Tagged: targeting
Five things I learnt from Cannes 2010
It pays to be fun
VW’s The Fun Theory proved people don’t like taking the stairs when there’s an escalator – but when it’s turned into a giant piano they do. Welcome thefuntheory.com
The powerful nature of this campaign is the proof of peoples intrigue into human behavior. Reactions to, and motivations for, having fun are what make the subsequent viral materials so engaging.
Technology innovation is truly here
Nike’s Chalkbot proved how fusing some of the biggest and baddest technology with social tools really does pay dividends in bringing an idea to life. Didn’t somebody once say impossible is nothing?
And so is simplicity
Everyone’s familiar with the great Facebook item grab campaign in the IKEA showroom. What a great reminder of how we should be looking to exploit new media channels they way they were meant to be.
PR is integrated
A look at any of the Titanium and Integrated Lions show us how big a part to play PR has in every advertising story we now strive to tell. Gatorade’s Replay and Heineken’s Auditorium are testament to this – PR has become really fun!
If everything else fails – there’s always a beer
Great humour, spot on for target audience. Bravo Thooeys’ Beer Economy
Let’s talk Sirius
Sirius, the Recognition and Rewards programme from Jumeirah are a respected and leading player in the Hospitality loyalty game. We wanted to build on their very generous rewards and privileges and engage on a more personal and added value way.
In order to do this we have recently launched a suite of new comms going out to targeted segments of the base:
Sirius Delights focuses on the Dubai dinning market specifically. From our research our insight was yes offers are important, but actually reviews and recommendations are what really make people decide where to go. We connected this insight with the fantastic reputation Jumeirah restaurants have, and have actually embedded 3rd party review links into the communication. It’s open, honest and cuts out the time finding out whether the restaurant with the great offer is any good.
An additional clever feature we included was super personalisation – so that from a redemption perspective each individual member can see whether they can redeem instantly or how many Sirius Points they will need to get that reward.
Initial results have shown considerable revenue and footfall increases in Sirius business units.
Here it is shown on an i pad because it’s cool.
Sirius Travels is a different kettle of fish. The objective here is to build a long-term relationship with Jumeirah’s overseas members. Firstly we have to convince the recipient to come to Dubai, London or New York. Once achieved we need to make sure it’s with Juemriah that they stay. Editorially led with cool what’s going on widgets and 3rd party links to sell the ‘big 3′.
Results show a marked increase in click-throughs to specific stay packages and overseas booking information.
Sirius Statement does exactly what it says on the tin – but further than this moving forward plans to hyper personalise – offering members redeemable rewards which are affordable based on their Sirius Points balance, but also appealing based on profile and spend habits.
Innovative and light-hearted sales team activation from GyroHSR London
The successor to www.thegreatcaperace.co.uk Rio Runna is yet another great sales team initiative for T Mobile. The GyroHSR London team had pushed the bar pretty high already, so this one had a tough act to follow. The idea took the destination (Rio) as inspiration for a Ronnie Biggs-style getaway theme. The challenge here was to avoid the gangster territory and keep it light-hearted – more Del Boy Sun Shocka than Lock Stock. The site is currently 2 months in and the content is being revealed one step at a time – with ideas to make it even bigger and better as the incentive progresses.
GyroHSR Dubai seeks brilliant and brave new client
GyroHSR has this week launched their eagerly anticipated pitch. The integrated agency, founded 30 years ago with its head office in London has announced that in a rare move, its Dubai branch has completed a review of its business and in an aggressive shake up, has opened up space for a new account. They will be handling the pitch from their Media City office and are inviting prospective clients to contact them.
Word on the street is that four major international corporations are already jostling for position and there are rumoured to be seven flagship Emirati brands as well as numerous local start-ups all wanting a piece of the action.
The brief states that GyroHSR is looking for a client that isn’t afraid of a big idea. They’ll be brave and bold, clever and fun. They will have strong values and a hungry, entrepreneurial culture. They’ll want an agency with brains, energy, passion and ideas. An agency who values bravery over budget.
Fiona Menzies, General Manager enthused, “We would love the opportunity to put our five years of international airline experience to use in this market. We’re really hoping to attract an airline that wants to shake things up and approach the market in a new way. We’re media neutral – above, below, on, off, or through – we rub out the line and concentrate on the idea.”
Lucy Miller, MD summarised, “We are very happy with our existing accounts but feel the need to embrace a new challenge – we’re a young, hungry team and we live, eat and breathe ideas, and we’d like to work with more clients who value those same characteristics”.
Companies that are ready to think differently and embrace new ideas should write a sentence on why they should be considered for the client selection process.
Email us: fiona.menzies@gyrohsr.com / lucy.miller@gyrohsr.com
Pop in: 1204 Business Central Towers
Call us: 04 433 1864 / 050 104 6745
Tweet us: www.twitter.com/GyroHSR_Dubai
Blog us: www.gyrodubai.wordpress.com
Facebook us: www.facebook.com/gyrohsr
Visit us: www.gyrohsr.com
CMO Middle East
If you attended the CMO Middle East event in Dubai today you were introduced to a barrage of common buzz; mobile marketing, the move towards online in MEA, emerging markets leap-frogging more established markets to future technologies, the need to keep budgets in a recession, and so on – all wrapped up with a need for accountability and transparency. There were constant references social media, but few delved further into it – perhaps day 2 (which I won’t unfortunately be attending) will bring the anticipated discussion around web 3.0?
Maktoob enthusiastically discussed the future of online in the region – clearly boosted by the Yahoo! takeover. We saw the ‘yet to be Arabised’ It’s you campaign (on Google’s Youtube) and the proud release of BPA audit figures. Backed up with a healthy obsession with targeting – based on tracking and analytics – Yahoo!’s Maktoob looks to have serious intentions of leading the changing face of MEA’s ad landscape. We wait with bated breath to see how the Yahoo!/Maktoob partnership develops.
One point which got me thinking was raised by Jumeirah’s Thatcher Brown, who walked us through Jumeirah’s marketing strategy. A heavy focus was on internal training and loyalty, backed by the need to provide 100% reviews in every part of consumer feedback. With loyalty at the top of the agenda – Thatcher presented the idea of the ‘Dubai Loyalty Scheme’ – which could be an arousing concept for Dubai Tourism (also present at CMO ME) to consider. But even more so for the brands in the UAE who aim to be leaders in their industries.
This is not to say a ‘stamp-able loyalty card’ every time you pass through customs control – but instead the mentality that Dubai as much as anything needs to go further than selling itself, but create brand loyalty for itself. Challenge number one – build loyalty in Dubai. Challenge number 2 – ‘own’ Dubai in your industry. Arguably Jumeirah own Hospitality in Dubai – one of the most established brands in the UAE, a very new brand globally. In essence instead of selling a brand globally – the idea here is that if you can build loyalty in Dubai, and you own hospitality in Dubai, you’re almost there.
As an agency insider it was brilliant to see what CMO’s in this region are thinking and doing. It’s clear that there are a lot of ideas and enthusiasm, as well as a belief that the MEA region, alongside markets such as India and China are genuinely amongst the most exciting to work in. And even further, technology isn’t getting in the way – thoughts around the preciousness of an idea, a need for local understanding and an openness to media execution, over using a particular media for the sake of it, seem to be king.
This was summed up nicely by some final thoughts from CMO Council Executive Director, Donovan Neale-May. He talked about ‘Share of mind over share of market’ – the importance of realising how to best connect with your audience.
The ‘maximising marketeer’
Whilst watching an opening episode of Mad Men – we see fictional creative director Don Draper and his team casually solving a brief for a high end department store with slick images and a coupon to drive sales. The modern marketeer (and in this case; the attractive client), were let down by the depth of the campaign strategy.
However, is the coupon making a return to fame? Despite the undeniable importance of an integrated and engaging approach to marketing strategy – the humble promotional coupon has its place.
Whilst reading a recent entry on our corporate blog site, I was informed that consumers are stepping up efforts to save money during the recession by carrying out more searches for online vouchers and discounts than ever before. This is according to new figures from Hitwise, which show that web searches for vouchers have soared by 47.5 per cent in the last year in the UK.
What was most interesting to me was the comment from Hitwise UK research director Robin Goad; “We are seeing the emergence of what our colleagues the Future Foundation call the ‘maximising consumer’,”
“These shoppers don’t necessarily buy the cheapest products or services, but they do spend a lot of time researching online before selecting what to buy and then a bit more time to find the best price or discounts before making a purchase.”
A valid point and one that rings true in Dubai. The nature of the economy and the lifestyle which many have flocked to the Emirate to embrace means that we are looking for an experience that we shouldn’t really be able to afford, at a seemingly affordable price.
In steps the Entertainer Book (for non UAE residents, this is a series of voucher books which cover the majority of eateries from Burger King to Michelin Star restaurants).
It works so well in Dubai. The city is small enough to make it logistically viable, and the concept simple enough for the smallest of outlets with the most basic of marketing strategies take part, yet powerful enough that the global players can’t afford to miss out.
Although the Entertainer has an online presence – with limited offers available only online – beyond this the ‘print-on-demand’ coupon is not as common as you might think.
It would seem like a perfect opportunity for some of the less prevalent brands in the region to make an impact. Utilising simple and tried and tested promotion driven marketing to reach out and drive sales – without having to invest heavily in a complex web solutions.
It’s not groundbreaking, but if embraced could boost the development of the online landscape in the region, and is a very measurable way to track ROI.
Augmented Reality – the hype continues to gather momentum
The hype behind augmented reality has been growing over the past months – with London seemingly being used as a test ground for it’s practical uses.
During the highly enjoyable Wimbledon Tennis Championships, we saw the trialing on the IBM Seer Android which uses the video display, GPS navigation and built in compass to guide the user through the Wimbledon landscape. Live feeds overlay the display to give the user information directions to certain areas, and further still to update match scores, congestion in restaurants and more. The information all fed through human updates, by spies situated in each of the relevant areas.
Since then an i-phone app has been touted on youtube showing the latest generation using similar technology to help Londoners and visitors to the city navigate the city and find their nearest tube station.
The app at present wouldn’t be allowed to launch as it breaks apple contractual agreements – the technology is astounding and will surely come to play an enormous part of our lives in the future.
Although Vodafone’s spoof viral featuring Lewis Hamilton may be taking the technology and exaggerating it’s features for brand impact and viral qualities – it makes for some opportunities for great campaigns. What a fantastic product to market and furthermore what a landscape to market on.
I’m sure we can expect to see strategies including Augmented Reality ad sites soon after the technology is launched to a mass market.
Online engagement through free insight
Following Dubai Holding’s campaign earlier in the year to encourage users to have their say, we were now tasked with releasing the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) written report.
We wanted to communicate a feeling of change in the economic environment. The report is based on the views of over 400 professionals across the globe and it offers their predictions for the aftermath – the new era of capitalism.
A simple microsite www.capitalism09.com was born. The aim was to create something very interactive and very clickable. We wanted people to download the report and share it. With the slider mechanism the user was able to navigate the changing landscape and see the top line content and a clearer view.
A digital media campaign across The Gulf, India and the UK included online ad spots, PPC ads and targeted email broadcasts. This was supported with advertorials and a huge amount of PR coverage in print, online and radio.
Results: 15,000 site visits in one month and over 6,000 downloads of the report. Email open rates averaged around 40-50% and we witnessed lengthy dwell times on the site – indicating high levels of interaction.
Learn your landscape – 2 quick tips
Finding out information about your brand’s social landscape is as easy as one, two, click. It still amazes me the sheer number of sources of information online that can help paint a picture of your social media audience, and the landscape which they operate within.
Twitter search
www.search.twitter.com allows you to search by what people are talking about. This tool is incredibly useful to find out if people are talking about your brand, product or service online, but also to see what their views are.
People will be a lot more honest when talking with their friends or peers than in any type of customer satisfaction survey. Don’t forget you can also gain valuable insight to your competitors too.
Facebook advertising
Through using www.facebook.com/ads/create/ one can create a fake ad (which will never see the light of day), and then look at an audience to profile. Profile filter by country, age, gender, education and so on – but more importantly by keyword. So therefore you can easily find out an estimate of how many people in your region, on facebook, are interested in specific topics that may be relevant to your brand or latest campaign.
It’s pretty interesting stuff and a great source for insight!
B2B online communities
In the run up to 3G licences being awarded in Pakistan Nokia Siemens Networks identified the importance of engaging not just their operators, but also the end users. There is much debate as to whether the services 3G can offer will be of benefit to all markets, and if the service is not going to get used, why should operators invest in the infrastructure from anybody – let alone Nokia Siemens Networks?
The campaign that was created targeted both operators and end users and was ‘powered’ by Nokia Siemens Networks with the aim to both educate and gauge if the technology would be embraced.
Amongst others, the interactive site features blogging functionality, tag clouds, RSS feeds and has the capacity to share rich media.
The site links through to the Nokia Siemens Networks flagship innovation and Thought Leadership social media website unite – launched in 2008 which has seen over 180,000 visits in its 5 months since launch. The unite site created by Gyro London has proved to be an innovative and highly successful venture into the world of B2B on-line communities, which has been revered by many.
Results: unite has seen over 180,000 hits, with 3G pakistan recieving 500 hits per month in its early stages.
