 55".

It makes me laugh. And cry. And cringe.

All that combines us is Love. Our never ending craving for Love.

Why market research surveys suck

2012-02-07T09:47:00.001+11:00

People say a lot of things. We say we like this and that; we want to write a novel, move to China, climb a high mountain or fall in love. Many times this wish is blurred by other wishes. They are contradictory; you want to eat chocolate and lose weight. Bad combo! You want to write a novel but are so afraid of failure you come up with excuses on why you can´t (no time, no money, no inspiration, no computer...) You say you want to move to China, but you will do this once you have first achieved a million other projects...

People say a lot of things. Don´t believe them.

I used to trust surveys, and I used to design them and tell clients to pay for them. I still do sometimes, but I take them less serious than I used to. After working as a love coach, hearing thousands of people saying they want to find The One but doing anything to get away from this goal (dating the unavailable, the abusive, not dating at all, pushing every good guy away et cetera), I am more aware of the complexity of mind now, more humble.

To be able to reach the "purchase" state, to make people act and not just talk, you need to be extraordinary and cut through all the competing thoughts and activities. Over and over again I get briefs from clients who have done surveys where Everyone seem super happy about the client´s brand and products, and the marketing director think it will therefore be easy to sell. Wrong! As Richard Rumelt writes in "Good strategy/Bad strategy", too many strategies fail to see the obstacles and challenges, and because of this they are nothing but wish lists to Santa. Not useful. Just fluff.

Strategy based on solid research will be the machete that can cut through the jungle of competing needs. When you know more about people than they know about themselves you can understand the difficulty of the task, but also find ways to solve them.

Don´t trust simple research claiming 99% loves your product. They might, but it doesn´t mean they will pay for it... unless you work harder to make them want to.

Get food delivered to your cinema seat by a click on your phone! Too easy

2012-02-07T07:47:00.000+11:00

Springwise reports on a new (Australian!) system that enables us to order and pay for food from the cinema seat.

QkR — pronounced “quicker” — was developed by Mastercard in partnership with Hoyts chain of cinemas andCommonwealth Bank in Australia. To order food or drink from their seat, customers use the QkR app on their phone to scan or type the QR code located on their arm rest. Alternatively, they can tap the NFC tag alongside it. Either way, they can then choose an item from the menu displayed on their phone, confirm, and pay for their order. Their food or drink will then be delivered to their seat by a member of cinema staff. The QkR trial was launched at Hoyts’ Premier cinemas last month. The video below shows QkR in more detail:

The QkR system and app — available on both iPhone and Android — facilitates easy payment without the need for cash and cards. How could you employ QR codes to make the purchase process simpler for your customers?

Website: market.android.com/details?id=com.mastercard.labs.zico
or itunes.apple.com/au/app/qkr/id485428780?mt=8
Contact: www.mastercard.com/au/general/en/contact_us.html

Spotted by: Raymond Neo

Personally, I´m waiting for grocery stores like IGA, Coles and Wollies to accept Paypal, so I don´t have to carry my wallet. Wallets are such a waste of space nowadays; all we need should be a phone (and a BACKUP if anyone knows how to backup their iphone....). You can pay for movie tickets on Event cinemas app and pay with your Paypal - no credit card codes needed (WAY too many numbers to fill in, right?)

If YOU see cool new business ideas, send them to http://www.springwise.com/tipus/

How to do Strategic Planning. Home studying for strategists

2012-02-06T14:58:00.001+11:00

I´ve gathered a couple of the slide shows I find interesting on the art of planning for advertising (and other marketing languages)

Creative Planning @ Miami Ad School

View more presentations from The Planning Lab

Creative Brief Workshop

View more presentations from Nick Emmel

This is the global Planner according to Planning Survey 2011, answered by over 2,000 strategic planners worldwide.

The Planner Survey 2011

View more documents from Heather LeFevre

The fluid consumer will connect with the WHY, not the HOW or WHAT

2012-02-03T08:22:00.000+11:00

This slideshow is explaining what we already know - that the consumer is King today and brands need to step up - but it explains this in a pretty way, and I´m a sucker for beautiful presentations :)Connecting with the Fluid Consumer: iStrategy 2012

View more presentations from Critical Mass

The thoughts around how brands today need to attract certain target groups with a stronger, more focused message towards them, brings my mind to The Golden Circle by Simon Sinek. I´ve posted his TED talk here before so now I give you a slide show.

It is definitely getting more important to find and speak from a core. Brands need a mission, a purpose, a heart. They will attract consumers when they know what they deep down wish to give the people they serve.

Human Centered Business

View more presentations from Robert van Geenhuizen

Connected with this message are also these videos. Watch and love:

So please adland... Drop the egos and this kind of behaviour:

We like female voices but trust male ones - which to pick for your ad?

2012-02-02T16:55:00.001+11:00

NY Times reports about some interesting insights that may be useful to advertisers when choosing who should tell a brand story in a TVC or content ad.

"Research indicates that our brains are wired to prefer female voices to male ones; that’s the reason robotic voices, like those in GPS devices, tend to be female. (This probably has an evolutionary explanation: fetuses in the womb, identifying with their caretaker, can distinguish their mother’s voice from others, a study published in the journal Psychological Science found.)

When it comes to credibility, however, research tells a different story.

“On average both males and females trust male voices more,” said Clifford Nass, a professor of communications at Stanford, noting some gender disparity exists in that women don’t distrust female voices as much as men distrust them. In one study conducted at Stanford two versions of the same video of a woman were presented to subjects: one had the low frequencies of the woman’s voice increased and the high frequencies reduced, the other vice versa. Consistently subjects perceived the deep voice to be smarter, more authoritative and more trustworthy."

This might explain why a woman can present an idea and go unnoticed, while a man later in the meeting presents the same idea and gets praise and glory...

When creating ads I guess you should consider the topic when choosing a voice. An insurance company should probably be presented with a male voice and a shampoo presented with a female, since we buy one product based on trust and another based on a feeling, perhaps of being friends with the person talking in the ad? What do you think?

Other studies have shown that people accept and even reward men who get angry but view women wholose their temper as less competent.

Victoria Brescolland Eric Uhlmann at Northwestern University say it pays tostay emotionally neutral and, if you can't, at least explain what ticked youoff in the first place. "An angrywoman loses status, no matter what her position,'' said Brescoll.

In all studies,both men and women were shown videos of actors portraying men and women whowere ostensibly applying for a job. The participants in the studies were thenasked to rate applicants on how much responsibility they should be given, theirperceived competence, whether they should be hired, and how much they shouldget paid.

Both men and women reached the same conclusions: Angry men deserved more status, a highersalary, and were expected to be better at the job than angry women. Angry menwere valued more highly than angry women no matter what level position theywere applying for.

But we are all valued equally right... People are not rational. We are judgemental, biased and full of subconscious ideas on different types of people. We quickly put each other in boxes, which is something advertising professionals need to be aware of - and perhaps use...

Also of interest: My comments on the so called gender debate in Cannes last year... http://howwemove.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/shockingly-awful-gender-discussion-at.html

Use consumer experiences as ads to win people´s hearts

2012-02-02T09:51:00.000+11:00

I love when brands go further than telling us how fabulous they are... I love when they actually show how people use their products and what it means to them. Good advertising strategy will suggest ways to let the consumer shine, not the producer. It´s not about the shop or the product, it´s about what it awakens within people and enriches their lives. In a real way. Sometimes brands try to trick us into buying by pretending their products will give us what we want, as in the case of LÓreal ads, trying to make me believe my skin will become smooth as that of a photoshopped actress... http://au.eonline.com/news/Rachel_Weisz_L_Or_eacute_al_Ad_Banned_in_Britain/290750Even if more and more brands are realising that insights on consumers and their relationships with brands is becoming more crucial and will lead them to more successful marketing than shouting out facts about the brand, most ads are still about the products. Nowadays, it´s not just about telling us about benefits though; instead brands try to entertain and wow, making us laugh or awake - a feeling that will be forever attached to the brand that gave us a moment of joy. Think cool beer ads, quirky chocolate ads or innovative experiential.This idea, using a choir for the company´s call centre, is beautiful. But it still has a "Look at me" approach. Not a consumer in sight. Perhaps the next campaign will have consumers singing :) Or simply listening.

Let your phone guide you through flora and fauna

2012-02-01T08:07:00.000+11:00

The latest Trend briefing from Trendwatching.com reported about this upcoming app, allowing users to identify bird sounds. I love it; what a cute idea! Perfect for parents who wish to teach their kids about the local nature, but lack knowledge of the same. Now, problem solved. App will be out in a few months, can´t wait.

To identify the flowers and trees, check: http://leafsnap.com

Some of the Superbowl ads, what do you think?

2012-01-31T08:07:00.000+11:00

Some of the Superbowl ads, presented by Adweek. You can follow the stories on the Superbowl Adweek hub. Which one is your favourite and why? I kind of fancy the Coke polarbears. Maybe I´m just a girl, but it signals light and happiness, joy and play. Not too complicated, but still cute.

2nd Story Software1

Agency: J.W. Morton and Associates, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Creative: One :30 in the fourth quarter. The makers of TaxACT will emphasize that the TaxACT Free Federal Edition tax-preparation software is free for everyone.

Acura 2

Agency: To be determined
Creative: Creative is not yet known.

Audi3

Agency: Venables Bell & Partners, San Francisco
Creative: The :60 above will air in the first break after kickoff. The 2013 Audi S7's LED headlights prove deadly for young vampires partying in the woods.

Anheuser-Busch InBev4

Agency: Anomaly, mcgarrybowen, Translation, all New York; Cannonball, St. Louis, Mo.
Creative: Two stylish :30s for Bud Light Platinum by Translation. One :60 for Bud Light by mcgarrybowen, one :30 by Cannonball. Two sweeping, historical, connected :60s for Budweiser by Anomaly, with the Clydesdales.

Best Buy5

Agency: Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Boulder, Colo.
Creative: One :30 focusing on a new product or service.

Bridgestone6

Agency: The Richards Group, Dallas
Creative: Teaser spot above. Two :30s in the second and third quarters. A football, basketball, bowling ball and puck made of Bridgestone tire material change the sports world. Tim Duncan, Deion Sanders, Steve Nash and Troy Aikman star, among others.

CareerBuilder7

Agency: In-house
Creative: The :30 above. The brand's famous chimps make a business trip hell for a sad-sack worker, who could use a new job.

Cars.com8

Agency: DDB, Chicago
Creative: The :30 above will air during the third quarter. A man sprouts a second excitable, soul-singing head after an inspirational visit to the auto site.

Century 219

Agency: Red Tettemer + Partners, Philadelphia
Creative: Teaser spot above. One :30 in the third quarter starring Donald Trump, Deion Sanders and Apolo Ohno, with Century 21 agents beating each icon at his own game.

Chrysler10

Agency: To be determined
Creative: One 60-second spot. Model is not yet clear.

Coca-Cola11

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Creative: The polar bears return—one rooting for the Patriots, one for the Giants. An introductory :30 in the first quarter will be followed by one of two different :60s in the second (one of them is posted above), depending on which team is winning.

Dannon12

Agency: None (crowdsourced by Poptent, San Clemente, Calif.)
Creative: One :30 in the third quarter for Dannon Oikos Greek yogurt, starring John Stamos.

Doritos13

Agency: None (consumer-generated)
Creative: Two :30s—the top vote-getters from among the five finalists in the brand's Crash the Super Bowl contest. One of the finalists is posted above.

E*Trade14

Agency: Grey, New York
Creative: One :30. The E*Trade baby reassures a new dad about planning for his newborn daughter's future, with help from E*Trade Financial Consultants.

General Motors15

Agency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, and Fallon, Minneapolis
Creative: Two Chevrolet ads from Goodby, for the Silverado and Sonic, and one consumer-generated spot (above) for the Chevy Camaro. Plus, one Cadillac spot for the ATS sport sedan, by Fallon.

Awesome advertising - makes me cry!!

2012-01-30T07:56:00.000+11:00

This is from Affiliate Marketing blog by Geno Prussakov. Inspiring ideas!!! (Am I the only one who almost start crying when seeing clever things like these...??? haha)

#1 – WMF Knives

#2 – Coca Cola

#3 – BMW’s Response to Audi’s Billboard Challenge

#4 – FedEx Kinko’s (tippex and high lighter)

#5 – Lego

Perceptions in the advertising world...

2012-01-30T07:37:00.000+11:00

Click on the picture to make it bigger. It doesn´t really fit into the window :)

The Australians love people screaming at them in the ads

2012-01-27T06:30:00.001+11:00

When I first came to Australia, something that puzzled me was why the TV ads were so AWFUL. One after the other showed people screaming, shouting and singing badly towards me. I was in shock. Coming from a sophisticated advertising country like Sweden where ads are clever and subtle, fun and beautiful, I got headache from the Aussie ads. I had to turn the TV off. But they must be efficient and bring new business to the brands, because six years later they are still there. You get used to it...

These ads are not the ones that get presented in the industry papers or showcased on YouTube, so I can´t find more than this. I will update when I find more :)

Clever BMW campaign

2012-01-26T17:11:00.000+11:00

On the Audi billboard: "You move, BMW. The entirely new Audi A4"
BMW response "Checkmate"

Six psychological reasons why young people Love Music

2012-01-26T09:51:00.000+11:00

I found some interesting research on Psyblog that I wish to share with you. It explains why young people like musicso much, and gives us an understanding on why jingles are important and effective in advertising, if used in the right way.
"Music grabs ouremotions instantly in a way few other art-forms can manage. It engages us onall sorts of different levels. A few bars of a song can take us back decades,to a different time and place.
So what are the universal psychological functions of music? Lonsdaleand North (2010) asked 300 young people about their mainreasons for listening to music to see which came out top. Here are the answers,in order of importance, counted down from six to the number one spot.
6. To learn about others and theworld
Languishing down at number six was the way in which music teaches usabout the world. Music tells us stories about other people and places and itgives us access to new experiences. Music can teach us how other people thinkand even suggest how we might live.
Psychological research backs up the importance of the information musicsends out to others about our personalities. In one study participants couldbroadly judge another's personality solely on the basis of their top 10 songs(see: personality in your mp3 player).
Music is also sending us a message about the state of the world. Doddsand Danforth (2009) downloaded the lyrics to almost 250,000songs composed between 1960 and 2007. They found the lyrics got steadily moredepressing up until 1985 and then levelled off around 1990. This decline wasseen across all musical genres.
5. Personal identity
In at five isidentity. The type of music we like expresses something about ourselves. Eventhe broadest genres like rock, classical and blues begin to give us a pictureof a person. We also seem to discover ourselves through music: it can teach iswho we are and where we belong. Through music we can build up and project animage of ourselves.
One general trend in popular music is towards greater narcissism. Astudy has examined the lyrics of the top 10 songs in the U.S. between 1980 and2007 (DeWallet al., 2011). This found that lyrics related to antisocialbehaviour and self-focus increased over the period. On the other hand, over thesame time, lyrics related to positive emotions, social interaction and a focuson others have decreased.
4. Interpersonal relationships
The fourth mostimportant function of music is its social dimension. Music is a point ofconversation. We listen to it while we're with other people and we talk to themabout it. It's a way of making a connection.
There's little doubt that music and love are inextricably linked and weuse one to get the other. One study tested whether exposure to romantic musicmakes a woman more likely to agree to a date Gueguenet al. (2010). The answer is, emphatically, yes. The percentage ofwomen who agreed to a date almost doubled from 28% to 52% after they had beenplayed some romantic music.
The song that didthe trick? "Je l’aime à mourir" (I love her to death) by FrancisCabrel (the research was conducted in France).
2= Negative mood management
Tying for thesecond spot is negative mood management. When we're in a bad mood, music canhelp us deal with it. When your mood is low, there is something cathartic aboutlistening to sad music. Somehow it helps to know that you're not alone. We usemusic to relieve tension, express our feelings and escape the realities ofeveryday life.
Music certainly seems to help us cope with life's slings and arrows.There have been many studies on those about to undergo painful medicalprocedures. These find that music helps people get through this stressful andanxious time (e.g. Good et al., 2002).
2= Diversion
Also coming in atnumber two is diversion. Music relieves the boredom of the commute, or of alazy Sunday afternoon. It's something to do when we don't know what else to do.
A word of warning though: don't use background music while you're tryingto do something complicated. Research shows that it reduces performance onstandard cognitive tests (Cassidy & MacDonald, 2007). Music is adistraction and this research found that the most distracting type isdepressing music.
1. Positive mood management
Right up at the topof the charts is positive mood management. This is rated people's mostimportant reason for listening to music: making our good moods even better. Itentertains us, relaxes us and sets the right emotional tone.
Music makes us more hopeful, even after things go wrong for us. In onestudy byZiv et al. (2011) participants werefalsely told they'd done badly on a task. Those who were played some positivemusic afterwards, were more hopeful about the future than those left insilence."

Here is a happy song :)

Brands are letting YOU advertise and sell to YOU

2012-01-25T07:42:00.000+11:00

One campaign that I never saw coming was the Coke bottles with your name on. I know, the insight that people wish to be called by their name has been around from Dale Carnegie´s How to win friends and influence people and most likely further away in history than that, but it still puzzles me.

When you buy a bottle with your name on you are not getting approached by anyone, so there is simply a brand that is talking to you, not a person. But as a brand strategist I should know better... Today brands are people. They are friends, they are a part of our family. Connection with brands we love will awaken the same parts of the brain that are lit up when we think of our family; it´s a fact. I still wouldn´t have gotten the idea of Coke bottles with names, so good on the strategy people who did :) It´s been hugely successful!

In his latest blog post, Roger Dooley from Neuromarketing blog talks about how personalization is effective in direct mail. “Starting a letter with “Dear Roger” instead of “Dear Friend” responds better every time (if the recipient’s name is Roger, that is!).

One of the world´s first viral campaign was OfficeMax video generator, Elf Yourself. The site, powered by JibJab animation software, lets visitors upload a photo of one or more faces, which are then attached to dancing elves in a music video.

Dooley comments: “As crude as the animation is (it uses just one photo for the whole video), our brains are fooled by the video trickery and we find it hilarious to see ourselves and others engaged in wild dance moves. The viral success of the site is testament to how effective the personalized videos are. It’s also been a boon to OfficeMax, generating hundreds of millions of brand impressions and creating a strong, positive linkage between the brand and the light hearted site. Reportedly, just under half of the users of Elf Yourself consciously associate the OfficeMax brand with the site.”

But I would say half of hundreds of millions is pretty good...

More from Neuromarketing blog: “An article in The Psychologist, Doppelgängers – a new form of self? by Jeremy N. Bailenson, surveys a variety of research that demonstrates how inserting a person’s image into an ad can change their behaviour:

- To explore the consequences of viewing one’s virtual doppelgänger, we ran a simple experiment using digitally manipulated photographs (Ahn & Bailenson, 2011). We used imaging software to place participants’ heads on people depicted in billboards using fictitious brands, for example holding up a soft drink with a brand label on it. After the study, participants expressed better memory as well as a preference for the brand, even though it was obvious their faces had been placed in the advertisement. In other words, even though it was clearly a gimmick, using the digital self to promote a product is effective.”

Research on trust always show that we trust advice from friends and family the most, so what can be even more effective - YOU telling yourself what to do and buy. Clever.

One campaign that I believed will be followed by many similar ones, shows real Australians in the TVC. The Australian insurance company AAMI invited late last year their Facebookers to star in its TV ad. The TV ad featured the Facebook profile pictures of 80 viewers, aired on 23 November during NCIS LA on Ten, and will be broadcast in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Tasmania, as well as regional NSW and Victoria.

Sibling agencies Badjar Ogilvy and DTDigital worked on the campaign. Ogilvy creative technologist Tim Devine, said to Mumbrella: “We’ve created an experience that will one day be common place; a simple engagement that seams together multiple channels. TV is still a real-world experience, as opposed to YouTube, and people still get a kick out of being broadcast around the country.”

The original ad, with actors: http://youtu.be/y0Kh8wyJHwA

When will we see Coke bottles with faces on? When will the TV be clever enough to address me personally? When will I start finding this extremely creeeeeepy....? :)

Another brilliant ad built on smart strategy

2012-01-24T06:37:00.001+11:00

This ad is also a favourite of mine. It cleverly taps into the insight "People are afraid of buying cider because they think it´s going to be sweet" (at least I think that´s what the planner at BMF realised). So funny! Love the rabbit :)

One ad I like and one I think is rubbish

2012-01-23T07:51:00.001+11:00

I love watching cinema advertising, mainly because you can follow people´s reactions to the ads and their message. One ad that I believe is meant to be funny is not laughed at at all; in fact, I hate it and so does the cinema audience according to the look of their faces. Maybe I´m missing something, since it won Mumbrella’s December Ad of the Month". But... "reader´s votes" aren´t always representative, especially when the readers all work in advertising :) The ad is for Compare travel insurance, created by agency Blow Communications.

On the other hand, I like this ad, for Tennis Australia, played during Australian Open (M&C Saatchi). It´s sweet, it connects people and you get what it´s about. I assume it taps into the insight that we have a tendency to want to be doing what we watch being done. When we are emotionally involved, we kind of walk into a story - from a book, at the cinema or TV. Spend an hour watching Australian Idol and you want to sing. Watch the biggest loser and you want to exercise. Watch The Notebook and you want to find The One. This ad wants us to not just watch tennis, but get the idea that we want to play tennis as well, and that it´s not impossible. We can all do it. Together. I haven´t seen it in the cinema yet though. Guess it would not stir up any big reactions; it´s not a belly laugh ad. And I´m not sure it is the best media channel for that kind of ad anyway, since people are just letting themselves have a moment off, relaxing, and don´t want to be told to be active. We´ll see. I better go and see a movie soon :)

The future of retail - how will our shops look like in the future?

2012-01-22T08:33:00.003+11:00

With more and more of us shopping online, how will the old malls and shops survive? This is the future of retail, according to PSFK. PSFK Future Of Retail Report 2011 [Preview]

View more presentations from PSFK

Another story on the future of grocery stores from Businessweek: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/06/0608_grocery_innovation/1.htm

How to market to stubborn rebels who will not be told what to do!

2012-01-20T07:10:00.000+11:00

I was working on an anti-smoking campaign a while ago and one thing wasclear: smokers do NOT want to be told what to do or that anything bad willhappen to them. Partly, it´s because a lot of smokers will have a rebelpersonality – which turns them into smokers in the first place – and partly,it´s because they love their smoking so much they don´t want to hear the truthabout it, and be put in a state of guilt. They´d rather close ears and eyes andopen their mouth for another ciggie as soon as an ad is on. How to get passthat??

Roger Dooley writes on his Neuromarketing blog about an interestingexperiment, targeting people who believe they are invulnerable – standing overall risks, immune against threats.

According to Penn psychologist Adam Grant, even among health careprofessionals hand-washing practices leave a lot to be desired, and a hospitalwanted to change this situation.

Grant conducted an experiment by placing a sign next to a hand hygienearea. One version of the sign read, “Hand hygiene prevents you from catchingdiseases,” while another version said “Hand hygiene prevents patients fromcatching diseases.” And the results give us as marketing strategists a hint onhow to best make these stubborn rebels to do what we want them to do.

Dooley says: “The key to selling these“invulnerable” customers is to point out the risks not to them, but toothers. Those others could be family members, for example, or others theyendanger (like the patients in the hospital study).”

I believe this has nothing to do with altruism, but with the fact thatthese people simply don´t want to be told what to do. They can take informationin, but not as a demand. When you say “This prevents YOU from disease” yousound paternalistic and bossy, and a lot of people hate that. When you on theother hand give them facts, you open up for them to draw the conclusionthemselves.

When it comes to smoking campaigns, I believe an effective way to reachinto the smokers mind and get pass the defence system they have againstauthority is to give them facts and figures in a low key way rather than thefull on way they are presented today, and to point out how their children aregetting affected by the smoke in this very moment.

http://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/blog/articles/invulnerable-consumers.htm

For details, see Science Daily and the original paper. HT to Wray Herbert

Happy Dragon! But where are brands when the Chinese celebrate?

2012-01-19T07:35:00.000+11:00

7% of all Australians are Asian and many ofthem are from the 23rd of January to celebrate the year of the Dragon!

A man I know sent me a little fact sheet onwhat this year will be like, and wow, what a year we can look forward to! I can´t wait for this:

Qualities: Active, Dynamic, Scrupulous and Lucky.

Defects: Demanding, Impatient and Intolerant.

Work: Not knowingthat a chore is thought impossible, the Dragon will succeed where others havefailed.

Cannot live without: Space, Oxygen, Fresh air and Liberty.

Adores: Being called upon to help when things go wrong.

Hates: To wait calmly and patiently.

(Source: Chinese Zodiac Signs, Treasure Press 1982.)

He added some advice from his grandmother:"For good luck, my hair has been trimmed and I won’t be working on Monday.I will not sweep the floor and I will buy some new clothes to wear."

I like this; I can take Monday off and goshopping! Fabulous.

For brands... At the moment it is "backto school" time in Australia and my TV is filled with ads for schoolshoes! Pencils and other important things are put on display in the shops. Butwhere are the Dragons (and no, I don´t mean the rugby team...)? Australia has alarge Chinese population; in the2006 Australian Census, 669,890 Australian residents identified themselves as having Chinese ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry. Most Aussies arewhite and there are a lot of kids (all on my Bondi Beach on schoolholidays....) but there are other influential groups here as well. Thesuccessful Coke campaign proved how appealing it is to be SEEN,and the more brands can find sub groups and meet people as individuals, thebetter.

I´m looking forward to anactive year! We are leaving the year of the Rabbit, a sign that symbolizessuch character traits as creativity, compassion, and sensitivity. Rabbits arefriendly, outgoing and prefer the company of others. They also prefer to avoidconflict. In confrontational situations, Rabbits approach calmly and withconsideration for the other party. Rabbits believe strongly in friends andfamily and lacking such bonds can lead to emotional issues. I can´t help butthinking this is how the Western world has been approaching the economicsituation and employers the job market.

The Dragon is theopposite - a Strong Dominant sign and if the Chinese astrologers are right, bigthings are about to happen :) Good fortune. Strength. Luck.

Happy Dragon everyone!(if that is how you say it...)

Girls sell stuff - like "Becoming a donor is probably your only chance to get inside her"

2012-01-18T13:22:00.000+11:00

I´ve found a Swedish website (http://saljgrejmedtjej.se) collecting all sorts of ads that sell products with the help of a hot lady or two. This is one example:

This Swedish ad is an advert for a calender, showing the flight attendants at Ryan air, the cheap (!) airline of Europe...

"Traditional" way of selling to the sexual brain...

We often laugh at ads like this one, but has the advertising world (or our culture) really moved that much? Stagnation, my friends...

Many more ads like these on: http://owni.eu/2010/11/08/top-48-ads-that-would-never-be-allowed-today/

Cadbury is the most enjoyed food brand in Uk. Food???

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000+11:00

This morning Marketing Week reports thatCadbury tops list of UK’s favourite food brands, closely followed by SeriouslyStrong Cheddar.

2,400 UK consumers were asked to a pick aproduct they had consumed over the past four weeks and then rate them out often according to how enjoyable they were. This is the top list:

Cadbury Dairy Milk - 8.51
Seriously Strong Cheddar - 8.51
Lurpak - 8.47
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream - 8.43
Galaxy chocolate - 8.26
Cathedral City - 8.38
Soreen Malt Loaf- 8.33
Dorset Cereals - 8.24
Innocent Smoothies - 8.27
Cadbury’s Twirl - 8.27
Häagen-Daz - 8.26
Seabrook Crisps - 7.94

FOOD????

I think this research finding explains this development (combined with the fact that we like our TV´s of course):

Why celebrities can boost your sales - or not

2012-01-17T08:42:00.000+11:00

Whether youshould use celebrities or not in marketing seems like a difficult decision.Some studies tell us that celeb marketing is not very effective and that the levelof trust for celebrities is very low. At least that is what people say. Forexample, among women only 2% would find celebrity endorsement valuable whenmaking purchase decisions (while 74% would gladly turn to a friend).

When lookingat the subconscious mind, we get another story.

A Dutch studyfrom Erasmus University has found that when a celebrity endorses a product it heightensthe activity in the female brain associated with the feeling of affection.

24 women werepresented with 40 colour photographs of famous and non-famous women deemed tobe similarly attractive, and wearing the same footwear. When confronted with acelebrity, the research team documented heightened activity in a certain partof the brain - the medial oribitofrontal cortex. The same was not observed whenpictures of an attractive non-celebrity were presented.

I believe thepower of celebrities in advertising lies in the fact that they are faces werecognise. When we look at a face we know studies of the brain has found that it awakens parts of the brainconnected with rewards. Other studies have shown that we prefer patterns thatwe have seen before, suggesting the power of familiarity.

Universityof Illinois psychologist Chris Fraley hasfound that people also are sexually drawn to those who resemble their parentsor themselves.

Theresearch involved three experiments. In the first, volunteers were shownpictures of strangers’ faces and asked to rate them on sexual attractiveness.They were unaware that they were also being shown photographs just before thestrangers’ faces, and these were flashed so quickly they could only beprocessed subliminally. Half the volunteers were flashed a picture of theiropposite gender parent, while the remaining subjects were flashed a picture ofan unrelated person.

Those who were exposed to a picture oftheir parent generally found the stranger's face more sexually attractive thanthose who were shown the photo of an unrelated person.

A secondexperiment used images of two faces morphed together. The control group wasshown images of faces of strangers morphed together, but the other subjectswere shown faces that were composites of a stranger's face and (unknowingly) upto 45% their own face. They then rated the sexual attractiveness of the morph. Inthis experiment the subjects shown images containing their own face found thepicture more sexually attractive.

We wouldnot admit to being attracted to ourselves though... In the final experiment thevolunteers were again shown composite pictures, and half were told thecomposites included their own faces, while the rest were not. In fact none ofthe composites contained the subjects’ faces. They were again asked to ratetheir sexual attractiveness. The results showed the subjects who believed thecomposites contained their own image rated it as less sexually attractive thanthose who did not.

Sean Mackinnon from DalhousieUniversity and his teamfound in their research that when we have a choice, we will sit next to peoplewho resemble ourselves.

Mackinnon's team first observed how students chose in a lecture hall and cameto the conclusion their seating position was determined by their looks.

In another part of the study, 174 participants looked at photos of eightindividuals and rated how much they liked them, how much they perceived them tohave similar attitudes, and thought they would be accepted by them. They alsosaid how close they would choose to sit near each person. Consistent with theearlier studies, participants said they'd sit nearer those individuals whoresembled them. They also thought these physically similar individuals wouldshare their attitudes, they liked them more, and they expected to be acceptedby them, as compared with their judgments about physically dissimilar others.The shared attitudes factor was the strongest.

These studiesmay explain why celebrities can attract people to like and choose a certainproduct, not based on what they are famous for, butbecause we have seen them lots of times before. We will trust those we recognise, whether weare aware of it or not. The strongest marketing comes from your family or from yourself,but the second best might be a celebrity.

Usage of a celebrity in your marketing campaign could help, but it is definitely not sure.

Peter Daboll from Ace Metrix, studied over2,000 TV ads tounderstand whether celebrities today are really worth the significantinvestment that brands were making. The report 2010 Celebrity Advertisements: Exposing a Myth ofAdvertising Effectiveness, 2010, showed that fewer than 12% ofads using celebrities exceeded a 10% lift, and one-fifth of celebrity ads had anegative impact on advertising effectiveness.

What tosay...? Use your common sense, go deeper in your strategy than thinkingcelebrity = sales. The correlation is not clear. But it has got potential to be...

LG Netherlands and Y&R Amsterdam - thanks for this ad. I love you

2012-01-16T07:23:00.000+11:00

I love this ad!! It´s so different and intriguing. You can´t wait to find out WTF is going on. It´s quiet, not shouting or desperately trying to get my attention by playing loud music or showing the whole rainbow of colours. Nah, just subtle, clever and soft. I wish I had been a part of the team crafting this!!

Will it be effective though? I believe so! I guess the purchaser of expensive TV´s will be an intelligent person with taste, someone who appreciate the low key but cut through message. It will make him or her feel smarter too, it will make that person stop for a second and follow the story.

Compared to anything that is sold with "cheap" as the main benefit, where sales staff scream, sing or dance, and where products pass by in bold colours as if they try to force themselves into your mind, this ad is an oasis.

Source:

Top 6: January 11th 2012

Maybe LG has made their new OLED TV's a bit too thin. Agency: Y&R Amsterdam.

CategoryHome electronics
URLhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYX5fFxcXWU
ClientLG Netherlands
AgencyY&R Amsterdam
ProductionElectric Zoo Amsterdam
CountryNetherlands
Uploaded10 January, 2012

Credits

Director
Hans Knaapen
Creative Director
Lionell Schuring
Creative Director
Sheldon Bont
Copywriter
Andrew Maaldrink
Art Director
Nick Plomp
Art Director
Theo Korf
Client Team Director
Monique Nijenhof
Post production
Postoffice Amsterdam

Why brand managers should trust their marketing agencies - why it´s better to understand consumers than to have knowledge on brands

2012-01-15T08:49:00.000+11:00

Most marketing managers want to show the world how fabuloustheir products are by telling everybody about the unique features and all thedetails that makes this face cream or sports shoe worth a few extra bucks.

The problem with people who have worked with their brand fortoo long is that they know too much about it. They spend all their timeexploring a market like cookies or nail polish or whatever they are selling,and they get blind for the fact that there is a whole world of products andexperiences out there, competing about our attention.

When a marketing director send out a survey asking customerswhat they think about Their brand, most of us will subconsciously be just asblind. We will politely answer questions about the brand, spend a few minutesdwelling on what we feel about it and why. We might even get paid for doing so,which in combination with the fact that most people Love being asked since itmakes us feel important, is messing up the research results. We say we like abrand, but in theory we can like a lot of things at once and there is noconflict. The problem starts when you´re in a shop and have limited resourcesand need to choose. A new dress or organic carrots? Quality juice or save forsuper?

In research every brand is an island and people can pretendthey are kings with unlimited wallets, buying all sorts of things. We don´t lie, but we are not truthful.

Brand managers often forget about this, and hence they askadvertising agencies to listen to how consumers rave and ramble in theirquantitative research (or even worse, online panels or social network communities). They askthe agency to tell people everything, every details, because if we only Know,we will be Wowed and Buy.

It´s not that simple.

Or rather, it´s not that complicated.

When people have too many options, we tend to be confusedand unhappy. In a study presented in Martin Lindstrom´s book Brandwashed, studentsgot to choose from either 6 types or 30 types of chocolate. Those who had morechoices were less satisfied with their choice. Possible explanation accordingto authors of study: “Thinking about the attractions of some of the unchosenoptions detracts from the pleasure derived from the chosen one.”

When we expose the brain to too much information it getsconfused. Not because there is too much data, but because there are no clearemotional signals involved, if you get the difference?

In the three part human brain, the limbic system is the onein charge of decision making. This emotional brain is stronger than thethinking brain. It is the first one reacting to a sales message and the Boss.The thinking brain will step in and control the emotions a bit, perhaps coolthem down or justify them. But the thinking brain - the one respondingpositively to facts and statistics - will not make the decision.

Successful marketing goes straight to the limbic system,tickling our feelings with visuals, smell or emotional messages. It uses wordsthat triggers feelings, rather than explains. It can say things like “ourcereal includes Omega 3” or “this body lotion is developed at the institute ofbullshit” but only in order to make us FEEL something about the product.

Take a look at the research on the importance of the word “because”. Ellen Langer, asocial psychologist, did a study in the 90´s, where a stranger would ask randompeople if they could go ahead of the line to use a copy machine.

When theperson simply asked, “Excuse me, I have five copies to make. May I use the copymachine?”, 60% of the people agreed to let him cut in.
In asecond part of the experiment, the stranger added a reason to the request,“because I’m in a hurry.” Compliance with the request jumped to 94%.
Theexperiment was executed one more time. This time the reason given was noturgent or meaningful. It simply included the word “because” and here’s whathappened… Shockingly, compliance only dropped by 1% from the second trial wherean urgent reason was given, with 93% still agreeing to let the person cut inline.

This means thatgetting a reason for doing something – no matter what the reason is – will makeus more likely to accept. It could be because the razor has 5 blades or that itis a razor, people will still get a feeling of rightness. They back up theiremotional decision with a “because” and once the heart has made its mind up,any reason will do!

For brand managers,the learning is to not get too caught up in the benefits of the product or whatpeople say about it. It´s all about what they feel. Create a strong simpleemotional “message” and sprinkle it with a few facts to quiet the suspiciousthinking brain, and you are in.

Advertising is notabout coming up with random fun ideas or to put the product on a stage. Goodadvertising will use insights and psychological findings to find the true path tothe heart. It will understand people beyond what they know about themselves andfocus on them, not on the brand.

Let the customer shine and trust the laws ofkarma.

WHY do 4,000 people "Like" a shoe brand on Facebook? WHY?

2012-01-13T07:49:00.000+11:00

I spoke with a friend last night about a shoe brand he works on who quickly got 4,000 "Like"s after setting up the Facebook site.

It amazes me how a shoe can get 4,000 "Like"s. Why do people "Like" brands on Facebook - what is the point? I guess they can win something, so they get in there in order to get freebies. A lot of people will simply like a brand, hence "Like" it - but then I wonder how they manage all those meaningless updates all brands send out? They block my news feed and I tend to "Unlike" brands as soon as they ask me "hey dear, how was your day?" Perhaps I´m an old hag who just can´t see it...

Of course I will demand every brand I work on to rush to FB if they are not already there, and to have a careful strategy on how to connect and chat with people. If brands are not where people are, how can they make an impact and influence. But I still find it fascinating! Clever videos going viral - yes. Compelling competitions - yes. Following the huge lovemarks like Apple or Nike - yes. But a simple shoe brand getting 4,000 people to click "Like" and accept and embrace the brand to interfere in their Facebook. Amazing!

According to this, it´s the answers "special offers/deals" (36.9%) or "current customer" (32.9%) that get the highest scores. But it doesn´t explain why you need to "Like" a brand just because you are a customer? How very odd. The data is of course presented without information on number or nationalities of respondents, but I believe it is from 2011. Probably from the Us? It gives us a hint, but not the real answer. I want to dig deeper. Has anyone done that? Are there qualitative studies made on why people interact with brands in social media? I search through google but only get sales messages from companies dying to help me set up a brand presence online.

ExactTarget did some research into what motivates (American) users to Like companies on Facebook. The results:

40% to receive discounts and promotions
39% to show my support for the company to others
36% to get a “freebie”
34% to stay informed about the activities of the company
33% to get updates on future products
30% to get updates on upcoming sales
29% for fun or entertainment
25% to get access to exclusive content
22% someone recommended it to me
21% to learn more about the company
13% for education about company topics
13% to interact

Research conducted by Chadwick Martin Bailey in January 2011 (in the Us of course) about how consumers are using Facebook to interact with brands on Facebook showed that 78% follow less than ten brands. Why? Because:

I am a customer of the company 58%

To receive discounts and promotions 57%

To show others that I like/support this brand 41%

To be the first to know information about the brand 31%

Gain access to exclusive content 31%

I still believe it´s a complete mystery that 4,000 people want to receive updates from a shoe brand, but each to their own :)

Who is going to do a proper study on this, differentiating ages, genders and asking qual questions? There is some data, saying the average "Liker" is 31 years old, 20% are students, 17% unemployed, but that doesn´t say much. Give me more, please!

How to bring out your creativity

2012-01-11T08:53:00.001+11:00

I found this super interesting post aboutcreativity and how it´s increased on Online University.

Are you creative? Want to be...? Read this (or, as the article suggests: go for a run, learn a language or meditate!)

Stress kills creativity

Just like it killsmental health, the heart, and pretty much everything else. Stress negativelyimpacts creative expression, particularly when it involves rigid timeframes andcriteria. According to psychologist Dr. Robert Epstein, no gene or any other factorpredisposes some individuals toward creativity and others not (this perspectiveis, obviously, disputed). External factors such as stress play a much heavierrole in determining innovation than anything intrinsic.

Those considered geniusesdescribe their creative processes as trancelike

Dr. NancyAndreasen, who wrote The Creating Brain: TheNeuroscience of Genius, may not be able to scientifically explain howcreativity and genius emerge, but she does know how they inspire and impact thegreat thinkers. All people experience moments of "ordinarycreativity," which permeates daily tasks. But the artist, composers,scientists, writers, and others qualifying as geniuses typically talk ofoneiric "flashes" setting off their most notable, iconic works.

A connection between dopamineproduction and creativity might exist

Because dopamineincreases along with positive reinforcement and other rewards, someneurobiologists (like Dr. David Sweatt) believe it easily correlates withcreativity, too. Either receiving money or the simple satisfaction of a jobwell done might stimulate levels of innovation, and dopamine in kind. Such alink still exists as a theory, albeit one that does go a long way in explainingthe sometimes inexplicable.

Perceptionis the first step to nurturing the creative spark

All creativepursuits start when the thinker perceives an external stimulus and processes itin his and/or her mind. More complex than merely seeing, the "engines ofour ingenuity" hook up imagery with imagination. Personal differences inthis inevitable linkage lead to creative output and adroitly explain why somepeople end up with the particular results they do and keep society pushingforward.

Creativity might correlate withbrain chemistry and structure

Theories regardingcreativity’s true origins abound, and some think one’s aptitude may bedetermined by his or her brain chemistry and structure. University of NewMexico’s Rex Jung believes that if you have less of certain neurologicalphenomena, you’re better off when it comes to creative pursuits. Specificchemicals froth about in smaller dosages, while white matter sits weaker andthe frontal lobe’s cortical regions are thinner. Interestingly enough, brainstesting higher on intelligence tests feature the exact opposite composition.Generally speaking, of course.

Creative thinkers have slowernerves

During creativemoments, the left frontal cortex experiences comparatively more sluggishactivity, which also correlates with the aforementioned decreased white matterand connecting axons. Unlike intelligence, creativity tends to thrive whenthinking slows down, although "flashes" of inspiration and insightoccur with the speed of flashes. Emotions and some cognitive processes happenin this particular region as well, which scientists such as Dr. Jung believeencourage abstract and novelty thought processes.

"Psychologicaldistance" facilitates creativity

When hitting acreative snag, the best thing thinkers can do for themselves is step away andtry to look at everything from a completely different point of view. Studieshave shown that the most consistently creative individuals display awillingness to approach their challenges from a wide variety of angles beyondtheir initial inklings. Putting some space between original perspectives andnewer ones encourages abstract thinking, a crucial component in the inventiveprocess.

Early research into creativity divided it up into three separate subsections

Mel Rhodes’inquiries into the creative mind — which required him to research around 50takes on the subject — eventually led him to break everything down into theperson, process, and environment components. The person element, as you canprobably guess, involves one’s unique set of characteristics needed to thinkand perceive things in an innovative, abstract fashion. Actually understandingand formulating ideas and results is known as process, and environment meansthe internal and external milieu in which the creative individual works.

Aerobic exercise increases one’screative potential

When brain fogstarts rolling in, try a moderate amount of aerobic exercise to try and clearit up. Rhode Island College scientists noted that the two hours after engagingin such rigorous physical activity proved some of the most mentally fertile ina 2005 study. They used the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking to measure howwell the participating thinkers performed with and without exercise.

Creativity might plummet if it becomes a means to arewarding end

Although from 1987,this study’s findings showcase just how largely unknowable creativity’s trueface is these days, as it conflicts with some more contemporary theoriesdespite making just as much sense. Tests conducted on Brandeis Universitycreative writing students noted a dive in their motivation and thoughtsregarding their work when receiving rewards for their efforts. They approachedpoetry with a lessened sense of intrinsic interest, a finding which ended upapplying to situations beyond the creative.

Improvisation stimulates thebrain’s language centers

fMRIs andimprovised jazz form the crux of surgeon Charles Limb’s pioneering maps of thecreative process. His TEDxMidAtlantic lecture discussed his fascinatingfindings regarding the physiology behind musical improvisation, specifically,how it makes the Broca’s Area light up like the Fourth of July. Brainscientists think this part is responsible for language development andcognition, implying that one of the body’s most essential organs mightrecognize music (and maybe even other expressive pursuits) as akin to speech.

Bilingualism and multilingualismmight improve one’s creative skills

Researchers"may not have had [their] EUREKA moment" when it comes to proving alink between bi- and multilingualism, but compelling evidence certainly exists.Individuals capable of speaking more than one language generally display morecompetent multitasking skills and improved cognition, both usually labeled keyingredients to creative thinking. Most telling, however, is that they seembetter able to analyze situations and stimuli from multiple angles, whichnearly everyone attempting to define creativity considers essential.

Creative people are more likelyto be dishonest

That doesn’t meanall creative folks ought not be trusted, nor that their opposites are alwaysthe most honest sorts, of course. But individuals capable of more novel andabstract thoughts — and possessing more flexible moral fibers —"enjoy" a higher risk of less-than-trustworthy behaviors. Multiplestudies show that the ability to concoct more solid, viable stories and viewscenarios and stimuli from many angles dull the chances of getting caught.

High IQ and creativity mightcorrelate with one another

Harvard, like manyother institutions of higher learning, hopes to try and unlock creativity’sbeautiful and bizarre secrets. Dr. Shelley Carson, notable for developing a newstandard to measure the mysterious phenomenon, wants to try and find a definitiverelationship between intelligence and creative thinking. Some of her earlierstudies note that both increase together at the 120, 130, and 150 IQ levels,but more research is needed to prove any sort of solid correlation.

So yeah. Creativity and mentalillness might very well coincide

Painting allcreative types as insane — particularly the influential and genius — always hasbeen and probably always will be a rather tired cliché, albeit a cliché thatmight actually hold some cachet. Their brains have been proven to open up moreto external sources and possess greater memory capacity than others, but such aperk does come burdened with some unfortunate side effects. Overstimulationmight very well result, which can pique (or worsen) anxiety and depressivedisorders.

Should strategic planners try to make people feel like shit?

2012-01-10T07:24:00.000+11:00

Should we as planners try to make people feel bad about themselves and get low selfesteem to sell more things?

It´s a controversial question, I know, but one that we needto reflect on and face the reality of. As marketers we are not saving theworld; we are not out to do good or aimed to make people happy. We are not God,and even if you can be drawn to the job because you love to listen to storiesor decipher the mystery of man, strategic planning is about increasing bottomlines through those stories and the insights that we get from them.

Our job is to sell. To figure out what triggers the mind ofthe target audience to bring out their credit card and buy. To understand how tomanipulate. To influence and inspire – to purchase. In my sidebusiness as a coach I listen in order to enrich those people´s lives, but as astrategist I simply need to understand what the key to their wallet is...

In an interesting study Deborah Roedder John at theUniversity of Minnesota asked 250 kids ages 8 to 18 the question “What makes mehappy?” and let them choose among different words.

When she looked at the results, she found that the childrenwith higher self-esteem chose words that represented nonmaterial activities andachievements, like getting good grades or skateboarding with friends, whereaschildren with lower levels of self-esteem chose possessions, like new clothesor an iPod.

This would mean for us who work in marketing, selling materialthings, that we should lower the level of self esteem in people to get them torun to our shops. We should make people feel as if they are not worthy the loveof others, unless they own the razor, the pair of jeans or the kitchen knives we market.

Of course this is what advertisers do whenthey show pictures of skinny, beautiful people with huge smiles on their faces.They tell us those people are happier than we are, and unless we buy the newwrinkle serum or beer we will be the miserable lonely unloved people wesometimes feel we are... They say celebrities like Kim Kardashian are Perfect and we are not!

Of course we are playing with people´s deepest emotions,fears, dreams, insecurities and drivers. Successful marketing bypass thethinking brain and finds its way into the emotional limbic system that is incharge of our decision making. Ads that change behaviours will manipulate and usepsychological insights to persuade. Not to help. Rather to increase the pain.

Dirty business, huh... The similarities between me andGordon Gekko in Wall street are sometimes too many for me to feel proud ofmyself. I make people even less connected to the deep knowledge of beingperfect as you are; I feed the materialistic, shallow culture we live in.

But... At the same time I am a big believer in that trulyeffective marketing actually goes a step further than to trick people. If youwant loyalty, you better be Good.

Let´s compare with the world of romance. When pick-up artistá la the book “The Game” gets a phone number by making girls feel bad about themselves (and therefore grateful for His attention),they only get a date or two. Never true, pure love. When you on the other hand find asoul mate connection and respect each other, it can lead to a healthy, long term relationship.

Strategic planners can stop at level 1 and find a few waysinto people, but if you really want to increase the bottom line for the brand(and the agency) year after year and not just this quarter, you better continuethe search into the target audience´s deepest, to find a way to truly make thebrand meaningful to them.

Perhaps we can both increase sales and make people happy? Ibelieve we can. We just need to be curious, empathetic and humble. Search forthe deep rooted needs within people. By creating another ad decreasingconfidence levels in teenage girls, we are taking a shortcut, but we never reallystick. By on the other hand serving them something that will improve their lives, we will be loved.

Perhaps I´m naive. What do you think? I believe I can make adifference that both brands and consumers will benefit from by at leastthinking about all this. Let´s higher our standards. Let´s match-make brands and people in order for them to marry, not just have a naughty fling.

The study was presented in Brandwashed by Martin Lindstrom.

Inspiring creative supermarket ideas from around the world

2012-01-09T06:59:00.001+11:00

Going to a supermarket can be a dull and stressful experience. Today they are all freezing to keep the food fresh, hence you rush through them in your little summer dress, eager to get out as soon as possible, hopefully carrying some items you need - if you were lucky enough to find them in the clutter. Sigh. We might love their ads and the brands, but supermarkets really need to shape up to keep people happy in the long run.

Here are some creative super market ideas spotted by Alain Thys,author of So You Want ToBe Customer-Centric Original post

MPREIS in Tirol (Austria)

If you thought supermarkets were square boxes which lacked any form ofarchitectural imagination, MPreis in Austriais clearly intent on proving you wrong. Launched 90 years ago, this Tirolian supermarket chain is known for making suretheir supermarkets are architectural beauties beyond compare in their industry.

EATALY in New York

Part deli, part experience, part restaurant and with a massive beer garden onthe roof, Eataly is somewhat hard to define. But what is prettyclear is that this high end Italian megastore is prettyon the ball when it comes to creating a food shopping experience to remember.Not to mention the art of securing the margin that goes with it. Thevideo below says it all.

H-E-B in San Antonio, Texas

In early 2010, this Texas supermarket decided to group all male skincare in aMen's Zone. This was driven by the insight that most guys, especially in Texas,don't really feel at ease looking for their products alongside female hygieneand hair removal products. The results were phenomenal with a year-on-yearsales increase of 11% on a range of 534 personal care items.

ChronoDrive/ChronoVillage, France

We have all seen the "shop online and pick up in store" programmes which most advanced supermarkets haveimplemented. But France's Auchan has takenmatters a step further by designing a Chronodrive servicestation where you can collect your groceries in 5 minutes or less. Thecurrent format upgrade, Chronovillage evenhelps you secure a freshly baked baguette, a good bottle of wine or a rose toremind your spouse how much you love her (hey, it's France). These extras areprovided by complementary specialty stores which surround the pick-up zone.Apparently the format is hitting it off, as Auchan hasannounced a quite aggressive roll-out plan.

Kaiser's Berlin, Germany

The Futurelab blogalready covered the store in 2009, but Kaiser's in Berlin is stillthe most senior friendly supermarket that I've ever seen. From magnifyingglasses to read prices to modified trolleys, every aspect of this food retailerhas been adapted to the needs of those who aren't as young as the productmanagers that typically market to them. As the world's population keeps aging,this is one retailer everyone needs to watch.

Tesco Homeplus, Korea

Sure, I know it's shown up in every retail presentation of 2011, but Tescoout-innovated everyone with its subway station smartphone stores. If you wouldhave missed it, or would like to indulge once more, do check out the video.

The People's Supermarket in London, UK

Last one in the row is a supermarket that doesn't use special furniture,architecture or technology to create a unique experience, but manages to do sononetheless. Owned by it's customers, who are also regularly asked to lend ahand in the restocking the aisles or servicing customers, The People'sSupermarket focuses on local, authentic products at fair prices.

Shopper marketing is an upcoming and growing area for marketers, thank God... I believe we will see more touch screens, experiences, varieties and happenings in the supermarkets in the future, thanks to clever strategies.

100 things that will be hot in 2012 from JWT Intelligence

2012-01-07T07:05:00.000+11:00

This is the summary of a massive list of trends from JWT Intelligence. Watch the slideshow here: http://www.jwtintelligence.com/2011/12/100-watch-2012/ Lots of interesting predictions on the near and far future.

One trend talked about is apps for an ageing world. The Western world is definitely filled with healthy elderly. I saw a movie trailer the other day for one of the first movies about seniors out and about having fun. Times are changing.

Order your food from a touch screen at the table. Awesome!!

2012-01-05T07:14:00.000+11:00

Finally! I´ve been for decades talking about the convenience of ordering your food and drinks from a screen at the table instead of having to spend all dinner trying to get eye contact with the busy waitress, and now the time is here according to trendcentral.com. Thank you!!

"Touchscreen technology is emerging as a key device for retailers who seek tointegrate a familiar sense of digital independence with a more interactive(read: immersive) in-store experience.

Barneys New York CO-OP Cafe: The CO-OPfloor of Barneys NewYork on Madison Avenue recently re-launched with itsfirst genes@co-opcafé. Traditional coffee shop vinyl booths and plastic menus have beenabandoned in favor of a single glass-top banquet table containing 30touchscreen computer tablets. Targeted at rushed shoppers, the communal tableallows diners to scan the interactive menu and immediately place their ordersdirectly from their seats. For Gen Ys who are naturally adept at multitasking,the tablets also provide them with the opportunity to read articles from theBarneys New York online publication—and, naturally, to shop the store’sinventory straight from their place settings.

The Draqie:Getting a waiter’s or bartender’s attention during a busy weekend rush can posea real, and often irritating, challenge. The Draqiehas arrived to potentially alleviate such frustration. Part dinner table andpart waiter, it’s an interactive table that provides restaurant patrons withthe ability to view and order from a touch-sensitive, digitized menu. The glasssurface reacts only to finger touches, meaning an accidental swipe of cutleryor dishes won’t unintentionally beckon a server. Furthermore, participatingestablishments can include photos and descriptions of menu items so thatcustomers can make their selections without any fear of mystery ingredients orallergic reactions.

Read this online at trendcentral.com."

Trendwatching.com are also talking about screens as one of the big trends 2012:

"SCREEN CULTURE is less of a trend in itself, but more the medium through which so many trends in this Trend Briefing will manifest themselves. 2012 will see three mega-tech currents converge: screens will be (even more): ubiquitous / mobile / cheap / always on; interactive and intuitive (via touchscreens, tablets and so on); an interface to everything and anything that lies beyond the screen (via the mobile web and, increasingly and finally mainstream in 2012, ‘the cloud'). In fact, the future for most devices will be a world where consumers will care less about them and just about the screen, or rather what’s being accessed through it.

So whether it’s the convergence of ‘online’ and ‘offline’ (see OFF=ON in our recent RETAIL RENAISSANCE Trend Briefing), consumers tapping into THE F-FACTOR to discover and decide on new products with the help of their friends, fans and followers, or never ending mega-trends like 'convenience' or INFOLUST, expect all consumer culture to be influenced by and take place in an all-pervasive SCREEN CULTURE.

And no, there won’t be ‘screen overload’ or ‘screen fatigue’. In fact, the above video is just a taste of things to come for digital natives in 2012 and beyond. Some random signs of the times:

UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s, in a partnership with television provider Sky, is allowing shoppers to watch key sports events while they shop using in-cart iPad docks and speakers. The Sky Go trolley comes complete with a tilting iPad holder, speakers and an onboard battery with self-charging solar panel. All sports-minded shoppers need to do is download the Sky Go streaming app onto their tablet and then load it into the shopping cart’s dock.

South African mobile telecommunications brand 8ta installed touch-activated windows in its stores, enabling customers to browse the retailer’s catalog throughout the day and night. Using technology from digital media company One Digital Media (also based in South Africa), the store's 'whispering windows' act as speakers, allowing shoppers to hear about products, as well as view them in the storefront. In the retail space, further touchscreens utilized on product display tables and embedded in walls showcase 8ta’s products.

In September 2011, Sichuan hotpot chain Hao Di Lao and Chinese technology firm Huaweiannounced a partnership to install telepresence screens in Hao Di Lao’s Shanghai and Beijing restaurants. Customers can sit down and share their hotpot meal with family and friends located elsewhere via the screens. Hao Di Lao customers can already use iPads provided on their tables to order food.
And SCREEN CULTURE examples (will) keep coming. In 2012, keep an eye on the iPhone5 and iPad3. And on the Kindle Fire. And on the Aakash tablet.
Large screens will see an overhaul too: from Apple iTV and Samsung's SmartTV, to a whole host of apps available with GoogleTV to LG's 3D projector to Sony's future TV plans.
Oh, and with winter hitting the northern hemisphere soon, expect a comeback of Muji's andEtre's screen-friendly gloves.
Looking further ahead, how about the OmniTouch, a wearable prototype device (from Microsoft Research Redmond) which transforms any surface into a touchscreen via projection? Or Samsung's flexible screens and screen-embedded windows?
Away from consumer electronics, Adidas and Intel have also showcased a Virtual Footwear Wall, enabling shoppers to browse up to 8,000 shoes at once via a touchscreen interface. Yes, SCREEN CULTURE truly is the culture ;-)"